FOLK reviews
Solas Blackthorn Steve Turner
For Love The River That The Whirligig
And Laughter Runs Below Of Time
Compass Records Hobgoblin The Tradition Bearers
COM74490 HOBCD1009 LTCD1103
JO’R DK JO’R
Irish American Celtic super-band Solas has The second album from these Celtic music Mancunian singer Steve Turner was a constant
seen its share of changes since its inception in specialists par-excellence surpasses even face on the early to mid 80s UK folk club
1996. Now featuring original members Seamus their accomplished, well-received Far From circuit. Recording three well received albums
Egan and Winifred Horan with Mick McCauley, Home. With an infectious musicality born for Fellside his career seemed assured, but
Eamon McElhom and new vocalist Mairead out of many years’ combined active service somehow he slipped into early retirement.
Phelan they confidently enter their second to the music business, the five members of
decade. Much of the powerhouse energy of Blackthorn conjure a constantly bright, fresh and
After too long a wait, however, Steve Turner
yore is still intact Vital Mental Medicine still scintillating sound, uniformly confident in all
returns with a brand new CD The Whirligig
operates on manic overdrive while Eoin Bear’s departments.
Of Time. His rich voice and subtle English
Reel is a compulsive opener.
concertina accompaniment harks back the
Led by strong flute and whistle (Philippe golden age of 70sUK folk but his interpretative
The rootsier Americana strains of There Is A Barnes and Sarah Mooney) and bolstered power with narrative ballads reigns supreme.
Time add a fresh cosmopolitan sheen and the by assured guitar and bouzouki rhythms, the The Whirligig of Time is a selection of mainly
presence of The Dhuks allows a deeper dive breezy front-line textures are also inventively traditional material arranged by Steve including
into the American hinterland. Mairead Phelan’s contrasted with fiddle (Alex Percy), concertina his setting of The Isle of St Helena covered by
vocals exhibit a reserved coolness best found on (Mannie McClelland) and occasional banjo Mary Black.
the elegiac Molly na gCuach Ni Chuillean while and mandolin from bouzoukist and co-founder
the driving Seven Curses presents a melodic Fergus McClelland, with some nice syncopated
Other classic narrative ballads Bonnie George
challenge she rides successfully. jazzy bass adventures. All band members are
Campbell, Young Waters and The Poor And
multi-skilled instrumentalists (three of the five
Single Sailor display a power undiminished
Expertly mixing traditional roots with
play guitar) and, amidst the intelligently realized
by time. Finally, Where E’er You Walk, which
contemporary wisdom, Solas has achieved a
tunes from all over Britain (with an emphasis on
is often better known as Handel’s Largo
unique synthesis of rustic and urban folk forms
Irish), Fergus also turns in honest and upfront
finishes things in a quietly sublime style. The
and For Love And Laughter further displays their
performances of three traditional songs.
Whirligig Of Time welcomes back a mature and
creative genius. accomplished folk talent.
Trust me, contemporary bands playing Celtic
www.solasmusic.com
“A shining example of the music the British folk
repertoire don’t come much better than this.
scene is capable of producing”
Catie Curtis
“Musicianship of such a standard deserves
fRoots
recognition and success”
Sweet Life
The Folk Mag
The Demon
Compass
Barbers
COM44912
Mary Black
+4db
ES
5 years/5 songs
Demon Barber
Dolphin Traders DBS001
This is Catie Curtis’ first album to have been
TUCD008
recorded in Nashville and where her previous
SH
albums have been stripped right down, here
AL
she has produced a sound that is full without
Wittily named after founder and leader Damien
being cluttered and over manufactured.
Mary Black showcases a wealth of memories on Barber, this young combo is pushing at the folk
this 25th anniversary retrospective. This double envelope with all their collective might. Their
It’s Catie’s tenth album and her focus this time
CD collection 25 Years/25 Songs contains live reputation is already established with Mike
is the beauty and joy in life even when things
25 songs spanning her illustrious career and Harding describing them as “one of the best live
around us are not going as well as they could.
considered to be her most popular recordings bands I’ve ever seen.”
The whole album is honest and uplifting as she
as well as two brand new songs Sweet Love and
works her way through life’s pain and worries
Tom Waits’ If I Have To Go recorded specially for
Unusually the band’s individual biogs list
looking for silver linings in the storms. The title
this project.
influences that include Miles Davis, Flux Of Pink
track reminds us that the pain we bear, as well
Indians, Sepultura, Bananarama and Madonna,
as happiness, contributes to make us who we
Drawing the bulk from her breakthrough period but this mini album is most definitely folk music
are today and therefore we should not look
of the late 80’s and early 90’s, Black glistens folks, both in its familiar instrumental make
back on things with regret.
in the hands of her preferred writers, Jimmy up and delivery. Well mostly. There are four
McCarthy and Noel Brazil. Many of these tracks songs that come with Trad.arr credits, a new
Although she remains mostly in the folk-pop
have been remixed and all have been fully re- instrumental and two new songs. Of the latter
camp, other influences come through including
mastered from the original albums. Jerry Garcia’s Friend Of The Devil is neatly re-
her affecting cover of alt-rocker’s Death Cab for
cast for the English tradition and Damien’s own
Cutie’s Soul Meets Body. If you like genuine,
This compilation is a snapshot of a formidable
Good Old Days is a lively, sly opener.
heart-felt music in the vein of Beth Nielsen
interpreter who, by the sounds of the bonus
Chapman or Sarah McLachlan, this album is an
track Tom Waits’ cut, may have another career It’s the washes of fuzz bass riffing and dub-style
absolute must.
awaiting her as an interpreter of international arrangements that mark them as something
songwriters. A justly eclectic celebration of an to watch, however, and fiddler Bryony Griffith’s
“A refreshing departure from the stale formula
artist ever in search of the unploughed furrow. closing Under The Rock fiddle frenzy suggests
offered by many of today’s singer- songwriters”
that Mr. Harding has got it right.
Rolling Stone
“Shows just how well she has
mastered her interperative craft”
“They are brilliant”
fRoots
Mike Harding, BBC Radio 
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