Latest Album Reviews

Karen Black Dreaming Of You 1971-1976 Anthology

Another look back down the rope of time and a compilation of songs recorded by Karen Black. She died in 2013 and was a beacon for creative female energy and well ahead of her time. In turn, an actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter, Black often championed the lives of eccentric and offbeat characters. She is best known for her work in various independent films in the 1970s, including Five Easy Pieces (with Jack Nicholson), Nashville (Robert Altman film), Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda), Day Of The Locust (John Schlesinger) and The Great Gatsby. She also acted on Broadway, notably in Robert Altman’s Broadway debut of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.  

Black always wrote poetry and composed songs although she never pursued a career as a full-time musician. A chance meeting with Cass McCombs in 2008 led to an enduring friendship and the pair were collaborating on a solo release in the years leading up to her death. 

Two of those songs feature here and the 17 tracks stand as a real testament to the friendship she shared with McCombs and his labour of love in restoring these simple acoustic recordings into something approaching a presentable state. Her vocal recalls Joan Baez and Judy Collins with a clarity and range that is impressive. Her cover of the Moody Blues hit, Question, is a fine example of her ability to strip something back to its original form and infuse it with a new interpretation and meaning in her delivery. That’s Me, The Wind Doesn’t Speak To Me Anymore, Passing Through and Thank God You’re Mine are all interesting insights into Black’s talent and the final two songs are the McCombs collaborations, Royal Jelly and I Wish I Knew the Man I Thought You Were. 

Frequently poignant and always capable of surprising the listener, this is a peek through the keyhole to a time when talent was not always given the channels of media distribution that perhaps it merited.  

Review by Paul McGee

Josh Johnston Moon Landing Shandon

Dublin singer-songwriter Josh Johnson has been keeping busy over the last few months. Apart from playing gigs around the city, he continues to create thoughtful music and this 4-track EP is a follow-up to his album, THE ART OF SAVING LIVES, which was released last year.

Two of these songs have been previously released and are included here as reworked arrangements. Moon Landing is taken from last year’s album and is a tuneful melody with a chorus that remains in the mind. Swimming On The Moon is taken from a 2008 release, ASYLUM HARBOUR and is a strong work-out with the musicians building to a fine climax. 

In between, we are given a cover of UK Folk artist Chris Wood’s song, Come Down Jehovah, that asks God to reveal himself and agree that heaven is indeed to be found all around us on Earth. The other song, In My World (She Said), is a swipe at older sugar daddies who blindly think that they still ‘have it’ and can attract the ladies, irrespective of age. 

The musicians are Josh Johnston (piano, Wurlitzer and vocal), Paj Groenland (electric and acoustic guitar), Scott Flanagan (Hammond organ), Rory Pierce (cello), Bill Blackmore (trumpet), Marco Francescangeli (clarinet andsax), Brian Hogan (bass) and Dave Hingerty (drums and percussion). Fine ensemble playing from all concerned and a very enjoyable listen.

Review by Paul McGee

Carter Sampson Trio CRS

With a growing fanbase in Europe, Carter Sampson - christened The Queen of Oklahoma by her fans and peers - has been a regular visitor to Europe, since making a breakthrough with her 2016 release WILDER SIDE. Her previous visits have found her hooking up with some musicians from this side of the pond, whereas on her recent tour she was accompanied by two members of her Oklahoma band. This five-track mini album TRIO coincided with the tour and features those two musicians that travelled with her this time around. With Jason Scott providing guitar and mandolin alongside Kyle Reid’s guitar, pedal steel and drums, the album features four tracks selected from Sampson’s back catalogue, but performed in a more stripped back manner. A cover of Woodrow Buddy Johnson’s Since I Fell For You is also included.

The original songs that feature include her crowd favourite Rattlesnake Kate, from her 2018 recording LUCKY and two selections from WILDER SIDE, the title track and Highway Rider. Her signature tune Queen of Oklahoma also gets a reconstruction.

There’s never been any doubt about the unique quality of Sampson’s crystalline vocals and these less crowded versions are very much a reflection of what she excels at in the live setting. Recorded at The Blue Door Studio in Oklahoma TRIO is the perfect stopgap, while we await the next recording from this talented and much-loved artist.

Review by Declan Culliton

Signe Marie Rustad When Words Flew Freely Die With Your Boots On

Norway has been particularly well represented by female singer songwriters in 2019. Impressive releases earning recognition in the International market from Malin Petterson and  Louien are joined by this latest offering from Signe Marie Rustad. Without occupying the same musical space, all three artists qualify for the ever-widening Americana genre.

Die With Your Boots On Records, the label that signed Rustad, can also boast having Malin Petterson on board and are part of The Jansen Records family who represent the aforementioned Louien, another rising star who is establishing herself outside her native Norway. 

Having recovered from a writing block coupled with distressing personal issues, Rustad returned to the studio to record WHEN WORDS FLEW FREELY. Her previous albums include the Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) nominated HEARING COLOURS SEEING NOISES (2016) and her 2012 debut album GOLDEN TOWN.

Born and raised on a farm in rural Norway, there is a peacefulness and placidity about the album, possibly fuelled by that unhurried upbringing. The material often seems to question if a comparable calmness could be rediscovered in adult life.  The album’s title is also both the opening and closing tracks on the album. The former is a spoken word prelude that dances across the speakers and the latter is a fleshed-out version, which opens with Rustad’s vocal accompanied by piano and gradually builds climatically over the following six minutes. We Belong Somewhere is a charming ballad, reminiscing the difficult matters of detachment and growing apart. It features Rustad’s vocals caressed by simple piano and strings. Both Something Easier and Hands Across Her Back are stand out tracks for me, ebbing and flowing in a style perfected by Tori Amos at the top of her game.

The composure and mood of the album demands a precise listening environment. A late-night listen, alone and delivered by headphones will reward the listener to maximum effect.

I’d have little complaints If I were to be condemned to listen only to music by Norwegian artists for a period of time. WHEN WORDS FLEW FREELY is a strikingly impressive alt-folk experience, that would be top of the pile. Simply gorgeous.

Review by Declan Culliton

Torgeir Waldemar Love Jansen 

LOVE is the third full length album recorded by Norwegian singer songwriter Torgier Waldemar. His sound has been hailed as trademark Laural Canyon 1970’s revisited, but for readers more familiar with more recent and rockier Americana outputs, Israel Nash is probably a more accurate yardstick.

Bursting on to the local scene with his self-titled debut album in 2014, Waldemar earned two Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) nominations for best country album and best newcomer. Signed to Jansen Records in 2017, his sophomore album NO OFFENDING BORDERS (2017) contained a more aggressive and pumped up sound than its predecessor, gaining him a Spellemann nomination in the rock category.  The new album follows in a similar vein, layers upon layers of vocals and instruments combining to generate a quite riveting listen.

The album includes eight tracks, three of which are short intros. However, there’s nothing short about the other tracks with the epic Leaf In The Wind and Truncated Souls running for eight minutes and the hefty closing track Black Ocean breaking the fourteen minute mark.

With only a promotional copy of the album and without the benefit of any information regarding the players on the album, I’m unaware of Waldemar’s musical input or who else features on the album. However, what is beyond doubt is the quality of the playing including some killer saxophone on Contagious Smile. A most impressive introduction to Waldemar for me and an album to be played at maximum volume.

For fans of Rich Hopkins & The Luminarios, Crazy Horse and the previously referenced Israel Nash.

Review by Declan Culliton

Zoe & Cloyd I Am Your Neighbor Organic 

Considering their respective musical lineages, it’s not a surprise to discover a fine album from this  husband and wife duo based in Western North Carolina. Hailing from each end of the Appalachians, Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller make their home in Ashville, a hotbed of rootsy folk and bluegrass. Blending bluegrass, country, klezmer and Old Time American sounds, the album demonstrates why there’s quite a buzz about this band recently.

The albums title comes from the song Neighbour, a cowrite with Kari Sickenberg, which encourages a celebration of human similarities at a time when racist attitudes are again emerging - we may be different but after all we count the same stars. Looking Out For You And Me, the bluegrass opener written and sung by Cloyd, highlights the risks to the human race from ongoing environmental destruction. It allows him to showcase his chops on mandolin and guitar, while Zoe weaves her sweet fiddle in and out of the melody. Her Russian grandfather was a professional klezmer musician, hence the inclusion of a traditional klezmer instrumental here - Berditchever Cher. In addition they have written a beautiful new klezmer instrumental, Zisa Meydele, for their daughter.

Although Cloyd is the grandson of the famous fiddle player Jim Shumate (Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and Flatt & Scruggs) he leaves the expert fiddle playing to Zoe while he plays banjo, mandolin and guitar. Each can take lead vocals and contribute backing vocals, producer Jon Weisberger lends his usual magic and the sound is rounded out by two local hotshots, Bennett Sullivan (banjo) and Kevin Kehrberg (upright bass). Zoe’s rendition of the gospel staple Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down breathes new life into this well known tune, bolstered by stirring clawhammer banjo and guitar. 

A record to get to know and savour.

Review by Eilís Boland

Issam Hajali. Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard. Habibi Funk.

I received a copy of this 1977 release from In House Press, a very fine music PR company based in Manchester, who are promoting the re-release of this lost recording. The music blends Arabic, Jazz & Folk sounds with influences from Brazil and Iran woven into the seven tracks featured. It is a very eclectic sound mix of diverse influences and the vocals of Issam Hajali take some getting used to as all songs are sung in his native Lebanese Arabic tongue.

There are hints of the feeling behind the songs in his delivery and his back story is certainly fascinating; from his days in a politically motivated band, Ferkat Al Ard, to his exile in France and latterly, back running a small shop in Beirut. This was his debut solo album and recorded in just one day in a studio in Paris; it subsequently disappeared due to no funding for a proper label release.

However, one copy of the original tapes made was kept by Issam Hajali and it became the source for this release. Not for everyone admittedly but if you enjoy Folk based music from around the World and the freedom to stretch the sounds into other musical idioms, then this should interest you.

Review by Paul McGee

Jack Klatt It Ain’t The Same Yep Roc.

This is a varied bag of delights, from the traditional Country sound of Ramblin’ Kind to the slow blues of Caught In The Middle. The rockabilly of Prove My Love is perfectly balanced by the Roy Orbison influenced sound and groove of Tinted In Blue. The folk sound of Love Me Lonely is another example of the ability that Klatt has to write in any one of a number of musical styles.

Joined in the studio by stalwarts, John James Tourville (The Deslondes) on electric guitar and pedal steel; Casey McDonough (NRBQ) on bass; Alex Hall (JD McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms, Robbie Fulks) on drums, percussion and keyboards – the playing is superb throughout with Klatt leading on acoustic, electric guitars and vocals. Klatt wrote all of the songs with the exception of the title song that was penned by John James Tourville and his vocal style is rich and warm in the mix.

In 2013, Klatt released his first album, LOVE ME LONLEY, and he followed this up with SHADOWS IN THE SUNSET, recorded in 2016. This release shows a great diversity in the performance and the sound of these eleven tracks. A very enjoyable listen.

Review by Paul McGee

The Gothic Cowboy and Mando Dan Between The Wars Self Release

Straight off from the get go, you know what you’re getting here, a gruff/lived-in voice backed by guitar and mandolin. There’s stand up bass and harmonica in the mix too. Melvin Litton (the Gothic Cowboy), Dan Hermreck (Mando Dan) with Til Willis (harmonica) and Jeff Jackson (bass) are the components on this double album. 26 songs which, according to Litton, are about the trials of life and the temptations of heart and soul.The songs seems to come from several sources of inspiration, including stories of murder and arcane publications.

The quartet perform these songs in a similar style, so this is not going to be something that everyone may take to the heart, but if you embrace the likes of Malcolm Holcombe, then this may be an album that will entertain you. In the way that in previous times folk music was a means of spreading folk tales and stories, you listen to these stories of the darker characters who inhabit the songs. As well as murder there are the misuse and casting aside of soldiers returning from war, set amid the telling of the lives of gamblers, grifters and the graduates of life’s hard lessons.

However with both discs clocking in at over an hour each it is a listen for ardent fans, those acquainted with the duo’s music locally or for the more casual listener an opportunity to dip in and sample the delights of these hard, rough-hewn, stripped-back lessons in life.

Review by Stephen Rapid

John Salaway Americana Dreams Self Release

With a Curriculum Vitae that boasts playing shows with Denny Laine of Paul Mc Cartney & Wings fame, Peter Frampton and Ben Folds, there was little chance that the playing on multi-instrumentalist John Salaway’s latest album would be anything but top drawer. Equally satisfying, is that the quality of the writing and production matches the instrumentation. Self-produced in his home studio in Murfreesboro Tennessee, the album offers ten tracks written or co-written by Salaway.

Heavily influenced by The Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Salaway creates a sound that lands midway between the two, the perfect blend of roots and pop. Unlike his 2013 recording THE SONG IN THE AIR, where he performed every instrument, he doesn’t attempt to entirely hog the limelight this time around and engages some Nashville big hitters and emerging artists to contribute. Particularly impressive are Joey Fletcher, whose slide guitar on the catchy Take The High Road is killer and indeed the fiddle playing compliments of Nashville neighbour Bri Murphy on the cool ballad It’s All In Your Mind. Comparisons could be drawn from the latter to Simon & Garfunkel but possibly more accurately a Paul Mc Cartney sound rings aloud for me. Another Nashville talent Kelsey Steele, sings harmonies vocals on the bluesy You Better Believe and the stomping I Just Wish The Best For You. The single A Little Bit Broken is a co-write with another accomplished local singer songwriter India Ramey and hit the No.1 spot on the Independent Radio Charts Worldwidw. Inspire You is a stripped back ballad in the style of Hayes Carll, with another welcomed appearance from Bri Murphy.

 In keeping with so much great music coming out of underground Nashville, AMERICANA DREAMS is a body of work loaded with impressive hooks, that hit the spot a couple of listens in. An album well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Zachary Lucky Midwestern Wroxton

Saskatoon in Canada is the birthplace of Americana darlings Kacy & Clayton, alongside Colter Wall, who is currently one of the most promising young country artists to emerge in recent years. It’s also where Zachary Lucky was born and spent his childhood. The title of his latest recording pays homage to that landscape and its residents, both past and present. The track titles also reinforce his bond to Midwestern Canada with No Shame In Working Hard, Rock And Roll Dad, Sunday Morning At The Dragstrip and Back To The Country all proudly celebrating fond memories, both bygone and more recent.

I’m reminded of Texan songwriters on much of the material and the stylish writing, two equally impressive albums of late from Chuck Hawthorne and Terry Klein spring to mind. Indeed, the track Moment Of Time, could have been plucked from Mary Gauthier’s songbook. It’s a beautiful stripped back ballad, delivered semi spoken by Lucky with acoustic guitar and haunting pedal steel wrapped around it like a blanket. The opener There Was A Time When I Used To Run sets the album’s theme of reflection and appreciation of the important things in life, often close to home.

Didn’t Know That You’d Come Along is a co-write with fellow countryman Del Barber. Revelation Blues is a modern day country song, honing in on topical issues of the day, including environmental, increasing cell phone dependency and obscene wealth.

The material is delivered with a gravelly and lived in baritone vocal that is laid back and gloriously loose throughout. MIDWESTERN is confirmation that Lucky’s nomination as artist of the year in the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2017 was recognition of another rising star from that most fertile musical landscape. He’s due to tour the U.K. in 2020 so let’s hope he includes some dates in Ireland on his travels.

Review by Declan Culliton

Mike and The Moonpies Cheap Silver And Solid Country Gold Prairie Rose

When reviewing STEAK NIGHT AT THE PRAIRIE ROSE, the crack album released last year by Austin’s Mike and The Moonpies, I posed the question as to whether it might be the breakthrough album for the band. A well-earned reward for their annual two hundred plus live performance perhaps, affording them the opportunity to establish a firm foothold outside their native Texas.

STEAK NIGHT and its predecessor MOCKINGBIRD (2015), firmly cemented them as the premier honky tonk dancehall band in Texas, where they have toured relentlessly since their formation, over a decade ago. Their latest album is a departure from their signature sound and it is, to say the very least, a courageous sidestep.  They’ve put their hearts and souls - and most likely their life savings - into the album. With festival dates booked in Italy and France, they took advantage of their time in Europe to prearrange three days at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London to record the album.  Rather than replicate the successful formula of STEAK NIGHT, frontman Mike Harmeier and his bandmates chose to work on a somewhat alternative sound this time around, in particular introducing more instrumentation and visiting a more Countrypolitan vibe, recalling the Nashville sound of the 60’s and 70’s. To achieve their goal, they also hired The London Symphony Orchestra to add the orchestration and it’s fair to say that the end result is an album to match any other released this year under the country banner. They haven’t abandoned their core sound entirely, the Texas twang, pedal steel and telecaster still feature throughout, although not quite as dominant as on previous recordings.

