A North Bridge

Some albums are born from necessity rather than desire. When a Shadow Is Forced Into the Light is one. After Swallow the Sun issued their triple-length magnum opus Songs from the North I, II & III in 2015, tragedy struck. Guitarist/composer Juha Raivio lost his life partner, the poet and vocalist Aleah Stanbridge, to cancer at the end of 2016. She and Raivio had formed the band Trees of Eternity but she passed before their debut was completed. He finished and released the album then went into seclusion. Upon returning, he formed the band Hallatar, composing songs from lyrics in her journals. They released No Stars Upon the Bridge in 2017. But Raivio also channeled his grief into this extended reflection on loss, sadness, heartbreak, and transformation for STS; he penned its nine songs in three weeks…

The title of this latest release from bassist Neil Swainson is fitting: HERE FOR A WHILE. Amen to that. At 68, he’s had not just a long career, but a most distinguished and impactful one. In Canada and internationally, a world-class musician.

Passionate about trains, Michael Portillo continues to chart the great British romance with the railways in this phenomenally successful series. Armed with his copy of George Bradshaw's famous railway handbook, he retraces four journeys that were first documented in the Victorian guide, witnessing what's changed and discovering how our love of the railways began. Throughout, he makes stops at some of Britain's most beautiful cities and secluded villages, meeting extraordinary people and hearing how their lives have been shaped by the railways.