THERE’S something about Kelsey Waldon’s wry smile that tells you what she’s all about. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the good humour, sincerity and camaraderie that she embodies on stage.

At Celtic Connections, Glasgow’s annual festival combining Scottish trad with international folk, roots and world music, Waldon is thrilled she’s been able to bring her whole touring band, the Muleskinners, on stage. Blakeley Burger, on the Kentucky fiddle, turns nostalgia into something genuinely exciting, while Cooper Dickerson’s earnest pedal steel guitar grounds each number with the same depth of meaning found in Waldon’s lyrics. Amid arrangements that mesh the fundamentals of country with an originality of voice that many would kill for, Waldon never loses sight of the fact she’s part of a collective.

It should be no surprise, really, given the oft forgotten working-class traditions of the Midwestern state she calls home. In Kentucky, 1988, a track in which Waldon’s innovative vocal gymnastics are on full display, she reminisces: “Granddaddy’s a local 181, he’s workin’ for the Union / A wise woman told me, ‘Memories, you can choose ’em’.” The zenith of her show is a cover of Ramblin’ Woman by the late West Virginian folk singer Hazel Dickens, whose role in putting miners’ struggles into searing voice was immortalised in her contribution to John Sayles’s film Matewan.

There’s fitting support in Glasgow from West Virginia introspective folk-rocker John R Miller, who hauntingly sings of “countless hours walking among the rank and file.” In his most political track, Conspiracies, Cults and UFOs, he captures the essence of modern alienation: “Privatised, homogenised / Don’t let ’em catch you with bloodshot eyes / It’s an easy sell for the qualified buyer / Incarcerated labor is easy to hire.”

This year’s edition of Celtic Connections has ranged from the might of Emmylou Harris, who packed out the giant Emirates Arena, to trad and folk acts that have attracted smaller crowds through intrigue — or, in my case, a rather embarrassing accident.

Turning up at Cottiers Theatre 24 hours early for Waldon’s concert, I stumble across Snow on the River, a performance of an album by Scottish-born, South Tyrol-based composer Oscar McLennan and Irish arranger Martin Tourish. A string and wind ensemble made up of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Spain gives a rousing performance of an album that came from the memory of McLellan’s toddler son Ian, who died in a tragic accident in 2020. Taking in Celtic trad and Latin notes, it soars as a resurrection of the human spirit.

As the festival enters its final weekend, the country and Americana strand will be in full flourish. We can look forward to Over the Moon and Paper Sparrows (Saturday 19.30, City Halls), bringing cowboy swing from the Rocky Mountains. Roots legend Darrell Scott (Saturday 19.30, Drygate Brewery) takes to the stage tonight too, supported by Hannah White, a star of Britain’s own Americana scene.

Tomorrow sees Portland folk artist and former high school English teacher Jeffrey Martin serve up his soul-searching narratives (Sunday 19.30, Tron Theatre). Country rocker Lucinda Williams, winner of three Grammy awards, is sure to shine in the star finale slot (Pavilion Theatre, 19.30).

In spite of popular misconceptions, the US country scene is still a place where political critique and formal innovation can come together in perfect harmony. Waldon and Miller are among the inheritors of a proud tradition — and it’s safe to say it’s in good hands.

For tickets and more information see: celticconnections.com.