Albums

Described as a way to make sense of what it means to be human, connect, embrace change, and face another day…Valley Maker reminds us that the night is not endless.

Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne’s vocals and box-playing delve deep into the songs and tunes with an alarming virtuosity. For all those who don’t yet revere the squeezebox in all its glorious forms, this might well make a few converts.

Bill Stone wrote songs that played out like dreamy meditations. The delivery is soft-focused and hushed, Lo-fi before lo-fi existed…This is definitely one of those rare records that deserve the wider discovery it will now surely enjoy.

From The Reels 2012-2020 is a delightfully, warm, intimate, and genuinely stunning listen. Effortlessly evocative the album reinforces Ned Roberts as a true rising star. I, for one, will be following his career with much anticipation. Beautiful.

Opening to a flurry of percussion, banjo, mandolin, and echoing harmonies, Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs’ new album Folk(ish) is an exciting, and funky slice of Americana and bluegrass.

The London-based UK Americana close harmony outfit return with a self-titled album that is sure to see them following in the commercial breakout footsteps of The Shires and Ward Thomas.

There’s a grand tradition of folk and Americana artists recording albums for children, from Pete Seeger and Lead Belly to Jerry Garcia and Laura Veirs, all of which transcend the demographic to appeal to all ages. This is a worthy addition to the list.

Are Tindersticks getting better and better? On the evidence of ‘Distractions’, the answer is yes. A mesmerising listen that demands repeated immersion.

While it’s not unusual to make use of a synthesizer in folk-rock nowadays, the degree of imagination shown by Mec Lir in bringing those imaginings to fruition set them apart.

American musician and producer Myles Cochran talks us through his latest album Unsung – “Dense without being heavy, intelligent without being esoteric, this is elegant, nuanced music that has been finely crafted and richly woven.”

That Merlynn Belle at first sounds strange is a testament to their unwillingness to bend to rules enforced from the outside world. Once their spell is cast you find them impossible to resist.

The record defies genre with roots in Indian classical music, electronic influences, and exploratory production techniques – it’s traditional yet experimental, meditative yet unsettling. Matthew James Noone’s compositions push and pull, bringing peace while challenging the mind.