Beyond The 45
Singles, EPs, Downloads
The Fatea office also serves as a home for our weekly Along The Tracks show on Blues & Roots Radio and as a rule singles and Eps have generally gone in that direction whilst Fatea generally concentrates on albums and live reviews for our full length feature, but with more artists going back down the single route to keep themselves in the public eye, we thought it was time to reflect that in our offerings and as rules are made to be broken or at the very least adapted, welcome to the Singles Round Up.
Charm of Finches - Pockets of Stones
www.charmoffinchesband.com
The Melbourne based sibling duo is back with a song written during lockdown, mining the depths of emotions that had been supressed prior to having too much time for reflection. Pockets of Stones is a song about honesty; confronting the truths about ourselves and opening up to others. It's a truly beautiful track, with glorious harmonies and lyrics that will resonate with most of us. If you're a fan of the likes of First Aid Kit, you simple have to check out Charm of Finches, and Pockets of Stones is the perfect place to start.
Clannad & Denise Chaila - In A Lifetime
www.clannad.ie
Originally released in 1985 with Bono as guest singer, In a Lifetime gets the re-release treatment this time with rising star Denise Chaila providing vocals. The band reached out to Chaila after seeing her on a streaming event during which they felt she stole the show. The two are a great fit, with Chaila's vocal performance creating a different take on a classic song, which even the most ardent fans of the original can appreciate. With Clannad due to restart their farewell tour later in the year, this is a timely reminder of their influence on the next generation of Irish musicians.
Elena Duff - With All My Sails Unfurled
www.elenaduff.com
The rise of the sea shanty is one of the more bewildering outcomes of the global pandemic lockdowns, though certainly not unwelcome (with some exceptions). Visual artist and singer songwriter Elena Duff is the latest to tackle the genre, having taken part in a songwriting challenge back in February. With All My Sails Unfurled ranks as one of the more superior recent takes on the shanty, using sailing as a metaphor for moving in life with confidence. With a debut album just over the horizon, the single shows that Duff has plenty of talent for crafting good music.
Jim Chorley - The Stars and The Moon
www.jimchorley.com
The prolific Jim Chorley is back with his second single release of the year, and his sixth since the initial pandemic lockdown. Jim's music over this period has tended to be uplifting, providing some much-needed light in the darkness. The Stars and the Moon though is a little more reflective, a little more mournful, helped by the Spanish guitar performance of Jose Ramon Horcas and the Double Bass of Rick Foot. The result is the most layered of all his recent singles, with a poignancy to it that really resonates, but doesn't sacrifice the warmth that has become a Jim Chorley hallmark. Needless to say this continues Jim's perfect streak of quality releases.
Mairi Campbell - Pull Me Up
www.mairicampbell.scot
Pull Me Up is the first track from Storm, the third in a trilogy of solo releases from Mairi Campbell following Pulse and Auld Lang Syne. There are elements of the traditional in the release as you'd expect from a classically trained Viola player, but those elements have been combined with a very modern sound to produce a track that is hard to describe. Pull Me Up is a dynamic track full of energy and vibrancy, and a powerful vocal performance. Well worth checking out.
Richard Pierce & Marina Florance - Seasons Close
www.marinaflorance.com
www.tettig.com
Seasons Close was originally written by Richard Pierce about cricket, or rather the end of the cricket season. For those who don't love that sport though, the poem is about so much more. It's about the end of any era, and the hope that those times will return again once we have made it through the bad times. It's both mournful and optimistic, and this spoken word piece has been arranged wonderfully by Marina Florance who also provides the piano accompaniment, along with strings from Mark Jolley. This is timely and wonderful.
Mike Ross - Shake Em On Down
www.mikerossmusic.co.uk
Mike Ross's tribute to the legendary Bukker White, Shake Em On Down is powerful stuff. The phrase originally came in part from how early musicians would extort money from hobos as they freighthopped their way North in the 1930s. Ross may have been born in Durham, but you'd never know it from this cover. Shake Em On Down has it's heart and soul in the deep Mississippi old South, and you can feel the heat on this "pre-war Delta blues stomper".
Paul Gilbody - Angels Share
www.paulgilbody.com
Angels Share is the wonderful new release from the master of Acoustic Groove and Neo-Mellow. Having appeared on numerous albums, touring with KT Tunstall and opening for Tom Jones, Paul Gilbody has plenty of musical pedigree. After last autumn's Boomerang, this is the second single from his forthcoming debut album Untwined, and is described as a contemporary sea shanty about a stricken Scottish fishing boat. Don't be expecting the kind of content that has hit social media over the last year though. Angels Share is a glorious track that raises the anticipation levels for Untwined, which is shaping up to be a hugely impressive debut.
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Corsair is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.
Folk Friday Radio
Check out our shows and many other great shows on: