Review of -

Paul Howard / In The Shadow Of Christ Church

In: Woven Wheat Whispers

Folk Music digital distribution service website.

When we heard his music we were genuinely knocked out at its quality. Paul is amongst that class of stunning acoustic singer songwriters making the kind of folk tinged contemporary pop song that should be all over the album charts. He has a warm voice and an ear for subtle arrangement with which to present his absolutely exquisite songs. He has that knack of writing songs that are immediately familiar but have touching melodies and chord changes that never seem to have been done before.  He's clearly a mature artist with experience in life to bring into his song writing. These are songs that feel not only about his life but about mine and yours too.

Although you will have heard countless rather average acoustic singer-songwriters over the years, let's not dismiss this artist with feint praise. There is a genuine talent here that the mainstream recording industry just doesn't know how to accommodate. It's their loss and R2R music's gain (and thankfully now ours too).  

The songs aren't just Paul's voice with a guitar though, he has a full band of musicians playing sympathetically here. Drums, keyboards, flute, bass and other instruments give the songs life and provide variety across the album's length. Whether you are rotted in 1970s quality acoustic pop artists like Cat Stevens or Bread, through the 1980s and 1990s with bands like The Triffids or American Music Club through to the current crop of artists like Fionn Regan you will connect with this music. That's because it's quite simply quality song informed by the popular music and folk traditions, equally at home in either. I could quote more references, Crowded House, Jake Thackery, Prefab Sprout, Squeeze, The Byrds, Paul McCartney - they are all here but they don't matter because ultimately Paul's making this music for himself first and foremost and it never sounds derivative of anybody else.

I'm sat listening to a song like 'No Love Like Our Love', a title that would be trite or overblown in the hand's of most modern artists, yet here it's a sweeping testament based on both the good and bad times that feels true to life. There are thirteen odes to real life and love here, music that you will never want to delete from your music player and that will be a welcome friend every time you hear it. 

Mark Coyle.

Review of -

Ray Bradfield / On Parole

In: Woven Wheat Whispers

Folk Music digital distribution service website.

...So onto this album, Ray's debut and what an album it is!   Ray plays in the acoustic style with an assured style established over decades of live playing. Keeping the audience entertained at a folk club means you have to know how to deliver a song. Ray doesn't hang about, his songs are direct and engagingly structured. For those who might roll their eyes at 'another singer songwriter album', fear not! Ray is definitely a folk singer as shown on the first song here 'Concertina Man' which has echoes of Martin Carthy's picked guitar and confident vocal style.

The it's onto 'Montague John' sung from the perspective of the infamous Whitechapel murderer.  'Autumn Song' is a crafted ballad that reminds of the gentle exploratory song style of Magna Carta.  'TV Hero' is a great jaunty observational song that evokes Jake Thackray. Every song is different, the swinging rag time of 'Sainsbury Rag' makes you smile just like the songs of Derek Brimstone. 'Birthday' shows what a fantastic guitar player is, just listen to the ease with which Ray performs this deceptively complex piece.

'Night To Remember' is a story telling song with the heart felt urgency of Bert Jansch.  'Goodbye Bergen' has a beautiful descending melody performed with the delicate touch of John Renbourn, with a lovely slide bass and a yearning vocal from Ray. Well we don't want to tell you about every song, best to find some more treasures for yourself and there are plenty more to discover.    

We don't know how R2R Music finds these artists, Ray Bradfield here and Paul Howard also now available at our service are amongst the best artists we've heard. This is a cracking, vital album that every folk fan will want. We're genuinely thrilled to be distributing it and will return to it ourselves many times. After all albums as good as this don't come along every day. If the music industry does know how to appreciate such talent, we certainly do and are delighted to bring this album to a receptive music community.

Mark Coyle.

Review of -

Paul Howard / In The Shadow Of Christ Church

In: Around Kent Folk Magazine

Issue - 19 February/March 2007

Paul is a singer songwriter with a very soulful voice, who accompanies himself on guitar. His songs are more like poems set to music but with lots of chorus. Many songs about love and general observances of life. We enjoyed especially 'Gabrielle of Cinnamon Street' - very Jacques Brel. 'Help to Hide the Fugitive' is a plea for compassion (chorus - with your help I know I'm not alone). 'Ways to Make Ends Meet' - "We all have to get by, Or else we just get beat, We all have to get by and make ends meet". True sentiments. Unobtrusive violin, bass, keyboards, percussion, flute and harp add fullness to some tracks. Great listening - Paul would be a fine new performer for any club or festival.

Kathy & Bob Drage. kathybobdrage@btinternet.com

Review of -

Paul Howard / In The Shadow Of Christ Church

In: Herts and Essex Music-zine Magazine

Issue 5 - January/February 2007

This is an album full of eloquent ballads and beautifully simple music, not quite folk but not quite mainstream. With artists such as Brian Kennedy and Fionn Regan (both at different ends of the age bracket) getting more and more press, it seems odd that Howard hasn’t been mentioned, his voice a lush and warm instrument that allows his personal and wistful lyrics to flow easily around the simple acoustic guitars and brushed drums. These instruments are augmented by occasional strings, but they’re not over powering and only serve to add an extra dimension to the songs. “Help To Hide The Fugitive” bristles with an energy and edge that should have kicked off the album rather than the gentle title track which doesn’t quite grab the attention as an opening track should. One or two of the tracks do stray into AOR territory, “I Should Be Used To It By Now” is a little bland and doesn’t really do much to stir the soul, but the other highlights are enough to let this little down turn in quality control to go by. “Silver” reminds me of Paul Weller circa “Wild Wood” with his love-song lyrics and very retro-sounding guitars.

For an artist that toils for many years and receives little recognition, there must come a time when you want to give it all up. Paul Howard has been playing and releasing music for “more years than he cares to remembers” but with the release of “In The Shadow Of Christ Church” it might be time, finally, for people to take notice.

Richard J.L. Hughes

R2R Music in the Press. Local newspaper, the Mercury has done a feature on us! Click here to read the article in pdf format. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader (required to read pdf files), download it free here - click on the Icon -