It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a quarter of a century since Seth Lakeman released his debut album. Now, in 2025, he’s onto his 14th—and spoiler alert—”The Granite Way” is right up there with his best work.
Simply put, no one rocks the violin quite like Seth Lakeman. The opening of “Louisa” is pure rock ‘n’ roll, never mind folk. And that’s before you even get to the lyrics, which feel carved straight from the Devon cliffs.
No one else quite does what he does, and what makes it even more remarkable is how songs like “One More Before You Go” feel like they’ve existed forever, echoing through crofters’ pubs and firesides as long as music itself has been played.
Lakeman has an unparalleled ability to pull you into his world. “Charlotte Dymond” is almost cinematic in its storytelling, while “Black Fox” turns poetry into melody so seamlessly that you can picture the fox at the water’s edge as if you’re meant to.
The same is true of the eerie “Huntsman and the Moon.” When he sings, “Beware the dangers of the night,” you’re instantly in the shadows with him. Then there’s “The Gallows Tree,” where the banjo kicks off a journey that feels both expansive and timeless.
“Slow Down” lives up to its name, easing the tempo and layering in beautiful harmonies. Like everything else on the album, it’s crafted with care and precision.
It’s the sheer scale of what he does that sets Lakeman apart. “Come and Go” drifts into “dark, mysterious depths,” always with the sea close by. Meanwhile, “Born to the Strain” is classic Lakeman—historical storytelling at its finest. This time, he turns his focus to the forgotten shipyard communities, and the result is nothing short of stunning.
While much of the album carries an undercurrent of resilience and hope, “Roll Back the Years” holds a certain sadness. There’s a world-weariness to it, yet also a stoic certainty that these songs, this sound, and the tradition behind them will endure.
Seth Lakeman stands on the shoulders of giants, with millions of years of history beneath his feet. “The Granite Way” acknowledges both, yet ultimately carves out something uniquely his own.
Rating: 9/10
