Superb guitarist from Texas, all of these tracks are gems, well worth keeping in heavy rotation. Hayden plays acoustic and electric guitars, and electric piano, while guests play bass, synths, ebow guitar, violin, acoustic piano, and pedal steel guitar. Recorded in Nashville, there is an occasional hint of country, but there is plenty else to unpack here, as my favourite track, Smoked, proves.
FAUN “Hex” 2025 One of the most-anticipated wyrd/pagan/Medieval//folk releases of the year does not disappoint. The septet performs on a wide variety of traditional instruments, truly too many to list, but you probably get the idea with the genre description. Chelsea Wolfe and Fatma Turgut make guest appearances. The music throughout, as always, is intense and riveting. I am choosing Nimue (NEEM way), as being most representative of the work as a whole, but there is so much to love throughout. Favourite Track: Nimue (4:38)
Visions of the Divine Mushroom
by Mushroom Divine
This is a collaborative effort, the duo of William Desmond and Taylor Barefoot, with several noted guests.Instrumentation is electric and acoustic hammered dulcimer, bass dulcimer, santoor, electric and acoustic guitars, multiple keyboards, electric sitar, bass, and percussion. There are choral styled vocals as well. The resultant aural deliciousness is ambient and hypnotic, with medieval, post rock, and space elements, and let’s not forget those mushrooms. Psilocybic, indeed.
Itri (EP)
by Corde Oblique
Corde Oblique has released this lovely EP of some previously unreleased tracks, and director’s cuts versions from a 2013 album. Riccardo Prencipe is the composer and mastermind behind these gorgeous pieces of music, which are a distinctive blend of folk and classical, with a decided Italianate flair. Instrumentation is classical guitar, violin, contrabass, and percussion, with vocals by Annalisa Madonna and Francesca Cacciatore. A class act all through.
I’ve Started So I’ll Finish (16-bit)
by Fearful Symmetry
This third offering from multi-instrumentalist Suzi James and company continue in their tradition of mixing styles ranging from progressive rock to Middle Eastern and Celtic motifs and even throwing in some southern jam rock grooves for good measure. Suzi provides guitars, bass, keyboards, flute, violin, oud, and mandolin; Yael Shotts lends her instantly recognizable clean vocals; and the articulate drums are played by Sharon Petrover. Mark Cook guests on Warr guitar
Neomedieval folk dungeon synth from an anonymous Salt Lake City composer and musician. There are no credits, but obviously, synths play a part in creating the imaginary worlds this artist conjures up. Plenty of plinkiness here, in a most delightful way, could be harp, harpsichord, or hammered dulcimer, or maybe all three. Let yourself be enchanted.
O Xardín
by SANGRE DE MUERDAGO
Galician quartet that has brought the beauty of this region’s music to life for almost 20 years. This latest release features nyckelharpa, clarinet, classical and steel string guitars, hurdy-gurdy, with various bells and traditional percussive elements. All of the gentlemen provide vocals, with Pricilla da Costa guesting as vocalist on the title track, my favourite.
Spring før sola står opp
by Annlaug Børsheim
Bringing us folk rock from Bergen Norway, this artist combines the traditional music of her homeland with jangly and washy electric guitars, bass and percussion. She plays Hardanger fiddle, and guitar, and provides the clean and expressive vocals, all sung in Norwegian.
Experimental ambient contemporary classical composer Realf Heygate releases his works under the moniker, “Flaer.” He incorporated field recordings, and also some eerily decaying tapes of his mother, practicing Spanish. The result is elegiac, meditative, and contemplative.
To Pieces (Single)
by Azam Ali
Azam Ali is an award winning multi-talented artist, and composer. She has utilized many styles, from Early Music, Medieval, Middle Eastern, and electronica, and sings in multiple languages. She has composed many pieces for film, television, and video games as well. Excitedly awaiting the full release, but we can enjoy this single in the meantime.
