Reviews: December 2006

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Helene Blum - En Sød Og Liflig Klang

Go! Danish Folk

Few Christmas albums are delightful beasts - they tend to be cloying and trite. This does better than many, but it still suffers by putting in many familiar seasonal songs. Some lovely arrangements, and Blum is a superb singer, but this doesn't do her full justice. By all accounts, it's an album she wanted to make, and more power to her. But it's a holding action, nothing more. What will be interesting is her next proper album.

Holmes Brothers - State of Grace

Alligator

They've been working together for a long time, but they still manage to come up with the goods, giving a gospel drench to such unlikely tunes as "I Want You To Want Me” and "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" or "Bad Moon Rising." In other hands those would be just covers, but here they're transformed, and the carefully chosen guests (Levon Helm, Joan Osborne and Rosanne Cash) magnify the atmosphere. There's not a misstep here; instead, this is the real power of gospel and its brother, the blues.

Kristy Kruger - Songs from a Dead Man's Couch

Cacaca

Some moody, atmospheric alt-country from a woman with a lovely voice, but with a strong imagination. At times she takes the genre to new places, as on Dark Stranger and Blackhole, a style she calls Ameritronica, which more or less speaks for itself. She's definitely good enough to be up there with the best. You might have to hunt a bit for this record, but it's one that's well worth the search.

Rose Laughlin - Souvenir

Self-Released

Rose Laughlin lives at the intersection of Irish and country music, happiest with slower songs that tug at the heart. Accompanied by some excellent people, she has perhaps chosen material that's already well-trodden, finding herself compared to some powerful versions. But Laughlin is a wonderful, sensual singer with a real connection to the music, and producer Dennis Cahill has brought out the best in her. There's a great future ahead for Laughlin.

Sussie Nielsen - Pigens Morgen

Go! Danish Folk

After an album that leaned heavily towards Ireland, this seems to catch a more personal flavour for Nielsen. Setting poems (by herself and others) to music, this is dreamy and atmospheric, without ever floating away. Instead, it's quite beautiful, both lyrically and musically, with some glorious arrangements, centring around Nikolaj Busk and Malene Beck, who've become her main backing musicians. With an irresistible voice, Nielsen presides over it all, a light presence around which everything revolves. Delightful.

Hossam Ramzy - Bedouin Tribal Dance

ARC

It's quite deliberately music for belly dancing, the genre that seems to have taken on a new life in recent years. Taken from Bedouin wedding music, this is lively and understandably percussion-driven. For all that, however, it seems to end up a bit by-the-numbers, lacking the crisp fire that could turn it from something good into something truly great.

She'Koyokh - Sandanski's Chicken

Self-Released

Some splendid klezmer from this English group, with fiddler Meg Hamilton a quietly glowing standout. They cast their net wide, taking in not only Ashkenazic music, but also pieces from Turkey, the Balkans and assorted Eastern European countries. The only misstep is the somewhat silly "Wedding Song," but avoid that and you have something that ranks with any klezmer being made anywhere. Cracking stuff indeed.

Täpp Ida Almlöf, Jenny Täpp, Jenny Bergman - Gässbikôllor

GIGA

Three Swedish scientists playing traditional folk music on fiddles might sound like the start of a joke, but in fact it's the prelude to a glorious, open-handed album of playing from the Bingsjö region. It's a loose-limbed delight of music, and of a remarkably high standard. The three of them (two are sisters) work gorgeously together on polska, marches and a lot more, the kind of sound that radiates the simple joy of playing. Highly recommended.

Vieux Farka Touré - Vieux Farka Touré

World Village

Son of the late Ali Farka Touré, Vieux emerges with a stunning debut to carry on the family tradition. The music isn't that far from his father's (who appears here, as does kora genius Toumani Diabaté). Credit to Eric Herman, who has a great hand in this project, but it's one where the spare music speaks for itself. Touré is an excellent guitarist and singer, already fully-formed, and a songwriter of great depth. Not just one to watch for the future, but one who's already here.

Travelog - Balad Djemil

Mild Records

World music from Denmark, a record of a journey in Africa. The mix of electronic and acoustic music is very effective - yes, it's been done before, but this takes a different, more organic tack, mixing voices, percussion, and acoustic and electronic instruments very sympathetically. Throughout, there's a sense of movement, and since much of the field sources are from the Sudan, it's impossible not to find it all very relevant now. Add to that the fact that it benefits Médecins Sans Frontières and you have a very definite winner.

V. Poulsens Kapel - Fanden Er Løs

Forlaget Indavl

Accordion, fiddle and piano playing Danish, Canadian and Irish music. It's a celebration of 25 years of international performing, low key but great fun. This traditional music at its best, lovingly performed with a wry sense of humour that delights the ear. No, it won't change your life, but when a group releases its second album in 25 years, it's well worth hearing.