Mike Davies

The latest release from American singer-songwriter Steve Forbert isn’t going to repeat the success of ‘Jackrabbit Slim’, but it sure goes a long way to repeating the magic.

Recorded aboard the Cayamo cruise ship Buddy Miller is joined by the likes of Fats Kaplan, Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson, The Lone Bellow, Kris Kristofferson and more.

Having previously traded as Major Chord, this is the first outing for the Melbourne indie folkie Dan Flynn under his own name. With influences from Nick Drake to Fairport Convention it’s a gentle, airy affair that sometimes belies the darker shades of the lyrics.

Dredgermen plied their trade working from a boat that dredged debris such as mud, coal or even corpses from rivers. Occasionally, they might just find something of real value. These lads have.

Gem Andrews’ Vancouver navigates the listener through folk and alt-country numbers with a crystal streams voice, at times evocative of the McGarrigles from whom she covers their classic Heart Like A Wheel. Seek this wonderful album out.

It’s rare that a compilation warrants an album of the year tag, but ‘The Essential Gretchen Peters’ does. Released to coincide with her UK Tour which kicks off at Celtic Connections this month.

‘Rain falls when God spills his cup. We’re down here forever cleaning it up’ – For Picott, it’s how you hold the mop that is the measure of your life.

Tim O’Brien’s latest offering ‘Pompadour’ offers a new approach from the bluegrass maestro – with a greater emphasis on electric guitar and mandolin expect a few surprises.

Unfussy, simple and heartfelt, it’s one of those albums that curls up in your lap when you need a little comfort and leaves you ready to face the day anew.

The Unthanks ‘Archive Treasures’ is described by Adrian McNally as a shelf-clearing selection of snapshots and missing jigsaw pieces providing head space for the next ten years. Here’s hoping they continue with their archiving.

At this stage in their musical careers Nettlesmith may harbour no ambitions beyond a healthy local date sheet and shifting some copies of the CD at gigs. On the evidence here, they may need to revise that upwards.

Jake Aaron’s self-titled debut adopts a speak-sing delivery whilst accompanying himself on acoustic classical guitar an instrument he is more than adept at as he demonstrates on the one instrumental.