The Handsome Family 'Wilderness' - Loose

The Handsomes are one of the most unique and identifiable duos in the Americana network. In some senses this new album deserves the term as Rennie Sparks’ lyrics focus on the little creatures that crawl, walk or fly over American soil. The tunes feature one word titles Flies, Frogs, Owls, Spider, Woodpecker and Wildebeast. Those of us who hold this band dear know that Rennie is an intriguing and original writer of lyrics and prose. Her husband Brett is the other half of the equation, the main singer and chief instrumentalist. He is also the producer and recorder of the songs, something that he takes great pains with. He very much wants to get what he hears in his head down on tape. 

At this point he has transcended any specific musical references and combines his wide influences into something that is now it's own thing. They use the occasional guest to bring something to a particular song though Brett can usually easily achieve on his own. Rennie adds vocals to several songs and the two voices blend well coming from opposite ranges; his sonorous and hers airy. She also plays banjo on a couple of songs.

This is an album that works and should be heard as a whole. They may not be any singular song that stand out, but in context this can be counted among the strongest albums they have yet produced. It is one that also highlights Rennie's skill as an illustrator. Her colourful world of  "wee beasties" grace the cover and lyric booklet and are a perfect introduction to the equally vivid songs within. These seem simple on the surface buton  close examination they open you to a vision of an underworld the equal of any Victorian explorers sketch book. They reveal hidden corners and the lives of specific creatures that rarely would be the subject of song. The husband and wife team are indeed intrepid explores themselves and while there is no major departure in terms of sound from what would be recognised as the Handsome Family sound they have not been afraid to add to its sum total and continued development.

Wilderness has always a place that has its own particular beauty and this example can be said to no less intriguing. I can think of no other musical entity that would make such a attractive proposition on such an commonplace set of species with such uncommon relish. Long may they roam.

Various Artists 'Nashville, Series I, Volume I' - Big Machine

This soap opera has finished it's run on a dramatic turn and what's left in its wake is this first volume of soundtrack albums. The show itself managed to feature some interesting acts like Lindi Ortega, but this album is about the songs of the main characters. Some appeared in more stripped down or live versions in the show but here are full studio productions. Overall it is better than expected,  but with T-Bone Bennett in overall charge I would expect a certain level of sound quality. The diversity of the songs also reflects the show’s characters different musical standpoints and story lines. Gun For a Mouth is deliberately more rocking as that fits the plot. 

Ho Hey is sung at a sound check by the two daughters of one of the show leading characters - an established country singer. That supposedly spontaneous moment is here a very   produced song. The real life sisters Maisy and Lennon Stella however have their charm. Upstart newcomer Juliette Barnes in fact is supposed to be the one changing the sound of country and has some of the better songs. We Are Water is a strong song but then it's written by Patty Griffin and features Buddy Miller on guitar. One thing that is notable is that all the characters sing very well and could easily extend their careers in the real music industry if they chose to. 

Rayna Jaymes( played by Connie Britton) sings Lucinda Williams' Bitter Memory but gives it a pop gloss that the writer would have been unlikely to do. The indie wild card singer Avery Barkley (Jonathan Jackson) who's music is hi-jacked by a big name producer -  a recurrent theme - sings the ballad Let There Be Lonely which is not how he is portrayed in the overall series.

Clare Bowen, who plays the interesting singer/writer Scarlett O'Connor has an interesting twang to her voice and her duet with Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio) is again listed as the Studio version while the live rendition was actually more affecting.

The album closes with Nothing in this World will Ever Break My Heart Again. It worked well in the show and is here a more measured studio version. Burnett's production brings out the drama of the song and Hayden Panettiere gives a very strong vocal performing a song of isolation and grim resolution. Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again was written by Sarah Buxton and Kate York. It is a song that begs for attention but the version sung in the last episode in the Bluebird Cafe was a more emotional rendition, particularly given it's context in the story line.

Life imitating art, or art imitating life?  An accurate portrayal of Music City?  To a degree, but then it is like most such series set in a particular industry as much about the linear story line as it is about the reality of the subject. This show is as much about the people, politics and place as it is about one of its major industries. But then it was never meant to be a documentary, rather it is entertainment for outsiders, but with just enough of a glimpse of the inner workings of Music City to make it seem real.

