elcome to the latest edition of Rumbles. There are plenty of interesting albums to delve into.

We start with the Canterbury-based band Spygenius with Rhizomania. They were previously signed to Big Star records which put out their last four albums. They have now formed their own artist-based label: Canute Records. They make literate, psychedelic pop, crammed to the hilt with melodic songs of a very English bent. Their music has been compared to XTC and Robyn Hitchcock in the past, songs like 'Alone Again,' 'Orwell,' 'Desire Paths', and album closer 'Beachcomber' are full of invention and melody. You can find it at Canute Records.

If you are missing the Texan singer songwriter Guy Clark, then you may do well to check out Ed Snodderly. Ed has been knocking around Nashville for a good few years and came to my attention in the nineties as part of the Brother Boys. For his new solo album Baggage Flies Free Ed has utilised Verlon Thompson from Guy' band plus excellent lead guitarist Kenny Vaughan from Marty Stuart's Fabulous Superlatives plus Tim O'Brien on mandolin, Pete Wasner tinkles the ivories and Steve Hinson adds some pedal steel. He is on fine form throughout and this may well be the best thing he has done. Relaxed, warm songs like 'Willow Green,' 'This Old Guitar', and 'When Doc Watson Came Through Johnson City' all shine. He celebrates his old friend the singer songwriter Malcolm Holcombe who died earlier this year on 'Malcolm Holcombe For Another Time' and shows off his songwriting skills on 'High In The Rhyme' and 'The Grandest Tail.'

The Right Reverend Crow - Democracy Blues. The alter ego of Nathan Bell has made a mighty fine bluesy album with the help of Frank Swart on bass, Sean McDonald on lead guitar plus Alvino Bennett on drums. It's a hard-hitting album of what it's like to be an American in the current climate, songs like the self-explanatory 'Talking Pandemic Blues' and 'You Say Nothing (Democracy Blues).' Songs about corruption ('General Lee', 'Injustice', 'What Time It Is')  and being afraid ('Heavy Like That') ring out with the ugly truth about parts of current America. The songs are spoken/sung in a heavily treated style throughout with some blistering lead guitar. www.therightreverendcrow.com

Mr. Plow are back with a new album, their first for almost fifteen years. At One with Nature sees the Leicestershire band continue their brand of Lo-Fi Americana with a new set of songs. The band have been around for twenty years, and this is their first on the small boutique Monkey Basket Records. It was recorded during the almost forgotten endlessly cold and wet winter of 2025/26 when it seemed to rain every day. It must have warmed them up to record At One With Nature, as the songs are alive with a literate warmth. They have been compared to 16 Horsepower and The Handsome Family which, if you are familiar with those, will give you some indication of their style. It's a fine album which can be found at www.monkeybasketrecords.com

The prolific Paul Roland and Santtu Laakso have joined forces again following their previous EP last year for an album of space rock as Astral Magic with Paul Roland - Light Of The World, with Paul supplying the lyrics and both sharing the instrumentation. They are aided by Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven, Sparklehorse, Eugene Chadbourne) on electric guitar, violin, and mandolin. It plays to both of their strengths. We are treated to songs such as 'Every Night I Journey To The Stars', which sets out their stall nicely. Paul has always been an inventive lyricist and Sannto's keyboards frame them nicely. Highlights for me are 'Davidson's Eyes', 'The Illustrated Man', '23rd Century', in which Paul can't wait for this century to end and wonders what it will be like in the next one, and the title track 'Light Of The World.' It can be found at www.astralmusic.bandcamp.com.

A very immersive listen is The Fields Of Hay - A Circle Of Skin. This is the project of Stuart Carter whose debut was back in 2007. This is the follow up which continues his exploration of the twilight zone. Over three tracks he distorts reality, creating a dense sound world. Certainly an album to get lost in, the opening song 'This Is Just The Beginning' is over seventeen minutes long, and features vocalisations by Emma Lynch. I'd be hard pressed to name any of the instruments played, none more so than the following 'Unheiliga Magie', which also runs to over sixteen minutes. The third song, slightly shorter at ten minutes is 'Vamachara.' It's quite foreboding and rather unsettling. Should this appeal, further information on it and its accompanying film can be found at www.thefieldsofhay.bandcamp.com.

