This Canadian singer/songwriter, formally a member of the band The Legendary Hearts, has carved out a solo career with his roots, full band rock and country. He now owns a horse ranch in the Cariboo and divides his time between running that and continuing his recording career. He is also behind the Grand Cariboo Opry which gathers together a host of fellow musicians to play original and classic country songs. Here the sound is broader to reflect a wide emotional landscape. Sending Out A Message To You is the kind of song about being apart that Springsteen might do. By way of contrast On This Beautiful Night is bolstered by brass, with a soulful twist it talks of travel and of finding people and places. The title track has a feel of a classic Jackson Browne song and is again about of reflection and beauty. Elsewhere fiddle and steel play a prominent place in the production, by John Ellis, as on the uptempo Catch That Train or the tender, self-explanatory I Never Meant To Make You Cry. Papa Henry's Boy is a "Seeger Sessions" style sing along with banjo well to the fore. She Ran Away is a fine stripped back song with guitar and some atmospheric dobro and a stand-out here for that reason, and reminds of some classic John Hiatt. This is the sort of album that, with exposure, could easily find favour with a European audience. www.barneybentall.com
Gary Allen 'Get Off On The Pain' Humphead
Quite where Gary Allen is going with this album I'm not sure. It sounds big and bold and continues the direction of his last album that had a strong mainstream rock emphasis. There are still some country elements at play here, both in the lyrical themes and in the sound on some of the tracks. Steel guitar is included but it is largely subsumed into the guitar, bass and drum sound. It is good to see the name of Jamie O'Hara among the writer credits and his co-writes are some of the best things here. We Fly By Night has a strong melody and Allen, who wrote it with Odie Blackmon and the aforementioned O'Hara, delivers a strong believable performance. Blackmon and Allen also co-wrote several other songs but it is the closing track which Allen co-wrote with Jeff Hanna and Jon Randall that packs the most emotive performance on the album. No Regrets is about deep,dividing loss and will resonate with many who have experienced that lasting pain. There seems to be less bombast here and that this is a direction that really works for him. That he has moved from the more traditional elements of his earlier albums is also evident in the styling, gone are the cowboy hat and western-styled outfits to be replaced by a look that might sit better with what Music Row perceives as a big crossover audience. But then Allen is a co-producer here so maybe he's happy with the direction his music is going. This edition is the deluxe version with 4 additional tracks, 3 of which are live but don't really add a lot to the album other than to show that live he gets a lot of screams and the songs have become singalongs. A Gary Allen album is always worth listening to and there are some very good songs here but, for this listener, the sound has moved to a place that is a cause for some concern in the long term, but as the current single, Today, is hitting the top twenty maybe not for others.
Marla Cannon-Goodman 'My Reflection' Chicken Angel
Veteran producer Buddy Cannon is at the helm of his daughters album and he brings his years of experience in the studio to making this album sound as good as it does. Cannon-Goodman has co-written the songs here and sings then with a strong confident voice that brings the emotion and meaning to the songs.The best know of which is Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo, which was covered by Tracy Byrd. It's a very catchy song with a strong dash of humour that makes it a highlight on the album. Elsewhere the heartbreak of Walkin' In The Rain is balanced with the drive and determination of walking out on a bad relationship in I Call It Gone. Another highlight is The Fool a song about cheating that has some fine steel fills. The playing throughout is top notch with players like Mike Johnson, Kenny Greenberg, Joe Spivey and Mickey Raphael involved. The majority of the songs are relationship ballads that suit Cannon-Goodman well and should easily receive major label radio support but, as she is on an Indie Label, may not be the case. An all round enjoyable and satisfying from a member of a musical family that have all contributed to making some good country music.
Cam Penner 'Trouble & Mercy' Prairie Boy
Penner is a acoustic troubadour, a rough hewn voice in the wilderness telling tales of living on the fringes, of constant traveling and of low to no income survival. The focus is Penner's voice and his guitar with some subtle additional electric, steel guitar, violin and organ adding to the various songs mood and menace. This is music that evokes a sense of weariness but one that hasn't given up on better things to come. This is all summed up on a song like Tired Of This Town which is gently sung over a sparse accordion backing, it diffuses the romance of the pretend cowboy "you ain't no cowboy... this ain't no Wild West'. It has a insight that comes from viewing the world from the ground up. It has dirt under it's fingernails but warmth in it's heart and is, as a body of music, attractive and inviting. This Canadian singer/songwriter who has tenderness and grit in equal measure and who has made a stripped down album that is a good one. www.campenner.com
Brooks Williams 'Baby O Red Guitar' Blue Music
Looking not unlike a close relative of John Hiatt Williams shares a sense of raw blues with the former, though his musical palate is less wide ranging. The American singer/songwriter/guitarist recorded this, his 17th, self-produced album in England last year. Williams also has a strong warm voice that matches his skill as an acoustic guitar player on a variety of guitars including resonator and slide. He is accompanied by some accomplished local players including PJ Wright on dobro, electric slide and pedal steel guitars. The songs include some outside material from Son House's bluesy Grinnin' In Your Face to Mississippi John Hurt's Louis Collins to a striking instrumental slide version of the traditional Amazing Grace. Another instrumental, a more in gentle tone with some atmospheric pedal steel is Devil's Punchbowl. His own songs cover aspects of the human condition and fit the overall blues template as with the explanatory Walk You Off My Mind and Last Chance Love. Brooks Williams will appeal to acoustic blues fans and to Americana fans with this well played and produced collection of above average music from someone who understand the form well. www.brookswiliams.com
James and Amy Little Victories Self-Release
A husband and wife duo, James Cooper and Amy Kelly make melodic, memorable music. The albums opens with an a cappella version of Stephen Foster's Hard Times, this sets the tone for what follows, a selection of songs written by the duo either together or solo. The music is vibrant and rich in musical harmony with a largely acoustic backing. Peppered with banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass and occasional percussion the music sound right for the songs, and the singers. Outside of the opening Hard Times the only cover is a version of I Hope You Dance, here stripped down to its core emotional content which makes the emotion of the song work in a way the more recognized versions tend to overplay. For this listener anyway. There is not a bad track here. It has warmth and welcome and while it is not doing anything that has not been done before, what it does it does in a timeless way that relys on good songwriting, singing and playing. This is music that celebrates those little victories of life. www.jamesandamy.com
The Frontier Needs Heroes 'Self-Titled' Self Released
A entrancing brother/sister duo of Brad and Jessica Lauretti who play a style of folk music that reminds of early Fairport Convention and their contemporaries as well as some of the more stripped down folk music being made today in America. It is neither old time or Appalachian, rather it is folk music that is influenced by the Smiths as much as Woody Guthrie Dolly Parton as much as Joan Baez. In other words what they play and the way they play draws of a range of influences that is wide and eclectic. The result is an album of self-written songs that start with the Brad's guitar, his voice and Jessicas. From that base they add textures like flute, violin, percussion as well as bass and electric guitar on songs like Leopard Eyes and No More War. There is, at times, a sombre melancholy at the heart of these songs but overall the music is uplifting and untrammelled. The sibling harmonies are as strong and striking as you would expect and add much to the overall atmosphere of the music. It is the sort of album that draws you in and one you can find much to admire on repeated plays. With musical frontiers becoming increasingly blurred we need to find heroes where we can.You might find some frontierneedsheroes.com.
Hennessy Keane Nowhere Fast Self-Release
A band built around the two members who give the band its name - Shaun Hennessy and Ian Keane they play country-styled roots rock, a fairly innocuous sound but a pleasant one with the band playing well and laying acoustic instruments under the electric guitar and bass. Producer Nicke Beere plays some Hammond to fill out the sound in places. But as this is the band's first album they can build on the obvious interaction that the band displays on this, their debut album. The two duo write together and deliver the vocals which have a warmth and balance that indicates that, although they are not new to the game, they have found a niche and a way to progress their music. Songs like Ain't Leaving Without You show them off well and they bring to mind a slightly under developed version of The Sutherland Brothers. A listenable album that has some good songs and a solid delivery that suggest that they would also make a good live band. www.hennessykeane.com
Heather Bristow 'Hope On The Vine' Self-Release
The North Carolina native now lives in Gloucestershire in the UK. These she carried on her interest in playing bluegrass and folk music and formed a duo High Lonesome. This is her first album under her own name and it's a good one. Her voice lives up to the name of her previous band and her original songs are perfect vehicles for her voice. The players, which include producer Ben Winship, do a great job and there is never any doubt about the music strengths and authenticity. She cover life and death and in between with songs like Who's Gonna Tend Your Grave?, Aint Glory Grand? and Counting Memories cover the loss side. The Miner's Tale could as easily be on a Steeleye Span album as one from Appalachia, it's acapella delivery makes it an album highlight, as is the duet with John Lowell Lonesome Lullaby. Despite the bittersweet subject matter of some of the songs they are always delivered with a sense of positivity and hope. All in all if your a bluegrass or just a fan of good acoustic music then Hope On The Vine will bear fruit for the listener.
Rosanne Cash 'The List' Manhattan
The story about how these songs came about is, by now, well know so here are 12 songs which formed a part of the 100 important country songs. They are oft covered and well know so it's a tribute to Cash and producers John Leventhal and Rick DePofi that they give them in Cash's hands a new perspective one that his tailored to her emotive and perceptive voice, an instrument that has gained much through the years. On a number of tracks she is joined by a guest vocalist, some of whom add more to the overall effect than others. Bruce Springsteen is a good duet partner on Sea Of Heartbreak, singing the chorus and a verse with Cash. As is Elvis Costello's who sings the choruses on Heartaches By The Number and again what comes across on this album, and many of the similar cover albums released recently, is the strength and integrity of these songs. These are on a list because they are simply strong words and melodies that have stood the test of time. The arrangements here are not overtly "country" but always aware of the songs origins. They are equally, for the most part, suitably sparse and refreshingly understated allowing the vocals to tell the story, to breathe life into the songs. Though an accomplished writer herself Cash takes these songs to heart, makes them her own and delivers one of her finest albums.
Rick Shea 'Shelter Valley Blues' Tres Pescadores
The California country stalwart has come up with another good diverse and diverting set for his fifth solo studio album. Shea's distinctive voice is the centre of these songs,which are mostly self-written with a couple of co-writes and a interesting cover of the Waterboys' Fisherman's Blues. Shea has produced, engineered the album in his home studio, as well as playing guitar, dobro, pedal steel and mandolin. He is a part of the still thriving Californian scene and maintains a direct link to the Bakersfield Sound. Though he may not have the voice of a Merle Haggard he is in the same ballpark. The song also, on occasion, head south of the border as with the Rosie Flores co-write Sweet Little Pocha, which features Los Lobos' David Hidalgo on accordian. Another diversion is Steady Drivin' Man which evokes an earlier era with its featured clarinet. Ty Robby has a campfire/celtic feel and features some fine harmonies from Moira Smiley. The Haleiwa Shuffle, which was recorded in Honolulu has, naturally, a strong Hawaiian music feel on what starts out as an instrumental but ends with a vocal interlude. All of which makes this latest album one that covers an number of options and entertains on its own terms. www.rickshea.net
Joe Nichols 'Old Things New' Humphead
There may be some things about Joe Nichols that may remind long term country fans of Randy Travis, this is best evidenced by the title track here, a song written by three men who have been around the block a time or two and understand the reality of a country song. That trio is Bill Anderson, Paul Overstreet and Buddy Cannon. Anderson and Cannon contribute another good song, this time written with neo-traditionalist Jamey Johnson. Cheaper Than A Shrink may have been written with the tongues firmly in cheeks. But given that Nichols had substance abuse problems himself may be somewhat an ironic choice but it works. With A Team players and a Music Row production it is country music with mainstream radio play firmly in mind which means there's a lot of polish and perfection at play here. Nichols has a strong voice and with the right songs delivers a credible performance that finds him on of the more traditional artists currently on a major label and Old Things New is a showcase for where that side of the mainstream is right now.
John Miller 'Still Carrying A Flame' Folk 'n' Western
It's often the case that albums, especially independent releases, that receive good critical reviews don't find them translating into actual sales. Rather good reviews can often mean the opposite. Then if your making music is largely associated with a particular country then it's that much harder. But in the end it comes down to the music and John Miller has made the best album of his career, one which goes back to his band Radio Sweethearts who released their debut, New Memories, in 1996. Since then Miller has refined his craft. This new album has twelve original Miller songs that resonate with traditional country themes and musical styles. The band is supportive and praise worthy throughout feature his own band and friends, such as former label boss and Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis MacDonald, guitarist Martin Barrett, as well as the legendary B.J. Cole on pedal steel. The production by Miller and Duncan Cameron is clean, warm and welcoming. The songs those beloved by many traditional fans songs that deal with loss and heartbreak delivered with conviction. My Dreaming Party, Tiny Sweetheart Roses, I Just Can't Live Without You are all personal highlights on an album that is consistently good and one I've returned to many times. There seems to be an feeling among some that anything emerging from the UK can't equal that from the USA. Not true, there are many examples of acts from the UK and Ireland that are more than worthy exponents of their craft. John Miller is one of them and if you want to find out for yourself just go to his my space page and have a listen.http://www.myspace.com/johnmillerandhiscountrycasuals
Kevin Welch 'A Patch Of Blue' Sky Music Road
Always a strong writer and recognizable singer Kevin Welch has been making his mark for quite a few years now, as a solo artist, as a member of the Dead Reckoners and with Kane, Welch, Kaplan. This new album finds him recording in Texas with musicians like Glenn Fukunaga, Bukka Allen, Rick Richards and his band mate Fats Kaplan as well as his son Dustin Welch. The songs are well up to his usual standard and are all written or co-written by Welch and are set here in a relaxed roots style setting that has that definable Austin, Texas feel. His concerns are exemplified with a song like The Great Emancipation which deals with spirit and belief and overcoming the inevitable hard times. The songs also deal with location, with leaving, with seeking and finding. Andaman Sea has the sonic depth of a cello as a foundation to the accordion and acoustic guitar backing. It is again Welch's worn voice that brings the song it's focus and depth. Something that is true throughout this album. Those who have listened to Welch throughout his career know his worth and are, like me, delighted to have him back with an album of his own, one that is well up there with his best work, sonorous and sensuous. A patch of blue sky in an often increasingly gray sky. www.kevinwelch.com
Billy Currington Enjoy Yourself Mercury/Humphead
Diversity is the name of the game in Nashville these days with the gameplan deciding most of the major label releases should go for the crossover touchdown. Billy Currington has songs from writers like Shawn Camp and players like Paul Franklin on pedal steel but on the song Love Done Gone Currington co-production with Carson Chamberlain delivers a brass led bright pop sound that is a long way from what I know as country music. He gets a little closer to that sound on Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer - one of those "I'm a country boy at heart" type of songs beloved at radio these days. Elsewhere the songs look at equating a relationship to the love his dog has for him. Perfect Day has nothing to do with Lou Reed, no this one is about sitting on the beach watchin' the sun come up with a girlfriend. Nice work if you can get it. The rest of the album follows an easy going path with Currington in good voice on both the slow and uptemp songs. A relaxed, sun and fun seeking kind of an album that may well appeal to Kenny Chesney devotees and to his own fans. Bad Of Fishin' again extolls the virtues of more leisure time taking it easy and the music despite the presence of steel and select members of Nashville's A-Team the music is pleasant without ever taking you anywhere special. The closing Lil' Ol' Lonesome Dixie Town written by Billy Joe Walker and Shawn Camp closes the album in a better mode with a uptempo, energetic slice of jukebox playing, beer drinkin' having a fun time but don't let it get out of hand type of fun.
Josh Turner 'Haywire' Humphead
The man with the deep, deep voice is back with his latest album. A solid collection of up beat songs that fits the radio formatting criteria in that Frank Rogers production is robust and rounded with mandolin, banjo and country guitar well placed in the mix of these mainly uptempo songs. The ballads like, Lovin' You On My Mind are big productions, with strings and backing vocals giving the whole song an added layer of gloss. The problem here, for this listener, is that few of the songs have any bite or grit. Many of them could be equally recorded, with a slightly different sound by the likes of Westlife. Turner's co-writes As Fast As I Could and Eye Candy (which is a very catchy song, co-written with tongue firmly in cheek by Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin) are marginally better as one suspects that Turner would like to get his vocal chords around something more substantial. The song Long Black Train is an example of that, and is here in a watered down version as a bonus track on this deluxe edition, but there is nothing here that has the same resonance. Haywire is well produced, played and sung and is an easy listen from one of Music Row's more traditional artists but the whole thing feels like sugar sweet piece of candy rather something more fulfilling.
