Anne Marie Almedal 'Memory Lane' - Self-Release

This is the third CD release from Norwegian singer/songwriter, Anne Marie Almedal, an artist with a very special talent. Across twelve intimately crafted songs, her hauntingly beautiful voice teases and gently wraps the listener in a sense of warmth and well-being. The arrangements and production display a lightness of touch at the hands of Nicholas Sillitoe, who also co- wrote ten of the songs and plays a variety of instruments on the recording.

We embark on a journey which takes the listener into a world of sweet sensuality and spectral imagery. The musicianship across the songs is of a very high quality with much sublime playing, including Danny Thompson on double bass and Kjetil Grande on electric guitar. The string arrangements are a real bonus and bring new dimensions to these gentle songs of love and longing, with the sensitive playing of violin, cello and viola intertwining and colouring the music.

 Two cover versions are inspired in their selection and given a freshness in their treatment; John Martyn (May You Never) and David Gates (If). There is a strong folk music influence and the gentle melodies and singing remind me of Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention. Anne Marie Almedal is a very interesting talent and this collection comes highly recommended.

Slaid Cleeves 'Still Fighting The War' - Music Road

You can tell very quickly when listening to a new album that it is something special. Most singer/songwriters to one degree or another have some to say and do the best they can to say it. With some the writing, through experience or insight, takes it to a more lyrical and poetic level. Mark down Slaid Cleeves as one of those. His body of work is testament to his skill as both songwriter and as a distinctive singer. 

Cleeves uses three different producers on this album and it is telling that his focus means that the album comes across as a cohesive whole. If you didn't read the credits it would be difficult to distinguish the different players and producers. Former Highwayman (no, not the famous ones) Scappy Jud Newcomb utilises a tight combo for his songs while Mark Hallman tends to be a one man band bringing in an additional player as required. These two handle the bulk of the production with two tracks further tracks helmed by veteran Lloyd Maines. 

The songs are memorable with many sticking around long after they're played such as the story of a couple facing hard times in Hometown USA. The humorous Texas Love Song with it's clinching line "I Love you more than Texas". The title song considers the hardship faced by returning veterans who leave part of themselves back in the war zones they have physically left. Like life there is humour as well as hostility and acceptance in these songs. Most are written solo, some with co-writers. A couple are written with his friend and equally talented singer/songwriter Rod Picott. Welding Burns has appeared on a Picott album too but as a tribute to a working father it's full of realism and like many of the songs paint a true portrait of the characters who people the songs with their worries and dreams.

God's Own Yodeler is a tribute to the late Don Walser, the man they called "the Pavarotti of the Plains". It also finds Cleeves himself in fine yodelling form. Maines' pedal steel underlines the song's subject devotion to pure country music. Throughout these songs are concise and clear. They bring the words to life in the way that only the best storytellers can. Although there are three producers and there is an overall consistency, as mentioned, it would be wrong to say that each of the producers doesn't bring something different to the mix. But the end result is perhaps the best album that Cleeves has produced to date and he is right up there with his heroes and mine. Still Fighting The War is a frontline album that should cement Cleeves reputation as one of the (really) good guys.

Rackhouse Pilfer 'Back To The Country' - Lake

A six piece, bluegrass acoustic/roots band who have for their first album recorded a set of covers of songs that suits their lively, robust style. They hail from Ireland and have recorded the album in a Lake Studios in Roscommon. These songs sound like they would brew up a storm in a live setting and this album serves as a perfect souvenir for such a setting as well as introducing Rackhouse Pilfer to the world at large.

All six players are accomplished and take turns on the vocal microphone either as lead or backing singers. The main instrumentation is guitar, fiddle, banjo, upright bass and drums. The latter pair giving the songs their drive. The vocals are good and with the band playing skills give the chosen songs a run for their money. The choices are, I would imagine, drawn from the band's inspirations and album collections. They bring the songs through their sound filter with that "hey, I recognise that song" factor. So there's Neil Young's Back To The Country, Ryan Adam's Oh, My Sweet Carolina. Leon Payne's classic Lost Highway, the often covered Long Black Veil as well as Springsteen's Atlantic City to name a few of the ten tracks. All of which fit together well given the band treatment.

