Bluegrass Gospel Project ‘Shine' - Vital

This is the Bluegrass Gospel Projects 6th album. The BGP is 6 musicians, including mandolin player Taylor Amerding from one of my longtime favourite bluegrass bands, the late and thoroughly lamented Northern Lights. BGP was founded by fiddler/engineer/singer Gene White and features Colby Crehan on vocals, Kirk Lord on upright bass, Paul Miller on guitar/vocals and Steve Light on banjo, resophonic guitar and vocals. 

The band name is somewhat of a misnomer in that not all of their music is gospel, nor is all of it strictly bluegrass; what it is, is actually delightful.Colby Crehan has a clear and supple voice and she sings lead on 6 of the 12 tracks and is a strong presence in the band’s exact harmonies on the rest. Kirk Lord plays a strong and steady, and on Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep and I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free, very funky bass.

I don’t know which of the lads takes leads on the other songs, but all the singing is top-notch, tight and clean as bluegrass should  be, yet expressive, as is all the playing.

 The only song which didn’t work for me was by a songwriter I really admire; Bruce Cockburn’s One Day I Walk – which didn’t appeal to me either musically or lyrically. Other than a vaguely New Age-ish cover, which doesn’t reflect the strong and moving music on the album, Shine, indeed the whole Bluegrass Gospel Project is a real keeper.

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell 'Old Yellow Moon' - Nonesuch

When the original Hot Band came together, country music was in a pretty sorry state and country rock had become a watered-down entity.  However,  Emmylou Harris always flew the flag for Gram Parsons' ideal of a cosmic American. Rodney Crowell, the  young Texan singer songwriter who had joined the Hot Band early in it's career  has always stayed in close contact with Emmylou ever since. This is their first joint album and it is a welcome return to the ethos that was at the heart of the Hot Band. Both are at ease and in fine voice and playing what is undeniably country music -  that is to everyone but the overseers of country music radio -  who probably wouldn't recognise real country anyway. 

The dozen songs are a wide ranging selection that come from writers such as Crowell himself, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller and Matraca Berg,  as well as three from original Hot band member Hank DeVito. Other Hot Band alumni on board as players are James Burton, Glen D. Hardin and John Ware who all make cameo appearances among a cast of 26 musicians. Featured are such fine players as Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Steuart Smith and Micky Raphael. The production is handled by Brian Ahern,  which is both appropriate and timely. These are veterans whok now how to best serve a song at every level.

The songs include a fine version of the Roger Miller-written Ray Price classic Invitation To The Blues, Spanish Dancer by Patti Scialfa, Crowell's songs Bluebird Wine, Bull Rider and Here We Are, the Allen Reynolds classic Dreaming My Dreams and Berg's reflection on ageing Back When We Were Beautiful. There is no doubt that age plays its part here, but Emmylou brings experience that that shows. Their voices have aged, but have taken on a lovely patina that serves as a recognition that time moves on, even as the origin of these songs and this music has. Old Yellow Moon still shines down and illuminates the timelessness of a form of music that has strong, deep roots that will help it to survive the harsh pruning that it faces right now. This album is a fine example of what needs to be preserved, nourished and grown.

Josh Ritter 'The Beast In Its Tracks' - Pytheas

The title of this album is not dissimilar to Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks and this has been noted . Both are post divorce albums which may explain the similarity. For this new album Ritter has written songs that are delivered in a stripped down format, with voice and acoustic guitar well to the fore. It is this setting which gives the album some of its intimacy and feeling of inherent tragedy. However, on face value and without careful attention to the lyrics,  the album has at its centre a bunch of listenable songs that serve Ritter's legacy well.

It's not easy to distance oneself from the content when you’re at the heart of the storm; there may be quiet but there is a lot of tension too. Sam Kassirer's production surrounds the songs with what they need, subtle, simple textures flowing beneath the surface. These songs may come from a place of heartbreak but they end up somewhere a lot more positive and less painful. Josh Ritter uses these words and music to face a pain that many deal with in less functional ways. He’s been given space to express his views and has used it well.

The experience of a failed relationship is universal and these songs take that into account. New Lover starts the healing process and finds the writer moved on and hoping that his former lover has equally found a new space of their own. The music has a sparseness but is not bleak or lightweight, rather it expresses the emotions in a way that does not linger  trying to second guess those feelings, but lets them flow from a wounded soul.

