"an acoustic guitar lays down the track's folk credentials and paves the way for the fragile, warm yet wistful vocals"

"Jean's finger picking sets a warm tone for this suitably stripped back folk ode to simplicity and slow days in love"

"She turns up the heat on, "Fear Bangs the Drum" which gets off to an easy folk rock start before sinking into microdosed genre ambiguity"

"Wave after wave of succinct guitar and bowing refrains cascade through the speakers, improvisatory string work largely nudged to the side lest it muddy the hypnotic waters"

"The EP is guided by Grassie’s impressive picking, and augmented by some perfectly judged double bass, pedal steel and vocals"

"If some gentle, contemplative folk music is the order of the day then look no further."

"peel back the blankets which make this album so comforting and you’ll discover a body chilled by 2025’s news cycle"

"the album is an outsider folk meets leftfield white gospel one of a kind and deserves your close attention."

"musings on vileness that espouse kindness and a philosophical finger picked approach to the dissolution of decency, tolerance, understanding, truth and democracy"

"there is an unpolished candour throughout the album, the antithesis of LA’s studio botox, photoshopped press shots and social media neediness"

"strings float in and out of the soundscape adding a hint of heart wrenching melancholy to the warm guitar layers that evoke simpler Southern lifestyles"

"And so the song continues in lovely dreamy fashion, the instrumentation and voice gently swirling around each other before melting into the slide augmented, ambient cushion. "

"a group of working musicians ploughing traditional and alternative furrows in more rural communities. To be honest I never even knew that white gospel was even a thing"

"slightly more urgent acoustic guitar work threads its way through the impeccably detailed psychoactive electronica that melts just above the song and then drips through every note and word."

"The song has an easy going charm, as it suggests that time in nature, good friends and community might just be the part of life's puzzle missing for so many in these days of digital isolation and urban jungles."

"It's a peculiar tale where perfectly delivered tongue twisting moments melt into pleasant, childlike simplicity, and country life blurs into toad licked surrealism"

"wisely ditching the sonic make up which, with a voice so pretty, she certainly doesn't need."

“Chrysanthemum” goes all suitably flower power, paving the way with petals for the title track’s creamy acid-folk

if languid, somewhat wistful, subtly electronic injected folk with earthy, relatable tales are the order of the day then Great Horned Owl will see you right.

his selfless approach leaves the focus on Åsbakk, whose voice rings pure and true from the instrumental gloom, deftly traversing centuries and breathing new life into these songs

there is a genuine feeling of peace and contentment running through the album, something that she manages to channel to anyone in earshot with THAT voice

A pleasing drone gets the ball rolling, the perfect intro and backdrop to Manson's warm, intricate acoustic guitar work and gently insistent refrains that set a classic folk course

Knouse adopts a similar laidback approach to his guitar playing, ambling along seemingly lost in thought most of the time, occasionally upping the intensity and form to accentuate his vocals when he feels like it.

I'm guessing the arrival of Spring resonates even more in Canada, with its longer and harsher winters, and Riana's new single celebrates this seasonal unfolding and the accompanying mental and physical blossoming of the country's residents