They take these songs and give them a uniform approach that will appeal to many and as a first step is an ideal way to get their particular sound and band name across. The way they develop from here is going to be interesting as they will need to look for some lesser know songs as well as developing some original material on which the stamp their own identity on if they want to be taken seriously as more than a glorified covers band, albeit a sassy roots one. 

Be that as it may Rackhouse Pilfer have made an foot-tapping, hoedown honed collection that will stand them well as an introductory step to a wider audience. There is no doubt that they will be a hoot in a live setting and have the ability to take it further but for now let's get back to the country - we're we belong.

Various Artists 'The Beautiful Old' - Doubloon

This collection is sub-titled Marsteller and Rhodes present Turn-Of-The-Century Songs. Both are know for their work with the Fiery Blue, who have released a couple of albums under that name and the later for his work also with his mother Kimmie Rhodes. This is a wonderful album that matches song that were likely hit parade hits in their day. In those days, of course, it was sheet music sales rather than any other form. To people of a certain age many of these songs will be familiar. Home Sweet Home is the earliest song here having being published in 1823 while Beautiful Ohio dates from 1918.

Marsteller and Rhodes, respectively executive producer and music producer have matched these classic songs to a distinctive vocal performance while the music is largely an acoustic bed that could have been present when these songs were first played and is equally appropriate to a contemporary listening audience. The arrangements allow each vocalist complete freedom to sing these songs in a way that shows their individual talent to best advantage. There are also a couple of instrumentals included Garth Hudson plays The Rosary with his customary skill.

However the attraction here will be the array of vocalists that the producers have assembled and matched to the songs. They included Richard Thompson and Christine Collister, Graham Parker, Jimmy LaFave, Eric Bibb, Kim Richey as well as, not unexpectedly, Kimmie Rhodes. However the least expected turn here comes from Dave Davies. The Kinks' guitarist delivers a vulnerable After The Ball that adds a poignancy to the song's sense of heartbreak and regret. 

The assembled players do a great job of bringing the songs to life behind the vocalists. Yet there is a question as to how an audience completely unfamiliar with many of these songs will enjoy them. In truth the context of some of the songs and their language may not be that current but the sentiment is clear and often universal. But that may not be enough to connect them with a wider audience who may not get the chance to hear them, which is a great shame as there is much to enjoy in The Beautiful Old. Performances that will make it an album that once heard will not be easily forgotten. Kudos to all involved for the concept and for the execution.

Ruth Moody 'These Wilder Things' - True North

A member of The Wailin'Jennys Moody now has completed here second solo album and first off you are aware of the clarity and credence of her voice. But Moody is also a fine songwriter and instrumentalist. David Travers-Smith's production is expansive and uses strings as well as a range of instruments including drums to give the songs the settings they need to make them as appealing as they are.

Guests include Mark Knopfler on electric guitar and vocals and Jerry Douglas on dobro. All of which makes for a varied vignette of songs from the cover of Bruce Sprinsteen's Dancing In The Dark, where the footsteps take place in a less spotlit setting than that of the original to the emotional trauma of the title track. In each case Moody delivers a performance that is both as true as it is intuitive. Pockets is a song of journey, friendship and the need for both company and solitude. It builds slowly to a decisive guitar break that underlines the emotion of the songs.

Ruth Moody's music, a mix of folk, bluegrass and more is varied enough to never fall into any easy category yet has a consistency of concept due to her writing and singing. This is enduring music that has long roots but seeks its sunshine too. The celtic sounding Life Is Long has hope even though it is about loss too and reminds us that life is indeed long and that we have to make of it what we can to the best advantage of ourselves and for others.

These Wilder Things has a resonance in Moody's music travels and as a Australian resident in Canada and traveling with her music around the world she is well placed to find meaning from a sense of restlessness. That and finding the time to place down roots and find friendship and love as she says in the song of that name which closes the album that we are all "nothing without love". Amen to that.

