The Star's critics ANDY HEDGECOCK, MARTIN HALL, MICHAL BONCZA, ANGUS REID reviews Holy Cow, One to One: John and Yoko, King of Kings, Panda Bear in Africa
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2021 folk albums round-up with STEVE JOHNSON
Memorable and edifying voices of dissent and resistance
Jimmy & Sid
PATRICK JONES recommends a vital anthology from Afghan and Iranian poets where the political and personal fuse into witness-bearing and manifesto-making
WILL STONE is impressed by Hania Rani who is already making a name for herself in the male-dominated world of modern classical music
MIK SABIERS enjoys the theatrical feminist six piece who have a lot of fun that the audience feeds off as the set rolls on
New releases from Ibex Band, Lucy Dacus, and Various Artists
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by characters so un-nuanced as to be unreal, a stereotypical plot and a conceptual vampire
WILL STONE appreciates an artist who can swerve from industrial noise to clubby trance pop without missing a step
DESPITE the trials and tribulations of the pandemic and uncertainty about live performances 2021 proved to be an interesting year for folk fans with some inspiring albums from artists both old and new to the scene.
Lincolnshire-born Mossy Christian made an impressive start to what looks like a promising career with his debut album Come Nobles and Heroes. Stemming from the musical traditions of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the album referenced historical events like the 1827 Red Barn murder.
Another interesting debut album came from Joe Danks with Seaspeak, a collection of songs about the sea and its role in history culminating in a beautiful rendition of Ewan MacColl’s Sweet Thames Flow Softly.
More from this author
New releases from Steve Knightley, Sunjay, Sociograss
STEVE JOHNSON recommends the autobiography of the great US singer-songwriter and activist, Barbara Dane
New releases from George Boomsma, Pete Morton and Jack Badcock
New releases from The Trials of Cato, Rachel Baiman and Megson