Brent Cobb Ain’t Rocked In A While Ol’Buddy/ Thirty Tigers
Disciples of small-town Georgia singer-songwriter Brent Cobb would hardly have seen this coming. If his previous six albums have been peppered with songs that incorporated country, soul, gospel, and blues, he has gone full-on rock with this ten-track record, which revisits the classic rock bands that he listened to growing up. Recorded live to tape with his touring band The Fixin’s at The Black Palace in Springfield, Missouri, the record is best described as simply ‘piercing rock and roll.’
The album opens with a ninety-second prayer like track titled Beyond Measure. It features only Cobb’s vocals and piano as he expresses his gratitude for his love-filled life. He signs off, joined by The Fixin’s, with a grungy reprise of the same song.
It may be that Cobb is following the direction taken by Neil Young when he and Crazy Horse cranked up the guitars and went all ‘hell for leather.’ The swampy Do It All The Time, the thumping Even If It’s Broke, and the title track (which recalls early Black Sabbath) all sound like Cobb and his band are having the time of their lives. It’s not all full throttle either, In Our Hands is a return to more familiar ground from his previous work.
‘I feel like sometimes when people come to our shows, there might be a disconnect, people might view me as just a singer-songwriter,’ explains Cobb. This record may well be a one-off diversion for Cobb, potentially alienating some of his supporters. However, the bottom line is that it is loaded with memorable songs laced with cutthroat energy and a pointer towards an artist who has no intention of being pigeonholed into any one genre.
Declan Culliton
Ashley Monroe Tennessee Lightning Mountainrose Sparrow
Former member of the supergroup Pistol Annies alongside Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley, Ashley Monroe's latest album, TENNESSEE LIGHTNING, is her sixth solo recording since her debut album, SATISFIED, in 2009. Her career has found her crisscrossing genres from traditional country to countrypolitan and bluegrass to pop/country.
Her superb 2013 album LIKE A ROSE,on the Warner Brothers label was, for this writer, a career high point. Her most ‘country’ record, it was produced by Vince Gill and highlighted Monroe’s credentials as a superb vocalist and songwriter. Her subsequent record, the Grammy-nominated THE BLADE from 2015, followed a similar path; further releases, although consistently strong, have tended to move more towards the mainstream, possibly influenced by the industry.
Diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, in 2021, Monroe’s career was on hold while she underwent intense treatment and, thankfully, she is now in remission. Understandably, a celebratory and uplifting theme is at large throughout this album, which includes support and contributions from many of her friends and peers (‘When I finally went into remission, I could feel the life and the music start flowing in my veins again. It was like a flood, just this rush of inspiration.’) Those contributors include Marty Stuart, T Bone-Burnett, Shelby Lynne, Brittney Spencer, Karen Fairchild, Waylon Payne, Brenden Benson, and Amanda Hutton.
Co-produced by Monroe with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Gena Johnson (John Prine, Jason Isbell), the seventeen-track record shifts from the other-worldly opener I’m Gonna Run to the hip-hoppy Bitter Swisher Sweet and from the swampy pop Recovery to the gentle Leonard Cohen written ballad, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye. Marty Stuart’s guitar lick opens The Touch, one of a number of heartfelt love songs, alongside Amen Love and the piano-led There You Are, which feature. Hot Rod Pipe Dream is an upbeat, power-pop track that instantly hits the spot, and the slow-burning, soulful Risen Road has a similar impact. Fittingly, the album bookends with the psalm Jesus Hold My Hand which includes supporting vocals by Amanda Hutton.
Celebrating resilience and survival, Ashley Munroe pours her heart out from start to finish on this album. She is in fine voice throughout and, as you might expect, the messiahship is of the highest order. To satisfy diehards like myself, she may at some stage revert to a more ‘old school’ rather than ‘modern’ country sound. But in the meantime, it’s heartening to have her back to full health and recording terrific music once more.
Declan Culliton
The Last Revel Gone For Good Hassle House/Thirty Tigers
Minneapolis-based three-piece Indie folk/bluegrass band The Last Revel consists of banjoist/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Acker, guitarist Lee Henke, and fiddler Vinnie Donatelle, with all three members contributing vocals. Very much a democracy, each member also shares the songwriting credits.
Formed in 2011, they had clocked up over two hundred shows each year up to 2019, when they paused to draw breath and recalibrate. That interlude only lasted until they reformed in 2021, and ironically, they discovered that their profile had increased after Covid, with many new fans finding their music during lockdown.
