Do you want to hear a song you can cry or celebrate with? It would help if you listened to Sea and Sailors. Fraser Fifield accompanies her on low D whistle and Ricky Steele on double bass. I just discovered this release today as I was locked out of my Gmail for months, so I missed my subscription notices.
Gow sings with such honesty without any affectation. It’s just her beautiful voice and impressive piano skills. Sea and Sailors is about the uncertainty of life. I relate to this as I am turning to Stoicism and how we need to accept the things we cannot change. But that does not mean we cannot cry. We should cry about losing loved ones but realise that life is such.
I hope you find beauty and meaning in this song.

If you are hunting for loud Celtic music, then Bagad Kemper is for you. This Breton ensemble plays traditional music from Brittany using the instruments we love. They also incorporate grooves and beats on their numbers that offer you that festive musical experience.
Apart from this ensemble, you can explore the classics like the songs of Alan Stivell. There was a time when Tri Martolod became a part of my regular playlist. The thing with Stivell is that he sounds at home with rock, jazz, and punk bands. He can even fit with the hip-hop culture. His way of combining traditional styles with modern sentiments makes him relevant in all decades.

You can also check out Cecile Corbel, a favorite since the late 2000s. I once encountered this singer/songwriter and harpist via MySpace—such nostalgia. But Corbel continues to write and perform her brand of Breton Celtic music that makes this genre continue to drive excitement.
This blog is not a feature. This is more of a freestyle rambling in what I love about Celtic music. It has been a while since I wrote something more in the vein of the actual blog. And speaking about blogs, we’ve come a long way, dear readers. We are like a family here. You have been with me since I was so new to blogging that I have typos and grammatical errors. I still make mistakes, but my writing has become more bearable thanks to editing tools.
So what are the new groups you have been listening to? I usually discover new music via Spotify and Youtube.

I get occasional emails from bands who give me links to their releases. The thing that keeps this blog alive is my love for the music. Music heals the soul; we are all part of a family here. So I hope we continue to support the artists who touch us. We need them to be around that way, we have an anchor in times of uncertainty. A big shoutout to my friend Christy who has been with me through changing times. I will never forget your generosity and kindness. Though we may not be writing to each other, I assure you, you are in my heart always and forever.

Scratch the Surface by Eve Williams is a Flower Amid the Rocks

Singer-songwriter Eve Williams released her third album amid the pandemic. She was also dealing with an ongoing illness(she still is), so you can imagine how hard that was. No wonder the release was done quietly. It is a challenging road for a singer-songwriter. You gotta have grit and unyielding determination to pursue your recording career. The strength of her craft is how she structures her songs in a way that they sound compelling. She has an excellent command of chords and scales at her disposal. Her piano playing is exquisite. Her voice is also telling, and you can note her struggles in her voice that tries to be strong amid tribulations.
Scratch the Surface is a pop album with strong folk influences. Her delivery is close to Sandy Denny and Judy Collins. The album has eleven tracks. They are not heavy on drums except for the last song, I Walk Through Fire which is grand in its delivery.
Scratch the Surface is perfect for those slow afternoons when you watch the rain fall down from your window. It is honest and beautiful.