Albums

Son of Dave combines the old and the new in such an innovative way and if you like your blues loud, raw and energetic, you will love ‘Call Me King’. It should feature heavily in the ‘Best Blues Album of 2022’  lists when that time of year rolls around.

Richard catches up with Martin Harley, Daniel Kimbro and Sam Lewis during the UK tour of their latest album ‘Harley Kimbro Lewis’.

Elliah Heifetz certainly made it out of Bustleton, but in chasing the American Dream, ‘First Generation American’ makes it abundantly clear, he never forgot his roots in the process.

Ultimately, as The Ciderhouse Rebellion, Murray Grainger and Adam Summerhayes illustrate that despite the music being created in the instant, Genius Loci 2: The Valley of Iron preserves moments of timeless, haunted beauty.

The Struggle is Michael Weston King’s first standalone recording in ten years. It’s a hugely welcome return to the solo spotlight and I’d venture to suggest his finest album yet.

Hyperion, the latest EP from Welsh singer-songwriter Cara Ludlow, is a captivating offering that absorbs you from the off, lyrically rich and engaging, she’s a name to watch for.

On their covers album ‘Songs Of The Recollection’, featuring songs from Neil Young, Bowie, Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Gram Parsons, Vic Chesnutt and more, the Cowboy Junkies have put together a highly engaging stop-gap while we wait for the follow up to Ghosts.

The Hanging Stars’ last three albums saw them teetering on greatness. Wearing their cosmic country and late 60s West Coast folk-rock influences on their sleeve, Hollow Heart should rightly push them over the edge; it’s their best yet.

On River Fools & Moutain Saints, Ian Noe takes inspiration from autobiography, the Appalachian community and observations of the characters that inhabit it, but the emotions he touches on and the stories he tells have a universal resonance.

Driven by awe and wonder, hope and joy, Iona Lane’s ‘Hallival’ is a masterful debut. Subtle musical touches and contemplative warm vocals combine to make this one of the most rewarding albums of the year.

Simon J Jones’ ‘How Things Work’ is a delight from start to finish, celebrating simpler times but with the pioneering spirit of the Ladybird books. Creating stories and soundscapes that seem very current but are somehow timeless, this album is a significant artistic achievement.

While Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves’ debut rightfully saw them critically acclaimed as a shining new force in string band music; Hurricane Clarice shows their light to be even brighter.