Michael and The Lonesome Playboys 'Bottle Cap Sky' - Blackwater

Opening song Walk Through Fire suggests a street-wise roots rocker, but next up the steel guitar sounds straight out of a 50's honky-tonk.  From there the album swings between the two in fine style. This is the second album for singer/songwriter Michael Ublandi under this heading. He has combined his love of Hank Williams and Buck Owens with his equal appreciation of the likes of the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Clash.

This is passionate, literate lamenting. Songs  such as The Outlaw Kind, Heart Full of Tears, Lonesome When You’re Gone and Another Side To Every Story are testament to a man who has lived and loved and lost and needs to tell those tales so others can appreciate their loves and heartbreaks. He can also spin a story like J.W. Price the Texas Oil Man with equal skill and sincerity. Ublandi has written the 15 songs on the album and he and his tight band deliver these songs, capturing a raw and very real sound that combines an essence of roots music.

Ublandi has a straight up, world weary but hopeful voice that gives these songs their heart and soul. Bottle Cap Sky continues in the mode of Last of The Honky Tonk,s his previous album with the Playboys, a band that includes California country pedal steel player Gary Brandin. Ublandi has also a series of solo albums under his belt that show a man dedicated to getting his gritty music across. Michael and The Lonesome Playboys don't play the kind of music that country radio likes and that must say something about the true heart of this music. Bottle Cap Sky is for those who would like Springsteen, Steve Earle or any rough-edged bar band who live for their chance to play music that has meaning in their lives.

The Wynntown Marshals 'The Long Haul' - Wynntown

This band fits the description that was in vogue a little while back "alt-country". They slide between the Gram Parsons/Rolling Stones axis that many bands who would fit that category tend to draw inspiration from. Not just those influences exclusively of course, but they are often the starting point. They are based in Edinburgh and recorded this album in their rehearsal space. It is testament to what a band can do with well rehearsed, thought out songs and a little time to get it right - or as right as time and budget and current experience allows.

The four members of the band are joined by some guests but they are a largely self-contained. They bring a certain rootsy swagger to their self written songs but can also add a delicate touch to songs like Curtain Call where vocalist Keith Benzie sings about perseverance and making hard choices in a restrained song that adds cello and violin to good effect. The final song Change Of Heart has Dolly Varden's Diane Christiansen adding a balanced harmony vocal to that age old situation of a couple who "… are at our best when we're not together, but we can't bear to be apart". That's what they mean, in one context, about being together for the long haul.

Elsewhere, the band  play a full sound that makes good use of Iain Sloan's guitar and pedal steel skills. The latter adds much to the Americana feel of many of the songs. The solid rhythm section of Murdoch MacLeod and Kenny McCabe provide the bedrock that gives the band its momentum and base. The Wynntown Marshals are the equal of many bands who come from the country whose music inspires them, but without any specific location. They are continuing in the path of bands like Brinsley Schwarz, Cochise or Quiver as much as drawing from the more high profile artists like Neil Young, The Byrds or latter day exponents like Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. They have their sound down and are learning how best to bring it to a wider audience. They are doing in their own way, in their own time, because they know what they are in it for the long haul.

Underhill Rose 'Something Real' - Self-Release

This trio hails from North Carolina and they have funded this album via fan donations, which is becoming an increasingly familiar route for independent artists to get albums made and manufactured. The fans who contributed will be well pleased with how Underhill Rose have used the money. The harmony filled music includes bluegrass, country and folk-pop with touches of blues and soul broadening the band’s palette. The overriding feel is acoustic based,  voice-led music which expands and adapts as the songs require.

The songs are all self-written, mainly by Eleanor Underhill and Salley Williamson, with a couple of contributions by third trio member Rose Reed. All are well up to standard. Lead vocal is generally taken by the song's writer while the others supply close harmony, handling the task with individuality. They also play include a series of guests who help deliver a captivating sound. Black Lillies frontman Cruz Contreras is the album’s producer who has given the album a warm, bright, fluid sound.

