All posts tagged 'folk'
Sinner Get Ready // Lingua Ignota
Uncompromising, and very brutal indeed. Some listeners will struggle to see it through to the end, whereas others will feel oddly comforted by its harshness.
Blue // Joni Mitchell
The early 1970s was a golden era for singer-songwriters, but this stands alongside the best. The beauty of Mitchell’s songwriting lies in its simplicity.
Songs of Love and Hate // Leonard Cohen
An epic poem in LP form, throughout Cohen embraces a brutal honesty that, although daunting on the surface, reminds you that bleakness can be beautiful.
Little Oblivions // Julien Baker
The shift away from skeletal guitars is welcome, but Baker’s strength does not lie in expansive arrangements. The songs sound like they’ve been developed for arenas, which is a strange paradox.
After the Gold Rush // Neil Young
Along with a supremely confident and symbiotic backing band, Neil Young imbues each track with this and easygoing courageousness. A true classic.
Song for Our Daughter // Laura Marling
Robed in ever so tasteful shades of pinkish beige, bluish beige, and beige, Song for Our Daughter is an often sublime Marling masterclass.
Let England Shake // PJ Harvey
Quite simply one of the greatest anti-war albums of all time. In this current political climate its significance has only increased.
Thomas Ashby: ‘When you’re in a studio that’s your space to be the biggest you you can be.’
Thomas Ashby is a singer/songwriter from Herne Bay. We discuss living together during the time he recorded and released his third EP - 'Backlash'.
The ’80s according to Stewart Lee
The most miserable man in comedy has five favourite albums from everyone's least favourite decade. We explore Stewart Lee's highlights of the '80s.
There's a Riot Going On // Yo La Tengo
Neither immersive nor memorable. Any time the group stumbles onto a passable bass line or melody they run it into the ground in a slow-motion indie panic.
Ruins // First Aid Kit
Artists can and should explore different plains, but Ruins sounds safe rather than bold. It sounds like Americana recorded in an air-conditioned studio.
Highway 61 Revisited // Bob Dylan
Dylan sings and we listen, the instrumentation hanging on his every word along with the rest of us. The album is an expressive, beautiful, and timeless classic.
Elliott Smith: behind the lyrics
Channeling the sounds of Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and more, Elliott Smith's words still cut deep, as darkly precious now as they've ever been.
Relaxer // alt-J
Relaxer falls together for spells, sometimes very well, but for the most part the music sounds drunk. The general impression it leaves is inelegant and sloppy.
Semper Femina // Laura Marling
In today’s climate of formulaic acts dominating the charts, Laura Marling continues to resist that temptation and further perfect her craft as a songwriter.
The Hope Six Demolition Project // PJ Harvey
A capacious sequel that seems confused by its own message. It neither sinks nor soars, and fails to make any sort of impact as a result.
On the Beach // Neil Young
On The Beach is perfect for those late nights alone. Both mellow and despondent, the record features the purest of songwriting from a genuine artist.