It’s not a particularly long album, timing in at just over 31 minutes across eight tracks, but it oozes quality on each and every track.  A few well selected covers feature, the closing track is a melodic low-key treatment of Gary P. Nunn’s London Homesick Blues. They also include a dreamy version of If You Want A Fool Around, a song Harmeier had always intended recording and finally found the ideal home for. However, it’s their original material that takes pride of place. Both the opening title track and You Look Good In Neon are lessons in how to write and deliver first rate classic Countrypolitan songs, without dumbing them down. It’s not all strings and lushness either, in sharp contrast Danger is high octane upbeat outlaw fare and Fast As Lightning is equally pacey and toe tapping. With the finishing touches to the recording taking place at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberly Texas, they roped in Nikki Lane - who was in town at the time - to add vocals to Miss Fortune. The musicianship, as you would expect, is top notch throughout and Harmeier vocals are splendid, unveiling his expertise as a crooner, alongside his customary outlaw vocal deliveries.

 With this album Mike and The Moonpies have managed to create a sound that is classic, sophisticated and acceptably commercial, yet never crosses over into pop/country. Their core following will no doubt buy into the sound and with exposure, the album has the potential to reach a far wider audience. If only the market, record labels and radio stations would take a listen and accept that this is a quality, radio friendly and commercial sound, that would shift truckloads of products, if it were supported. It’s without doubt the best ‘country’ album I’ve heard this year and with Jason James, Tyler Childers and Ags Connolly also recording old school country albums, the tide may finally be turning. Let’s hope so.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

StevieRay Latham Surburbia N.O.I.S. 

Five tracks on this E.P. from an artist who has been slowly building a support base in England and beyond. He released his debut, MODERN ATTITUDES, in 2014 and followed this with the impressive WINTER IN LONDON in 2016. More recently he has been travelling across the four continents and exploring a greater sonic palette by experimenting with synth sounds and field recordings. 

A stand out track is News and the refrain “Is This Living, Is This Living Now…?” Questioning the need to stay stuck in a routine job in order to support the financial commitments of surviving life in a city. Stay Young is an acoustic arrangement with soft vocal layering and a plea to keep a sense of spirit alive, instead of getting weighed down by the daily commitments and stresses that can become larger than life. 

Eastern Fountain is an instrumental track which sets a reflective mood among the various sounds that merge together – traffic and a waterfall blend with wind chimes and layers of synths. Suburbs is a look at our lives in expanding urban populations and is wrapped in a superb guitar melody line that echoes throughout. Sweetest Thing has a restrained rhythm and dreamy vocal that reminds me of long days spent in Summer sun. Some hints of Bombay Bicycle Club and Peter Bruntnell but this artist has retained a unique sound, all his own; always interesting and not afraid to move in this latest direction. 

Review by Paul McGee

Wildwood Kin Self-Titled Sony Music

This represents the second release from this trio of family members who grew up in Devon and released their first EP in 2015. Since then they were signed to Sony Music on the strength of their live performance and the release of their debut album, TURNING TIDES (2017), saw them gaining widespread critical and media acclaim. 

Subsequent singles followed, plus a second EP of cover songs, before this new release found its way into the light. The sound is very full, with plenty of positive affirmations across the ten songs that speak of empowerment in living, spirituality, dealing with love and loss, all delivered with soaring, uplifting harmonies and melodies. Most of the tracks are co-writes, which is a departure for the group as they previously wrote their material solely as a trio. Ed Harcourt lends his talents to Never Alone and Gabrielle Aplin worked on Wake Up Sleeper with the band.

The message of love and support on All On Me is also repeated on Never Alone, a very personal song that was written in honour of a sibling who suffered from depression and sadly ended in taking his own life. Out of such crippling sadness comes a hope that others will never feel on their own and will reach out for help. 

Wake Up Sleeper and Breathe are songs that urge taking stock, starting over and staying open to change, but it is the superb Beauty In Your Brokenness and its message of believing in yourself that leaves the greatest impression of healing and looking forward. A call to empowerment is the theme of Time Has Come and wanting change is the message in Headed For The Water and How I Feel.

The production by Ian Grimble (Travis, Manic Street Preachers, Texas, Daughter, Seth Lukeman) is very bright with plenty of space, a sound that the band wanted to highlight. The three-part vocal harmonies are a real strong point and the big drum sound of cousin Meghann Loney is matched by the talents of the Key sisters, Emillie (acoustic, electric guitars) and Bethany (bouzouki, synthesiser, piano, shaker, pump organ). It’s all delivered in a rousing style that stirs up a range of different sounds and given the gap in the market for a female trio delivering strong contemporary music, a clear path of continued growth lies ahead for these ladies of high energy and a positive, healing message in the music.

Review by Paul McGee

The Equatorial Group Falling Sands Self Release

Delicate soundscapes delivered with restrained panache by the Equatorial Group, an ensemble of five musicians who come from Eastbourne in Essex and make magical music on their second self-release. Featuring Helen Weeks (vocals, acoustic guitar and pedal steel), Dave Davies (guitar and vocals), Andy Tourle (bass and vocals), Mike Tourle (drums) and Teresa Fox (keyboards and vocals), The Equatorial Group paint a gentle landscape of subtle harmonies and beautifully crafted tunes that linger long in the memory. 

In 2018 they released APRICITY, their debut, and the songs here are every bit as good. It all washes by in such reverie that you tend to forget that this is a relatively unknown band from a seaside town who have captured a special sound – the perfect example being the sweetly seductive Rancho with warm keyboards, subtle pedal steel and jangling guitar wrapped around a lovely melody. 

The restrained vocal delivery of Helen Weeks has a reflective tone and her ability on pedal steel helps to wrap these songs in a seminal moment of time standing still. This is a fully realised sound all their own, sophisticated and loosely perfect. Freight Train sums all this up so beautifully with a slow melody and the plaintive vocal of Helen adding just enough solace to offer hope, “I’ve seen a lot of world, mistook a lot of love, Wound back the clock on some fights I’ve won.” 

Big Mouth is a song that deals with a broken relationship and the moral cowardice of not committing fully. Only One has a similar theme of not continuing in a relationship where one side is selfish and uncaring. There is a great flow to Catch Your Ride with guitar and keyboards sounding in perfect unison. Cups is a typical example of the wistful atmosphere that hangs over these sad songs of love and regret; a song about separation.

The song-writing is shared between Helen and Dave with the ten tracks coming in just shy of the 40-minute mark. Dave Davies really adds great nuance to the arrangements with his incisive playing and the band really are tight in their performance. Relationships again surface on Don’t Let This Lie where the simple communication desired between two people is blurred beyond any real sense of recognition. The longest track is Prague and it sets a conundrum of “What came first, the leaving or the losing, I think this could be the great unravelling.” Again, terrific guitar breaks that lift the dynamic. 

Last song, Oh Smile, seems something of a wry observation on life where the broken relationships are summed up in the lines “Oh smile where do you hide, Only see you now in sadness, But where you were there’s lines.”

 All songs by Davies and/or Weeks, arranged by The Equatorial Group.

An essential purchase.

Review by Paul McGee

Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band Just Like Moby Dick Paradise Of Bachelors

Legendary Texas artist Terry Allen makes a welcome return on this, his tenth release in a career that first saw him emerge in the mid-1970’s. He has always been comfortable with different artistic endeavours over his celebrated career and at various times has explored writing for theatre and creating exhibitions of his work in both sculpture and painting. He has also placed many of his visual media creations in galleries and museums and his creative muse has always been fuelled by a curiosity to explore and take chances.

This is his first release since 2013 and what is clear from the outset is the continuing eclectic range of subjects that populate his songs and inhabit his writing. Pirate Jenny is a well-known song from The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. On this album, Allen imagines her deeds on the open seas and her visits to harbour towns to take revenge on the landlubbers. Her root cause for having such dark actions and urges is surmised as being sexual frustrations and an envy of pretty girls.

There is also an Anti-War trilogy titled American Childhood which tackles the reality of youth enlisting for some blinkered cause they think is noble. In Bad Kiss, the young boy questions his girlfriend’s motives in joining up for war as being fuelled by his poor kissing technique while Civil Defence has all the signs of indoctrination of schoolkids and joining the weekend army, an organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack.  Little Puppet Thing has the metaphor of Pinocchio dancing for the master, just as young soldiers do the bidding of the Generals who never fight in the front lines.

We also have a circus coming to town but being attacked by vampires (City of the Vampires) and a tale of the great Houdini’s obsession with his Mother (Houdini Didn’t Like the Spiritualists); after her death he was still lying down next to his mother’s grave and speaking into the earth a year later.

More pertinent to the times in which we live are the songs Abandonitis and Death of the Last Stripper; both looking at the pain of isolation in modern society and how we are fragile souls as unknowing victims of circumstance, bad luck and accidents of birth. 

Allen enlists his family with his wife, Jo Harvey Allen co-writing two songs and penning one original herself. Allen has two sons playing on the record, Bukka on accordion, piano and keyboard, while Bale plays djembe on one song. Grandson Kru Allen also has a co-write and gets to sing on the song, City of the Vampires with Shannon McNally. She provides lead vocals on Harmony Two, written by Jo Harvey Allen and also sings on a number of the tracks, either harmony or backing vocals. 

The playing is superb throughout with a light touch from Lloyd Maines (acoustic slide guitar, dobro), Charlie Sexton (acoustic and electric guitars), Brian Standefer (cello), Davis McLarty (drums), Richard Bowden (fiddle, mandolin, vocals) and Glen Fukunaga (stand up and bowed bass). Production is deftly handled and delivered by Terry Allen and Charlie Sexton. 

Quirky, wry and whimsical, the songs of Terry Allen are never simply layered, but on two of the songs here we get an insight into his current thinking, concerning this issue of mortality and just how long we are given on this earth. Both All That’s Left Is Fare-Thee-Well and the closer, Sailin’ On Through, give insight into the mind-set that looks for meaning in it all, especially as nothing is meant to last…” Half the World is screwed, Other half’s insane”.

This is a record of both darkness and light, frivolity and seriousness but just don’t take any of it too literally or you might just end up like the subject in All These Blues Go Walkin’ By, “Reflections seem to live or die, Just can’t find the reason why”. Well worth your time.

Review by Paul McGee

Meena & The Chris Fillmore Band Elevations CRS

The possessor of a bluesy and soulful voice that recalls both Bonnie Raitt and Samantha Fish, Austrian born Meena Cryle was hooked on American blues and soul music from an early age. A compilation audio tape of 70’s music, given to her by her brother before she entered her teens, was the light switch that energised her and resulted in her forming her first band while still only in her mid-teens. More recent times have found her teaming up with Austria’s guitar virtuoso Chris Fillmore and this ten-track album sounds like it has been in cold storage since 1972.

 The seven original songs and three covers feature a blend of country soul, blues and gospel, all impressively delivered by Cryle’s rugged vocal and by outstanding playing. I Got You has a Stonesy vibe - a feature that repeats elsewhere on the album. Way Down is less pacey but equally soulful, more Dusty than Janis. Sweet Loving Mama is a rocking bluesy delight, complete with ripping piano and guitar breaks either side of Cryle’s quivering vocals. Lord Have Mercy is raw blues from the John Lee Hooker songbook and the album closes with a cover of the Bob Dylan/Danny O’Keefe song Well, Well, Well. A song written about the human abuse of the earth back in the mid 80’s, the topic is every bit as much if not more topical at the present time. At over seven minutes long, it gives Fillmore space to include some killer guitar breaks alongside impressive moog synthesizer and of course, the throaty, rasping vocals effortlessly delivered by Cryle.

A potent fusion of blues and soul by two fiercely passionate artists. I can only imagine how splendid their live shows must be.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jason Barie  Pieces  Billy Blue

A recent visitor to Irish shores as a member of Joe Mullins Radio Ramblers, bluegrass fiddle player Jason Barie has released his first solo record, and a rather splendid one it is. Rather than a predictable collection of the usual bluegrass fiddle standards, Jason treats us to a bunch of his own compositions, and injects new life into some well known songs along with the help of some of the stars of the genre. The fact that he can get Del McCoury and the now retired Paul Williams into the studio to record a duet for the first time is a hint as to how well regarded Jason is in the fraternity. Their version of Hank’s I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry really might make you cry. He also calls in friends from his days with Doyle Lawson:- Darrin Vincent (vocals) and Jason Davis (banjo) on Beyond The Sunset For Me, while Doyle himself contributes mandolin to two instrumentals. However, it’s the seven original instrumentals that really cement this as a masterpiece recording. The Rapido Kid is an uptempo fiddle and banjo duet that he and Joe Mullins also perform in the band’s live set, while the sassy swinging Sassafras features Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), husband Wayne Benson (mandolin) and Josh Swift (Doyle Lawson) on dobro. Becky Buller and Corrina Rose Logston join Jason on the absolutely joyous triple fiddle tune Sarah Jo. Space prevents me from detailing every track and every guest - you will have the pleasure of discovering them for yourself!

The album is loosely based on the story of the family heirloom fiddle that Jason inherited, and the superheroes that helped him along his musical journey, a concept that is amusingly illustrated for the album by his brother, Eric. 

Review by Eilís Boland

Catherine MacLellan Coyote Self Release

The seventh album from MacLellan is a mature exploration of the ups and downs that are a part of every journey in life. She does this with a clear voice that is filled with a mixture of hope, sadness and experience. It is a captivating mix of folk influences from home and abroad that enhance the songs’ deeper context. She produced the album in her home studio with a select crew of local musicians who add cello, fiddle, bouzouki, bodhran and accordion to the guitars, bass and drums which underpin the music in subtle but effective ways that bring variety and purpose to the recordings.

MacLellan recorded this album after a period if time paying tribute to her father Gene MacLellan, a noted Canadian songwriter who may be best know for his Anne Murray song and international hit Snowbird. She released an album titled If It’s Alright With You as well as a stage show of the same name. Now she has returned with an album that moves her story along in a way that opens up these subjects to a wide audience who will understand the nature of the messages inherent in the songs. Equally if you just listen without getting too involved lyrically you hear some music that feels good at that level.

To accompany a number of these tracks MacLellan has produced some videos to accompany two tracks - Roll With The Wind and Out Of Time are both online. Both are largely about person and place with the focus on MacLellan herself, something that is at the core of these songs. The former was, she wrote, about visiting men who disturbed her quiet life but how she would still welcome them back. The latter was about change and realising the need for that when one gets stuck in some kind of rut that is not beneficial to growth and that the realisation of how time is precious.

There are fourteen sings featured with a running time of over 50 minuets but it is time well spent in MacLellan’s company if you are inclined towards her take on her the music, her location (Prince Edward Island) and her underlying vision. Her voice throughout is resonate and radiates her personality making it something to be savoured.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Good Graces Prose and Consciousness Self Release

The album opens with a heavy drum beat, harmonica and some ambient sound that features a sample of seagulls blended with wind sounds. This is the introduction to the latest release from The Good Graces, which is essentially a vehicle for Kim Ware, the writer and vocalist for the band. They are essentially a quartet with Jonny Daly on guitar and pedal steel, Lee Kennedy on bass, Pete McDade on drums and Nancy Kaye Hill on backing vocals. There are a number of additional guest players who add harmonica, keyboards, fiddle, banjo, guitar and cello to various tracks. The sound is essentially a rocking blend cutting edge Americana. It was recorded in Atlanta with producer Aaron Hill bringing some additional focus to the project and allowing Ware to concentrate on her material. All but one of the songs, Snow Angels, are penned by Ware who is front and centre throughout.

This, their fourth album, finds Ware writing about relationships in the main. Sit On Your Hands is offered as a means to avoid wandering hands among other means to remain strong. While even getting to a place to meet with a partner is thwarted by the elements for Snow Angels. Her relationship with her father is the subject of His Name Was The Colour I Loved. A uptempo and rigorous remembrance of a much loved person. Spider Lilly highlights Ware’s voice traits in a stripped back acoustic and steel guitar ballad. There is a confessional nature to some of the lyrics but they are often delivered with a touch of insight and humour. Overall the music drives along in a way that keeps things aesthetically alluring and varied.