The songs run from the country style heartache of Unused to You with  pedal steel giving it a sense of loss to the solidarity of hometown and friends which is the theme of They Got My Back. The sentiment of I Wanna Love You is self-evident though many of the other songs tend to look at the harder side of relationships. Never Gonna Work Out and Drives Me to Drinking are two paeans to personal pain. Underhill's banjo playing is often the key instrument which gives an old-time, bluegrass feel to a sound that is  also influenced by the drums, electric guitar, accordion, keyboards and trumpet. This instrumentation give the songs a wider texture and context as required.

Underhill Rose are the kind of band that have an immediate appeal. The vocals and harmonies are strong, the songs distinct and the overall sound that would informs you of the band’s intentions. The trio have produced something real, intrigiing and tangible, something that has a transcendant quality. On Never Gonna Work Out, which features the trio playing all the instruments and adding their fine voices, they show how well this band would work in a live setting too.

They obviously enjoyed the experience and the chances are that you will too. 

Patty Griffin 'American Kid' - New West/Sony

With a career that began in the mid-90s Patty Griffin's music had many settings from stripped back acoustic to full on rock. For her 7th studio album Griffin has gathered a team of players par excellence to render these songs straight and true. She has co-produced the album with Craig Ross and they utilise the players to great effect. But with the likes of Cody and Luther Dickinson, Doug Lancio, Byron House and Ross himself involved you are assured that the playing is fully in tune with the songs and with their singer. Griffin has rarely sounded better on a set of songs that return to people, places and to the past. The album is dedicated to her father Lawrence Griffin and is in his honour.

This seems like a natural step after her sojourn in Band of Joy with Robert Plant. The latter appears in a supportive role on three songs. Supportive as the central focus here is Griffin's expressive and emotive voice. Her version of Lefty Frizzell's of Mom & Dad's Waltz is delivered with true passion and serves as a pivotal link to a past and a future. The remainder of the songs are written by Griffin and illustrate a writer who, over time, has found a way to concisely used language to illuminate and be introspective.

Two of the songs take a distinct but largely understated sense of Irishness. Irish Boy and Get Ready Marie, the latter has a sly humour in its closing lines, which are taken from the male perspective, "… I had a good hunch, when she kissed me a bunch, she could do other things like a rabbit." The cover and lyric book features a lot of pictures of young solders and their sense of being and displacement are echoed in songs like Gonna Miss You When Your Gone. Not wanting to be removed from your place of upbringing at life's end is the theme of Don't Let Me Die In Florida. A request that her father made that was honoured at his passing.

Not that the album is in any way depressive. The opposite in fact. American Kid is Americana at its best and arguably the finest album that Griffin has so far released. It is one that will be returned to often and will no doubt be as rewarding on future plays as it is now. It marks Patty Griffin as a mature, mindful and mischievous presence who stands at the peak of her powers alongside a handful of very talented artists who have grown gracefully and for that we must show our gratitude in a world that is increasingly superficial. 

Review by Stephen Rapid 

Liz Seaver 'Turbulent Bliss' - Self-Release

This County Dublin singer has again chosen the indie path for her second album. That the end result is up to the standard of any major label release is commendable. Seaver funded the recording and release of this folkish-pop album by continual gigging. Something that, no doubt, also helped her hone her craft.

Seaver has written all 12 songs on the album as well as co-producing it with Andy Knightley and playing acoustic guitar and piano. There is a full band on hand for most of the tracks which tends to move it up a notch from the more acoustic folk approach that is often the path of such albums. The playing throughout is strong and supportive. Her vocals are the focal point of the songs and in that department she has a strong and determined voice that, on occasion, has a slight tendency to over-sing certain phrases. She really stands out on the quieter songs like the piano ballads Down In Tears and Little Song or the stripped back voice and guitar of If I Lost It All. She can also handle the uptempo numbers like I Knew and slow build of a song like Exposed.

These are the songs of a person finding their place in the world, someone figuring out relationships and listening to inner voices. Something everyone does, something that a lot of songwriters do but not something everyone can do in a cohesive manner. The songs have a universality that will translate across boundaries but also place her in a tide of similarly-minded independent singer/songwriters struggling to be heard. Seaver can hold her own in that company but at this early stage in her career isn't quite as distinctive as she may need to be to stand out. 

