Glenn Kimpton

Glenn Kimpton shares his Top 10 Albums of 2018 including releases from Glenn Jones, Daniel Bachman, Sarah Louise, Toby Hay, John Prine, Marisa Anderson, Jim Ghedi, Nathan Bowles, John Hulbert and Colter Wall.

On Goes West, the idea of William Tyler staying with the acoustic has helped produce his most focused album yet. Modern Country was a seriously tough act to follow, but it seems a move to California has very much agreed with this guitarist.

Hummingbird sees John Smith finally releasing his ‘folk’ album, and it’s his sparest and strongest set yet. Glenn Kimpton talks to John about the song choices and putting your own stamp on a traditional song: “I wanted to sing these songs the way that I hear them.”

Leapfrog comes from a set of tapes recorded in 1998 and found by John Hulburt’s sister and is now available as a digital release via Tompkins Square. A perfect introduction to John Hulburt before you dip into the more expansive Opus III.

Nathan Bowles’s finest album yet, a confident recording skilfully crafted and well balanced and containing some of his most challenging and thought-provoking playing.

This beautiful, spiritual journey of an album finds Phillip Henry fully living up to the accolades that have and will continue to be thrown his way. True North is a passion project and a lesson in minimalism and focus through music…unique and utterly spellbinding throughout.

Hummingbird is Smith’s most impressive album yet. A work of mature and subtle beauty, celebrating songs that are still being sang and ones that will carry on being sang; this album should be heard by everyone.

Before their recent solo releases, Toby Hay and Jim Ghedi camped in a house in Leeds for a couple of days to put to tape an intriguing set of ten tracks. Hawksworth Grove is a lovely album; calming, rousing and beautifully played throughout.

Down Among the Dead Men is the sound of a band cementing their sound and having a blast playing these wonderful songs with exciting and enviable energy. An album to relish and then savour, a confident set that brings great playing together with splendid tunes to create something rather special.

A surge of creativity has resulted in 13 Rivers (out today), Thompson’s first self-produced record in over a decade and one to live with. He talked to us about recording the album simply, hanging onto analogue warmth and the dreaded ‘F’ word.

Confidence positively oozes from 13 Rivers, powerful, intelligent, multi-faceted, beautifully performed and consistently strong. It’s also a ton of fun and a genuine high point in Thompson’s career; a record that should be chewed on and discussed for many years to come.

Flag-bearing American acoustic instrumentalist Glenn Jones’s The Giant who ate Himself is another perfectly realised and recorded set of solo gems. We caught up with him to discuss the album, the heavyweight twelve-string guitar and that one audience member.