I See Hawks In LA 'Mystery Drug' - Blue Rose

Described as psychedelic country rockers this latest offering from the Los Angeles band draws a line in the sand back to the California country scene that pawned Buck Owens, Gram Parsons and Dwight Yoakam and more. However the music here is less rooted in Bakersfield and more in a cosmic consciousness. The key members here are founders Rob Waller, Paul Lacques, Paul Marshall and Shawn Nourse. Paul Lacques again also serves as the album's producer.

These four are joined by six other players including Anthony Lacques on drums for a couple of songs and Rick Shea on pedal steel. The ensemble delivers some warm, country styled songs that are easy going, easy to like and smile along with. There are songs about being on the road in We Could All Be In Laughlin Tonight through to a tale of a marriage tradition that is told in One Drop Human Blood. The western vista is considered on Sky Island while more earthly and mundane actions are outlined in the tell it like it is Stop Driving Like An Asshole. 

The writing is shared by Rob Weller and Paul Lacques with Anthony Lacques, Paul Marshall, Robert Zierenberg and Victoria Jacobs. But the overall band sound is very much apparent throughout with a the three front men sharing vocals with harmonies abounding. They can also rock out when the song requires as they do on My Local Merchants a short sharp song praising the human contact found in the video store, the coffee shop and in buying a burrito. The album closer The River Knows is a seven minute plus tale of the course that the river of life may take when it flows black and slow using the pedal steel as undercurrent beneath the acoustic guitar and vocals.

I See Hawks In LA are a band in it for the long hall and their mix of humour and hope is appreciated by such luminaries as Dave Alvin. As they circle they know how to find the mystery drug and turn us on to its charm and to their appealing music.

Clinton Gregory 'Too Much Ain't Enough' - Melody Roundup

This is recent album finds Gregory playing some stone country. It's his first album in some time and has been followed up by a bluegrass album. Always an indie artist he released a number of albums on One Step back in 1990 as well as one album on Polydor. This, his first album in awhile, continues where he left off with good time, hard core down home country that in the main deals with break-ups and break downs but also throws some humour in the mix.

Too Country For Nashville's title pretty much sums how he feels Music Row views him. The Tommy Barnes/ Will Bill Emerson song sums up how a lot of artists playing country music feel now in the heart of Music City. You Play Like Chet is a amusing song about on audience members enthusiasm for the subjects playing skills. If It Ain't Jones is about writing and recording a song that sounds like the late and much loved iconic country singer. It includes the lines "if that ain't Jones I'll kiss your possum".  Gregory's ballad Has Love Taken It's Toll is a sad heartbreak ballad about two hearts turning cold. It Took Every Tear follows a similar well-trodden path of regret. The title track is another that sees the singer hit rock bottom and tries to wipe the memories away in a glass but finds too much ain't enough. Craig Martin's song She Did is a fine vocal performance on another song of regret that would also be ideal for Vince Gill. You Smile deals with loss and can be taken on a number of levels but it has resonance. Crucifixion is another Gregory song that takes the central theme of Christ's crucifixion in a song of faith and redemption and is also featured on his new bluegrass album. 

Gregory is an excellent fiddler as well as a believable and solid singer and he is joined on these tracks by some fine players like Troy Lancaster on guitar, Eddie Bayers on drums and Steve Hinson on steel. Steel and fiddle are well to the fore in Gregory and Jamie Creasy's production. One that lacks any of the recent trends in Nashville towards bad pop and southern rock. Which means this album is unlikely to gain any radio play in the mainstream. But that don't matter for those looking for something that sounds like country and rings true. There are still some great hardcore country albums out there but they need to be tracked down.

Reviews by Paul McGee

 

The Dustbowl Revival ‘Carry Me Home’ Self-Release

It is a brave move to open up your second official CD release with a cover version of the traditional Swing Low. However, the instinct is well rewarded, with a very appealing arrangement that carries into a further four songs of traditional origin. All considered fair game by this collective of ten talented musicians.

