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.
Gregory Alan Isakov - Before The Sun
www.gregoryalanisakov.com
South African born, and now resident in Colorado, Isakov's single is an atmospheric piece of prairie (or maybe Veldt) folk that is full of wide-open spaces. Lead single from an album to be called Appaloosa Bones, the song's sparse arrangement based around a simply picked Banjo, putting the emphasis on his poetic words. "Fifty-five mile signs. Thunder crack and lightning. While something else inside Shines like the Fourth of July" TM
John Lynch - Dark Horse On The Wind
www.facebook.com/JPLynchMusic
Lynch's voice rises above a distant drone and drum backing that expands to include a whistle and guitar as the song progresses. You can almost hear the Irish mist rolling over the song. The sense of place in tune and words is quite magical. He has an EP called 1922 on the way in the Autumn celebrating the centenary of an independent Ireland and as a first listen to his music, I shall be a customer for that without doubt. TM
Seth Lakeman - Days Ago
www.sethlakeman.co.uk
The single from his new album The Somerset Sessions which features the likes of Ethan Johns, Jeremy Stacey, and Alex Hart. A tune that drives along on Lakeman's fiddle, this has a bouncy pop/folk feel that bodes very well for the album. With what sounds like a Tabla adding a slightly Indian feel to the second half of the song this could well be folk single of the year come December. TM
Fanny Lumsden - When I Die
www.fannylumsden.net
Not for the first time I tempted to call Fanny Lumsden the female tom Petty. Her songs, especially this fine new single, have the same swagger and confident delivery as the best Petty. Guitar, organ and her great country voice combine to make this one of her best songs yet. Her website calls her "kick arse alt-country with a whole lot of heart", and I find that hard to disagree with. New album, hey Dawn, is out soon on already on order. TM
Nicky Rubin - Salt River
nickyrubinmusic.com"An enigmatic songwriter whose musical influences draw from iconic heavyweights such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2 and Jimi Hendrix." This piano ballad has little of those icons, but plenty of Rubin's own personality, as well as a touch of Peter Gabriel's more epic moments. Vivid imagery in the words shows where his strength lies. The tune shifts from delicate to epic and back throughout it's length, resolving gently. Good enough to prompt a visit to the erst of his catalogue. TM
Anton Glackin - Alligator Roll
www.facebook.com/eiremusic
A bouncy toe tapping tune, that calls itself Swamp Pop. Fiddle, Banjo, and an artfully picked Stratocaster, push the song along, and his voice the relaxed drawl that a song like this demands. The swamps of his homeland are not the Everglades but Irish peat, making the authenticity of the sound a great achievement. One for the Sunday morning dance round the kitchen. TM
Beth Neilsen - Back To This Moment
www.bethnielsenchapman.com
A new single, her first since the Crazy Town album last year I'm a fan anyway, but this is a great song. An upbeat Country rock song that sits with the best of her earlier material. With a brief UK tour and festival dates in August, if you've never seen her live get along as she is one of the consummate performers in Americana, and never turns in a bad show. TM
Mindy Murray - George Fell
www.mindymurray.com
"George B Fell was a Bucks County farmer who fell into the raging Delaware River as a roaring flood took out the bridge where he stood." Murray's songs often reflect the struggles of the working men and women, gleaned from oral histories and legends, and this is a great example of her style. If you like narrative folk songs, then look no further. TM
Chris Brain - Golden Days
chrisbrainmusic.com
Rising out of the Leeds folk scene in 2022 with his debut album, Bound to Rise, reviewed in these pages, this is the single from a second album Steady Away with an October release date. There is nothing startlingly original in what Brain offers, but there doesn't need to be. His songwriting has a quality that sits in the contemporary folk alongside more illustrious names very nicely. This will only enhance his growing reputation. A voice that will be with us for some time. TM
Pete Lambert - Never Die
www.petelambertmusic.com
"Never Die delves into the realm of personal loss and acceptance. It confronts the emotional turmoil of being the last person to realise that a relationship, friendship, or significant period in life has reached its end." This is a cut above most of the singer songwriter fare on offer at the moment, with good use of guitar, and fiddle, and a female counter vocal from Alex Victoria. He is in the process of producing his first album, and that should be well worth hearing on the basis of this delicate flower of a song. TM
Keith Burke - Narrow It Down
www.facebook.com/Keithburkeblackbook
A different sort of singer songwriter to Lambert, they share a low key arrangement, but this Irish singer's song mixes his native folk into Americana, and builds to a bigger sound altogether with a choir entering the final verse and chorus. "Narrow it down to what we need" is a future-looking song of optimism, that shows why we feature so many Irish artists here, they are simply producing some great music. TM
Nunnery Norheim - You Are Here
www.nunnerynorheim.comLizzie Nunnery and Vidar Norheim are an alternative folk duo from Liverpool and Norway. You Are Here "is a folk synth ballad weaving stories of cities remembered and imagined". Nunnery's voice has the almost inevitable Kate Bush feel, but the vulnerability in her delivery helps her rise above the comparison. This travelogue to piano and synth certainly prompts the question, often asked here, of "why don't I know who they are". An upcoming 3rd album will fix that as this is easily the best single form this week's batch. TM
Hann - Cupid Home Delivery
hann.bandcamp.com/A pop/rock tune that paces Hannah's high clear voice over a guitar led backing that places the song between bands like The Sundays and heavier rock. This interesting mix of styles works far better than it should, thanks mostly to the simple but well-crafted writing of the song. TM
The Pagans SOH - Jellybelly
www.facebook.com/thepaganssoh
SOH stands for Shepherds of Humanity, a big task to take on, but of adding some joy to life through this slice of folky punk is a good place to start. Starting with a Death metal growl, they take as much from that part of the musical landscape as any other. The tuneless guitar solo and Foo Fighters style break add to the overall chaos as the song falls apart rather than ending in any recognised way. Brilliant fun. TM
Jim McHugh - Cry My Name
www.jimmchughmusic.comA high-octane slice of modern rock music. One of the best guitar tones this year blasts the simple song into orbit. Another fine Irish singer songwriter. I Whisper To The Dawn is the new album from this Co. Monaghan artist, who again is new to me. I've tried the rest of the album and it's just as good. It's his 4th so plenty of good stuff to discover. TM
Lisa Goldin - Tell Me
www.goldinlisa.comAnother song from UK/UAE and South Africa singer Lisa Goldin. This is a good slice of the sort of pop music that is bedded in the traditions of every decade since the 60s. but seems to have fallen from favour in recent years. After we looked at her last single, I read her book, Who Are You, Again? Which covers her journey below the radar in music. It's a fine read and a great way to learn about the trials of a career in music away from the charts. TM
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
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