Albums

Kinnaris Quintet’s ‘This Too’ may have been conceived in difficult times, but it is an object lesson in making the best out of your circumstances. This is incredibly accomplished music, but more than that it is full of heart and hope.

Echo, the third album from Welsh-Senegalese harp and kora duo Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, is another significant leap forward; a masterpiece and a beautiful album from two artists who are operating at the height of their powers.

Whilst sounding vintage in style, Narrow Line could belong in no other era than the present day. Mama’s Broke may seem traditional, but their tales of modern life have too much bite to be nostalgic, they are new and unique voices in modern, rootsy Americana that must be heard.

Featuring Kathryn Calder from the New Pornographers and Mark Andrew Hamilton from Woodpigeon, lyrically and musically, Frontperson are at the top of their game and ‘Parade’ deserves to be heard again and again.

Penguin Cafe combines music and cultures, mixing them in ways that are almost unimaginable while being as gentle as a whisp of air. A Matter of Life 2021 only serves to confirm the wisdom of the choices Arthur Jeffes has made along the way.

On Dana Gavanski’s ‘When It Comes’, nothing is ever quite what it seems, unorthodox compositions coax complexity out of deceptively simple songs. It is triumphant and multifaceted, the sound of an artist finding her voice in some style.

For Where Old Ghosts Meet, The Haar bring fresh insights and breathe new life into some of the most iconic songs in the Irish traditional repertoire. A stunning multi-layered, nuanced album that reveals more with each play.

The Wardens’ ‘Sold Out’ is a simple, unfussy album, but hugely appealing to a way of life and a musical genre that is too often forgotten in today’s hyperactive world and the onslaught of processed Nashville country. This is as organic as it gets.

St. Arnaud’s ‘Love and the Front Lawn’ is a light, wry, witty, musically breezy and irresistibly toe-tappingly catchy album that fully deserves entry into the pantheon of pragmatic optimism.

Old Crow Medicine Show return with ‘Paint This Town’ on which they balance what they describe as an obligation to talk about the more difficult things happening in the world and ensuring everyone’s having a great time while they do it – they admirably succeed.

There is no denying that the core strength of the songs on Timbuktu lies in Oumou Sangaré’s powerful voice, both as a writer, singer and proponent of women’s rights.

Subtly, imperceptibly, Kevin Farge builds Halcyon Days into something of a quiet revolution. He wields the power of gentleness, using the gentle force of his music to seep inside your pores until resistance to these gifts is useless.