Amy Goddard
Rise
www.amygoddardmusic.co.uk
★★★★★

AMY GODDARD is fast developing a reputation as one of the most talented contemporary singer-songwriters on the folk scene today, something which can only be confirmed further by this fourth album.

Backed by guest musicians there is a rousing introduction with Make Your Mark, a song about prisoners of conscience, followed by the beautifully evocative single from the album Cornish Mist.

There are also songs based on life events we may all experience. The Waiting Game refers to anxiety about medical test results whilst Golden Joy is a lament to the loss of a beloved dog.

The penultimate song is a magnificent rendition of John Stewart’s Hunters of the Sun about destructive human behaviour but this is followed by Goddard’s own composition Rise Anew written during lockdown but with a feeling of hope about communities coming together.
Often compared to the great Sandy Denny this album shows she has her own distinctive style.

Bella Hardy
Love Songs
(Noe Records)
★★★★★

THIS tenth album by Bella Hardy follows the lockdown-imposed two-year break from touring and marks a return to traditional folk singing but also with some new songs.

There are beautiful renditions of old ballads from the Cecil Sharp song collection like Hares on the Mountain and Sprig of Thyme while her rendition of My Johnny Was a Shoemaker is inspired by the singing of Steeleye Span.

Yet there are also some inspirational self-penned songs with traditional folk themes. The Navigators Bride is about the building of a railway tunnel in the late 19th century and I Think of You was composed for the Doncaster 1914-1918 War and Peace project.

A winning combination of old and new songs make this an essential addition to any devoted folk fan’s collection.

Bush Gothic
Beyond the Pale
(Fydle Records)
★★★★★

BUSH GOTHIC are an Australian trio of Jenny M Thomas, Dan Witton and Chris Lewis who have a mission to revitalise traditional Australian folk songs. This is their third studio album and it can definitely be said to be successful in that aim.

The 12 songs reflect themes of struggle throughout the history of immigration and transportation to Australia. The opening song Jim Jones tells the tale of a convict dreaming of joining the bushrangers to wreak revenge against the British authorities.

Later we have The London Convict Maid inspired by the true story of a servant girl sentenced to seven years transportation.

The Ballad of 1891 is a militant union song about the sheep shearers’ strike of that year and Past Carin’ tells of the loneliness many women experienced after leaving England for a life in the outback.

Showing how folk music everywhere is rooted in the struggles of working people, this is an enjoyable if sometimes dark listening experience.