PROGRESSIVE FOLK

PAUL SEXTON enjoys celtic songcraft, mysticism and some music for puppets.

A2020 highlight (yes, there were some) was the belated discovery of the expansive talents of wildly imaginative, prolific northerner Paul Mosley. With many albums under his belt, he’s also written more than 20 puppet show scores, from the take-the-family kind to the darkly avant-garde. The self-released Music For Puppets, credited to Paul Mosley And The Red Meat Orchestra and best purchased via his Bandcamp page, is typically multi-layered, from the wonky fairground intro of Ice Cream And Whiskey to the gorgeous jazz-pop of Cool Kids, the Kurt Weill-esque Tightrope and gloriously disturbing Zombie Donkeys.

As he says, Superheroes has assumed new meaning for these times, and deserves a sync on the next visual tribute to key workers (He sings, ‘underdogs against the odds, you are superheroes’). The record is, by Paul’s description, “beautiful, banging, bonkers,” and by mine, magical from start to finish.

One of its guest singers is kindred spirit, fellow Bandcamp denizen and Welsh songwriter Jack Harris. This columnist had the pleasure of introducing Harris and Mosley in a marvellous, safelydistanced double bill in October at south London’s Sound Lounge. Jack’s desert dry stage wit was the bonus accompaniment to his beautifully expressed acoustic compositions, of which the Six Songs EP, also self-released, is the recent memento. Recorded as live, it speaks evocatively of bells peeling, steeples peering and, on the closing What Am I Gonna Do About You?, ‘chimneys silent as watchmen.’

“Psych-folk mystic” Simon Finn dates to the bedsit folk of 1967, when he debuted by opening for Al Stewart at the Marquee. In 1970, he delivered the genre staple Pass The Distance, and after various releases for labels such as Durtro, Jnana and Captain Trip, ventures back with the off-kilter acoustics and haunted vocals of the Be Here Then EP (10 to 1), ahead of a full length album.

Tom Moore and Archie Moss come humming into earshot with the DIY

Spectres (duomooremoss.bandcamp.com). It aims to reset the boundaries of British instrumental folk, with accordions and violins given the run of the playground, to sometimes plaintive, sometimes jaunty effect.

Scottish singerharpist and Radio 2 Folk Awards honoree Rachel Newton has women central to the narrative of To The Awe (Shadowside). It places roots lore in contemporary settings both sharp edged and delicate, at once appealing to traditionalists and adventurers. Try not tapping a foot to

Chaidil Mi A – Raoir Air An Airigh, which would be at home in both folk and dance clubs.

A final, extremely honourable mention goes to Our Man In The Field’s The Company of Strangers (Rootsy Music). It’s a vehicle for frontman Alex Ellis’ subtle song textures and the flavoursome accompaniment of pedal steel, upright bass and more, with echoes running from Roy Harper to Ray Lamontagne.