Iona Lane
Hallival
ionalane.com
★★★★★

THIS debut album by Leeds based singer-songwriter Iona Lane takes its name from a mountain on Scotland’s Isle of Rum renowned for its beautiful landscape and scenery.

The songs reflect that love of the wild outdoors opening with Western Tidal Swell, inspired by the Hebridean island and written during the first lockdown when an appreciation of nature seemed more relevant than ever.

Some songs are inspired by history. Schiehallion refers to an experiment in 1774 when scientists used the Grampian Mountain to calculate the Earth’s density. Mary Anning is about a ground-breaking fossil hunter who inspired the tongue twister “she sells seashells on the sea shore” which is incorporated into the track.

Other tracks like Fungal and Bran and Mermaid are based on local legends. But the overriding theme of the album is reflected in the final song Humankind stressing how important we all are to each other particularly in these most troubling times.

Graeme Armstrong
You Are Free
Graeme Armstrong Records
★★★★★

HAVING toured music festivals as part of the ground-breaking trio Talisk as well as co-founder of the Rachel Hamer band Graeme Armstrong has used the opportunity provided by lockdown to embark on his debut solo album.
 
It’s an inspiring beginning with a combination of new songs and rearrangements of old songs. Armstrong’s own compositions are based on recent life experiences like becoming a father in William’s Song and dealing with the loss of a close friend in the album’s title track.

Yet there are also innovative interpretations of traditional folk songs like Isle of France and My Son David done for the first time with a brass arrangement.

Finally, Armstrong pays tribute to other artists like Karine Polwart with Waterlily and Morning Star favourite Dick Gaughan in an inspiring version of Both Sides of the Tweed. What more could we wish for?

Michael Weston King
The Struggle
Cherry Red Records
★★★★★

FOR the past decade Michael Weston King has been mainly touring with wife Lou Dalgleish as the brilliant country act My Darling Clementine. He has, however, just released his first solo album in that timescale and it is well worth the wait.

The opening track Weight of the World also reworked in the closing track is written from the standpoint of a New York cop who voted for Trump but reflects his later disillusionment in the clearing of peaceful protesters and the George Floyd tragedy.

Other songs reflect the struggles people face in daily life The Hardest Thing of All looks at depression and The Old Soft Shoe and Valerie’s Coming Home both deal with having to face up to loss. But there is also optimism in memory with The Final Reel a celebration of King’s friend the late Jackie Leven.

Reminiscent of great artists like John Prine this is roots music at its best.