Mike Davies

Since they made their album debut back in 2010, Police Dog Hogan have been building a reputation as one of the country’s finest live bands and folk-country acts. Overground is their finest hour yet.

Mike Davies shares his Top 10 Albums of 2021 – including Katherine Priddy, Martyn Joseph, Grace Petrie, Harbottle & Jonas, Amy Speace & The Orphan Brigade, Serious Sam Barrett, John Smith and more.

While London-based Treetop Flyers stay comfortably within their established sound for their fourth album Old Habits, it is veined with affecting understated new tricks to produce a sublime experience.

There’s an affecting tenderness to Ken Pomeroy’s words and delivery that touches on emotions we can all relate to. It’ll be interesting to hear how she develops her craft over the next few years, but her lights shine brightly enough for now.

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.