I’m not sure if there’s another living Irish songwriter that has the kahunas to write and release these songs. Thank goodness they found a home, as to me it really places Mick Flannery into a select group of Irish songwriters that you could probably count on one hand.

For your Christmas parties, by all means, let Noddy Holder and Roy Wood continue to battle it out, but, after the guests have left, this is the only Christmas album you’ll need.

Our Song of the Day comes from Florida-based singer-songwriter Michael McArthur with Warmer Months. Taken from his forthcoming LP Ever Green, Ever Rain, it’s a dreamy folk ballad showcasing McArthur’s singular falsetto vocal delivery.

Part Four of our Best Folk Albums of 2018 includes Sam Sweeney, Siobhan Miller, Hannah Rarity, Iona Fyfe, Phillip Henry, Trembling Bells, Jackie Oates, Eddi Reader and more.

Part Three of our Best Folk Albums of 2018 includes Landless, Gwenifer Raymond, Jim Ghedi, Stick in the Wheel, Ross Ainslie, Fara, Sarah Louise, Jack Hayter, The Left Outsides, Nathan Bowles and more.

As well as offering an insight into his new album Constant Companion, Cunning Folk talks to us about his influences, traditional music and more…‘Traditional music is living history. I’m joining in.’

“Deli”, a song about friendship, is the first single from the forthcoming Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba album ‘Miri’, the fifth album by Malian ngoni maestro. UK Tour dates in January including Celtic Connections.

Yesterday evening Mike Vass shared ‘They never found me’, the opening track from his forthcoming solo album ‘Save His Calm’. He announced on Twitter that “This is the first time the world will hear my singing on record!” It’s also our Song of the Day.

Songs of our Native Daughters is a new release on Smithsonian Folkways in their African American Legacy series featuring Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops), Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell (Birds of Chicago), and Amythyst Kiah.

Commisioned by Folk by the Oak, Spell Songs brings together eight remarkable musicians, whose music already engages deeply with landscape and nature, to respond to the creatures, art and language of The Lost Words.

This week’s Folk features three hours of music selected from our Best Folk Albums of 2018 including Kitty Macfarlane, Brigid Mae Power, Toby Hay, Ben Glover, Eamon O’Leary, Sharron Kraus and many more.

Listen to Fly, the second single by London-based folk duo Copper Viper. The song is taken from the forthcoming album “Cut It Down, Count The Rings”, which was recorded at Bear Creek Studio, WA, USA.