Nick Gusman and the Coyotes Lifting Heavy Things Self-Release
What do you get if you mix a bluegrass fiddle player, a hardcore rock bass player, and a jazz-schooled drummer? It's hardly the blueprint for an alt-country band, but it is the bricks and mortar that cement St. Louis, Missouri-based outfit Nick Gusman and the Coyotes. Their core sound is a throwback to the 90s when groups like The Bottle Rockets, Drive-By Truckers, and Blue Mountain shook up the mainstream market with their signature mix of country, indie, and punk. Nick Gusman and the Coyotes are Nick Gusman (Guitar, Vocals), Sean Kamery (fiddle), Justin Haltmar (bass), Tony Hall (keys), Garrett Rongey (guitar) and Jeremy Reidy (drums).
As was the case with the band's previous albums, DEAR HARD TIMES (2018) and the self-titled release (2021), LIFTING HEAVY THINGS, was recorded live at Native Sound Recordings in St. Louis ('We came in hot, turned up way loud, and recorded everything live,' explains Nick Gusman) and the end results are pretty impressive and will most certainly appeal to lovers of the alt-country genre, which has been overshadowed by the all-embracing Americana classification in recent years.
Songwriter Gusman's ammunition for the songs came from diverse sources. A conversation with a sex worker, a wild child living on the edge, a late-night conversation with a homeless man at a convenience store, a school shooting up the street from where Gusman lives, and healing a broken heart all gave the writer food for thought.
The scorching and lyrically graphic American Dream, with its semi-spoken delivery, captures the fear, class divide and racism dividing America today ('The weather man says stay indoors and crawl inside the tub or you might catch a stray bullet from the war on drugs'). The title track is a twangy tongue-in-cheek affair, and in the mid-tempo Tokyo Hotel, the protagonist daydreams about a fleeting love affair. Slow Down Katie is an instantly catchy toe-tapper and the fiddle-led Magic 8 Ball is a reminder that regardless of how smooth things are going, there's always a curveball around the corner. The soulful Sound of a Broken Heart is an uncomplicated Tom Petty-sounding affair, and Stray Dog, as the title implies, is a mean and raw bluesy romp.
An intoxicating blend of full-blooded rockers and slow burners, LIFTING HEAVY THINGS never drags its anchor from start to finish. For this writer, it is eyebrow-raising quality and well worth your attention.
Declan Culliton
Rebecca Correia Flying Self-Release
Spending half the year in rural Rochester, Massachusetts, where she grew up on a rural farm, and the other half in the historical village of Leiper's Fork in Tennessee, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rebecca Correia may not be a household name in roots music. However, she can boast an impressive canon of songs, over five hundred songs written since she was a child, one hundred and fifty shows each year, six full-length albums, and this five-track EP.
A taster of what listeners could expect from this EP came in the form of a duet single, with Lonesome Highway favourite Lillie Mae, titled Rose Colored Glasses, released in September of this year. That song's message of rebirth and resilience in the face of adversity is revisited in FLYING, particularly on the up-tempo opening song Another Life, and resurfaces on The One That Got Away, which bookends the album, are both cases in point. The title track is also a defiant statement of intent and letting go.
Correia's vocals are striking, passionate and flowing throughout. She is joined on vocals by Shay Carter on a soulful and impressive version of Speak To A Girl, which Faith Hill and Tim McGraw previously recorded.
The recurring thread of FLYING is one of strong-minded women (or possibly also men) who have triumphantly moved on from troubled relationships and challenges. It's a journey with signposts for many who have also successfully exited virulent associations and, more importantly, a reminder to others that sunshine often follows darkness.
Declan Culliton
Jenny Owen Youngs Avalanche (Deluxe) Yep Roc
A twenty-track album featuring the ten original tracks from last year's AVALANCHE, alongside previously unreleased material, early demos, and some live tracks, Jenny Owen Young's debut record on Yep Roc is both an introduction to her music for the unfamiliar and a bonus recording for those already on board with her confessional and often sorrowful output.
The New Jersey-reared singer-songwriter had no shortage of material to tap into for last year's release. In the eleven years since the release of AN UNWAVERING BAND OF LIGHT in 2012, she has lived in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Maine, and she has been married, divorced, and married again. Outside her personal life, she has written numerous songs for film and TV, landed a boom deal and set in motion a successful podcast. Recorded with producer Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman), Youngs dipped into that endless well of loss and rebirth to write the material for this fine collection of candid and unguarded songs.
The album includes co-writes with friends S. Carey, Madi Diaz, Peter Silberman and Christian Lee Hutson, Youngs summarises the album as 'A good deal of heartbreak and disappointment in this music, but it ultimately gives way to excitement and promise, to the incredible, immeasurable bliss of falling in love and finding yourself again.' Her vocals perfectly reflect the songs’ moods as she details sadness, acceptance and renewal. Those observations stand out spectacularly in songs that drill into compatibility and common ground (Knife Went In), devastation and regeneration (Avalanche), and confronting issues hidden from the past (Bury Me Slowly).
The bonus tracks include the recently released jangly single Someone's Ex, a number of remixes, and demos, but the real winners are the original tracks, which, if the album passed you by the first time around, as it did with me, amount to a striking body of work.
Declan Culliton
Teddy & The Rough Riders Down Home Appalachia
Teddy & The Rough Riders, headed by Nashville-born and bred songwriters and vocalists Jack Quiggins and Ryan Jennings, were the recipients of Best Honky Tonk Group at the Ameripolitan Awards in Austin earlier this year. Childhood friends, the pair cut their teeth in numerous rock bands over the past two decades but, in more recent times, have headed down a more cosmic country route. Their 2022 self-titled record, produced by Margo Price, certainly ticked that 'outlaw' box, and DOWN HOME is a similarly fully-charged affair.
A throwback to the late '60s, when long-haired, bearded, and denim-clad dudes shook up the conservative country music scene by injecting that genre with rock sensibilities, DOWN HOME is an eleven-song collection with its foot firmly on the cosmic country pedal.
Co-produced by the band with Jake Davis, song titles like Getting' High, Bullet, Fast Livin' and Hippies point to where these guys are coming from. It's also a fun listen with memories of carefree childhood holidays in Catfish Summer, an ode to a loved dog in Edna's Song and the autobiographical Trouble Sleeping. Erin Rae and Emily Nenni joined the party, adding backing vocals on Golden Light and the bluegrass-tinged Mountain Girl is a fictitious tale of survival against stacked odds. It's little surprise that they also included a sad country song and Love After Life ticks that box.
Teddy & The Rough Riders steer well clear of the overcrowded Americana market with this unabashed nod to country music of a different era. Country-edged vocals, raging fiddles, thumping bass lines, stinging pedal steel, and slick guitar breaks are the order of the day, and with clever songs that hit the spot on the first spin, they've created a record that is very much the sum of its parts.
Declan Culliton
Eric Bibb In the Real World Repute
On the song Stealin’ Home Eric Bibb sings about the great Jackie Robinson who became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. It was a momentous occasion and it announced the end of racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. This is the essence of Eric Bibb and his music, never forgetting the folk leanings of his youth and the fight for racial equality, hand in hand with the civil rights struggle of the past, and his gift of always acknowledging the old blues tradition in a contemporary setting.
Eric Bibb is an advocate for the path to higher ground and this album is a real gem. It represents such a key component in the canon of roots music, where the ongoing growth relies upon what went before, and the links to that common thread which unites. Walk Steady On is a tribute to the old gospel traditions and the belief that salvation awaits all who stay on the righteous path. Everybody’s Got A Right is a song that captures the thrust of the civil rights marches that demanded equality for all races back in the 50s and 60s and their struggle to realise social justice. The song Neshoba County captures this striving and tells the tale of three civil rights workers that were assassinated in Mississippi during 1964, causing national outrage and leading to the passing of the Civil Rights Act the very same year.
Best I Can seeks to rise above the grim history of slavery and the painful journey towards better times. Breaking free of the chains that bind is the subject of This River (Chains and Free), another song that illuminates the struggle for human rights, and the soulful gospel arrangement is a real highlight with wonderful vocal dynamics from Shaneeka Simon, Sepideh and Arezo Vaziri.
Make A Change carries the key message of the album, a hope to rise above all the inequities of the past and a plea to look to yourself as an agent for change. Self-enlightenment starts with a first step and a desire to achieve self growth. Amen to gaining that perspective, and it all begins and ends with me and you, no matter our apparent differences. Dear Mavis is a tribute song written for the great Mavis Staples and her enduring influence as a civil rights activist and on R&B, Soul and Gospel music over her distinguished career.
King Of the Castle is a story song about a man who falls on hard times and finds himself a rough-sleeper in cardboard city, Hollywood. It’s a traditional blues with some superb picking and atmospherics in the arrangement. Roll On Buddy is another blues workout with the musicians playing superbly, and the sentiment in Judgement Day is that our deeds follow us until we reap what we sow. The title track In the Real World is another hope for love and peace where we could aspire to live in harmony and release our potential for loving awareness. Love as a universal balm is explored on If There’s Any Rule and the sense that we have the ability to always reach out to one another.
The musicianship on this album is of the highest order with the atmosphere created is beautifully understated and restrained in the playing throughout. Produced by Glen Scott in Real World Studios the album features fifteen songs that are mostly written by Eric Bibb and Glenvin Anthony Scott, with a selection of other co-writing credits. Bibb has been creating some sublime music in recent years and it would serve you well to get onboard with this very influential artist.
Paul McGee
Allison McGrath Redirect This Affect Self Release
From early beginnings in learning her craft while busking on the local streets of Newry in Northern Ireland, Allison also played in local bands like Captain Swing and Soulantics and recorded two solo albums in the process. This new release proves to be a very enjoyable listen across the eleven songs included and the self-produced project boasts a list of quality players with twelve musicians credited who lend their talents to the song arrangements.
The different musical styles range from reggae sounds to folk, blues and rock influences. It is a selection box of different treats and is a fine example to the array of talent currently active on these Irish shores. The opening reggae lilt of Just A Minute is a nice point of entry, followed by the easy blues of Who Knows Me Better, and then into the bossa nova groove of the title track, Redirect the Affect. The straight up jazz arrangement on That Man Of Mine is a highlight with some subtle guitar from Brian Willoughby and salty saxophone added to the mix.
There is a nice rhythm in the groove on Cosmic Karma with the horn section lifting the drum and bass anchor provided by Martay Galbraith and Paul McMahon. The nicely paced melodic sound of In Over My Head is coloured by the cello of Cherry Robinson and the violin of Niall Lynch. A Last Goodbye has a sweet folk arrangement and is a love song that echoes the pain of parting, augmented by atmospheric strings and elegant guitar parts from Brian Willoughby. Anything You Want is another folk influenced melody with sweet harmony vocals and inventive acoustic guitar.
How Many Times is another easy reggae beat with understated horns supporting the bright harmony vocals on a relationship song that asks for occasional breathing space. On the song Never In My Lifetime there are questions about how we conduct ourselves as a society with homelessness, rampant greed and environmental abuse highlighted as obvious concerns. The final song is a message that we can all make a difference in our daily lives and Still Got A Light asks that we recognise the spirit within and the power to endure.
While there is always a risk in presenting too many eclectic sounds on an album, the ability to be able to fully inhabit each song choice brings a greater reward. The album flows nicely in the order of the tracks and the musicianship is of the highest order throughout.
Paul McGee
JD Hinton Traveler Self Release
On this EP we are given five songs that reflect the songwriting skills of this Waco, Texas resident. Hinton released a debut album back in 2014 and he has also written for films, in addition to pursuing acting roles in television. In recent years he has focused on a series of EPs with four separate recordings appearing since 2022, and a clear marketing strategy of ‘a little and often.’ On this new EP we experience the next instalment, and another taste of Hinton’s creative leanings.
The Other Side is a song that reflects on a break-up and what healing exists beyond the pain. The deep vocal contains a plausibility in the life lessons learned and in working through the days of disappointment ‘On the other side of you, I found the other side of me.’ Trouble Time has a nice groove in the arrangement with atmospheric guitar to the fore on a song about how trouble can decide to just follow you around for the hell of it ‘Trouble turns on the juice, Trouble turns on a dime.’ It’s a stand out track and leaves us with the warning that ‘Trouble just loves to fight.’
Your Him is a fun song about wanting to be ‘the one’ for the lady of your desires ‘Why don’t you let me be your him.’ There is a great tempo to the tune and a beat that brings an echo of the classic song Who Do You Love. The arrangement veers in a different direction as the song develops and the outro chorus is lifted by a big guitar sound. Exiles In Madrid is a gently delivered acoustic song about getting lost in a foreign country and simply soaking up the love of another ‘where the sun sets slow and sweet.’ There is some nice interplay from the musicians who deliver an interesting dynamic across all five songs included here.