The key inspiration seems to be one Zach Lupetin, who writes and arranges all ten songs here with a real creative gusto. We are given the sound of the Deep South; New Orleans voodoo, swamp groove, jug band swing, mixed with jazz tinged arrangements.. It is all here folks! So roll up and start the party. The only thing missing from John the Revelator is Tom Waits on lead vocal while the merry stomp of New River Train is a pure joy that would have the God fearing folk of the Mississippi delta dancing in the pews.

We get a musical banquet with the serving of mandolin, fiddle, washboard, Wurlitzer, clarinet, trombones, saxophone and tuba thrown into the giddy mix. A feast for the senses; this collection is a real blast and a recommended purchase.

Dave McPherson ‘Dreamoirs’ Graphite

This is a solo recording from one of the key members of the metal band InMe. The ten tracks are very impressive with great production and versatile playing. Following on from his 2011 release, The Hardship Diaries, this collection shows off the acoustic, softer side of McPherson’s music which is delivered with his distinctive voice and imploring, yearning tone. Dave McPherson has delivered all instrumentation himself on this release and there is a tour planned with a full band to flesh out the layers of sound and rich orchestration. The concept of the album is based around a series of dreams that are explored through titles such as Her Majesty’s Prism, Relics of Don Quixote, Ambivert Melanconnoisseur…  

All this material is very understandable in the gentle, colourful world painted by this interesting composer/musician. He is also embarking on a challenge to write and record a song for every day of the current year; a project worth keeping an eye on. Check him out at www.dave-mcpherson.co.uk

John Smith ‘Great Lakes’ Barp Ltd.

This artist came across my radar some years ago with the release of his debut The Fox and the Monk.  A second collection appeared in 2009, titled Map or Direction and we are now treated to a third release. All eleven songs feature a beautiful vocal delivery by this gentle, Devon based, English troubadour and the guitar playing is of a consistently high standard. Very much steeped in the folk tradition, John Smith delivers a collection of songs that charm and engage the listener. He sounds somewhat similar to the great John Martyn in his vocal phrasing and songs such as Freezing Winds of Change and Perfect Storm sing of loss and love while the final track Lungs takes the wistful stance that a failed relationship ‘gave me everything, until you gave me away’. Introspective and reflective, Great Lakes is indeed a collection that challenges the listener and one that rewards more often than not.

Tim McGraw ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’ Big Machine

I have always admired the talents of Tim McGraw, but had thought the artist lost his way in the traffic of commercial country success, over recent releases. Being feted as one of the biggest stars on the Nashville circuit, together with his marriage to fellow country star, Faith Hill, had painted a media image that carried an inevitable overhyped momentum. So, credit to the man for coming back from media cynicism to deliver a set of songs that stands proudly alongside his best ever work. 

From aspiring singer/songwriter to country music royalty cannot be an easy journey and the potential fall from grace can be a real crash landing. However, talent will always rise to the top and Tim McGraw does know how to pick a song.  I do wish that he would put his hand to writing some self- penned material as, at this stage in his career, he knows what makes a killer song work...  

The choices here are consistently strong with Number 37405, Friend of a Friend, One of Those Nights and Truck Yeah all delivering in classic country style. The production is very expansive with lots of variety across horns and strings, with a happy dance between violins, violas and cello and the traditional mix of lap steel, banjo, fiddle and accordion. This is an impressive return to form; heady stuff indeed. 

Father Einstein ‘A Magic Fantasy’ Self-Release

Father Einstein; the name alone conjures up images of some higher paternal intelligence. With that vision in my mind, I hoped that such an impression would translate to these nine piano based songs. On investigation, Father Fantasy is one Mr Tom Conroy, a pianist with a drive to succeed in his native Ireland. Since this CD, he has released a further two collections; The Moon is Within Reach in late 2012, followed by Content to Serve in March 2013. He is already working on a fourth release for later in the year and an aspiration to perform on the live circuit.

