Rafe and Clelia Steffanini 'Lady On THe Green' Old Willow Tree

Getting this album set me on a quest to find out a bit more about a name that I have seen continuously since I first became interested in Bluegrass and Old Time Americana but had not really followed up on. Rafe Steffanini is a Philadlephia based, Italian national, and multi-instrumentalist whose skills on fiddle, banjo, mandolin etc etc are most often to be heard in the company of such high end acoustic idols as Bruce Molsky or Dirk Powell. On this fine collection he is accompanied by his daughter Clelia on fiddle, guitar and vocals.Throw in Nikki Lee on Guitar, Carl Jones on mandolin and Eric Frey on bass and vocals and you are on your way to a 13 track trip to another stage of your Old Timey history education. The liner notes on this one are just about right to inform while listening to some of the best instrumental music I have heard recently.

There is no chance to get bored on a full listen to the whole CD as the stlyes vary from track to track. The instrumentals feature some exquisite twin fiddle and stunningly clear old time banjo playing, while the guitar in simple Carter Family feel is just perfect in "I Never Will Marry".  Father and daughter feature some fine family harmony on "Blues Stay From Me" and "The Cowboy Trail" is yet another gem.

The title tune "Lady On The Green" has been haunting me since I heard it and I'm still trying to find out the original celtic name that I may have heard it played as at some time in the past. Emails of assistance would be appreciated on this one. The only problem I have with this CD is that I'm now going to have to set out and collect some more of the music of this excellent Old Time musician who once again shows that Europe can still give as good as it gets when it comes to Old Time or Bluegrass music. In the company of Beppe Gambetta or Red Wine, or The Kruger Brotherts, Rafe Steffanini does us proud.

The whole package is produced in longtime Lonesome Highway favourite, Joel Savoy's studio in Eunice, Louisianna which was the home of Rafe's previous CD "Never Seen The Like" This is a project that will sit well in your collection for regular visits when you need just a bit of grit and authenticity in your musical diet.

Random Canyon Growlers 'Dickey Ain't Got all Day' - Hen House.

This band's name suggests that you should know them of old but in fact they were new to me before I jumped headlong into this wild collection of Ozark flavoured tunes played by a band whose instrumental skills where obviously fine tuned by 25 hour days spent woodshedding or jamming together. Don't be fooled by the schoolboyish cover artwork, this is a very professional project produced by Ben Winship whose Fishing Music CD has had me entertained for quite a few years now. 

Most tracks are written or co-written by the guitar and banjo duo of band members Jamie Drysdale and David McMeekin. They are original while showing a love of the genre that makes them seem as comfortable as a well worn pair of old cowboy boots. There are a few surprises in the shape of songs from the Louvin Brothers "Dark As The Night" or "Travelling Kind" from The Country Gentlemen. But the ace in the hole for me was Don Robertson's "Born To Be With You" which I have so many versions of in my collection that this one brings a whole new and fresh approach to such a much loved classic.

I say again that the musical and instrumental skills of this band are way superiour to most of the young blades that have wild noisy old time bands on todays circuit. These lads have put an album together that will stand the test of time and I'll be looking forward to hearing more from them as the years roll in.

As good as they sound on CD I'm sure that a live performance is the right place to see these young guys in action. They are pushing the Old Timey envelope just as far as it will go and the tasters of edgy rock and bluesy vocals show signs of lots more to come from them in the future.

Coyote Grace 'Now Take Flight' - Mile After Mile

The first thing you notice on this most recent of five albums from Coyote Grace is the traditional instruments of a bluegrass band work at a different tempo and styling than we might expect from even the most adventurous of todays grassy bands. So Bluegrass it ain't nor is it folk but instead it's a jazz tinged acoustic set of originals written mostly by Joe Stevens and Ingrid Elizabeth with one from the other third Michael Connolly and a killer version of Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" to complete the mix.

