Back catalogue: Folk/Americana

Review: Singer, songwriter, former Navy sailor and Oklahoma native Zach Bryan first rose to fame in 2019 with his self-released debut country album DeAnn. Bryan's raw storytelling approach attracted a dedicated following, justifying many follow-ups - his latest EP Summertime Blues included. Something of a sibling piece to the recent album American Heartbreak, the EP deploys sweet vocal lilts, banjo strums and fiddle bowings to channels many brooding, blue-collar emotions, reflecting lives lived on the road and bittersweet days gone by.

Review: Zach Bryan's The Great American Bar Scene offers a vivid snapshot of small-town America, blending poignant storytelling with a rich musical tapestry. After nearly a decade in the U.S. Navy, Bryan left in 2021 to pursue music, and since his 2020 debut, he has soared to stardom, consistently topping charts and touring globally. Released less than a year after his previous self-titled album, The Great American Bar Scene continues Bryan's momentum. Between albums, he secured his first number-one hit with 'I Remember Everything', toured extensively and released the 'Boys of Faith' EP. Despite his busy schedule, Bryan managed to craft this 19-track album, which delves deeply into the connections between people, often found in intimate conversations at bars. Bryan's music draws from classic country, folk, and Americana, defying easy categorisationia strength that sets him apart. Collaborations with legends like Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer add layers to this emotionally charged album, making The Great American Bar Scene a reliable, heartfelt reflection of Bryan's journey and the lives he touches.

Review: As The Corrs gear up for their 2024 Talk On Corners tour across the UK and Ireland, they're marking the occasion with a special reissue of six classic studio albums on limited edition colour vinyl. This is the first-ever colour vinyl release for these albumsiaside from Forgiven Not Forgotten (2023) and Jupiter Calling's black vinyl in 2017imaking this a collector's dream. Each album arrives in three batches timed with the tour, offering fans a rare chance to own these beloved records on vibrant vinyl, just in time to celebrate the band's return to the stage.

Review: The Corrs return to their Celtic roots with their seventh studio album, blending familiar folk elements with their signature soft rock sound. Opening with 'Son of Solomon', the album features the tin whistle and violin that defined their early hits, with Andrea's emotive voice taking center stage. The album shines when the three sisters harmonise, evoking the charm of their early classics like 'Runaway'. Now pressed on red vinyl, tracks like 'SOS', addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, showcase the band's growing social awareness. 'Dear Life' cleverly blends lyrical wit with traditional instrumentation, while 'No Go Baby' offers a heartfelt, minimalist reflection on loss. The album closes with the melancholic, nearly eight-minute 'The Sun and the Moon', highlighting Andrea's vocal artistry. The band's harmonious rapport and Andrea's captivating vocals keep their sound fresh, is a nostalgic yet satisfying experience for longtime fans.

Review: Reissued on yellow vinyl, Home by The Corrs marks a fitting tribute to their Irish heritage and late mother, capturing their classic blend of Celtic roots with polished pop sensibility. Originally released in 2006, this album reflects the band's true embrace of traditional Irish music, produced by Mitchell Froom and backed by the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra. The album elegantly balances traditional favoruites, like the haunting 'Black is the Color' and nostalgic 'Spancill Hill', with lively jigs such as 'Old Hag' and 'Haste to the Wedding'. Andrea Corr's angelic vocals shine, especially in Gaelic tracks 'Buachaill on Eirne' and 'Brid og Ni Mhaille', infusing the album with authenticity. Songs like Richard Thompson's 'Dimming of the Day' and Anna McGarrigle's 'Heart Like A Wheel' are soulful additions, while 'Old Town' feels slightly at odds with the folk theme. Avoiding overt sentimentality, Home stands as a lovingly crafted and intelligent collection of Celtic-inspired pop that fans and newcomers alike will find captivating.

Review: In Blue, the celebrated album by The Corrs, finds the Irish siblings navigating the fine line between their Celtic roots and mainstream pop sensibilities. Initially striking a balance with their 1995 debut, Forgiven, Not Forgotten, the group has evolved, embracing a polished sound that resonates widely, particularly in the U.S. Their collaboration with renowned producer Robert John Lange infuses the album with radio-friendly appeal, evident in standout tracks like 'Breathless' and 'Irresistible'. While some fans may lament the departure from traditional instruments, the album showcases The Corrs' melodic strength and lyrical warmth, proving accessible to a broad audience. Songs like 'One Night' and 'No More Cry' inject moments of freshness amidst the pop sheen, highlighting the band's ability to craft catchy, memorable tunes. In Blue remains enjoyable, celebrating The Corrs' musical journey while introducing their sound to new listeners. Now available on limited edition blue vinyl, this collection captures the essence of their infectious charm and artistic evolution.