The end result is an album that manages to make the listener feel a part of a healing process, a process summed up on the penultimate song Joy to You Baby, a song of acceptance and absolution. From a hard place the beast has been soothed and the tracks lead to a new horizon. Josh Ritter has made an album that will sit well both with longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Annie Keating 'For Keeps' - Self Release

This is this New York singer songwriter’s fifth album and as such highlights a veteran to the game who has honed her talents. Keating co-produced the album with Jason Mercer, who also plays bass on the album along with a cast of fourteen other credited players. The music runs across several areas which utilise the assembled ensemble to good effect. The opening song Storm Warning is an up-tempo rocking song with harmonica to the fore. Right by You employs some subtle pedal steel from Jon Graboff on a country-tinged slow ballad. The overall feel is roots and robust, delivering a well-arranged set of diverse songs.

 

Keating is the sole writer of eleven of the twelve songs, the outside track being a stark version of Neil Young's Cowgirl In The Sand. Between that final track and the opening couple the songs show that Keating's versatile voice is one that at times recalls others, but never in a way that detracts from the own delivery. She hits all the right notes with a song that rejects a unwanted lover - All Gone, which again has pedal steel to underline the sense of heartbreak -  sung in a, somewhat vulnerable voice that has more than a hint of regret in it's tone and the song builds tension until its end. 

The next song rings the changes and shows the scope of the album with wah-wah guitar, funky horns and a rap style vocal. Let It Come is another side of Keating's approach to getting her songs across in the best musical setting. The slow pace of River Clyde is a nice contrast and is about being in a strange place and assessing which way the wind blows in that particular town, city or mind-space. For Keeps is an assured album that will reaffirm her talent with those who have been previously acquainted with Keatings previous albums or live shows. For those new to Annie Keating ,this album celebrates a talented performer who is in this for keeps.

Gary Hall 'Winning Ways on Losing Streaks' - Northern Sun

It's been a good while since I listened to Gary Hall,  either solo or with the Stormkeepers. He was at the forefront of what became alt.country/Americana along with The Good Sons.  This is his tenth album and from the first song you realise that Hall is a distinctive singer who is immediately recognisable.  He is also a compelling songwriter who has written ten of the songs on the album with two co-writes and a cover of the Bob Dylan/Ketch Secor Wagon Wheel which is rapidly becoming a classic. The album features a full band with a bass and drum basis topped by acoustic instruments including banjo, mandolin and Dobro with various strings added to give the album  mood and merit.

 This produces a  sinuous sound that has electric guitar intertwined with acoustic and topped by Hall's voice and strong backing vocals. This creates an effective directness that keeps the listener's attention throughout. Aside from the immediate recognition of Wagon Wheel the remaining songs tackle loss with I Can't Believe She's Gone and longing with One Step Ahead Of The Blues. The latter is a six minute plus song that has a slide guitar over a robust rhythm and a most convincing vocal. Stick Around Bojangles features a violin motif on a song that wants the good times to roll but warns that the things we think we may want are seldom the things we actually need. A Small Price to Pay is stripped back to voice and guitar and delivers a love song that posits that sacrifice is a necessary part of the process. Red Dirt Roads is a tale of a troubadour's travels. 

These songs are about place, people and the pursuit of dreams. Gary Hall has a voice tinged with soul, Celtic passion and a down-to-earth attitude that gives his songs their heart. Anyone who remembers him from his earlier albums will be happy to hear him again and those who are unacquainted with his previous work will find this is full of reasons that underscore Hall's place in the annals of rewarding UK roots music.

Amelia Curran 'Spectators' - Six Shooter

This female singer/songwriter hails from the island of St John’s in Newfoundland, Canada and has a number of excellent recordings to her name. Amelia Curran is a very clever songwriter and her use of language points to a mature and realised talent. Her ruminations on life, love and everything in between are sourced from personal experience and observations that place her among a coterie of talented songwriters whose special gifts bring the listener on a rewarding journey.

The ten songs here span a little over thirty minutes and the quality of the writing, together with the players and arrangements, make for a particularly interesting listen.

The opening song Years speaks of the hopes of youth at the turn of the century and the grim realisations that dreams don’t always come true – a call to arms for the disillusioned.

What Will You Be Building is a song that asks what is the measure of a life  and what has been our legacy when it comes to leaving this mortal coil and ‘emptying my pockets at last to my maker’. The Modern Man is along a similar theme and questions our place on the Earth and our sense of entitlement.

