I am always happy to hear that Four Inch Cats (AKA Morgana Creely) has any new stuff out - especially when it is a new ukulele album. Her latest offering is out on Friday 9th December 2022 and it is an album called The Lockdown Farewell.
The whole instrumental album has been recorded using two of my favourite instruments - Tenor Guitar and Baritone Ukulele. The entire album is lovely and gentle and soothes the soul. It's the kind of album that I could listen to when I feel sad and it would cheer me up, or at the same time it would match my mood and help me to feel contemplative. The two instruments mingle together well, and embrace each other's strengths. Neither instrument is too high in the mix and they bounce off of each other like best friends. All of the compositions show a real strength in their format. One of the things I really love is that Morgana (who is Four Inch Cats) leaves plenty of space for the instruments to breathe. The two instruments do not meet in the school yard and have a fight, they grace a ballroom dance floor together and gently help to bring the best out of each other. My favourite track is Queen of Leeds. Imagine if Ralph Mctell didn't sing, he just played Tenor Guitar and Baritone Ukulele, and was slightly more jazzy - then that is what you get here. The final track, 'Whisper' is another favourite. It's a slow lament, which somehow manages to be cheerful and sad at the same time. All of the tracks are beautifully produced and played, with the strength of Morgana's composing skills really shining. There is a real 'folk' feel to the album, but with jazzy undertones. It's the perfect soundtrack for any of the four seasons !
If you are a ukulele fan then I higly recommend this album. A lot of the tracks also appear in some of Morgana's books so if you want to play along, get one of her tab books. It is great to see new, original material being written for and performed on the ukulele. Great stuff.
You can find out more at www.fourinchcats.com and the album will be available to buy there,
plus to stream at all the usual outlets.
Comments