Albums

Perspectives On Tradition functions as a chapter in a manifesto for how folk music should be made and how tradition should be thought about. Stick in the Wheel are fearless when it comes to following their own standards, the results are rarely short of astonishing.

This is Eli Winter’s A Love Supreme moment; like Coltrane’s masterpiece, this album’s most profound qualities lie in its sense of unity, transcendence and hope. It’s a landmark album and the perfect ten.

The Mystery Gets Your Number & The Poetry Makes The Call is a mighty fine post-punk rock‘n’roll record. Somewhere down the line, Robb Johnson asks, “Does it work for you?” The answer from these quarters is an unequivocal yes.

Lifetime Achievement is Loudon Wainwright III’s first album of new original songs since 2014’s Haven’t Got The Blues Yet. It’s a wonderful delight from start to finish.

Watkins Family Hour Vol ii is an immensely enjoyable snapshot of how far this project, and its ever-evolving musical community, have come in the 20 years since its inception at its Largo nightclub base and where the future might take it.

David Weir shares his Sidmouth Folk Festival highlights including Queer Folk, Norma Waterson Tribute, Jack Rutter, Bush Gothic, Peatbog Faeries, Elspeth Anne, Nick Hart and more.

Despite the flawed and honest characters of Anna Tivel’s songs, with their troubling emotions and struggles with mental health, Outsiders is low-key and quietly optimistic. Masterfully crafted and performed, it is her finest work yet.

Robert Leslie made his name on the streets of New York. Despite this, Halfway Home, his fourth album, was produced by one of music’s heaviest hitters, Perry Margouleff, and it features Tony Garnier and Scarlett Rivera (both Bob Dylan veterans).

Hark The Voice That Sings For All is a terrific album. It’s Alison O’Donnell’s exhortation to listen. She is the archetypal dramatic storyteller in song, who can lay claim to being truly the voice that sings for all.

With Love is the Only Thing, Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings find refuge and rejuvenation in songs that deliver an uplifting reminder of the common humanity we share.

With music that is gloriously varied, Fara’s Energy Islands is a brave, wildly original almost-concept album from one of the finest folk bands in Scotland. It’s an exquisite album.

Ahead of Gretchen Peters’ 25th Anniversary UK Tour, The Show captures a singular artist at the peak of her powers, covering a 22-year spectrum of outstanding songs.