Danny Neill

In Dream Life, Marta Del Grandi crafts a captivating art-pop landscape where reality and imagination blur. Moving beyond the “oil painting” textures of Selva, this album embraces a detailed, contemporary “photobook” style. From the staccato energy of the rhythmic single “Antarctica” to the hazy, shifting title track, Del Grandi delivers a sophisticated, ground-breaking collection that redefines pop music for 2026.

Danny Neill’s 2025 selection celebrates a year of overwhelming musical depth, favouring passionate artistry over cold analytics. Eschewing traditional rankings, Neill highlights ten standout records—from the “mesmerising” folk-rock of Hannah Frances to Kathryn Williams’ most personal collection to date and the “outsider genius” of Richard Dawson to the pure vocals of Josienne Clarke. It serves as a vital compass for those seeking authentic, enduring sounds in an ever-crowded musical landscape.

Chicago-based trio Glyders feel complete with drummer Joe Seger joining Joshua Condon and Eliza Weber on Forever. Regarded as their first true band album, it captures electrifying energy honed through relentless touring. Blending assertive riffing with old-school tunesmithery inspired by classic rock masters, these eight tracks offer a high-voltage ride from futuristic glam to electric country jangle, marking an exciting, stable new chapter for the group.

Sam Shackleton proves himself an exceptional talent, breathing fresh life into traditional folksongs on ‘Scottish Cowboy Ballads & Early American Folk Songs’, a deeply personal album dedicated to his late father, with whom he used to busk these very songs. “Sam is wrestling music away from Guthrie’s dustbowl and re-dressing it in a seasoned tartan, aglow with heritage and proudly re-rooting it in an unmistakably Scottish soil.”

Through The Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol 18 (1956-1963) delivers the definitive document of Bob Dylan’s formative years. This meticulously curated, exhaustive set traces the evolution of an all-time legendary music figure from a teenage piano-basher to the folk generation’s leader at Carnegie Hall. An indispensable collection revealing the artist behind the myth through rare outtakes, home recordings, and essential live performances.

Josienne Clarke’s ‘Far From Nowhere’ is a giant leap of an album. Recorded in a remote Scottish cabin, the pared-back, analogue affair feels immediate and intimate, as if written on the spot. By exposing the DNA of her work, Clarke unlocks immense power, resulting in her “grandest effort to date” and the “best music of an already distinguished career.”

Joan Shelley’s new album, ‘Real Warmth,’ is an intimate and urgent collection of songs. With a unique, collaborative sound, the music explores profound themes of human connection, global divisions, and our fragile planet. It’s a beautiful example of American folk that stands as the finest offering from her esteemed career so far.

With photography by Sophie Reichert, Danny Neill reports back from End of the Road, a brilliantly curated festival that still gets it right. Some of the shining highlights from a fully packed four days include Bug Club, Emma-Jean Thackray, Lisa O’Neill, Broadside Hacks & Mike Heron, Katy J Pearson, Jerron Paxton, Sharon Van Etten, Rosali, Scott Lavene, Muireann Bradley, Yoshika Cowell, Throwing Muses, Stewart Lee, Father John Misty and more.

Chicago Underground Duo’s Hyperglyph is a stunning return, a masterful fusion of free jazz and otherworldly exploration. Rob Mazurek’s trumpet and synthesizers blend with Chad Taylor’s percussion, creating a relentless, vibrant album that feels both familiar and entirely new. It’s an exhilarating, multi-layered work of pure invention.

Chris Staples’ ‘Don’t Worry’ is a beautiful portrait of stillness, born from a welcome life gear change. Leaning further into his introspective Americana style, the record is warm and minimalist. Intimate songs with soothing pedal steel and subtle piano explore triumphs and regrets with personal, poetic lyrics, offering an uplifting rumination on the maturity gained with age and the sense of it all.

Emerging from dislocation and a traumatic break-up, Yoshika Colwell’s “On The Wing” is a raw, disturbed song cycle. This profoundly heartfelt and honest album explores challenging feelings with unflinching intensity. The elegant, baroque folk-pop, with echoes of Nick Drake, analyses a turbulent life chapter, allowing cracks of hopeful light to break through its elegant melancholy in a work that feels honest and real.

It feels like Mike Polizze has unlocked some doors with ‘Around Sound’. There is a tone that unites the whole record: a celestial, dreamy mirage of sound that shifts with the elements from bright sunshine heat to breezy clouds casting darker shadows. Where he travels next may be as hard to predict as ever, but if the results are as fine as this, then we must follow him.