Jim Lauderdale 'Patchwork River' Skycrunch
By now his music is recognizable by Lauderdale's increasingly confident singing and his subtle melodic song structures. Something that has given him some devoted fans and admirers if not much opportunity to dent the mainstream. His songs, cover by others - notably George Strait, still hit the charts but Jim Lauderdale, in his own right, seems more of an acquired taste. This new album, on his new label imprint, is another collaboration with former Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and is subtle and varied. It covers soulful sounds like Louisville Roll with organ and brass and Patty Griffin on vocal harmonies through to a song like El Dorado with the great James Burton on guitar, Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar and Ron Tutt on drums. Here he gets close to Gram Parsons Cosmic Country Music tag. There are sad reflections in the quiet mood of Far In The Far Away. Or there's the country twang of Between Your Heart And Mine where Patti Griffin again delivers some excellent harmonies. Production is shared between Lauderdale, Doug Lancio and longtime collaborator Tim Coats. Jim Lauderdale is a consummate songwriter who can add a underlying twist to any style he choses to bring to his recordings with the end result being nothing less that Lauderdale music - rootsy, soulful, solidly constructed and open to repeated playing and personal favourites. This patchwork is bright, colourful and will doubtless warm you if you were let it's aura slip around you.
David Celia 'I Tried' XX1
From the opening song Turnout Celia offers a stylized sound. That song and those that follow have a arranged sound that encompasses a wide range of styles that are often uptempo and upbeat. The list of instruments is as wide as the song with clavinet, Hammond, pedal steel, trombone, trumpet, cello, glockenspiel among the featured sounds. The jovial I'm Not Texan has the rootsyist sound with twang guitars and Gurf Morlix on dobro. It's fun, ironic and sure worth a spin. The next song Instant Puppy Love also features Mr. Morlix on this song of instant attraction. After that the songs revert to their more arranged soundscape that is inventive and interesting though you need to be open to non-roots music to take it in. It's kind of a Canadian 10cc type of thing in that the songs cover a lot of territory with some skill, wit and thought. Bug's Apocalypse has a folkier attitude with cello and flute over a light string backing. Running Out Of Time has a Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows feel it the way it experiments with sound and space. Celia is another talented Canadian artist who could well find a bigger audience if he gets the right exposure and playing at this year's Glastonbury Festival may well help. www.davidcelia.com
Dierks Bentley 'Up On The Ridge' Capitol/Humphead
This is an album that Bentley both wanted and needed to make. On his arrival in Nashville he spent time down in the Station Inn listening and absorbing the welcome harmonies of bluegrass. There it mingled with his love of classic country and righteous rock. He has included bluegrass-styled tracks on his albums before but here he has delivered an album that is rooted in the music he heard delivered by the likes of The Sidemen and while it may not exactly fit the more rigid demands of the bluegrass purist it will delight many. The key however is if it will please those who have previously been very taken with his hi-octane radio friendly country. Dierks Bentley is well aware of the need to grow, to move on and develop his music and Up On The Ridge does that. It does it very well. Now it just needs to sell. With slightly left field producer Jon Randall Stewart at the helm this album has a more organic sound and provides Bentley with the backdrop to deliver his best vocal performance to date. He is surrounded with a fine bunch of players, harmony vocalist and guest singers. They all add much to the proceedings without overwhelming the man whose name is on the cover. Those friends include Bryan Sutton, Del, Ronnie and Rob McCoury. The Punch Brothers, Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill and many more. The songs are a mix of co-writes with producer Stewart, Tim O'Brien and Angelo as well as songs from writers of note such as Bob Dylan, Shawn Camp, Kristofferson and some upcoming Irish band called U2 (Pride - In The Name Of Love). There's a lot to like here with Senor, Fiddlin' Around, Love Grows Wild and Down In The Mine immediately hitting home on what is a very strong and satisfying album that has already gained much critical kudos.