This week’s brew draws the lens onto some of the new releases that are brightening up the short days of winter, including new tunes from Dry Cleaning, Iron & Wine, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Buck Meek and more.

A special subscriber Mixtape featuring Dick Gaughan in session for John Peel (1977), Alasdair Roberts, Dorothy Elliott, Robin Williamson, James Yorkston (Radio Session), Angel Olsen, Pentangle, Bonnie “Prince” Billy (with Meg Baird and Greg Weeks), Big Eyes Family Players & Friends (w. Adrian Crowley, Nancy Elizabeth and Elle Osborne) and Mike & Cara Gangloff and Kurt Vile paying tribute to Clive Palmer.

Acclaimed folk artist Emily Portman returns with “Turn Again,” a luminous new single from her upcoming album Dominion of Spells. Inspired by motherhood and the ballad Tam Lin, the track weaves intimate storytelling with atmospheric instrumentation. To celebrate her first solo release in a decade, Portman has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the album, along with a beautifully crafted vinyl edition and a beautifully illustrated companion book.

Cate Le Bon’s new single “Always The Same,” featuring St. Vincent, is a masterclass in art-pop restraint. Born from the same “all-consuming heartache” as her 2025 album Michelangelo Dying, the track offers an iridescent, shifting companion to that record’s song cycle. Accompanied by an H. Hawkline visualiser, it captures two visionary artists navigating the “dirty waters of love” with striking gravitas.

Father John Misty has released his new single “The Old Law” via Sub Pop today, January 9. Formerly known to fans as “God’s Trash,” the track arrives ahead of an extensive world tour supporting Mahashmashana. The run includes two-night stands in San Francisco and Seattle, culminating in a major UK performance at London’s Lido festival on June 12 alongside CMAT.

Many Hands’ There are Moss Balls in Paradise is a decidedly earthy take on ambient music, rough at the edges and hauntingly human. Triggered by a child’s grief over a dead fish, Henderson’s restless, freewheeling vision treads the line between tranquillity and uncanny depth. It is a watery ode to humanity and our fragile relationship with the natural world.

As the 2026 cold snap bites, Juni Habel’s “Evergreen In Your Mind” offers the perfect winter refuge. Watch the stunning video shot in Rakkestad, Norway, capturing Habel amidst colorless forest snows. This “winter forest folk” masterpiece balances nature’s stillness with a rhythmic new groove—a must-watch for fans of Vashti Bunyan and Nick Drake seeking a fireside companion.

As they gear up for their UK album tour, read our interview with Midlake frontman Eric Pulido to learn more about A Bridge To Far’s hopeful message, the behind-the-scenes magic of its creation, and why Midlake is more thankful than ever for their journey.

Over two decades after their last release, Chicago supergroup Pullman returns with III, a “quietly kaleidoscopic” triumph. Recorded between 2016 and 2023 following drummer Tim Barnes’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the album is a poignant, abstract meditation on camaraderie. Moving from fuzz-heavy instrumentals to shimmering soundscapes, it is an elegant, deeply emotive record that rewards multiple listens with its meticulous, heartfelt composition.

Italian artist Marta Del Grandi returns on January 30 with Dream Life. Shifting from the bucolic nature of her 2023 debut, Selva, toward a more detailed, contemporary aesthetic, listen to the title track and “Shoe Shaped Cloud,” a brittle, brooding study of a relationship gone awry. 

Buck Meek’s new album, The Mirror, arrives February 27, led by the frenetic single “Gasoline.” Directed by Noel Paul, the video highlights a collaborative spirit featuring James Krivchenia’s production. The record boasts an impressive cast, including Adrianne Lenker, Mary Lattimore, and Alex Somers, blending live energy with modular synths recorded at Meek’s Los Angeles log cabin, Ringo Bingo.

Iron & Wine has announced the new album Hen’s Teeth, arriving February 27 via Sub Pop. A companion to 2024’s Light Verse, the record features collaborations with I’m With Her and Sam Beam’s daughter, Arden. Lead single “In Your Ocean” is out now with a video by Spencer Kelly, ahead of an extensive 2026 world tour starting in February.