Little Big Town 'Tornado' - HumpHead

This album is the first time I gave an ear to Little Big Town. When I first heard their name, I thought they were Bluegrass, discovered they weren’t and left them by the wayside. Big mistake on my part. This is another CD that is outside my normal listening comfort zone and I approached it with caution. I didn’t need to worry, tight four part harmonies with traces of Fleetwood Mac, CSNY, Everly Brothers and even the spine tingling Prelude from the early eighties. All in all very easy on the ear.

It’s not country as we would like it but in these days of genre crossings it does fit very comfortably into a well produced soft country rock vibe. The opening track “Pavement Ends” tempts you in with a very cool banjo and drum mix that sets the pace for all that follows.

LBT are an equal opportunity four part harmony band with no accredited lead singer and the liner notes don’t give you any clues in this direction either. So only the die-hard fans will know who is taking the lead honours. Not that it matters, as the sound is so professional that there is a seamless drift of solo, duet, trio and quartet from track to track and even in individual tracks giving each song a little mystique along the way.

Writing duties are shared by band members, a good sprinkling of rising star Natalie Henby co-writes and includes some of my favourites touring band member in Jedd Hughes, Chris Stapleton and Lori McKenna. Not a bad line up that gives a great mix from the almost bluegrassy blues feel of Front Porch Thing through the Fleetwood Mac styled On Fire Tonight and finishes excellently for me with a single guitar and the tastiest Everlyesque tight harmonies of Night Owl.

This is an album that has me reaching into the archives for a bit more research on this fine band and for the genre police, it ain’t honky tonk but I don’t think that Little Big Town ever intended it to be.

Hank Williams Jr. 'Old School, New Rules' - Bocephus

Hank Jr. is back with an album that leans a whole lot closer to Hank I than Hank III. The title explains it all and this is an old school Country Rocker of an album that makes no excuses for it’s pedigree. The opening track is a twin bladed anthem about getting back to his roots both musically and politically and again makes no apologies on the way.

I missed Hank Jr. the first time round as I was still hooked on John Denver and Peter, Paul and Mary but I always had a sneaky desire to grab a bottle and head off shit-kickin’ in his direction. This album gave me a chance to redeem myself and try a bit of Bocephus philosophy. And I quite liked it.

Ten tracks by Hank Jr., One by Hank Sr. and one by Merle is not a bad tally. The Bocephus songs are written in the style of his Daddy and with the similarity in lyrics and melodies I found myself drifting off in the direction of the originals rather than their new livery. At first I was very uncomfortable with his melody shift on my favourite Hank Sr. song You Win Again but on second or third listen I was able to take it as served.

With an all-star A List band and the old Hank Jr. treatment then it’s hard to see this one fail. And from the reaction to a very well orchestrated Facebook campaign to coincide with it’s launch the demand for hard core country rock is way more obvious than is seen by today’s Country Radio.

At the very least give this one a listen. I think you might by pleasantly surprised. As with Toby Keith I find his hard core right wing politics just a little to strident for my European palate but it really does make for some passionate lyrics and hard driving southern country rock.

Bocephus is back with a bang. 

Toby Keith 'Hope On The Rocks' - HumpHead

If you’re already a Toby Keith fan then you’ll love this but if you’re not, then I don’t think it will swing you into the record store to get your own copy.  All of the fourteen alcohol infused tracks are co-written by Toby and it’s obvious from the lyrics who was the dominant partner in each co-write. The set opens with a power ballad tribute to the social counselling skills of your average life long bar tender and finishes with a live, audience grabber that Keith says “Ain’t never gonna make radio” and if the PC brigade ever hear it he’ll end up carrying two very important parts of his male anatomy around in a jar for the rest of his honky tonkin’ career.

I found the music a little bit on the country side of Lynard Skynard and owing more to Kenny Chesney than Merle or Hank but in combination with the lyrics it’s guaranteed to have legions of deprived Garth Brooks fans screaming in the aisles. If you find yourself listening to this album with a longneck in one hand and a “Daisy Mae” in the other then be prepared to vote a little more right of centre than you did in the past.

The main twelve tracks are contagious foot-tappers and grow on you with each listen but the four bonus tracks I could have done without. Country, mixed for night clubbing, I can well leave where I found it. Make no mistake Toby Keith can sing and knows his audience well and in truth I think he targets his output with a bit more sales marketing in mind than he is given credit for. The lyrics are not for your average caring sensitive feminine sided male but they were never set out to be. And I found myself liking this whole CD a lot more than I planned and it’s more likely to find itself in my Party Pack than in the Sin Bin, where most of the current pop masquerading as country ends up these days.

Good on ya Toby. You got me with this one. Chalk up another hit.

'Honky Tonk' - Portraits of Country Music by Henry Horenstein

 

Horenstein's photography underlines again just how far country music has moved from its roots. It's interesting to note that the most recent photographs in the book are of neo-traditional artists like Bill Kirchen and Dale Watson, photographed in 2011; the earliest pictures in the book are from 1972. It is doubtful the audience, sounds and looks that the Music Row major labels and modern country radio court today would want to be associated with the people represented in these pages  - even back in the day. Many appear to be living and working at subsistence level and the music of the honky-tonks was their outlet and way of letting off steam. 

Yet these people were the lifeblood of the music, seen in such down-home venues as Tootsie's Orchard Lounge on Lower Broadway in Nashville or Hillbilly Ranch in Boston. The photographs show why some acts were pushed away from the honky-tonks and towards the more lucrative cross-over cosmopolitan circuit that the industry favoured and sought. Honky Tonk is not exactly a forgotten world, as all over America there still exists a network of clubs and bars that cater for acts and audiences who still want their music served up as real deal country music. Other photographic books that have covered this scene are Bill Rouda's Nashville Lower Broad,  which focused on the revival of music in that then run-down area of Nashville,a music scene that was started by Greg Garing, Paul Burch and BR5-49. An interesting companion piece is Leon Kagarise's Pure County which covered the music from 1961 to 1971. Kagarise's photography is all in colour while Horenstein's is in black and white and both have their own qualities and validity.

The portraiture in Honky Tonk is both real and realised. Horenstein’s subjects are captured at a specific moment in time; queuing, dancing, drinking, posing or performing. He captures what that genre was over a period of time. Largely in low-key venues he has photographed a grass-roots movement with respect for that particularly American form that inspired him on many levels.

Other striking books by Horenstein have been about the human body, burlesque and animals as well as a manual on moving beyond basic photography. Horenstein clearly has an eye, a gift and a feel for his subjects and Honky Tonk delivers, as Marty Stuart says on the dust jacket, these are "images (that) are timeless treasures".

Ryan Bingham 'Tomorrowland' - Axster Bingham

Those expecting that Ryan Bingham may move in the direction of his CRAZY HEART song The Weary Kind with his new album may be surprised its full on nature of much of the new album. It's all change for Tomorrowland , the first album for his own label Axster Bingham,  a label he formed with his wife after leaving Lost Highway.

Bingham has co-produced the album with Justin Stanley, who also recorded and mixed the album. Ryan has also disbanded The Dead Horses and put together a smaller unit with just drummer Matt Sherrod and bassist Shawn Davis. Bingham plays electric guitar and provides the shredded rust-hued vocals that sound older that his years but which are very much his trademark since his first independent album, 2002’s Wishbone Saloon.

Here the music is sharp and angular with Ryan’s guitar taking centre stage and providing much of the tension in the songs. He also beings some heart into the songs that often are directed attacks on the negativity that surrounds the many lost souls and struggling lives he has surveyed.Bingham does this on the restrained No Help From God with brushed drums and minimal electric guitar. It is a potent song that conveys it's meaning well. It is in contrast with the attack of Guess Who's Knocking with it's expletive vocal refrain. This is a man who sees his country on a road to moral bankruptcy,  where the real money is only for the rich.

His anger is translated into these thirteen songs that, in many ways, are more aligned with his live shows where there is a deal of energy and electricity running like a live current through the music. If you know Ryan Bingham from his previous albums you will know what to expect but TOMORROWLAND switches the notion of country-rock around to give the latter more scope than the former which is fine by me.

Extended listening reveals a beating heart that tells his story and displays his passions. Bingham has taken control of his music and his destiny and, as he says on Neverending Show,   "I don't need no marquee sign, I don't need my name in lights" and he tells us of other's expectation and that he "don't need the rhinestone suit, someone else can hang it on the wall",  rather a real love is what he seeks and he hopes he won't run out of gas traveling to the never ending show to find it. On the strength of this there are many miles and many roads that Ryan Bingham can travel to his Tomorrowland and many will be happy to travel with him

Cody McCaver 'I Just Might Live Forever' - AGR

The former Confederate Railroad man delivers an album that fulfills expectations of what he might do solo. These are songs that play to his audience, songs that declare he is red-blooded (Bow Chukka Wow Wow), redneck (Redneck Friends Of Mine), an outlaw (I Might Just Love Forever) and an everyman (I'm America, Kick It Into 4-Wheel Drive). The music is the kind of country that has  lots of hard guitar over a solid, upfront rhythm section,  with some added texture and fill from piano, B3, harmonica, steel and fiddle under McCaver's down-the-line solid vocals.There are additional vocals from the likes of Colt Ford to bolster the choruses and background vocals. 

These songs from McCaver, with some outside songs, all celebrate a lifestyle and attitude that is textbook good ol' boy country'. For instance Redneck Friends Of Mine tells us that "I like 4-wheel rides and fishing at night and jacked up huntin' trucks, Budweiser and David Allan Coe and think that hip-hop sucks" which just about sums up a certain Bubba philosophy. There are more sensitive songs like Left Side of The Bed with fiddle and steel that offers a more restrained approach than the  more turbo-charged direction that kicks up the dust on many of the songs.

It's easy to see that this is an album that will appeal to those who have a soft spot for Coe, Hank Williams Jr or indeed Confederate Railroad, and if that spins your wheels then you will enjoy Mr. McCaver's love of all things redneck country and he will take you for a 4-wheel musical drive.

Ben Kyle 'Self-Titled'- Self-Release

I first became aware of Ben Kyle via his duet album We Still Love Our Country with Carrie Rodriguez. Previously he had fronted the band Romantica which actually would have made a good title for this album. It has an airy, gentleness and lightness of touch that is immediately appealing. Kyle's voice is front and centre on what is a personal album that deals with the gulf between being a working musician who needs to tour and being a family man, a dilemma that is a constant struggle for many musicians. Not that you need to actually understand the words here, as you are carried along by the sound that is both ethereal and compelling.

Over a subtle bass, drum and guitar foundation the key sound here is pedal steel guitar. On one track The Dark there are four pedal steel guitarists credited and that instrument is ideal for the music that Kyle has created.

The songs are transportive and have a strong human and spiritual quality such as on Mercy. Nothing breaks the mood and atmosphere of the song’s overall lightness, despite songs like The Dark having a bleaker tone of not wanting to leave a loved one. The lyrics featured in the booklet show a writer of skill and understanding who has opened himself to reveal something truthful and honest.

Although I wasn’t sure what to expect, the album was nonetheless different from what I had imagined and one to which I have returned many times.  It is one which I recommended wholeheartedly. If not exactly an alt.country  roots album, despite the presence of pedal steel, it is what it is and different from anything else heard this year.

The B-Stars 'West Coast Special' - Rust Belt

From the cover art on you know what you going to get from The B-Stars; five guys in matching snap button shirts, white neckerchiefs and short brimmed western hats playing upright steel, double bass and vintage guitars. You won't be disappointed if that's the kind of music that appeals to you. Thank goodness there are a host of acts through the years who play hillbilly bop and country boogie that is a galaxy away from what Nashville calls country these days.

Here there is a sense of fun and fulfillment present that suggests these guys know they are never going to sell tons of records or play to arenas, but that doesn't take away from the music on offer. Skillful re-creators, they capture a sound that  raises a smile and gets the feet moving. There is an argument against such studied retro-revivalism, but without bands like the B-Stars keeping the music alive many would not experience first hand the joys of the music from an earlier era.

These guys write solid original songs that seem like classics, which is a bonus and a reason for any band to put out their own albums. Mixed with covers like  My Window Faces the South and Honky Tonkin' Rhythm are a set of songs written by band members Greg Yanito and Eric Reedy that sound right and righteous. Add the B-Stars to that list of band who make music for the very best reasons and who are so obviously in love with what they do that the infectiousness is catching and makes West Coast Special well - special.

Vanessa Peters 'The Burn, The Truth, The Lies' - Self-Release

Throughout this album I'm reminded of some other singer-songwriters, but not to a degree where I feel Peters is copying anyone, rather it's the nature of endeavour. This Rip Rowan produced album was recorded in Austin and this is underscored by the calibre of the playing, from the chiming guitars and subtle keyboards to the robust rhythm section, which includes producer Rowan on drums.

Vanessa Peters is the sole writer of the eleven songs, all of which pass the time in a companionable way. While no particular track stands out immediately, there is a strong and consistent sound. There are songs which have a gentleness and understanding, like No Decision, where a overworked waitress is observed. Grateful speaks of resilience and being thankful for life.

Peters approaches her songs with an openness and honesty as in the wishful seeking of a companion in Co-Pilot. Lost relationships are also at the heart of String Too Short To Use which has, musically, a little more kick that the mainly slow to mid-tempo pace of the majority. Bright Red picks up the beat too and the autobiographical song shows us that relationship difficulties have provided Peters with the impetus for this set of songs. The title sums the emotions on offer here and many will enjoy this considered mix of music, words and voice that is honest and clear and should be applauded for that.

Al Scorch & the Country Soul Ensemble "Tired Ghostly Town' - Self-Release

This Chicago native leads his ensemble through some frantic banjo led music that is part punk-pluck, part folk, part people perception, part soul and part Pogues. This mix, while not unique, is still pretty invigorating and a whole bunch of fun. The 11 musicians listed blend their individual backgrounds into a cohesive whole that utiliizes string band instrumentation with trumpet, clarinet and Hammond organ to let Scorch tell tales of his hometown (Chicago) or unusual job choices (The Hearse Driver) and the state of life and the planet (Giant Wars And Dinosaurs).

This is music laced with an understanding of human nature that is as diverse as the roots of the music. The songs are delivered as frantic uptempo tales of tough tribulations (Hard Times) to the more melodic tale of heartbreak (Movie Picture) and, on occasion, the more undulating title track, a song of tragedy that still resonates.

A short album that clocks in at just under half an hour it none-the-less packs a punch that makes it stand out from a lot of bands that have mined similar roots and would likely not displease some fans of early Avett Brothers. Al Scorch though,  has his own voice and it's a good one. And his ensemble back him up in every way.

Easton Corbin "All Over The Road' - Humphead/Mercury

Described as a more traditional country singer,  Easton Corbin plays contemporary country music aimed squarely at country radio and a younger fan base. He has a straight up voice which may be a little anonymous is, undoubtedly, fit for purpose and right for these upbeat songs. Producer Carson Chamberlain has had a hand in co-writing some songs, and some with Corbin, and he has put together some seasoned players who play with a more country feel than you often get on a major label release these days.

There's fiddle and steel and the guitars are held in check on the right side of twang. The highpoints are Hearts Drawn In The Sand about a midwest girl who couldn't live without a beach and A Thing About You another love song, but one that is straight up country. The are smooth ballads like Dance Real Slow, Think Of You and Are You With Me that will please the ladies. Corbin's best vocals are on songs like Only A Girl, a song that tries to rationalize the loss of his girl, and Tulsa Texas a song of a man on the move to imaginary places that the man may be in if his girl ever wants to find him. His voice seems that have a little more edge to it that bodes well for the future if he is further allowed to explore the direction that this album is headed.

Declan O'Donovan 'Self-titled' - Self-Released

This keyboard playing Canadian songwriter has one of those voices that has a raw rough edge that finds comparison with other gruff-larynxed warblers. He fronts a trio of musicians that includes guitar, drums and upright bass and this quartet is embellished by percussion and brass that give the album a late-night feel for O'Donovan's blend of blues, jazz and subtle gypsy overtones. Not an album that may appeal to a lot of the more country-oriented listeners but one that has integrity and is not without its attractions.

O’Donovan is a strong songwriter and his song Cheap Souvenir, featured here, won him a recent songwriting award which backs up his potential. That his voice has depth and grit can only further help to bring him listeners in his native Canada. Whether that translates across borders depends on a number of things that are often unpredictable but there's no doubting the man has a talent, even if its one that is a little broader that our usual remit. He is more direct and accessible than Tom Waits, to whom he has been compared, but his combined talents should see this album finding fans with those who come across it on their travels through both Canada and websites.