To identify a group that I had never heard of, before getting this little beauty in the post I have nicked a few lines from their website bio. The first thing you notice on this most recent of five albums from Coyote Grace is the traditional instruments of a bluegrass band work at a different tempo and styling than we might expect from even the most adventurous of todays grassy bands. So Bluegrass it ain't nor is it folk but instead it's a jazz tinged acoustic set of originals written mostly by Joe Stevens and Ingrid Elizabeth with one from the other third Michael Connolly and a killer version of Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" to complete the mix.

Armed with a bevy of acoustic instruments from guitar and upright bass to banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and accordion, Coyote Grace’s Joe Stevens, Ingrid Elizabeth and Michael Connolly fill theater, club, and festival stages with a wash of sound seemingly far too expansive for three musicians, mixing bluegrass and blues, soul and Southern twang into a unique sound that hovers just beyond the edge of ‘familiar.

This is obviously a musical democracy with all sharing the vast array of instruments and vocal duties. Ingrid seems to handle percussion and Michael pitches in with hammond on a few tracks but neither of these overpower the mostly lead vocals or the tasteful harmonies and classy instrumentation. The longest track at 5.21 is powerful bass driven and vocal piece that showcases the talents of Ingrid on both. This is followed by the album finisher and title track a very strong and eminently listenable mainly mandolin insrumental that draws you in and insists that you return to track 1 and start the process all over again. 

I can't calssify or categorise this album and nor would I want to. It's a little island of quality modern acoustic music in a sea of mindless pop drivel that we are forced to listen to on mainstream radio these days. These are real musicians who haven't sold out, bringing us a collection their own originals in a style that suits them and is a pleasure to listen to.
I think a visit to their back catalogue is now required to try to see where this very very enjoyable project gets its history and I'll also have to visit my Girlyman CD to hear again what Ingrid Elizabeth does on her breaks from Coyote Grace.

Josh Turner 'Punching Bag' - Humphead/MCA

Not quite the traditional country knockout that the ring-entering introduction suggests, this latest offering from the baritone-voiced Turner has, none-the-less some good tracks with the country instrumentation more to the fore than is often the case these days. Turner makes his religious beliefs fairly apparent not only in his written introduction but also in the choice of songs. His solo written For The Love Of God and the outside song I Was There both are testaments to his faith, largely as statements of his convictions rather than taking some stance of the moral high ground. Gospel and Christian faith have long been a staple of country music/bluegrass repertoires. Fellow Christian Ricky Skaggs joins Turner on mandolin, banjo and harmony vocals for the aforementioned For The Love Of God, a songs with acoustic instrumentation but using drums to give it some added momentum. The opening much of the title track, a co-write between Turner and Pat McLaughlin, is written from the stance of the male taking the hits from his female partner and features the assembled players giving the song some weight. Find Me A Baby is a paen to family that subtly using the voices of his family in the chorus mix. Perhaps the stand-out here is another Josh Turner song Pallbearer which is graced by Iris DeMents harmony vocal which works and contrasts well with Turners lead vocal. Marty Stuart also adds his skill as mandolin players on the track. It is one song that has a darker tone that likens the role of pallbearer to that of man bereft of his girlfriend. It sounds great and more of this would make a great album though one that will unlikely find a place at radio. There is a deluxe edition of the album that features five additional live tracks including the title song and some tracks from previous albums including one of his undoubted highlights. Again it is a song that digs a little deeper, Long Black Train sounds as good in this version as it did in the studio. Josh Turner has the voice, the songs and the belief to further the cause of traditional country and it would be great to her him make an album that didn't have to consider what radio programmers might think fits their restricted formats. An album produced by Marty Stuart and with his Superlatives would be something special. In the meantime this will please his fans and those looking for something that still feels like country music as it was. 