That aside she has produced an album she can be proud of and one that shows a burgeoning talent who will continue to grow and develop her skills. Turbulent Bliss shows confidence and clarity and should bring her an immediate response in the environs that she has and will play over the next few months. She has written some songs that display a growing skill and given the breaks Seaver could easily be a contender. Let's hope she finds more bliss than turbulence.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Cara Luft 'Darlingford' - Blue Case Tunes

This release marks the third recording from Canadian singer songwriter Cara Luft. One of the founding members and creative sources behind the Wailin’ Jennies, Cara has been following her own star since departing in 2004.

The release of her first CD back in year 2000, Tempting the Storm, saw Cara begin to forge the solo career that has taken her folk/roots influences through the release of  The Light Fantastic in 2007, now followed by Darlingford, a collection of 13 engaging  songs that are both a varied and stimulating listening experience.

Despite attempts to  box her off into a particular genre of music, Cara Luft spans a whole range of influences, from traditional banjo tunes to English folk songs, roots based arrangements and  cover versions of songs that have touched this very gifted artist.

We have an impressive line- up of musicians on the recording with 15 separate talents credited on the liner notes, plus a string quartet. The songs were recorded on location in several old churches, living rooms, hotel rooms and studios spanning Canada, England and the USA.

There is always a risk in such a diverse recording that the parts are too spread and take away from a cohesive whole.  Happily this is not the case here and the overall feel is seamless as we are given songs of lost love coupled with the aspiration that only love can save in the end.

A cover  version of Mike Scott’s Bring ‘Em All In is particularly arresting and a superb version of She Moved through the Fair sits easily alongside  My Darling One, a song originally penned as a poem/prayer by Cara’s mother when her daughter was travelling the miles in pursuit of a career in music.

Portland Town is a sad lament of a parent for children lost in in a war and Idaho tells the tale of an Aunt who holds strong right-wing views that sit uneasily with the writer. The production and musicianship is of the highest quality and makes for an entertaining 50 minutes plus.

The redemptive nature of many songs is summed up perfectly in the opening track Only Love Can Save Me with the lines – ‘I’m shedding all the pain inside me, burning fires through the night; Rub the ashes all over my body, take a step into the light’.

Review by Paul McGee

The Kennedys 'Retrospective' - Self-Release

It is entirely appropriate that this fine retrospective collection of sixteen songs should begin its’ journey with the song Half a Million Miles. Not only does it some up the very strong touring ethic displayed over many years by this duo, but it also captures the events surrounding their first meeting and a pilgrimage to the graveside of Buddy Holly.

From this excellent start, Maura and Pete Kennedy work their way through a number of stand- out songs that span their nine studio releases, plus a live recording or two, since the mid 1990’s. Building a loyal and strong following both playing with and supporting country legend Nanci Griffith over the years, The Kennedys display outstanding song-writing sensibilities, coupled with a very melodic approach to the arrangements and production.

Maura is a very talented singer and her sweet delivery sits comfortably alongside the virtuoso playing abilities of husband Pete. Breathe visits the fear that we hold of uncertainty and the way that it can stop us from living our lives to the full – ‘just like being born but you’re wiser this time’.

Matty Groves is a traditional English Folk song that is given a compelling makeover as it spins a tale of jealousy and lust. When I Go is a song that was penned by Dave Carter and colours strong imagery of a life fully lived while the excellent guitar playing of Pete Kennedy serves the tune with some aplomb.

Stand is a live favourite and both life affirming and celebratory in the message. A Bend in the River and Midnight Ghost both set a strong tempo and highlight the fine playing of both Maura and Pete as they swoop and weave around the song dynamics.

It is on the final track, Life is Large, that the full power of this duo is displayed with a live version of their anthem. ‘Be yourself and stand your ground’ sings Maura and you know that she means every word.  Everybody should have a little bit of the Kennedys in their life and I recommend this release together with a trawl back through past recordings.  

