Albums

Securing a  wider platform following its American release last year, Will Stewart’s solo debut offers up a solid set of classic styled guitar-driven country rock. A county seat is an administrative centre from which legislation for the region is handed down. Checking out this album should be a matter of policy.

When All Is Still may be an album with its roots in tradition, but it has a freshness that makes these old songs seem wonderfully new. It is one of the best collections of traditional songs you’ll hear all year. Read our review and watch the video premiere of Ploughman Lads.

While initially combining their existing influences was the start for We Banjo 3, Haven tells us the journey is far from over as celtgrass spreads its boundaries, showing it can assimilate what it finds while remaining true to its roots.

The Joy of Living is the seventh studio album from Jackie Oates, also our Artist of the Month for August. It is her most personal yet, covering an intensely personal period of her life in which she celebrated the birth of her daughter Rosie and bid an emotional and loving farewell to her beloved father.

Even more so than its predecessor, Shelter is a series of teasingly enigmatic meditations leaving a distinct feeling that for all Olivia’s emotional candour there’s a persistent – albeit attractive – unknowability giving an added depth to her increasingly masterful songwriting.

Dave McNally reviews the latest offering from top-flight Irish traditional band Lúnasa who are currently touring with Natalie Merchant. Along the way, band member Ed Boyd fills in some background about the album which features Natalie along with Tim O’Brien, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eric Bibb. A fitting, celebratory, must-listen album.

Cornish folk-rock band Hanterhir re-enforce the notion that Cornwall has a ‘culture distinct from anywhere else in Britain’ by delivering a concept album based around the tale of Cadan, who tries to drown himself in a lake on Carn Marth, an ancient hill in West Cornwall.

“The Giant Who Ate Himself” is a new collection from Massachusetts based acoustic instrumentalist Glenn Jones that feels very much like the final part of a trilogy that began in 2013. Treasures pop up throughout to bring a smile to the face. Another faultless and hugely enjoyable set from a master storyteller still peaking.

After fitting out his boat as a combined living space and recording studio, Mike Vass invited various friends aboard to record some music – and the delightful result is his latest album – Notes From The Boat. Warm, engaging melodies and sparkling performances combine with Mike’s peerless skills as an arranger for a truly delightful album.

In Enter The Stream, Prana Crafter, the musical alter-ego of William Sol, has created an album that is deeply intuitive, interpretive and built to last. It cocks a snook – albeit a very abstract snook – at the idea of throwaway music for mass consumption, instead attempting to create lasting compositions that take the rhythms of the natural world as a blueprint.

When a musician is at the top of their game, as Rab so clearly is here, the results can be compelling; Welcome to Anniversaryville is an album of pure delight and marks Noakes out as a continuing force for musical good in a sometimes all too cynical and depressing world. 

Lisa Knapp’s Branch of May sequel ‘The Summer Draws Near’ is available via digitally for the first time. Opting for a more pared-back approach her voice is brought to the fore highlighting her ability to balance the skills of singer and storyteller – We look forward to more tales from the May Queen.