Susan Cattaneo 'Little Big Sky' - Jersey Girl

As is becoming more common these days artists are releasing mini-albums/eps. These means you can maybe put out a couple of release in the period you might only release a single album. This gives you more opportunity to get reviews and to have something new to sell at gigs. With two previous albums under her belt this big voiced singer and writer. It credits Lorne Entress as executive producer and Jan Stolpe with production and engineering. They have gathered some top class players together that included Glen Duncan on fiddle and Tommy White on pedal steel which gives the music some country edge on a sound that is very contemporary and polished. The central focus is Cattaneo's voice which fills the songs with an authoritative presence. The songs as you might expect deal with the foibles of the human heart (A Place Called Love, Better Day the toughened, uptempo rockin' rootsy Spare Parts) and the self-explanatory Let The Music Deliver Me and the search for balance and place in Little Big Sky. Pennies On The Rail reminisces about growing up. The seven songs here are full of hooks, fine performances and not a little passion. Something that will have across the board appeal to those who like their Americana with some confidence, balls and intent. Little Big Sky is wide open for open minds and hearts.

Craig Elkins 'I Love You' - Self-Release

The Huffamoose singer steps out with his solo album and if one is to judge from the first track to greet you it may seem that Elkins is in a somewhat less that fruitful frame of mind as Offin' Myself might suggest. The rest of the album is delivered in a slightly fragile voice that is world weary but honest and self-depreciating. That honesty extends itself from the opening song through the self examination of I Can't Stop Being A Dick or I Wanted To, But I Didn't. Elkins tells a truth about himself that not everyone may want to know, but he does it with elan and a fine set of backing musicians who take his ponderings seriously. Dave Immergluck plays guitar and mandolin, Pete Thomas plays drums and these are but two of 12 musicians involved on this Elkins, Mark Fox co-produced singer/songwriter album. I Love You is the sort of album that will find some echoing the title's sentiment but others may take a different view to it's quirky honesty, restrained rootish rock-sound and memorable songs. Songs that have a subtle addictive quality if you allow them into your head. Craig Elkins is individualistic enough to stand out and get some attention. Indeed the jaunty rhythm of Tumbleweeds wouldn't sound amiss on the more selective radio shows that allow the more creative music some exposure. The album closes with Human Drag, a song with a sound that is not unlike a first cousin to some of Todd Snider's off-the-wall examinations of the foibles of human nature and those who are in tune with Snider's sometimes stoner reasonings may find much to also like with I Love You.

Jason Heath and The Greedy Souls 'Packed For Exile' - Still Small

California Wine opens the album with a sunny, good time disposit ion that, even through some of the songs that deal with the darker ends of the street, never gets overly oppressive. Something that pervades this album blend of Americana, blue collar rock and nuanced folk tales. The accordion is central to many of the songs here giving them a border, folkish lean but the five piece band are joined by a rake of guests who add some additional flavours. Co-produced by Shadwrak, Mike Fennel and the band, it flows smoothly through its 14 tracks and hour plus running time with a hint of Springsteen's concerns for the plight and lives of the working class and the common man and woman fighting corporate greed and corruption. There is a further link in that Jason Federici's father the late Danny Federici played with The Boss. But while these guys have similar themes and some similar sounds that will not be confused with the E Street Band. In the main because Heath's lead vocals are different and the band likewise are their own thing. The tackle the slower, bigger songs like A Fighter's Lullaby deal with a certain despair in a positive way, while the more folkish side is apparent in Truth Rag, a post-Pogues puckishness. The seem to be a band striving to stay close to their collective sense of community and soul. They. like others, dream of better times ahead and make their music to help to realize them, even if for some those dreams may only be illusions for those who hear them. As the title suggest the over-riding theme is one of exile, of feeling remote - even in one's hometown. God's Name In Vain is an anti-war song delivered with a passion and a restrained power that makes it a standout. Fans of the toughened street sounds that Springsteen has used as his stock-in-trade through the years would do well to check out these guys latest offering.

