Emerging from the verdant landscapes of County Offaly, Ireland, folk/ballad singer-songwriter Wayne Brereton stitches tales of resilience, drawing upon the deep cultural wells of his homeland and his personal trials. From the Heart of Ireland Emerges a Story of Grit, Wrapped in Beautiful Ballads and Infused with the Spirit of Traditional Irish Folk. Brereton was a musical prodigy who began playing guitar in bands at the juvenile age of 14 and eventually carved out a place as the lead guitarist for the popular Irish pop/rock band "Hogan." The Robin's Call by Wayne Brereton Brereton's music is a magnificent tapestry woven from...

I spent a solid hour this morning watching dust motes suspended in a single shaft of sunlight, my entire nervous system held absolutely captive by Magdi Aboul-Kheir and his devastatingly immersive new album, "Slow Heat". The Germany-based journalist and classically trained pianist usually writes across a massive spectrum of genres, pivoting wildly from trance to late romanticism. Today, he has dropped an ambient, contemporary...