Amen Dunes - Lilac in Hand 7.6/10

Amen Dunes is the psychedelic folk solo project of Damon McMahon from New York state, USA. This track is taken from his forthcoming album Love which will be released by Sacred Bones Records in May 2014. This new album marks an expansion in McMahon's sound with the addition of a cast of musicians which play on the album. The feel of traditional Americana field recordings springs to mind on first listen, and McMahon's gravelly voice and world-weary delivery are the defining feature that sets this track apart as something above average. The track begins with strummed guitar, light piano chords and wood block percussion, eventually reaching a chorus with female accompanying vocals which lighten the mood considerably by puncturing the cloudy mood. Something in the melody and the vocal range he's aiming for suggests to me that he's absorbed some of Sigur Ros' sense for epic scales and pacing, and the fact that several members of Godspeed You Black Emperor took part in the recording of the album is also apparent in the deeply enveloping atmospherics. This is a strong track from Amen Dunes and probably the finest he's yet produced, so let's hope the new album will bear similar fruit.

Tune-Yards - Water Fountain 8.5/10

Tune-Yards is the stage name of experimental folk singer Merrill Garbus, originally from Connecticut, USA. This track is taken from her forthcoming album Nikki Nack which will be released by 4AD Records in early May 2014. This song has a bit of everything from Merrill's past releases, including lyrics which will make you laugh, ponder, and ultimately conclude that she's approaching Beck's stream-of-consciousness delivery from the Odelay era. The emphasis on percussion and bass as propulsion continues from the style seen on her previous album whokill, but the idea for this track is simply to make everything bigger and broader in scale. The rousing refrain of "Woo-ha!" and its pop song sensibility suggests Merrill is aiming for a broader audience with this release, as this is probably the catchiest and most approachable track she has released so far. Despite this the track retains all the wonderful experimentation and energy we've come to expect from Tune-Yards, and this is a solid addition to her catalogue which shows both stylistic progression and improved production techniques.

Woods - Leaves Like Glass 8.8/10

Woods is an indie psychadelic folk rock band from New York, USA. This track is taken from their album With Light and with Love which was released by their own Woodsist record label in April 2014. Woods have consistently produced a string of likeable, sun-bleached and earthy singles over the past eight years, and Leaves Like Grass easily carries on the trend. Lead singer Jeremy Earl has a highly distinctive voice which is now placed more prominently in the mix than on previous albums. The production is crisp and clear, with the organ part forming the backbone of the swaggering rhythm beneath the careful guitar picking. The ringing guitar melody in the final minute makes this possibly the finest tune that Woods have written to date. This track harks back to a 1960's folk style while still sounding like it belongs on the contemporary radio dial. All this makes it a perfect chillout track for a sunny summer afternoon sitting outdoors.

Califone - The Orchids 8.0/10

Califone is an indie folk group from Chicago, USA. This track is taken from their album Roots and Crowns released by Thrill Jockey in 2006. It's a rare thing when a cover can be considered as good or better than the original version, but that is the case with this cover of a song by Psychic TV from the early 1980's. Carefully plucked acoustic guitars are matched with frontman Tim Rutili's world-weary voice while a harmonica moves in and out adding depth and grace. Rutili has stated that the sound of the album Roots and Crowns was directly inspired by Psychic TV's version of the song. The poetic lyrics mention shades of lightness, darkness and colour, and revolve around the common theme of eyes and sight.