Ed Romanoff 'Self-Titled' - Self-Release

If I was to draw a musical map Ed Romanoff would be a point somewhere between Mary Gauthier, Sam Baker and Leonard Cohen. Territory that is about individuality, well-chosen words, emotional soft spoken voices and above all songs that tell stories and have some real resonance. This is Ed Romanoff's debut album and it's special. After several listens it still reveals and rewards and is a welcome musical experience. It, again, highlights that great singers don't always make for great songs. Produced by Crit Harmon, who also did the honours on those early albums of Mary Gauthier. Gauthier is a friend and co-wrote (with Romanoff and Harmon) Breakfast For One On The 5th Of July. Harmon is central to the album's success, producing the album with a crystal clear sound, he also co-wrote the majority of the songs with Romanoff. Then there are the players, all of whom contribute much to the album and they include the very talented guitarist Duke Levine and the seasoned percussion skills of Dave Mattacks. Romanoff's friend Josh Ritter is co-writer of two of songs and he adds background vocals on three numbers. The lovely Tift Merritt appears on two others. Her voice a contrasting with Romanoff's very effectively on Two Yellow Roses and New Year's Prayer in a way the best of Emmylou Harris vocal contributions tend to. Another highlight is the dark retelling of the one cover song, one deep in desperation, that goes way beyond many of the versions of the Hank Cochran/Harlan Howard classic I Fall To Pieces. It also makes very good use of Mary Gauthier's background vocals and subterranean musical setting. There is a heart of darkness to many of Romanoff's songs. For instance Lady Luck delivers a nightmare story of an unexplained disappearance "Around 4 o'clock or so, he went down to the river, and that's all anybody knows". The jazzy touches of I Must Have Done Something Right add to this tale of misadventure, which is well served by the literate musical mannerisms and references. The textures that are added throughout include cello, accordion, synth and brass and all add much to the atmosphere of what could loosely would be called folk/roots Americana. While melancholy abounds this is an uplifting album and undoubtably one of the best that has been my pleasure to hear this year.

Jon LaDeau 'Self-Titled' - Self-Release

Like many artist playing today Jon LaDeau is influenced by a range of styles and amalgamates them to create his version of Americana, foremost though is the blues, closely followed by rock 'n' roll and there's some country in the mix too. The closing track Rollin' Slow best exemplifies the latter with an upbeat rhythm and some tasty guitar from Scott Metzger. The overall colour of the blues is never too far away though. However this is not specifically a hardcore blues album but rather LaDeau's songs strive for something that is is own. The opening song Lucille is a good introduction to how this four piece sound. Jon LaDeau has a voice that is a distinctive enough presence, there are hints of a young Neil Young, to these ears at least, and in some ways that masters eclectic approach may also serve LaDeau well. This Way, a mid-paced rock song, points in that direction and is an immediate stand-out song on this eight track mini-album.The rhythm section of Jon Shaw and Taylor Floreth hold the bottom line down and allow the songs a base to build on. The train rhythm of Grapple propels the song along and allows the guitar to again take centre stage under La Deau voice and the guest backing vocals. The album was recorded by D. James Goodwin in Woodstock and sounds like it was a relaxed session. The dirty blues of the walking-paced Old Brown Dog, is a shaggy instrumental, a tribute to a favoured mutt perhaps? Midnite Sun is another song with a memorable guitar riff and vocal. All of the elements here show that LaDeau is a capable artist trying to get his music out there in front of people and while there's nothing here that hasn't been done before it is being done with a self-belief and genuine drive that makes this release an enjoyable one and the band are likely to be a lot of fun live. It's a starting point from which both the band and their fans can build.