The album covers some musical options which add to the basic guitars, bass and drums sound to offer a more diverse range - such as the use of synth and pedal steel on Story To Tell as well as the, again ambient electronic washes on the closing Blood Orange Moon Shot. PROSE AND CONSCIOUSNESS has the right approach to taking The Good Graces sound forward into a contemporary space that has the possibility of a broader appeal in a wider consciousness. Ware is a singer and writer to watch as she develops her music for the future.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Itasca Spring Paradise of Bachelors

When you follow your muse and move to a New Mexico adobe in the desert to hide out and create some space for new music, then you set yourself on a course where outside agencies anticipate an album with hidden depths on your return. Gone are the days where big record labels would fund such a venture into what many could see as self-indulgence, but there is no doubt that the solitude afforded creates an environment where inspiration can visit and the music can flow through.

Whether this equates to a warmly invited weekend guest, or something more enduring, is up to the listener to decide. This is what used to be termed a ‘grower’ and repeated listening unearths a reserved gem, a slice of quiet ambience that attempts to slow the world down on its axis. 

Itasca is the musical persona of Kayla Cohen. She grew up in New York and moved to Los Angeles in 2011 where she began experimenting with noise and drone sounds. Her gentle guitar and voice soundscapes as Itasca reference Folk leanings and textures that reveal many diverse colours to her own personal rainbow.

My review copy does not include a lyric sheet and it can be hard to catch the vocal phrasings of  Cohen but with three previous releases, GRACE RIDES ON THE ROAD (2012), UNMOORED BY THE WIND (2015) and OPEN TO CHANCE (2016), under the banner of Itacsa, the gentle soothing balm of strummed guitars, minimal keyboard and bass lines, hint at a less is more philosophy which runs through the creative career of this artist.

Hypnotic mood essays might just about describe the soft, slow focus of the songs. The pace of the project never changes and the dream like quality endures throughout. Her voice is monotone in delivery, somewhere between Nico and Hope Sandoval in enunciation. There is a sense of personal rumination in the songs and also one of being influenced by the time stands still magnetism of her surroundings, inspired by the landscape and history of the Four Corners region.

There are ten tracks and titles like Golden Fields, Blue Spring, Only a Traveller and Plains hint at the sense of space and timelessness that develops throughout. The contributions from Daniel Swire (drums & percussion), Marc Riordan (piano) and Dave McPeters (pedal steel) creates the magic, with strings arranged by both Jean Cook and James Elkington - the production is sparse and minimalist, but hypnotic and compelling.

Review by Paul McGee

Will Bennett & The Tells All Your Favourite Songs Jewel Box

This is the second release from an Iowa band who come out of the traps with all guns blazing. Opener, Rabbit’s, is very reminiscent of early Wilco and the jangling guitars of Will Bennett and Wilson Brehmer are blended with the superb pedal steel of Brandon Bankes. There are plenty more examples of this driving sound and songs like Charades and the Cow-Punk energy of Caroline are like a breath of fresh air. The production is bright and immediate with Stephen Shirk at the controls in his Chicago studios. 

There is a strong leaning towards Alt Country across the eleven tracks included and the solid rhythmic base laid down by Daniel Martinson (drums, vocals) and Ethan Kenvarg (bass) gives the other players free reign to colour the arrangements with plenty of deft touches.

The slow strum of Just Looking, beautifully augmented by Brandon Bankes on pedal steel, is a fine example of the craft and musicality that exists within the band. All songs are by Will Bennett and the stand out, In Nashville, is a real slice of inspiration in tearing down the myth behind the music machine that drives Music City USA…

“Everyone’s an artist working part-time jobs like martyrs in Nashville, Praying for a break that’ll take them one step towards making it in Nashville, They’re digging up the bones of the Cashes and the Joneses, For the shred of credibility that remains, But the one thing that’s for certain is there ain’t nothing worse than watching talent spiral down the drain.”   Right on, Will Bennett – perfectly captured and right on the money!! 

Tumblin’ Down has a really great drive and rhythm with Erik Jarvis (Organ) and guest players Sean Jones (bass, vocals) and Alan Gabrenya (guitar, vocals) pulling out all the stops. The title track is a return to his hometown for Bennett after a family emergency and his look at what has changed while he’s been away; both in the town itself and in the relationships of those who live there; “And we talk and we laugh, Like nothing ever happened ‘cause it happened so fast, So we’ll wait and we’ll see, Picking up the pieces as you get on your feet.”

A very enjoyable album and one that is full of great songs that deserve a wider audience.

Review by Paul McGee

Bruce Cockburn Crowing Ignites True North

Eleven instrumental tunes that run for a total playing time of 55 minutes and the time spent listening never feels forced or overly long. A tribute to the dextrous playing indeed, as listening to purely instrumental, reflective pieces can run the risk of sounding very repetitive across such a protracted period. The fact that so much variety is brought to these instrumental ruminations is proof of the technique and highly skilled gift that resides within the multi-layered talents of Bruce Cockburn.

Produced by Colin Linden at the Firehouse in San Francisco earlier this year, there is an instantly appealing groove to opening track Bardo Rush and to the superbly crafted Blind Willie, while Easter and April In Memphis are more gentle tracks with just Bruce playing, as are Sweetness & Light and Angels In The Half Light. These solo guitar pieces are contemplative and evocative of a motorcycle trip where the meanderings of the vehicle across a landscape conjure images of wide-open spaces, desert plains and the horizon of mountain ranges framed against a bright skyline.

The addition of Linden (dobro, baritone guitar, mandolin) on three tracks, Bo Carper (shakers) on two tracks, Janice Powers (keyboards) on two tracks, plus Ron Miles (cornet), Gary Craig (drums) and Roberto Occhipinti (bass) on one track (the jazz infused exploration of The Mt Lefroy Waltz), just adds to the colour palette already laid down by Bruce Cockburn. 

He plays a range of instruments, from guitars to charango (a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family), dulcimer, chimes, bells, kalimba (an African thumb piano), sansula (from the kalimba family), gong, Tibetan cymbals and singing bowls – proof positive, if needed, of his musical versatility and the range of his interest and dedication to his creative muse.  

The Groan has a blues influence, aided by the slow-paced handclaps of six background assistants to the overall groove. The Bells Of Gethsemane is the longest tract and closes the album with over seven minutes of atmospheric playing against an array of cymbals, chimes and singing bowls, reminiscent of a dawn chorus! Eclectic and inclusive of many diverse elements and influences, this is music for the spirit and the soul. 

Review by Paul McGee

Dean Maywood Self-Titled Self Release

Born in Drogheda Co. Louth but raised in wind-swept Donegal, Dean Maywood’s five track EP is a taster of the talents this emerging singer songwriter possesses. An artist whose profile has been growing steadily, he has appeared at local festivals and earned opening slots for acts such as Jason Wilber and Phil Coulter. An invitation to showcase at the Americana UK in January 2020 is further validation that his star is on the rise.

With influences that include John Prine and Neil Young, it’s no surprise that his songs place emphasis on the lyrical content and are quite stripped back. The album opens with Jane, which is quite poppy and radio friendly.  Louisiana is a reflective and dreamy affair, recalling Tom Russell. The Silver Dollar, the standout track, is a slow barroom country burner, featuring slick guitar playing by producer Darren Doherty and wailing pedal steel by Patsy Gallagher, both contributing to flesh the song out impressively. Knowing and Lying is a fairly traditional folky affair, acoustic guitar and harmonica accompanying Maywood’s vocals, with nods to early Neil Young.

There has been a surprisingly noticeable lack of Irish artists travelling down the Americana path and establishing themselves in bigger markets. Maywood certainly has the songs, vocals and the potential to be noticed. He may have to choose between the singer songwriter or country path going forward. Either way this recording is the perfect kick off to what hopefully will be a rewarding career.

Review by Declan Culliton

The 40 Acre Mule Goodnight & Good Luck State Fair

For a band that has been performing endlessly since their formation in 2015, GOODNIGHT & GOOD LUCK  is the culmination of their growth from a dive bar band to performing in clubs and eventually getting booked for festivals.  They describe their output simply as rock and roll, which possibly understates their talents. A more accurate definition would make reference to artists like Nathaniel Rateliff, J.D. McPherson and St. Paul & The Broken Bones, all who (of whom?) have earned their reputation as killer live acts, mixing blues, soul, country and rockabilly with maximum attitude. 

Based in Dallas Texas, the band’s main man is vocalist and guitarist J. Isaiah Evans, whose raspy lungs belt out the ten tracks on the album, complimented by bass, drums, saxophone, organ, piano and support vocals.

Thumping bass lines alongside bluesy saxophone emerge seconds into opener You Better Run and the foot is still firmly on the accelerator ten tracks later on the rockabilly closer, Josephine. Pride of place goes to Bathroom Walls as the album’s deepest cut, a raunchy bar room rocker which sums up exactly where The 40 Acre Mule are coming from. They do come up for air momentarily on the laid-back ballad, Be With Me, signalling that Evans has the wherewithal to pen ballads alongside the high tempo rockers.  

The 40 Acre Mule’s signature powerful and riotous sound is captured flawlessly on this album. I can only imagine how well the tracks would transfer to a live setting.

Review by Declan Culliton

Harvey Russell Liquid Damage Self Release 

Former member of alt-rock Harvey Swagger Band and country folk duo Peasant Moon, this Sydney, Australia-based artist’s debut solo album is a self-written collection of songs, very much in the classic country tradition. Supported by his backing band, The Widowmakers, (great name!) they collectively achieve exactly what Russell planned to do, simply record a hands down country album in the true sense. The band, whose playing is top drawer throughout, feature Aaron Langman on pedal steel and electric guitar, Jonathan Kelly on bass and Rich Burrows on drums. 

‘Although country songs can sound simple, writing country songs is far from easy’ notes Russell. He recorded the album in fits and starts over a fifteen-month period at Sydney’s Love Hz Studios. Home truths aplenty include the obvious country fall backs of loving, leaving, drinking and addiction, which all feature across the nine tracks, with titles Rollin’ Into Town, Liquid Damage, Gave You Flowers and Please Don’t Pretend. However, Russell is at pains to emphasise and caution about living the life of the country song, rather than glorifying it.

It remains to be seen whether LIQUID DAMAGE is a one-off venture by Russell, or his reinvention as an Australian country music traditionalist. In the meantime, there’s lots to enjoy about the album from the outright honky tonker, Gave You Flowers, the rocking title track and the bluesy album book ender My Blood Is Thinning And Weak.

Review by Declan Culliton

John Surge and the Haymakers Your Wonderful Life Trouble Doll

The album from this Californian based artist opens with some encouraging twang. Ricochet is an up-tempo rocking’ song with a simple chorus that hits home. The same can be said of the title song, which follows. Both feature the guitar of Randy Volin behind Surge purposeful vocals, which don’t quite have a distinctive uniqueness, but are more than capable of delivering these songs with solid intent. All but one of the songs are written or co-written by Surge. 

He has a penchant for that 80s early cowpunk, power pop punctuated roots rock sound (with a touch of Tom Petty too). That approach allows for some short, sharp hook infused material, that is epitomised by the track You’re Really Good (At Making Me Feel Bad). He can also handle a country ballad as he proves with Studio Apartment Blues. The one cover is their version of The Beat Farmers song Gun Sale At The Church. The Beat Farmers would be an influence in approach and style and this take fits well with Surge’s own songs. Some of the additional contributors include KP Hawthorn of the HawtThorns, bassist Ted Russell Kamp and stalwart go-to steel player Marty Rifkin.

Prior to this solo debut Surge was a member of the similarly named Haymaker. Two of their albums reside in my collection. The first was called MUSIC FROM ED’S HOUSE and the other from 2013 was titled NOW NOW NOW which also featured Mike Jacoby and another songwriter David Serby, who didn’t contribute songs but played bass on the album. Those particular line-ups may not have worked, so Surge took the lead role this time out, but decided to keep the name as a general moniker for his band. Either way, Surge brings previous experience to this new iteration and these set of new compositions. All make for a sound that both has a freshness as well as a certain familiarity for both the past and the future.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Rachel Harrington Hush The Wild Horses Skinny Dennis

After a break from recording and performing Harrington recovered from some health issues and reflected on what life offered her and how it reflected on her and of those close to her. It is not a pretty or passive album but rather faces death and some dark issues face on. She attended one of Mary Gauthier’s songwriting camp which gave her further impetus to write new material. Two of the songs deal with war veterans and how war has a ripple effect for those around it. The Barn takes regard of the loss of a loved one in war and was written for her mother while the more obvious Mekong Delta is about the suicide of her uncle who had been in Vietnam. The military is also central to Drop Zone in tone and lyric, being based around some of the phrases that soldiers use in training.

And melancholy is also at the heart of Drinking About You which features some fine pedal steel guitar from Lloyd Maines. Other demons, those of addiction, run through the veins of the song I Meant To Go To Memphis. While the title song deals with trying to find and finding love in some less than ideal times, something that is so often a reality. The metaphor of the horse rears its head again with the closing song If Wishes Were Horses - if wishes were horses we’d be riding away. There is a tribute to Susanna Clark and husband Guy (Susanna), it is a heartfelt nod of songwriting heroes that she co-wrote with her son. Save Yourself puts the listener in the position of a homeless person (in this case Harrington’s own brother). All of these things may not be apparent on first listen but reveal themselves with slider listening.

The album was produced by Casey Neill in Portland, Oregon. It includes the aforementioned Maines as well as fiddle player par excellence Eamon McLoughlin, banjoist Danny Barnes also guested. Neill handled the main guitar duties while they had a solid rhythm section throughout. The standout though is Harrington who delivers impassioned vocals and a set of self-written songs (others than the one noted) that are of these times. That means thane are edgy and engrossing in their depiction of one person take on what she has been through and where she is going. Rachel Harrington has made several acclaimed albums in the past and the future may hold. Ride along with her.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Christmas On A Greyhound Bus Organic

A five track EP of Christmas songs from Platt and her band. It feels just about right as often albums on such a singular subject end up with fillers, or a reliance on over used material. Platt is an accomplished singer and equally impressive songwriter. Here she has written two particularly fine songs in Christmas On A Greyhound Bus and in One For The Ages. They are placed alongside versions of Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper and Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy co-written by Buck Owens and Don Rich. Also included is a version of Nick Lowe’s perennial (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?  which fits snuggly with the overall mood. All are given lively, country-esque readings that are enjoyable and accomplished without eclipsing the originals. 

The two new songs are both worthy additions to the Christmas song collective that may end up being covered themselves especially the John Prine-like title track. Platt produced the tracks and her tight band are right behind her throughout. So, kudos to Matthew Smith, Evan Martin and Rick Cooper but the Christmas cracker goes to Platt for her clear crystal vocals and her instincts with the songs. Happy Christmas y’all.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Derek Senn How Could A Man Self Release

Another contender for my Album of The Year from an under the radar Californian musician, Derek Senn. Here at Lonesome Highway we like to bring quality unknown work to your attention when we are lucky enough to discover it, but it really is quite shocking that this artist is not widely acclaimed.

Recorded in a variety of musical styles, this album is really all about the songs. Senn has a way with words and on many occasions on my first listen I found myself laughing out loud as he chronicles the trials and tribulations of his ordinary life.

The title track is a good example, being a paean to Senn’s goddess wife Melanie. Managing to rhyme ‘perfect skin’ with ‘Fallopian’, he leaves the listener in no doubt that he is married to Superwoman, and that he is not worthy - how could a man not fall completely in love? Another clearly autobiographical song, Babysitter introduces his two boys (two under two) and hilariously chronicles the frantic giddiness of a rare night out. Be Careful What You Wish For is a languorous account of another child free episode that didn’t evolve quite as expected - how can we miss them if they don’t go away, but they’ll soon be gone for ever, at least they better. Some Chase A Girl chronicles his courtship of the aforementioned Melanie, with more self deprecating humour. Many of the songs take a wry look at life in general - Botox, Have A Nice Day and The Nuclear Family could apply to anywhere in the privileged world. However, there are welcome contrasts to the funny, confessional and occasionally shocking lyrics - Pretty Things is a poignant and touching homage to the circle of life, and The Song Mine is a clever use of metaphor within metaphor, about the struggle to write songs. 

Senn plays guitars throughout and is ably supported by Nashville drummer Paul Griffith (John Prine, Todd Snider), co-producer Damon Castillo on guitars and the very impressive keyboard skills of Kristian Ducharme.

Review by Eilís Boland

Catfish Keith Catfish Crawl Fish Tail 

Catfish Keith is an absolute powerhouse of a guitar picker in the country blues and Delta blues style and this album (his seventeenth!) shows off his instrumental prowess in that genre to great effect. Not just for blues fans, this is a very accessible collection, comprising five original tunes along with covers of a large selection of songs by artists he admires. There’s a lovely version of The Carter Family’s Dixie Darlin’ and Big Bill Broonzy’s Willie Mae.