Produced by the lead singer in Trampled By Turtles, Dave Simonett, THE LAST REVEL is the band’s sixth album. It essentially recounts the highs and lows of a touring artist over its ten tracks. Songs that explore the darker side of life include Solid Gone, which addresses the endless hours spent behind the wheel and its inherent risks, and Wait Up, written by Donatelle after the death of two close friends, that speaks of the challenges of grappling with and moving on from tragedy. The fickleness and unpredictability of our day-to-day existence are also addressed in Porcelain.
More upbeat topics also emerge. Everlasting love and devotion are the messages behind Until Death and Simple Wheel. The simple but often underappreciated beauty of the nature that surrounds us was the inspiration behind Tall Grass.
A breezy affair, GONE FOR GOOD is a blueprint for what The Last Revel does best. Well-constructed songs that tackle real-life issues head-on, along with slick instrumental interplay and harmonies that complement each other, combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
Declan Culliton
Cody Jinks In My Blood Late August
A genuine torch carrier for outlaw country, Cody Jinks' latest album, IN MY BLOOD, is his eleventh studio recording. All released independently, and more recently on his own label, Late August, the Texan can boast of five billion streams across various platforms, making him the most successful independent country artist by some margin. His studio output is prolific, despite his hectic touring schedule. His 2024 work yielded three albums, CHANGE THE GAME, BACKSIDE OF 30 and his tribute record CODY JINKS SINGS LEFTY FRIZZELL. Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, the latter was recorded during COVID when touring was not an option. He is currently headlining his “Hippies and Cowboys” tour, which is due to headline at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, Asbury Park in New Jersey, The Met in Philadelphia, and Pier 17 in New York.
If CHANGE THE GAME was the last album recorded during his ‘drinking days, ’Jinks describes his latest project as ‘most certainly a celebration of survival.’ IN MY BLOOD was written from an altogether sober standpoint - labelled by Jinks as ‘written by the new me’- with much of the material reflecting on the past with brutal honesty. The title of the album is a simple statement of what drives Jinks on and rationalises the twenty-two hours often spent on a tour bus for the privilege of a two-hour show. The track of the same name is a co-write with Charlie Starr, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Blackberry Smoke, a close friend and fellow road warrior.
The opening track and statement Better Than The Bottle (‘Some living's been done and we pulled back on the throttle. Still a vice or two, but they're better than the bottle’) reflects on newfound sobriety and sets the scene for the confessional songs that follow. The loss of control and pull that is the curse of addiction is the message in the driving anthem-like See That Man and the brutally honest Monster speaks of the ongoing fight to remain sober (‘I know he likes to show up when I think he’s finally gone, preying on my weakness like he did before’).
Others calls out and applauds the loyal fan base Jinks has grown over the past decade and a half, and the continuing motivation their support has generated (‘And only god knows where I'll be, out here singin' for the others like me’). Other standout inclusions are the blissed-out Something Wicked That Way and the Pettyesque Lost Highway, before he signs off with the slow-burning and reflective hymn-like When Time Didn’t Fly.
A profoundly personal project, in keeping with his extensive back catalogue, IN MY BLOOD is a full-blooded and intoxicating affair that blends outlaw country with southern rock without ever descending into predictability. The smooth chemistry between Jinks’ baritone, gravelly vocals, supported by grungy guitar riffs, keyboards, pedal steel and percussion, is a joy to behold on an album that equals, if not surpasses, his best work to date.
Declan Culliton
Rah Rah Rabbit Chasin’ Rabbit, Catchin’ Squirrels Blackbird
A long time part of the Californian cosmic country crew, Rah Rah Rabbit are led by singer/songwriter Laura Anne Lacey. The band here mix their country with some folk and broader Americana elements to create something that fits the overall feeling set by the name and album title, in that it mixes a certain sassy humour with some more serious issues. For instance, the song Liquor Store Chicken includes the self-explanatory lines “I got home at night to an empty house / everything was missing including my spouse”, before returning to the alluring finger lickin’ pleasure at hand by way of compensation. The album title comes from another song that is perhaps a little more philosophical: When You Get It is about seeking one thing but having to be satisfied with something else, even it is the “same dang thing.” It has a stop start beat with some swirling sonics of fiddle and guitar.
Produced by Joe Napolitano, a noted exponent of the art and by Dave “Mustang” Lang and Jillinda Palmer, all of whom form a part of the assembled studio team, alongside a number of other local musicians such as Andy Creighton on guitar and Kevin Milner on pedal steel. Drummer Nolan Le Vine and harmonica player Sugar Mill Slim also make their presence felt, as do the contributors on banjo, mandolin and violin. It is a varied and entertaining set from the singalong jauntiness of Checkered & Blue with a strong vocal ensemble, to a more blues/rock mood in Windy Feet that has a more southern feel with slide guitar, Hammond B3, piano and a grooving rhythm section.
All of this highlights how the band can draw from a number of sources, while maintaining a coherence that is set by the production arrangements and by Lacy’s vocal delivery and songwriting which, as mentioned, fits between resignation and the more wayward chasing of rabbits and other possibilities. The nine songs here build that basis such as A Man I Once Knew which is more a considered look at a failed association. But a song like Mountains has a more uptempo craziness about it, with a strong guitar break and some driving fiddle included, as she looks at getting over someone. The layered vocal chorus of This Winter works in a different way, showing the versatility of the overall deliveries.
Another name to add to the variety of roots exponents working in California who are doing their music in their own way and with an overall individuality that helps it to stand out and doing it without taking themselves too seriously.
Stephen Rapid
Jesse Lovelock & The Velvet Voices Self -Titled Self Release
First and foremost this is something of an accomplishment in that it is a detailed and loving creation of a mainstream strand of country from decades ago. Not an entirely forgotten one however as there have been other forays of late into what became known as the Countrypoliton/Nashville sound, even if this is not entirely rooted in that particular sound but one that can also predate its pop crossover nature at times. Aside from those artists who were associated back in the day, I remember Mike Ireland’s albums from 1998 and 2002 that touched on the traditional themes of country music but added the sound of strings to balance the sense of pain with sweetness, something that a string quartet or orchestra could provide (depending on the recording budget).
Here Lovelock has used the pedal steel and strong female vocal accompaniment to add a similar aura of melancholy throughout. As producer and an undoubted master in the studio, he has made sure that it simply sounds right. The principal players, aside from Lovelock, are Ashley Rose and Sandy Cruz on background (but very important) vocals, pedal steel maestro Reggie Duncan and fiddle/violin player Mark Lewis - a man with an extensive CV that includes playing with icons like Merle Haggard, Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson, Dolly Parton and Jean Shepard among others, a list that certainly underscores his ability to understand the aims and purpose of this recording.
As a largely hard-core honky-tonk enthusiast myself, the very notion of this sound may seem like the antithesis of the sound that appeals to me. In some ways it is (and may seem so to others who may simply not want to take the time to listen), yet it contains the same sense of authenticity and ambition that so much of the music I like contains. The final recitation on life and death In The Afterlife, which closes the album, may however be a step too far for some. Yet it is again rendered in a way that means it could easily have been included on an album released decades ago. In the end it is not only about a careful, meticulous recreation, but also allows a contemporary look into a seemingly simpler time that may or may not have actually existed, but is coloured by a nostalgia that it might have.
Top that with a towering vocal performance from Lovelock that is nuanced and stylised, but full of passion and precision. The songs are all written by Lovelock and deal in the main with those aforementioned reflections on love, loss, heartbreak and the seeking of redemption. There are two covers - one is the opening song Misty Blue, a song written by Bob Montgomery and recorded many times, but perhaps it is the Eddie Arnold version that serves as the template here. The other cover is She Even Woke Me To Say Goodbye, which was recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis and written by Doug Gilmore and Mickey Newbury. Both show that Lovelock has been listening carefully to a lot of music from the appropriate sources.
Singing The Blues has soulful steel and guitar to underscore its sense of forfeiture. It is, of course, only one of many songs that deal in similar sensitivities, which perhaps means that many of the tracks have a similar sentiment overall and might be considered somewhat samey. However, after a lot of listening, it is that disposition that allows a deeper immersion in the resonance on offer. For example, Crazy Love shows Lovelock’s vocal ability at its best. The piano is also a fixture on many of the songs. You simply think that you are listening to a little known covers album from the late 50s, produced by the likes of Owen Bradley in Nashville.
Now, if that is something that would engage you then you need to seek this album out as it is not, at this point, available to be downloaded or streamed other than on Soundcloud. This will, likely, divide those who see no point in engaging in such a project and certainly, as with other more recent artists looking to convincingly recreate a particular sound and era, remain a format that will sit well outside the mainstream, even if that has been gaining a more pleasing country leaning of late.
But for those who ‘get it’, this is undoubtedly going to be one to savour and an ‘album of the year’ contender for this writer. It has done exactly what it set out to do, which was to make a great immersive album, period (for any period).
[The single Misty Blue currently available to listen to on Spotify]
Stephen Rapid
Red Sky July Misty Morning Self Release
Red Sky July are a British alternative country band, consisting of husband and wife team Ally McErlaine (ex-Texas) and Shelly Poole (ex-Alisha's Attic). They were the original duo that formed this band back in 2009 and this is their fourth album, filled with creative song arrangements and tight harmonies and presenting a vibrant blend of Alt-Folk, Country and Americana sounds.
