Ryan Emmert | World Music Central

The album cover for Woody At Home – Vol 1 + 2 by Woody Guthrie features a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder with tangled wires in front, placed beside a small stack of boxed tapes. The background is dark, making the bold white text of Guthrie’s name and album title stand out clearly above the retro equipment.

Album reviews

The American Spirit: Unheard Woody Guthrie Recordings Released

Ryan Emmert October 18, 2025 No Comments American folk music Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie – Woody At Home — Volumes 1 & 2 (Shamus Records, 2025) A two-volume archival set, Woody At Home — Volumes 1 &…

Larry Keel and Jon Stickley cover artwork. A photo of the two bearded artists.

Album reviews

Pickin’ Partners: Keel & Stickley Tune Up A Debut

Larry Keel and Jon Stickley – Larry Keel and Jon Stickley (self-released, 2025) Veteran guitar flatpickers Larry Keel and Jon Stickley have released their first…

Sister Sadie - All Will Be Well cover artwork. A photo of the band.

Album reviews

Sister Sadie Mix Bluegrass and ’90s Twang on All Will Be Well

Ryan Emmert June 29, 2025 No Comments Bluegrass country music Sister Sadie world music

Sister Sadie – All Will Be Well (Mountain Home Music, 2025) Bluegrass group Sister Sadie returns with All Will Be Well, a new full-length album…

Various Artists – Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 1. Cover design. An illustration of a daisy.

Album reviews

Young at Heart: All-Star Tribute Album Strikes Gold

Ryan Emmert June 27, 2025 No Comments folk-rock Neil Young world music

Various Artists – Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 1 (Curios, 2025) A diverse lineup of artists pays tribute to Neil Young…

Spafford Campbell Photo by Lara Laeverenz.

Artist Profiles

Beyond Folk: Spafford Campbell Reimagine English Traditions

Ryan Emmert June 15, 2025 No Comments English Folk music Louis Campbell Owen Spafford Spafford Campbell world music

(headline image: Spafford Campbell – Photo by Lara Laeverenz) Fiddle player Owen Spafford and guitarist Louis Campbell, together known as Spafford Campbell, form a boundary-pushing…

The album cover for Lace by Billy Eli features the artist seated in a dimly lit room, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. He wears a fringed jacket and yellow cowboy boots, with a bottle of beer beside him on a rustic wooden table topped with red roses.

Album reviews

Lace Threads Old-School Country with a Modern Stitch

Ryan Emmert June 13, 2025 No Comments Americana Billy Eli country music

Billy Eli – Lace (self released, 2024) Billy Eli’s Lace weaves classic country influences with a personal, grounded perspective. Drawing inspiration from artists like Charlie…

The album cover for Empire State by Greg Copeland features a sepia-toned image viewed from inside a car. Through the windshield, a herd of cattle stands in the snow, partially obscured by a windshield wiper mid-swipe. The artist's name and album title are boldly displayed in black, all-caps text on beige bands at the top and bottom, respectively.

Album reviews

Greg Copeland’s Stark Songwriting on Empire State

Ryan Emmert June 7, 2025 No Comments American folk music Americana Greg Copeland Greg Leisz Jay Bellerose Jennifer Condos Sara Watkins Tyler Chester Val McCallum

Greg Copeland – Empire State (Franklin & Highland Recordings/Hemifrån/Paraply Records, 2024) On Empire State, Greg Copeland weaves understated melodies with unflinching lyricism to examine difficult…

The album cover for Now I'm a Kite by Susan Anders features a collage-style illustration with layers in shades of pink, purple, and blue. A flowing kite and a bird in mid-flight dominate the scene. The artist’s name arcs above the bird, while the album title floats beside it in a handwritten font.

Album reviews

Up and Up: Susan Anders Soars with Now I’m a Kite

Ryan Emmert June 4, 2025 No Comments American folk music Americana Susan Anders

Susan Anders – Now I’m a Kite (Zanna Discs, 2025) American singer-songwriter Susan Anders returns with Now I’m a Kite, a new collection of introspective,…

The album cover for Rituals by Watchhouse features a two-tone illustration in white against a deep blue background. It depicts a domestic scene: a dish rack or shelf lined with bowls and kitchenware, draped with various cloths and towels.

Album reviews

Watchhouse Taps Into the Sacred: Rituals Finds Grace in the Act of Letting Go

Ryan Emmert May 30, 2025 No Comments American folk music Americana Watchhouse world music

Watchhouse – Rituals (Tiptoe Tiger Music/Thirty Tigers, 2025) Watchhouse (Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz) offer a quiet invocation on their exquisite new album Rituals. This…

Helene Cronin – Maybe New Mexico cover artwork. A photo of the artist playing guitar.

Album reviews

Helene Cronin’s ‘Maybe New Mexico’: A Roadmap of Reflection

Ryan Emmert April 7, 2025 No Comments American folk music Americana Helene Cronin

Helene Cronin – Maybe New Mexico (self-release, 2025) Helene Cronin’s Maybe New Mexico is her most personal album to date, presenting an intimate, acoustic-driven sound.…