Hummingbird is a decided and polished move away from the sparser folk-pop of Local Natives’ 2009 debut Gorilla Manor. They always leaned toward indie, but this second album is more assured, more concentrated. Some of the influences and comparisons are…
Author: For Folk's Sake
Album | Mary Dillon – North
After many years as a member of Deanta, and guest appearances on most of sister Cara’s albums, Mary Dillon’s return from hiatus with her debut solo album has attracted no little attention. Following 2010’s Army Dreamers EP of covers, featuring…
Album | Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – We The Common
You wouldn’t guess from the uplifting, rhythmic hook of this album’s title track ‘We The Common (For Valerie Bolden)’ that it has sombre roots: Valerie Bolden is serving a life sentence in California State Prison, and Thao Nguyen met her…
Album | Ron Sexsmith – Forever Endeavour
Forever Endeavour is the thirteenth album from a man now in his fiftieth year. It is a collection of songs that in some ways seems as comfortingly familiar as the tousled mop in the picture on the cover. The velvety…
Album | I Am Kloot – Let It All In
Having achieved their greatest commercial success to date – not to mention a Mercury Prize nomination – with fifth album Sky At Night, I Am Kloot understandably do not stray too far from that formula on their sixth. Recorded once…
Album | Veronica Falls – Waiting For Something To Happen
It’s only been just over a year since Veronica Falls released their infectious and delightful self-titled debut but nonetheless they’ve been quick to record a follow-up. Waiting For Something To Happen, on the surface, keeps hold of the same aesthetic…
Album | Ólöf Arnalds – Sudden Elevation
Who is Ólöf Arnalds? Why isn’t she regarded in awe by all with ears? Is the world so deaf to greatness that an artist of this calibre, this breathtaking brilliance, is confined to ‘specialist’ radio stations and name-checks in the…
Album | Widowspeak – Almanac
Widowspeak’s eponymous debut album had a seductive wooziness to it, with an edge of smoky darkness. That shoegazing sleepiness is still there on the follow-up, especially in the sweet-but-vague vocal style of Molly Hamilton, but in Almanac it’s less creepy;…
Live | Daughter @ Hackney Empire
For some bands, as the venues they play in grow in size as does their confidence, but this doesn’t seem to be the case for Daughter. The Hackney Empire was their biggest headline show to date and they were obviously…
Album | Laetoli Steps – Banyan
Laetoli Steps’ second album Banyan yet again showcases Rich Cramp’s clear talent for writing infectious pop-tinged folk music. ‘Foolish to Follow’ opens the album with gusto, launching the listener into the summer, combining bright guitars with a breezy string section.…