Albums

Dean Owens and his various collaborators have explored a variety of ideas, moods and sounds within the overall desert-Americana landscape, building eager anticipation for what the full album project will eventually encompass. It’s been a captivating journey.

On One (and Driftless) Left Vessel has found a way to mine two seams simultaneously, providing us with a literate worldview, while melding much of the album within a natural framework that has never been realized before.

Trevor Sensor has been to the edge, he’s peered over and decided that despite all the evidence to the contrary there are still reasons to live. On Account of Exile, Vol. 1 doesn’t offer us a lot of…it’s enough that he finds them for himself.

Candlepower is an effortlessly crafted, and luxurious, listen. Charming and challenging in equal measures it is a thoroughly beguiling debut from Marina Allen who is also our Artist of the Month.

That Dana Sipos’s ‘The Astral Plane’ feels remarkably intimate and accessible is a tribute to her ability to translate a world of experiences in a way that helps us to understand how we are all connected; examining those bonds makes us all stronger.

My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider is a sweet, wistful album. It tells a beautifully painted set of tales; rich in genuine and moving narratives focusing on emotion and the heart. While we bid farewell to Oh Susanna, it is a very warm and pleasant welcome to Suzie Ungerleider.

Flo Perlin traversed half the globe collecting impressions that would make up her album, searching for the characters around and within herself. It’s a cocoon of meditative introspection, enveloping the listeners in Perlin’s honeyed vocals.

López and Barbas’ “Atlas” is a thoroughly enjoyable album on many levels. If you are missing your travel to sunny climes this music will take you out of yourself for a while. On a deeper level, the music is complex and will invite investigation and exploration.

After several years of silence, LA marks the return of Kathryn Locke, a strongly recommended set. For music to be the true voice of a performer is almost a cliché. Here it is a fact. Welcome back, Kathryn.

The Owl Service return with ‘Rise Up Rise Up’ a veritable treasure trove. There are more ideas and influences packed into these six tracks than many artists manage in a whole album.

Cameron Knowler’s first full-length solo album features fourteen unhurried yet concise vignettes that are quietly adventurous and unusual. It’s an assured album with Cameron’s playing giving the music a certain charm and undeniable power.

London alt-folk septet Ringlefinch are definitely one of my favourite discoveries of the year. These are tall tales to be recounted over and over with a smile on the face and a glass of Peak District craft beer in your hand.