The Winter Residence - How The Night Falls is a collaboration between Mike Seed and Rebecca Loftis. Together they create a dreamworld of found sounds, electronics and folktronica. It's a real fireside listen, one for those long, dark winter nights, where narrated folk tales are meshed with otherworldly sounds. It is another immersive listen, a sort of fantasy folk if you like, and I do. Songs such as 'Randall's Ghost' and 'Act Of Devotion' are favourites here, along with 'The Princess Of Maps' and 'Hide Therefore Thine Eyes.' It's out on Reverb Worship and there are still a few physical copies available at www.thewinterresidence.bandcamp.com.

Out now on Wolfe Island Records is the debut album from Mike Guiney - The Grace Of Eloquence from the island of Newfoundland, Canada's most Easterly province. Mike has been writing lyrics for years, writing his first poem whilst still a schoolboy. He has honed his songwriting skills over the years but instead of becoming a full time musician worked for forty years doing a wide range of nine-to-five jobs, from the fire service through to working as a steelyard labourer, but always writing lyrics, which have resulted in him being awarded a grand prize in American Songwriter magazine. Here he is joined by Chris Brown, Mickey Raphael, Jason Mercer, Tony Scherr, and Miss Emily, amongst others. The album is very much a songwriter's album, steeped in the folk/roots tradition. I like it very much, particularly 'Gone Dry', 'Gravedigger Blues', 'Beyond Fate's Control', and 'Moonlight On The Water. www.wolfeislandrecords.com.

Kristina Stykos & Steve Mayone - Child Of The Hills. Ten years after their debut album, Steve and Kristina are back with Child Of The Hills. They met whilst Steve was playing a concert with The Perfect Trainwreck and after Kristina, (who was in the crowd) heard him being introduced and recognised his surname. It was also her middle name and it transpired that they were 2nd cousins, but following a family split had never previously met. They continued to meet and get together to play music. Kristina writes poetry and plays a wide range of instruments including keyboards. She also produces and engineers for a living. Steve also plays a few instruments although he favours strings such as lap steel, acoustic and electric guitars. Their voices sound good together and they are joined here by drummer Jeff Berlin plus Patrick Ross on fiddle, Seamus Egan on whistle, and Neil Massa adds extra keyboards. Standout tracks for me are 'The Woods Road', the title track 'Child Of the Hills', a wonderful 'Traveler', plus 'The Story Tree.' www.stevemayone.bandcamp.com.

Brick Briscoe- Found Footage. Some fourteen albums into his career Brick thinks that he may have just made his best album. Hailing from Petersburg, Indiana, Brick is somewhat of a restless soul, being involved throughout the years in music and film. He takes English punk as a major inspiration with bands like the Gang Of Four and The Jam, alongside with classic New York bands like Television and The Ramones. Brick has certainly dealt with his demons, and illness has informed his most recent work, coping with stage four Cancer, along with its attendant bouts of chemo in 2018, of which he is now in remission. If that was not enough, he has recently been quite ill again. His music is angular post punk, from a whisper to a scream and his live shows veer from tender to full-on, his lyric writing reflecting travel and experience. Songs like 'Slow Parade Of Flowers' and 'Maggie Might' set out his stall early in the proceedings. Along with 'Marquee Swoon' and 'Poor Boy Brick', his songs are engaging and bristle with angst and humour. www.brickbriscoe.bandcamp.com

Michael McDermott- Flowers From The Graveyard. Out now on Pauper Sky records comes the new album by this Chicago singer-songwriter who author Stephen King says is one of the best songwriters in the world. High praise, indeed! Alongside Michael who plays guitars, piano, and mandolin plus sings and writes the songs are Heather Lynn Horton vocals, Grant Tye guitars, Matt Thompson bass, Steve Gillis drums, Will Kimbrough guitars, and John Deaderick piano, organ, and various keyboards. The eleven songs range from the full-on rock of 'The Best We Get', through to the tender, bruised, and introspective ones like 'But For The Little Moments.' This may be the album which breaks for him, but as we all know the music business is a fickle one. Another gem is 'The Future' where he sings "Here we don't bow to any king / so let the motherfucking freedom ring./ Here we don't bow to any king and certainly not a clown from Queens." www.michael-mcdermott.com.

