Patience and elegance permeate Laura Baird’s work, both as a solo performer and half of The Baird Sisters, with sister Meg. Laura’s last album proper was the wonderful I Wish I Were a Sparrow (2017), and some of the songs of Under Blue have been around since 2012, written during initial recordings for Sparrow. Says Laura on her craft: “Taking your time, letting things go, and letting something bloom before you go into the next thing is something I learned from Meg.”
Both artists have a talent for performing very deliberate music, where each note feels right and nothing is superfluous; this was immediately evident on Sparrow and is here as well. Although Under Blue began life early, it became an album focused on the process of grief,…
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When announcing his sixth studio album, 
With a repertoire of unusual and rarely played regional tunes alongside more familiar session favourites, 
A seminal moment in modern acoustic guitar music is being revisited as Drag City released the 10th-anniversary reissue of Land of Plenty, the spellbinding 2015 debut from duo 
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Fans and critics have compared singer-songwriter Amy Speace to folk legend Judy Collins for good reason. Collins discovered the Nashville-based via-Baltimore musician early in Speace‘s career and became one of her biggest champions. Collins has brought Speace on tour and recorded her songs. Beyond their personal connections, Speace’s smooth, aching vocals recall Collins’ mid-career tone, and both artists share a rare quality: an earnest, poetic approach to music that comes straight from the heart.
After two decades fronting Editors and releasing two albums with Smith & Burrows, Tom Smith is finally stepping into solo territory with 
With continual creativity and finesse Acoustic 
The Cranberries performed on MTV’s Unplugged in 1995 in promotion for their sophomore album, ‘No Need to Argue’, but the audio has never been released, until now. Released in the full 9-song, 45-minute performance.
It’s always interesting to see where the next 
…An expanded reissue of their stellar “Acoustic Junk” (2009) record, this album features five new acoustic recordings alongside five tracks from the original album — three of which have been remixed for this compilation.
For decades, Sir Richard Bishop has been a formidable force in the world of experimental guitar music. From his foundational work with the Sun City Girls to his extensive and eclectic solo career, he has consistently defied categorisation, drawing from a global well of musical traditions to create something uniquely his own. His most recent offering, 2020’s Oneiric Formulary, continued this exploration of a “spirited polytheistic” approach to the guitar; described in these pages as “a roller-coaster of a success” and a “beautiful and brilliant riot of a record.”
Sidling up to a posthumous album can be a tricky task, especially if it’s from an artist who’s close to your heart. The temptation to view things through a lens tinted by their passing is tough to resist. But Broken Homes and Gardens, the record completed just weeks before