Reviews

 Artist: Various
Album: Folk Awards 2006
Label: Proper Music
Tracks: 25
Rating: ****
Contact:  www.propermusic.com

It hardly seems like a year, since I was sat at my desk reviewing the 2005 version of The Folk Awards CD. The world has changed a lot since then and the folk world moves on with it. Only a handful of artists from last year's double album make it onto this one.

That in it's self shows the strength of folk music across the length and breadth of Great Britain as it's not just all four countries that get representation here, most of the regions get a good outing as well.

Similarly it's the same with age and genda, for your Richard Thompsons, June Tabors and Martin Simpsons' there's a Catriona McKay, Rosie Doonan & Ben Murray and a James Reynard. Folk Music really has strength in depth and it features here in abundance.

Maybe it's because folk is so successful at moving young people through it's ranks these days that you start to forget how young some of the established stars are. Mercury award nominee Seth Lakeman, contributes a track from his new album "Freedom Fields". To the outside world, Seth is a bright new talent. We've seen the years of hard work that he's already put in.

By accident or design, Folk Awards 2005 seemed to have a theme running thought it, by contrast Folk Awards 2006 seems more like a collection of songs. In some ways it's a good thing, it means that a wider selection of sounds are starting to come through and be recognised. That alone gives the album strength.

This is a review of the album and it's an album that I really enjoyed from start to finish. I can honestly say there's not a weak track on the album. That's a good thing, but I'm just going to slip to the awards a moment.

There needs to be a way of finding an opportunity to broaden out it's constituency. There seems to be a wealth of talent that is not being recognised or alternatively not able to reach out to a wide enough audience in the year to get enough nods for a nomination. Quite what you do to resolve that is one of life's difficulties. All I can say is if you get the opportunity to get along to your folk club, local festival, take the opportunity. If not, there's always the net.

All in all an album that explains why folk music is back on the rise, why it's a living tradition, why the songs get written and sung and, more than that, it does it with style.