Drew Nelson 'Tilt-A-Whirl' - Red House

This is the fifth album from Drew Nelson, the Michigan singer/songwriter and  his first for the Red House label. It continues Nelson’s  songs which document the underbelly of life in small times and those whose dreams have equally been diminished. He treads a similar path to the likes of Chris Knight and Bruce Springsteen with songs that show an affinity for, and understanding o,  those pushed to the margins. Producer Michael Crittenden has given the album an appropriate sense of toughness that underlines the songs of repossession, redemption and regret.

The musicians give the album a tough but tender sound that features B3, a robust rhythm section, electric and acoustic guitars, Dobro and pedal steel and voices, foremost of which is Nelson's lived-in but life affirming voice. He is backed up with strong female vocals from Jen Sygit which makes the overall sound one that is both understated and tough and rocking.  Overall this  is rewarding and stands repeated playing with ease.

Drew Nelson is a good songwriter who has written most of these songs solo but occasionally in partnership with other writers. The  standout songs are the mandolin led Lessons, the tough times of Danny and Maria, the quiet hope of 5th of September and the soulfulness of Hallelujah Morning. There is variety here, there is skill and there is a lot of humanity which makes Drew Nelson a below-the-line artist who is well worth seeking out and hearing, both this and his previous albums.

Jimmy LaFave 'Depending on The Distance' - Music Road

No newcomer to the scene, Jimmy LaFave is a veteran artist who has produced many albums. He has a distinct style and voice. His many fans are drawn to his expressive voice and songs as well as his choice of covers which nearly always include an interpretation of a Dylan song or two.

Perhaps more surprising is his version of John Waite's hit  Missing You but here it fits perfectly into the album. The first of the Dylan songs is Red River Shore , a song believed to have been written for the Time Out Of Mind album but which surfaced on one of the  officialBootleg Series and is here in an excellent, epic 9 minuets plus version which isboth  tender and tight. The other Dylan songs are I'll Remember You and Tomorrow Is a Long Time, which show that LaFave is a master of putting his own slant onto the songs of others and making them fit right alongside his own songs. On this album he also delivers a fine version of Bruce Springsteen's Land of Hope and Dreams. 

LaFave’s voice is an ideal instrument for this task and should be lauded with the likes of Willy DeVille. LaFave handles the production with perfect understanding of what he is looking to deliver. Helping him do that are a selection of musicians who bring the songs to the top of the game. They include Bill Chambers, Chip Dolan, John Inmom and Eliza Gilkyson amongst others.

His own songs are equally good and include Vanished, It Just Is Not Right or the more driving Red Dirt Night. Much of the album is delivered at a slower, more contemplative pace which draws the listener into the heart of the music.This is music that any fan of Jimmy LaFave will be quick to laud and music that, if you're new to his catalogue, is a pretty good place to start. What ever distance you are from LaFave's music it is something you should get closer to. Fine cover too, featuring some of LaFave's own evocative photography.

Dan Stevens 'My Life Of Adventure' - Gatorbone

Stevens is a man full of life, a robust singer who,  from the off,  sings the title track with the joie de vivre of a pirate sea shanty. His folk songs tell of his travels such as Austin Bound and Kerouac's Dream, of a conscientious objector who continued to meet hard times in Bruised Knees and the summing up a well-lived life in I Ain't Old, I'm Vintage.

The musicians play a range of acoustic instruments; at times they add bass and drums and pedal steel to bring a little country to the folk feel which  permeates the album. There is a sense of humour and love of the simple truths that these songs evoke. Stevens has a forceful, big voice that suggests there's little Dan Stevens would rather do that write and sing his songs and that, in itself, is it's own reward.

The production, by Lis and Lon Williamson, who also contribute as players, give the songs settings that are needed to bring them alive. In many ways this is old school, something that would appeal to fans of the likes of Tom Paxton.  There are no surprises, no barriers pushed here, rather Stevens lays out his observations of his life, his family. Many of the songs are written in the first person and you feel that you have an insight into Stevens' worldview and you certainly get to know his music which is easy to listen to and easy to like.