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25 Best Indie Folk Albums of All Time

Indie folk is a more recent genre than contemporary or avant-folk, coming to prevalence in the 1990s with Neutral Milk Hotel's landmark record In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. I believe there are still many great albums coming out in this style, thus the recent years on many of these releases. 

The genre combines the melodic inclinations of indie rock and pop while retaining the poetic songwriting of genres such as chamber and contemporary folk. 

25. Parlor Hawk - Hoarse & Roaring  ||  Indie Folk  ||  2010  ||  USA  ||  8/10

24. Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum - Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Avant-Folk  ||  2009  ||  Canada  ||  8/10

23. Broken Social Scene - Live at Radio Aligre FM in Paris  ||  Indie Folk  ||  2007  ||  Canada  ||  8/10

22. Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2017  ||  USA  ||  8/10

21. Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Post-Rock  ||  2014  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

20. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts  ||  Indie Folk, Folk Rock  ||  2002  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

19. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2020  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

18. Sufjan Stevens - Michigan  ||  Chamber Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk  ||  2003  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

17. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife  ||  Indie Folk, Folk Rock  ||  2006  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

16. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning  ||  Indie Folk, Contemporary Folk  ||  2005  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

15. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Slowcore  ||  2017  ||  USA  ||  9/10

14.  Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Americana  ||  2007  ||  USA  ||  9/10

13. Big Thief - Two Hands  ||  Indie Folk, Indie Rock  ||  2019  ||  USA  ||  9/10

12. Jesca Hoop - Memories Are Now  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2017  ||  USA  ||  9/10

11. Adrianne Lenker - Songs  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2020  ||  USA  ||  9/10

10. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues  ||  Indie Folk, Chamber Folk  ||  2010  ||  USA  ||  9/10

9. Elliott Smith - Either / Or  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  1997  ||  USA  ||  9/10

8. Grizzly Bear - Shields  ||  Indie Rock, Indie Folk  ||  2012  ||  USA  ||  9/10

7. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea  ||  Indie Folk, Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock  ||  1998  ||  USA  ||  9/10

6. The Microphones - Microphones in 2020  ||  Indie Folk, Avant-Folk, Psychedelic Folk  ||  2020  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

5. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Slowcore  ||  2015  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

4. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You  ||  Indie Folk, Indie Rock  ||  2022  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

3. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Live  ||  Art Pop, Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2017  ||  USA  ||  10/10

2. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell  ||   Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter  ||  2015  ||  USA  ||  10/10

1. The Microphones - The Glow Pt. 2  ||  Indie Folk, Lo-Fi Rock, Psychedelic Folk  ||  2001  ||  USA  ||  10/10

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