With its poetic lyrics and haunting melodies, contemporary folk music is, at its best, deeply evocative. The elusive genre is hard to pin down, often blending traditional acoustics with elements of everything from punk and pop to country and jazz. These are some of the best folk albums of the year so far.

Big Thief: 'Double Infinity'

"Big Thief have done it again," said Helen Brown in The Independent . The Brooklyn-based band's bassist left last year, but their sixth album "sounds like an instant classic". Combining "solidly crafted, intelligently soul-searching songs" with the group's obvious "alchemical joy in jamming together", it's a wonderful record. Among the album's "many addictive grooves" is "Incomprehensible", a thoughtful reflection on the inevitability of ageing, and "All N

See Full Page