Latest Reviews: D-F

David Francey: The Waking Hour

Red House One of Canada's great singer-songwriters, with a low key delivery and a great line in images, Francey is a gem. He has a very direct approach, rather than poetic metaphor, and a suitably lived-in voice. He can even bring a fresh perspective to the tried and true road song, but it's pieces like the thoughtful "Fourth Of July" that stand out. He deserves to be heard widely and often.

De Fries & D. Beck: Balance

Self-Released

Wonderful traditional music from several parts of Denmark, played wonderfully on fiddle and piano. Tove de Fries (Baltinget) and Malene Beck (Instinkt) form a natural, almost telepathic duo who complement each other perfectly. Some of the music comes from de Fries's father, a well-nkown traditional fiddler, but there are also some fascinating pieces from the island of Fano with a very distinctive sound. From the giddily sprightly to the meditative, this is outstanding .

Demon Barbers: Waxed

DJC

The Demon Barbers have an all-playing, all-singing, all-dancing roadshow that gains great live reviews. But how do you isolate the music and make it work on disc? Their attempt here mostly succeeds - thanks in part of a great take on "Famous Flower Of Serving Men" that kicks into double-time halfways through and pelts away. Damien Barber and the band tackle mostly trad material but not with reverence, thankfully, instead pushing and pulling it into a shape they can handle.

Djelimady Tounkara: Solon Kôno

Marabi

The second solo album from the leader of Mali's Super Rail Band is another feast of (mostly) acoustic music, although thinking of it as solo is hardly fair, as there's plenty of instrumental and vocal backing, with tounkara himself just one leading member of the ensemble. But his solos are still things of absolute beauty and precision, the kind of thing to leave any player shaking his head in wonder. The young musicians who help bring a deft eagerness that's a delight, pushing but never crowding, and never shaking Tounkara's relaxed authority.

Duoud: Wild Serenade

Label Bleu

While the heart of this album comes from a pair of ouds, there's a lot more going on, with a crack band behind them, and electronics from the inimitable Smadj, who's also one of the oudists. And anyone who can come up with a stunning cover of Giorgio Moroder's pioneering techno piece, "Chase," as well as a great remix, has plenty of imagination. But there's no shortage of that here, with some great electricity form both cello and guitar, in addition to some virtuoso oud playing. A huge success.

Eddi Reader: Sings the Songs of Robert Burns

Compass

Okay, one of the songs isn't by Burns, but it fits in very smoothly. Much of the material is well-known, but that doesn't stop it being beautiful. Originally performed at the 2003 Celtic Connections festival, this brings together some top Celtic players with strings and Reader's lush voice for a wonderful take on Burns, richly melodic, but letting the words roll smoothly and easily. The poet himself, you feel sure, would approve of this treatment, traditional but also contemporary.

Elephant Talk: Leap

Infra

Northern English group who've been refining their sound over several albums. There's enough of a mix of programming and Celtic to nod in the direction of Afro Celts, but they've taken it their own way. Plenty of melody, but the saxophone brings in jazzy influences that work very well. They even manage to use disgeridu without it sounding cliched, which is quite a feat. Plenty to like and admire, not to mention play loud whenever necessary.

Eliza Carthy: Anglicana

Topic

After her brief foray into the more mainstream singer/songwriter world, Carthy is back doing what she does best - playing English music. If anything, as she goes on, she devles more deeply into the tradition, especially the singers, and her voice continues to grow in stature and confidence - just listen to her on "Just As The Tide Was Flowing" or "Limbo." Her fiddle playing is still growing by leaps and bounds, too, and she's become the fully-rounded, major performer she always threatened to be. There might not be the obvious experimentation of Red Rice, but Anglicana still pushes at its own boundaries.

Enzo Avitabile & Bottari: Save the World

Wrasse

Some wonderful sounds from Southern Italy (with plenty of guests from Africa - North, South, and West), notably the Bottari region, where rhythms are traditionally played on barrels and sickles. It's makes for a thick backdrop to some excellent music. The guests, many of whom are big names, fit into the sound, rather than dominating it, but there's a strong Maghrebi feel over the traditional Italian rhythms, making for an exhilarating mix. Unusual, but very, very good.

Eric Apoe and They: Book of Puzzles

Soundtrack Boulevard

A welcome return for the iconoclastic singer-songwriter. There's both trouble and beauty on this release ("Times Of Trouble" is one of Apoe's best songs with its pipes), mad circus waltzes, a gritty voice, and disturbing images. He's one of the most powerful troubadours performing, and an ace, imaginative band does his work full justice. Like the best wines, Apoe ages superbly.

Faiz Ali Faiz: The New Qawwali Voice

World Village

An excellent qawwali singer, who pays his homage to the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by covering his "Allah Hu," Faiz stretches the boundaries of the form a little, although he's not as incendiary an improviser as his hero. Still there's plenty here to captivate, from the way he develops the songs to the strong presentation by the party behind him. He's closed to the finished article, though, with a big future ahead of him, as this release should make plenty of friends.

fela Kuti: The Best Of/Music Is The Weapon

Wrasse

Excellent double CD best of for the great man of Afrobeat - another one that complements those already on the market - along with the real meat of the package, the documentary Music is the Weapon, which is compelling viewing for fans, and highly insightful, about both Fela and Nigeria, for everyone. Put it all together and you have something vital for ayone with even a passing interest in world music - or music at all, for that matter.

Fiamma Fumana: Home

Omnium

Second outing from the Italian group who mix up beats and loops with the real tradition, and this time the integration of the two is much more finely tuned. Where they are raw, as on the live "Bella Ciao," with its rough harmonies over synthesizer, there's a great beauty to it. The bagpipe playing has advanced leaps and bounds to become a major part of their sound, and Fiamma's vocals continue to soar. It's a glorious noise indeed, with absolute sings of progress, and a cleary defined sound that's definitely their own.

Filippo Gambetta: Pria Goaea

Dunya

Ace Genoese melodeon playing from Gambetta, ably backed by guitar and bass and some guests. As sunny as a summer lunch outside a trattoria, there's a real relaxed beauty and sensibility about the record, in addition to some very sophisticated writing ideas. It might not exactly be traditional, or even that folky, but it's certainly ineffably Italian, and a real joy.

Frigg: Frigg

Northside

Young Norwegian and Finnish musicians combine on set of mostly original music that covers the sound of both countries, and also strays at times into Americana - surprising, and while different, it doesn't always work. There's definite potential here in the massed fiddles, but they still need to find a definitive voice.