Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's CD releases.

Leslie Stevens,"Sinner"(Thirty Tigers)- Leslie Stevens has been a name to be reckoned with on Los Angeles' Country rock/Americana circuit for quite some time now with her band Leslie and the Badgers , but the Missouri born singer-songwriter's musical exploits have had to take a back seat for the past few years as she's focussed her energies on the demands of motherhood. Leslie has now returned to the fray with this affecting showcase for her distinctive brand of "cosmic country," exploring such disparate themes as donkeys, drinking and driving in heaven alongside the dramatic narrative of "The Tillman Song."

John Campbell Munro,"The Kelly Collection" (Greentrax)- Scottish expatriate John Campbell Munro decamped to Australia at the tender age of just eighteen, where he became an integral member of highly regarded folk outfit Colcannon as well as forging a long term performing partnership with fellow Scot Eric Bogle. This splendid collection focusses attention on a batch of songs which Munro wrote and recorded shortly before his untimely death from cancer in 2018, with musical soulmate Bogle handling the vocal duties on fine tracks such as "The Trial" and "Stringyback Creek."

Hannah James and the Jigdoll Ensemble,"The Woman and her Words" (JigDoll Records)-The latest offering from innovative English folkie and dancer Hannah James and her multi-national band was recorded at the prestigious Budapest Music Centre in an enchanting celebration of the delights of European traditional culture. "The Woman and her Words" explores the process of ageing and hopefully gaining a little wisdom along the way as Hannah serves up subtly memorable ditties such as "Canal Song," "Will We Dance" and "Dancing Out Of Sight" for your listening pleasure.

"Country Music-A Film by Ken Burns (The Soundtrack)" (Legacy Recordings)- Emmy award winning filmmaker Ken Burns has earned a whole host of critical plaudits over the years for a series of distinctive documentaries examining such quintessentially American subjects as jazz ,baseball, and his finest achievement , 1990's "The Civil War." Burns' latest masterwork chronicles the history of country music via the usual sublime blend of interviews and archival footage, and this eminently listenable soundtrack album boasts contributions from leading lights of the genre such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to name but a few.