The dynamism of his incredible playing comes across here very well in the recording, due to the excellent production. Unusually, it is co-produced by his wife and manager and sound engineer Penny Cahill. Catfish has a rich depth to his voice, which is perfect for the genre.

The cd is accompanied by extensive liner notes and information, including details of all the nine guitars he used on the recording, so the guitar fans out there won’t be disappointed.

On the evidence here, it would be well worth catching Keith live when he comes to your town.

Review by Eilís Boland

Mean Mary Cold Woodrock

Although not yet 40, contemporary folkster Mary James’ biography to date reads like an adventure novel. She may well end up writing that tome herself, because she is already a published author as well as being a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, a horsewoman, an actor and a videographer.

Her excellent self-produced fifth album finds her in a sombre mood, leaving the listener in no doubt that she has been through the wars in her emotional life. This is epitomised on the title track Cold (House by the Sea), coming in at over 8 minutes, wherein Mary chronicles the slow death of a relationship, appropriately beside the chilly Baltic Sea in October. It reads like a series of diary entries, and with just her voice, her guitar, David Larsen’s bass and Nomad’s piano she evokes a bleak beautiful scenario. This gothic evocation is predominant across almost all of the songs, all of which are written by Mary alone, or with her guitarist brother Frank, who also contributes guitars on some tracks. Snow Falling and Sad November Breeze are also standouts, where Mary plays all of the instruments, banjo and guitar to the fore.

Her voice is distinctive and powerful too - think Cher’s dark smoky contralto, without any electronic wizardry. Although she plays eleven instruments, her banjo playing is particularly memorable and she is endorsed by top banjo makers, Deering. And if you’re feeling inadequate already, dare I mention that she produced this record also? Not surprising given her life experiences to date, she has managed to infuse the songs with a strong earthiness (she spent five of her childhood years in survival mode in remotest Minnesota with her family). The ethereal April in December and the beautiful Sparrow - just Mary and Frank’s voices and guitars melding in sibling harmony - leave the listener on a hopeful note, despite the predominant earlier darkness. I’m already looking forward to the biopic.

Review by Eilís Boland

New Album Reviews

Western States From The Centre Out Self Release

Hailing from St Louis, the Western States release their debut album and deliver ten songs of great atmospheric Americana. From the opener, Fire and Rage, with the “abstract mind & concrete heart” of the main character, driven by demons and inner frustrations, to the superbly delivered Give This Town Away, with dual violin parts playing off each other and the sense of never really owning the land that was taken by genocide and in settlement deals of the past – “homesteaders planted my family tree”. 

All songs are written by Tim Lloyd, who also contributes on lead vocal and guitar, while the rhythm section of Joe Winze (drums, percussion, vocals) and Bryan Maness (bass) provides a really tight foundation that allows the songs to take flight. Sean Canan plays lead guitar and showcases his talents with lots of great runs and solos across the album. There are guest appearances on various tracks from Dave Grelle (Hammond B3, piano, synths), Mark Hochberg (violin & string arrangements), Paul Niehaus IV (piano, B3) and Brent Maness (backing vocal). The production of Jason McEntire (Son Volt, Bottle Rockets) is crisp and sharp with plenty of room for the players to let loose.  

The drive of Gun Feels Heavy captures a local dealer trying to navigate a drop while another car blocks his progress on the backroads. It channels a Steve Earle workout and features some fine guitar breaks by Sean Canan. The Duke is a story of a boxer and his refusal to take a dive. It’s reminiscent of early John Mellencamp and really rocks out, while the song Catch You Turning Around is a slow tempo reflection of the past and an old girlfriend. Living with regret and missed chances.

I Can Get Down is an addictive rocker and deals with riverboat gambling and taking chances to change present circumstances, from being laid off to trying to get ahead when everything in life seems rigged “the game you see and the game you don’t”. 

The excellent Rivers To Cross, is an advice song to a child to always believe in yourself, “Know where you stand, You’ll be just fine, When a trouble comes your way”. This has a great melody with powerful vocals and restrained guitar playing across the arrangement.

Details is another stand out track and is a story song about home-evictions. It cleverly introduces various characters, from a new tenant to a decorating contractor; a judge to a down-at-luck injured worker who is trying to make sense of his financial fall and eviction; “I ain’t livin’ my life like a detail that got missed.” 

Sparks In The Wind is a great Roots Rock track that builds with hints of Springsteen in the image of oil workers in Tulsa and generations bleeding the land for industrial gain. 

The final track, Fever, brings everything to a climax with a great band workout, guitars front and centre, organ swells and a powerful beat, while the memory of youthful passion comes back to haunt the now-adult, who asks: “Who am I now? Where did you go? I disappeared inside of another man’s clothes.”. 

A terrific debut from a new band that really deliver a statement of intent.

Review by Paul McGee

Will Johnson Wire Mountain Keeled Scales

Based in Austin, Texas, this is Will Johnson’s 6th solo album and it was recorded at Ramble Creek Recording in Austin, Texas by Britton Beisenherz. Just shy of 40 minutes, the ten tracks have a hypnotic quality, partly due to the hushed vocal delivery of Johnson and partly because of the superbly restrained playing.

The lyrics can be somewhat obscure in their meaning and abstract thoughts arise when listening to these gently delivered soundscapes. The musicians are Will Johnson (acoustic & electric guitar, piano, percussion, vocals), Britton Beisenherz (electric bass, percussion), Thor Harris (drums, percussion), Lindsey Verrill (cello banjo, upright bass, vocals).

The album begins with a song about Fred Merkle, an American baseball player, who in 1908 committed a base-running error which led to the New York Giants losing the National League pennant that year. It’s title, Necessitarianism (Fred Merkle’s Blues), has a brooding melody and rhythm and the title refers to a person who believes that human conduct is dictated by force of circumstance (as opposed to free will) - a necessitarian.

A Carousel Victor continues in atmospheric alienation and the questions of a faint-hearted lover “A lost one longing to be, Somehow pardoned by thee.” There is a guest appearance from Jon Dee Graham who plays lap steel and electric guitar on Cornelius which is a more robust arrangement with heavy drum beat and distorted guitar setting the mood. Gasconade is a song that leaves a sense of unease with the ghostly cello and stark banjo set against a tale of possible forgiveness and redemption.

Between 1999 and 2008 Johnson released twelve albums under different names, from Centro-matic to South San Gabriel, or as a solo artist. His sparse sound and gentle way with a melody reminds me of Mick Flannery, especially on the haunting love song, A Solitary Slip, with banjo, piano and acoustic guitar setting a sombre tone. 

The instrumental, Chimera, has a menace that the title conjures up in the imagination and the sweetly sombre, Need of Trust and Thunder, together with the equally rueful tone of To the Shepard, To the Lion, blend together into a sense of prolonged satisfaction.  It all ends with another superbly conceived instrumental piece (You Were) Just Barely You, the perfect close to the album, with reflective piano and spectral background sounds.

Johnson also co-wrote with the late Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co.) and he also had a side project with Pedro The Lion’s David Bazan when they formed Overseas with the Kadane brothers. Jim James (My Morning Jacket) also recruited him to play drums with his Monsters of Folk project, but mostly it is the music he creates as a solo artist, the moods he creates and his sad, almost resigned vocal delivery, that gives Johnson his otherworldly status among Lo-Fi Americana aficionados. His catalogue of releases is well worth investigation and carries many sublime moments, many of which are captured here on this superbly crafted album. 

Review by Paul McGee

Meghan Hayes Seen Enough Leavers Self Release

So, how do you react to the reality of a marriage breakdown after 20 years? The shock of such an unexpected event can send you under for sure, but what if you use the gift of music and words as a healing balm? Therapy in the release of these tunes and ruminations that both purge and pick at the remains of what once was…

It is good to have Meghan Hayes return to the creative space that has missed her song craft.  Her debut release was back in 2000 (SNOW ON THE WAVES) and was followed by a second in 2005 (GIVE THE GUARD A BREAK), but for the last number of years, Hayes concentrated on her career as a nurse while still keeping herself involved with the fringes of the Nashville music scene. The musicians who play and sing on the latest record — Audley Freed (electric guitar), Goff Moore (acoustic guitar), Tommi Rautiainen (drums), Dexter Green (bass, mellotron, piano, Wurlitzer, B3, guitar), Thayer Sarrano (pedal steel), Derry DeBorja (accordion), Jamie Rubin (electric guitar) and Mando Saenz (vocals), all turn in superbly crafted and understated performances in interpreting the ten songs featured.

From the slow, reflective opener, Georgette, with its glimpse of a poor girl trapped by circumstance, Hayes introduces the title track and the lines “Time’s the fastest thing I know, It’s run away with everything I’ve had to show, With all the months and years spent dodging your blows...” It doesn’t get more honest than this. 

Burley sings about workers plight at a Kentucky tobacco harvest but could also be taken at a personal level with lines like “They tell you that you’re bleeding, But they can’t say where from…”

Potholes deals with self-doubt and relationship regret while Cora looks at the lives of a broken couple who seek a way back “Abandon all hope but keep some pride, so I might bridge that divide”. 

One standout is A Birthday In The Pawnshop (Morristown), a story song that looks at family troubles that cannot be outrun and which ends in a suicide, “Rex lost it all at the greyhound track, I couldn’t have held a job if it was strapped to my back, The night before Lila reached the age of nine, I threw myself a farewell party of meth and wine…” Dark times indeed.

Second to Last Stand speaks of the fragile confidence to reinvent yourself and look to new beginnings. Next Time Around is a very personal look at marriage, the leaving and the resignation that failure brings; “Heard you’re calling this amicable to your mother, Some things just weren’t meant to be, But I don’t recall anyone serving that sentence but me”.

Her vocal is both strong and sweet with plenty of nuance and echoes of Emmylou in her delivery. Hayes also plays acoustic guitar and her overall musicality pours out through these tracks, with production by Dex Green keeping everything immediate and vibrant.

The final song, Story Of My Life, sees the need to go forward with reasons to endure and leaves a positive note to all who struggle to make sense of this crazy world we inhabit.

The writing is superb throughout and this artist has really come back into her own. I was fortunate to catch her live set at the 5-spot in Nashville as part of the recent Americana Fest and her performance was every bit as good as this album suggests. One to keep!! 

Review by Paul McGee

Sofia Talvik Paws Of A Bear Makaki

Nordic Roots and Americana music is particularly well represented currently, with a growing number of artists creating waves outside their home countries. Forerunners First Aid Kit have firmly established themselves as the leading light over the past few years but other female artists such as Malin Peterson, Signe Marie Rustad, Louien (Live Mirnada Solberg) and Sofia Talvik are also producing quality material.

Sofia Talvik (pronounced tull - week) is no newcomer to recording, she has over a dozen recordings between full albums and EP’s in her back catalogue. She has also been a regular visitor to the US, having performed at Lollapalooza, SXSW and The Folk Alliance International Conference. Her 2012 tour visited 37 states over a sixteen-month period, performing over 250 concerts.

Probably best labelled 'alt-folk’, PAWS OF A BEAR is a ten-song collective of her inner thoughts and reflections.  Essentially acoustic, the majority of the tracks benefit from flawless pedal steel guitar by Tim Fleming, beautifully punctuating Talvik’s crystal clear vocal deliveries. Reminiscences are the drivers behind many of the songs as Talvik revisits memories clearly deeply engrained in her memory bank.  Take Me Home recalls her childhood on the island of Orust and California Snow recollects her touring exploits in the United States with husband Jonas in their camper van. Similarly Reflections reflects on ageing and the challenges it offers. I Liked You Better is possibly tongue in cheek, a reconsideration on past romances. The striking title track features vocals, acoustic guitar and dobro recorded live in one take. A gorgeous song contemplating life choices and freedom versus commitment, not surprisingly it was released as the first single from the album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Malin Pettersen Alonesome Die With Your Boots On 

The lead singer with Lucky Lips, Norwegian Malin Pettersen has been hailed as possessing the greatest country voice to emerge from Europe in recent years. She is one of a number of exciting Norwegian female artists, alongside Signe Marie Rustad and Louien, that are getting deserved attention outside their homeland. ALONESOME, her debut solo album, confirms her vocal ability and dexterity across its six tracks. Anyone expecting wailing pedal steel guitar and fiddle may be a bit taken back. What is somewhat surprising is the fact that the tracks contain only Pettersen’s vocals and accompanying acoustic guitar. 

She appeared with Lucky Lips at AmericanaFest in 2018 with a showcase at The Station Inn, appearing directly before Colter Wall. The appearance was not without incident as her suitcase had gone missing en route to Nashville and she had to perform in tracksuit bottoms, which was most unfortunate. Her return to the same festival earlier this year included an invitation by J.P. Harris to perform with him as part of his Why Don’t We Duet In The Road. Her appearance was hugely impressive, turning many heads at the event.

What the album does reinforce is the beauty of her vocals, no more so than on the beautiful Lonely With You and Get You Back Again. These songs and the title track also display her talents as a songwriter.

All in all, an engaging and moody introduction to an artist with endless potential. I do wonder how these tracks would benefit by the introduction of fuller instrumentation and expect that they may reappear on further releases by Petterson.  In the meantime, she has an album already recorded in Nashville and scheduled for release in 2020. Watch this space.

Review by Declan Culliton

Cary Morin When I Rise Continental Song City 

A member of The Crow tribe, Native Americans living primarily in Montana, Cary Morin’s musical career dates back to 1989 when he formed The Atoll. Since then he has been a member of The Pura Fe Trio and has recorded six albums including his latest release WHEN I RISE. Although predominately renowned as a fingerstyle blues guitar picker, his talents extend beyond that category and his music crosses into jazz, traditional folk and old timey country.

He latest album is a collection of twelves songs featuring two covers. The Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter song Dire Wolf and a remodelled instrumental version of Duane Allman’s Little Martha are both included. Raw traditional blues feature on the title track and Jug In The Water - which is presented twice on the album with both a fuller and stripped back versions included. Both Carmela Marie and We Used To Be are excursions into more conventional rock. 

Together with vocals, Morin plays guitars and pedal steel and is surrounded by a cast of quality players that includes Paul Benjaman on guitar, Steve Amedee on percussion and Kim Stone on bass. The album represents simple music of yesteryear, transported into the present day, by a fiercely devoted artist that wears his heart on his sleeve.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Jimbo Pap It Can Always Get Worse Fiesta Red

As the first song on the album name-checks Gram Parsons, you get an indication of where this California band are coming from. That song, Submission (Nice Pants), contains the tongue-in-cheek admission that “we put our pants on one leg at a time like every other fucker who wants to be Gram Parsons in Los Angeles.” It features male/female harmony vocals, pedal steel and guitar. It also sets the tone for what follows. The band started out, it seems, as something of a side project that grew into something more serious. The principles here are Jim Bowers - the band’s chief songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and pedal steel player - Pap Shiprock on vocals and piano and guitarist Bo Brannen. There is an obvious affection to the country scene in LA, which continues to thrive.  

The self produced album was recorded in California with a line-up that included Glen Campbell’s son Cal on drums and vocals. He subsequently moved to Nashville and the band are working with Pete Thomas (not Elvis Costello drummer) as well as bassist Kip Boardman. In the studio they invited a baker’s dozen of additional players to help out. All of which gives the album a diverse but cohesive sound that works on both the originals and covers included here. The latter includes a great take with Shirock on lead vocals of the Vic McAlpin written and Wanda Jackson recorded Queen Of My Lonely Little World. Bobby Darin wrote the Long Time Movin’ which is a song that fits with the other material here. Yard Sale is a fun if somewhat slight, up-tempo song with a massed chorus that feels it might have originated from some old TV show in the 60s. Better overall are the heartbreak of Long Kiss Goodbye and Another Ticket On The Windshield why is a wry observation at the things that get overlooked in life, with its many distractions. 

The title song is an instrumental that displays a subtle yet appealing mood. As a first step this is entertaining and has its heart firmly rooted in a time of classic Southern California country with breezy pop overtones that feel right. Jimpo Pap feel like they had fun recording this and that’s something that translates across on these 11 songs that underline that while it can always get worse, it can, on the other hand, as here, head in the opposite direction.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Allison Moorer Blood Autotelic

The back story to this album is fairly well known and has been touched on before by Allison Moorer. It is therefore an album touched with sadness, regret and melancholy. But it is also redemptive and a testament to the vocal and writing talent that Moorer has shown throughout her career. It is a murder/suicide story that has left an indelible mark on the singer’s psyche. As it also did on her older sister Shelby Lynne, who were both present at the traumatic event. Moorer has also written book Blood - A Memoir to be published to accompany this album.

