Albums

While it’s been a long journey, Albion is a most auspicious beginning for Tim Smith’s second act as Harp, which finds him alongside his wife, Kathi Zung. Together, they have created new waves of hope as the dark winter approaches.

Three Galleys showcases the excellent vocal, instrumental and compositional talents of folk trio Holly & The Reivers. The diverse range and exceptional quality of material means I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next chapters of their stories.

Feile Live is a very persuasive debut offering from John McSherry, Brendán Quinn and Francis McIlduff. Their musical connection and rapport shine through, along with their confidence, energy and drive.

As demonstrated with ‘Elephantasia’, Dave Evans made the most amazing music imaginable but did so on his own terms…a timeless record that needs to be heard. Of course, it never demands it because that was never his way.

The variety and depth of ‘Move into the Luminous’ is breathtaking; Makushin have fashioned an engrossing collection of ten perfect miniatures…ambient epics packaged as pop songs, delicate folk latticeworks enmeshed with impassioned jazz. It’s a stunning achievement.

On Beflean, Jim Moray has cherry-picked some of his finest work from across his twenty-year discography…it simultaneously represents both a celebration of past success and an exciting new departure, leaving us to wonder what creative ventures he has up his sleeve for us next.

Merging moments of traditional folk with forays into jazz and beyond, Sheffield-based Auka’s ‘Wild Waters’ is a clarion call to both enjoy and protect nature – inspired and fuelled by a deep love for rewilding and the Right to Roam movements.

A Winter Union’s first studio album in seven years, ‘Sooner After Solstice’ is a stunning follow-up, featuring brilliant new songs and settings with an eclectic choice of covers. If you’re looking for a classy folk album to accompany the winter months, you’ve found it.

I DES is perhaps the most human of King Creosote’s albums yet. As he reflects on love, loss, memory, the passing of time and inevitable demise, perhaps he is saying what, at some point or another, we’re all thinking. He just says it very nicely.

Jack Sharp, in his “post apocalyptic downer folk-rock” side project Large Plants, explores the natural world and his inner thoughts on his prickly sophomore release, The Thorn.

Our Man in the Field’s ‘Gold on the Horizon’ is a ruminative album, steeped in empathetic humanity but also veined with doubts in its contemplation of life. It’s an album to immerse yourself in.

At the confluence of light and dark, Spell Songs’ ‘Gifts of Light’ is characterised by an uplifting vitality which soothes the soul, demonstrating the magic that results from combining live music with art and literature and representing collaborative music-making at its very finest.