Quarterly Critic’s Choice
The best and most interesting new releases of the previous three months are awarded a place on the Quarterly Critic’s Choice. Evaluation criteria are artistic quality, repertoire value, presentation, and sound quality. From 2014 onward, the Long Lists are stored directly with each Quarterly Critic’s Choice.
NEW: Long List 3/2025, published on 5th July 2025
Folk and Singer/Songwriters
Broom Bezzums: Standing Strong
CD/Digital, Feel Your Way Music FYW001 (direct distribution)
Superlatives are no longer enough to describe the English duo Broom Bezzums, who live in Germany. Their previous album had already reached the musical Champions League. In what league does their current acoustic mix of wonderful instrumental pieces and exceptionally strong, mostly original modern folk songs play? It is meaningful, catchy and spirited. And anyone who can reinterpret a classic like ’House of the Rising Sun’, which has been played to death, in such an exciting way with just a violin and vocals has to be very, very good. For the jury: Mike Kamp