Albums

…its in the poetry of Garret Pierce’s lyrics that his talent lies. There is a deepness to the album’s themes and thoughts but they are always delivered with a soft and tender touch, quietly drawing you into the record’s passionate heart.

For week five in our Bob Dylan appreciation, we take a step away from Bob’s own recordings and enjoy a wide range of other musical artists covering his material. Includes a Spotify Playlist featuring over 5 hours of covers.

With three studio albums already under their belt, Time Out further underscores their rising star as musicians, singers and songwriters, The Accidentals are most definitely going to happen.

If there’s a question that remains it’s whether one really needs a Spanish language version of songs from Parallel Line. The answer: The magic is in the music and that has always been there with Paper Beats Scissors and it’s there in La Mitad.

Recorded live outdoors on the island of Grande Comore, these 10 snapshots provide the slightest of inklings into a culture significantly different from our own yet their music is still universal in its hopes, fears and dreams. Ian Brennan has captured some incredibly exciting music.

While Peggy Seeger’s ‘First Farewell’ may be brief and beautiful, the material is so rich and vigorous, it makes for a satisfying whole. With this delightful album, we can only hope that she produces many more.

With a refreshing, invigorating sound, and demonstrating a confidence and maturity in their tune and song writing, with ‘The Light of the Moon’, Gnoss have captured a sound dipped in honey that reinforces their formidable presence on the Scots traditional music scene.

Dean Owens Desert Trilogy EPs continues with Sand and Blood, a cinematic and atmospheric second volume featuring members of Calexico and a rewarding duet with Guatemalan singer songwriter Gaby Moreno.

Naked and unadorned, the new EP from Ben Watt Storm Shelter captures the artist at his most vulnerable. It’s been far too long since we had just Watt and a piano.

Offcuts and Oddities showcase the commitment of the Shovel Dance Collective to playing traditional music that speaks of working-class solidarity. The album features some cracking tunes that will leave you wanting more. Excellent.

Fronted by Ryan Boldt, Deep Dark Woods, one of Canada’s finest purveyors of stately folk-rock, return with ‘Changing Faces’, offering escape from modern, plastic, urban life – taking you somewhere old, organic, and rural.

While TEYR’s energetic and wildly entertaining delivery is still there on Estren, the added lyrical depth and musical variety, the moral bite and sensitivity to the world’s problems elevate them to the very top tier of today’s folk music.