The Great Escape deals with the concept of freedom and the prisons, both real and apparent, that we make for ourselves.  Soft Wooden Towers is a song tinged with personal regret and speaks of how everything is a hammer to a sensitive soul and how “I miss you like hunger in a desert of thirst”. 

San Andreas Fault continues the personal and reflective themes of this song set and delves into the darker side of relationships that contrive to break a couple apart. ‘I’ve said sorry all the time’ sings the writer and you feel the pain of her words.

Face on the News is the closing song and deals with our willingness to believe our misconceptions and subjective opinions that turn out to have no basis in any kind of reality. The shock involved in the changing of a perceived view.  ‘Time passes, grows up and trespasses’ just about sums up this journey of life. The sudden fade of the song does leave me wanting a more complete conclusion but this is looking for fault in an impressive work that delivers many riches. 

Lisa Richards 'The Beating of the Sun' - Kimbaroochie

This is the fifth release from an experienced singer/songwriter who has been recording since 1998. The eleven songs are beautifully arranged with strong melody lines and insightful lyrics. What Love Looks is a particularly interesting look at relationships from the view of an outsider who wonders about the look of love. 

The Songs, First Sin and Into Graves, were inspired by a Holocaust novel by writer Jenna Blum, titled “Those Who Save Us”. Both are intimate, mature and thoughtful vignettes, illuminated by sensitive playing. The blend of instruments moves from Cello, Mandolin, Piano and Accordion supported by Upright Bass and assorted guitars, to place the listener on a journey that reveals many hidden delights along the way.

The title track is an arresting insight into a relationship that hints of both compulsion and obsession beyond the superficial surface. Open speaks of “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you grow” and is a well observed song to perhaps a younger, inexperienced person of what life can hold in store.

The song, Before I was a Girl, reminds me of the Dar Williams ‘When I Was a Boy’ classic, but is no less poorer for highlighting all that can be lost in growing up in the world and losing the innocence of youth.

 Save Me is a confessional song to close the CD and hints of a fear of being lost and in need of somebody to save her from the darkness where truth has no sound.

Lisa Richards sings of the person who is “looking for a tragedy to define you” and in listening to these finely crafted songs and words; I think that the tragedy lies in the fact that this artist is not more widely recognised. Lisa recently returned to live in Australia, her country of birth, having lived in America for more than twenty years. I am sure that this has been a personal decision for family reasons and the possibility of her touring in Ireland is somewhat remote. However, Lisa Richards would be a very welcome visitor to these shores. I cannot recommend this release highly enough.   

Matty Powell 'Kiss the City' - Self-Release

This is the full debut release from a singer-songwriter who hails from Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada. Matty Powell was discovered singing in the bars of Toronto and has recorded these thirteen songs with some very experienced and talented musicians from the local music scene. The playing is very laid back and stripped down, with lots of nice vocal harmonies.

The Creek opens the CD with a pleasant lilting melody and is followed by a song to his daughter Freja, which is both touching and thoughtful with some very tasteful guitar playing from Mike Daley.

Any Other Way is a plea for peace and an escape from the rampant greed of the powerful few over the vulnerable “while we take and take, eating from someone else’s plate”.  

Yellowquill is written about a Native Indian Reserve formed by a treaty that was signed in 1876 and is a strong example of the mature song-writing craft that Matty Powell brings to the songs featured here.  Still Love You is a heartfelt communique to a lover who is not quite on the same page as the writer where “every fight had its’ story...”

Toronto features some fine guitar playing from Ron Tomasson and is a song that charts a failed love affair with the city; “doomed from the start with all your bright lights and my big heart”.

On the title track, which closes the CD, there is a lament for a relationship that has not worked out with the song lyric asking that the partner perhaps stay. Again, the song arrangement is full of bright playing with plenty of space.

Matty Powell has lived in Nicaragua as part of his travels and the acoustic campfire feel on many of these songs draws from his experiences on the road.

A striking debut and an enjoyable listen. 

Kevin Breit & the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra 'Field Recording' - Poverty Playlist

Kevin Breit is quite an accomplished session musician with a string of collaborations to his name and a very diverse experience when it comes to musical voyages.  He has played with some top names, including Rosanne Cash, Janis Ian, Norah Jones, KD Lang and Cassandra Wilson.

In addition to releasing three solo recordings, Kevin has played with Harry Manx and a trio called Folkalarm, with whom he released an improvised, instrumental banjo recording.

I also discover that Kevin Breit holds a Juno Award in his native Canada for a CD that covered Neil Young songs with his Toronto residence band, Sister’s Euclid .

