Glenn Kimpton

Shane Parish takes on the music of English electronic duo Autechre, re-imagining ten of the band’s 1990s songs solo on his Taylor acoustic — ultra-minimalist and organic. The intricacy of the numerous patterns becomes clearer with each listen, time signatures and tempos working together to create a tapestry of beautifully accomplished acoustic playing. Super clean, incredibly precise, and simply a pleasure to listen to — Autechre Guitar is a stunner.

Pedal steel player Barry Walker Jr. teams with drummer Rob Smith and bassist Jason Willmon for Paleo Sol, a luminous Thrill Jockey release built on space and texture. Walker’s steel guides rather than dominates, creating conversational interplay across tracks like the buoyant Leaving Lower Big Basin and the hypnotic twelve-minute Sentient Lithosphere. Confident, inviting, and impeccably produced, this is collaborative instrumental music at its finest.

Notes to Self is Welsh harpist Catrin Finch’s most intimate work yet—a poignant “letter” to her 13-year-old self. Through eleven compositions, Finch explores themes of home, anxiety, and innocence with expert precision. From the eerie depths of Black Holes to the luminous runs of Môr Arianrhod, this album is a masterclass in emotional depth and musical intelligence; one to cherish.

“low clouds hang, this land is on fire” is such a beguiling album; the music is gentle and beautiful in places, yet you know there are turbulent emotions beneath the surface. Only an artist with perfect control of their medium could bring so much meaning into and invite so much interpretation from solo guitar music. This is spellbinding and significant; Tashi Dorji operating at the highest level.

Under his “Mind Over Mirrors” moniker, Jaime Fennelly returns to a solo setup on Particles, Peds & Pores, a meditative departure from his previous ensemble works. Blending harmonium with pulsating electronics, the album evokes organic, pastoral landscapes reminiscent of Craven Faults. From the ecclesiastical drones of the “Blank Vessels” trilogy to the sci-fi urgency of “Sulphur Firedots,” Fennelly delivers a deeply satisfying, patient, and immersive sonic journey.

Patience and elegance define Laura Baird’s “Under Blue,” a poignant exploration of loss and grief following her father’s passing. Utilising banjo, woodwind and his classical guitar, Baird crafts a minimal, deliberate soundscape that entwines with her serene vocals. It is a masterclass in restraint—a stripped-back, beautiful celebration of life that balances the innocence of nature with the inevitability of loss.

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.

Recorded in the rugged Northwest Arkansas wilderness, Chaz Knapp’s Winter Music is a haunting, solitary audio diary. By blending field recordings of whistling winds and rushing water with acoustic improvisation and weary vocals, Knapp captures the raw vulnerability of the elements. It is a powerful, “microfolk” masterpiece—a rudimentary yet accomplished immersion into the beautiful isolation of deep winter.

Glenn Kimpton looks back at the year and selects his Top Ten Albums of 2025. As he says, “This year really feels like a real banger in terms of fascinating and exciting album releases… I’m sure I say that every year, but that’s no bad thing. It was tricky choosing just ten, but each of the works…have really resonated.”

Open Guitar (Volume One) marks a return of sorts to a simpler sound for D.C Cross, celebrating peace through acoustic mastery. Blending improvisation with composition, the album offers spacious, meditative soundscapes. From the urban nature-infused Antwerp Kangaroo to the epic NEVER GIVE UP OR IN., Cross displays a lightness of touch that proves calm can be found within chaos. A welcome, honest gesture.

Mikey Kenney’s latest album, “Tiny Little Light,” is a bold, big-hearted triumph, balancing traditional fiddle music with the more experimental, idiosyncratic side of folk. Liverpool-based Kenney crafts a soundscape that is both intimate and expansive. From the village-folk energy of “Scarecrow Festival” to the rocking “The Dish and the Drain,” the irresistible interplay between Kenney’s fiddle and guest musicians make this a remarkable, smile-inducing release.

Recorded live in Montreal, this essential 10” vinyl split from Carbon Records/The Annex Blues Society offers two exhilarating, distinct sides. Side A features Sam Shalabi’s intricate, fast-paced solo oud improvisation, blending melody with technical mastery. On the flip, Liam Grant and Mike Gangloff deliver a crisp, energetic duo performance of “Salmon Tails up the River,” transforming Grant’s original solo guitar piece with intuition and drive.