Take A Look Around • One For The Foxes

When three great musicians with solid careers behind them come together to form a trio all their magic crystallizes in albums like Take A Look Around. Two very talented Irish musicians, Dave Curley and Tadhg Ó Meachair, who had been part of major bands of the most recent Irish folk as Goitse or Slide, and an American fiddler, Joanna Hyde, form One For The Foxes.

Each of them brings their magic to this album that is based on traditional Irish music, but does not hesitate to cross the Atlantic to explore its connections with North American root music.

Although all three musics are great instrumentalists, I think Take A Look Around's strong point is its beautiful songs. From the first time I heard Ghost & Dreams (one of the songs they are using to promote the album) I thought that would be one of the great folk songs of 2020, but when I finally heard the album in full I discovered We Wander Through that It is even a prettier song.

You can purchase Take A Look Around here. I think it is a record that will give much to talk throughout this year and that deserves special attention. Then don't say I didn't let you know 😁

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KELTIKO. Demo

Irish music has the almost magical ability to captivate musicians of any latitude, so it is not uncommon to find bands that play this kind of music in places with a remote relationship with Ireland. That would be the case of Kéltiko, a quartet of Cádiz musicians who in 2019 officially presented themselves with these seven cuts recorded live during a concert at the Clautros of Santo Domingo. 

In my opinion, presenting yourself with a recording of a live performance is a risk, but in this case, the bet went well and the demo of Kéltiko is a very good recording. A recording that even deserves to become more than just a demo. One of the great advantages of this band is to have an Irish vocalist, John Cargo (who also plays the Irish flute). That advantage allows Kéltiko to risk interpreting the rich Irish vocal repertoire with all confidence, for my taste the songs are the best of this recording (and that does not mean that in the instrumental seta they lower the quality level), but the songs chosen and the way of interpreting them has been a great success.

Contact: Kéltiko • Actos Pro

4th. Willos'

Celtic music has the ability to surprise in many ways, listening to Willos' will surprise you because their music will make you think of Ireland, maybe Scotland... but in reality you will be listening to music made in Tuscany. I recognize that, at least, I was surprised by their mastery in playing and singing Irish repertoire. I don't know the Italian folk scene very well and that ignorance allows me, from time to time, to discover small musical jewels like 4th, the latest Willos' EP.

Willos' is a band from Siena that was formed in 2001 and has specialized in playing Irish music, the true Irish accent they can boast is provided by their violinist, Stephanie Martin, and vocalist, Angelica McGlynn. Three albums published before this and more than 500 concerts in Italy, Switzerland, France and Ireland are an enviable curriculum that indicates that we are not talking about an amateur band. This EP, 4th,  that they now present to us supposes a return to the stages after a stop of almost six years, a return with renewed spirits and with a tremendous desire to conquer the heart of all those who love this kind of music. The EP has 5 cuts: a set of reels; a set of jigs and three songs, one of them, Ballysillan, acts as a single of this recording and it's an original composition by Steph Martin on some verses written by his grandfather. This EP is available in streaming on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. 

Many thanks to Giulio and Steph for telling me about this beautiful recording 😉

The Left & The Leaving. KERN

Almost three years have passed after the publication of his first album False Deceiver that was acclaimed unanimously by critics. Now, Kern, presents his new album The Left & The Leaving, an album produced by Trevor Hutchinson (Lúnasa, The Waterboys). 

A second album in which Kern strengthen the musical proposal that was guessed in their first work. A mature and direct sound supported by the musical virtuosity of Barry Kieran and Brendan McCreanor, a deep knowledge of the traditional repertoire of their native Louth plus the original songs composed by the vocalist of the band, SJ McArdle. The most elegant Irish folk music that can be enjoyed today.

You can buy The Left & The Leaving following this link

The Livelong Day. Lankum

This blog was born about a month ago and, practically at the same time, the third album by the Irish band Lankum was released. That coincidence was not the result of chance. After being away from folk music for more than 10 or 12 years, it was this record that prompted me to create this blog and to know the latest trends in Celtic music.

This is not the Irish music we are accustomed to listening to, many may even have difficulty identifying it as traditional music... but it is impressive. Seemingly simple and pure melodies are enveloped by a dense sound atmosphere created thanks to the drones of Lynch's uilleann pipe and Peat's accordions. MacDiarmada's heartbreaking fiddle and Daragh Lynch's murky guitar of are the elements that complete the complex, almost surreal, acoustic landscape of Lankum.

Personally I would like to highlight the voice of Radie Peat, a deep and impressive female voice, rooted in the earth like that of the great blues singers, a voice from another time. It is that voice that becomes the protagonist in the last cut of the album to give us the most painfully beautiful song I've heard in many years, Hunting The Wren, for me it's the best track of The Livelong Day.

You can buy The Livelong Day here.