Albums

Mathias Kom, along with his band The Burning Hell deliver an album that is easily their best to date. One that proves there is more to this anarchic, self-consciously verbose band than jokes. Public Library is an album of surprising emotional depth and musical variety.

For their latest album Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer literally go off-grid – holed up on a sparsely populated island in the San Juan archipelago. An intimate recording and ultimately a brave one as this pared down delight see-saws between delicate picking and grizzled fuzz.

The Amazing Devil are a new arrival on the alternative folk scene, built around the core duo of Irish-born actor-musician Joey Batey and Madeleine Hyland. Love Run is one of the year’s most exhilarating, exciting and visceral debuts, they deserve to be huge.

Eight years after their debut we are finally treated to a follow-up from Rusalnaia – Sharron Kraus and Gillian Chadwick… one of the most stunning albums I have heard all year, and one whose power remains long after the songs have faded.

Chicago born singer-songwriter Michael McDermott takes full advantage of a new clarity and focus to follow-up with his 10th solo album Willow Springs, his first in four years. It features some of his strongest material to date.

Harrington’s music packs a considerable, and quite heady, emotional charge. The Diver’s Curse certainly repays your very closest attention, and its meditative, insightful poetic inventions are destined to haunt you for a long time.

Every song stands on its own two feet and the playing, recording and production are all confident and robust. From the Stillhouse may not be a groundbreaking record, but its inventive combination of bluegrass and outlaw country makes it a welcome addition to the world of modern-day traditionalist musicians.

In addition to an impressive natural talent as a singer, musician and song writer, Emily Mae Winters is so steeped in the worlds of literature and music, it’s hard to imagine anyone could be more suited to a career in the arts. Her EP is an arresting, enthralling tantalising introduction to her work that leaves us hungry for more.

Anthony Joseph – the poet, novelist, musician and lecturer described as “the leader of the black avant-garde in Britain” – returns with his sixth album, Caribbean Roots, whose 11 tracks present a fearless and thoughtful exploration of his Trinadadian roots and his own Caribbean identity.

It is the exploratory feel of Mjelva and Rydvall’s playing that makes Vårdroppar something special, something transcends musical fashion. It has an almost jazzy quality to it, seemingly at odds with the traditional nature of the material.

JD Edwards and Cara Luft may have been thrown together entirely by accident but it’s a partnership that, in Wondrous Traveler, has produced beautiful, moving, energetic music. I have a feeling ‘The Small Glories’ will continue to do that for some time to come. Don’t miss their UK Tour later this year.

With a second album promised for November, Daoirí Farrell is a voice that’s going to be hard to avoid during the rest of this year. Give The First Turn a listen now, it should convince you avoiding him is the last thing you’d want to do.