Albums

Such a perfectly realised amalgamation of concept, melody and landscape is vanishingly rare, but on Cloud Walking, Alice Boyd achieves it with an easy grace.

The latest Folklore Tapes’ Ceremonial Counties series covers Berkshire and Kent. Stella Maris, Tim Hill, and Revbjelde demonstrate the sheer breadth of England’s folkloric traditions and the breadth and variety of art that we can use to interpret those traditions.

Each time, I wonder how on earth Luke Jackson will surpass his previous album, but he manages to do so. With ‘Bloom’, he does so spectacularly, with dramatic moments and some hugely impressive storytelling.

The exquisite vocal arrangements on ‘Great Joy to the New’ will excite and amaze as much as any of Janice Burns and Jon Doran’s previous work, and the brass arrangements pack such a punch that they put a smile on my face every time.

Subtly understated in its melodies and delivery but with a profound depth of emotion, Letitia VanSant & David McKindley-Ward’s ‘Eye of the Storm’ is a deep album that sings to their musical chemistry – we hope it marks the start of a journey.

‘Safe Then Sorry’ may only be the second CIAO MALZ EP, the solo project of Brooklyn-based songwriter Malia DelaCruz, but it’s a real gem, and it already seems likely that DelaCruz has a big future.

From recordings discovered on some dusty tapes in Yuma County Library, Charles ‘Poppy Bob’ Walker’s ‘Dirt Bike Vacation is quietly groundbreaking while containing some of the most modest guitar music you will hear. It’s probably my favourite release of the year.

Very much in a classic 60s coffee house folk troubadour vein, ‘Love, Dan’ is C. Daniel  Boling’s latest offering; he just keeps on producing albums of outstanding quality.

Beth Malcolm’s Folkmosis is a spellbinding album that speaks not only to the music and heritage that lives within her heart but also to how the music of our homelands can root us in identity and place, however far away from home we may be.

OVA shows no let-up in Afro Celt Soundsystem’s recording of thrilling, incredibly varied music that knows no boundaries. It is a fitting final testament to Simon Emmerson’s vision and his immense feat in making it happen.

While Lee Baggett’s playing may sometimes recall Neil Young of old, the lyrics on Waves for a Begull bend to a more positive vibe that seems to find new ways to discover joy–an antidote for these troubled times.

With Midwinter Swimmers, The Innocence Mission continue the trend of creating albums of sparkling clarity and coherent vision. The quality is always unfalteringly high throughout, and the tonal and thematic shifts provide enough progression to make every new album essential. This is no exception.