Mike Davies

As the title suggests, the component parts form together to create a superbly wrought and finely crafted album, beautifully played by all involved, that is certain to loom large in the end of year folk awards.

Common wisdom holds that The Handsome Family’s finest album is ‘Through The Trees’. It may be time to revise that after a listen to ‘Unseen’, an album that embraces forgotten moments, lost dreams and spiritual light.

David Eugene Edwards gazes skywards in his latest offering. Ethereal and multi-layered ‘Star Treatment’ is a blood rush of  baptismal fury that touches on primal, apocalyptic feelings and leaves you both drained and exhilarated.

A confident and impressive sophomore album that not only fully justifies past predictions regarding Hannah Sanders trajectory in the current folk field but also marks the arrival of a significant new duo force with Ben Savage.

With Grammy award-winner Larry Campbell on production, The Stray Birds return with a fuller sounding album and their first fully collaborative songwriting effort. Flaming brilliant!

The Honeycutters return with a follow-up to last year’s breakout ‘Me Oh My’. ‘On the Ropes’ is unquestionably one of the finest Americana albums of 2016; you really do want to be in their corner.

Three years on from their Daisy Roots debut, the Midlands-based five-piece The Jigantics are back with Seconds Out, an equally impressive sophomore outing.

Silver Skies Blue sees Judy Collins teaming up with Bronx-born singer- songwriter Ari Hest. ‘Strangers Again’ saw Collins receive some of best reviews and biggest sales in years; this should effortlessly add to the tally.

Trick Star is Annie Keating’s seventh album and a swift follow-up to last year’s Make Believing. She describes it as about being raised up, torn down and finding the way back home.

A beautiful father and daughter album from Amanda Palmer and father Jack Palmer. Songs chosen by both of them from John Grant’s Glacier to Richard Thompson’s classic 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.

The Amazing Devil are a new arrival on the alternative folk scene, built around the core duo of Irish-born actor-musician Joey Batey and Madeleine Hyland. Love Run is one of the year’s most exhilarating, exciting and visceral debuts, they deserve to be huge.

Chicago born singer-songwriter Michael McDermott takes full advantage of a new clarity and focus to follow-up with his 10th solo album Willow Springs, his first in four years. It features some of his strongest material to date.