The following is an introduction to our latest Monday Morning Brew playlist sent to our paid Substack supporters (along with playlist links via Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and YouTube). Paid supporters also receive regular music recommendations, and occasional exclusive articles. Our free Substack includes a weekly email digest: Sign up for our free or paid Substack here.
We kick off this week’s brew with a track from Jim Moray’s new album ‘Gallants’. which has just been released. As Thomas Blake notes in his review of the track included:
Moray’s affinity for contemporary styles dominates the first bars of When I Was a Little Boy, a song collected in Shetland in 1952. It arrives on squelchy bass synth and prickly programmed percussion. When the stabs of brass hit between the verses, you could almost be in the same territory as Radiohead, circa Kid A. There is an absurdity to it, but it works, especially in conjunction with the surreal swagger of the lyrics, which Moray sings with glee.
Also feature, is a track from The Dark Peak, the latest offering from Henry Parker. Parker’s relationship with the English countryside has long been central to his work. Thomas Blake’s review of Lammas Fair in 2021 identified him as being at the forefront of a loose, ecologically aware movement within contemporary folk, making music deeply rooted in the wild landscape of northern England. The Dark Peak pushes that impulse further, into something closer to field work than studio craft. The EP was shaped by a multi-day backpacking trip across Bleaklow and the Upper Derwent ridges in March 2025, during which Parker captured the sounds of curlews, lapwings, grouse and the bitter winds that drive over these high and lonely tops.
You can also hear: the pastoral sounds of Chris Brain with a track from his new album Red Sun Rising, the latest offering from Rónán Ó Snodaigh & Myles O’Reilly, as they reunite once again following 2023’s The Beautiful Road (Included in the full Substack Article – Myles O’Reilly recalls the cabin in Roscommon and the loft in Clonakilty where The Beautiful Road took shape — bells, breaths, and bacon sandwiches included).
Amongst the other new offerings is a new single from The Furrow Collective – award-winning English/Scottish group The Furrow Collective (Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts). Griogal Cridhe’ is a 16th-century Scottish Gaelic lament written by Marion Campbell after the execution of her husband, Gregor Ruadh MacGregor, at Kenmore in 1570.
“Our version takes the form of a lullaby, drawn from the singing of Jessie MacKenzie of Sheshader, Lewis, recorded for the School of Scottish Studies in the 1950s.
We’ve also got a brand new Crankie from the brilliant Lucy Farrell to accompany ‘Griogal Cridhe’, and we’ll be bringing it on the road next week!”
A member of The Furrow Collective, we’ve also a track from Emily Portman’s new album ‘Dominion of Spells’ – out now on Hudson Records, and one of our Featured Albums of the Month. Thomas Blake notes in his album review that Weary Spell (the track featured), has the feel of ancient balladry about it, sees Portman’s narrator conversing with a crow, a symbol of depression, but also the beauty and closeness at hand of the natural world. There is a striking, droning, musical backdrop, punctuated by guitarists Martin Simpson (acoustic) and Louis Campbell (electric), as well as the mournful viola of Helen Bell. He concludes that review:
Of all the singers and songwriters in British folk music, few have the ability to encapsulate what it means to be human in the way that Portman does. Dominion of Spells is a real and vital piece of work, something to be cherished.
Plus a new collaborative single from Ajeet, Rachel Sermanni & Aisling Urwin titled Dreaming, they shared:
“Dreaming” opens into a space of rest, friendship, and shared imagination. Written during a period of recovery and stillness, the song brings together Ajeet, Rachel Sermanni, and Aisling Urwin in a natural, unforced vocal blend. Moving through harp, guitar, and light rhythm, it carries a gentle forward motion with a warm, close acoustic feel. There is a sense of intimacy in the arrangement, reminiscent of early Iron & Wine recordings, where voice and texture stay close and nothing is overextended. Rather than turning inward alone, Dreaming expands through connection. The three voices move together, shaping a shared landscape of image, feeling, and presence. A reflection on friendship, openness, and the unknown places we arrive when we allow ourselves to be carried.
For the full post and playlist listen links, visit: