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Bart Everson and co-host Laura Dedelow are struggling — struggling to choose a recipient for the inaugural Earth Eclectic Music Award from among dozens of remarkable nominations. In this episode, Bart invites listeners to share in that struggle, presenting an hour of nominated recordings that embody the series’ mission: music that celebrates Earth and speaks to the heart. The hour opens with the luminous “Great Blue Heron” by Lucy London (Minneapolis), followed by Jess Blijkers (Vienna) with “The Wave and the Ocean,” a meditation on human-nature unity. Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn offer the shimmering “O Silverskin (For the Birch)” from their celebrated Songs for the Trees, paired with “Golden Ginkgo” by Marko Polo of St. Louis, whose album Tree Sounds earned a nomination. Laura McCarthy (Cork, Ireland) brings sarcastic wit and barely-contained ecological rage to “Dear Emerald Isle of Éire” from her concept album A Landing Place, and Living Earth closes out the first half with “Odessa” from the nominated Born to Fly.

The second half deepens the dilemma. The anthemic “Gaia Now” from Boston ensemble Libana gives way to the title track from EntrelverdE, the debut album from Manchula of Buenos Aires — a song whose lyrics, Bart reveals, use only the vowel e to deliver its message of reconnection with nature and community. Aerhalev contributes the haunting “Deep Sea Call” from Seaside Chants, and Tehanu (Turkey) offers the ambient “Rain Day,” released on Earth Day in honor of the award itself. Kalpataru Tree (Ashland, Oregon) opens their nominated album The Only Now We’ve Ever Had with “Upavita,” the thread said to tie all life together, while Dashmesh (Phoenix) expands upon “A Circular Awareness” from the nominated Biomimesis. Folk singer Jesse Welles closes the hour with “Whales” from All Creatures Great and Small — and by the end, you may find the struggle is entirely your own. The award recipient will be announced on World Environment Day, June 5th.

Photo: Cloud Bank by Bart Everson.