Cambridgeshire based singer songwriter Soloman Smith returns with his fourth album Revolving + Rotating.

A Chance Encounter

It’s by chance that I stumbled upon Soloman’s music. Having trecked cross country from Watford to lovely St Neots in Cambridgeshire to catch the great Clive Gregson at the local folk club, I was treated to the added bonus of a short set by Soloman. At the time he had just released his first solo LP Lasagne Moments (after having taken a break from music for several years). A groovy folk soul LP with great songs that left a lasting impression. Since then, Roger has kept busy releasing two more records Birdland Reappraised in 2021 and Y’Dig That in 2023. Always well produced with great care put in the lyrics, these records saw him refine his approach and his craft. 

His Most Accessible Album

On Revolving and Rotating which proves to be his most accessible record to date, he moves with ease between the atmospheric folk lament of A Songs That Brings An End and the catchy Pick Up Stones which displays a country pop vibe not too far removed from Mary Chapin Carpenter. Ably accompanied by the musicians that have been backing him on his previous albums, some tracks really hit the mark, the duel between viola and guitar at the end of The Ghosts Are Loud Again being a prime example. The bluesy Huckleberry grooves along with gusto, again with subtle arrangements that suit the song to a T and a great vocal full of nuance and feeling.

Seventies Vibes and More !

The title track channels an atmosphere of a 70’s classic with its chorus “a la” Hey Jude while we return on a more intimate territory with the gentle Luna penned about Julia Butterfly Hill, a US activist who spent over two years up a redwood tree named Luna to stop a lumber company. Another excellent breezy country pop number titled Heaven’s Up There with a catchy chorus proves to be another worthy single as well as worthy homage to the female pioneer aviators of the early 1900’s !

The atmospheric Jonah hits hard with its emotional depth while the gentle ruminations of Presents In The Now are set to an almost nursery rhyme melody. A slice of nostalgia titled Sea Cost Road where our host recounts visits to a hamlet in Northern Ireland that our host used to visit in the aftermath of The Troubles. The spare Ararat closes the record on another high note with an absolutely beautiful choral arrangement that leaves a lasting impression.

Here’s a clip from the 2026 Ely Arts Festival:

Soloman Smith: Website 

At The Barrier: Facebook / X  / Instagram