Folk album reviews with STEVE JOHNSON September 14, 2026

New releases from Sam Carter, Spell Songs and Les Thomas

Book Review / 13 September 2026 We all speak Crimean 13 September 2026 KEN COCKBURN traces the one original language – that of the Yamnaya pastoral nomads – from which all European and Indian languages derive

PAUL DONOVAN is fascinated by the debunking of the iconic British war hero

ALEX HALL recommends a searing panorama of our global predicament

Comics are not just superheroes and spandex – it can be public art, telling public stories, suggests HARRIET EARLE

ALEXEI SAYLE speaks to Angus Reid about a lifetime of protest, how to hone political art – and what to do now

The bard serenades the Diggers of Wigan and their festive followers

RECORDED live at Celtic Connections, this album by singer and guitarist Sam Carter is a worthy celebration of the work of one of his musical heroes Nic Jones.

A towering figure on the English folk scene, Nic Jones’s career was tragically curtailed following a car accident in 1982 just two years after the release of his classic album Penguin Eggs. He has continued to inspire younger folk artists, and Carter’s recording of Canadee-i-o, one of the songs featured on this album, led to him performing alongside Jones at his first public performance in 28 years, the Sidmouth Folk Festival in 2010.

Other notable songs include Master Kilby, Seven Gypsies and The Humpbacked Whale. Sam Carter will be singing at venues and festivals until October 11. It will be a good opportunity to hear a tribute to a great folk veteran by one of the most talented younger performers on the circuit.

For dates venues and tickets see: samcartermusic.co.uk 

COMMISSIONED by Folk by the Oak Festival this is the third album of the Spell Songs project featuring seven Folk and World musicians Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Seckou Keita, Kris Drever, Rachel Newton, Beth Porter and Jim Molyneux.

As with the first two albums, In Thin Air continues to pay homage to a collaboration by artist Jackie Morris and conservation author Robert Macfarlane in exploring the seven wonders of bird life: Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration.

The title track by Karine Polwart opens with the sound of a starling migration and we then move through the other wonders. Senegalese Kora player Seckou Keita takes us through Njan (Nest) and Rachel Newton takes us through the Egg stage with A Life Begun. Closing with We Only Save The Ones We Love this is an enchanting album with a range of musical styles.

LES THOMAS is an Australian singer-songwriter whose work looks at personal and historical reflection. The cover of his latest album features J M W Turner’s painting The Slave Ship confronting the brutality of the slave trade and human indifference. It sets the scene for this album with a collection of self-penned songs about the turbulent times we are living in.

The Last of the Old Holdens explores the impact the closure of a car company in 2017 has on a father and his family who relied on his employment for regular pay and stability. Concern for working-class communities around the world runs throughout the album, the title track being a nine minute recollection of major historical events with it’s referencing of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

Ending on a note of defiance with Never Be Silenced this is a politically conscious album relevant to the current world.

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