The final track is My Time Has Come and the husky vocal of Hinton reflects a state of finding his place and in the belief that things would always turn out fine ‘My time is here, This is the hour I hoped would appear, No running from, No time for fear.’ As a statement of intent this is a fitting way to leave room for the next chapter in the journey. With every creative process, we look to absorb the full picture that is presented. Nobody ever seeks to purchase “half a painting” and my reflection would be that a full album release lies beyond these smaller glimpses that have appeared on the EP releases from this talented artist.
Paul McGee
Daniel Boling Love, Dan Berkalin
Album number ten in the career of this singer songwriter, who started releasing his solo music back in 1999. On this new release we are treated to fourteen songs and the production is courtesy of long-time friend and fellow-musician Jono Manson. All songs are written by Boling, with one co-write, which was a collaboration with the great Tom Paxton. The music is enjoyable throughout and the forty four minutes play out on a platform of wise words linked to understated playing and an experienced hand on the rudder at all times. The title track leads off with a neatly observed song about growing up with the guiding light of a loving parent, juxtaposed between Boling’s mother and his own role as a parent now, both reflecting upon times past.
All Of Us Are Immigrants is a song that contemplates on the unenlightened rhetoric that spews out from the ignorant in our midst. Boling is currently resident in Albuquerque, New Mexico and his words resonate ‘All of us are immigrants no matter when we got here, Some of us came willingly and some of us were brought here, We may believe we should get more because we got here first, I have Native friends who say that’s not the way it works.’ If I Were You looks at the hard decisions that a child has to take when faced with the dilemma of an ageing parent and their future medical care, while the message on Whadya Do Today? is learning to live in the moment and celebrating the lives that have gone before and those that will continue after you are gone.
Toward the Fire is a damning opinion on today’s society where division is encouraged instead of seeking harmony and having due regard for your fellow man ‘ Where are the heroes who will lead our country in its gravest need, Whose duty comes before desire, Who won't condone and won't conspire, Who’ll always call a liar a liar, And bravely turn and face the fire.’ There are lighter themes such as the young love on Quarter and the funny anomaly of a musician’s potential earning power on Public Domain ‘He’s not solely motivated by pecuniary gain, But he can’t earn a penny off of Public Domain.’
Family are again celebrated on two tracks, The Leash, where the love of a mother is shown as the most important influence, and on Maya, I Adore You which is a sweet song to a grandchild. The album closes on a love song that is timeless in sentiment and The Sycamore Tree holds memories and secrets only it can know. The musicians that grace this engaging album are Daniel Boling (guitar, vocals), Kelly Mulhollan (mandolin, banjo, upright bass, drum), Char Rothschild (accordion, tin whistles), joined on selected tracks by Jason Crosby (violin, piano), Jon Gagan (upright bass), Michael J. Ronstadt (cello), John Egenes (dobro), with additional credits for ‘humming’ and some backing vocals from producer Jono Manson. Daniel Boling is a wise soul and his insights on life and the human condition are worth the entry fee alone, even before you get to the sweetly structured songs. Definitely a keeper.
Paul McGee
Billy Coulter Singles Self Release
Washington DC is home for Billy Coulter and he has been performing on the local circuit for many years. His talent has been recognised with a number of Washington-area music awards as a songwriter and his sound is very much in the power pop and roots rock arena. The 5-track EP is a collection of recent singles that have been released and it stands as a sampler of where his focus currently lies. A Million Pieces has a big sound with a bright melody and is a song about looking to repair a broken heart. Things slow down on Haven’t You Fallen In Love With Me Yet? with the soulful delivery masking feelings of frustration as his hopes disappear with the lady of his dreams.
Seemed Like A Good Idea At the Time has a nice rocking beat and mirrors a Tom Petty feel in the arrangement, with rich keyboards adding extra muscle to the performance. Ready, Fire, Aim is another high tempo track with the musicians locked into a great groove as the words hint at a scattergun approach to living, where the target is not always in focus. The final song is the more considered Never Better and is a slow acoustic tale of lovers who decide to walk on the wrong side of their marriage vows, only to wind up star-crossed and ultimately alone.
There are a number of musicians credited on the individual tracks with the core band comprising Billy Coulter (vocals, guitar), Max Evans (lead guitar, vocals), Brian Simms (keyboards, vocals), Arch Alcantara (bass, vocals), and drum duties shared by three different players. This is a fine addition to the discography of a songwriter who continues to follow his own path. Quite where it leads is an interesting question but there is no doubting the talent involved as Coulter shapes his next moves.
Paul McGee