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Lullabies Jackie Oates 60332q
An intriguing and committed new set, but one of niche appeal.
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Broken Down Gentlemen Faustus 6f4w6d
Traditional folk arrangements redrawn in a refreshingly sophisticated style.
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The Carpenter The Avett Brothers 30r5u
North Carolina outfit’s seventh LP seduces the listener from its first track.
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20 Kate Rusby 4f1q4c
A Rusby album with a different hue… and none the worse for that.
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Election Special Ry Cooder 38303t
Cooder comes out fighting on this presidential election-themed collection.
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Dream Life Mary Epworth 3d3t72
It blows hot and cold, but this debut is still a striking calling card.
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Voice of Ages The Chieftains f26i
Mellifluous one moment, rip-roaring the next, this is a job well done.
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Tales From the Barrel House Seth Lakeman 3z5n
A fine, genuinely solo sixth LP from the Devon-born folk artist.
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Kaleidophonica Spiro 5co3u
The Bristol-based band reveals hidden contours of genre-free music with fantastic results.
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One of the more colourful folk albums of 2011, from a pair of true virtuosos.
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Purpose + Grace Martin Simpson 4qf52
Confirms that Simpson remains at the top of his game.
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Revenge of the Folksingers Concerto Caledonia 482s21
When early music meets folk, oddness abounds – but the revenge is very sweet.
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A collaboration album that constantly scores on almost every level
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Lucy Lucy Wainwright Roche 201v3d
The family gene is alive and well across this debut album.
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Man of Many Moons Danny Schmidt 5ku3j
Schmidt gambles everything on lyrical intensity and simple presentation, and succeeds.
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Essential Martin Carthy 6e6w2a
A collection marked by the many shifting contours of his remarkable career.
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Ashore June Tabor 34x3w
Tabor’s a colossus, and this is one of her finest hours.
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Live at Perthshire Amber Julie Fowlis 153w30
Reassuringly relaxed and refreshingly gimmick-free live LP from the Scottish singer.
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Simply Eva Eva Cassidy 1063z
Acoustic songs from the late singer’s catalogue carrying great emotional weight.
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Sandy Denny Sandy Denny 6t6e4t
She merits inclusion among the all-time greats.
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Find the Lady Belshazzar’s Feast j1p2d
Confidently establishes its own niche instead of falling between the cracks of others.
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Oi! A Nova Musica Brasileira Various Artists 3y623j
Endorses Brazil’s proud musical heritage while drastically re-arranging it.
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Leva-me aos Fados Ana Moura 2d7319
An album pitched at the pure heart of fado tradition.
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Band of Joy Robert Plant 103d10
An album of bounding energy and unexpected eclecticism.
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A triumphant experiment that feels surprisingly authentic.
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Muzikr Carlou D 242w1i
An album that marks the coming of age of another great African talent.
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Brazilian bossa nova that flaunts its retro roots to sleepy effect.
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Folk Against Fascism Various Artists 6a1e10
A formidable and rather heart-warming statement of solidarity and defiance.
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Handmade Hindi Zahra hlf
A frequently transfixing album from the Moroccan singer.
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Djekpa La You Dobet Gnahoré 256h2h
The Grammy Award-winner’s gorgeous voice cuts through to magical effect.
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The Adventures of Captain Ward The Demon Barbers 6m1kl
The Barbers have pulled out the stops on an album as thrilling as their live shows.
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At heart an album of real songs with real emotions for real people.
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Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends 6x5i
Their magic can’t be bottled into something as fizzy as this album.
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Country Music Willie Nelson j2xh
So assured is Nelson that it’s impossible not to feel the love.
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Kassa Adama Yalomba 146z1d
Malian star-in-waiting Yalomba releases his first album outside Africa.
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All In One Bebel Gilberto 274q35
Isolated moments of magic fail to ignite the rest of this disappointing album.
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Mulatu Steps Ahead Mulatu Astatke 3265w
He weaves his highly individual magic in an infectious and mysterious style.
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Sonando Ya Sierra Maestra 671bm
They remain a vital force in a music that still symbolises Cuba.
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The former-Unthank’s gift for a charged lyric and a compelling tune is undiminished.
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Across the Troubled Wave David Ferrard va5y
An unassuming, yet consuming album from the impressive Ferrard.
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Handmade Life Chris Wood 345s3m
Confirms Wood as one of the English music’s most potent, if complex, talents.
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We are certainly in the presence of a mighty talent.
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Vagarosa Céu bi2h
An album of immense subtlety and constantly surprising contrasts.
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The Sparrow and the Crow William Fitzsimmons 5b6s15
Lush, acoustic delicacy and smooth-as-silk harmonies – but where’s the anger?
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It’s good to hear music played with obviously beaming smiles.
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My Dusty Road Woody Guthrie 3q6m3k
A chance to grasp the full essence of the man behind the legend.
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God Bless the Pretty Things Boo Hewerdine 1s6ap
These are timeless songs for all seasons.
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Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed Show of Hands 442g10
A committed, convincing reinvention of a Brit folk institution.
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Mama Afrika 1932-2008 Miriam Makeba 665q1i
Majestic recordings by a genuine world music pioneer.
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Poseidon and the Bitter Bug Indigo Girls 6e3p1s
A double-disc set of sophisticated studio recordings and acoustic fare.
