Mike Davies

On Son Volt’s latest offering ‘Notes of Blue,’ Jay Farrar homed in on the unique and haunting tunings of Mississippi Fred McDowell and Skip James. Whilst clocking in at just over 30 minutes you’re not left feeling short-changed.

When Team Love signed Willy Mason, they had no idea that another story existed, that of his mother. From an album recorded in 1979 that never saw the light of day to an album of newly recorded material, this double album paints an excellent musical portrait of Jemima James and places her in the spotlight. Hopefully, there’ll be further chapters yet to come.

For his latest release ‘No Rain, No Rose,’ John Craigie decided to make an album about Portland and his life there. He’s joined by a collection of local musicians, among them The Shook Twins and Gregory Alan Isakov.

On Enter the Kingdom, their fifth album, Frontier Ruckus offers an invitation to visit and explore suburban American homes. It’s a wistful reflection on a vanished past and childhood innocence.

Brigitte DeMeyer and Will Kimbrough record as a duo for the first time with Mockingbird Soul, a stripped-back collection of blues, gospel, folk, country and early jazz. A fine album of understated but expertly crafted musicianship.

For their latest album, husband and wife duo Truckstop Honeymoon decided to make things a family affair. Recruiting their kids as musicians, Big Things and Little Things was recorded around their dining room table.

Son of the Velvet Rat is a Joshua Tree-based husband and wife duo. Dorado, their sixth album, is a haunting and soulful offering which was produced by Joe Henry….for those who like their music steeped in the parched sand, dry rocks, forbidding cacti and mournful night winds.

On Mike Grogan’s ‘Too Many Ghosts’ he is joined by the likes of Phil Beer and Miranda Sykes. The message, like the music, is simple, direct and clear. And both all the more effective for it.

Whilst they’ve both made strong impressions with their solo work, a new partnership of TRADarrr founder members Marion Fleetwood and Gregg Cave may well prove their biggest yet.

Go Get Gone, the debut album from Rosie Jones and Zoe Nicol, known as the Worry Dolls, is sure to cement their reputation here and introduce them to America in a big way.

Raphael Doyle, a founding member of Café Society, returns to record a definitive album with the support of Tom Robinson, his son and Gerry Diver. A truly excellent piece of work from a man who finally found the self-confidence to believe in himself and the music he makes. We are all the richer for it.

Last year, Robert Vincent became the first recipient of the Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award for the UK Americana Music Association. On the evidence here, he’ll be needing more room in the trophy cabinet.