After a hard fought and close contest we are delighted to announce that as voted by our LCM Facebook group members 'Long Lost Home' by Daria Kulesh wins our LCM album of the year for 2017. 

'Long Lost Home' released back in February explores the unique story of a family and a country in song.  Russian-born but now settled in Kings Langley, Daria Kulesh combines a “truly extraordinary voice” with strong Russian and Ingush heritage. Her debut 'Eternal Child' was described as “phenomenal” by FATEA and named ‘Album of the Month’ and Runner Up in ‘Best Album of 2015 from a Female Artist’ by FolkWords.

'Long Lost Home' Daria's sophomore solo album has already attracting a lot of interest. Inspired by the troubled, tragic but fascinating and enigmatic history of Ingushetia, a mountainous republic in the South of Russia, the album is set apart by its unique subject. On top of that, Daria’s personal link to the stories through complicated, severed and disrupted family ties injects the songs with raw passion and power.

Congratulations Daria and her team who created the album.

Congratulations also to our runners-up Ange Hardy and Laura Mulcahy.

If you haven't listen to the albums on our list, we encourage you to check them out. Some excellent music from the bottom to the top. 

Top 20 finalists

• 1) Long Lost Home - Daria Kulesh
• 2) Bring Back Home - Ange Hardy
• 3) Funeral, Home, Lizard - Laura Mulcahy
• 4) Pretty Peggy - Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys
• 5) Wild & Wicked Youth - Kim Lowings & The Greenwood
• 6) A303 - Greg Hancock
• 7) Distant Havens - The Foxglove Trio
• 8) Dance Of The Copper Trail - Oka Vanga
• 9) Tethered - Minnie Birch
• 10) Sweet Kind Of Blue - Emily Baker
• 11) Faraway People - Reg Meuross
• 12) Night & Day - Saskia Griffiths-Moore
• 13) A Polyphonic Life - Tobias ben Jacob
• 14) Siren Serenade - Emily Mae WInters
• 15) An Invatation to Dance - Purcells's Polyphonic Party
• 15) Here's A Health - Said The Maiden
• 17) Strangers - The Young'Uns
• 18) Painted Memories - Corrie Shelley
• 18) Edgelarks - Edgelarks
• 20) The Doctrine of Song - Tracey Browne
• 20) Carve Me Out - Kate Ellis