Elle King turns “Good to Be a Man” into a sly, six-string grin: rough-edged, catchy, and impossible to ignore. Fresh off the EP, it lands like a song you somehow missed until now, then immediately need in your life.
Folk
King Charles and The Brightest Lights land like a surprise single with real bite. The hook arrives fast, the chorus feels bigger than the room, and the whole thing sounds ready for a late-night radio takeover.
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside hit with “This Crew” like a bruised postcard from a bar that still has a good jukebox. The track feels freshly essential because it sounds feral, stylish, and a little dangerous in the best way.
The Avett Brothers make “Another Is Waiting” feel like the song everybody somehow missed first time around. The chorus lands fast, and the hook sounds ready for daylight radio, late-night drives, and anyone pretending they are not already sold.
Of Monsters and Men sound fully formed on “Little Talks,” and that matters right now because the song lands like a surprise hit with zero patience for getting warmed up. The chorus arrives already waving a flag.
Wild Child sound like they’ve just stumbled into your week with a grin, and “The Tale of You & Me” lands like a secret worth keeping. The hook is immediate, the mood is loose-limbed, and the song feels essential because it arrives already knowing how to charm a room.
Gillian Welch sounds like she has always known “The Way It Goes” and is only now letting everyone else catch up. The song lands like a sudden favorite on the radio: plainspoken, sharp, and impossible to shrug off.
The Oh Hellos make "Lay Me Down" feel like a secret worth sharing before everyone else catches on. The song lands with the kind of earnest lift that turns a quiet listen into an instant favorite.
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors make “Learning to Fly” feel like the kind of song that appears fully formed and instantly necessary. The live-in-the-studio setting gives it a fresh, right-now charge, with no wasted motion and plenty of heart.
Miner’s “Golden Ocean” lands like a confident new favorite: widescreen, melodic, and strangely fresh on first spin. If your queue needs one song that feels bigger than the room, start here.
The Stray Birds turn “Dream in Blue” into the kind of folk gem that feels newly unearthed and immediately essential. The harmonies land clean and plainspoken, like a porch light switching on after dusk.
Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford turn “Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)” into the kind of folk cut that sounds freshly unearthed. In a week packed with loud distractions, this one lands like a quiet dare: listen closer.
Elliott BROOD gives Northern Air a rough-hewn lift that feels both weathered and alive. It is folk-rock with dirt under its nails and a chorus that keeps moving.
The Barr Brothers let Beggar in the Morning unfold with patient, haunted grace. It feels rooted in folk tradition, but the atmosphere keeps it from sounding museum-clean.
Hudson and Troop keeps Against The Grain plainspoken and easy to trust. It has the kind of melody that feels familiar before it has technically earned the right.
David Vertesi keeps All Night, All Night, All Night intimate without letting it fade into the wallpaper. It has the steady patience of a song that knows exactly how long to linger.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich lets Shine do its work quietly. It is soft-spoken folk with enough melody to linger after the room goes still.
Xavier Rudd makes Follow the Sun feel simple, grounded, and completely direct. It does not chase drama; it just opens the door and lets the light in.
Revolver lets Wind Song drift in with a clean acoustic breeze and a soft pop glow. It is understated, melodic, and quietly built to stay with you.
Blind Pilot make We Are the Tide feel expansive without losing its front-porch heart. It rises with the confidence of a band that knows exactly when to hold back.
Vetiver keeps Wonder Why gentle, curious, and quietly addictive. It has that loose folk-pop ease where nothing sounds overworked, yet every part lands exactly where it should.
My favorite Folk songs from the past year.
Paid-only
My favorite Folk songs from the past year.
Paid-only
Old Crow Medicine Show and Wagon Wheel feel impossible to ignore right now. The track hits like a roadside anthem with dusty boots on the dash and a chorus built to stick after one spin.
