Jon Young

Is anything more gripping than the sound of a slide guitar? In the right hands, it can cry and moan, or soar and shout, with an electrifying power that feels like an untamed soul at its most genuine. For proof, check out veteran slide master Ed Williams of Chicago, who

Vividly present and strangely distant at once, John Craigie haunts the tender landscapes of I Swam Here like a ghost imparting an urgent message. If the gently alluring melodies and mild-mannered singing suggest a man on a mission to soothe, his crafty lyrics tell a different story, stirring up specters

You’d never know it just to look at him, but James Hunter is an accomplished time traveler. Despite passing for an ordinary mortal, this exuberant singer has obviously transported himself from a smoky London club circa 1963, where the preferred music is deep soul and the grooves are righteous.

It started during the pandemic. Cooped up in their homes, folk-music vets Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon began meeting for weekly writing sessions over Zoom, ultimately composing nearly 200 songs. That collaboration inspired these old friends to record the 2023 album, Together. Now they’re following it with Together Again,

Editor’s Note: Here at No Depression there’s too much great roots music in a year for us to cover it all. So in December, when new releases slow down, we ask writers to review some of the best albums we missed throughout the year in an ongoing series