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Public Service Broadcasting: Bright Magic

September 29, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Public Service Broadcasting’s Berlin album

Public Service Broadcasting’s Berlin album

New album: The historical archive-inspired band’s fourth LP is entirely centred around the city of Berlin, and is a far more impressionist and instrumental than previous, with German language vocals and a nod to Weimar era and David Bowie’s Low album

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In albums, ambient, electronica, experimental, prog-rock, soundtracks, spoken word Tags albums, new releases, Public Service Broadcasting, PIAS
Comment

NAO: And Then Life Was Beautiful

September 29, 2021 Peter Kimpton
NAO’s third album blossoms

NAO’s third album blossoms

New album: Sunnily uplifting and defiant in style and lyrics, this third album by the 33-year-old east London soul and R&B singer features guest co-vocalists, but with the exception of a real beauty with Lianne La Havas, shines out best on her own

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In albums, R&B, soul, pop Tags Nao, albums, new releases, Lianne La Havas, RCA
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The Lathums: How Beautiful Life Can Be

September 29, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The Lathums’ full debut LP How Beautiful Life Can Be

The Lathums’ full debut LP How Beautiful Life Can Be

New album: Breezy, sunny, uplifting, melodically beautiful as well as melancholy songs in this full debut by the Wigan indie band reminiscent of The Smiths and The Coral with that impressive, if familiar, jangly guitar sound that still resonates

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In albums, indie Tags albums, new releases, The Lathums, The Smiths, The Coral, Island Records, Universal Music
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Bess Atwell: Already, Always

September 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Bess Atwell

Bess Atwell

New album: Intimate, intelligent and gorgeously beautiful in voice and writing, the now Brighton-based folk singer-songwriter's LP is exquisitely performed with piano, guitar and gentle orchestration, reminiscent of Marika Hackman and Julia Jacklin

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In albums, folk, pop Tags albums, new releases, Bess Atwell, Lucy Rose, Marika Hackman, Julia Jacklin, Real Kind Records
Comment

Hamish Hawk: Heavy Elevator

September 27, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Witty, vivid, dramatic: Hamish Hawk

Witty, vivid, dramatic: Hamish Hawk

New album: Theatrical, wittily delivered and filled with wonderfully literate and emotive narratives and images, the new album by the Edinburgh indie singer-songwriter very much keeps up the striking, thrumming single Caterpillar, previously highlighted on Song of the Day.

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In albums, experimental, indie Tags Hamish Hawk, albums, new releases
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Spencer Cullum: Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection

September 26, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection.jpeg

Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection

New album: An exquisite album, hauntingly beautiful by the London singer-songwriter and pedal steel guitarist re-located to Nashville is reminiscent of Nick Drake with added, electric guitar, organ, keyboards, flute and light percussion with a Tennessee twang

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In albums, Americana, folk Tags albums, new releases, Spencer Cullum, Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection, Nick Drake, Full Time Hobby
Comment

José González: Local Valley

September 22, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Local Valley

Local Valley

New album: This fourth solo album by the Swedish-Argentinian indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist is filled with beautiful stillness, gentle intimacy and acoustic playing, birdsong, a wonder of nature, and sense of how tiny we are in a vast universe

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In albums, experimental, folk, traditional Tags albums, new releases, José González, Imperial Recordings, City Slang
Comment

Manic Street Preachers: The Ultra Vivid Lament

September 21, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Manic Street Preachers Ultra Vivid Lament.jpeg

New album: The Welsh trio’s 14th studio album is their first number 1 since 1998, contains their classic sound, defiant, power-rock melancholy and overt politics, but also a rippling piano sound that echoes some of Abba’s big hits

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In albums, pop, rock Tags albums, new releases, Manic Street Preachers, Columbia Records, James Dean Bradfield, Mark Lanegan, ABBA
Comment

Liz Lawrence: The Avalanche

September 20, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Liz Lawrence The Avalanche album.jpeg

New album: Superbly full-bodied, catchy, lyrically wry electro-indie-pop LP by the singer-songwriter and guitarist from Stratford-on-Avon whose songs have a wonderful juddery momentum enhanced by her strong, deep voice

