Glenn Kimpton

On “The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music”, Marisa Anderson reinterprets music from places the United States has been in conflict with since 1970, drawn from Harry Smith’s private collection of nearly a thousand records. It feels like a very open-armed project and a gesture of connecting that could hardly be better timed — beautifully studied and played, and a resounding success.

On “Counting Sunsets”, out now on Northern Spy Records, the New York trio SUSS further distil their sound across ten songs, allowing plenty of space between the instrumentation. An intricate fusion of Americana ingredients and electronic soundscapes, this is their finest, most fully realised expression of “ambient country” yet — a lesson in minimalism from a band with delicate, discerning touches.

Henry Parker’s “The Dark Peak” delivers pristine, impeccably fingerpicked acoustic music recorded on the moors of the Peak District. An educated, high-end player, Parker shows a broad skillset and technical prowess throughout, without being overly flashy. With tight melodies and wonderfully evocative natural sounds permeating the songs, this mini-album is a gem.

Setting’s self-titled second studio album sees the North Carolina-based experimental trio of Nathan Bowles, Jaime Fennelly and Joe Westerlund, distilling their blend of acoustic instrumentation, cassette loops and electronics to thrilling effect. The intricate detailing and impeccable construction, along with a clear confidence across the five songs, make “Setting” their clearest expression yet — without a doubt, the perfect title.

A decade on from Junun, Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express return with Ranjha, swapping Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort for the rather more modest setting of Greenwood’s Oxford studio. With The Smile’s Tom Skinner on drums and twenty-one musicians at full creative tilt, this long-awaited follow-up is a big, rich, funk-leaning record built on ensemble craft and devoted love.

Yorkshire-based folksinger and guitarist Chris Brain’s fourth album, Red Sun Rising, replaces the wide optimism of last year’s ‘New Light’ with a sense of knowing, yet still manages to focus on the brightness of life and the idea of new beginnings. Adept fingerpicking, considered guest musicians, a philosophical focus on finding beauty in the now — Chris just keeps getting better.

On Old Spot (II), fiddle player Rowan Piggott and banjoist Joe Danks continue exploring American Old-time traditions with a discernible difference in the sound — a suggestion of minimalism around some songs, and a precise nature to the playing. The duo’s second album is a significant leap forward — a very accomplished set from two players who clearly love their craft.

Baltimore, the second album from North Carolina duo Tacoma Park, finds John Harrison and Ben Felton in more focused and confident form. Formed from lengthy remote sessions and edited with considerable discipline, the album balances acoustic Americana with electronic strangeness — simple melodies blending seamlessly with electronica and dance beats across forty cohesive, deeply enjoyable minutes.

Shelter, the new album from Chaz Prymek (aka Lake Mary) and Matthew Sage, is a rather beautiful, unhurried recording built from live improvisations in a pole barn studio, delicately adorned with sparse overdubs. The music is intricate and spacious, very elegantly performed and balanced — the sound of musicians who love expression through sound and the environment they call home.

Sam Grassie’s debut album, “Where Two Hawks Fly”, arrives after years of adversity — life-threatening injury, debilitating illness and personal tragedy — and sounds all the more remarkable for it. His guitar playing is deft and unshowy, worthy of hero Bert Jansch, while collaborators help shape something deeply assured, generous and communal.

Plankton Wat’s “The Vanishing World” is a belter – a love letter to the era of the big studio album. James Shaver’s killer bass lines power mercurial instrumentals, while drummer Dustin Dybvig and trumpeter Victor Nash inject pure joy. At times high-octane, at others low-key and sparse, the creativity on show is hugely satisfying.

Bill Orcutt follows up the celebrated “Music for Four Guitars” with “Music in Continuous Motion,” his second studio album for four guitars. If anything, Music in Continuous Motion is a more enjoyable album, with soulful compositions working alongside the gnarlier playing. A fully realised and finely honed set by a master of experimental guitar, this is unmissable. Bring on the live shows.