Below you will find our final selection of the ‘Best of 2015’ album releases. The albums have been split over four posts (you can find them all here). Before we launch into those, I asked seven of our regular reviewers to choose three of their personal favourites which they had reviewed for Folk Radio UK. It was no easy task – like our ‘Best of’ list their choices are in no order of merit and they all feature in the overall Best Albums of 2015.
Read the Full List of 105 albums (without Video) here.
Reviewer’s Highlights of 2015
Helen Gregory
Simpson/Cutting/Kerr – Murmurs
Emily Portman – Coracle
Holly Lerski – Wooden House
Read all of Helen’s reviews here.
Neil McFadyen
Vesevo – Vesevo
Dreamer’s Circus – 2nd Movement
Sarah Hayes – Woven
Read all of Neil’s reviews here.
Mike Davies
James McMurtry – Complicated Game
Kim Lowings and the Greenwood – Historia
Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy
Read all of Mike’s reviews here.
Thomas Blake
Laura Cannell – Beneath Swooping Talons
Amanda Feery and Michael Tanner – To Run the Easting Down
Darren Hayman – Florence
Real all of Thomas’ reviews here.
David Kidman
Trembling Bells – The sovereign self
Robin Williamson – Trusting in the rising light
Ffynnon – Longau
Read all of David’s reviews here.
Johnny Whalley
The Alt – The Alt
Barrule – Mannanan’s Cloak
Rura – Despite the Dark
Read all of Johnny’s reviews here.
Roy Spencer
The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Kings of the South Seas – Kings of the South Seas
Demon Barbers – Disco at the Tavern
Read all of Roy’s reviews here.
So here are the final “Best of 2015′ albums:
The Best Folk Music Albums of 2015
Sharron Kraus – Friends and Enemies; Lovers and Strangers
Sharron’s album draws inspiration from the Mabinogi, a medieval Welsh collection of stories. It’s a highly original collection of compositions which can be enjoyed as a folk album like any other, but which repays a much closer listening to reveal a depth of understanding of its sources which shines a light on a classic text too often overlooked when we think of the great works of literature of these islands.
Review Link
Rachel Hair Trio – trì
The Rachel Hair Trio have truly found their sound with a record that combines vibrant dances with, graceful and haunting airs and three moving songs. In the process they’ve cut back on the guest appearances that have expanded and orchestrated their previous records, to concentrate on what the three of them do best – making beautiful music together – and Trì is surely that.
Review Link
Andy May Trio – About Time
Andy May’s pipes can be rousing or soothing and are a joy to listen to; Ian Stephenson’s guitar and bass are dynamic and dependable, his melodeon delightful; and Sophy Ball’s fiddle is accomplished, adventurous and thoroughly enjoyable. However, with their abundant enthusiasm, a mutual empathy bordering on instinct and, above all, a collective passion for the music they play; it’s as a single, cohesive unit that the Andy May Trio shines brightest and About Time is the superb result.
Review Link
Gren Bartley – Magnificent Creatures
Gren Bartley has recorded an absorbing collection of songs awash with poetic lyrical imagery and stunning harmonies. His decision to work with a contemporary producer should broaden the appeal of an album where the magnificent creatures are the songs.
Review Link
Gregg Cave – Old England Grown New
Old England Grown New is anything but deferential; rather it has a quiet confidence and a strong sense of self-worth which, at a time when political and moral bankruptcy are the order of the day for our kleptocratic rulers, sets it apart from the herd. Gregg Cave is to be congratulated for expressing so clearly his vision of 21st century Britain viewed through the lens of our collective history and, in the process, making such a striking and memorable debut album.
Review Link
Holly Lerski – The Wooden House
To be able to look beyond the surfaces of everyday concerns and find new insights may seem a small thing, but it’s a rare skill which should get a big thumbs-up from anyone with a penchant for a finely-turned phrase, something which Holly Lerski has in abundance and, it’s to be hoped, will find recognition for in The Wooden House.
Review Link
Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free
His most potent statement yet…pushing his cinematic songs on to a whole new level. It sounds so easy and natural, yet is clearly a work of considerable craft, carefully constructed to maximise the impact as it hits you wave after emotional wave.
Review Link
Thea Gilmore – Ghosts and Graffiti
In her notes on the album, she writes that listening back to the old songs was like being haunted by the ghosts of her past. Rather than exorcise them, she’s given them new life while continuing to graffiti the wall of the music industry with music that matters, music with a heart and a mind rather than a corporate game plan. Long may she be “the girl that went and bucked their little trend.”
Review Link
Kings of the South Seas – Kings of the South Seas
Kings of the South Seas is a mesmerising album – contemporary interpretations that recount the lure of the sea and the lore of the whales and the sailors who pursued them to their ends.
Review Link
Krista Detor – Barely
Produced by her partner David Weber and recorded in her hometown Bloomington, Barely, as the title suggests, is a stripped down affair, the instrumentation limited to piano, accordion, guitar and organ, with just a splash of cello…As well as suggesting something that’s hardly there, barely also means without disguise or concealment. As such, this is Barely Brilliant.
Review Link
The Poozies – Into the Well
With Into the Well, The Poozies have created another sparkling contemporary gem of an album, expertly combining and contrasting genres while keeping a distinctive traditional Scottish feel.
Review Link
Jenny Ritter – Raised By Wolves
Perhaps the most delicious element of Raised By Wolves is the lack of resolution. Even closing track Lost And Found’s key couplet, ’Cause I lost something that I never had / And I got something I didn’t know I wanted’ hints at the difficulty of coming down on either side of the fence, so resigning Ritter to the pain and pleasure of the thin line in-between, the hinterland where pack animals are as comfortable together as they are alone. She commands the space with ease and the result is terrific.