Review: Many fans feel that Feats Don't Fail Me Now stands as the pinnacle in Little Feat's career, showing their unparalleled blend of funk, rock, and jazz influences. The album captures the electrifying energy of their live performances while maintaining a cohesive sound from start to finish. Tracks like 'Rock & Roll Doctor' and 'Oh, Atlanta' exemplify the band's playful yet funky attitude, while Skin It Back demonstrates their tight musicianship and jazzy funk groove. Lowell George's bluesy slide guitar work shines on songs like Down the Road and the gem Spanish Moon, which features an irresistible brass section adding to its dynamic excitement. The title track, 'Feats Don't Fail Me Now,' is a great example at their spontaneous performance style. George and Payne's 'The Fan' expands the band's horizons with its jazzy time signature and spirited instrumentation. The album's highlight is the 10-minute medley of 'Cold, Cold, Cold' and 'Tripe Face Boogie,' which effortlessly blends slow funk with energetic shuffle and features captivating instrumental sections dominated by Bill Payne's jazzy piano. Feats Don't Fail Me Now represents the moment when everything came together for Little Feat, resulting in an album of mirthful, enchanting and exuberant music that maintains a high level of integrity throughout.

Review: The third studio album by the Northern Irish singer/songwriter. After the commercial failure of his previous album 'Astral Weeks' (1968), Morrison moved to upstate New York with his wife and began writing songs for 'Moondance'. There, he met the musicians that would record the album with him at New York City's A & R Studios in August and September 1969. Features the singles 'Come Running', 'Crazy Love' and 'Moondance'. Deluxe Blu-Ray features; 2022 Atmos mix, 2013 96/24 5.1 mix, 2022 96/24 Steven Wilson remix, 2013 192/24 remastered stereo & 2022 96/24 Steven Wilson instrumental mix

Region code: 0 (universal)

Review: First released in 1992 on CD only, this comprehensive compilation of The Pogues' mid-career set of highlights is not your usual career retrospective. Rather than emphasising their most obvious tunes, this record specifically concerned the period 1984-1990, in which time the Anglo-Irish folk, rock and pop band delivered their enduring cover of Rolling Stones' 'Honky Tonk Woman', as well as such prime-cut originals as 'Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah', 'The Sunny Side Of The Street', 'Dark Streets Of London' and more. Now released on limited edition green vinyl for the first time ever, you vinyl preferrers too may sing and swing with this most raucous of cross-Channel belligerent bands, notably zooming back largely to the period before their drunken Christmas smash 'Fairytale Of New York' came to be.

Review: This is the great Neil Young's latest "lost" album, now released as part of his Analog Original Series. Recorded between May and December 1977, it precedes Comes A Time from 1978 but it also shares its country and folk sound. Three tracksi'Goin' Back,' 'Human Highway' and 'Field of Opportunity' appear on both albums in fact. This vinyl release reflects the album's original planned tracklist and 'Oceanside' finds Young perform solo, while 'Countryside' features collaborators like Ben Keith, Rufus Thibodeaux and Levon Helm. Some tracks differ from Archives Vol. III, with original versions of 'Field of Opportunity' and 'Dance Dance Dance' featuring Young's backing vocals.

Review: There are rock stars, then there are rock stars. Then there are rock starts like Neil Young who, with or without jumping on the Crazy Horse, will always be considered as a bonafide original and a true icon. Hence the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducting him not once, but twice, thanks to services rendered both solo and in the band Buffalo Springfield.

While every show Young plays is always remembered as a real moment in guitar history, some rank higher than others. His performance at New York's Carnegie Hall on 4th December 1970 sits in the latter category. Covering one of the most celebrated eras in this prized artist's career, it boasts an expansive setlist that includes anthems like 'Down By The River' and 'Sugar Mountain' realised in a pared-back style, with then-unreleased and, in the cases of 'Bad Fog Of Loneliness', 'Old Man', and 'See the Sky About to Rain', unrecorded gems also present and correct.

Review: On Before And After, Young chooses favourites from his playbook like a trip into his music history and performs them mostly alone on a solo acoustic journey. Each of the songs blend into each other and morph with mesmerizing clarity into a continuous flow of music creating a 48-minute pure and intimate listening experience. The 13-track album spans Neil's career, from Neil's early Buffalo Springfield contribution, "Burned" (1966) to the recent "Don't Forget Love"(2021) and includes the previously unreleased song "If You Got Love".

As Neil put it on his NYA site:
Songs from my life, recently recorded, create a music montage with no beginnings or endings. The feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece. Only for listening.

Review: Back in November 1990, fresh off recording Ragged Glory, Neil Young and Crazy Horse took the stage at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz. They played a long and sprawling set of tunes that last three hours and took in songs like 'Love and Only Love' and 'Like a Hurricane' which they managed to hypnotically stretching out for more than ten minutes. The gig was also the debut live airing for 'Danger Bird' which was on the 1975 album Zuma. All of these make it on to the Way Down In The Rust Bucket album as part of Young's on going Performance Series.

Review: Neil Young's Early Daze with Crazy Horse is a treasure trove of mostly unreleased rarities from the early 70s. This 10-track album features familiar songs in rare and previously unheard versions, showcasing Young's raw, unfiltered creativity. Highlights include unreleased takes of 'Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown' and 'Look At All The Things,' co-written with Danny Whitten, adding depth to their collaborative legacy. Fans will also relish unreleased versions of classics like 'Helpless,' 'Wonderin',' and 'Down by the River.' The album offers a fresh experience with rare mixes of 'Birds' and the seven-inch mono mix of 'Cinnamon Girl,' complete with a unique guitar outro not present on the original LP. Early Daze is a compelling collection that captures the essence of Neil Young and Crazy Horse's early synergy, making it a vital piece of rock history.