Chris Thile - how to grow a woman from the ground
(barnstorming bluegrass album. quite poppy but never cheesy at all)

Alasdair Roberts - the amber gatherers
(one of the best folk-rock albums I've ever heard. possibly Ali's cheeriest yet)

Agree with the votes for the Jim Causley album. Still not entirely convinced about some of his delivery on some of his songs though. But great stuff.

Really enjoying the snippets I've heard of Simon Prager's album 'Shuckin Sugar' - mix of covers and originals of blues and fingerpicky US folk stuff. From what I've heard I suspect it's probably up there with the best of other folky things I've heard this year.

Nick Drake's 'Family Tree' album is probably the album I've listened to the most this year. I actually now prefer it to his studio albums. Much more bluesy playing. The duet with his sister, and the music written and played by his mum is beautiful.