Alan Jackson 'Thirty Miles West' - Humphead/ACR

The good news, and maybe also the bad news for some, is that little has changed with Alan Jackson's move from Arista to EMI and his own ACR imprint. There is none of the experimentation of his Alison Krauss produced album (Like Red On A Rose). Sticking with a formula has never effected George Strait's sales and the continuity will help the his fans to know they're safe in the familiar territory. His longtime producer Keith Stegall is again at the helm of a group of A-list session players who produce a solid county sound. Visually as well there was talk of the trademark 'tache going but it's still very much in evidence on the cover. So business as usual. The thirteen songs are a mix of 6 Jackson solo-written originals with some outside song choices written by Chris Stapleton, Guy Clark, Shawn Camp, Al Anderson and his nephew Adam Wright in various combinations with others or together. The opening song is the wishful Gonna Come Back As A Country Song, a mid-tempo novelty that opens the album with a sense of purpose and fun. That's followed by the wistful break-up song You Go Your Way. A theme that is repeated in others songs like So You Don't Have To Love Me Anymore - the strong vocal from Jackson reminds just how good a country singer he is. Everything But The Wings is a love song, a ballad with strong steel input. Talk Is Cheap is a motivational song about getting on and doing the things that are often just talked about. You get the picture, classic country fare, that is punctuated by diversions like the rockin' Dixie Highway which features Zac Brown and uses a subtle interpolation of Sweet Home Alabama. It features prominent piano and fiddle breaks. A twist on the opening song can be found in the self explanatory Her Life's A Song. The album closes with two strong performances on the twangy, lively Life Keeps Bringin' Me Down, the sound a contrast to the message in the title. The final song, When I Saw You Leaving, is a heart tugging emotion filled song that Jackson wrote in the wake of his wife's battle with cancer that will mean so much to many. A simple and personal reaction to events over which he has little control and on a par, if a more personal and inward looking song, with Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning). In a world that keeps turning and where country music turns into pop (all too often) it is heartening to have someone who still believes and makes country music in the heart of Music Row.

Todd Fritsch 'Up Here In The Saddle' - Saddle Up

His latest album finds Fritsch kicking things up a notch. He is a more assured vocalist and has found a sympathetic producer in Butch Baker. The sound is indistinguishable from many a mainstream major label release. Which given the quality of the players involved should be no surprise. The surprise is that Fritsch is still likely considered 'too country' for some programmer's tastes. The presence of 5 Dean Dillon co-writes is a pretty good indication of what Fritsch likes. Dillon is a respected writer (and artist) who has written a lot of songs that were recorded by George Strait. But in these times you will find few albums bearing Dillon's credit, something equally true of such writers as Jim Lauderdale or Kostas. These guys know how to write a country song, but other than generic list songs very few are getting cut these days outside of a still thriving indie sector. The best songs here are those that relate to something that Fritsch so obviously loves and that is being in the saddle or riding in a pick-up. In that respect Fritsch is in the mode of the late great Chris LeDoux. As a Texan he is steeped in the twin traditions of country music and countryside. This is mirrored in the theme of songs like Horses He Can't Ride Anymore and Up Here In The Saddle, the latter is, in fact, a duet with Dean Dillon. But that don't mean that this is a retro cowboy album. Far from it, as Fritsch opens with the drum heavy My Kind Of Crowd that should, in truth, fit right in at radio. Hell, there's even a list song, written by Dillon and John Northrup titled clearly enough Top Of My List. The lost-love drinking songs are there too in the likes of That Ain't Gonna Fly. And he can also deliver a ballad like In A Song with ease. In other words Fritsch has made an album that will have a wide appeal. That Fritsch isn't a writer, on this particular album, means that as a singer he has chosen a set of songs that he is comfortable with and therefore believes in and can deliver with confidence. When Fritsch is in the saddle he's having a good time and his fans will pick up on that and will have a good time with this too. 