Review by Paul Mcgee

Eddie Spaghetti 'The Value of Nothing' - Bloodshot

This is the Supersuckers' singer's fourth solo album and the first one with all the songs written or co-written by Spaghetti. It is also the first to be co-produced with Jesse Dayton, himself a noted artist in his own right. Dayton plays guitars and more with the duo being assisted by the venerable Mickey Raphael, Chris Von Streicher - the current Supersuckers drummer and Alvaro Del Norte on accordion. Anyone familiar with Spaghetti's previous albums will know what to expect with his mix of cow punk and his ingredients of humour and anger fueled by a metal/punk bedrock with a degree of twang and testosterone.

Like Mike Ness of Social Distortion and Mike Herrera's Tumbledown or Nick 13 of Tiger Army Eddie Spaghetti manages to combine his potent mix in a way that is so much more believable that the often embarrassing sub-southern rock that many of the acts emanating can manage to make credible. First off Spaghetti has a distinctive voice, an important assent in any genre. He also doesn't lose sight of the hooks and melodies in his songs. There is a danger that this time the amalgamation might fall between stools but rest assured Eddie Spaghetti arse is firmly rooted on his barstool.

The songs run from the late seventies punk of Fuckin' With My Head to the denouncement People Are Shit and the duet of Dayton and Spaghetti trading lines on the ballad One Man Job or the grounded reality of When I Go, I'm Gone. People Are Shit is given a delightful twist with the Tex-Mex flavours of Del Norte's accordion which belies the somewhat down beat message against the thoroughly uplifting music with Dayton's invasive guitar riff remaining firmly in there memory banks. 

All in all I've enjoyed all Spaghetti's solo albums but this may be his best yet and the partnership of Dayton and Spaghetti brings them to a mutual place where Dayton's countrified roots and Spaghetti's punk roots are perfectly entwined to grow their music. The Value Of Nothing is worth a lot to anyone who was energised by late 90's country where Rockpile and Marty Robbins could be equally powerful influences. This Spaghetti is as unwholesome as it is tasty - and that's a good thing.

Lachlan Bryan 'Shadow Of The Gun' - Core

Former singer with Australian alt. country band The Wildes is releasing Shadow Of The Gun under his own name. He hasn't strayed too far from that path here. It is produced by stalwart of the alternative country scene Rod McCormack and has a full and warm sound. Whistle and Waltz is a duet with Kasey Chambers and those who are familiar with her work wouldn't go amiss in checking this album out. I'd Rather Sing In Churches speaks of the passing of a friend and how the singer would "rather sing in churches" because he's "sick of singing in bars". This is delivered over an uptempo beat and mood. 

Bryan's deep voice is well used on songs like the ballad Lily Of The Fields which has the sombre lyric noting that "lilies love you when you're gone" the mood is enhanced by the guitar and accordion refrains. Many of the songs are painted in darker hues with titles like Secret I'll Take To The Grave, Home of The Blues, The Sweet Or Bitter End which ends the album in a more acoustic mode.

A fan of writers like Guy Clark and Townes van Zandt it shows that that kind of story telling and intriguing back stories are not just limited to Texas or Nashville and that Bryan has an affinity with that body of crafted writing that tends to improve with age and understanding. The songs are infused with life's little ups and downs and occasionally the very deep downs.

The production as expected is excellent and Bryan is joined by vocalist Catherine Britt on 3 songs. The musicians include Bill Chambers, Glen Hannah, Jeff and Rod McCormick all well known names on the Australian roots music scene. The songs are memorable and strong and Bryan has the kind of world weary voice that is entirely suited to the job at hand. Which is being believable and thoughtful. Not a voice of elegance but one that is efficacious.

This is an auspicious debut and marked Lachlan Bryan a name to watch and this an album to savour.

Mando Saenz 'Studebaker' - Carnival

Born in Mexico, raised in Texas and currently residing in Nashville Mando Saenz is therefore not unexpectedly a singer/songwriter in the roots Americana arena. His third album was produced by Mark Nevers in his home Beech House studio and has a powerful and punchy sound. This is Saenz's third album. I had a fondness for his debut Watertown some time back and this latest is more confident and confidential.

The seasoned players who make this sound so good include guitarists Jedd Hughes and Kenny Vaughn and the inclusion of these two is enough to warrant investigation on my part. Veteran Steelie Pete Finney also adds his skill to the sound on occasion. Though Saenz wrote all the songs on his debut he has since began writing collaborations on a number of tracks. Here he writes with Kim Richey, who he had previously written with for his last album. Shelly Colvin and Wade Bowen are among the other writers involved though seven of the 12 songs are solo compositions. 