Scott Cook - Troubadourly Yours. This is the eighth album from Scott, a native of Alberta, Canada. Scott is a folk singer-songwriter and very much an admirer of Woody Guthrie and his songs. Indeed, Scott's songs reflect a mix of politics and social commentary. His previous album Tangle Of Souls was quite successful, earning him his third Canadian folk music award. He is joined here by various musicians including Warren Hood on fiddle. His lyrics are whip smart and incisive. Songs like 'Frankie's Braids', 'The Wolf That Wins', and 'There Is A River' are great, the former dealing with his time as a teacher in Taiwan and the latter about family. 'A Bigger Tent' is my favourite. It has an infectious rhythm and lyric-wise is bang up-to-date. Here's a sample line: "The folks who think they own the world are playing us for fools / They tilted the tables to win and got us blaming each other, instead of the way they rigged the rules. / But there are more of us than they'll ever be of them. / We're just going to need a bigger tent." This is a fine album, full of dense, story songs. www.scottcook.net.

David Reid- Phantom Sounds. After a couple of solo guitar albums, David has decided to make an album using a few additional instruments, adding synths, drums, percussion, and various keyboards to create a much fuller sound. It's due to be released on the Secret Shark label in November and takes in several styles from folk and jazz, through to blues and surf. Still all instrumental, playing songs for imaginary movies, it's an atmospheric album which is again quite an immersive listen, 'Road Ghosts' and 'Psychopomp' being early highlights, as they build and decay. It ends with another highlight, the almost ten minutes of 'The Hall of Phantom Sounds.' It's an expressive album full of tasteful playing, never over egging the pudding or showing off. Give it a listen at www.secretshark.co.uk.

Pillarstone-Mono Lit. Pillarstone are an Irish Celtic rock band from Waterford and consist of songwriters Paul J. Bolger and Alex Soikans, who also both play guitars on the album along with a rhythm section of drummer John Daly and bass player Adam Power. This is their debut album which also features a guest vocal from Siobhan Maher Kennedy along with other guests such as Killian Browne on piano and keyboards, plus fiddler Fergal Kavanagh and the Harmania Indie Choir, on a bunch of original songs. They have provided support to fellow Irish musicians Paul Brady and Mundy in recent months. The album is out on their own Pillarstone imprint. Pitched somewhere between Celtic rock and soul inflected Americana, the songs are a mix of up-tempo heartland rockers and melancholic slower songs. I rather like 'September Sun,' which was recently released as a standalong single along with 'Fog Of War.' I also like 'Wise Up' and the album closer 'Call For Mercy.' It' available from www.pillarstonemusic.com

There has been a flurry of fine releases from Fruits de Mer records of late. Marianne Segal featuring Circulus - The Gathering. Marianne you might well know as she was a part of the folk-rock group Jade, who made a fine album back in the early seventies with Fly On Strange Wings. The Gathering was quietly self-released by Marianne in 2007, and this is the first time it has been released on vinyl. Root Cartwright of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre appears, as does Bill Steer of Napalm Death and Circulus are a medieval-inclined psychedelic folk-rock group who have made a few excellent albums for the Rise Above record label. At about the same sort of time, Circulus also used Moogs, which not many medieval folk-rock bands do. It is a great pairing, songs of note for me are the rockier 'Root People' and the more reflective 'Circle Around The Sun.' 'Lapis Wings' and 'Sussex Downs' are terrific too.

Also on the label is the new album from Pinhdar, Comfort In The Silence. They are a prolific duo from Italy, comprising Cecilia Miradoli and Max Tarenzi. This is their third album now and continues where 2024's A Sparkle On The Dark Water left off. Pinhdar have been variously described as Dark Wave mixed with Trip Hop. They make art- rock with a cinematic quality. From the opener 'After The Fall' we are taken on a journey into their world. 'Neon Light', 'Mute', 'Red', and 'Fade' all pulse with electricity. It's modern, urban music with something of the nighttime, dreamlike, and gothic in nature.

Also look out on the label for the last album Pete Bingham recorded with Sendelica - Nirmata 11 - Journey To The Stars, which is due to be released in November. This fitting send off for Pete features four lengthy space-rock  tracks all hovering around the ten minute mark. Plus, look out for a forthcoming 4CD set by prolific multi-instrumentalist Jay Tausig on their An Introduction To series of artist round-ups, all worthy of your attention www.fruitsdemerrecords.com.

