The picture of the canal is, I guess, a clue, and one I needed, trying to work out which was name and which was artist, That established, Lonan are a trio based in Yorkshire, and ply a pleasing mix of trad and contemporary. With fiddle, guitar, mandolin, flute and whistle at their disposal, each also have strong voices, and they exert a genre-fluid approach that draws in traditional folk, bluegrass and klezmer.

The six songs here cover most of their broad reaching palette. The titular opener is a jig, dedicated to the post-industrial canalscape of Leeds, and offers a bouncy combination of whistle and mandolin, over a guitar backing. Katy Ryder, flute/whistle, then sings Sands Of Dover showing she has a sweet voice. Davies’ Welsh pedigree comes to the fore for Maerdy, a Dave Rogers song about the last pit in the Rhonnda, a rendition you might describe as Welshgrass.

The dour and haunting Rothwell Debtor’s Prison slows thing right down in a sombre tale. The Shearing is no more cheerful, the geography shifting to Scotland, a trad ballad where Timmis’ fiddle wends fetchingly around Ryder’s telling of the sad story. Rounding off this second half of slower fare, comes a tinklingly trad version of Beeswing. Ryder manages to tackle the gender challenge effortlessly, rendering Richard Thompson’s composition even deeper into the well of normalcy for this school of folk song.

Arch Enemy’s 12th studio album, Blood Dynasty, was originally released in March of this year via Century Media Records. The Deluxe Edition is ripe for the band’s imminent UK dates and nothing wrong with a bit of homework plus the bonus of three bonus tracks, one of which, Lachrymatory, is previously unreleased.

At times, utterly fearsome, with the Devil himself seemingly spurting his gutteral venom forth from the un-Devil-like mouth of Alissa White-Gluz, yet with the title track emitting a more friendly and immediately accessible punch. A set that holds enough venom to satisfy those already on board and the cleaner vocals that surface add a surprisingly saccharine vibe to the album. Perhaps not surprising when the harsh vocal focus is so strong – anything might seem lighter by comparison.

Indeed, the full spectrum of Arch Enemy’s take on extreme Metal is on show, with the exhilarating crossing swords with a little touch of the experimental but lashings of bombastic power and twin guitar gymnastics. All carried by the backbone of an impressively reliable rhythmic tsunami. …just in case you missed it…

Trouble Coming sees French-British artist Laura Cox taking things to the next level. A set of 11 powerful tracks offers evidence for her prowess as a dazzling guitarist but also so much more.

With the whole record entirely written and composed by Laura, this fourth album plays out like a set of modern rock anthems, whilst lyrically, and not too surprisingly, tackling themes such as depression, mental health, and female empowerment.

Her trademark heavy blues-inspired sound gets refreshed, given a nice clarity and deep end boost – all bolstered by production duo No Money Kids, who add the same kind of contemporary (and dare we say fashionable?) edge that The Black Keys and Jack White have brought to rock music.

The title track provides a constant smoulder with a rumbling guitar line, yet with the likes of Inside The Storm and Dancing Around The Truth, there’s a strong New Wave-y vibe and The Broken adds its own splash of polished attitude. Rise Together, lest we forget, heads back to the roots with a heftier pulse and by the time we reach Do I Have Your Attention? the question seems rhetorical. Good to see the steer away from the tried and trusted path.

One of our albums of the year in 2024 has had a reboot. A vinyl pressing (and yes we were on the button with our order) supplemented by a set of live songs plus a handful of demos.

Having had a brief Coil-free period, a reappraisal of The World We Inherited is a timely reminder of the power and intensity that thrilled us twelve months ago. Wires retains its urgency and the electronic ambience in By Starlight can’t hold back the behemothic riffing. The combination of desperate angst and atmospheres with the sheer might, particularly in the sequence in the latter part of the album that starts with Stay With Me, runs through the terror of Purity into Out Of Sorts. Humanity hammers home the final nail in the coffin. Fearsome stuff.

The demos offer the usual works in progress – the sound of being in the room as the music evolves – with further ‘in the room’ evidence in the Live @ Firebug tracks where material from the legacy sits alongside the …Inherited songs bearing the common element of a raw fire and vicious delivery. Icing on the cake for an career defining album.

A value for money EP with five tracks plus three acoustic alternatives that drip with the Blues Rock and in particular an healthy dollop of the Soul for which Deborah Bonham made a passionate plea at Cropredy this year.

Lindsay Bonnick is cut from similar cloth, armed with a sackful of sass. When she warns a potential Prince Charming “Don’t call me sugar,” and to avert his grip elsewhere, you know she’s not going to take any prisoners. True to the philosophy, Ed ‘the shred’ Clarke lives up to his name, by the time Poison hits, his fingers are stinging.

Tempos are slowed but the intensity remains the same for Try Again in a passionate yet fruitless “every day remains the same” angst before Control – who are they kidding? – veers around wildly, redressing the swing towards an unfettered, unfiltered and hugely joyous carnival of classic hard rocking values.

The acoustic takes offer a totally different perspective, but play a clear second fiddle to the amp fizzing fire of the electric versions. Take the Brave Rival advice, get on board or get out of the way…no room for jaywalkers here.