The album opens with Breakaway Speed a Richey co-write and she joins him on the song's choruses. Things getting a little more stripped back on the opening of Battle Scar before the band kicks in with a twangy riff fuelled song of relationships. They Don't Make 'Em Like You Anymore is a sadder reflection of loss and he is joined again by a female harmony vocal that enhances the songs but who it is uncredited on the preview copy. Pocket Change is the songs from which the album title is extracted "Where's my Studebaker, I'm nobody's pocket change". It motors along like the car of the title and is again bolstered by some fine guitar playing, as is most of the album. Other songs follow a similar path, Nobody is a more stripped back song full of atmosphere and sombre cello. Colorado has a sense of menace while Smiles At The Door closes out the album on a song of the duality that is faced in some relationships with its "tears on the pillow, smiles at the door". Bitter sweet reflections that show a writer capable of understanding and conviction.

The rest of the songs follow on down that rocky roots strewn road and while the meaning of some of the songs may not be immediately clear the sound is captivating. Saenz has an agreeable tenor that slides around the songs and often he's joined by a second voice to good effect. The overall album, soundwise, sits somewhere between the last two albums. Studebaker is a grower and the marks Mando Saenz as a welcome addition to Nashville's non-Music Row writing community. He has delivered an album that will enhance his reputation. 

Barney Bentall 'Flesh & Bone' - True North

The Canadian artist again show himself a fine storyteller with songs like The Ballad of Johnny Hooke. Bentall and band are joined by several guests including fellow artist fiddler Kendal Carson. The sound is full and Bentall's production gives room to the songs to explore a range of interesting arrangements. From the celtic mood of Johnny Hooke to Annabel's more reflective piano centred ballad through the banjo infused direction of High Up On The Mountain. Bentall is well able to use his voice to set the tone for these songs. Many of which allude to old-time or other musical territories but he never lets the music loses sight of his overall sound.

The tale of Four Went To War is again another picture in words that expresses comradeship and the joy of survival with a strong sing along chorus of a tale of Canadian Civil War participants. Say Goodbye To Albert Comfort is a slow ballad of facing up to fate. By way of contrast On Fine Day rocks with another big chorus and it's sense of getting there - a tribute to longevity of relationships. A theme also picked up for Long Lovely Love Affair which closes the album.

Barney Bentall and his band make music that has a wide-ranging appeal that would doubtless find a bigger audience outside of Canada and given the quality of every aspect of this and previous albums deserves to be. But things don't always happen the way they should so his mix of the personal and the pictorial that moves from the pensive to some more heartland rock workouts will find its audience if the effort is made to listen to the songs of this talented rancher and songwriter. We are all made of flesh and bone and can relate to the reasons that these songs exist.

Tim Barry '40 Miler' - Xtra Mile

The fist that forms the central part of the logo graphic on the cover is a pointer to the confrontational element of the music. That element is often directed at the songs subject rather than an outside source, but they're a target too. Driver Pull is about leaving on a train and not particularly caring where exactly. Barry leads a spirited band that features acoustic guitar, violin, bass and percussion as a base and adds banjo, piano, electric guitar, organ and harmonica to the line-up as required.

The songs range from the quieter reflection of Driver Pull to more intense situation of Adele and Hell, wherein he laments to the lady in question her course of action on a number of situations. That one of those situations is pawning his gun for his bail suggests that this is not some neat garden suburban setting. This is borne out by the titles and subjects of such songs as Hobo Lullaby, Banker's Dilemma and Fine Foods Market. This is the attitude of punk transferred to earthy folk rock. 

Tim Barry has a hard-edged, worn and worldly voice that is central to the songs being believable and boisterous, although there are times when the songs are delivered with restraint but always with an understanding of the song central message.

There is a hard underbelly to the stories told. These are people on the edge but being there gives them a comradeship that may be all they are left with. 40 Miler has an energy and ebullience that brings the songs out of any sense of depression that the titles might imply and in that they celebrate the human spirit in a rough shod way that gives them their heart.

