MATT SWEENEY & BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY

Superwolves (DOMINO)

Family life may have slowed Will Oldham’s antic productivity these past few years, but a reconnection with old sparring partner Sweeney led to his best LP for a decade. Sixteen years after Superwolf, their belated follow-up pitted Sweeney’s ornate guitar lines – like a gothically-inflected Richard Thompson – against Oldham’s unusually intimate lyrics about fatherhood. Mdou Moctar guested on Hall Of Death for a rousing hybrid of folk rock and Tuareg blues. Standout track: Watch What Happens