Paul Kerr

On Play One More Tom Russell celebrates the songs of Ian & Sylvia Tyson, the Canadian folk duo who were there at the start of the Greenwich Village folk boom and who also were early starters in the country rock stakes in the early seventies.

San Francisco-based Front Country continue to defy the constraints that oft define bluegrass or string band music on Other Love Songs, a follow-up to their acclaimed 2014 album For The Sake Of The Song.

For their latest album Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer literally go off-grid – holed up on a sparsely populated island in the San Juan archipelago. An intimate recording and ultimately a brave one as this pared down delight see-saws between delicate picking and grizzled fuzz.

Lovers and Leavers marks the welcome return of Hayes Carll which finds him in a new space, the songs sparer, the mood reflective. The playing recalling the perfection achieved on Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger and Guy Clark’s debut album.

For newcomers to Diana Jones’ music this might not be the best introduction, but it’s bound to be snapped up by those attending her forthcoming shows which include UK dates in April 2016.

Recorded over the space of ten days in Penner’s hand built wooden shack in the back of beyond Sex & Politics is a rough hewn blast of folk, blues, Gospel and vintage rock’n’roll tempered with layers of electronic wizardry provided by sidekick Jon Wood.

It’s true that Silver Season will partially reward those old hippies waiting for David Crosby to repeat his 70’s triumphs but Israel Nash has hit a lodestone that should satisfy anyone who likes their music somewhat blissed out and cosmic. Forget the acid, a few craft beers and a good listen will suffice.

Winners of the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Duo, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin continue to forge ahead with their third album, Watershed, a moving and very accomplished achievement.

FY5 – the current handle for the band who were previously known as Finnders & Youngberg release ‘Eat the Moon’, a fine finger picking album.