Field Recording should not work, as listening to an orchestra of Mandolins, Mandolas and Mandocellos across eleven songs is not everybody’s idea of a compelling experience. Apart from learning about the family of instruments in the mandolin family, thoughts jump to this offbeat concept sounding like something from another planet; but it has a strange hold over the listener and works in the adventurous style that blends the arrangements and melody together.

He can sound like Elvis Costello in his vocal delivery and Nothing About Us is a beautifully arranged song with a heartfelt vocal from Sue Patrick Breit – ‘It’s all about you and all about me, but nothing about us’. There is plenty of variety to choose from in the range of song styles on display, which move from the light strum of There Was a Girl, to the upbeat workout of King Kong Strut.

Johnny Dollar, loosely based on an old radio drama character and Big Bill Broonzy, a song that seeks to explore the love life of the American blues singer/songwriter, are enjoyable songs and the quirky structure of Bring Me Down ends the recording and leaves a sense of wanting just a little more. 

Reviews by Stephen Rapid

DAVID LATTO BAND  & RED MOON JOE Midnight Trains 

There is always a question hanging over a band not from the USA who play Americana. That question is; authenticity. With a host of human jukeboxes playing passable covers of country classics to audiences who only want to hear the same old songs, being original is not an easy task, especially playing a form of music that, although part of its roots are from these Isles, is essentially seen as American.

There have been, of course, some fine examples of UK and Ireland based acts who understand and underscore the fact that good music is universal. My Darling Clementine and Bray Vista are two such examples and there are others. Some recent releases include The David Latto Band  (Self Titled Self-Release). This accomplished five piece band hail from Fife in Scotland  and their songs, bar one, are self-written. That is the litmus test - how good and memorable are the songs? While the standout song is a cover of Wait A Minute written by Herb Pedersen, there are other songs well worthy of attention. There is a reflection and maturity to songs like Song You'll Never Hear or Black Horse. Latto's lilting voice has a warmth and texture that holds the songs together while he and the band feature pedal steel, banjo, dobro, fiddle and mandolin over a solid rhythm section to give the songs some musical depth. 

There may be nothing particularly unusual or different about the music of the David Latto Band other than the fact that it is accomplished, skilful and relaxed. This music flows and doesn't pander to other places and times and is rooted in its own reality. Whether it is a song of a hanging (Plummer's Song) or one that shows the need to let of steam (God, I'm Drinking Tonight). Overall this is an album that holds its own and is just one example of original homegrown roots music you can be happy with. 

Another album of note is Red Moon Joe's Midnight Trains. The band is a vehicle for guitarist Mark Wilkinson, who originally formed the band 1985 and reformed it in 2010, rounding up original members to record this album with Gary Hall at Hall’s Voodoo Rooms studio. The album features 11 songs written by various band members, solo or in combination, but with Wilkinson’s name attached to the majority of them. They capable and seasoned players who feature steel, dobro, mandolin and banjo over the bass, drums and guitar foundation. Wilkinson handles the lead vocals with all of the other members adding vocals so there is no shortage in that department. The music incorporates some touches of  both blues and bluegrass into its rootsy mix, showing that, although this is their first album in 20 years, they understand and are fully at home with the music they play. Again you won't hear anything you haven't heard before but that's not the point. These guys obviously felt they had unfinished business and that they still mean business. 

The harmonica on The Blues heightened the songs sense of loss for a dying town. Listen To Her Songs is about hearing someone play music at night. Midnight Trains is full of atmosphere and without naming specific places suggests another continent and another time. One Day Ahead is acoustic instrumental, Save Me is a vibrant up-tempo rocking rootsy blues. In some ways, the song that sums up their attitude is the closing tribute, a  memory of once rolling Guy Clark a cigarette Those times and hopes and wishes is delivered in the way that the master himself, Guy Clark might do it. It ends the album with a smile and shows that Red Moon Joe have their hearts in the right place and that their music is coming from that place too.

Another album out now,  but one that we haven't received for review is The Rockinbirds:  The Return Of… on Loose. It reunites the band after many years and is another example of homegrown country-influenced music that these currently grizzled gents have been doing since their debut album in 1992 and Whatever Happened to The Rockingbirds in 1995.

Phil Lee 'The Fall and Further Decline of The Mighty King of Love' - Palookaville

The latest album from the mighty Mr. Lee is a cracker. It is once again produced by his friend,  ace guitarist Richard Bennett - a man whose name is not on album credits as much as it should be these days. Phil Lee is a character and his songs also have a quality that makes them special. The songs have his usual mix of humour and pathos and are decidedly rootsy with strong flavours of soul, blues, folk and rock abounding.

