George Boomsma
The Promise of Spring
(Self-Released)
★★★★

THIS album from North Yorkshire musician George Boomsma consists of eight original songs and is a moving reflection of grief for the loss of a family member.

Accompanied by a full band, Boomsma’s voice and acoustic guitar playing takes us on a roller-coaster of emotional reflection, starting with Fallen which introduces us to the feeling of loss, followed by the title track and Lily of the Nile which deal with the realisation that grief will take time to heal.

The album is rendered more poignant by snippets of childhood conversations with his brother Tom, to whom the album is dedicated, and later tracks like Johnny Walker Guy and Open Curtain are rockier in tone but still deal with loss and grief.

Often compared to artists like Nick Drake, George Boomsma actually shows in this album that he has his own unique style, with folk and blues influences.

Pete Morton
Fair Freedom
Further 
★★★★★

PETE MORTON is a long-standing folk singer troubadour and his latest album Fair Freedom continues his tradition of giving us new songs that often deal with social and political concerns.

The Rivers of the Isle is a celebration of Britain’s rivers and the natural environment while The Genuine You explores the dangers of social media and the need to live in reality. Sharing the Land is a powerful song about the conflict in the Middle East and the need for a just solution for the Palestinians. 

Other songs deal with environmental destruction. Newton’s Parakeet, named after an extinct parrot, warns of possible human extinction after the killing off of other animal species.

But there is also a cheery upbeat tone, and the penultimate track The Ghost of a Sailor is written by Morton but interspersed with traditional songs along the way, and the album concludes with the simple love song Forevermore.

Jack Badcock
Cosmography
(Self-Released)
★★★★

Jack Badcock lead vocalist for Celtic folk band Dallahan, has recently released his first solo album. It is an intriguing mix of songs reflecting his own interests of history and the human condition. 

Opening with the eight-minute Life in Three Dimensions, we are given a song in three segments exploring what life should mean both individually and as a collective.  

This is followed by The English Samurai about the life of Kent navigator William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan in 1600. History is also covered in The Ruin, based on an old elegy about a ruined Roman city, while Venus Was Adorned was inspired by a trip to the Amazon and feeling the power of nature.

For me, however, the stand out track is How You Raise A Child. Written during lockdown, it deals with the plight of children throughout the world who do not choose the circumstances they are born into. With themes of history, nature and social commentary, this is an enjoyable album.