So, what do we find here? His voice has a pleasant delivery with shades of Dean Friedman in his tone. However, the songs tend to run into each other with no real outstanding highlight. The lack of a sophisticated production may have something to do with this impression, as all we have is solo piano and voice. I would expect the sound to have developed over the successive releases and do not know if this has actually been the case? Some viola, cello or acoustic guitar colouring, would bring a brighter tone to these personal musings. 

Dave Armo ‘Poets on the Wall’ Self-Release

This singer/songwriter hails from California and Poets on the Wall is his third release. While writing all the words and music across the twelve tracks, Dave Armo shares production credits with his ally and fellow musician Jeff Rolka. 

The songs are heartfelt and the arrangements/melodies reminiscent of a young Paul Simon. His understated approach to the song-writing craft is certainly appealing and the reflective tone of the lyrics carries the songs on a slow groove. A change in the tempo of some songs would be a welcome intrusion however, as the whole set gets to be a little too predictable. I did find myself waiting for the inclusion of some guitar colourings that could lift the overall song dynamic to a new level.

That said, Not Too Old is a standout song, along with The Vista View that closes the CD – a classic country feel of isolation and lost connections.     

Cheap Wine ‘Based On Lies’ Self- Release

Imagine a cross between Tom Petty and the Psychedelic Furs and you have an idea of what to expect from this Italian rock band. Eight releases since 1998 places Cheap Wine at the top of the tree in terms of the Italian rock sound and their experience certainly comes across in the excellent playing and arrangements on this set of eleven songs.

The guitar work of Michele Diamantini is always inventive and complimented by the expansive playing of Alessio Raffaelli on piano, keyboards and accordion. The singer, Marco Diamantini, handles his delivery in English with great aplomb; no mean feat given the challenges to a foreign accent. In fact, he reminds me of that great Dutch band The Nits in the vocal phrasing and the band reflect a similar dynamic, if just a little more mainstream.

The more I listen to this CD, the more I am impressed by the overall self- production and the musicality of all players. The songs bounce along with a joyous feel and the dynamic of interplay between the band members is very infectious. As they sing on the excellent track Give me Tom Waits - “I feel wild inside and I won’t settle down”. I am drawn to the dynamic of Based on Lies and On the Way Back Home – two numbers with superb guitar breaks that really elevate the song structure. These guys really rock and although it may be too costly to check them out by flying to Italy, their back catalogue is available from the excellent CD Baby website – need I say more? 

The Kennedys ‘Closer Than You Know’ Self-Release

This marks the tenth studio release from husband and wife duo, Pete and Maura Kennedy. Performing artists since the mid 1990’s when their debut River of Falling Stars created an initial stir, the Kennedys display a very sophisticated talent across this eclectic mix of songs, which range from celebratory to reflective, with a very human element running through the music.

Call it contemporary folk or call it Americana, the genre doesn’t really matter as the chances are that the Kennedys will jump the fences in any event. The guitar playing of Pete Kennedy is consistently strong across their body of work and the latest release is no different with ample support from the rhythm guitar of Maura. They play all instruments on the twelve songs featured here with Maura taking credit for lyrics and melodies.

Pete mixed and mastered the songs and only a cover version of U2’s Wild Honey breaks away from this self penned creation. The song I’ll Come Over is very arresting in a message to a friend in trouble, to pick up the phone and in just being there to lend support.  

‘Winter’has a dream pop quality to the arrangement while ‘Cradle to a Boat’ sings of maintaining a strong sense of self worth when your spirit is threatened by external forces. Maura Kennedy has a fine voice and delivers these songs in a manner that hides the deeper meaning and message running through her words.

Home is an interesting spin on sleepless nights and a yearning for closure with an old memory. Big Star Song is a tribute to Alex Chilton who passed away in 2010. Happy Again is a song to lend reassurance to a friend that troubled times can be overcome and the closing track Winter Lies brings this fine set of songs to a close with a reflective arrangement and a haunting vocal delivery.

This is an engaging listen and comes highly recommended.    

