Review Corner

Tag: Congleton Chronicle

  • Clare Howick / John Paul Ekins: Violin and Piano Recital

    This CD from Howick (violin) and Ekins (piano) features music from Elgar, Bridge, Delius, and Scott, with Elgar (Violin Sonata and Mazurka) opening and closing the programme. The Review Corner used to work in Malvern and tramping the hills on a windy autumn day, the wind blowing the top of the grass, was ideal for…

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    Michael Malarkey: Mongrels

    Malarkey is an American actor and musician though he sounds English: his father is Irish American, his mother British and he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He is best known for playing the role of Enzo in the series The Vampire Diaries (apparently). Some actors make terrible musicians, but Malarkey…

  • Gabriel Latchin Trio: Introducing…

    This is jazz you can listen to over and over, a palatable mix of the modern and old. It’s lively, crisp, and got swing, while retaining a kind of after-dinner feel. While the playing is proficient it’s never showy and while there are solos, it always feels like an ensemble piece. Latchin is a pianist…

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    Reverend and the Makers: The Death Of A King

    While listening to the dub reggae-tinged Boomerang, we were able to place this album: The Rev (aka Jon Mclure) is the white middle-aged Rastafarian you see down the pub. Nice bloke, intelligent, knows a lot of stuff, but while you half think he’s cool, you’re never going to want to look, or live, like him.…

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    Cara Dillon: Wanderer

    Sometimes all you want is music that’s nice. Dillon’s voice is one of the sweetest out there, and this latest album offers a beautiful selection of delicate pop/folk. It might be a little pretty in places for people who like their folk earthy but on the other hand, despite the Irish roots of the music,…

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    Robert Plant: Carry Fire

    We’ve been giving Robert Plant money for 40 years, so we’re rocking out around the zimmers to this (and it’s the 200th review we’ve written this year, go us!). A decade or so ago, we read that Plant expected to lose his record deal and sell purely to his fanbase; then came Alison Kruze and…

  • A-ha: Acoustic Hits

    It’s 30 years since A-ha were massive and, satisfyingly, Morten Harket is older than even the oldest member of the Review Corner. Take On Me is the big hit and presumably the song everyone wants, and it’s first on this collection of acoustic covers. It doesn’t really work without the driving synth, either, perhaps why…

  • Catholic Action: In Memory Of

    Catholic Action were first heard on a sampler EP the other week and we were very impressed: about as good as indie gets. After playing the album, we find they’re a band of two halves — the good stuff, and the less impressive, routine indie-by-numbers. Landfill indie is back. Which band they are will only…

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    Richard Craig: Vale, New Music for Flute

      We moan about clichéd rock that’s produced to shift units more than for any musical values, but pull a face when something is difficult, and look down on music produced for people who don’t like music. But when something challenging comes along that pushes the boundaries it’s all: “What is this? Put that Jason…

  • Stefan Orins Trio: The Middle Way

    The Stefan Orins Trio has gigged extensively, which means a tight band and each player understanding the others. If we said this was a modern jazz album written by a pianist, you might have an expectation of what it would sound like, short on melody, lots of piano, a little technical. It is these things…