Albums

Jonathan Day’s Spirit Library is the work of an artist who, whether through the experience of travel or through deep contemplation of his surroundings, has come to terms with his place in the world, and it is utterly beautiful.

David catches Spell Songs in London which brings together eight remarkable musicians, whose music engages deeply with landscape and nature, to respond to the creatures, art and language of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

Brìghde Chaimbeul’s debut album The Reeling, released on the new River Lea label, is every bit as special in its own atmospheric way as its recent launch at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections.

Husband and wife Devon duo Harbottle and Jonas have taken a maritime theme for their fourth album that is awash with strong songs and excellent musicianship and fully deserves to carry the duo aloft on a wave of acclaim and success.

It may have taken some two decades to find his clear focus, but North Country firmly places Irish-American troubadour Danny Burns on the map. Featuring Cara Dillon, Tift Merritt, Tim O’Brien, Holly Williams & more.

On The Road to Horn Fair, Joshua Burnell pays homage to the sounds of the late sixties and seventies. Fun, lots of tongue in cheek but at the same time spot on.

Traveling Mercies is the powerful new album from Emily Scott Robinson. Produced by Neilson Hubbard her songs are filled with compassion, empathy and truth.

Born and raised in Niger and now living in Belgium, Kel Assouf’s “Black Tenere” stands as an excellent album and a potential milestone in the blossoming genre of what critics have been calling “desert rock”.

This is music in evolution. Melody, poetry, emotion and memory weave in and out like stories. Midnight And Closedown is the next chapter in Lau’s fascinating story. As ever from Lau, it’s a unique and exceptional album.

Michael Chapman’s ‘True North’ is a raw and honest album from a musician well aware of the legacy behind him and his place on that timeline. It is lean, unpretentious, wonderfully played and so very listenable throughout.

Deer Tick’s latest offering ‘Mayonnaise’ is a fine collection for longtime fans and serves as a nice introduction for those less familiar with the band. Give it a listen!

Buffalo Blood is as potent as anything written by Buffy Sainte-Marie and deserves to be acclaimed for exposing the injustices inflicted on the First Nation.