Some stellar Irish acts are releasing songs and albums this month - or have released music recently.

We've chosen five of them that we reckon you should really hear.

In fact, every month we'll be providing you with a list of five new songs by Irish artists that you should make it your business to have a listen to.

Kicking off 2020 is... *drum roll*

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AOIFE NESSA FRANCES - 'Libra'

Get ready to hear a lot of this name (alright, these three names) this year. The 28-year-old Dubliner releases her debut album 'Land of No Junction' on UK indie label Basin Rock this week, and it has already picked up major plaudits – including the prestigious 'Album of the Month' slot in Uncut magazine. Her bewitching blend of folk, pop and rock sounds of another time, and this gorgeous '60s-influenced track superbly highlights that intoxicating voice of hers.

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THE LOST BROTHERS – 'After the Fire'

This folk duo, from Navan and Omagh, have worked with some notable names over the years: Brendan Benson, Richard Hawley, Bill Ryder-Jones. For their seventh album, they enlisted the likes of M. Ward, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb and Bob Dylan's long-serving bassist Tony Garnier, who produced 'After the Fire After the Rain'. The gentle gallop of this dreamy little understated number is very lovely indeed.

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PADDY MULCAHY – 'Sunday's Child'

If ruminative, thought-provoking ambient music is your bag, you'd do worse than to check out Paddy Mulcahy's new album. The Limerick-based producer and composer recently released 'How to Disappear' and it's an exercise in how to create textured, exploratory music without sinking into 'background music' territory. This song is as meditative as they come.

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SOLKATT – 'Nocturne'

Leo Pearson and Peter Lawlor originally crossed paths to create a soundtrack for the Red Bull Soundome at Electric Picnic in 2017. Finding a musical kinship, they embarked upon further writing sessions that resulted in 'Nocturne' – an album that combines their 'love of the dance-floor balanced with their interests in ambient sounds'. The title track certainly does that; its house-driven beat the perfect foil to those breathy chopped vocals and woozy synth riffs.

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VYVIENNE LONG - 'Seahorse'

She may be resigned to being best known for her work with Damien Rice, but Vyvienne Long's CV has accumulated some impressive entries over the years. The cellist's third album 'A Lifetime of High Fives', released in November, is a delight – from the impish waltz of this track to darker chamber pop and delicate, deft orchestration throughout.