“ ... This third solo album has beefed up the sound a little from the previous two. Recorded live in the studio with a full band over seven days, Songs Of Our Years has a deep, rich sound, which is given a soul edge by added brass, particularly on The Other Side Of Green and What To Weep Is. The songs are largely about loss and redemption. From the heartbreak of What To Weep Is ('Oh, what to weep is / Am I the only one to weep alone') to the drama of Fruits Of The Season ('Then one fish, a young fish, leaps and dives / His gills agasp for air inside') and the promise of Tulips ('But tulips all around me grow / Yellow, red and orange glow') this is an emotional journey couched in compelling lyrics and beguiling melodies... Utterly charming.”
Shire Folk / August 2016
“ ... [her voice] adds a deftness and delicacy to the dark undercurrent that infuses her music. Walk On Low opens with a delicate finger-picked backing to the fragile vocal... slowly and imperceptibly it builds with a dark intensity, adding harmonium, a plaintive viola and densely layered harmonies. Deeply distorted guitars hover on the edge of perception until the song finishes as it begins, stripped of ornamentation. This wrong footing approach is deployed in different ways across the album. What To Weep Is matches its dissolute and desolate lyric with a jaunty folk-pop soundtrack. There's a smooth, jazzy tinge to Hammer On Wood whose lyrics underline the need to break away the facades we construct... Rarely has being led astray been more enjoyable.”
R2 **** (Rock n Reel) / July 2016
“ As the tender vocals lilt, the strings ebb and flow – rising gently before being reigned in again, like subtle seasonal changes. Hammer On Wood shines with delicately dissonant phrases, unexpected interludes, percussive flourishes and pauses. This is clearly a musician’s record... As with Sandell’s previous output, her pure, angelic vocals contrast deliciously with dark themes.”
REDROSPECTIVE / 4 May 2016
“ ... [her songs] prove on closer examination to contain altogether darker, chilling or sinister undertones. Check out the environmental commentary Fruits Of The Season for example: an inspired juxtaposition of imagery... Gill expertly holds the listener's rapt attention with her thought-provoking exploration of the differing perspectives that loss can bring.”
FATEA / 23 April 2016
“ ... the combination of its key changes and the broad brushstrokes of the choir makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck every time... Songs Of Our Years is an understated gem of an album whose quiet introspection is tempered with an abiding optimism; it’s a rare blend and something to be treasured.”
Folk Radio UK / 20 April 2016
“ ... a truly beautiful album of contemporary folk overflowing with delicate melodies and penetrating poetry. The songs flow between gently sensitive observation and unrelenting examination – revealing and illuminating, sombre and painful ... There’s a directness and honesty that lays down complex journeys through the acceptance of loss....”
FolkWords Reviews / 11 April 2016
“ ... With The Sickle Swing EP, Gill Sandell has created a solution to the dichotomy of rearranging studio recordings for the live stage which is both elegant and creatively successful, exposing the essence and beauty of the songs while remaining respectful to the emotional core of the originals. The Sickle Swing EP offers a vivid snapshot of one of the UK’s finest contemporary folk groups in top form and is an essential and very welcome addition to Gill Sandell’s impressive back catalogue.”
for folk's sake / 28 April 2014
“ The Green Note proved to be an ideal venue for an intimate launch party; sold out in advance, amongst the audience were almost all the musicians who had contributed to the studio recordings... That Gill, Jo, Anna and Ted were able not only to recreate but also enhance the mesmerising beauty of Light The Boats in a live setting suggests to me that this is a group that deserves much wider exposure.”
Helen Gregory, Folk Radio UK / at Green Note, London
“ ... The album is beautifully and thoughtfully crafted. Its poetic lyrics woven with expertly arranged compositions really make it worth sitting down and listening to. Sandell has excelled in creating her own breed of modern folk song, delicately laced with a more traditional folk feel.”
for folk's sake / 25 October 2013
“ Sandell follows up her 2010 debut with Light The Boats, a stunning album of her own unique songs... These solo albums confirm her stature as a songwriter and Light The Boats contains some real gems. Warm, enveloping and enthralling.”
Spiral Earth / 30 September 2013
“ The lonesome windswept atmospherics of Every Willing Answer invoke a desolation that’s belied by the delicacy and pure beauty of Gill’s voice and the gentle rocking guitar accompaniment, providing a standout track and key musical experience...”
NetRythms / September 2013
“ You can feel the isolation that the wild island life encompasses. These are modern folk songs steeped in tradition and given hauntingly lush arrangements... The more you hear the more you discover lurking under the surface. Impeccable folk music for today.”
Maverick**** / September 2013
“ Following on from Gill's debut solo album Tarry Awhile, these new songs once again showcase the singer's ability to almost control your mood, to place you the listener in an almost trance-like state. An exquisite album...”
Northern Sky / 19 August 2013
“ Light The Boats is an exquisitely written and performed album... If she wasn't there already, Gill Sandell has stepped into the premier league of musicians and is rapidly becoming a must have in any selection of contemporary, traditional music...”
FATEA / 16 August 2013
“ This album is an object lesson in the art and craft of songwriting; a shimmering tapestry of sound with a mesmerising beauty, Light The Boats must surely rank amongst the year’s best records...”
Folk Radio UK / 14 August 2013
“ In fact, it's a gorgeous tapestry of ethereal folk vignettes... soothing and melancholy in equal measure. Rooms For Sleep is a perfect combination of this, Sandell's vocals washing through like waves, and it's a particular highlight on a very impressive album...”
MusicMuso**** / 18 July 2013
“ The sound that emanated from just the two of them was simply captivating... Gill's pitch-perfect, pretty voice shimmering over the beautiful wall of sound that was produced.”
Steve Muscutt, Music Muso / at Phoenix Arts, Exeter
Photos by Peter Williams / at Komedia, Brighton
“ She gives a capable account of herself on most instruments including flute, organ and delicately fingerpicked guitar, confidently overlaying all with her breathlessly pretty voice.”
R2 *** (Rock n Reel) / June 2011
“ This woman has a beautiful, clear, soft voice which more than matches the sparse strings and rich piano that accompany it. From the first track you can tell this is an accomplished musician.”
For Folk's Sake / 13 May 2011
“ Gill demonstrates an insightful writing style... there’s a little more of a folk-pop vibe to Wrap Your Treasure with accordion lines, impressive fiddle and ethereal harmonies. In sharp contrast, A Breeze Upon the Hill is much more traditional — a beautiful and reflective song that’s a duet with Owen Turner.”
Maverick**** / March 2011
“ The arrangements are caressingly simple and sympathetic, often weaving a dreamy mood around her voice.”
NetRythms / December 2010
“ It's a very chilled album, beautiful in it's simplicity and relaxing, but not to a fault. There's something really refreshing about Gill Sandell's voice.”
Fatea Magazine / 2 November 2010
Northern Sky / 13 October 2010