Foghat,”Road Fever” (Cherry Red)- This refreshingly unpretentious English rock band was formed by three recently departed members of Savoy Brown in 1971, and they made the wise decision to relocate to America soon afterwards. Their subsequent recordings for Bearsville Records brought Foghat a string of gold and platinum albums during the years that followed , as record buyers across the pond always seemed to be much more responsive to their no nonsense brand of boogie than punters in their homeland, where the group have remained relatively obscure figures throughout their lengthy recording career. This splendid 6 CD set from the good people at Cherry Red focusses attention on Foghat’s illustrious back catalogue from the early seventies, showcasing their entire Bearsville album output from this period alongside single versions of some classic crowd pleasers such as “Fool For The City” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You.”

Gnoss,”Stretching Skyward” (Blackfly Records)- The Triple Scots Trad Awards nominees continue to weave their subtle instrumental spell as they unveil the eagerly anticipated follow up to 2021’s critically acclaimed “The Light of the Moon.” The Scottish traditional influence still tends to dominate proceedings as you might expect, but traces of Americana also make their presence felt from time to time as Gnoss explore some typically wide ranging subject matter via a batch of gently captivating ditties led by “Honey Wine,” “Hamnavoe” and the group’s stunning interpretation of the great Gillian Welch’s “Hard Times.”

Ryan Hamilton,”Nowhere To Go But Everywhere” (Wicked Cool)- Ryan Hamilton’s rootsy brand of power pop is captured at its most infectious and radio friendly on “Nowhere To Go But Everywhere,” the gifted Texan singer-songwriter’s 2020 album for Springsteen sideman Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool label. Hamilton’s tuneful ruminations on the vagaries of the human condition should be required listening for everyone who appreciates the timeless musical qualities which led this supremely melodic offering to be nominated for so many indie rock plaudits when it first saw the light of day three years ago.