This year’s startlingly good list has a sense of calm running through it, which is probably what most of us still need. Many thanks to you all for such amazing organic music
Mason Lindahl Kissing Rosy in the Rain (Tompkins Square)
What a way to shake up the solo guitar genre. Mason’s first instrumental album sees him miking his down-tuned nylon string guitar in interesting ways and giving his gorgeous, deceptively simple compositions studio brushes and subtle piano and organ. This unique set is a real triumph.
Try: In Lieu
Album Review | Interview | Bandcamp
Jon Wilks – Up the Cut (Self released)
For this beautiful album, Jon decided to strip back his sound to acoustic guitar and vocals and let the songs stand up by themselves. Which they certainly do; Jon is a discerning collector, and each piece is given enlightening context. There is wonderful playing too, and it’s all generously packaged.
Try: The Jovial Hunter of Bromsgrove
Daniel Bachman – Axacan (Three Lobed Recordings)
Virginia native Bachman’s follow up to Morning Star is a focused yet sprawling collage loosely focused on the first Spanish settlers around Chesapeake Bay. Typically excellent guitar work blends with radio sound and harmonic drones to result in a complex and intimate sounding labour of love.
Try: Big Ocean 0
Sally Anne Morgan – Cups (Thrill Jockey)
This follow-up to last year’s Thread was a splendid surprise and has been very popular on my stereo ever since. A looser and more organic sounding record than Thread, Cups uses skeletal banjo, fiddle and guitar notes to weave a mesmerising, rustic tapestry that is beautifully pure sounding.
Try: Angeline
C Joynes – Poor Boy on the Wire (Cardinal Fuzz / Sophomore Lounge)
Mr Joynes’s first full-length solo album since Congo feels like a celebration of the electric guitar, with close miking really showing off the personality of C’s instruments. As expected, the tunes are strong and diverse throughout and played impeccably by one of the genre’s big guns.
Try: Goold’s Bicycle
Bill Mackay and Nathan Bowles – Keys (Drag City)
It was exciting to learn that two of my favourite performers were making a duo album, and Keys does not disappoint. The meandering, drone-like side of Nathan’s banjo playing is there on Dowsing and Bill’s signature chops are in full flow on Joy Ride, but really this is very much a joint effort.
Try: Dry Rations I
Cath & Phil Tyler – Some Heavy Hand (Ferric Mordant)
This ten-track showcase of previously unreleased and compilation tracks zips past in just over half an hour and demonstrates the inimitable confidence in restraint found in the pair’s music. No guitar or banjo pluck is wasted, and the vocals by both are considered and beautifully nuanced throughout.
Try: The Water is Wide
Rick Deitrick – Coyote Canyon (Tompkins Square)
Rick’s standard tuned guitar excursions are wonderful in their subtly complex structures. Coyote Canyon continues the patterns made by Gentle Wilderness and River Sun River Moon. Still, its sound is spikier and more urgent in places, resulting in a set at once familiar and very different sounding.
Try: Three Sisters
Mind Maintenance – Mind Maintenance (Drag City)
This mesmeric, impeccably timed exercise in meditation through music delivers the purest kind of audio pleasure. Joshua Abram’s guimbri blends seamlessly with Chad Taylor’s mbira to produce a cohesive album of cyclical yet quietly exploratory instrumentals that is quite singular in its sound.
Try: Cyclic Bloom
Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola – The Smoky Smirr O Rain (Eighth Nerve Audio)
The third album from this Scottish/Finnish duo further showcases their splendid skill and musicianship. Recorded live, this excellent set blends improvisation with traditional tunes and original compositions, all performed with formidable ability and artistry—a vital release.
Try: Loisg Lad Gual io-uo