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In albums, electronica, indie, pop Tags albums, new releases, Liz Lawrence, Second Breakfast
Comment

Jordan Rakei: What We Call Life

September 20, 2021 Peter Kimpton

New album: A smooth, sophisticated silky and intimate fourth LP by the New Zealand-Australian multi-instrumentalist, high-voiced singer, producer, and songwriter that gradually moves from a soul and R&B to increasingly ethereal and experimental

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In albums, electronica, experimental, jazz, soul Tags albums, new releases, Jordan Rakei, Ninja Tune
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KUNZITE: Visuals

September 15, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Elevated sound. Agustin White and Mike Stroud

Elevated sound. Agustin White and Mike Stroud

New album: As groovy-funk-psych-pop as it gets. The single Frosty was previously a Song of the Day, and now this cosmos-themed album by by producers and multi-instrumentalists Mike Stroud (from Ratatat) and Agustin White (White Flight), follows keeps the fun, and the standard high

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In albums, dance, disco, electronica, funk, psychedelia Tags albums, new releases, KUNZITE, Agustin White, Mike Stroud, Lowly Records, Wilder Records
Comment

Matthew E. White: K Bay

September 15, 2021 Peter Kimpton
K Bay is Matthew E. White’s third album under his own name

K Bay is Matthew E. White’s third album under his own name

New album: Dynamic, diverse and undefinable, this first solo album for six years by the witty Virginia songwriter, producer, and founder of Spacebomb Records founder spans genres from funk, electronica, piano pop and disco to the playful and experimentally cinematic

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In albums, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, funk, prog-rock, psychedelia Tags Matthew E. White, albums, new releases
Comment

Ballaké Sissoko: A Touma

September 14, 2021 Peter Kimpton
A Touma, the new gorgeous solo album by the kora master

A Touma, the new gorgeous solo album by the kora master

New album: The Malian kora master returns with a new album of exquisite acoustic solo beauty with a title that translates as “now is the moment”

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In African, albums, traditional Tags albums, new releases, Ballaké Sissoko, Nø Førmat, Africa, Mali
Comment

Kacey Musgraves: Star-crossed

September 14, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Kacey Musgraves: veiled truth

Kacey Musgraves: veiled truth

New album: The acclaimed Nashville star’s follow-up to 2018’s Golden Hour comes on the back of divorce from fellow musician Ruston Kelly, so it’s a bittersweet but at times beautiful cross between country, rock, pop and R&B

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In albums, country, pop Tags albums, new releases, Kacey Musgraves, Polydor, Interscope, MCA Nashville
Comment

Low: Hey What

September 13, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Low’s Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk

Low’s Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk

New album: The follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed, revolutionary Double Negative is another mesmerising work of brilliant sound distortions and beautiful vocals by Minnesota couple Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk

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In albums, ambient, experimental, electronica, indie, psychedelia Tags albums, new releases, Low, Sub Pop, Mimi Parker, Alan Sparhawk
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Amyl and The Sniffers: Comfort To Me

September 10, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Amyl and The Sniffers - Comfort To Me

Amyl and The Sniffers - Comfort To Me

Fabulous new LP from Amy Taylor and the Melbourne punk band that again captures their incomparably energetic live shows, here with a mix of humour, anger and some very frank and fertile self-analysis

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In albums, punk Tags albums, new releases, punk, Amyl and the Sniffers, Amy Taylor, Rough Trade, Melbourne
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Lady Blackbird: Black Acid Soul

September 9, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Lady Blackbird’s debut album

Lady Blackbird’s debut album

New album: Exquisite, slow, elegant jazz and soul in this beautiful debut by singer Marley Munroe, who has smoky power and control reminiscent of Nina Simone, in an 11-track album including seven covers, including, upright bass and Miles Davis’s pianist Deron Johnson

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In albums, jazz, soul Tags albums, new releases, Lady Blackbird, Chris Seefried, Foundation Music, Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Deron Johnson
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Iron Maiden: Senjutsu

