Mike Davies

Honest, stark, intimate and open, listening takes you back to the time when names like Tim Hardin, Bob Lind, Eric Anderson, the young Paul Simon and Walker were singing in the coffee bars to mesmerised audiences.

Featuring guests such as Kris Delmhorst, Pieta Brown, Tift Merritt and Kenneth Pattengale, Blood Brothers finds Foucault returning to his earlier folksier realms.

This is Brian Fallon’s third solo album since The Gaslight Anthem went on an indefinite hiatus. While the songs here are slow and reflective, Local Honey hits the sweet spot.

With its electro textures, Basia Bulat’s latest offering is probably her poppiest release to date. Are you in love? She asks. You will be – with this album.

To mark his 30th anniversary, Brooks Williams revisits his back catalogue to re-record some of his favourite songs along with an impressive array of guests including John McCusker, Christine Collister, Aaron Catlow and Jim Henry.

Seven years on from her excellent debut, Anna Lynch returns with a five-track acoustic EP of heartbreak rural Americana. If you’ve not discovered her yet, then do yourself a favour and check this out.

Sunset Canyoneers doesn’t pretend to be anything more than unabashed retro nostalgia for the halcyon tambourine following, the hickory wind blowing days of American folk-rock and every child of the universe. And rather fine it is too.

Wednesday’s Child finds Hana in a more restrained and contemplative mood as she switches to harp for a ten-track conceptual narrative of atmospheric balladry that will also feature a standalone illustrated book. Intoxicatingly haunting.

It’s an old myth that there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but seek out Ian Roland and The Subtown Set’s ‘Double Rainbow’ and you’ll be well-rewarded.

Touching on both loneliness and the need for solitude, Cousins has reached within and emerged with an album that fully rewards on both a musical and emotional level. There’s no false bravado here.

A terrific follow-up to her 2014 sophomore album, Undercover finds Bronwynne Brent exploring broader influences resulting in a far jazzier sound. An irresistible album. Don’t miss her upcoming UK tour dates.

The sisters say the journey to making this album has been a transformative experience… In Roman mythology, the reign of Saturn was regarded as a Golden Age, With Saturn’s Return, the Secret Sisters have entered theirs.