The thing I find with a lot of singer songwriters is their introspection and more often than not the unsingability [new word?] of their songs, you almost feel as if you are intruding by listening.
Then there are glorious exceptions of course like our own El Greko, George writes songs that will be around for a long time as they are about the human condition, which is what to me most traditional folk songs are about. He also writes sing-a-long songs and encourages us to join in.
On the whole though, "folk music" seems to be going through one of it's periodic renaissances for which we should all be grateful. Who knows one day we may even get a folk club up in my neck of the woods.
Giok