September 8, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Run to the record shops, and then to the hills, with Iron Maiden’s new apocalyptic album

Run to the record shops, and then to the hills, with Iron Maiden’s new apocalyptic album

New album: Epic, apocalyptically double, packed with changes of pace and power, elements of folk and prog, and filled with references to the ravages and ironies of history, ancient and modern, the time is ripe to indulge in the quintessential British metal band’s 17th studio album

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In albums, metal, prog-rock, rock Tags albums, new releases, Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, Parlophone
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The Bug: Fire

September 6, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The Bug’s Fire

The Bug’s Fire

New album: This dystopian, violent portrayal of modern Britain by the British electronic producer Kevin Martin is compelling and powerful, with guest appearances from Daddy Freddy, FFSYTHO, Flowdan, Irah, Logan_olm, Manga Saint Hilare, Moor Mother, Nazamba, and Roger Robinson

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In albums, avant garde, dub, electronica, trip-hop, hip hop Tags albums, new releases, The Bug, Ninja Tune
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Little Simz: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

September 4, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Little Simz returns with her fabulous fourth album

Little Simz returns with her fabulous fourth album

New album: London’s Simbiatu Ajikawo returns with her fourth album, a triumph of intelligent, tough-attitude socio-political lyrics and charisma, backed with epic orchestral soundtrack with old friend and longtime producer Inflo Sault), hopefully to propel her into world stardom

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In albums, African, electronica, experimental, hip hop, jazz, soul Tags albums, new releases, Little Simz, AGE 101
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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SNACK OF THE WEEK

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New Albums …

Featured
Favourite Albums of 2025 - Part 3.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Three
Dec 18, 2025

Welcome to the third and final part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also Part One, and Part Two. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two.jpeg
Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two
Dec 17, 2025

Welcome to the second part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also a first part and a third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part 1 updated.jpg
Dec 16, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part One
Dec 16, 2025

Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield.jpeg
Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield: Lightning Might Strike
Dec 16, 2025

New album: Personal upheaval, grief, powerlessness, trauma, sudden change inform the title and colour the lyrics of this latest LP by the seasoned Boston indie artist but her songs are packed with brutally honest, candid, concise reflections and warm, catchy, stirring riffs and melodies

Dec 16, 2025
Dove Ellis - Blizzard.jpeg
Dec 9, 2025
Dove Ellis: Blizzard
Dec 9, 2025

New album: An extraordinarily mature, passionate, poetic, and outstandingly powerful debut by the Manchester-based Galway-born singer-songwriter, whose soaring delivery has instant echoes of Jeff Buckley and lyrics that go above and beyond

Dec 9, 2025
Spíra by Ólöf Arnalds.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Ólöf Arnalds: Spíra
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A gorgeous, delicate, ethereal first release in a decade by the Icelandic singer-songwriter, acoustic instruments and her gentle, high, pure voice, all in her native language, caressing this listening experience like pure waters of some slowly trickling glacial stream

Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber - Unclouded.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber: Unclouded
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A fourth album, here full of delicious uplifting, dreamily chic, psychedelic soul pop by the French musician Melody Prochet, with bright, upbeat, optimistic numbers and a title lifted from a quote by the acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, about achieving equilibrium

Dec 5, 2025
Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis.jpeg
Dec 2, 2025
anaiis: Devotion & The Black Divine
Dec 2, 2025

New album: Following a summer Song of the Day - Deus Deus, a review of the autumn release and third LP by the London-based French-Senegalese singer-songwriter of resonantly beautiful, dynamic, sensual soul, gospel, R&B and experimental and chamber pop, with themes of new motherhood, uncertainty, religion, self-love and acceptance

Dec 2, 2025
De La Soul - Cabin In The Sky.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
De La Soul: Cabin In The Sky
Nov 26, 2025

New album: The hip-hop veterans return with their first without, yet including the voice of, and a tribute to, founding member Trugoy the Dove, AKA Dave Jolicoeur who passed away in 2023, alongside many hip-hop luminary guests, with trademark playful skits, and all themed around the afterlife

Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats: Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
Nov 26, 2025

New album: An evocative musical journey of a concept album by the indie-folk band from Claremont, California, fronted by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, based on a dream of his in 2023 about a voyage to a fictional island by the titular captain, charting adventure, wonder and tragedy

Nov 26, 2025
Allie X - Happiness Is Going To Get You.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
Allie X: Happiness Is Going To Get You
Nov 26, 2025

New album: A hugely entertaining, witty, droll, inventive, chamber and synth-pop fourth LP with a goth twist by the charismatic and theatrical Canadian artist Alexandra Hughes, who brings paradox and dark themes through sounds that include string quartet, harpsichord, classical and pure pop piano with killer lyrics

Nov 26, 2025
Tortoise - Touch.jpeg
Nov 25, 2025
Tortoise: Touch
Nov 25, 2025

New album: A welcome return with a cinematic and mesmeric groove-filled first studio LP in nine years, and the eighth over all by the eclectic Chicago post-rock/jazz/krautrock multi-instrumentalists Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker

Nov 25, 2025
What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx, Max García Conover.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover: What of Our Nature
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Beautiful, precise, poignant and poetic new folk numbers inspired by the life and music style of Woody Guthrie as the Portland, Oregon and New Yorker, now Portland, Maine-based singer-songwriters bring a delicious duet album, alternating and sharing songs covering a variety of forever topical social issues

Nov 24, 2025
Tranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Ambient, otherworldly, cinematic, mesmeric, and at times very odd, the Brooklyn-based electronic artist and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with a new nostalgia-based concept – constructing tracks from lost-then-refound Y2K CDs of 1990s and early 2000s royalty-free sample electronic sounds

Nov 24, 2025

new songs …

Featured
King Hüsky - December95.jpeg
Dec 23, 2025
Song of the Day: King Hüsky - December95
Dec 23, 2025

Song of the Day: Poignant, evocative, beautiful, vivid, alternative mandolin folk-pop about a severe winter at Christmas by Oslo’s Vidar Landa, who in this guise departs from his his usual role as as guitarist of Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak and indierock/powerpop band Beachheads, out on Hype City Music

Dec 23, 2025
Yumi Zouma - No Love Lost.jpeg
Dec 22, 2025
Song of the Day: Yumi Zouma - 95
Dec 22, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, gentle, reflective new single by the New Zealand experimental indie-pop band referencing the US east coast Maine to Miami interstate road about homesickness and more, heralding the new album No Love Lost to Kindness, out on 30 January, out on Nettwerk Music

Dec 22, 2025
Deadletter - To The Brim.jpeg
Dec 19, 2025
Song of the Day: DEADLETTER - To The Brim
Dec 19, 2025

Song of the Day: A moody, mysterious minute-long intro with gentle bursts of brass and woodwind veils what becomes a punchy new lead single by the Leeds post-punk band heralding their second LP - Existence is Bliss out on 27 February via SO Recordings

Dec 19, 2025
Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Song of the Day: Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round
Dec 18, 2025

Song of the Day: Following March 2025’s acclaimed album, Tell Dem It’s Sunny, the south-east London artist (aka Aria Wells) returns with another smoky, dark, track with hues of blues, dub and soul and Portishead-esque trip-hop, focusing on the trappings and challenges of modern life

Dec 18, 2025
Kaitlyn Aurela Smith - I Miss The Way You Swim.jpg
Dec 17, 2025
Song of the Day: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - I Miss the Way You Swim
Dec 17, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful modular synths and intermingling orchestral sounds ripple in this work by the American composer, performer and producer in a piece shaped by loss of someone loved, taken from an upcoming instrumental album Thoughts On The Future, out on Nettwerk Music

Dec 17, 2025
The Paper Kites - If You Go There.jpeg
Dec 16, 2025
Song of the Day: The Paper Kites - Change Of The Wind
Dec 16, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, reflective number by the alternative folk-rock band from Melbourne fronted by Sam Bentley, heralding their seventh studio album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, out on 23 January via Nettwerk Music Group

