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The Allmusic 2020

Year In Review

Traditional sounds and experimental energy were on display in equal measure in our favorite folk albums of 2020, highlighted by standout records from Bill Fay, the Haden Triplets, Kaki King, and James Elkington.

Aoife Nessa Frances

Land of No Junction

The Irish singer/songwriter's excellent debut is a pastoral, dark-hued set that pulls from chamber folk and psych-pop.

Bibio

Sleep on the Wing

Stephen Wilkinson expands on Ribbons' folky leanings in traditional and experimental ways that are equally delightful.

Bill Fay

Countless Branches

The solitary English songwriter offers a sparse, vulnerable, generous and intimate portrait of his inner world in ten new songs.

Courtney Marie Andrews

Old Flowers

A hushed, understated breakup album that can function as a soothing balm.

Gwenifer Raymond

Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain

On her sophomore long-player, the acoustic guitarist evokes moods and landscapes from her native Wales in a dazzling, forceful showcase.

James Elkington

Ever-Roving Eye

A dazzling display of elegant folk-rock guitar craft and introspective songwriting from the British-born Chicagoan.

Kaki King

Modern Yesterdays

On her first studio outing in five years, the guitarist teams with a sound designer in delivering a groundbreaking set of instrumentals.

Laura Marling

Song for Our Daughter

The British folk singer/songwriter's mid-career watershed continues on her gorgeously written seventh album.

Lori McKenna

The Balladeer

The veteran singer/songwriter turns in another reliably poignant and warmly crafted collection with a deeply personal feel.

Marisa Anderson / Jim White

The Quickening

Anderson and White make for a complimentary pairing on their entirely improvised guitar and drums debut as a duo.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

The Dirt and the Stars

Recorded live at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios, the songwriter and her band deliver organic personal songs with immediacy and heart.

Matt Berry

Phantom Birds

Eschewing the usual psychedelic folk mix of previous albums, Berry dips into country-rock for a relaxed set of songs.

Myrkur

Folkesange

The shift away from black metal in favor of acoustic neo-traditional, gothic folk, offers listeners drama, resonance, tenderness, and mystery.

Rustin Man

Clockdust

The counterpart to 2019's elegant Drift Code blends folk, jazz, psych-pop, and electronic elements in its spellbinding, time-traveling songs.

Sally Anne Morgan

Thread

The Black Twig Pickers and House and Land member makes her solo debut on this winsome and gently experimental folk set.

Sam Amidon

Sam Amidon

Amidon's artistry is on full display on a return to folk covers that updates traditional fare as well as more-modern touchpoints like Taj Mahal.

Sam Burton

I Can Go With You

The Utah native delivers a timeless-sounding debut of windblown country-folk grace and rambling melancholia.

Shirley Collins

Heart's Ease

The British folk icon returns to the recording studio to create a strong, confident, and forward-thinking album at the age of 85.

Skyway Man

The World Only Ends When You Die

A cosmic country opera that evokes a Muscle Shoals-backed Grateful Dead piloting a boogie van into the Greek underworld.

Smoke Fairies

Darkness Brings the Wonders Home

A tougher guitar sound blends with the ethereal harmonies and ghostly melodies that are the trademarks of this U.K. indie folk duo.

Snowgoose

The Making of You

The second album from these Scottish folk-rock advocates blends British cool and American warmth and twang with gorgeous results.

Stephen Malkmus

Traditional Techniques

Stephen Malkmus finally makes the psych-folk album he's been hinting at for years.

Suhail Yusuf Khan / Jon Thorne / James Yorkston

Navarasa: Nine Emotions

The experimental U.K.-Indian folk trio gamely tackles the nine emotions of the Navarasa on their third outing.

The Haden Triplets

Family Songbook

Three outstanding vocalists come together with the help of their brother and grandfather to make a subtle but splendid album.

This Is the Kit

Off Off On

The fifth LP from Kate Stables' long-tenured indie folk project pairs appealing emotional warmth with restless, rhythmic arrangements.

Toumani Diabaté / Béla Fleck

The Ripple Effect

Previously unissued live date from 2008 from the American banjo master and the Malian kora legend that reveals two improvisers at their peak.

William Tyler

Music From First Cow

Tyler's humble playing and rustic minimalism create a lovely backdrop to Kelly Reichardt's poignant frontier film.

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Bill Fay