I Hated to See You Go,  a co-write with Barry Goldberg,  has a Stax vibe running through it. Songs dealing with death are not easy to write sympathetically and with empathy without sounding false or morbid, but Cold Ground, Lee's song about a departed loved one is realistic, accepting the inevitable, but does so with understanding.  All You Need is a powerful ensemble reading of a song co-written with the late Duane Jarvis, a much missed friend and guitarist. The essence of the lyric is "your faith in love has turned to dust, you simply need someone you can trust"- wise words. Every Time is a train blues that features Lee's distinctive voice and his harmonica over a rhythm that powers the song without overpowering the song, something is often done in music these days. The band here, including Richard Bennett,  is top notch and features Dave Roe, Ken Coomer, George Bradfute, Gunderman and Lee’s friend and sometime touring companion Tom Mason along with some fulsome backing vocals from the Taryn Engle Singers.

There is much here to recommend this as a complete package, from the cover onwards. It is the best album that the much underrated Lee has recorded to date, one of those albums where all the parts fit together seamlessly and it is done with humour, real soul and humanity.  This is real people making real music for all the right reasons and each of the 12 tracks are worthy of repeat plays.  The final bonus track is a live recording of Lee's interchange with an audience. Though it's not always clear what's being said, it illustrates the fun element of a Phil Lee show. All Lee's albums are good but this one tops the lot. Check out philleeone.com for more.

Birds of Chicago 'Self-Titled' - Self-Release

These birds can sure sing and that much is obvious from the opening song.  Birds of Chicago are JT Nero and Allison Russell,  both of whom have released albums previously, Russell as a member of Po'Girl.  Here they bring their voices together on a set of soul-tinged Americana and roots rock. There is a lot going on in the mix, from a robust rhythm section to a wide variety of instruments including keyboards, brass, banjo, guitar and ukulele all adding interesting tones and texture. This is all marshalled into an interesting mix by the Birds themselves with Zach Goheen as producers.

Jeremy Lindsay (aka JT Nero) is the main writer of this strong material,   while Russell also brings a couple of songs to the party. Russell’s Before She Goes is a subtle understated song that shows her unique voice, especially  if you have not encountered it previously. Lindsey's song' Moonglow Tapeworm equally shows his vocal qualities on a song that manages to rhyme’ tapeworm’ and ’sojourn’ on what may be the only paean to a tapeworm you'll ever hear. Russell sings her beguiling Sans Souci in French, a song built on a insistent bass riff that is both funky and yet understated. There is a lot going on here that makes this an album to savour; one that has voice and instruments in harmony and homogeneity. 

Lindsay's songs are full of imagery that is revealed when you read the accompanying lyric booklet. This is also strong visual package that again shows that indie releases are often way ahead of their major label contemporaries. But it is the voices that are the focus and point of the Birds of Chicago. Under those voices are layers of music that draw the listened into its warm heart. Catch these Birds when you can. 

Jarrod Dickenson 'The Lonesome Traveler' - Self-Release

Dickenson is a singer/songwriter who has a passion for the blues, yet one who has taken a broader path on his travels. He listened to writers like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt along the way and his focus shifted to storytelling from a solely blues base. Jarrod Dickenson has written all of the songs and recorded them with a group of musicians who have helped realise his vision, and his warm voice delivers these tales with a sense of understanding and conviction. 

The songs range from the opening Ain't Waiting Any Longer, about wanting to get married, to Rosalie (a co-write with Seth Walker), a song of love. That feeling and the search for it and holding on to it are fundamental to many of Dickenson's songs. There is a darker hue to Bravery (A Bottle of Gin) about those who wait for a loved one to return from war. The title song finds a troubadour heading back home after a long time on the road. The final track Seasons Change is dedicated to his grandfather Homer and is perhaps best summed up by assurance of the line "We are not alone" which is delivered here with just voice and a guitar.

Jarrod Dickenson has the songs and a voice to deliver them but what makes this album work on record is the assembled players, headed by multi-instrumentalist and fine player Greg Leisz with cast of other fine players who give these songs depth and texture. It was produced by Ryan Freeland, who has worked with Ray LaMontagne, amongst others. Dickenson has a smoother voice than LaMontagne but has an equal ability to draw the listener in. 

