Mike Davies

In the wake of the experience of the past two years, ‘The Beat Goes On’ is clearly an album Sean Taylor needed to make, and, as we emerge back into some sort of light, it is very much one we need to hear.

On one song, Love asks “Are you ready to be wonderful?”. “Will You Be There” clearly suggests O’Connell & Love were most certainly well-prepared.

Introspective, reflective, and, at times, steeped in memories of darkness and despair, but always reaching to take hold of the light, People in Cars is Curse of Lono’s most personal album to date and, while not as urgent as past outings, the accumulative impact is mesmerising.

As you may have gathered from the title, The Man Who Built Christmas is an early musical tinsel treat from Charlie Dore…anyone would be well-pleased to find this EP in their stocking.

Featuring a number of special guests, “1960” is one of the most personal albums Martyn Joseph as ever made. Quoting a line from one of the lyrics he describes “1960” as a soul taking stock, of looking inwards and finding acceptance. It’s an album of the year.

Playful, tender, thoughtful and moving, An Honest Effort is another reminder that Patershuk is one of the finest songwriters around, it’s an A for effort and accomplishment all the way around.

On ‘Three Generations of Leaving’, Single Girl, Married Girl chronicle the tribulations of three generations of women – an assuredly crafted and highly rewarding listen.

Calumet Queen is an outstanding debut from Kiely Connell, written and sung with wisdom, insights and experience of a life-seasoned artist – a late in the year contender for the best-of lists.

Abby Posner’s ‘Kisbee Ring’ is a gently beguiling album about overcoming trials and tribulations on which her lyrics percolate around themes of depression, racial oppression, healing and rescue.

Janet Batch’s day job is a landscape gardener; as a singer-songwriter she’s a veritable country Capability Brown as attests on her second album ‘You Be The Wolf’.

Tightrope is the long-awaited second solo album from Joe Tilston, one which concerns walking that tightrope between despair and hope, as such, it casts Tilston very much as folk’s answer to Charles Blondin.

It’s been a long 14 years since South Yorkshire’s Kate Green’s first and last release. A Dark Carnival marks a very welcome long-awaited return, to take her place among this country’s finest folk singers.