There were several candidates for this week's post. Candacraig's prog/art rock album, Lit by Lightning, nearly made the grade but, in the end, felt a little too formulaic. Storm Corrosion, a collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), was billed as "more spacious, ambient waters from either of their main gigs", and…Read more The Edge of the Land
folk
Oath Breaker
It's been a while since I used the track-of-the-week tag. I guess that's because there have been plenty of albums worthy of a spell in the spotlight here, and no one track has stood out above the rest. But, today, I'm going to feature a band called Alo̱r that, as far as I can see,…Read more Oath Breaker
Strange Medicine
Get your snake oil here! Everyone who reads a music blog must know the pleasure that comes from listening to your favourite music. Some people even think that music is an effective therapy for a wide range of mental illnesses. But is it a miraculous cure for all your ills, or is it just snake…Read more Strange Medicine
White Wolf
There is a legend in several European countries that revolves around a white wolf. It has a number of variations, but the gist of it is this: When the king goes on a journey, he asks his three daughters what they would like him to bring back as a present. The elder two ask for…Read more White Wolf
Recently Released
We've had the snowdrops, the crocuses and the daffodils. Now the daisies and the dandelions are popping up in our lawns. And the beds in the sound gardens are blooming, too. No less than eight tracks from my Spotify Release Radar were added to my online library this week. So I think it's time for…Read more Recently Released
I Inside the Old I Dying
Looking back; looking forward. Times past; times still to come. Those are the thoughts that occupy our minds as one year fades away and the tick-tocking clocks beckon another. Was '23 a good year for you? Will '24 be any better? Let's ponder this with PJ Harvey as she sings the enigmatically titled track, I…Read more I Inside the Old I Dying
Wrapped Up
On Friday (1st Dec), The Guardian carried an article about the Spotify Wrapped personalised listening summary, which is delivered to Spotify subscribers as an animated video every year. In the announcement email, Alex Petridis wrote: "The annual summary of your listening habits has become a phenomenon – but aside from being a marketing wheeze, Wrapped…Read more Wrapped Up
The Navigator
"You are the Navigator", said Max, the alien machine pilot of the spacetime ship. It's a frustrating job at times. The charts are in your head. You know the way to go. You know the quickest way; and you know the scenic way. But the captain has the wheel, and we must go where he…Read more The Navigator
Harvest Time Selection
The seeds of musical composition are sown in the Winter. They germinate in the Spring and bear fruit when the Autumn comes. There was a marvellous illustration of that principle in my Spotify Release Radar this week. Not only was there a sample track from the new album by Hidden Orchestra, one of my very…Read more Harvest Time Selection
Songs for the Old Man
On my Release Radar this week, there was a track called Secret by an artist with the curious name of Yom. Nothing grabs the attention of Crotchety Man faster than the itch of curiosity and, tout suite, he was trawling the Internet for information on the musician. A Google search for "yom musician" produces an…Read more Songs for the Old Man
Crotchety Man 