Mike Davies

What turned out to be Rab Noakes’ final album, ‘Should We Tell Him: Songs by Don Everly’ is a genuine labour of love that should be embraced by fans of Noakes, Brooks Williams and The Everlys alike.

Faithfully rendered and recorded with a clear affection for the music, ‘My Love of Country’ is another fine feather in Teddy Thompson’s cap and well worthy of a slot in any old-school country fan’s collection.

Anna Tivel’s stripped-back Outsiders (Live in a Living Room) accentuates the focus on the lyrics and illuminates the folksy nature of her music and the emotional power of her voice at its most intimate. It’s the sound of an artist at the peak of her powers.

At its core, William Matheny’s ‘That Grand, Old Feeling’ is an album about searching for meaning and purpose; he says, “Sometimes I feel like I’ve spent most of my life waiting for something to begin”. This deserves to be the start of something big.

GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Lori McKenna’s latest album, 1988, is both deeply personal and universally resonant; it’s up there with her very best.

While Bella Gaffney’s latest solo album, Reflections, may have had a longer gestation period than she envisaged, it would be one of the best folk albums in whatever year it was released.

It’s de rigueur for artists to say their latest work is their best yet, but that’s certainly true of The Lilac Time. Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is magnificent.

Over many albums, Eliza Gilkyson has consistently proven herself one of the finest voices and writers in contemporary American folk music; Home is the icing on the cake.

Whether Joana Serrat & Riders of the Canyon continues as a collaborative project or simply serves as a launch pad for the band remains to be seen, but either way this is well worth the listen.

On his fourth album Siempre, Ags Connolly fully embraces the border country Tex-Mex sound. His last release was named Album Of The Year at the UK Country Music Awards; they should maybe start engraving the plaque with his name now.

Hannah Aldridge’s ‘Dream of America’ calls on you to listen with both ears, heart and mind, downplaying the vocal power of past releases in favour of an understated honeyed smokiness, it’s her most ambitious and assured work to date.

It’s been nine years since Laura Cantrell released an album and ‘Just Like a Rose’, on which she is joined by a number of special guests, is a glorious affirmation that she’s not lost her magical touch.