Granny’s Attic - Cold Blows the Wind

Their fresh approach to traditional material has gained Granny’s Attic, namely Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (concertina, melodeon, and vocals), George Sansome (guitar, bouzouki, and vocals), and Lewis Wood (fiddle, viola, and vocals), the reputation of one of the best bands on the British folk scene. Their new album Cold Blows the Wind just confirms this status.

This collection of old songs and tunes, plus an original instrumental, opens with the trio’s unusually serene rendition of Where the Swan Swims so Bonny, a variant of the well-known murder ballad of two sisters. The album alternates lively instrumentals like Bobbing Joe / Lumps of Pudding and New Allemand / Quick Step with the band’s renditions of old classics such as Lovely Joan, The Mermaid and The Nightingale, before finishing on a high with the title track.

Lewis Wood is the mind behind the only original tune, namely the luminous and lively Conversations, in which the trio once again show their tight musicianship and technical skills.
Granny’s Attic have never treated folk music as museum material, and this album showcases once again the key features of their musical recipe. Their interpretations are warm, smooth, and quietly radical, deliberately leaning into the raw and emotional energy of these pieces, making them sound timeless and palatable to a modern audience.

This trademark approach is exemplified by the most beautiful track of the entire album, namely The False Bride, introduced by a concertina solo, simple at first, layered as it progresses to introduce the lyrics, and then delivered with a very delicate touch by the whole trio.
Traditional and yet modern, Cold Blows the Wind is possibly the best album Granny’s Attic have ever gifted the public and one of the most interesting works of 2025. A highly recommended release for both folk aficionados and neophytes of the genre.