Completing the trio is impressive vocalist Haley Glennie-Smith, who replaced Charity Hair (The Alice Band and The Ailerons) back in 2015 and the last album release was The Truth and the Lie some years back in 2016. The British Country Music Association voted that release as UK Album of the Year, and, indeed, the band was also honoured as Group of the Year. So, why the gap in momentum of some nine years? Clearly their new sound had to evolve and I understand that a few attempts to complete a new album were scrapped both pre-and-post Covid years. All I can say is that the wait has certainly been worth it as the new album is both engaging and very impressive in all aspects.
Stones and Brambles is a gentle Folk song with sweet harmony vocals that sing about loyalty and having someone else’s welfare as the central focus ‘I will carry the whole of your weight over the stones and brambles.’ We should all be so lucky to find such a friend. Spectral vocals carry the song.
King Of Better Things follows and sings about leaving for better opportunities to share with someone beside you all the way; again a song of faith and a promise to stand beside your friends. Solace in friendship. Celebratory sounds drifting high on layered melodies.
I Found Angels is reflective and has a haunting vocal balance between both Shelly and Haley with ghostly guitar sounds in the background echoing a sense of disquiet. Ally takes the lead vocal on Utah, the highlight song here with Jo Hammill joining on co-vocal and singing about changes we experience in a father-daughter relationship ‘You’re not the same person that you left home as, You don’t need a flashlight to see that.’ As the dialogue continues ‘Sorry Daddy, I’m ready for a new start.’
Platform 5 has a lovely sense of English traditional Folk in the arrangement and gentle guitar supports the lead harmony vocals that dovetail around the understated melody. Haunting and subtle touches of magical moments on another key song. Two Magicians follows a similar theme and the simple melody is in support of the dual vocals of Shelly and Haley on a song that seems to be about challenging relationships that travel into the mystic and follow trysts gone wrong.
The title track is a feast of electronic effects on guitar and keyboard that wrap the dramatic vocals of the trio and deliver quite a compelling cadence in the performance. Stars Turn Cold continues in the same fashion ‘I look for silver linings but they are hard to find, After the sun burns out you’ll still be on my mind.’ Chances lost and roads not taken. Some sweet guitar on this track to heighten the sense of regret.
Pool Party is another floating sonic song that drifts by on memories; a rueful look back at relationships not meant to last beyond their summer fling. The final song is Cut Me Down and it again tackles relationship challenges, and brings this very enjoyable album to a fine conclusion. Highly recommended and definitely an album to hope that it doesn’t take quite so long for the next instalment. Until then, there is always the back-catalogue.
Paul McGee
Jesse Daniel Edwards Self-Titled Cavity Search
One man at his piano; do not disturb; these are songs of rueful insight and reflective observation. The thought process in stripping down songs to their bare essence gives so much appreciation into the vulnerability of the artist and the willingness to be laid open. The songs included here are of the heart and the healing process brought about by the catharsis of deep emotion. Lyrical and sweet longing wrapped in a prayer for redemption.
Cuyamaca is a region of eastern San Diego County, California and it was home to Jesse Edwards as he grew into his teenage years, before deciding to explore outside influences in travelling the USA and beyond. While in Nashville, he was mentored by Al Bunetta, then manager of John Prine, who encouraged the musical talents of Edwards. Now, with four previous albums to his name, Jesse delivers a real gem, and a certainty to feature in my best-of lists as the year unfolds. Recorded live on 2-track tape by Scott McEwen, and produced by Denny Swofford, at Memphis Magnetic Recording Co., this new, self-titled release marks a new chapter in Edwards' evolving artistic journey, offering an intimate, raw portrayal of his musical and emotional world. .
Previous albums include WE, THE PRODUCT(2022), and the song So Passes the Light From Your Eye is included here. AMERICAN DREAMING appeared in 2023, and Coat You Left Behind is featured, plus three tracks from VIOLENSIA, also a 2023 release, I’m So Happy (I Think That I may Cry), Nobody’s Got Me, and Everything Makes You Sick forming part of the ten song opus. CLAP TRAP VENUS was the last album, released in 2024, and the excellent Wrong About God is taken from this record. The remaining four songs are universally superb and point to the prolific talents of Jesse Edwards.
