15 January 2023

Vic Allen is one of our brightest homegrown talents and I truly believe 2023 will be her year! The tone of her voice is quite simply beautiful, she exhibits such control and delivers each line with perfectly weighted emotion. ‘Pictures of Us’ is the standout track for me, the lyrics are so cleverly written, the harmonies add a depth to the song and the melody tugs on the heartstrings. Inspired by her travels and those she met whilst exploring the world, the album very much feels like it takes you on a journey with songs such as ‘Drive’ and ‘Barcelona’ the perfect soundtrack for a road trip. The dreamy soundscapes she creates in the arrangement and production further solidify the themes of the record. New single ‘Suitcase’ with an accompanying video shot in California with the help of her brother is a flagship song for the record which showcases her strong songwriting ability alongside her brilliant voice. I can’t wait to see Allen go from strength to strength over the next year! 

The musicianship on this record is outstanding. Walker is famed for his award-winning finger style guitar picking brings to life tales of ghost stories, philosophy, alchemy and science on this record which showcases him at his very best as he presents a collection of instrumentals, traditional material and reimagined poems as well as his first attempts at songwriting. Opening the record with the title track we hear a simple stripped back production build with orchestral strings framing Sophie Jamieson’s vocals and harmonies. A haunting synth adds to the atmospheric soundscape Walker has created. Instrumental ‘Starlings’ paints the picture of birds in flight, capturing their elegance in his classical guitar style and delicate arrangement. Meanwhile, ‘King Storm’ shows a whole new side Walker particularly with the slightly heavier production. It’s a far cry from the country music that I usually listen to and write about, but good music is good music and Walker’s album deserves to be heard by the masses.