Duo Ruut: Ilmateade review – Estonian duo’s soulful look to the skies
The pair play with the traditions of Baltic Finnic runo song to explore the connections between the weather and emotion, giving ancient forms crossover potential
Jacob Alon: In Limerence review – dreamy story songs of myth and melancholy
The Scottish songwriter delivers a confident, well-expressed debut even if their songs sometimes stray into overfamiliar indie-folk territory
Quinie: Forefowk, Mind Me review – collecting songs on horseback, this Scottish musician is alive with ideas
With folk songs gathered from a gallop across Argyll, Josie Vallely’s album is a resonant tribute to her ancestral land
Zoé Basha: Gamble review – confident debut of a deft new voice in folk
The Dublin-based French-American singer and guitarist’s heart is in the Appalachian mountains – but her songs swim from country to blues and French chanson
Gigspanner Big Band: Turnstone review – an elegance unmatched in British folk
The multi-talented six-piece soar on their most accomplished album yet, led by the exceptional fiddle-playing of Peter Knight
Savina Yannatou, Primavera en Salonico and Lamia Bedioui: Watersong review – aquatic hymns
Considering water as balm and curse, life and storm: the fabulous Greek singer and collaborators transport us across centuries and countries
Liz Overs: Nightjar review – a shimmering debut rich in folklore
Albion’s mysteries breeze through the Sussex singer’s first album as she salutes the winter solstice with Neill MacColl and more
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek: Yarın Yoksa review – a feast of woozy Turkish psych
Fuzzy, hypnotic beats, soulful saz-funk and emotive balladry mark Yıldırım’s powerfully imaginative new music, produced by Leon Michels
Ichiko Aoba: Luminescent Creatures review – nurturing music for bleak times
The cult Japanese singer-songwriter’s new album, inspired by the Ryukyu islands, is like a powerfully soothing sound bath
Malmin: Med Åshild Vetrhus review – deliciously diabolical Norwegian folk spells
Anders Hana, Olva Christer Rossebø and Åshild Vetrhus take inspiration from Norway’s rugged Rogaland in these tracks sourced from early-to-mid 20th century recordings
Richard Dawson: End of the Middle review – a unique snapshot of ordinary British life
From allotment highs to Holly and Phil, the Newcastle singer-songwriter mines life’s daily stresses and joys as only he can
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy: The Purple Bird review – Will Oldham goes country, but darkly
Recorded in Nashville, the American outlier’s latest is concerned with the state of the nation and more, though there’s mischief in there too
Cynefin: Shimli review – this Welsh folk music is a quietly political antidote to the modern age
Singer Owen Shiers combines traditional ballads, musical settings of poems, and originals built on stories collected from rural west Walians, all sung in Welsh
Sam Amidon: Salt River review – an eclectic if erratic affair
The US musician leads an accomplished yet slightly bland living room session spanning traditional numbers and songs by Lou Reed, Yoko Ono and more
Wardruna: Birna review – numbing Norse nature-metal better suited to Netflix scores
Traditional instruments, drones and repetitive lyrics make for some epic listening, possibly more suitable for a medieval TV romp