Albums

With the release of 365: Volume Two, Aidan O’Rourke continues to present highlights from both his music and James Robertson’s stories; and again collaborates with piano and harmonium player Kit Downes. His musical responses provide a fascinating, detailed and perfectly executed musical miscellany.

Featuring Tatiana Hargreaves, Hard Drive deliver high-octane bluegrass-old-time style, delivered with deep intuitive insight, manic exploratory zeal and seriously powerhouse instrumental (and vocal) chops but also, importantly, with an abundant and overwhelming sense of fun.

Karine Polwart covers some fifty years of Scottish pop and rock in an album of covers from Gerry Rafferty to Frightened Rabbit. Sung from the heart she makes each song her own, a triumphant tribute to some of Scotland’s finest.

Canadian folk duo Mama’s Broke deliver a strong debut with ‘Count the Wicked, a journey through rural early 20th century Americana that’s fizzing with melodic ideas and tales to tell. Debut albums as strong as this should not be ignored.

With help from friends Kevin Scott, Dave Colohan, Graeme Lockett, James Connor, and Ronnie Maxwell, Alison has created something remarkably fresh. Which is to be expected from someone who has always responded to her own muse.

Strings that Nimble Leap is a collection of the highest quality, with beautiful instruments being played by some of the very best musicians in the game. 52 artists including Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy, Andy Irvine Nic Jones, Charlotte Carrivick, Lisa Hannigan and more.

As an album, Silent Spring may be built on and around the folk-infused music of fifty years ago but its message is very much for today. Henry Parker is clearly an excellent guitarist and writer, but he has also not lost sight of the message. He has found his path.

Fran Foote of Stick in the Wheel and her mother Belinda Kempster, make their own contribution to the folk tradition with this album of songs mostly collected from Essex and learned from Fran’s great uncle, Ernie Austin who was recorded by Topic for the 1974 album Flash Company.

Rob Harbron, one of our most prized English concertina players has finally found time to craft his solo debut album. Made in the simplest way, Meanders is exactly what you would wish for, which is beautiful pieces of music performed with the utmost skill by a master of his instrument.

The Outlander may seem like the slightest and the straightest of Jim Moray albums, but in truth, it is the most condensed and representative document of the artist that we have, and that alone – besides all the great songs, of course – makes it a treasure.

Malin Head is a tribute to the sense of longing many of Irish descent must have felt leaving everything behind. Accordingly, there is hope amidst the heartbreak in equal measure. Ardentjohn mine both seams, creating a statement of yearning that tugs at listeners long after the album has ended.

Their collaboration with the New Sinfonia orchestra has pushed North Wales trio Golden Fable into a far-reaching soundscape, their most ambitious and rewarding release to date.