She worked with producer Kenny Greenberg to realise the songs in a way that would make them memorable and meaningful. They had worked together on previous albums and Mooorer felt that he had the understanding that was necessary to the project work as intended by her. The end result is that and more, a series of songs that avoid sensationalism in favour of a certain understanding. Bad Weather opens the album and its tone is one of heartbreak and impending darkness. That darkness is further realised in the following track Cold,Cold Earth, a song that was first released as an unlisted track on her album THE HARDEST PART. Here the rerecording adds some sense of understanding that has come with time. Elsewhere there are different moods, an example being the blues of The Rock And The Hill where she takes the viewpoint of her mother who is of trying to keep things together and “tired of pushing this rock up the hill”. The vocal here’s is as emotive as it is upfront. 

Throughout the album the tempos and deliveries change from bare bones to bared soul. I’m The One The Blame takes the lyrics of her father Frankiln Moorer, who had ambitions of being a songwriter but never made it work. It is set to music by her sister Shelby Lynne Moore, who is another strong presence overall on the album. She also adds vocal harmony on a number of the songs, strengthening the bond the sisters have shared throughout their lives.

The album closes in the only way that makes sense of the story in the redemptive prayer Heal, a song Moorer co-wrote with Mary Gauthier - who in the circumstances is an ideal choice. It concludes an album that is not only an artistic high point for Moorer and her songwriting, but one that in its writing has helped her to heal. It is also a body of work that the listener can learn from on many different levels.  

Review by Stephen Rapid

Karen & The Sorrows Guaranteed Broken Heart Self Release

Another act based in Brooklyn, New York with a love for the sounds and stories that they discovered listening to traditional country music. The band is led by Karen Pittlemen, an openly gay singer/songwriter, who is releasing her fourth album with the Sorrows. Pittman has a country voice that has shades of Dolly Parton, amongst others, in its twang and tone. It is a testament to her talent that she has written all the twelve songs as well as producing the album. It’s therefore the perfect representation of where she is with her music and band at the present time.

The sound is a mix of electric country and acoustic balladry that should have a wide appeal. The album lists some 16 players, an indication that Pittman pulled in a seasoned set of players to record the material. The title song is full of twanging guitar and pedal steel guitar and an insistent rhythm.There You Are which follows is a dobro led acoustic set tune that highlights Pittelman’s vocal dexterity. Third Times the Charm combines the two modes together in a satisfactory way. It demonstrates why there are sixteen players involved, covering the different aspects of her writing which touches on heartbreak, always with a human condition yet not one viewed without some humour.

Queen Of Denial sees the subject listening to George Jones in sympathy with his pain, while trying to deny her own. There is again that sense of hurt in the title and message of Why Won’t You Come Back To Me. It has a sound of edginess in its yearning vocal that is matched with the sound of the dobro and fiddle. It ends in a chorus that asks why she is being send “back to hell by her little angel”.

These kinds of estranged relationships and losses are universal and therefore relevant to a range of different stories, sexualities and situations. That sense of discovering new directions for Pittleman is apparent throughout the album. An album that is about suffering through but not one that subjects the listener to that, unless in sympathy. It has the residence of the human condition at its core, resulting in a fine album of contemporary country music that sounds fitting in these stressed but hopeful times.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Amy Speace Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne Windbone

When she first arrived on the scene, back in the late 1990’s, Amy Speace was forging an independent career for herself and making a name around the New York circuit where she originally performed. As her body of work grew, the plaudits started to gather a momentum that propelled her onto greater recognition and now, seven records later, the last three produced by Neilson Hubbard in Nashville, she stands as an artist of great insight, maturity and talent. 

The writing on this album is quite superb and sees Amy deliver what is very close to her most compelling, complete and resonant work to date. There is a depth that was always evident in her writing but that has now been complimented by the insights of motherhood and the creation of new life, while her Father recently passed away after illness, giving her the perspective that grief and loss bring.

Speace has always been fiercely independent and willing to walk her own path, with a look back at the journey taken and the weight of choices made, so beautifully captured on the title track of this new release “Although tonight out there I felt close to the flame, By morning I'll be hauling luggage through the rain”. It’s a wonderful opener to what proves a series of superbly crafted songs, some of which appear to address personal issues (Grace of God) and seeking to find safe harbour (Both Feet on the Ground), reflections that can surely bring resolution to any restless soul.

There are character songs, like the girl in Ginger Ale & Lorna Doones, which dissects the lonely decision that abortion brings “They take you to a separate room, To ask you if you're really sure”. Another song, Pretty Girls, may recall memories of the Janis Ian song At Seventeen but the comparison of beauty as a yardstick for success in life is tempered by the lines “ But I wonder if it's true, That maybe they are looking at me too, Wondering what the pretty girls do”.

The Dakota Access Pipeline protests of 2016 are tackled in Standing Rock Standing Here, a song that addresses the concerns of many in the Standing Rock tribe that the pipeline and its crossing of the Missouri River posed a real threat to the region's clean water and to ancient burial grounds.

The Icicle King looks at domestic violence from the innocent eyes of a child who retreats into a fantasy world of safety as “She'd hide in the bedroom since he broke the plate on the table, Porcelain pie smeared the blood on my mother's left cheek”. The sense of lost innocence is both stark and unnerving.

Back in Abilene is so poignant and sad; a slice of memory & growing up in 1960’s USA, in a small town, with innocent dreams and the price that war brings. Also, the crushing boredom of lives lived in grim frustration. Freedom beckoned with lines such as “I couldn't wait until I'd turn 18, I'd fill my car with maps and gasoline”. This theme is also the subject of Some Dreams Do which longs to roll back time to when hopes and wishes were everything “When the world was ours with just one wish, That could come true”. This And My Heart Beside channels Emily Dickenson and her poetry, quoting a verse in what is a simple love song perhaps to her Father or Husband?

The album is produced by Neilson Hubbard who also provides drums, percussion and vocals. There are guest vocal appearances from Ben Glover and Beth Nielsen Chapman and studio players are Will Kimbrough (guitars), Eamon McLoughlin (violin, viola), Dean Marold (upright bass), Danny Mitchell (piano, keyboards, horn), David Henry (cello) and support vocals from Kira Small, Lo Carter, Marcia Wilder and Natalie Schlabs across various tracks. Amy plays acoustic guitar, piano and sings like an angel throughout.

The final song is a cover of Ben Glover’s song Kindness and is directed not only to her new-born child but to all of us, in the way we negotiate our days in this divided world. Amy Speace has delivered a work of some substance and one that will endure.

Review by Paul McGee

Amy LaVere Painting Blue Nine Mile

This artist has been creating superbly honed music since her debut release in 2006. A well-respected upright bass player (and actress) who leans towards a slow Jazz-like groove, coupled with an ability to fashion great lyrics and allow her fellow musicians to fill in the spaces with intuitive playing. This is album number six and it starts with a song for our times, a cover of the John Martyn classic, I Don’t Wanna Know, which is given a slow soulful treatment with minimal guitar parts from Will Sexton and sweetly seductive bass & vocal from Amy. 

No Battle Hymn follows in what is an honest look at a relationship that has run its course and where “We’re tripping on memories where nothing remains”. Girlfriends gives advice to a friend concerning a current boyfriend and to not listen to the opinions of others - to just see the real inner person, rather seeking a superficial, shiny image; “I don’t believe that he’s ever lied to you, Or meant you any blues”.

Not In Memphis is a blues-tinged song that speaks of separation and the temptation to kill the boredom with a night on the town, the achilles heel of many a relationship where absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. Love I’ve Missed is a song that doubts personal feelings in a relationship where one party is holding back from being fully engaged in the whole thing. 

No Room For Baby reflects on a path not taken and the regret at opportunities missed. It is a stark song with violin and cello adding to the pathos; “Maybe it was money or love I couldn’t find, Maybe I was waiting to run out of wine”.

Two more cover versions, Stick Horse Kid (David Halley) and Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello) follow; the first is a gentle sway with fine accordion playing by Rick Steff and a message to not make any plans in life and just go with the cards that you have been dealt; while the latter is a stripped back, bluesy, slow tempo rendition with Will Sexton playing so sensitively around the accordion of Steff and Amy’s resigned vocal. An anti-war song that reflects on the irony of short-term gain for long term pain.

The final track, Painting Blue On Everything, is a more up-tempo arrangement but a look at separation in a relationship and the depression suffered by one of the couple; “You’ve been sleeping with the lights on, Far from our bed and way past dawn, I sleep alone”.

The production by Will Sexton is very clean and the playing by the ensemble of musicians is nicely restrained to fit within the overall feel of this record. Amy delivers a sweetly tired vocal that suggests a knowing acceptance of the jagged edges thrown up by this world, but yet a quiet steel to always move beyond the current constraints by what lies in her path. Always interesting and so unique in her spin on life and everything after, Amy La Vere is a quiet treasure that you should discover.

Review by Paul McGee

Shawn Colvin Steady On SLC

This is the 30th anniversary of Shawn Colvin’s debut release, which won her a Grammy for the best Contemporary Folk Album of that year. Produced by John Leventhal, who also co-wrote six of the original tracks, the album hosted an array of guest artists, including Bruce Hornsby, Rick Marotta and T-Bone Wolk, with Luck Kaplansky and Suzanne Vega on backing vocals. It launched a career that, eleven albums later, has come full circle with this revisited acoustic version of the same ten songs.

No frills or extra tracks, just stripped-down guitar and voice in what is a brave reinterpretation of those times and one that inspires rather than disappoints. Her voice is as vibrant as ever, clear and strong, in support of some excellent guitar work in portraying these relationship songs of hope and regret. From being a fledgling artist finding her way to the mature & worldly-wise woman that is looking back on the years gone by, these songs have a nakedness and a resonance that still holds true. 

Her career could be summed up by the song, Ricochet In Time and the lines “Ricochet in time to the music, You just pick a day and I'm in a new destination”. But perhaps when she looks back at her younger self, Shawn can contemplate the distance and the journey travelled, as Diamond In The Rough observes; “You're shining I can see you, You're smiling that's enough, I'm holding on to you, Like a diamond in the rough”. For those who have yet to discover this artist’s music there is no better place to start ironically – a 30-year look back through the rear-view mirror to her debut work.

Review by Paul McGee

Monica Rizzio Sunshine Is Free Washashore 

Former member of folk/pop duo Tripping Lilly, East Texan Monica Rizzio’s second album is a return to those East Texas roots with an album that’s very much in keeping with the musical output emerging from East Nashville in recent times. This is not a surprise as Rizzio recorded the album at Nashville’s Skinny Elephant Studios and engaged Michael Rinne as producer. Rinne is very much the go to man in Nashville for artists hitting the Americana buttons, having worked with Kelsey Waldon, Erin Rae and Caroline Spence of late. Rizzio was a Nashville resident in the early 2000’s around the time that Elizabeth Cook, Hillary Lindsey and Mindy Smith were leading the charge as dominant writers in the non-commercial country scene. Smith adds backing vocals on the album and the musicians that feature are an impressive bunch of Nashville big hitters including Will Kimbrough (guitar), Evan Hutchings (drums), Spencer Collum (pedal steel) and Eamon Mc Loughlin (fiddle). Producer Rinne also plays bass on the recording.

As the title would suggest the album is about appreciating the simple things in life and this simplicity is also at the core of the album. ‘Why is it so hard to do nothin’, why do we always have to be running?’, she asks on the opening track Nothin’ and that sentiment carries right through the album. Rizzio possesses a lived in, wine and cigarettes voice, very much in keeping with the style and direction of the album. You could be forgiven for thinking the title track was a John Prine cover, it’s a happy song and catchy as hell.  Story Of My New Year is a rich up-tempo rocker, Don’t Keep Me Waiting and The Real Mc Coy are Texas country barroom delights. With You, a co-write with Mindy Smith, is a gorgeous ballad.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jake La Botz They’re Coming For You Hi-Style

 Actor, songwriter, blues singer and meditation teacher are a few of the strings to the bow of Chicago born Jake La Botz. His acting career has seen him perform musical parts in Animal Factory, Rambo and On The Road. He also played the part of Conway Twitty in season two of the TV series True Detective. His career in theatre found him touring the stage musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, written by Stephen King and John Mellencamp under the musical direction of T Bone Burnett. Alongside this heavy workload, La Botz has also recorded nine studio albums including his latest release THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU.

With a background firmly inspired by the pre - war bluesmen of Chicago, his core sound has seldom strayed too far from those influences, and in particular his time living in New Orleans. Rarely predictable or conventional, his touring profile includes his infamous Tattoo Across America Tour, performing in tattoo parlours across the US. His 2017 album SUNNYSIDE won two International Music Awards and he sticks closely to that winning formula this time around, working once again with producer Jimmy Sutton (JD McPherson, Pokey LaFarge). His sound is quite individualistic, a raw and rhythmic bluesy trawl across a collection of tales, often bizarre and often recalling the work of The Night Tripper, Dr. John. They are delivered in a vocal style that suggests a life lived to the full and very often on the wrong side of the rails.

The opener and title track is as likely to be referring to law enforcement officers as it is to underworld heavies whom the author may have fallen foul of. Music City gets a hammering on the witty Nashville Nashville ("You’re not country, you’re not rock and roll, Too arty for the blues and too dark for folk, And your pop songs are really a joke’’) and the witty Bankrobber’s Lament is a dark tale of lawlessness and guilt. Hey Bigfoot echoes Frank Zappa in both delivery and content and bonus track This Comb is a traditional Chicago blues rant.

Like chapters in a book of short stories, Jake La Botz has the ammunition to keep you turning the pages to revel in the absurd, fanciful and often comical tales.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jeremy Nail Ghost Of Love CRS

‘’Got my second wind down the open road, Carrying you with me wherever I go’’. The closing lines from the last track on the Texan’s latest album articulate his state of mind as he continues on his musical journey.

Like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes, there’s something calmative for me about Nail’s music, which evokes images of cloudless skies, calm seas and breezeless summer days. It only seems like yesterday that we posted a review of LIVE OAK, the last album released by Jeremy Nail. The prolific songwriter, inspired by personal tragedy and subsequent recovery from cancer which resulted in amputation of one of his legs, has a lot to say and is not intent on wasting any time spreading his gospel.

A former member of Alejandro Escovedo’s band, Nail's critically acclaimed 2016 album MY MOUNTAIN dealt with the trauma of his ill health and the subsequent struggle with acceptance and recovery. GHOST OF LOVE continues where LIVE OAK left off with the ever-observant Nail creating songs inspired by simple landscapes, most probably seen in a different light since his return to full health.  Like its predecessor, the album was recorded at The Zone in Dripping Springs Texas with Nail and Pat Manske co-producing. It also follows a similar path - relaxed, meditative and observational. A full moon inspired Clarksville, a dreamlike ballad that features Betty Soo on backing vocals. Equally beautiful are Windmill and the shimmering Nothing But A Song. Paradise is similarly paced and equally melodic with echoes of early Josh Rouse coming to mind.

Impressively packaged with an attractive booklet / lyric sheet, GHOST OF LOVE is another standout offering to add to your collection of 'under the radar' treasures, from an artist that you really need to get to know.  Late night listening with dimmed lights and a night cap in hand.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bill Scorzari Now I’m Free Self-Release

Continuing his exploration and observations of the human condition and where it finds him now, Bill Scorzari’s new album is a testament to the stories and tales he tells here, in an often non-linear but encompassing way. Scorzari’s picture on the cover is a reflection of the age-worn voice he has. One that has all the wisdom and fragility of living with the passing of time. Added to that, his voice acts as a focal point to the understated and subtle arrangements which sit behind it. 

Producer Neilson Hubbard has gathered a set of players who add a sense of objectivity to the way they play that best enhances the songs. Foremost among these musicians is Will Kimbrough on guitars and mandolin, who is joined in that role by Juan Solorzano playing alternate tracks. Hubbard plays drums alongside bassist Michael Rinne and Megan McCormick adds lap steel and (with others) harmony vocals. Many of these players are artists in their own right and so understand the nature of delivering a song.

Scorzari’s lyrics feature in a prose style in the booklet and are well worth reading. A song like Yes I Will is over ten minutes long and is a lyrical word poem that is both open and introspective. It, along with the other lyrics of the fifteen songs, do not always seem straight forward yet offer some outside observation alongside inner reflections.