Dickenson is a literate writer who continues to learn his craft from past masters and who brings his mainly uplifting worldview to his songs. The playing is subtle and flexible and totally in keeping with the sentiments of the lyrics and the music. There are elements of folk and country in the music but nothing too obvious and that may be the strength of the album. There is much here to admire without forcing the music in any one particular direction which gives his lonesome traveler’s music a universal appeal.

Sweethearts of the Rodeo 'Restless' - Good Trade

Sweethearts of the Rodeo (sisters Kristin Arnold and Janis Oliver) have come back from raising kids (Arnold) and personal hassles and a bad case of writer’s block (Oliver) with an absolute gem. Their ‘80s career included Top 10 albums, 9 Top 10 singles , all from their 4 CBS albums. In the ‘90s they switched to Sugar Hill and produced 2 excellent rootsy albums, but nothing, excepting a compilation album in 2000,has been heard from them since 1996.

 Restless almost makes up for the years of silence. The Sweetheart’s sibling harmonies are impeccable, the band are wonderful (Kenny Vaughan and Richard Bennett – guitar, producer Dave Pomeroy  - bass,  Al Perkins – steel & dobro,  Rick Lonow on drums, which are where they belong, folded exactly into the mix)and Kristin Arnold’s voice is, as always, one of the natural wonders of the world.  Even though I’d get out my earlier Sweetheart’s albums and listen I’d really forgot just what a wonderful singer she is, singing rockabilly (Too Little, Too Late) as easily as the insinuating  Restless or the tender Maybe Tonight.

The song choice is excellent as well, with 7 Janis Oliver co-writes, songs by Jessi Alexander, Ashley Monroe, Jon Randall. The only track I haven’t fallen  for is a new version of  the Kingston Trio/Youngblood’s song Let’s Get Together but I didn’t much like it then and it doesn’t appeal to me any more now. And really, I’m only mentioning it because I can’t really find anything else to criticise. This is the way music should be made with care, joy and nuance – and Kristin Arnold’s fabulous voice cradled by her sister Janis’ perfect harmonies. Please ladies – don’t wait this long for the next album, I couldn’t stand it!

Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott 'We’re Usually a Lot Better than This' - Full Light

Live recordings from 2 benefit concerts in 2005 & 2006 for the Arthur Morgan School in North Carolina where both Tim and Darrell had kids studying. The title comes from Tim’s introduction to Mick Ryan’s Lament and is a misnomer – these guys are both great musicians and writers, natural performers – and the CD is a delight. The songs are well chosen cover versions (Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain, Lefty Frizzell’s Mom and Dad’s Waltz and Keith Whitley’s You Don’t Have to Move that Mountain) among others; songs of their own (Darrell Scott’s Long Time Gone, Tim’s  Climbing up a Mountain) and several traditional songs they have arranged.

My favourite is an acapella version of Hank William’s House of Gold, powerful sing of a superb song. This is the next best thing to having been there on the night(s). Darrel Scott’s liner notes are worth quoting: ‘herein lies the folk fire, through instruments, through harmonies, through song that Tim & I have when we get together…we egg each other on towards the edge of crash & burn – hopefully there is more crash than burn here.’ It is all burn and getting scorched has rarely been more enjoyable.

Jackson Delaney 'Self-titled' – Self-Release

Delaney has an amazing voice, as deep as Josh Turner’s, but he sings in a more musical and very country fashion, not unlike Alan Jackson. This 6 track EP is, according to his website, his second release. Although Delaney is referred to as a singer/songwriter he has only co-written one of the songs , the humourous You Make Me Wanna.

The production is by songwriter Gary Hannan (Back When I Knew It All) who also co-writes 4 of the 6 tracks, 3 of them with Eddy Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry. Surprisingly, this doesn’t result in the booming drums and homogenized gloss of most mainstream Nashville music, although I do lament the OTT Strat solos in a couple of the songs. A twangy Telecaster would have suited the sound much better.

The songs themselves are interesting, my favourites being Long Black Cadillac (not the Elvis song, this ones written by Daniel Scott Miller and George McCorkle) which has an irresistible groove after a keyboard wash/acoustic guitar opening, Ugly, Lucky and Me which has a slightly Foster & Lloyd feel with nicely sentimental lyrics and Shotgun Wedding which is straightforward but a nice balance between banjo and full band. Although I just am not in love with that screaming guitar sound lads…

Good EP, good enough so that I want the first one and am looking forward to the next one, hopefully a full length album. Great cover photo as well.