Helen Gregory

Marian’s artistic vision is painstakingly conceived and the reward for the listener who spends a little time exploring Spirit House is to discover ten intricately glowing miniature worlds, each of which will surely generate an emotional resonance in anyone who’s ever mused on the nature of the human condition.

Stanley Brinks & The Wave Pictures’ latest offering, ‘My Ass’, is a powerfully honest album which, when played back-to-back with Gin, creates an almost perfect soundtrack to the humdrum, everyday existence of many people, to the ups and downs of lives lived to the fullest extent possible and, for that alone it is definitely something to be cherished.

Atlantic Drifter is the latest album from FRUK favourite Jonathan Day… It has an air of quiet self-assurance which negates the need for any superfluous bells and whistles. The music exists in and of itself yet remains both approachable and absorbing; placeless but grounded, timeless and yet somehow outside time.

Reinventing Richard: The Songs of Richard Fariña is a new album from Plainsong as a tribute to, and celebration of, Richard’s music, fifty years after his tragic and untimely death. Read our album review, plus we have ten signed copies of the album to giveaway.

Alex Seel’s Other Paths EP is a hugely impressive musical calling card, with each of its five songs showcasing a different side of this multi-talented musician’s skills. His ear for harmonies and his subtlety as a lyricist are revelatory and it’s to be hoped that a full-length album follows before too long.

The Olde World is an accompaniment to the reissue of Michael Head and The Strands’ classic The Magical World of The Strands. Enough here to please the dedicated fan but newcomers should maybe start with the re-issue.

The Left Outsides have crafted an impressive synthesis of sound in The Shape Of Things To Come. Although the band wear their love of 1960s psychedelia/folk/pop/rock on their sleeve, they have a strong enough sense of self-identity to suggest that it will sound fresh for a long time to come.

At a time when individuality in society comes at a price…Little Arrow rail against mediocrity with an irresistibly fierce passion. The result is ‘Old Ink’, one of the most intoxicatingly original records you’re likely hear this year.

Skorsa: The Riddle of the Earth is a great showcase for Susan Grace Bates’ undoubted talents as a musician and an arranger with a keen ear for bringing together different strands of traditional music in this impressive debut.

Don’t Weigh Down the Light is Meg Baird’s fourth solo album, her first since 2011’s Seasons on Earth and, while her distinctive guitar playing and unique voice are still present and correct, the record marks a significant stylistic change.

The Sparrow and The Thief is a solid and enjoyable record, which benefits from a high standard of production values without the band losing sight of the reasons why they make music in the first place. It’s an album which is instantly accessible but with enough maturity and depth to bring out new aspects on repeated listening.

Maid on the Shore is an impressively accomplished display of Niamh Boadle’s skills as a musician, writer, singer and arranger and makes the ideal starting point for anyone interested in finding out why she’s one of folk music’s rising stars.