That the album clocks in over 73 minutes will be a deterrent to some, or at least, too much to take in at one go. So, when you add the fact that Scorzari’s voice may be considered a little, off the beaten tracks shall we say, it means that Now I’m Free will not appeal to everyone, even those who consider themselves Americana fans. However, for those who are taken by such individual sounding voices such as Malcolm Holcombe, Sam Baker or perhaps Tom Waits then this will likely be something you will rightly savour. Something that will resonate after repeated listens that manages to draw all the creative fragmented elements into a constructive and moving whole. Remarkable even more so that the album was reportedly recorded live. An album to savour anytime it’s given the time and space for listening. 

Review by Stephen Rapid 

Dime Box Band Happy Avebury

One time bass player with David Gray and prior to that a member of 80s pop group Wednesday Week, Kristi Callan is continuing to make music from her home base of LA. Currently she fronts up and is the main songwriter in Dime Box Band and HAPPY is their second album. 

Essentially a rootsy rock ‘n’ roll album, the sound is softened by the presence of Lyn Bertles’ inventive fiddle and mandolin playing. It’s a bit of a family affair, with Bertles’ husband Nick Vincent (Frank Black, John Fogerty) on drums and keyboards and their son, Alex Vincent, on bass. The family connection is completed by the presence of Callan’s son, James Nolte, on guitar. HAPPY explores and celebrates life’s ups and downs, with Callan’s pop credentials evident in much of the songwriting and production. There are country overtones throughout also, particularly on the upbeat opener All of Nothing, on the catchy road song As the Crow Flies and on What Went Wrong, which features lovely pedal steel from guest Matthew Davis. 

Hints at a social conscience peek through on Close Your Eyes, a song for our times which describes how most people turn away from and ignore daily examples of injustice. This turns dramatically, though, to anger on Keystone which explores the thorny issue of eminent domain (compulsory purchase) which Callan’s own family have experienced in her native East Texas. It allows James to let rip on an angry electric guitar solo, leaving one in no doubt as to the depth of feeling contained therein, and unapologetically references Woody Guthrie in its refrain of “this land is your land, let’s take it back”.

Worth checking out.

Review by Eilís Boland

Robert Connely Farr & The Rebeltone Boys Dirty South Blues Self Release

Grabbing my attention from the very first track, this album will be among my picks of the year, without doubt. There’s an interesting back story behind the development of the unique and compelling sound created by Robert Connely Farr here. Now living in Vancouver, Canada he hails originally from the Deep South - Mississippi, to be exact. On a trip back home only a couple of years back, he discovered and struck up a friendship with Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, who is one of the last surviving exponents of a little known style of blues called Bentonia, named after the town in which Duck still lives. Skip James is the best known of the Bentonia style players, which is dominated by more minor keys and a droning style. Farr, with Duck’s encouragement has taken the style and made it his own. He gathered a bunch of truly stellar Canadian musicians around him and, with producer Leeroy Stagger at the helm in his Rebeltone Ranch studio in Alberta, they  have created a work of brooding greatness. 

The title track is a fine example of that greatness- heavy electric guitar riffs (Evan Uschenko) echo Farr’s dirty deep vocals, all the while soaked in the swirling Hammond organ of Michael Ayotte. The heavy sound is matched by the lyrical content - though a Southerner by birth, Farr is not afraid to call out the murkier side of Southern culture. Magnolia (the state flower of Mississippi) is equally menacing and brooding instrumentally and lyrically- at times stark and unsettling, it starts with Farr’s acoustic guitar and builds to a crescendo with the help of inventive percussion from Kyle Harmon and Uschenko’s spiky guitar riffs - “devil in a dress with a pretty  mouth, she’ll chew ya up and spit ya out”. Blue Front Cafe is a good example of the sparseness of the Bentonia sound and is a tribute to the self same oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi, which was opened by Duck’s parents in 1948 and which is still run by him.

There’s a country flavour running throughout the material here - often recalling the Drive By Truckers or The Band. Cypress Tree Blues, Yes Ma’am and Ode To the Lonesome are good examples, demonstrating how Robert Connely Farr enriches the usually sparseness of the sound with his Southern rock sensibility.

Highly recommended for all Americana fans.

Review by Eilís Boland

Latest Album Reviews

Various Artists Too Late To Pray - Defiant Chicago Roots Bloodshot

The latest compilation from the Bloodshot label in Chicago isa reaffirmation of their roots which were sown back in 1994 with the debut release of FOR THE LIFE OF SIN a similar compilation of some rough, rowdy and relevant renegades who chose to play country music of one stripe or another. It was often a personal take on the traditional country music that they had often discover on old vinyl albums in thrift stores. Many of those bands may no longer exist for some reason or another (The New Duncan Imperials, Milly and The Sequins, Iggy Yoakam and his Famous Pogo Ponies). While others who also featured on that album continue to make music (Jon Langford’s Hillbilly Lovechild, Robbie Fulks, Freakwater and The Handsome Family). Some continue ri define and refine their original ethic were others such as The Handsome Family sound very different on the new album with their electronic take on Leonard Cohen’s Tower of Song compared to Moving Furniture Around from the original compilation.

For this listener those Bloodshot compilations were a breath of fresh air. They were often post punk takes on country and old time music. They delivered the songs with the rough edges intact and did so with an enthusiasm for the genre that was infectious and immediate. Then, and even more so now, they were a million miles away from the majority of releases that were coming out of the mainstream labels in Nashville’s Music Row. It all made sense to a person invigorated by punk rock sitting in his kitchen in Dublin, Ireland. It was the welcome equivalent to those Nuggets style collections of garage band recordings from the 60s. 

There are 22 tracks here. I pretty much liked them all but quite obviously some hit home harder than others. The opening Wild Earp and the Free For Alls sing about The Last Honkey Tonk In Chicago with piano and steel to the fore. The Mekons’ Jon Langford is pretty much true to form with I Am A Big Town a song he recorded with Steve Albini on guitar. Vocalist and writer Izzy Olive takes things a little slower with Half Gringa’s Wearing White. As distinctive vocally as ever is Robbie Fulks with his acoustic bluegrass styled take on his own Lonely Ain’t Hardly Alive, which features Ron Spears on tenor vocal. Equally sparse with just banjo and vocals is Freakwater’s version of the Jagger/Richards song Sway. Back to the honky tonks with David Quinn and Long Time Gone with some more pedal steel and twanging guitar. The Hoyle Brothers’ with the referencing song of influencing country stars that is A Little Bit Of Buck. Kelly Hogan reminds of a more sultry soulful time with cover of Gotta Have My Baby Back. The song, however that really reminds me of the time that twanging country connected in the way that punk did, is funnily enough Chicago Tex-Mex band Los Gallos whose song Yeah, Yeah, Yeah sounds less related to their cultural origins and more London 1977 - but works a treat. The Weston Elstons’ Toast That Lie is another bar room ballad that seems right out of the Texas ballrooms.

But as mentioned there’s nothing here that I would skip over. It is a tribute to the label that they have been able to bring some otherwise unknown names into the limelight. Many may not be around in years to come but for now that hardly matters in this worthwhile tribute to the sound of those inner city honky tonks and small venues that continue to host and feature these bands. The blood runs strong in Bloodshot. Their output may not be to everyone’s tastes but it is true to the origin and intent and that is to be applauded with any long time independent label. It is also appropriate consider that in there 1930s Chicago hosted the premier country music show in America via WLS with The National Barn Dance. That spirit of adventure of that time still lives on here.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ags Connolly Wrong Again Finstock

This is the work of a man who believes in his music and one of the best artists that has emerged from the UK. Not that that in itself is the significant factor as I think I would feel the same about this release if Connolly was from his spiritual home of Austin. Connolly has produced the album with a clear update of his sound from the previous album in mind. He recorded in a studio in Oxfordshire working with a set of musicians to help him create the sound he wanted. Rob Updegraff on guitars, Anna Robinson on bass and vocals, Robert Pokorny and the pedal steel of Joe Harvey-White. These fine players were joined by special guests accordion player Michael Guerra (noted for this role as a part of The Mavericks team) and ace all round fiddle player Eamon McLoughlin. These guys get the job done as well as pretty much anyone could.

Finally, the two ingredients needed to make this complete are the lead vocals and a set of decent songs. Connolly has an utterly distinctive vocal and nine new songs to add to his already strong catalogue. These are songs of heartbreak, of a man always looking but not always finding (or keeping) the love he seeks, of sitting in barrooms and of thinking on life. 

It is also an album that needs to be heard as a complete album in a single sitting to give the best result. Having said that, try the title track’s take on the gameshow of life, the self-explanatory Lonely Nights In Austin or the closing Sad Songs Of Life. There is one other track that actually fits in with the overall mood of the album and that is his take on Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain – a song he makes his own.

As perhaps the only country album cover where you might see of a man nursing a pint and musing on life in an English pub, there is something of Connolly home country buried in the roots of these songs whose roots crossed the ocean having been transported there centuries ago to become part of the bed rock of the foundations of the genre.

 His artistry is among the best contemporary exponents of a purer country music, that regardless of location, shows him to be a crafted writer. Though like any independent artist he may find it a struggle to get noticed outside of specialist publications and radio shows. The “country music” that is gaining traction this side of the ocean is a long way in spirit and truth from what is on offer here. That may be the current situation but Ags Connolly remains a worthy talent whose music is always welcome. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Daniel Meade Rust ButtonUp 

Daniel Meade’s second album this year is quite different from the live album he released with his band The Flying Mules. Immediately noticeable is the fact that he sings in a much broader Glasgow accent. The opening song finds him sitting at the piano singing Anyway, Anywhere, Anyhow in an immediately catchy attack on the sometimes superficiality of aspects of the current outlaw movement.  It’s delivered in a singalong style that will be something of a winner live too. By way of contrast These Things Happen which follows, has more of a rockin’ group setting although the only player featured on the album is Meade himself. He has said that this album brings together all his life and musical influences he has encountered over the years - both good and bad. So, in the same way, you hear several different songs where a part of the song, chorus or riff, reminds you of some 60s rock, some folk (Celtic and otherwise) as well as roots and Americana although that latter label hardly fit this distinctly UK infused album.

What it does underline however is the undisputed talent of Meade as a musician and song writer. There are several songs which make their mark immediately, including the swearing in the chorus of Anyway, Anywhere, Anyhow (as in “I don’t give a f**k  anyway, …”). Deams Grow On Trees or the song about a song, the folkish Workin’ On An Old Song - which at this stage is my favourite. To these ears there’s an almost “Faces-feel” about the approach to the looseness and groove to some of the material though it doesn’t exactly sound like that particular band. What the songs do is to evoke the way that Daniel Meade is exploring his musical muse. 

There is a lot to like on this latest release from Meade who has really made up his mind about the way he wants to build his career - one that doesn’t include compromise or necessarily reaching for the golden ring. What he does, he does because it feels right (at that time) and he deserves to be recognised for pursuing an individual vision - and making some great music along the way.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Vetiver Up On High Loose

Since their formation in San Francisco seventeen years ago, Indie folkies Vetiver have been sharing stages and collaborating with household names such as Wilco, Devendra, Fleet Foxes, Joanna Newsom, Yashti Bunyan and former Vetiver band member Devendra Banhart.  What is somewhat surprising, is the fact that their profile is not as high as it might be, given the consistent quality of their recorded output, which amounts to six full albums and three EP’s prior to this release.

Vetiver are fronted by Andy Cabic, a long-time collaborator with the aforementioned Banhart, having co-written songs and produced his CRIPPLE CROW album. Cabic’s musical  influences range across a broad spectrum including Michigan psychedelic rocker Kelley Stoltz, the legendary Randy Newman, traditional American folk group The Carter Family, The Replacements and REM. Diverse as these acts may seem Up On High does reflect elements of them all, yet managing to create a quite unique sound that blends folk, power pop and indie in equal measures.

It’s difficult to identify the stand out tracks given the cohesiveness throughout. The Living End, To Who Knows Where and Swaying, which make up the first three tracks on the album, are all terrific. Filigree and the title and closing track Up On High are laid back delights. It may seem over simplistic but what comes to mind describing the album is an Unplugged blend of Squeeze and REM.   

Written exclusively on acoustic guitar, where UP ON HIGH wins hands down is Cabic and engineer/collaborator Thom Monahan knowing when to hit the pause button. Much of the material sounds as if it’s heading to the mixing desk to be beefed up. Fortunately, this did not occur, rendering the songs beautiful in their simplicity and with Cabic’s vocals out in front. Highly recommended.  An acoustic jingle jangly, folky power poppy delight!

Review by Declan Culliton

Orphan Brigade To The Edge Of The World  Self Release

Ben Glover, Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt continue to find inspiration in local history, folklore and rugged landscapes on their latest project TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. Orphan Brigade is a side project for the three artists whose previous recordings include SOUNDTRACK TO A GHOST STORY (2015), a ghost story set to music recorded in a haunted house in Franklin Kentucky and HEART OF THE CAVE (2017), inspired by an invitation to explore the 2500 year old caves under the streets of Osimo in Italy.

Glover left his hometown of Glenarm in County Antrim in 2009 to further his career in Nashville and in particular to challenge himself artistically within that city’s creative community. The journey has resulted in a number of collaborations and co-writes with three of Nashville’s finest songwriters - Mary Gauthier, Gretchen Peters and Kim Richey. TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD finds Glover acting as tour guide to his fellow band members in Orphan Brigade, as he introduces them to the craggy and windswept coastline of his youth and the history embedded within its environs. The journey proved to be most fruitful, the guiding light and motivation behind the fourteen tracks that make up the album. These compositions were developed and recorded over a seven-day period at the one-time Franciscan Friary, St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland in Glenarm. The album effectively combines traditional, blues and folk music with a Celtic thread as the common link.

 The uilleann pipes intro by Barry Kerr that introduces the album creates the perfect atmosphere for what follows. Madman’s Window tells the tale of the distraught young man who loses his sanity after the drowning of his lover while swimming in Glenarm Bay. Its chunky intro recalls P.J.Harvey before it merges into an eerie bluesy stomp. A similarly organic atmosphere is captured throughout the album.  We’re offered songs written in a forest at midnight (Banshee), a graveyard (Under The Chestnut Tree), a mountain slope (St. Patrick On Slemish Mountain) and a headland cave (Fairhead’s Daughter). Captain’s Song, which features John Prine on vocals, recalls Sorley Boy MacDonnell, the local chieftain of the 1500’s. The title track also introduces the children’s choir at Glover’s old primary school. The album’s closer Mind The Road is a fitting reminder of both the beauty and perilous past contained in the history of this Ulster coastline.

All of this could easily have amounted to a self-indulgent project by Glover, nostalgically revisiting his former life. On the contrary, a passionate trio of musicians and historians, Orphan Brigade once again succeed in collectively creating strikingly evocative songs on their elected subjects. Powerful, chilling and charming in equal parts and well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jason Hawk Harris Love & The Dark Bloodshot

The title of this album from Los Angeles based singer songwriter Jason Hawk Harris is a road sign to the two key elements that embody the nine tracks contained within.

Prior to embarking on a solo career, Harris played in Show Ponies, a band that blended edgy folk and bluegrass. His solo career was launched with the release of an EP entitled FORMALDEHYDE, TOBACCO AND TULIPS in 2017. LOVE & THE DARK followed after disaster visited Harris and his family, sending his personal life into freefall. His mother passed away from alcohol related issues, his father’s company went bankrupt and his sister gave birth prematurely to a son with cerebral palsy after she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At the same time Harris developed substance abuse problems and found himself at rock bottom. With a background which touched on country, punk and indeed classical music, it’s no surprise that LOVE & THE DARK does not restrict itself to one particular classification. Instead, it transports the listener through dark and painful landscapes, crisscrossing between hard boiled country and rock. 

The songs point to a catalogue of emotions, stimulated by personal disarray, often confused and conflicted, from an artist attempting to rationalise a world crumbling around him. Harris has drawn on those emotions to survive and rehabilitate. Phantom Limb, the most striking track on the album, reads like an open wound, as Harris recollects his mother’s body on open display at her funeral wake. The odours, sights and sounds remained ingrained in his subconscious. I’m Afraid is equally disturbing, describing the religious guilt often conflicting the young boy, with nightmares of devils and demons as he lies terrified in his bed at night. Givin’ In, which takes off like a freight train, is a tale of a guilt-ridden addict unable to resist another hit.

Harris’ introduction to music as a young boy came via his grandfather and the closing track is a tribute to him. Grandfather also gives thought to an afterlife where the ageing process is reversed and troubled people are at peace. The alcoholic’s plight is depicted on Cussing At The Light, the inevitable daytime drinking to kill the pain, killing the time before darkness arrives. ("If I drink enough at least I’ll sleep’’). Similar to the opening track The Smoke And The Stars it falls very much into the territory occupied by Jason Isbell on his solo albums.

