Two weeks 'til Bluegrass and my iPod playlist is noticeably skewed toward Celtic folk music. The time for high and lonesome will come; right now I'm immersing myself in the promise of fog and forests. 

In no particular order:

= Laura Marling, Live from York Minster. Laura's sextet gives a stirring, beautifully-paced live performance in an English cathedral. A glimpse of the future magic of her 6/21 Palm show. 

= Seryn, This Is Where We Are. Pitch-perfect accompaniment for a dramatic trail run to peaks and secluded valleys. Transcendent. 

= Punch Brothers, Who's Feeling Young Now. Continuing to redefine intelligent, drum-less, virtuosic acoustic pop. 

= Said the Whale, Little Mountain. Vancouver folk-rockers' further move toward rock has me singing along to every song.

= Admiral Fallow, Tree Bursts in Snow. Less horns than their wonderful debut, but bigger hooks. A Scottish folk-rock grower.

= Apollo Ghosts, Landmark. 15 lovably scrappy two-minute indie-rock songs. Turn it up.

= Glen Hansard, Rhythm & Repose. Glen's solo debut is more direct and grounded than the second Swell Season record, but oh so luscious. Down, goosebumps, down!

= King Creosote, I Learned from the Gaels. The follow-up to last year's much-adored, much-quieter collaboration with Jon Hopkins opens with an infectiously danceable homage to the 80s worthy of repeat, repeat, repeat. 

= Dick Gaughan, Handful of Earth. 30+ years since its release, the Scottish folkie still grabs you by the headphones, forcing you to digest every syllable.    

= Bahamas, Barchords. So vibey. So much better than the new M. Ward. Such a chill way to spend 40 minutes.