 

Paul Kelly 'Spring & Fall' - Dramatico

Those of us who are privy to the talents of this Australian legend approach any new release primed with expectation. Paul Kelly is a prolific songwriter, as his vast back catalogue of superb releases can confirm. His ability to convert universal themes into personal insight has also marked him as a truly gifted poet.

This CD is a song cycle that charts a relationship from the blossoming of new love to the sad remains of broken trust and a doomed future. The gentle touch of the opening track New Found Love turns into the wanderlust of Someone New on track five and the desire for a new, open relationship, experience. The pain of the isolation this causes in the relationship is captured strongly in the wistful delivery of Sometimes My Baby.  Perhaps the sense of something lost in this song could have preceded the sense of longing in the earlier track Someone New, which might have given some justification for the need to seek a different experience in pastures new? By song eight the woman has left home, in the early hours, seeking a fresh start. Spurning attempts at reconciliation, she maintains a distance, leaving our cheating male cursing his actions and nursing his little aches and pains with a new found wisdom.

This is a salutary tale of forbidden fruit tasting sweeter and the misguided need to search for something more. A Paul Kelly release is always worth the wait and this song cycle does not disappoint with a mix of insight, reflection, regret and bruised experience running through the song arrangements that are subtly played and delicate in their delivery.

There is a hidden track Mistress Mine which sums up the sad reality of this human failing with the refrain “Mistress Mine, where are you roaming?” Indeed…

The Wagon Tales 'Introducing...' - Self-Release

This is a Bluegrass sound in the best traditions of America, from a collective who hail from England. What gives the secret away is the inclusion of saxophones and trumpet into the mix of banjo, mandolin and fiddle that defines the Bluegrass brand of music.All five musicians have impressive pedigrees with plenty of experience playing for other artists in different genres among them Dizee Rascal, Seal, Tori Amos, Nitin Sawney, Madness and Dr John to name just a few.

So, this is an eclectic band of gypsies who enjoy the simple pleasure of playing together and this overriding vibe comes through strongly in the arrangements and the playing. The quality of musicianship is really top drawer and the vocal harmonies are excellent throughout. The opening track the walker is anything but, as it races along with dextrous playing and similarly carry that load carries an infectious groove that mixes the best Cajun swing with elements of a light, jazzy, early summer evening lilt. We get a Gospel tinged beginning on Another cup of coffee that quickly swerves into a back porch swing of fiddle and banjo.

All twelve tracks display a collective riding along the top of the waves and having fun at every turn. Whoop & Holler at all stages; this makes for the perfect party CD, so move back the chairs and let’s get dancing.  

The Stone Hill All-Stars 'Live' - Self-Release

This is a live recording from a 2012 gig in Baltimore, Maryland and features a coterie of eight musicians who paint impressive colours in and around the fifteen original songs on display here. Paul Margolis is the song-writing inspiration on all tracks, with shared credits on seven songs from other band members. The guitar playing of Tim Pruitt and Paul Margolis is full of interesting fills and twists, while John Shock on piano and accordion, contributes plenty of counter-balance in the arrangements.

The songs are well arranged and played with an enthusiasm that comes across in the crystal clear recording of the concert. Mixed and produced by the band, the ease of playing and the comfortable slide of the individual songs channel everything that is attractive in folk, rhythm & blues and loose jazz.

The fine saxophone playing by Dan Naiman on a selection of tracks is given an added groove by the excellent trombone of Craig Considine. This is never more evident than on the superb He’s the Weatherman which swings with a reggae/salsa feel and leaves you wanting more. Hoppy Hopkins on drums grounds the entire set with a light touch and serves the song arrangements in an understated and impressive display throughout.

The Match Shaking is a fine song with a stream of consciousness vocal delivery that adds to the atmospheric interplay of the guitar and piano parts, not unlike the famous, but forgotten, Stan Ridgeway. An interesting listen and a swamp groove feel that leaves an overall happy glow. Recommended.

