This exciting double release from New York-based Lily Tapes and Discs sees Hour guitarist Michael Cormier-O’Leary drop his first recording of solo piano improvisations and JR Samuels follows his ace Hand Like God with a new set of guitar songs, enhanced by MIDI expression.

Nonesuch has announced Natalie Merchant’s first album of new songs in nearly a decade. Keep Your Courage is to be released on 14 April 2023. The album features a number of collaborations including one with award winning Irish music band Lúnasa.

Phil Tyler and Sarah Hill’s ‘What We Thought Was A Lake Was A Field Of Flax’ is an exceptional album. Engaging and intriguing in equal measure, it’s certainly one of the best albums of 2022.

Despite the weight of many of the themes, there are many beautiful moments of respite throughout Westward, to Nowhere. In laying bare their deepest innermost feelings and fears, Ian McCuen has created a moving storytelling journey that is all the more beautiful for its fragility.

A cornucopia of new folk music releases including Hack-Poets Guild, Stick In The Wheel, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Su-a Lee, Sam Sweeney, Hushman, The Little Unsaid, Brídín, Catriona Price, Rachel Taylor-Beales, Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell, Lady Maisery, Emily Portman & Rob Harbron, Elspeth Anne and more.

Watch the video for Harp & a Monkey’s new single ‘Poor People We’ which deals with such timeless themes as injustice, frustration and social protest. The accompanying lyric video is suitably gritty.

Singles is a very welcome, super-quality compilation release from the Smoke Fairies, who were the first UK band to sign with Jack White’s Third Man Records label.

Watch Still Beauty, the second single taken from the Italian duo She Owl’s much anticipated new album Invisible Heart, due out in January 2023. The song ‘explores the ideal of beauty and attempt to pin down its origins’.

It is on the forward-thinking ‘Theatre’ that Anna Mieke’s true artistic voice begins to emerge. It is a heady tangle of passing feelings, temporary thrills and vivid, heavy real-world matter all wrapped together in pure and lush acoustic folk. 

For ‘Dialogues’, Scotland-based cellist Su-a Lee celebrates her folk music friendships with Duncan Chisholm, Jenna Reid, Patsy Reid, Donald Shaw, Phil Cunningham, Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Natalie Haas and more. It’s a triumphant album; you won’t hear a more rewarding album in a long time.

Taken from her forthcoming album Anarchist Gospel, Sunny War releases her new single ‘Higher’ featuring the legendary Dave Rawlings. As ever, she crafts her songs deeply and this is no exception… also our ‘Song of the Day’.

2022 saw a great alliance and friendship between the Show of Hands and Track Dogs. Watch them performing ‘Ruby’, their new single, taken from their forthcoming album The ‘Dog Show Sessions’ Live.