Albums

On Laura Baird’s debut solo album, ‘I Wish I were a Sparrow’, she captures the spirit of the old field recordings and reveals little nuggets of joy throughout on which original and traditional songs work fluidly alongside each other. Listen to the premiere of her original Wind Wind.

Jeremy Tuplin may be the missing link between Nick Drake and ‘Space Oddity”-era Bowie. “I dreamt I was an Astronaut” is an engaging piece of work, blending excellent folk-based songwriting with creative and gently overarching production that fittingly frames Tuplin’s songs.

Hailing from Chicago, Big Sadie make their debut with Keep Me Waiting. They’re new entrants in a fairly crowded field of old-school American folk revivalism, but on this evidence, they’ll soon be rising to the upper echelons of its ranks.

While Hiss Golden Messenger shares the sentiments of many on the current state of affairs – he chooses to look to a brighter tomorrow, banging the drum for hope as he sings “I feel like my luck is turning…..We’ll be alright tonight.”  Hallelujah to that.

Variously likened to Mojave 3, Neil Young and Mazzy Star, Dripping Springs might be best described as Dream Americana, this is certain to expand Joana Serrat’s following and bolster her scrapbook of glowing reviews even further.

Heart of the Cave is an album inspired by an invite to explore Osimo, a town in Italy under whose streets lie 2,500-year-old caves with tunnels that once hosted religious secret societies. It’s an album that touches on the core of existence and spirituality and the shadows that hover around the fringes.

Too Dark For Country, a four-song EP by actress/musician Anjana Vasan is the first release from Folkroom Records in three years but it’s been well worth the wait. Recalling at times the authenticity and freshness of Hurray For The Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra’s early rootsier efforts.

Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, founding members of The Be Good Tanyas, re-join forces for Wildflower Blues. A very welcome reunion and hopefully just the beginning of an ongoing partnership. They are on tour in the UK & Ireland during October 2017.

Pretty Peggy firmly adds Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys to the list of artists who are proving that great party bands are no longer the exclusive domain of the Scottish & Irish music scenes. Pretty Peggy is easily one of the best albums to come from the ever-growing world of youthful folk music.

Small Believer is the latest offering from Portland singer-songwriter Anna Tivel. She offers insightful and often moving images of ordinary lives drawn from stories heard while out on the road. Open, honest and deeply affecting, it’s her best work yet. 

John Smith’s Headlong is a restrained and affecting album from a master craftsman. What it lacks in happy hooks, it makes up for in slow-burn – these are songs to enjoy as they unfold over many listens.

Songs from the Attic is very much a personal journey by Hampshire-based musician and journalist Jon Wilks. His love for folk music manifests itself throughout this lovely album.