SCOTT ALARIK

Dar Williams, "The Beauty of the Rain" (Razor and Tie)
Williams’s most assured recording is also, not coincidentally, her prettiest. Her endearing chat-a-tat wit is missed, but replaced by a serene sense of space.

Kate Rusby, "Underneath the Stars" (Compass)
England’s finest young folk diva is emerging as one of its most remarkable songwriters. Her honey-husk voice makes the most ancient ballad seem fresh-faced.

Gordon Bok, "Herrings in the Bay" (Timberhead)
Maine’s unofficial folk-singer laureate is at the top of his game in this gorgeous, deeply moving set-piece on herring fishing.

Geoff Muldaur’s Futuristic Ensemble, "Private Astronomy: A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke" (Edge Music)
Muldaur puts his genius for making vintage music sound hip to epic use in this homage to the ’20s jazz legend. Muldaur’s voice is all blues and buttermilk, and his orchestrations are wonderfully evocative.

Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, "Gambling Eden" (Signature Sounds)
Tart, smart meld of American folk melody with buoyant splashes of jazz, pop, bluegrass, and blues. Arbo’s melodies feel timeless yet always surprising, with lyrics that offer provocative takes on classic themes of love and loss, doubt and resolve.

Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, "Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul" (Koch)
A swashbuckling yet sweet fusion of Celtic, African, and Latin sounds, led by arguably the most charismatic performer in Irish music today.

Corey Harris, "Mississippi to Mali" (Rounder)
Harris bravely wanders the edge between African-American and African folk sounds. Hauntingly primitivist and intellectually exhilarating.

Chris Smither, "Train Home" (Hightone)
A mature masterpiece that plumbs the mysteries of aging and mortality with leathery wisdom and mordant glee.

Jake Armerding, "Jake Armerding" (Compass)
Literally raised on bluegrass, Armerding has an irresistibly crisp sense of melody, awesome arrangement savvy, and a gift for intimate lyrics.

Danu, "The Road Less Traveled" (Shanachie)
No Celtic band more brilliantly takes the mirth and muscle of the sessiun to the concert stage. They have found another stunning vocalist in young Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.