The album was produced by Andy Freeman and includes a host of quality players notably Philip Glenn on piano, Kevin Brown on drums and Mark Lavengood on pedal steel. Rachel Baiman and Natalie Nicoles contribute backing vocals.

Harris occupies a similar space to his label mate Sarah Shook, delivering hard nosed country infused rock. Bloodshot Records have been at the forefront of cowpunk, alt-country and Americana for the best part of two and a half decades and when they sign an artist, you’d be rash not to investigate. Another great discovery and signing on their behalf.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jude Johnstone Living Room BoJak 

Sometimes music reveals itself as a fragile thing that needs to be cherished and nurtured until it can be fully brought out into the light. The 10 songs included here were performed and recorded in Jude’s LIVING ROOM (the title) and could easily be retitled Songs From the Heart. The beauty in the melodies and words is matched by the honesty and wistful sorrow revealed by Jude Johnstone, an artist that has been producing music of the highest quality for many years, often sadly unrecognised by the greater media. 

However, her stock is held very highly by many artists who circle around her burning flame, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Jackson Browne, are just some of the artists who keep her close to their circle. There is aching beauty in the arrangements here, the penny whistle and cello on My Heart Belongs To You, (Bob Liepman and David Brewer) giving an Irish lilt to the melody. The male vocal perspective of That’s What You Don’t Know (Hunter Nelson) and the juxtaposition of media image against private fears. Jude writes so well that her songs can be viewed from either side of the great male/female divide... The pedal steel playing on this song (Rob van Duuren) is just so perfectly placed that you feel like you were right there in the room when it all was captured. 

All I Ever Do is a song that speaks of suicide and is tinged with both understanding and disbelief. It could have been written for her close friend Neal Casal (R.I.P.), with the winsome lines “Now you’re with a God I’ve never met, But I’m hoping he’ll be kind, And comfort you if you should regret what you left behind”; there is such beautiful acceptance... 

This could almost be a soundtrack to a Broadway Play as the principal actors go back and forth over a relationship that has ended - if any enduring love can ever really end. One Good Reason asks why leaving is such a better choice than honouring all the years that have gone before, I Guess It’s Gonna Be That Way is a grudging acceptance that unrequited love is all that remains, carrying a torch and hurting still. The combination of piano, accordion, cello and pedal steel is sublime! So Easy To Forget is a duet (with Tim Hockenberry) that looks at both sides to a fractured relationship, all angst and questioning while the piano plays minor keys behind the upright bass. The curtain comes down, exit stage left… 

Jude plays a Parlour Grand Piano made by Mason & Hamlin in the 1920’s. They were as big as Steinway in their day and while not as well known over time, many professional musicians consider they are the finest pianos ever made. You can hear the intimacy of the recording with the foot pedals being engaged in some songs and the silence between the notes is just so haunting. Serenita is a male vocal (Brandon Jesse) again, used to great effect, lamenting a promise to marry that was never kept. 

Boy meets girl, love blossoms, years go by and now man leaves woman; all the crossroads along the way can only be guessed at… The play of life? The curse of Love? As one lyric contemplates “why’d you have to leave me here, With nothing left to do, But drink and disappear”. 

This release is perfectly constructed and delivered with such beauty and grace. It is a work of great imagination, of sad reflection and of hope for the future. As Seasons of Time contemplates, “For the one thing unchanging, forever unwavering, Is I’ll love you for all of my days”. Again, piano, penny whistle, cello and violin just nail the accompaniment to a male vocal (Ben Glover) that conjures images of a couple that are elderly and still in love with each other, given all the miles travelled in their shared journey. The last song, Paradise, hopes “And you and I will search till dawn, For Paradise”; the dreams of youth made real by the trying. 

Mike Meadows on percussion, Matt Rollings on accordion, Nick Scott on upright bass, Olivia Korkola on violin, Liney Hamilton on trumpet, David Keary on baritone guitar, plus others already mentioned – all take a bow!!

Order this wonderful music direct from the artist’s site at www.judejohnstone.com and while you’re there, do yourself a big favour and pick up a few more of her superbly crafted releases.

Review by Paul McGee

Ordinary Elephant Honest Berkalin

The simple beauty of music, captured in the song. Just the quiet arrangement of acoustic guitar, banjo and voices harmonising around the melody. Such a joyful pleasure. Many of these songs hold echoes of the past, just over the last hill, now almost forgotten in the light mist that falls upon the fields. 

Ordinary Elephant are Crystal Hariu-Damore (guitar, vocals) and Pete Damore (banjo, octave mandolin, vocals). On this sophomore release they have taken great strides and are joined by Michael Rinne (bass), Nielson Hubbard (percussion, piano) and Will Kimbrough (acoustic & electric guitars, mandola, organ). Produced by Nielson Hubbard, the eleven tracks are beautifully realised with plenty to admire in the musicianship and the song arrangements.

Come From reflects on where we are born and grow up - the roots set down in learning the correct way to behave. Such rural experience has real substance and resonates in all that living a good life entails. 

Scars We Keep is a message against prejudice, bigotry, ignorance and blindness passed down through the generations. The War is a wonderfully crafted look at the enduring memory that violence and death leave upon its survivors who become the next victims within a society that is oblivious and uncaring. Is the war ever over inside the minds of those who endured the nightmare?

Crystal sings strongly with conviction and nuance. Pete sings behind the lead of Crystal more often than not and their harmonies are very accomplished, caught in a timeless union.

Shadow is a song about living on the margins, lost in days of struggling to cope on the fringe of life. Again, simple but compelling arrangements abound. Jenny & James is a song about race and class restrictions on relationships. It could be a religious divide also but the need to break the chain on restrictions is evident, with the same enduring message “Don’t forget what you come from”.

The days of the Pony Express and the risks taken to develop the towns of cities of the New West are captured in Harriet, horse and rider as one against the challenges of the day. I’m Alright is a look at parents getting old and trying to protect their child from the reality of what lies ahead. The frailty of the passing years, “I see both your faces face the truth, Of who you love becoming who you lose”. Powerful stuff…

Worth the Weight is a song about life lessons from an adult to a child, to charter a steady course despite the mistakes from which you grow. “Half your life spent figuring out, How to make the other half count”; you can’t but be impressed by the strength of these songs.

Rust Right Through tackles the urge to stay safe against the need to break free and try new experiences. Life only comes around once so dive into the moment.

If I Am Being Honest is a standout lyric of trying to make sense of child fears and parental worries; how to protect and yet strengthen and teach. How well observed. 

This couple are writing songs around subjects that are not always easy to articulate in just a few minutes, but they tend to pull it off with something to spare!! 

The final song is Hope To Be That Happy, which brings everything around full circle with a look at what matters most in family and roots put down – strength in aged wisdom, a life well lived, to enjoy the days; “I hope I will know, All that matters, Is right in front of me”.

This is what it’s all about, songs of real substance and tenacity. A wonderful album and one that builds upon their growing reputation.

Review by Paul McGee

Ever More Nest The Place That You call Home Parish Road

A debut release from Kelcy Mae, as Ever More Nest, that is a very pleasant surprise. It kicks off with Unravelling, a song that is an honest admission that life can be directionless and without guidance; somewhat overwhelming to a young life who carries the weight into adulthood. The chorus has a soaring vocal and a rich orchestral feel.

So Low is a song of relationship woes and a lover’s fight. The pedal steel, banjo and violin weave a fine melody and the slow pace is just perfect for the sentiment of regret. Similarly, North Mississippi, is a song about driving away from something that has now become a bad memory, leaving the storm encountered on the drive as a metaphor for an unsettled and restless spirit.

The song-writing is excellent and the ten tracks featured here highlight the superb musicality of the ensemble gathered in the studio. The playing is superb throughout, all topped off with the clear and resonant vocal of Kelcy Mae that colours the songs quite perfectly. Kelcy Wilburn (aka Kelcy Mae) co-produced the project with Neilson Hubbard, who also plays drums, percussion and sings. Kelcy is also very comfortable on guitar and piano as and is joined by the seasoned talents of Will Kimbrough (guitar, banjo, mandolin and piano) and Kenny Hutson (guitar, dobro, lap and pedal steel). Dean Marols plays bass and Eamon McLoughlin contributes violin & viola. Joshua Britt appears on one track and plays banjo. Clocking in at just shy of 40 minutes, it is the perfect listen for a night at home with your favourite tipple - all restrained playing and laid-back atmosphere , with Will Kimbrough taking the guitar lead part on eight tracks.

Broken Bones is about returning home but never being able to go back to the youthful innocence that been left so far behind. Gimme That is about wanting a bite out of life; both good and bad – city streets and their temptations versus the joys of nature; all joined in a breathless swirl of pleasure. Paper Dolls is a surgical look at a relationship gone awry. Once exposed, the dysfunctional nature of everything becomes clear. Major Tom and I Wish I, are two songs that deal with the feeling of being outside and alone in negotiating the rapids of relationship routines.

The last two tracks are a perfect way to bring everything nicely together with Fine Right Here (This Time Next Year) being an acceptance of differences in a relationship or perhaps an admission that things are changing and people grow apart. Town With One Horse follows through on a dream turned into something unreal, a skewed look at love – “I want babies and romance and plants on the porch, but you want whisky and women in a town with one horse”.

Kelcy’s website states that Ever More Nest is a new music project that was born out of a trip to Tennessee where she experienced totality, met her spirit guide, and ended up making this record. Well, whatever occurred, she made pretty fine use of her time… An excellent release that is worthy of your attention and which brings many rewards in the listening. 

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Kelsey Waldon White Noise/White Lines OhBoy

WHITE NOISE/WHITE LINES is Kentucky native Kelsey Waldon’s third album, her first since signing to John Prine’s Oh Boy Record Label. The introduction to her Nashville neighbour Prine came about from an invitation to open shows for him in 2018. Fully deserving of the exposure she is currently enjoying, Waldon spent over ten years handling rejection and near poverty, while struggling to keep her head above water. Moving to Nashville with stars in her eyes as a nineteen-year-old was a hard lesson learned. She lasted less than twelve months before moving back home. Subsequently returning to Nashville, she enrolled in Belmont University to study songwriting, working behind bars to survive. The hard work and commitment paid off, resulting in two wonderful under the radar albums, THE GOLD MINE (2014) and I’VE GOT A WAY (2016). Invitations to perform at The Grande Ole Opry and support slots for Jamey Johnson, Tyler Childers and Prine followed.

Correctly praised in many quarters as the possessor of one of the most distinctive and unique country voices, on this recording Waldon has shifted somewhat from the traditional country template of her earlier work. WHITE NOISE/WHITE LINES is somewhat more experimental and certainly more personal, dipping into blues and folk along the way and channelling country in an altogether different direction. It also features a number of intimate interludes, including Chickasaw tribal chants recorded at her father’s hunting cabin and also a voicemail left by her father.

The title track is raw and bluesy, inspired by what was essentially a turning point in her career. A picturesque solar eclipse occurred over Nashville as she prepared to leave the city and visit her parents in Monkey’s Eyebrow in Kentucky. Having just reached the age of thirty and in a new relationship, everything seemed to be falling into place for her. The song is a reflection of this new beginning, hard earned but eventually realised. The strongest material, for me, kicks off mid album and features Waldon cemented into her comfort zone. Black Patch is the album standout track, pure honky tonk. Run Away and Very Old Barton are on the same page, the former possibly a two fingers salute to a former lover. Kentucky 1988 finds her in contemplative and proud mood, as she considers her DNA. Sunday’s Children questions organised religion and the prevailing self-righteous attitude that are the root causes of so much turmoil.

Weldon co-produced the album with Dan Knobler, who appears to be the favoured producer for emerging female artists in Nashville. Her co-residents Erin Rae and Caroline Spence both worked with him on their latest recordings.

WHITE NOISE/WHIOTE LINES may be the album that gets Waldon deserved recognition in the industry and opens doors for her. It’s certainly her most personal, the writing reflecting an artist considering her past at a pivotal stage in her career. I wonder whether her next venture will be as experimental or whether she will return fully to her early career traditional country roots. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Review by Declan Culliton

My Darling Clementine (with Steve Nieve) Country Darkness Vol. 1 Fretscore

My Darling Clementine, the husband and wife team of Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish, have been the pioneers of classic country music outside of The United States for near on a decade at this stage. Their debut album HOW DO YOU PLEAD? released in 2011, was deserving of the lavish praise it received. Country Music People hailed it ‘’the greatest British country record ever made ’’ and American Songwriter described it ‘’as authentic as anything coming out of Nashville or Austin.’’  THE RECONCILIATION followed in 2013, also receiving equally impressive industry accolades. They then took a more experimental approach with the release of the ‘story and song’ project THE OTHER HALF, a collaboration with crime writer and country music enthusiast Mark Billingham. Throughout this period, they toured endlessly in support of the various projects.

It should be of little surprise that their current venture explores the country music exploits undertaken by Elvis Costello. For many of today’s lovers of vintage country music residing in Europe, the introduction came by way of Elvis Costello’s sixth album ALMOST BLUE recorded in 1981. A country covers album was not what was expected from the angry young new waver at that time, and the album was greeted by mixed reviews at best. However, it introduced Michael Weston King and no doubt thousands more, to the icons of American country music and most probably shaped their listening preferences for decades to follow. George Jones, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard and Gram Parsons, all represented on that album, were artists hardly on the radar of Costello’s core audience back then. Even if Costello’s recordings were not always true to the original song versions, a light was switched on, sending many scampering for back catalogues. Weston King sums up ALMOST BLUE’s significance perfectly when he admits to being ‘’sent off along a country path to discover more about this form of music previously only viewed with suspicion.’’

COUNTRY DARKNESS VOL.1 is My Darling Clementine’s first, with hopefully more to follow, exploration of songs penned by Costello, which either had obvious country leanings or the potential to be guided in that direction.  The album title refers to one of Costello’s strongest country songs, which featured on his 2004 recording THE DELIVERY MAN. It’s not included this time around but hopefully will surface in a future recording. This four-song selection accurately reflects the ‘darkness’ theme, with tales of failed and doomed relationships, domestic violence and infidelity.

The added bonus with the project is the input of Steve Nieve, foot soldier and sideman from EC’s early days and valued member of both The Attractions and The Imposters.  The reinterpretation of the four songs on the album is a three-way collaboration King, his wife Lou Dalgleish and Nieve.  Dalglish, also a long-time fan of both Costello and Nieve, admits to being reduced to tears when she sat down beside Nieve, to rehearse the first song on the EP.

A gentle piano introduction by Nieve opens the first track Heart Shaped Bruise, which featured on EC’s 2004 album THE DELIVERY MAN. Soon to be joined by Dalgleish on lead vocal with Weston King following, it’s the perfect taster for what’s to follow. Next up is a remodelled Stranger In The House, a co-write and duet with George Jones recorded in 1978. It surfaced as a free single with the early copies of Costello’s THIS YEAR’S MODEL in 1978 and was the first inkling of Costello’s intentions to travel the country roads. This version is closer to Countrypolitan than the original’s more honky tonk leanings, with Nieve’s silky piano work substituting the pedal steel breaks of the earlier version, this time around. The song is tailored made for the male female country duet format and MDC give it a stylish Jones/Wynette makeover.

That Day Is Done was one of a number of co-writes by Costello with Paul McCartney which featured on the latter’s 1989 Album FLOWERS IN THE DIRT. Any country leanings may not have been apparent on that recording but it’s given a total refashioning this time around, with shades of Dusty Springfield emerging in Dalgleish’s vocal performance.  The albums fourth and final track is I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came. It appeared on EC’s 2009 release SECRET, PROFANE AND SUGERCANE and was a co-write with Loretta Lynn. It’s a classic break up song, one of many authored by Costello over his career. We’re treated to a version faithful to the original, with Tom Wright on pedal steel guitar alongside the possessors of two voices that above all, always seem to love what they are singing. The remaining musicians that feature are Colin Elliot on bass, Stan Sheridan on guitar and Dean Beresford on drums.

I can’t think of any act more suited and appropriate to reappraise the extensive EC songbook and handpick material befitting reconstruction. Hopefully My Darling Clementine will be on the road, touring this and future volumes of the same. Fingers crossed that Steve Nieve and the cracking bunch of musicians that feature on this album will accompany them!

Review by Declan Culliton

Caroline Herring Verses Continental Song City

Singer, songwriter, teacher, lecturer, political activist and musical historian, Caroline Herring has been active over the past twenty years on all these fronts. She’s also the receiver of awards such as Best New Artist at SXSW in her early career and featured in Texas Music magazine as the writer of their selected Best Songs Of All Time. The acclaimed song was Mistress from her 2003 album WELLSPRING. The proud owner of such elevated awards, she could have been forgiven for aggressively pursuing her own commercial musical career. However, her art meant so much more to her, than the opportunity for personal financial gain and recognition. 