All ten songs are piano-only versions of songs written by Edwards and the opening I’m So Happy (I Think I Might Cry) is a wry look at how we mask our real emotions under the surface. This House Comes With A Ghost is structured so expertly and captures memories in, and of, a home place ‘Broken hearted love affairs, and bittersweet farewells.’ The song Everything Makes You Sick is about learning the lessons of past experiences ‘A stolen kiss that dies, unreturned.’ The visual imagery in the lyrics throughout the album is so keenly honed.
Remember How To Love is an attempt to rekindle love’s bright flame from times gone by in a relationship ‘If I could remember how to love you, maybe you’d remember how to smile.’ So poignant and precise. Wrong About God is a painful look back at a challenging time ‘I was a Chaplin in the army, But I got tired of lying to dead men.’ The loss of a close friend also shattered his belief in a higher presence and this song is a realisation to look within for the divine.
Secret Of Love is a love song to a special person, and the admiration held for her open arms and open heart ‘She’s a glass of wine in a paper cup.’ The other side of love is the subject of Nobody’s Got Me and the loneliness of being an outlier in society with those inner voices telling that you’re not good enough. There is more emotional turbulence on Omaha and a plea to remember the good times that can lie buried under the baggage of relationship woes.
Left Your Coat Behind is a highlight among many great songs and it examines the passage of time, misconnections, communication breakdown and other feelings that sting ‘The clock on the wall is screaming at the clock in the hall, and I know I’m running out of time.’ The final track So Passes the Light From the Eye tackles change, in life, in our perspectives, the impermanence of everything and in our visions of death. All so elegantly captured and delivered with a knowing wisdom. Last year Jesse created a digital project titled Demos and it was a collection of eighteen songs played on either guitar or piano in a stripped down acoustic atmosphere, highlighting the superb craft of this singer songwriter. A number of EPs have also been released, along with the current trend for regular digital singles; the latest project is titled Requiem Mass, a five-track EP that has just launched. I urge you to check out the music of this talented artist. You will not be disappointed.
Paul McGee
Lukas Nelson American Romance Sony
Pedigree counts for a lot and it goes a long way when deciding how to represent the talent inherited from others and the rewards of a life well lived. When you grow up under the influence of music legends like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings then the baton passes down through both the genes and the experiences gained in living their unique qualities up close and personal.
Two sons come together to collaborate on this debut solo album. Two talents in their own right who have been proving their worth in different ways over the past decades. One is the producer Shooter Jennings, son of Waylon, and respected artist and songwriter. The other is Lukas Nelson, son of Willie, an accomplished musician who founded POTR the live touring band over a number of years to Neil Young, as well as releasing a string of excellent studio albums in their own name.
The opening song here is Ain’t Done and it carries an important message in that our lives are always unfolding, never predictable and always subject to change. Following track Pretty Much is a testament to the love felt by Lukas for his wife and her youthful, spontaneous ways. A true partnership of travellers in time. Another song Make You Happy reflects upon enduring love, it could be love for a parent, a sibling, or a true friend - whatever the source, it’s a celebration of being there for one another.
The traditional country arrangement of Outsmarted is a look back at mistakes made as a youthful renegade. Standout song Disappearing Light addresses the question of mortality and the passing of time, it’s a duet with Stephen Wilson Jr. and it is superbly delivered.
Born Runnin’ Outta Time is the perfect companion in looking at how time goes by and the fast pace of the song is reflected in the dash towards some kind of reconciliation. It’s such a clever song with all the signs of the writing skills of the father – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all.
All God Did is a wonderful take-down of our attempts to make sense of this temporary ride on the wheel of life. Despite all efforts to choose a path to supposed enlightenment, all we can do is wonder at the mystery of it all. The true meaning is in the daily kindness that we show to each other and the simple ways in which we express our empathy.
Montana is a lovely slice of pure country and perhaps a memory of that other Rocky Mountain High tribute to nature and all the gifts it brings. Sierra Ferrell pops up on Friend In the End and her vocal joins with Lukas in a celebration of being in the moment and soaking in that atmosphere that true friendship brings. The Lie engages in the way that we live our lives under the reign of popular opinion the weight of social media, and the race to win some seemingly irreplaceable prize.
The album title American Romance is a song to grapple with as it suggests a scenario of a wild romance, juxtaposed against an affair where there are no winners ‘We sit in the car alone, Now’s the time for stealing home, Feel a little joy before, The many sides advance.’ The final track is an acoustic reflection of love and You Were It suggests that relationships are never quite equal and that Lukas carries a perspective gained from experience ‘ You were sly, You were fast, Built to last, And you lasted ‘til the end.’ Life lessons, love lessons, perspective for the journey. As Lukas embarks upon a solo career, this is a very encouraging start and an album that has much to reflect upon. Both satisfying and substantive.
Paul McGee