Anton Barbeau- Come Home To Me. Recorded at his home studio Dark Mystery Temple, this latest set of songs from the prolific Anton sees him surrounded by friends Colin Moulding and Dave Gregory from XTC, Andy Metcalfe from the Soft Boys/Egyptians and Terry Edwards and Donald Skinner from various Julian Cope incarnations. Vocals are also from Allyson Seconds, Rosie Abbott, Christy Claes and Julia Barbeau. Stewart Lee is a fan saying of Anton's records, "File in the buried treasure bin, alongside XTC, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope and the Bevis Frond." He knows his stuff and you can hear all these influences on this record. Chock full of playful psych-pop songs, from opener 'World Calls Love' through to album closer 'All Through The Night.' The musicianship shines, there's some lovely playing and arrangements throughout. I did say he was prolific - a quick check shows him putting out fourteen albums over the last ten years and some of them were doubles! Plus putting out various lathe cut singles, etc. www.antonbarbeau.bandcamp.com.

Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers - Abnormal Conditions. Frank Migliorelli wears a number of different hats - he is a college professor at New York University as well as a performer and singer-songwriter. He has made music for shows like The X Files and Homicide.  He is also involved in interactive media being a games designer and is a former director of New York's Public Library. He is joined in the Dirt Nappers by Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell from Bruce Springsteen's band and Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes's rhythm section, drummer Tom Segusa and bassist Tony Tino! He is also joined by Marshall Crenshaw and Tania Elizabeth amongst plenty of others. The album takes in a few styles, sprinkled with some fine melodies whilst maintaining a vintage vibe and a pop sensibility. 'She's Been Waiting Forever' has a light country feel and 'Year Of Living Dangerously' flirts with a reggae vibe. 'Michigan' sees Frank celebrating the State with a full band sound and 'Ever Since You Went Away' shows an English influence, primarily Nick Lowe. This is the fifth record by them and quite possibly their strongest yet. www.dirtnappers.com

Jon Samsworth - Dream On. A few years in the making comes Dream On, a suite of songs very much indebted to the Canterbury Scene, drawing upon influences such as early Virgin Records artists like Henry Cow, Robert Wyatt, and Mike Oldfield. Multi-instrumentalist Jon is joined by some fifteen musicians playing all manner of instruments from guitars though to a reconstructed disaster percussion robot. Twelve songs that sit together very nicely. A few notes on the various songs on the album. 'Telephones' is a multi-section song, recalling Smile-era Brian Wilson, 'Topiary Exhedra with View of the Obelisk', hmm, there aren't many songs I'm aware of about a hedge, but it's musically interesting, with shifting tempos and chamber-rock instrumentation. Then there is the complex 'Elger Twigs It's Neon', which has a horn section, distorted bass and an electro-mechanical marimba robot to boot! Whilst 'Prospects' is a groove-driven piece, with choral textures and a lovely, unhinged violin solo from Wild Willy Barrett, I'm also quite partial to the pastoral charm of 'Lamp Posts' and the expansive title track 'Dream On.' Oh and I also rather like the haiku like poignancy 'The Octagon Pond', a very short solo piano piece. It's an album which should appeal to our readers. I think it is a fabulous record, his fifth I believe, and should you wish to investigate further, you can find more at www.jonsamsworth.com

Dean McPhee- Northern Earth. We here at Terrascope have reviewed Dean's previous recordings which still receive regular plays. His new album has just been released on his own Bass Ritual record label. For Northern Earth he has fleshed out the sound with additional instrumentation, but it is still a completely solo affair, recorded live without overdubs. This is his sixth album, and it is a bit of good one. His set-up is stacked valve amps, subwoofer, guitar, percussion pedals, and expansive pedalboard. It is limited to 500 vinyl copies which are available now and it features three expansive tracks, including the side long title track. It begins with 'Indica Fields' where layers of labyrinthine, snaking electric guitar notes are accompanied by light percussion. The  shortest of the three tracks, it's a slow build, drawing its influence from mutant folk and psychedelia. Shards of treated electric guitar notes tumble and cascade throughout. The second track is named after the popular horse fair which takes place every year in England, the 'Appleby Fair.' It is a twelve-minute piece which features e-bow, echo and reverb. As it winds its way through, he achieves a full sound considering it is just him and his guitar. The record ends with the side-long 'Northern Earth,' at eighteen minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome. It's another expansive piece, taken at a leisurely pace. Here he delivers a masterclass of solo electric guitar. Cracking rim shots and dubby bass are classic dub instrumentation, however Dean utilises them in a completely different way, no cod reggae here! His use of the e-bow has increased over the years and he uses it to great effect, lending the song a progressive rock feel, as it winds its way on through. This is another excellent album from him and is available from www.deanmcphee.co.uk.

(Andrew Young)