Eve Selis 'Family Tree' - HCT

Having made repeated visits to Europe Eve Selis has built up a healthy fanbase for her roots rock sound on both sides of the pond. The band are increasingly assured in their delivery and Selis is voice and focus of the sound with her powerful presence and lasting vocal ability. A lot of the songs here she has co-written, many with guitarist and long time band member Marc Intravaia, as well as with writers such as Doug Crider, Rich Wiley and Kim McLean. There is a respectable version of the oft (over?) recorded Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah which will please many of her fans. Lori McKenna's Witness To Your Life is another outside song. Steve Churchyard's clear and concise production balances the restraint shown on the more plaintive songs such as When Is Everything Enough, Family Tree and the country infused Don't You Feel Lonesome with the more amped up delivery of Rubber and Glue, Water Off A Duck's Back or the roots rockin' mid-tempo of All Roads Lead To Here or the proto swing of Bump In The Road. She also delivers the inward pain of the piano ballad I Don't Want Cry with ease. In other words Selis cover a lot of bases with her songs and her style and her band is right behind her giving them a full-blown roadhouse sound. While the more hardcore 'real deal' country fans won't particularly find a whole lot to savour those who are already fans will find this the best step to date on Selis career path and those who are new to the music but came in through the more pop-orientated Nashville sounds will find this album one that will appeal on a lot of levels. Eve Selis has worked hard to get here and with her band should reap the rewards that has seen them gaining the endorsement of 'Whispering' Bob Harris amongst others. This Family Tree will soon bear fruit for the award winning San Diego native.

Katy Boyd 'Paper Hearts' - Self-Release

A native of California who relocated to England Boyd has in recently returned to music and Paper Hearts is her second album. Produced by guitarist Thomm Jutz in Nashville it takes her songs, often introspective and autobiographical and puts them in a subtle electric folk setting with touches that hint of country and rock that suits their overall nature. Alongside Jutz on guitar, keyboards and harmony vocals are notable local players Fats Kaplin, Mark Fain and Lynn Williams on respectively steel/accordion, bass and drums as well as Justin Moses on fiddle, mandolin and banjo and Boyd on acoustic guitar. Jutz's work with Nanci Griffith should give an idea of how this may sound. Her life and that of many a (single) mother is précised in Happy Single Mother's Day where she expresses that natural frustration which might find her going to "put the kids on E-Bay, free delivery the next day". The songs here all come from the heart and the one cover, Steve Windwood's Can't Find My Way Home, is equally an expression of a person looking for their place in the world. That Boyd has found a way to express these thoughts and emotions and observations is something that is good for her and those who will find a sympathetic voice in her music. The subtle steel that blends into a song like Colors tell of chasing the rainbow "to find a pot of gold". That sense of search pervades the album. There are songs here with immediate appeal like the analogy of life's uncertainties in Circus Folk and the personal indecision of Borderline which finds her hovering "between that man of mine and a ten dollar ticket on the bus line". Some of these lyrics may pass you by on first listen but are reveled on later listening and on the sleeve artwork. This is the work of a set of mature, reflective musicians and will appeal to those of like minds. 

JP Harris and the Tough Choices 'I'll Keep Calling' - Cow Island

The latest release from that bastion of all things real in country music, Cow Island Records, is this debut album from JP Harris and his tight Tough Choices band. The songs are bar-room missives on heartbreak, hitting-the-road and the high hopes for love, life and, all too often, lament. The songs are all written by Harris, who also produced the album, he understand this music in a way that so many on Music Row don't. I'll Keep Calling includes a surfeit of pedal steel, fiddle, baritone guitar and twang - all good. Harris sings in a voice that belies his 29 years. He has lived his life in a way that understands what these songs can mean to all those who hear (and equally have lived) them. A standout is the ballad Just Your Memory, "that's just your memory keeping me company", it uses a classic country premise to reveal loss and regret, as does the break-up bargaining of Take It All. This album is full of great and timeless examples of this music and despite some of the songs negative subject matter the music is vital, vibrant and entirely uplifting. Return To Sender is another song that will have feet tapping and faces smiling. With Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives Nashville has one such flag flyer for all honky-tonks heroes, but now the city has another in Harris and his band, also based in Nashville, but traveling all over the States and playing in bars and small festivals. It's not too big a leap to say that these guys aren't far behind in terms of overall quality and commitment. There is a humour at work here alongside the perceived pain and that makes I'll Keep Calling an album that all hardcore country fans should immediately check out. This music, like all good independent music, needs as much support as it can get these days and this is just one deserving cause. There are many great bands out there that need to be heard. I'll Keep Calling is a damn fine country album, and in this day and age that matters. 

