Recommendations: February 2013

February, this year, was the month I saw the fantastic Bear's Den for the first time, in a tiny venue in Manchester. I also didn't really buy much new music this month (except for Julia Stone's "By The Horns", which I'm waiting for the right time to discuss because it's so perfect), but a lot of it was spent rediscovering old favourites.

Joe Banfi
I saw him supporting Bear's Den in Manchester this month, he's recently signed to Communion and he has an incredible, instantly distinctive voice. Check out single "Nomads", as well as his gorgeous EP of the same title.

"O" - Damien Rice
You'll have heard of Damien Rice: a master of the love song, someone who played a large part in putting simple, clean, acoustic pop music back in the charts. I've loved this album the year that I've had it but the songs I appreciated most were always the hits, the singles - "Delicate" tugs at my heart strings, and both "The Blower's Daughter" and "Cannonball" are lovely. This second batch of listens, though, has brought me to pay attention to the lesser known tracks on the album, the ones that don't stand out straight away. "Amie" and "Cheers Darlin'" are these, and pay attention especially to "I Remember", a duet in two halves, the most serene and past-dwelling ballad that takes a dramatic turn of the wheel part way through.

"The Flying Club Cup" - Beirut
When I was fourteen, there was a time of several weeks, maybe months, where this record was pretty much all that I listened to. Every word, every note, every beat is dripping nostalgia, the accordian and horns giving it such a sense of place, ages it so very gracefully. It drifts in mood, from the bittersweet, memory-filled "A Sunday Smile" to darker "Cliquot" and songs like "The Penalty", a song that belongs on lonely, peaceful walks in the night.

"Peaches for Monsieur le Curé" - Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris' third sequel to her bestseller "Chocolat" is a tale of magic, and love, and food. Vianne returns to Lansequent, the town that she changed for the better and the town that drove her away, out of spite, with her daughters Rosette and Anouk. They find that again, the people of Lansequent are in need of a little magic, and also a little chocolate. A brilliant novel, exploring culture, kindness and humanity.