Mike Davies

John Alexander’s latest release ‘Of These Lands’ follows on further down the dusty and rocky road with a weathered collection of 11 songs that have been scratched from time spent on his recent journeys. These tales of weather-beaten lives make for engrossing listening

Having signed to Naim Records Daudi Matsiko’s self-released recordings are brought together under ‘An Introduction to Failure’ for wider distribution. His warm tones, sparse arrangements and confessional songs deserve the additional exposure.

On Tim Grimm’s latest album, A Stranger in Time, he is joined by his family as he offers songs inspired by his rural Indiana homeland to social-political protest including a justified swipe at Trump.

For The Counterweight, her fifteenth studio album, Thea Gilmore has consciously put together what she regards as a companion to 2003’s Avalanche, full of passion and fire.

Still Testifying is the latest offering from My Darling Clementine, laying claim to be the best British country album of the year for the third time and shaping up to be their most successful yet.

Nathan Bell’s Love > Fear is unquestionably one of the most important blue collar protest albums of our time, one which looks contemporary America unflinchingly in the eye and demands its listeners do the same.

Though little known outside their native Canada and parts of Europe, The Road Ahead is Golden is Jon & Roys 7th album which finds them exploring areas outside their comfort zone, a very worthy listen.

Luke Sital-Singh’s ‘Time is a Riddle’ is more of a rebirth than a follow-up, awash with emotion and tumultuous cathedrals of sound. A captivating experience that’s hard to resist falling for.

When not serving as part of Steve Earle’s band The Dukes, husband and wife duo Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore have their own career as The Mastersons. Transient Lullaby is their third album.

Although best known as a producer, Nigel Stonier also has a career as a reedy-voiced solo artist in his own right, Love and Work is his sixth studio album which features a number of guest musicians including Thea Gilmore on backing vocals.

June Star return with their eleventh album ‘Sleeping With The Lights On’. A welcome chance to catch up, a compelling vision of where they are now and where they’re heading.

Daphne’s Flight return two decades after their impressive debut with Knows Time, Knows Change. Individually they are classy performers, together they are utterly sublime. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take quite so long before they take flight again.