Thomas Hine 'Forgive My Future' - Self-Release

This album finds Thomas Hine playing a whole variety of instruments to give his songs the extra touches that sit behind the voice and guitar structures that they were built from. The album was produced by Steven Hine as was the last album Into The Bottomlands. It follows a similar pattern and develops his sound which is pretty much kept in the family with Sadie Hine joining on Conquistadores. Swedish artist I'm A Kingfisher is the only other guest helping out on Ploughman.

Hine songs have a directness that allows them to be interpreted by the listener and in that he brings enough variety to them to never make them sound too samey. Old Troubles has multi-tracked vocals over a simple tin whistle and harmonium led backing that makes it an immediate standout. Bright Shining Mountains is again delivered with the harmonium and harmonised vocals that underscore the sense of place that alludes to something deeper. Overall the music and production work hand in hand to produce what could loosely be described as folk or perhaps folk-pop due to the memorable hooks that are imbedded in the songs.

I don't think Thomas Hine is expecting his music to exactly change the world, rather it is about changing his world by expressing the music that he has inside. He does this well and the album is full of moments that will connect and make you realise that there is more going on than you might initially expect and that Forgive My Future is worth listening to (online, at the very least). He expresses his self doubt and assessment of his place in the two versions of Dance Harder where the overall message is "must try harder". However in this case I think Hine has done just that.

Taylor Swift 'Red' - Big Machine

A country music breakthrough artist at the tender age of sixteen, Taylor Swift has achieved incredible success since arriving in Nashville. As a songwriter, she has been honoured by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift's other achievements include seven Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards and six Academy of Country Music Awards. She has sold over 26 million albums and 75 million digital downloads worldwide.

One cannot argue with such achievements and now, at the age of 24, Taylor Swift is achieving further success with the release of her fourth studio record, Red. She has gradually moved direction into the arena of Pop Music and her commercial instincts to conquer ever more territory, are sharply observed with the inclusion of two songs; Taylor shares vocals with teenage heartthrob Ed Sheeran and also, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol who appeals to a slightly older generation, but is certainly in the arena of melodic, stadium rock.

So, now aged 24, Taylor Swift is well established and has more industry experience behind her than most artists see in a lifetime. By pushing her career in a new direction, she is certainly making a brave move, but one that makes good commercial sense. In the years ahead I have no doubt that Taylor Swift will develop her talents even further. Right now she is trying to decide whether she should channel Cher or whether Shania Twain might prove to be a better role model in the long run.

The tracks here are all very polished, if perhaps, a touch over produced. However, her song-writing is strong and she has a hand in all sixteen tracks on display here. Her two recent hits Trouble and We Are Never Getting Back Together are included and the new Princess of Pop will undoubtedly continue to reap the rewards of her prodigious talent.

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals 'The Lion The Beast The Beat' - Hollywood Records

I had the pleasure of seeing Grace Potter play live in Dublin recently and her performance was compelling and inspiring, in both her stage presence and her vocal range. If you are looking for the vocal power of Janis Joplin and the stage confidence of a Melissa Etheridge, then it is probable that Grace Potter would be a regular feature in your CD collection.

This is her fifth release within the last ten years and the collection really kicks into a different gear with the wonderful Stars, a tribute to a lost friend, where her heartfelt vocal sends a shiver down the spine. Followed by the excellent Timekeeper, ‘please won’t you slow it down tonight’; the songs really start to kick into life. Turntable has all the ingredients for a chart hit with a great beat and a lyric that implores you to ‘put your needle in my groove’.

Perhaps the frustration for an artist like Grace Potter lies in the need to reach for commercial recognition, without giving up on her instinct to push her sound into new territory. The production on the CD plays a little safe and between the lines for these ears, especially when I believe that Grace Potter is so much better than the overall impression gained across these eleven tracks.

Great Adult Oriented Rock and the songs certainly run along at a pace. Closing song, The Divide, sounds too much like a Fleetwood Mac workout and the artwork does little to attract a new audience. However, I can’t help thinking that the power of a ballad like One Heart Missing is the true course that this really talented artist should be navigating into her future recording career. Do catch her live if you can, as the real soul of this band is best captured in a room where the essence cannot be distilled or overly polished.