Music reviews

Dransfield,"The Fiddler's Dream" (Talking Elephant)- This superlative 1976 collection found gifted Yorkshire folkie Barry Dransfield joining forces with brother Robin to deliver a compelling song cycle which explored the life of an itinerant fiddle player via some of the most arresting English folk-rock that you could ever wish to hear. This criminally under promoted gem essentially sank without trace when it first saw the light of day more than four decades ago but it remains one of the crowning glories of the genre as the two brothers harmonise their way beautifully through classic Barry Dransfield creations such as "The Handsome Meadow Boy" and "Up To Now."

Big Dave McLean,"Pocket Full Of Nothin' " (Black Hen Music)- Veteran Canadian musician Dave McLean specialises in delivering a distinctively rough hewn version of the blues, and his previous albums have been dominated by covers of songs penned by his musical heroes such as Robert Johnson and Elmore James. "Pocket Full Of Nothin' " signals something of a departure from this familiar formula however, as Dave has decided to showcase his own songwriting talents for the first time alongside typically gritty revamps of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider" and J.B.Lenoir's "Voodoo Music." The results should be required listening for roots music devotees everywhere, providing a near perfect introduction to the sound of a man whose gloriously lived- in vocals were once colourfully compared to "an ice truck with a busted axle."

Kaprekar's Constant,"Depth of Field" (Talking Elephant)-The eagerly anticipated follow up to the highly accomplished prog rockers' 2017 debut set, "Fate Outsmarts Desire," is the first to feature former Caravan drummer Mark Walker and also boasts telling contributions from saxist David Jackson of Van der Graaf Generator fame and Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson.The musical content strikes an appealing blend between epic narratives such as "White Star's Sunrise" and "Rosherville" and shorter pieces such as the elegantly tuneful,"The Nightwatchman," capturing the pastoral essence of Kaprekar's Constant's archetypally English brand of music making in the process.

Heron,"Diamond of Dreams" (Talking Elephant)- Former Incredible String Band stalwart Mike Heron did his level best to pursue a mainstream rock career after the psychedelic folkies' sad demise in 1974, recording a couple of critically well received but commercially unsuccesful albums with bandmate Malcolm LeMaistre as the seventies wore on. The second of these , "Diamond of Dreams," was captured for posterity in 1976 and this synth heavy exercise in prog rock was sadly much less accessible than its predecessor,"Mike Heron's Reputation," despite the presence of fine tracks such as "Turn Up Your Love Light" and "Draw Back The Veil."