Blue Canyon Boys 'Next Go ‘Round' - Self-Release

This four piece band from Colorado keep their Bluegrass sound very clean and tight in the best traditions of the genre. The vocal harmonies are impressive and the production across fifteen tracks is both bouncy and bright.The band released their debut CD Just an Ol’ Dirt Road in 2005 and this release makes it number five in the last eight years, all adding to their growing reputation as one of the finest Bluegrass acts currently on the American circuit.

Winners of the 2008 Telluride Bluegrass festival band contest, the Blue Canyon Boys were selected to represent the United States (and bluegrass music) at the 14th annual Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia. This Festival has consistently featured in the top 25 International Festivals and is quite a window of opportunity for any aspiring band. Not content then to play within the constraints of home markets, this band stretch themselves into new territories in seeking to spread the good news.

The original songs on this CD are written by band members Jason Hicks and Gary Dark but there is also plenty of channelling the old mentors of days long past – Carter Stanley (twice); Buck Owens; Bill Monroe and Vern Gosdin, all receive a new coat of paint and we are also treated to a few traditional tunes, ending with I Bid You Goodnight originating in the Bahamas and sung at local funerals.

A fine selection of songs, for all who enjoy the purity of a traditional music, performed in an enthusiastic and professional manner.  

Eric Brace & Peter Cooper 'The Comeback Album' Red Beet

The duo return with another album that again delivers quality songs and performances. It opens with Ancient History, a list of the real names and occupations of some famous or semi-famous people and the idea that "every passing moment is ancient history". Ponzi Scheme deals with the nature of ‘ buyer beware’ and be careful to check the details. It is among several songs written by the duo together. There is an obvious ease in the way these two guys harmonise and sing together which gives the overall album a warmth central to the album's attraction.That, and the fine players they have gathered around them, not least veteran steelie Lloyd Green who adds a lot to the songs as do the likes of Fats Kaplin, Thomm Jutz, Richard Bennett, Jen Gundermann and Roy Hoffman. The latter's clarinet adds an extra dimension to Thompson City.

Much of their writing is rooted in historical fact and in location and that grounds the songs in a reality that gives them an added depth. They also take on some covers, in this case there's Tom T. Hall's Mad which features Mac Wiseman, Duane Eddy and Marty Stuart. This is a spirited mix of twang, mandolin and shared vocals. Carolina is a song written by their friend Karl Straub and the final song, Rain Just Falls, is a take on David Halley's poignant paean to leaving which is a theme that permeates much of the album to such a degree that the album could have easily been titled The Goodbye album. Brace and Cooper tend to fly somewhat under the radar,  but the quality and feel-good factor of their music should see them better known than they are. This is literate, lasting and heart warming music that should make this comeback a hit.

Kacey Musgraves 'Same Trailer, Different Park' Mercury

Musgraves is another young songwriter who shows why women are leading the way to something more heartfelt and also balancing the increasingly pop-orientated output of Taylor Swift and the like. Texas born Kasey’s  songs tend to have a similar edge those of Loretta Lynn. Merry Go Round is built around prominent banjo riff and tells of life for so many young people who seem trapped in a life that goes round and round going nowhere,  much like the merry go round of the title. It has received a lot of attention in the U.S. Elsewhere the album looks at the attitudes and alienations that modern life tends to throw up.  Blowin' Smoke, Keep It to Yourself and Step Off all consider the morals, moves and motivations of people Musgraves observes around her,  yet she can also look at herself and express what she feels in song.

Kacey has co-produced the album with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally and it is a contemporary mix of acoustic and electric instruments in a polished combination which should appeal to the more open of radio programmers. On occasion, as with Stupid, the beat is kicked up a notch in an anthem-like refrain to acting stupid. Follow Your Arrow shoots at the hypocritical confines that all too often society levels at those in its midst. It has a fairly hippie-esque philosophy of "say what you think… you only live once", a plea to live and let live. Throughout Musgraves is a convincing vocalist who delivers these songs with a believability that marks her out as an all rounder with something honest to say.

It may be the same trailer and a different park but there is something here that makes a whole lot of sense no matter where the location is. 

