3 Amazing Folk Albums From the 2020s That Breathed New Life Into the Genre

The golden era of folk music has been left in the 20th century. But that doesn’t mean new evolutions of the genre aren’t still keeping things alive today. In fact, in the 2020s, there was quite a renaissance for indie folk musicians, with countless excellent albums hitting the shelves. And I expect there to be even greater works to be released during the rest of the 2020s. Let’s take a look at just a few excellent folk albums that soothed the soul and made us cry during the 2020s!

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‘Forefowk, Mind Me’ by Quinie (2025)

Honestly, this one is insanely underrated. Released in May 2025, Quinie’s gorgeous work is an ode of sorts to traditional Scottish music. It was also released with a stunning film that depicts Quinie traveling via horseback through the Argyll county of Scotland. In just 11 songs, this record has more energy than one might expect from a folk record. It comes complete with innovative elements that bridge the gap between old and new in the most gorgeous way. This was also the album that introduced me to the concept of “canntaireachd,” a vocal trick that mimics the sound of pipes. Absolutely soul-cleansing work.

‘Punisher’ by Phoebe Bridgers (2020)

This solo record from one crucial member of boygenius was probably the biggest album of 2020, and definitely one of the biggest indie folk and emo-folk records of the decade. Punisher gave us gems like “Garden Song”, “I Know The End”, and “Kyoto” that took TikTok by storm, and Phoebe Bridgers established herself as a force to be reckoned with.

‘Javelin’ by Sufjan Stevens (2023)

I’m a big Sufjan Stevens fan, so forgive my self-indulgence here. Though, Javelin is objectively worthy of an entry on our list of the best folk albums of the 2020s. This gorgeous indie folk record was almost completely recorded by Stevens in his home studio. However, a number of his friends and contemporaries contributed to it, including The National’s guitarist Bryce Dessner. It’s a very singer-songwriter album, not unlike Stevens’ previous (and devastating) release, Carrie & Lowell from 2015. “So You Are Tired” and his cover of Neil Young’s “There’s A World” are essential listening, but this whole record is best enjoyed in its entirety.

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