Pride is a curse but no pride is worse

From Karine Polwart:

My kids are half Canadian. Their dad grew up in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia on the maritime east coast. Indeed, he’s just been there celebrating the 80th birthday of his mum, my kids’ remarkable Grandma, Joella Foulds. 

This by way of introduction to her version of When I First Came to Caledonia, which is lovely.

Meanwhile, Alan Doyle has released his version of Joel Plaskett’s Hey Moon. This served both to redeem, or perhaps to reanimate, Alan Doyle in my heart, and to take another look at Joel Plaskett, heretofore dumped in a file drawer labelled “the one who isn’t David Myles.”

(This all came about because of the recent release of Songs From The Gang — A Celebration of Joel Plaskett, which has been on frequent rotation in the household, as Plaskett is much esteemed by Lisa).

(See also Sloan’s Chris Murphy is one of 22 artists celebrating Joel Plaskett with a special musical tribute, from CBC Q, which is a good introduction to both Plaskett and Sloan).

Also new is Bitter Ender, from Mary Chapin Carpenter’s upcoming album:

Pride is a curse but no pride is worse
And lately that’s just what it is
Whatever we’re told, everything gets old
Nothing changes it’s the same old shit

(Carpenter, you may recall, just to take this full circle, released an album with Polwart earlier this year).

Finally, new last month a new album, What It Takes, from May Erlewine. My favourite track so far is Forgot Myself.

(Erlewine’s arresting performance of Wild from 2017 helped me keep my emotional head above water through the dark times).