Willie Nelson 'Heroes' - Sony Music

When you think that you might have enough Willie Nelson albums in your collection he comes along with another essential addition to his catalogue. This Buddy Cannon produced set features his son Lukas on several tracks, three of which he also wrote. His voice has an instant family recognizability and makes him an ideal duet partner for his father. He is also joined by a selection of friends and fellow travelers in Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Price, Billy Joe Shaver, Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson and Snoop Dogg. Good company and not there to help give some new upstart credibility. Willie is such a icon and, as such, is so immediately identifiable that he is never in danger of being upstaged. A veteran of many a duet he's always front and centre as is unique use of his trusted guitar Trigger. There are a number of classic songs like My Window Faces The South and Cold War With You as well as a distinctive takes on Eddie Vedder's Just Breathe and Coldplay's The Scientist (this track produced by Justin Stanley and Doyle Bramhall 11 and the only solo vocal from Willie). But the songs that will immediately raise a smile is Roll Me Up a new song written by Nelson, Cannon and others. "Roll me up and smoke me when I die" being it's appropriate theme. There are a number of players important to the overall success of the album and they include Mike Johnson on steel guitar, Lukas Nelson on electric guitar and long time contributor Mickey Raphael on his trademark harmonica. All of those involved deliver and it is a pleasure to listen to this album again and again, as you hear little nuances that might pass you by on first listen. It is also a celebration of some of country music's surviving heroes. That they aren't as lauded as their friend Johnny Cash was is a great pity as Haggard, Kristofferson, Price and Shaver as well as Willie himself are all vocalists and song interpreters who give so much life and dignity to these songs, bringing both old and new together in a cohesive way. As Willie sings " the world's getting crazy and seems to be getting worse every day", so you need this sort of album to help you deal with it. The album Heroes is full them. It's an album old fans and new ones should celebrate and hold close to their hearts.

Johanna Divine 'Electric Tide' - Taureau Music

Since her last album (Mile-High Rodeo) Miss Divine has progressed her music into a more electric setting to deliver some music she calls "swamp pop", an appealing blend of swamp rock, cajun, jazz-noir, roots and Americana. The songs, all bar one, written by Divine, show off her sultry, southern, satisfying voice. From the Attractions-like organ and trumpet that are central to the late night, off-kilter, mood of the title track through the more rock-headed Harder They Fall. That organ sound, very Vox Continental, crops up on a lot of the songs. Producers Glenn Patscha and Dirk Powell have given Divine a palate as colourful as it's fine illustrated sleeve. Muted tones totally appropriate for these songs and their intentions. Basin Bridge mixes Patscha's organ and Powell's accordion together with seamless ease. It's that kind of interaction of tone over the solid rhythm section of Christian Dugas drumming and Powell's bass that give these a robust base from where the songs fly. Divine has grown as a vocalist and turns in nuanced performances that are full of strength and resolve, as in Last One To Know where she is the subject of a broken relationship and delivers her hurt with the restrained reticence of being "the first one to find out but the last one to know".  The 12 songs are divided into Side One and Side Two. The second set opens with Sunday Morning an uptempo take on that particular time of the week and what might occur after it. The bluesy tones of the trumpet filled contemplation of Either Way follows. Where Does A Little Tear Come From? is positively jaunty given the title. The only cover it was previously recorded by George Jones but it fits easily into this new soundscape. "There ain't A whole lot I can do without love" she declares on Taking Your Time and shows again that Johanna Divine is a good writer as she is a good singer. Son Ambulismo, a trumpet, guitar and organ instrumental closes the album with a musical swell that makes you want to swim again in the warm current of this electric tide.

This album is currently available at Johanna Divine gigs and will be released later in the year.