CD-Charts Position 1
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This Earthly Spell

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date March 10, 2008
I'd heard of Karine Polwart but never heard her perform until I spent £1.99 on the "That's Proper Folk" CD (or whatever it's called).

Possibly the best £1.99 I've ever spent, if only because it introduced me to this album.

Karine Polwart was head and shoulders the winner on that CD (and I'm a fan of Cara Dillon, so work that one out) with the track "Sorry". Which meant that I had to go out and buy this CD.

Worth every penny: there's clearly a trad-folk element running throughout this, whether it's the tunes or the lyrics, but with a definite modern flavour. Her singing is strong, with her accent a joy to hear (that's one of the great things about folk - no faux American accents), and this is a consistently ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

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The Fairest Floo'er

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date December 10, 2007
I came across the CD by chance as I'd never heard of Karine Polwart, but decided to give it a try after listening to a brief extract of Mirk, Mirk is This Midnight Hour. I am so pleased I took the risk - it is absolutely astounding. I have always liked Dowie Dens of Yarrow since I heard Bert Jansch's version, but Karine's is so beautifully sung with such a hauntingly sparse accompaniment it has me in tears every time I listen to it. A wonderful CD!

CD-Charts Position 3
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Faultlines

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date January 19, 2004
This debut album is a real surprise as it is not only a folk album but has a lot of other influences such as Jazz in "Only One Way" and "Harder to Walk these days than run"

Other tracks are more poppy and have American influences such Alanis Morissette
In particular "Four Strong Walls"

Other tracks are more folky in the original sense of the word but none descend to the point of becoming archetypal Scottish or Celtic folk (not one mention of slaughtering English on the album). In none of the tracks does she over do the use of traditional instruments such as the fiddle.

A very strong debut by an artist whose further releases I shall look forward to.

CD-Charts Position 4
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Scribbled in Chalk

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date April 10, 2006
I didn't know Karine Polwart, but got this CD on the strength of reviews and recommendations. Karine has a light, lilting voice, and her Scottish accent comes across, which I like. Nearly all of the songs are of the gentle variety, but that doesn't mean they are all the same. Some are gentle/melancholy (Baleerie Baloo, I've Seen It All), some are gentle/whimsical (I'm Gonna Do I All, Holy Moses, Take Its Own Time), and some are only gentle on the surface, but really biting underneath (Daisy, Maybe There's A Road). As well as the soothing voice, there's some lovely string playing, especially on Terminal Star. Where The Smoke Blows is the only song that you could really call upbeat, and its the one that works least well for me; perhaps it could have been ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Daisy

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date July 10, 2006
I didn't know Karine Polwart, but got this CD on the strength of reviews and recommendations. Karine has a light, lilting voice, and her Scottish accent comes across, which I like. Nearly all of the songs are of the gentle variety, but that doesn't mean they are all the same. Some are gentle/melancholy (Baleerie Baloo, I've Seen It All), some are gentle/whimsical (I'm Gonna Do I All, Holy Moses, Take Its Own Time), and some are only gentle on the surface, but really biting underneath (Daisy, Maybe There's A Road). As well as the soothing voice, there's some lovely string playing, especially on Terminal Star. Where The Smoke Blows is the only song that you could really call upbeat, and its the one that works least well for me; perhaps it could have been ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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Happy Daze

by: Battlefield Band (Featuring Karine Polwart)

Release Date
I didn't know Karine Polwart, but got this CD on the strength of reviews and recommendations. Karine has a light, lilting voice, and her Scottish accent comes across, which I like. Nearly all of the songs are of the gentle variety, but that doesn't mean they are all the same. Some are gentle/melancholy (Baleerie Baloo, I've Seen It All), some are gentle/whimsical (I'm Gonna Do I All, Holy Moses, Take Its Own Time), and some are only gentle on the surface, but really biting underneath (Daisy, Maybe There's A Road). As well as the soothing voice, there's some lovely string playing, especially on Terminal Star. Where The Smoke Blows is the only song that you could really call upbeat, and its the one that works least well for me; perhaps it could have been ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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I'm Gonna Do It All

by: Karine Polwart

Release Date April 17, 2006
I have actually been following the work of Karine Polwart, a lovely Scottish woman who, along with her degree in Philosophy, has made a great crossover from pholosopher to child rights advocate as well as anti-war believer (who doesn't believe in this, for Pete's sake?). The one thing that is presented twice, the fun, whimsical, flattering, and lovely "I'm gonna do it all" is not only musically endearing and captivating but the same is true for the marvelous video that comes with it of the same name with the same tune. This is a wondrous gift for anyone as it would also be for you, to share in her belief in the good of us while just holding out a little bit for later discussion. "I'm gonna do it all" can also resonate in the eldest of us all as we may have forgotten ... Read More: