Benedicte Maurseth: Mirra review – hardanger fiddle captures the fleeting magic of the fjordlands
Rhythmic repetitions and rustling textures evoke the traditional music and ecological harmony of Maurseth’s native Norway
Cass McCombs: Interior Live Oak review – double album doubles the pleasures of one of indie-rock’s finest
With existential lullabies and ritualistic stomps, tear-jerking odes and ballads worthy of Sinatra, US indie’s steadfast storyteller makes a wonderfully unhurried double album his best yet
The New Eves: The New Eve Is Rising review – imagine if the Velvet Underground scored Midsommar …
Velvets-style drone rock, trad folk, anarcho-punk and hippy whimsy are all discernible in the Brighton quartet’s debut album – all played with white-knuckle intensity
Poor Creature: All Smiles Tonight review – Lankum and Landless members steep tradition in lightness
Masters of atmosphere, Ruth Clinton, Cormac MacDiarmada and John Dermody contrast hauntological synths with robust noise on this playful debut
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