Albums

Sue Wilson shares her Orkney Folk Festival highlights including Newfoundland’s The Once, Highland fiddle maestro Duncan Chisholm, Findlay Napier, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, Fara, The Maes, Ímar, The Chair and more. Another top weekend of superhuman smoothness and cheer.

Brighton-based quartet Hatful of Rain return with a downpour of riches melding together their Celtic, American and English folk influences that have seen their stock increasingly rise since their debut release back in 2012.

Viva L’Acadie, the new album by The Mallett Brothers Band is a whiskey-soaked old-time Acadian hoedown and everyone’s invited. It’s also a love story to a region and a people – a fading culture caught up in the homogeneity of modern life.

Last night of the UK tour for Portland’s quirky and enduringly engaging folk-pop performer proved a warm and uplifting evening, despite the sense of foreboding and fragility running through new album The Lookout.

Cloud Corner is another example of why Marisa Anderson is one of America’s most interesting and talented guitar players and composers. She has crafted a piece of work that challenges the listener and rewards them further with every listen. Excellent.

It’s refreshing when an album explores weighty themes with sincerity and gravitas, and even more so when the artist in question combines the personal with the abstract without diluting either.

Kacey Johansing’s voice is mesmerising, her songs are perfect, and the album ‘The Hiding’ is a sonic masterpiece. This album will make your summer better, no matter the weather.

Karen Jonas’ third album ‘Butter’ is her broadest offering yet covering folk and country roots as well as ragtime, blues, jazz and barroom soul. “It’s about baking my cake and eating it too.”

World Music Network/ Riverboat Records are to be applauded for their continued championing of world music, and this excellent 25th Anniversary release should appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.

Borrowed Seed is the debut EP from Scottish folk and blues trio Avocet who take inspiration from both the British psychedelic folk scene of the 1960’s and 70’s and free-form blues.

A Hawk And A Hacksaw’s music is all about making connections between cultures, and in that respect, their latest release is one of the widest-ranging and most daring yet.

Ross says how he loves listening to music that has the artist’s fingerprints all over it.  If you feel the same, then you should get your grubby hands on this one – Unpolished and consciously reflecting what’s going on inside his head.