Acoustic Chill

Here's a question: Would it still be possible to chill if the national grid went down and there was nothing to plug in? No synths, nor shimmering reverb pedals? On the evidence of these superlative cuts, absolutely. This is great music stripped to its core, fit for kingly hours of contemplation and relaxation. Gently shove yourself away from the harbour wall of care with the Cinematic Orchestra's "To Build a Home" (with Patrick Watson guesting on vocals).

For more soul therapy (unplugged) head for Next Steps.

Jean-Luc Godard once opined that all you need for a movie is "a girl and a gun". In the same spirit of reduction, all you need for acoustic chill is a girl and a guitar. Among the artists who fit that bill are Martha Wainwright, sister of Rufus, whose "These Flowers" has a wondrous, innocent lightness; and leading light of the Austin, Texas, alternative scene, Abra Moore, whose "100 Miles" appeared on the anti-landmine advocacy compilation 13 Ways to Live.

Expand your mind via chill, with the lyrical narratives of our Deep Cuts.

Former Aztec Camera prodigy Roddy Frame hit his solo stride in 2002 with the acoustic album Surf, from which "Small World" (the theme tune for TV's Early Doors) comes. Lyrically, it's one of the most rewarding tracks on our list. Steve Knightley, one-half of the English folk roots duo Show of Hands, also brings a characteristically fine poetic touch to his work — "She's Gone" appears on 2007's excellent Cruel River.

While there's a place for all the bells, whistles, and brass sections of a lush, expansive approach to production, sometimes it pays to downsize, to pare things down to their absolute essentials. All the artists who have made it onto this collection of bang-up-to-date, perfectly chilled acoustic tracks have mastered the art of slowing things down to heighten the effect. Some possess an outlandishly gorgeous voice that stands out from a plain backdrop (notably, Rufus Wainwright); others use the lack of instrumental embellishment to highlight an arresting lyric (check out the war poetry of GoodBooks on "Passchendaele"). Whichever way you cut it, this playlist radiates class.