Review Link
Ghazalaw – Ghazalaw
Ghazalaw is a fascinating project which more than succeeds in its aim of connecting two apparently divergent and ancient cultures, using the ebb and flow between voices, instruments and sounds to great effect in a hypnotic and immersive listening experience. Through its focus on the pleasures and pains of love, it finds many similarities and is a timely reminder that humanity is global and we have much more in common that’s worth celebrating, than reasons for fighting against each other.
Review Link
Tom Russell – The Rose Of Roscrae
As demanding as this may appear, The Rose Of Roscrae is also hugely enjoyable and a game changer…As Tom himself humorously suggests, just think of it as Les Misérables with cowboy hats.
Review Link
Treacherous Orchestra – Grind
Grind is conceived on a grand scale. Yet this music is also played with intricate attention to detail, an intimate knowledge of the instruments of choice and a total trust in each others ability. They have it all and then some and Grind is pure, unadulterated, delirious joy.
Review Link
Olivia Chaney – The Longest River
The Longest River is probably one of the longest-awaited debut albums in the recent history of Brit-folk…a deliciously sombre collection and eminently treasurable.
Review Link
Tom Kitching – Interloper
It’s clear from his liner notes that Tom wants this album to be thought provoking. So I listened to it with his questions in mind, “What are the new English tunes? What influences them? How do they fit in the continuum of English music?” But, do you know, you might just want to sit and listen to a collection of cracking tunes with intelligent, absorbing arrangements. If you do, you could soon be off the sofa, dancing round the living room with a smile on your lips.
Review Link
Josh Ritter – Sermon On The Rocks
Musically and lyrically, it’s a stunning piece of work that finds Ritter at the peak of his very considerable powers and is, arguably, his best album to date.
Review Link
The Alt – The Alt
…resulting in a confection that delights from beginning to end. I’d hesitate to label any artist’s output as “perfection” but this comes dammed close.
Review Link
Ffynnon – Llongau
…a stunning disc which, while eminently listenable and accessible, is unique enough to single-handedly and significantly raise the profile of Welsh folk music.
Review Link
The Demon Barbers – Disco at the Tavern
There is so much going on with this album that it is impossible to take it all in during the first hearing. A bewildering array of styles is woven into the pieces, as traditional folk songs are reinterpreted with a contemporary dance music twist. Overlaid by Damien Barber’s powerful, passionate vocal, it all results in a stunning collection of foot-tapping brilliance.
Review Link
Vesevo – Vesevo
Vesevo have taken the oral, musical and dance traditions of southern Italy, such as famous Tarantella and Tammorra, and guided them, majestically, down a new path that leads to the thriving heart of Naples.
Review Link
Dreamer’s Circus – Second Movement
Dreamer’s Circus have proven they will refuse, gleefully, to be restricted by genre or by tradition. Their approach is all-embracing and their technical ability simply outstanding. Their music is completely accessible and, at the same time, remarkable in its complexity. Second Movement carries the listener from calm contemplation to a euphoric exuberance – a journey to be relished.
Review Link
The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is a terrific collection of addictive songs whose uplifting sound often belies their dark, unpleasant lyrics, reflecting perfectly the contrast in the album’s title. Their decision to let the songs progress naturally rather than writing to the clock has produced an astonishing work. Play it often and loud – but you better not wake the baby.
Review Link
Meg Baird – Don’t Weigh Down the Light
…any musician who is able and willing to follow her own star so doggedly and tirelessly is always worth checking out, particularly when she so steadfastly refuses to play to the mainstream music industry’s narrow and binding rules. More power to her elbow!
Review Link
Amanda Feery and Michael Tanner – To Run the Easting Down
In To Run The Easting Down they [Amanda Feery and Michael Tanner] have created a record that is not always easy, but is nonetheless beautiful and immersive. The fact that it was made by two artists on opposite sides of the Atlantic is testament to the power of collaboration, and a sign that such collaboration has a bright future.
Review Link
Robin Williamson – Trusting in the Rising Light
Trusting In The Rising Light is a seriously haunting album, a work of satisfying depth whose precision of execution, though at times seemingly dry, even brittle, nevertheless embodies a true warmth and humanity. It just has to be counted amongst Robin’s best work to date.
Review Link
Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy
They Promised You Mercy is the follow-up to 2012’s Spectators and seventh release from Newfoundland singer-songwriter Amelia Curran. Impossible though it may seem, this is even better than its predecessor, which, let us not forget, featured San Andreas Fault, indisputably one of the finest songs of the 21st century.
Review Link
Kim Lowings & The Greenwood – Historia
As the torch passes from one generation to the next, it’s reassuring to know that, with the likes of Lowings, British folk music continues to remain in very good hands.
Review Link
James McMurtry – Complicated Game
…in its storytelling’s unflinching and sharp observations of lives we can all recognize, delivered with unembellished honesty and deep empathy, it may well prove one of the finest Americana albums of the year.
Review Link
Nathan Bowles – Nansemond
When questioned about his creative process and how other artists have influenced each track, Bowles has stated he cannot decipher where each new idea stems from, he can only direct it in terms of his overall artistic vision. This is what we hear on Nansemond, an artist crafting a story, part myth, part memoir. The music takes us to such far-removed places that when we look back we can barely recognise where we started.
Review Link
Read the rest of the ‘Best of 2015’list here.