31. Will Stratton, 'Post Empire'

Hidden away in the numerous nooks and crannies of Brooklyn, Will Stratton has been quietly and steadily making some of the most intricate and beautiful folk music of our age. Stratton's deeply nuanced poetry is matched only by his self-taught acoustic guitar playing in the vein of greats like John Fahey. Throw in the occasional female vocal strand from Amelia Meath from Mountain Man and this album becomes a perfectly balanced thing of beauty. -- Caitlin White