Mali Obomsawin: Sweet Tooth review – proud, vital marriage of folk and far-out jazz improv
In their freewheeling debut album, this artist from the Abenaki First Nation repatriates the music of their people
Marcus Mumford review – great songs, but no hoedown
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, LondonFor this solo show, Mumford is justified in focusing on his album, one of the year’s best. But the venue and sound do it no favours
One Leg One Eye: And Take the Black Worm With Me review – gorgeousness and menace
Lankum mainstay Ian Lynch’s debut as One Leg One Eye is an immersive world of created sounds and raw, resonant singing
Lindsey Buckingham review – slick guitar work and strong singing from the Fleetwood Mac veteran
With seven albums’ worth of solo material to his name, Buckingham makes the fans wait for classic Rumours tracks – but eventually delivers in style
Jon Collin: Bridge Variations review – Stockholm soundscapes with nyckelharpa
Tapes of busy roads and dripping water mingle with the sound of the traditional Swedish instrument in this experimental folk album
Green Man festival review – the absurd, the wonderful and the otherworldly
From the magisterial glam rock of Yves Tumor to the comedy surf-pop of Melin Melyn, Green Man froths with positivity and subversion
Laura Veirs: Found Light review – folk-rocker’s sexual reawakening
The Portland singer-songwriter’s first album written after splitting from her husband and longtime producer is a candid confessional filled with headily intimate images
Fern Maddie: Ghost Story review – an unnerving, arresting folk debut
Maddie’s young, welcoming voice belies a darkly evocative lyricism creating an album that is both unsettling and thrilling
Mavis Staples & Levon Helm: Carry Me Home review – a final blaze of glory for the late Band musician
On poignant yet defiant recordings made in 2011 shortly before Helm’s death, Staples’ commanding vocals give enormous vibrancy to blues, folk and soul standards
caroline review – a heady, up-close gig for our fractured times
The south London band’s mix of loud-quiet folk-rock and drone instrumentals is transformed live into a bewitching exercise in musical brinkmanship
Nick Hart: Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs review – stark and sweet
The East Anglian singer’s humanity and sly humour crackle through these simple, stripped-down traditional songs
Arun Sood: Searching Erskine review – elegy to a Hebridean past
This gorgeous sonic tribute to the abandoned island of Vallay, where the artist’s grandmother once lived, is filled with folk memory and longing
Judy Collins: Spellbound review – nostalgic first album of originals
The folk legend’s first ever collection of self-written songs gazes back over a life lived with exquisite effect
Oki: Tonkori in the Moonlight review – joyous celebration of a dying art form
The Ainu maestro curates a collection that gives his people’s endangered ancient sound a modern lease of life – with dub, harmony and dazzling percussion
Anaïs Mitchell: Anaïs Mitchell review – walking out of Hades
After her Broadway success with Hadestown, the indie folk artist returns with a set of lowkey but polished melodic gems, boasting sharp lyrics and striking emotional gear-changes