Fish Records Mailer Issue 22 (Year Review 2002)

As ever, the final mailer of the year features the very best discs from the past 12 months – and 2002 turned out to be a fantastic year.
The lead disc this month is the excellent new Equation album, a wonderful collection of songs from one of the best contemporary folk acts around.
New for this mailer is the addition of ‘ALSO’ after each album review, the two discs listed here are albums in a similar vein to the disc featured in the review – those who enjoyed the reviewed disc would find the discs listed here rewarding.
Thank you for all your support over the past 12 month, it’s always appreciated.

Equation – First Name Terms

While mainly known as a folk/rock group, this wonderful new album is exclusively self-written material; it has a real feel of a singer/songwriter disc as it’s full of narrative songs, but the musical input of the five.... full review

£13.49

Josh Ritter - Golden Age of Radio

Josh Ritter is a young singer/songwriter from Moscow, Idaho - and judging from the stunning quality of this release, is an artist destined for huge success. 'Golden Age of Radio' is a laidback and spare recording.... full review

£12.99

Richard Shindell - Courier

Following 'Somewhere Near Paterson' was never going to be an easy task, but with 'Courier' he manages to reinforce and build on his reputation as one of the most intelligent singer/songwriters around.
Recorded live over three shows.... full review

£12.99

Lori McKenna - Pieces of Me

While hugely popular in her native Boston, Lori has remained a relatively well kept secret in the wider market - the release of this, her second album, is guaranteed to earn her wider recognition.
This is a disc with instant appeal.... full review

£12.99

Kris Delmhorst - Five Stories

While this may only be Kris' second album, following her debut 'Appetite', she's well beyond any 'promising new artist' tag - this disc is the finished article, mature, subtle, varied, and with both musical and lyrical depth.... full review

£12.99

Dan Bern - New American Language

A line from track 6, 'Black Tornado' provides a salutary warning to the listener, 'If you judge me tonight, judge me by the songs I write'. Before this disc arrived I had a firm idea of what to expect (although I'd never actually.... full review

£13.49

Rosie Thomas - When We Were Small

Heavily played by Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2 over the past few months, this debut disc from 24 year old Rosie Thomas is now more generally available, and while there are undoubtedly some great radio tracks here, this album is.... full review

£13.49

Mary Gauthier - Filth and Fire

The follow up to the critically and commercially acclaimed 'Drag Queens in Limousines' has finally arrived, and it picks up from where that album left off, and improves on it in every respect. The main strength of Mary's work is the lyrics.... full review

£13.49

Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman - One

'1' is a low-key, self-released album from Equation members Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman. While as a band Equation concentrate on folk-rock, this album is an altogether more restrained piece of work, it's acoustic contemporary folk.... full review

£9.99

Mark Erelli - The Memorial Hall Recordings

Following last years excellent 'Compass and Companion' release, comes 'The Memorial Hall Recordings', an exceptional disc, and all the more impressive as it's from a young artist, only on his third album.
Recorded over 3½ days.... full review

£12.99

Ellis Paul - The Speed of Trees

This is Ellis' first 'proper' album since 1998s fantastic 'Translucent Soul' (a collection that four years after its release stands up as one of the very best contemporary singer/songwriter albums around). The intervening years.... full review

£13.49

Following hot on the heels of last years fantastic 'Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues', this new album has a lot to live up to - and on 'Stray Dogs' he really delivers on the promise evident in his debut album.
He's an Americana singer/songwriter.... full review

£13.49