Garefowl recorded “Things That Vanish” at night on Hirta, the main island of St Kilda. There are no synths this time: field and hydrophone recordings and X-ray diffraction drones take their place. In this Track by Track, the band introduce the seabirds behind the tunes. “It is not too late to learn the lessons of the past.”

Shovel Dance Collective’s “Everything in Readiness” is due 23 October on Glitterbeat’s tak:til imprint. “Jer the Rigger” is their third single, part of an opening suite that is accompanied by a video from Tim Plester and Rob Curry featuring footage from the Doc Rowe archive. The band say the arrangements were constantly tinkered with on the road, sometimes paying off, sometimes not.

We spoke with Ohtis after his End of the Road set. He wasn’t having the best of days; it was the kind that would have pushed even the most chilled artists into stress overdrive, but he played and spoke to us anyway. He talked plainly about his new album, a friend’s stories he’d played on repeat during a dementia period, the gospel band he’d love to start, and more.

Kahil El’Zabar’s “Sketches For Trane” is an astonishing suite in tribute to John Coltrane, released for the centenary of his birth. At 72, the Chicago drummer has gone back to the future to propagate Coltrane’s message of expanded human potential to a new generation of listeners. Alex Neilson calls it one of the best albums he has reviewed for KLOF.

The Leaf Library’s “Library Music: Volume Two” is a form of “compilation as curation”, drawn from a decade or so of recordings. Every release from the band feels like an exploration of pop music’s possibilities, and this archival collection is the perfect way of experiencing their range and sonic versatility. We can only hope that “Volume Two” isn’t the final instalment.

Margo Cilker’s third album “Little White Cross” comes from a place of darkness, full of gun violence, wildfires and abuse, but seeks glimmers of light. Bruce Robison sits behind the desk for a mix of originals and well-chosen covers. Forget any future comparisons to Lucinda; this is the here-and-now Margo Cilker, and she’s magnificent.

Good Habits’ “Better for Now” pushes outwards, from festival-ready trance-folk to intimate acoustic balladry. An overriding spirit of positivity runs through songs about body image and burnout, all carried on buoyant melodies. The result is a blend of virtuosity and sheer vitality, making them one of the most exciting bands on the British folk scene right now, and one of the most technically accomplished. 

Verdin Brothers’ “The Crooked Serpent” stitches together blues, Creole, bluegrass and drone into something all their own, with a healthy dollop of the weird. A companion recording, “The Great Work,” gives each song something like an alter ego. A singular work of high art and painstaking detail.