The Katmen 'The Katmen Cometh' - Decca

This trio of Darrel Higham, Slim Jim Phantom and Al Gare offer up their take on rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. Higham takes a break from fronting Imelda May's band to join his two comrades on a rock-fuelled take on music that means a lot to them. Higham's stint playing with Jeff Beck may have inspired the opening choice of the Yardbirds' Over Under Sideways Down as the opening track. An unlikely choice maybe, but they pull it off well. Next up they’re on familiar territory with Higham's tribute to the King that fairly flies along and references some of the King's titles on We Need Elvis Back. Higham contributes the majority of the original songs here and he clearly understands the music that inspired him. There are also a trio of songs written by Stray Cat’s pair Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker. 

Every Time I See You It Makes Me Smile has a nice retro feel that is taken at a less frantic pace and uses the backing vocals of Maria O'Reilly and Imelda May to good effect. The Johnny Horton, Tillman Franks and Johnny Mathis co-write I'll Do It Every Time has a classic feel and feels good. This Time It's Real, written by Colin Evans, has an Elvis attitude that is fun and features, as does most of the album, Higham's high class picking. His singing is petty damn good too.

There may be a lot of neo-rockabilly band out there but these guys have the chops and the pedigree to deliver some solid and sonically sound music. It's not going to change your mind if you are not a fan, but it's an enjoyable and energising slice of an era given awell- crafted and cogent workout that does justice to a music that these guys so obviously love. It should be an absolute blast live too. 

Woody Pines 'Rabbits Motel' - Self-Release

This isn’t a band,  but a person who makes music that is drawing from a rich and varied musical heritage, a blend of blues, jazz, rockabilly, country and old-time. Pines is something of a one man band playing the majority of the instruments as well as writing a bunch of the songs and co-producing the album with Bernie Nau. Railroad Vine is a striking mix of acoustic and electric guitar and voice. The traditional song Train That Carryed My Gal from Town has a definite old time feel with snare and upright bass and harmonica giving the song a toe-tapping train-rhythm shuffle. 

The past permeates Pines' vision, something that Who Told Ya? highlights. It is a Pines original inspired by the Rum-Dum Ramblers and with a few additional crackles it could have come from an old 78. Pines balances that with songs like Heartbreaker which has a more contemporary feel in it's tight arrangement. There is a variety here which some reviewers feel detracts from the album. However I've also seen the same reviewers have a go at an album for being too samey. I feel the balance here is right. Pines knows what he set out to achieve and he has a voice and vision that pulls the different strands together in an entertaining and satisfying way.

Every album will mean something different to each listener, who will have his own favourites, and that's the way it should be. Rabbits Motel jumps around a bit, OK,  but it always lands on its feet and manages to makes you tap yours along with its energy. Woody Pines is to be applauded for making this album, it is true and can be trusted to deliver the goods

Melissa Greener 'Transistor Corazón' - Gumptionsong

The androgynous, cowboy-shirted lady on the cover may talk of transistorised hearts but her music shows her real heart. Produced in Nashville by Brad Jones, this is an album that is more contemporary singer-songwriter than roots/country. The sound employs a wide range of instruments which mixes mandolin and banjo with loops and synth sounds alongside brass and strings. 

Greener has a clear and concise voice that delivers her poetic songs with verve. She draws you into a world that is sensitive to the vibrations that surround her. Ghost in the Van talks of a lover who is ethereal yet real. Greener has written many of the songs, either solo or with a writing partner, and also includes her versions of If I Fel, l the Lennon/McCartney song - which she gives a delicate pure reading of - and Jesse Winchester's That's What Makes You Strong which sit alongside her own songs with ease. The music is understated and gives her voice its place as the focus of the music which is folk–tinged,  melodic and lyrical. The album closes with Inisheer, co-written with Kyra Shaughnessy which has a love for the west coast of Ireland and that feeling permeates the song. 

Transistor Corazón has the potential for wide appeal and musically is somewhat at odds with the title and cover image, yet that may well be the thing that draws a potential listener to its real heart.