AUK’s first jaunt at 2020’s Celtic Connections took us to the grand concert hall in the city centre to see a one off show by Canadian Cam Penner and his erstwhile sidekick Jon Wood. It’s a measure of both the international reputation of Celtic Connections and Penner’s growing career that they conspired to fly the pair from the dominion to Glasgow for one show before they flew back the following day. Perhaps not the best way to play a show in these times of climate concern but, heck, the ‘plane was going to fly here and back, Penner or no Penner and he’s the kind of guy you just know is going to plant a tree or two once he gets home. Continue reading “Cam Penner + Midnight Skyracer @Celtic Connections, Royal Concert Hall New Auditorium, Glasgow, 18th January 2020”
The Pine Hearts sound just like you would expect a band who hail from the foothills of Washington State’s Cascade Mountains to sound like. A three-piece string band, they are as refreshing as a mountain stream as guitar, mandolin, and double bass gently nudge their songs along inhabiting a relaxed and freewheeling take on American folk music. They have some great songs of their own on display here but listen to their take on that old chestnut, ‘Stealin’’ for an idea of how they inject vitality into these timeworn sounds. 
A Boston based band, Hallelujah The Hills have released several albums over the past decade while remaining resolutely under the radar here in the UK. ‘I’m You’ has the advantage of coming in the wake of bandleader Ryan Walsh’s acclaimed book, ‘Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968′, which tells of strange goings-on in Boston – weird hippie cults sprouting up while Van Morrison is on the lam from New York gangsters – stirring some interest in the band beyond their own backyard. 
Based in the south of France, Piers Faccini runs a label called Beating Drum and has released a series of EPs featuring singular singer songwriters from around the globe. For the fourth instalment, Faccini features himself which, given he’s the boss, is his prerogative. That said, the four songs here are all fine in a very laidback, crepuscular folk style. 
It’s ambient country time as SUSS, a New York based instrumental collective, cast their minds for a second time to the arid wonders of the American southwest. Their debut album, ‘Ghost Box’ was an unexpected Spotify hit a few years back and, knowing a good thing, the band follow it up with more of the same. There are 12 instrumentals in all with evocative titles such as ‘Mojave’, ‘Road Trip’ and ‘Salt Flats’, and all float gently into view and then, just as gently, float away. 