Featuring the combined talents and chutzpah of  Kris Barras (guitar, vocal). Phoebe Jane (lead vocals from the Barras band) and Josiah J Manning (bass) Jared James Nicholls, Elles Bailey and The Cold Stares’ Chris Tapp, the Hollow Souls collective captures a snaking and scuzzy little collection. One that oozes with a passion and cool swagger.

Opening Cut Borderline, with Nichols and Barras on board shouldn’t, and doesn’t fail and sets out the stall for a set where the challenge isn’t a tricky one. Just sit back and enjoy/admire/appreciate the fun the guys have had making these songs. The sleaze and attitude on Bad Things draws inevitably on Cold Stares grooves and Elles’ Burning It To The Ground sees her treading a dirtier path than usual yet with the inevitable hooks.

The three minute burst of Shotgun might owe a little nod to an Oh Well riff – variations on…etc – but swings with a zeal and to that Rival Sons would be proud of. And features possibly the best guitar break on the set mid song – one that you wouldn’t complain about if it stretched to a few more bars.

With the vibe bringing a chill out closure (searing guitar solo excepted) a case of best things coming in small packages.

The debut album from the Paul Heaton approved Rianne Downey – the “Celtic maestro of Americana” – who’s turned out a bright, breezy and (despite the season) sunny album. One that skirts around country, folk and beyond.

The Song Of Old Glencoe picks up the sort of vibe that touches on the folk end of the spectrum aided by a mournful arrangement and there’s a quick flick of the switch to the gentle swing and air of sadness around Lost In Blue and the subtle uplift and brightness in Because where the lovely fingered guitar lulls and caresses – characteristics truth be told, of the whole album that peaks with the slightly grander production on Blue Eyes Burning.

With a cover shot that surely must be a Great Langdale lakes vista (the Pikes/Pike O’ Stickle very distinctive), The Consequence Of Love is already a winner and goes onto strike a home run in its simply seductive songwriting and arrangements. A concoction that’s seen what the broadsheets called “the rise and rise of Rianne Downey.“

Dragging classic rock through a psychedelic haze and leaving it bleeding in the present. That’s the bold manifesto for The Lunar Effect and within a half minute (or maybe less) they’ve made a fair progress into achieving the goal. That opening riff is oh so familiar, but one you can’t quite place; suffice to say it bleeds from the same place that spawned the trailblazers of yore.

Grunge-y, blues-y and soaked in a dense soul, the promise of deeper and stranger is easily carried off as the band “chase meaning in a chaotic world.”

With standout tracks like the “let’s get sexy” video for Feed The Hand where the eye candy matches the music and the epic album closer Nailed To The Sky, Fortune’s Always Hiding proves a juddering soundtrack to the evocative image adorning the sleeve. The mighty grooves within come balanced with haunting melodies

The masses of Classic Rock tropes that pour forth are balanced with the scuzziness of the (surely) tongue in cheek Blues drenched My Blue Veins and dreamy tempo in I Disappear thay even conjures up a bit of Brit Poppy Oasis of all things. At its best though, the crushing heaviness is manna from heaven. Settle Down all coated with a Cobainesque mystery and drama.

“Things are crazy out there right now, and sometimes the only way you can make sense of it all is with a three-minute pop song.” So says Keller, whose songwriting streak is continuing apace, with this roll of 12 new songs, acute observations all, around which he spins his magpie fusion of new wave, blue collar rock and classic pop.

Blessed also with a butterfly mind, he switches tack on a near song by song basis, never leaving any silo door closed. So, the John Hiatt/gospel amalgam of Love One Another sits close by songs that, variously, evoke early Elvis Costello, James McMurtry, Supertramp and the Beach Boys. Often in the same song. The title track starts off like an outtake from Crime Of The Century, ahead becoming the pure Hawthorn, Ca. of the extended Wilson family. Topped with Keller’s dark brown voice, a thing of beauty when he lets himself stretch out, as on the equivalently BB fumed I Want To Go Back Home, and closer, Getting Over You.

There are rockers and chuggers, alongside the more melodic fare, with Keller picking up most the guitar duties as well, with producer, Adam Minkoff, on bass and myriad keyboards, and Lee Falco on drums. Lumineer, Byron Isaacs, is co-writer, where one is needed, and it all sounds great, as well as being probably enormous fun to put together. Other highlights include the JJ Cale choogle of Here I Am and ZZ Toppy Lucky. Commended.

The Howl Quartet features Dan Smith (alto saxophone), Harry Brunt (tenor saxophone), Pete Komor (double bass), and Matt Parkinson (drums). Night Song is their third album and explores narrative themes through improvisation and the melding of the quartet’s individual musical personalities into an emotionally expressive musical whole. The music is sympathetically crafted with the two saxophones searching out beautifully flowing melodic phrases, while the double bass and drums guide the path for the stunning improvisations.

Highlights are hard to pick out, as this is an album is deserving to be listened to as a complete work. However, opener Tolls showcases the quartet’s expansive rhythmic palette, where gently splashing cymbals and echoing bass, can evolve into moments of intoxicating swing and pacy firing on all cylinders. Gwdihw is dedicated to a lost Cardiff venue which witnessed the quartet’s early musical connection, and features some of the most lyrical saxophone playing on the album.