Albums

The Holy Court of Baltimore is the fourth self-released album by Chris Kiehne, an album on which his lyrics draw extensively on Shakespeare’s Ophelia.

There’s a whole battalion of bands out there making this sort of retro rock, but the Oregon based quartet The Parson Red Heads are carrying the flag not following it.

With Teddy Thompson as the guiding hand and three generations of the Thompson clan fulfilling their writing brief, the resultant Family album matches the ambition of bringing this extraordinary musical dynasty together.

Having recently reviewed their new album Paul heads to Leytonstone to catch a What’s Cookin’ promotion featuring Reid Jamieson & Carolyn Victoria Mill.

Another fine offering from Parsons Thibaud – the melodies are both simple and sublime, the emotion palpable and the voices, both alone and together, quite soulfully magnificent.

On Mike’s latest work Island imagery and the pull of the ocean are written large across the score sheet; the swell of the tide lifts and drops the senses, the musical vision intrigues.

Kate has produced a work which is as impressively mature and sophisticated as it is eclectic and cohesive…one of the most highly listenable and finely-balanced experimental albums of the year.

Want an object lesson in living your dream? My Name In The Brackets, sees Boo Hewerdine, fuelled by clandestine radio listening, living his childhood dream of writing great songs.

In what is often an Americanised-medium James Frost takes a refreshing approach and carries on the age old folk tradition with a distinctive English slant.

Dark folk acoustic trio headed by Polly of Polly and the Billets Doux come over all festive on their latest offering.

Mark Radcliffe has turned the artist sessions into the centrepiece of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show playing host to an extraordinary range of talent that makes for a uniquely enjoyable compilation.

Kirsty McGee & The Hobopop Collective’s ‘Those Old Demons’ is, without question, not just the finest work she’s yet released, but one of the best albums of the year.