These 15 folk albums are the year’s best because they represent folk music’s expanding roots while best serving a unifying, underlying hope.
Country artist Victoria Bailey takes the reins as “Rider in the Rain” through her interpretation of the Randy Newman tune.
Folk singer-songwriter Rachel Garlin’s “Seashells” comes to life in a gorgeously animated music video.
Mamak Khadem is joined by Chris Martin, Coleman Barks, and more on her transportive new trancey track, “Across the Oceans”.
Singer-songwriter Lisa Morales invokes funk grooves on her soul-stirring new tune about unification, “Freedom”.
Folk luminary Eliza Gilkyson’s “At the Foot of the Mountain” sets the spotlight on the beauties of mountainside living.
Francisco Martin’s “IF U NEED ME” is a feel-good slice of nostalgic pop/R&B where his romantic songwriting meets an emotive delivery.
The Steel Wheels tell a fan’s genuine “anti-love-at-first-sight” story through the grooving Americana of “Time Is All I Need”.
Dark humor pervades Birdtalker’s new music video for “Old Sob Story”. It features the indie-folk band as clowns haunting Zack Green throughout a mundane day.
Moody guitar licks and sauntering percussion pave the way for Ian Jones on “Born Again Sinner”. Then, he wraps his raspy tone around the tune.
Tucson’s Soda Sun contribute their heartfelt folk tune, “Grape Juice”, to Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors.