Dec 16, 2025
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Dec 15, 2025
Song of the Day: Courtney Marie Andrews - Little Picture Of A Butterfly
Dec 15, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful, delicate, fluttering, eclectic, heartbreak folk and Americana by the singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, heralding her forthcoming new album, Valentine, out on 16 January via Loose Future

Dec 15, 2025
Peter Perrett - Proud To Be Self-Hating.jpeg
Dec 12, 2025
Song of the Day: Peter Perrett - PROUD TO BE SELF-HATING (irony and provocation)
Dec 12, 2025

Song of the Day: The veteran British artist, originally frontman of The Only Ones, and now with three solo albums, who actually has Jewish heritage, releases a gently powerful, nuanced, pro-Palestine acoustic number as a response to ongoing genocide by the Israeli government, out on Domino Records

Dec 12, 2025
Maddie Ashman - Jaded.jpeg
Dec 11, 2025
Song of the Day: Maddie Ashman - Jaded
Dec 11, 2025

Song of the Day: Magical, delicate, eclectic, intricate, experimental microtonal music by the London musician and singer, released alongside a longer track, In Autumn My Heart Breaks

Dec 11, 2025
Ye Vagabonds.jpeg
Dec 10, 2025
Song of the Day: Ye Vagabonds - The Flood
Dec 10, 2025

Song of the Day: Wonderfully warm, rich, lively fiddle-driven Irish folk by the award-winning band fronted by Carlow brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn with a heartbreaking number about the housing crisis, heralding their upcoming new album, All Tied Together, out on Rough Trade’s River Lea Recordings on 30 January

Dec 10, 2025
DBA! band.jpeg
Dec 9, 2025
Song of the Day: DBA! A Poet And A Clown
Dec 9, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy fuzz-guitar indie rock with a swagger by the Liverpool-formed trio of Sam Warren, James Lindberg and Joshua Grant in a song described as “a confessional story of desire tangled with religious guilt”

Dec 9, 2025
Puma Blue - Croak Dream.jpeg
Dec 8, 2025
Song of the Day: Puma Blue - Croak Dream
Dec 8, 2025

Song of the Day: A dark, esoteric, mysterious and stylish title track with a hint of Radiohead and playing with the idea of knowing your future death, from the experimental indie/goth/ambient London artist Jacob Allen’s forthcoming album out on 6 February via Play It Again Sam

Dec 8, 2025

Word of the week

Featured
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

Word of the week: A term that may apply regularly during Xmas party season, from the from the Latin crapula, in turn from the Greek kraipálē meaning "drunkenness" or "headache" pertains to sickness symptoms caused by excess in eating or drinking, or general intemperance and overindulgence

Dec 4, 2025
Running shoes and barefoot.jpeg
Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

Word of the week: A rarely used, but often practised verb, especially when arriving home, it means to take off your shoes, but is also a slightly more common adjective meaning barefoot or unshod, particularly for certain religious orders that wear sandals instead of shoes. But in what context does this come up in song?

Nov 20, 2025
autumn-red-leaves.jpeg
Nov 6, 2025
Word of the week: erythrophyll
Nov 6, 2025

Word of the week: A seasonally topical word relating to the the red pigment of tree leaves, fruits and flowers, that appears particularly when changing in autumn, as opposed to the green effect of chlorophyll, from the Greek erythros for red, and phyll for leaves. But what of songs about this?

Nov 6, 2025
Fennec fox 2.jpeg
Oct 22, 2025
Word of the week: fennec
Oct 22, 2025

Word of the week: It’s a small pale-fawn nocturnal fox with unusually large, highly sensitive ears, that inhabits from African and Arab deserts areas from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. But has it ever been seen in a song?

Oct 22, 2025
Narrowboat.jpeg
Oct 9, 2025
Word of the week: gongoozler
Oct 9, 2025

Word of the week: A fabulous old English slang term for someone who tends to stand or sit for long periods staring at the passing of boats on canals, sometimes with a derogatory or at least ironic use for someone who is useless or lazy. But what of songs about this activity and culture?

Oct 9, 2025

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