Albums

The stripped-back ‘Live from the Glass Isle’ not only illuminates what a gifted songwriter Chris Cleverley is but is also a glowing testament to his growing and emotionally nuanced power as a singer and the luminous nature of his guitar playing.

Kingdom Come, Garrett Heath’s second album, is cast in the mould of 60s Greenwich village troubadours, of simple but infectious folksy melodies…a quiet, simple joy.

From the off, Son Volt’s ‘Electro Meloidier’ is brimming with an artistic assuredness. The songs are potent and refreshing; songs that demand to be written will always make for a more intense and rewarding experience as they do here. This is must-hear Americana for 2021.

Green Diesel return with their fourth album ‘After Comes The Dark’, a bountiful offering of classic folk-rock that follows in the footsteps of the best from Fairport Convention to Steeleye Span and The Albion Band. Get your fill.

Alasdair Roberts and Völvur’s “The Old Fabled River” is full of subtle mirrors, the dualism and continuity of life, pairs and opposites…a satisfyingly literary accomplishment, but also humane and wild and as vividly detailed as we’ve come to expect from anything Roberts is involved in.

Defying expectations…Jay Hammond’s Trippers & Askers collective has created something groundbreaking and completely unexpected. Acorn is not simply the tale of a new start, through this music it has become an unexpected pathway to new lines of thought and communication.

Portas is Marisa Monte’s first solo album in more than ten years. It’s a sunny, breezy delight that showcases, alongside Monte’s honeyed voice, equally talented musicians including Seu Jorge. It’s a strong album that should garner her more fans and well-deserved accolades.

His first new material in six years, Downhill From Everywhere finds Jackson Browne on vintage form, marrying hummable melodies to both perceptive social commentary lyrics and love songs. As far as his albums go, this is a glorious high.

With blues-playing of the highest virtuosic calibre, Charlie Parr’s “Last Of The Better Days Ahead” is an engrossing, captivating album from a tireless innovator. Indeed, this release marks something emphatically new in his illustrious career.

A celebration of life in both its highs and lows, memories of things lost and thankfulness for what is still held, these Two Days In Terlingua with Bard Edrington V will make your listening week.

Triage is played to perfection by Crowell and his assembled contributors, as he asks us to consider the priorities in a world that desperately needs healing.

With ‘Torus’, James Lindsay challenges our preconceptions of music made using traditional instruments. This is music that demands your attention and pays you back handsomely.