Albums

Instar finds Nancy Kerr at the height of her creative powers. It’s vital, visceral and urgent – balm for our woes, hope for our future: an essential companion for these turbulent times.

The Fruited Thorn is a moving and incredibly impressive celebration of traditional song. It succeeds in combining Kaela’s love of experimentation with her love of traditional song, a truly mesmerising album.

John Paul White’s ‘Beulah’ is a deeply personal album that is both ambitious and revealing. “Upon emerging, it feels like you’ve been on a journey alongside the artist, the telltale sign of a remarkable record.”

Johnny shares his highlights of this year’s Tiree Music Festival which included Skerryvore, Sharon Shannon, Trail West, Breabach, Skippinish, Flook and more.

Mendrugo is a beautiful collaboration between musicians from different cultures who share a deep love for their respective musical traditions and an irreverent, and irresistible, sense of fun. There should be more records made like this.

East is an excellent taster of what Iona Fyfe and her band have to offer, and I can’t wait to hear more at one of the string of live dates still to come in Scotland.

Three years on from their Daisy Roots debut, the Midlands-based five-piece The Jigantics are back with Seconds Out, an equally impressive sophomore outing.

‘Live Again!’ is a valuable snapshot both Ochs’s political priorities and concerns at a significant time in America’s history, and his timeless music, which ultimately remains his greatest legacy.

Their tunes and songs are connected by intermezzos of humorous anecdotes which give insight into the English folk tradition as well as into Dipper & Malkin’s personal musical journeys. Today a sees their special Album Launch concert at Sidmouth Folk Festival.

The musical collaboration of Tanya Brittain and Sam Kelly digs ever deeper into the culture, heritage and traditions of Cornwall – a fresh and compelling display of creative symbiosis, suffused with a wild beauty and offering tantalising insights into the proud heart and soul of this ancient Celtic nation.

Shadows succeeds through the striking humanity of its songs, and by their originality. It’s an album that will hopefully see its creators heralded as one of the most vital – and indeed one of the most experimental – acts on the folk circuit and beyond.

Day two of WOMAD 2016 and the sun is out with more musical magic to brighten our day still further from the likes of Asiq Nargile, Amaraterra, The Grit Orchestra and Blick Bassy.