Diana Jones: Song to a Refugee review – tender testimony to bruised lives
Jones’s sorrowful vocals bear witness to the dreams and hardships of those crossing the US-Mexico border
Richard and Linda Thompson: Hard Luck Stories 1972–1982 review – a tempestuous tale worth retelling
The highlight of this eight-CD box set is 31 previously unreleased tracks
Bróna McVittie: The Man in the Mountain review – eerie ambience and visionary space
Mc Vittie’s new album tempers her soft folk in collaborations with electronic duo Isan and trumpeter Arve Henriksen
Stick in the Wheel: Hold Fast review – Anglo Saxon Auto-Tune, anyone?
The London duo’s third album is trying too hard
Kath Bloom: Bye Bye These Are the Days review – beguiling, defiant folk
The Mary Oliver of folk sings of love and determination in a vital album that addresses the state of America
Alula Down: Postcards from Godley Moor, Summer 2020 review – a hazy lockdown in Weirdshire
Kate Gathercole and Mark Waters mark the shape-shifting effects of Covid in rural Britain, mixing traditional music with post-rock and ambience
Emma Swift: Blonde on the Tracks review – illuminating, intimate Bob Dylan covers
Nobody has ever sung Dylan quite like this Nashville-based Australian singer-songwriter, nor with such a rare interpretive gift
Shirley Collins: Heart’s Ease review – the voice of a benevolent God
The folk veteran’s past, present and future come together on this full-hearted record
Bessie Jones: Get in Union review – 60 songs straight from the gut and heart
This remastered set of Jones’s recordings with the Georgia Sea Island Singers richly celebrates a traditional vocalist of key historical importance
Brigid Mae Power: Head Above the Water review – quotidian magic
On her third album, Irish folk singer Brigid Mae Power sees no disconnect between ancient and modern. Neither does her haunting voice, an instrument that raises the everyday to a near-mystical realm. On The Blacksmith, a traditional tune, Power’s protagonist … Continue reading
Daugherty: This Land Sings review – exuberant polyglot Woody Guthrie celebration
Michael Daugherty’s tribute chronicles Guthrie’s life in 17 fluent pieces for soprano, baritone and ensemble, with tints of US music from folk to jazz
Jack Colwell: Swandream review – theatrical, raw songs packed with pain and soaring survival
The Patrick Wolf influence is unmistakeable – but while Colwell’s debut revels in drama and emotions, producer Sarah Blasko lends it a balancing restraint
Jake Blount: Spider Tales review – instant classic reinstates folk’s black, queer roots
This debut album uses limber banjo and fiddle to delve into subversive stories of violence and survival
Watkins Family Hour: Brother Sister review – a model of sibling harmony
Sean and Sara Watkins are back and in reflective mood
Kirsty Merryn: Our Bright Night review – thieves, sailors and nuns mix heady balm
(Self-released)Merryn’s second album is full of pared-back, piano-led mood pieces, her voice a treat for the soul