(Tompkins Square)

Maverick guitarist and singer-songwriter Michael Chapman has attracted fans such as John Peel, Jack Rose and Thurston Moore through the years, and little wonder. From his roots in the 60s Cornish folk circuit to an unlikely revival in the 90s thanks to the endorsement of Supergrass, his ragtime arias and acoustic excursions have proven timeless, and sublime.

Trainsong sees Chapman revisit and re-record some of the instrumental highlights from his back-catalogue, to mesmeric effect. With sleeve-notes by Charles Shaar Murray and Chapman’s own song-by-song annotation and tunings, this is a lavish retrospective from a vital, if unsung, British folk hero.

Michael Chapman Kodak ghosts