Her reluctance to follow a commercial path was typified by the release of VERSE BY VERSE in 2018, described by her as ‘’ A 22 song-meditation on the scripture.’’ Her current and 9th release, completes her collection of songs inspired by the bible. The subject matter may not be one that will win her new admirers, but will certainly be of interest to many followers of Herring. Her earlier albums, in particular Wellspring (2003) and Lantana (2008), are wonderful, reinforcing both her exceptional crystal-clear vocal delivery, combined with the ability to pen gorgeous songs. These albums did also contain Christian overtones, so it’s not surprising that she explored the ancient texts of the Psalms and Gospels for her recent projects. The common denominator between Verses and her earlier work is her striking vocal, showcased in a more stripped back environment this time around. The self-produced album contains thirteen tracks, the highlights being Let The Little Children Come To Me, You Are No Longer A Stranger and My Heart Is Not Proud.

VERSES is a reminder by Herring that comfort, solace and peace of mind are brought to many by the study of ancient texts. Beautifully delivered, it may not be the entry point for newcomers to Herring’s music, but anyone investigating and appreciating her impressive back catalogue will no doubt progress to this offering.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dallas Burrow Southern Wind Sublimal Hymnal

There’s no shortage of male artists whose writing is inspired by new found sobriety these days. Dallas Burrow is the latest to join the club and his solo album SOUTHERN WIND is a reflection of a life journey from childhood through a nomadic young adulthood, much of it spent travelling and performing in America and Europe.

Those travelling days were halted when he arrived in Nashville to translate his memoirs into the thirteen songs that feature on his solo album. His choice of producer was Eric Mc Connell, whose employers have included Loretta Lynn and another hell raiser, Todd Snider. Recorded in a mere two days, it features a collection of the finest players in Nashville including former Johnny Cash bass player Dave Roe, legendary guitarist Kenny Vaughan, Average White Band drummer Pete Abott. Other notaries that contribute are pedal steel player Chris Scruggs, fiddle player Billy Contreras and guitarist Frank Rische. The real ace in the pack however, is the inclusion of West Virginia singer songwriter Sierra Ferrell. Her harmonies and backing vocals on six of the tracks elevate them to an altogether different level, the perfect adornment to Burrow’s own gritty vocals.

As you might expect, those vocals articulate the partying and hell raising lifestyle he’s left behind and also the sometimes agitated childhood that proceeded it. The album’s highlight Rodeo is a proof of this, the tale of an outlaw on the run from Texas to New Mexico and his encounter with a cowgirl every bit the measure of him. It’s pure Texas country fare, dipping and soaring wonderfully, a true reflection of his own ‘highs and lows’ along the way. Grandma Joy’s Homemade Strawberry Jam recalls innocent childhood memories whereas the hard-hitting Guitar Man suggests more troubled times some years later. (‘’But you’re afraid to pull the trigger, you’re afraid you’re gonna miss the fun, so you pick up the guitar, and you put away the gun and you strum’’). Two cuts of the title track are included. The first is delivered in pacey Sothern Rock style and the second inclusion, titled Southern Wind (Nashville version), is somewhat less frenetic and more laid back. Ferrell’s harmonies and backing vocals adorn both. Leaving Colorado is a bluesy delight, Burrow’s semi spoken vocals nestling side by side with a succession of jazzy fiddle breaks by Contreras.

After a period spent in an emotional wilderness, Burrow has returned firmly to his Texas roots with these striking tales of innocence, waywardness and finally redemption. Having lived through trying times, let’s hope this wind of change continues to whirl him in the right direction. A most impressive listen from start to finish.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jared Deck Bully Pulpit CRS/Must Have

Originally from a family farm in Oklahoma, Jared Deck’s chequered career to date has involved working in a factory, standing for election to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives at the age of 28 and being employed to perform his music in a church. It’s fair to say that all three experiences did not exactly result in happy endings but did offer Deck some life experiences that he draws from in his latest release, BULLY PULPIT. His factory career came to an abrupt halt when his company decided to outsource, leaving him and many of his colleagues redundant. His political career involved unsuccessfully standing for election for The Oklahoma State House of Representatives (“I lost out by a little, instead of a lot!”) and being fired from his performing role at a church (“I had played in churches my entire life but that one was a doozy’’).

The title of his latest album may be inspired by that dismissal or by his numerous experiences playing gospel and blues music from the pulpit throughout his career. The winner of the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival song writing competition with American Dream from his 2016 self-titled debut album, Deck was earmarked by both Rolling Stone and American Songwriter as ‘one to watch’. Bully Pulpit taps into his gospel upbringing and the numerous contradictions lurking behind the American Dream.

It’s a fun listen by a collective of musicians that appear to be having a blast during the recording process. Tracks such as Great American Breakdown, There’s A Leak In This Old Building and Money Back are full on Gospel fuelled rock and rollers, with Deck’s powerful vocal leading the charge. He does also manage to take a temporary breather on the tear jerker Make Your Mama Proud.

Recorded at 115 Recording in Oklahoma and produced by Wes Shanon (John Fullbright, American Aquarium, Parker Milsap), the musicians featured on the album include fiddle player Byron Berline - who played with both The Rolling Stones and The Flying Burrito Brothers – and the Turnpike Troubadours’ duo Gabe Pearson and Hank Early.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Drunken Hearts Wheels Of The City LoHi

A five piece band who play some hard edge roots rock. They are based in Colorado and recorded the album there with producer Tim Carbone. The band are Andrew McConathy and Kory Montgomery on guitars and vocals, the rhythm section of Jon McCartan and Alex Johnson and Cody Russell on steel and dobro. They are a tight-knit combo who deliver some intense songs of love and its inevitable ups and downs. Though there are no credits on the album I assume that they are all original songs. The writing is as robust as the sound and can deliver the occasional lyric that sits outside of the overall themes, or at least a different perspective on it. Passchedaele is about a soldier returning from the First World War both changed and facing changes not least in the fact that his sweetheart has gone off with another man. It features a string section effectively. Elsewhere brass was used on the title track in a subtle textured way to add to the overall feel. Unrest has an element of psychedelia in the lap steel that also turns up at other moments adding a different flavour to their take on Americana. 

There are eleven songs here that show how the band play as a unit to bring the best from the songs and from each other. Wheels Of The City is a slow tempo lookat the way a city moves and who it leaves behind. The vocals are central and effective. The band also knows how to take it down a notch or two with the more acoustic opening to Two Hearts (On A Limb) before a level of chaos is introduced to the song. Dream Of Waiting is also more thoughtful in its consideration of relationships and trying to find out the person the other wants and needs. The Cave finishes out the album with a spoken into taken from Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave over some ambient noise before becominga riff heavy instrumental that finishes the album with a sense of authority. It has the feeling, at times, of some of the progressive rock sounds of the late 60s and early 70s.

Overall it is an album that stands itsground and offers a take on Americana that is, while not unique, strong enough to warrant listening too. It faces the problems that any regional act has in breaking out from that base to produce something that can stand in a wider space and gain attention against any number of other musical entities. Be that as it may The Drunken Hearts can raise a glass to what they have achieved here.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Del Reeves Hits On The Billboard 1965-1978 HumpHead

Although Del Reeves first recorded in 1957 and continued to do so with different labels in wasn’t until 1964 that he had abig hit and hisonly number with Girl On The Billboard. Previously his Be Quiet Mind had made the top ten however; perhaps though his best known material was that mix of trucking song, novelty number and Bakersfield sound. From then on, he had a lasting career with a catalogue of over 25 album releases while placing 50 singles in the Billboard charts.

One of the quirkiestaspects of his sound was to open many of his songs with a non verbal doodle-oo-doo-doo. There is also a touch of Roger Miller and of Buck Owens in his overall sound and style. Neither was he a writer on this 50-song compilation andhe only has one co-writing credit. He did favour the songs of Jerry Chestnut though, who has 8 credits. Overall this compilation is not essential but isnone-the-less an easy tolisten to collectionthat is very much of itstime. The running order is mainly consecutive from 1965 and the sound gets more commercial as the years progress. Not that Reeves wasn’t a capable singer whobrings an energy to the material he was recording. Songs that range from The Private (a tribute to the common soldier) to the cheesy and patriotic notions of Prayer From A Mobile Home. In recent times his presence was mostly found on compilations of trucking songs. Alongside Girl On The Billboard on this compilation there’s Trucker’s Paradise and Looking At The World Through A Windshield, although he did record a complete album with the latter title that was more related to the subject, this is a broader overview of his career.

He also recorded a number of duets, as that was a popular format back then, so there are tracks with Billie Jo Spears, a couple with Bobby Goldsboro and a version of the Carole King/Howard Greenfield classic Crying In The Rain with Penny DeHaven. The latter also duets on Land Mark Tavern. A handy compilation for anyone who remembers Del Reeves or who has a liking for the country music of that era. HumpHead have also released a compilation of country songs by Brenda Lee for those who might fancy that.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Micky & The Motorcars Long Time Comin’ Thirty Tigers

Family bands seem to have played a large part in the backstory for these guys. They featured with their father’s band Muzzie Braun and the Boys back in the day in Idaho. Since then Gary and Micky Braun moved to Austin to become Micky & The Motorcars while elder brothers Cody and Willy formed the renowned outfit Reckless Kelly. Both bands have fairly full-on touring schedules and each band have homed their sound in both the live and recording settings. 

For this new album, their fourth studio recording, the brothers worked with producer Keith Gattis and recorded in Nashville with a set of seasoned studio players. Both brothers contributed material to the album with Gary this time out penning six of the eleven songs either as co-writes or as solo contributions. The remainder came from Micky, again in a similar fashion, though with more co-writes, one including Gary. They both take the lead vocals in the songs they wrote. The recording itself is an extension of the sound that has been their trademark since their inception. Which is a robust, road-ready roots rock. The brothers however feel that this album is a step forward and a reinvigoration for them.

It certainly sounds that way with some very strong songs from the get-go. Road to You, Rodeo Girl and Alone Again Tonight are a opening salvo of catchy and complete songs. Mainly the subject overall is that of relationships and of romance. The forth song takes things a little deeper and darker with Gary Braun’s song Lions Of Kandahar which details a officer serving a tour in Afghanistan and the traumatising situation he and the men under his command encounter during that time. It manages to convey the way that the average soldier has to deal with such stress and fear on a daily basis. By its very nature it is a stand out song and its underlying middle-eastern theme compliments that.

There are many other songs here that are further evidence of the band’s worth and how they have consolidated their music to create the best album of their career and one that should be listed to from start to finish. The final song is the title track written by Micky and Bruce Robison. Long Time Comin’ has a more reflective nature and looks at where life has taken them on the path to where they are now. As with the other songs here there is a sense of looking inwards but in a way that reflects on the universal human condition. But in doing so they play some exciting music that has across the board appeal.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Ned LeDoux Next In Line Thirty Tigers

First off, I was big fan of Chris LeDoux Ned’s father. He was a rocking’, rodeo horse riding real cowboy who balanced a music career with running a ranch. LeDoux senior has been mentioned by Garth Brooks as a major influence; although one went on to mega success it is the other whose records remain in my collection. There was an outright honesty and energy to his music that seems to have carried over to his son’s work too. It’s the blowing off steam nature of a cowboy’s life that Saturday night was something of a highpoint of the week. Hence there are songs that reference that, with his versions of John Fogerty’s Almost Saturday Night and his father’s Homegrown Western Saturday Night - the latter opens with an introduction by Chris.

Produced by Mac McAnally the album has a up tempo energetic sign that falls on the rights side of being too hard rock for its own good. The songs are all based on LeDoux’s viewpoint on life with songs like Old Fashioned “that’s who I am, a little set in my ways.” Worth It which praises hard, simple work “It’s a tough job to do, but it gets done and it’s worth it.” Dance With Your Spurs On, a song co-written and sung with Corb Lund is equally a list of things you need to do to be able to dance with your spurs and make of life what you can. That essentially homespun philosophy is the core to the truth of these songs. Living a life close to the land and being the next in line to continue traditions (Next In Line). They songs are written by LeDoux solo or a number with McAnally and one with Mark Sissel (Great Plains). Sissel was the guitarist with Western Underground, Chris LeDoux’s band and partly responsible for their rockin’ sound. Ned LeDoux was the drummer for a time in that band too. Mac McAnally and Chris Stapleton wrote Just A Little Bit Better which is sung here by both McAnally and LeDoux.

While Ned LeDoux gets more miles under his music saddle he has matured into an artist who has carried on the family tradition (and sound) forward in way that would gain approval from those who recognise the sound as country music with more than a touch of western, but given an injection of pure energy that makes LeDoux’s music more than a tribute to his father. It is a living entity that is worthy of consideration in the same breath. He is (or should be) the next in line.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Mavericks Play The Hits Mono Mundo

I have more than a little fondness for the Mavericks from the release of their debut album.  The band are currently on a 30th anniversary album which, to date have yet to a make a return visit to these shores. Something that is unlikely to happen this year at this stage however - but hopefully in the near future.

This is a shame as I think this album would have gone down a treat live. Described as country/latino/rock’n’roll - which is accurate for this brimming with personality set of superior musicians who bring a sense of joy to what they play. It this case the band have recorded the hits of others and throughout they equal or surpass the original versions of the songs, not least due to the vocal versatility of singer Raul Malo. The other key members of the band - the ace drummer Paul Deacon, guitarist Eddie Perez and keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden - make a perfect foil for the singer in style, charisma and musicality.

Here they draw a little closer to the country sound they became known for in their early days. Though that hasn’t meant they have lost any their musical exploration. There are eleven songs that run from start to finish brimmed with entertaining qualities. But if one had to point to a couple of highlights then their version of Before The Next Teardrop Falls (a song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters and known for its version by Freddy Fender) is one. The uniqueness of what they do is further underlined by their version of Fred Rose’s Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain where they almost make you forget the take on it by Willie Nelson. They have made these songs Maverick in the way they have delivered them here.

The remaining tracks include Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?, Hungry Heart, Don’t Be Cruel, Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me and Blame It On Your Heart. All are perfect choices that ring true and run from slow ballad to big swingers. This multi-cultural band have rarely been better and though this is an album of known and some not as well known covers it is at its heart a Mavericks album. Mention also for the additional players who record and tour with the band adding brass, accordion and percussion to bring depth and texture to the performances. That level of commitment is what makes this special.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Helene Cronin Old Ghosts & Lost Causes Self Release

I have to admit when I received this album the thing that initially attracted me to listen was the standard of players involved. I will listen to anything that Kenny Vaughan plays on. Add to that Chad Cromwell - drums, Byron House - bass, Bobby Terry - guitars, mandolin and steel, Heidi Newfield on harmonica and backing vocals. Then there is producer Matt King also adding backing vocal to the proceedings and you have the making of a great album.

The ingredient that is vital to it working is Helene Cronin, her voice and her songs, all of which prove to be well up to the job. Cronin has been compared to Lori McKenna and Mary Chapin Carpenter. There are also a number of lesser known contemporaries who she would  easily  fit alongside too.

 As a songwriter she has mostly written the songs on her own but some are co writes with the likes of Davis Corley, Scott Sean White and others. The first song that stood out was Humankind. This song brings together a young nurse and an old embittered man and the relationship they form. This song shows how she can weave into the story a bigger picture than the one written and how she uses small details to give the song some added reality. Riding The Gray Line details a bus journey and the selection of humanity that are, by necessity, traveling together on this together alone journey. So, first and foremost Cronin is a songwriter and a good one. She also has an expressive voice with which to deliver these tales.

On El Camino Fly the use of additional vocals that illuminates how this song could easily fit on something like a Pistol Annies album. With its powerful beat and hard guitars it speaks of “riding out here on the edge of crazy, outcast, outlaw, no cause, tearing up the night” setting the scene for a road movie scenario. There is darkness and there is some light, plus there are times that the Mary Chapin Carpenter comparison comes into focus vocally, to a degree, on In A Kiss. While there is a different mood to The Last Cowboy where her man is the last cowboy I’ll ever need. the last of a stubborn breed. It is clear she has an affection for this kind of rugged individualism. There are other songs here that also make the grade of memorable and meaningful and worth applauding, including God Doesn’t and the amusing we’re all equal sing along, Mongrels and Mutts.

Helene Cronin, after a couple of EPs has released this full length album and with her songwriting and vocal talent has made it one to note. She and producer King can feel the they have achieved something special here that is worthy of the talents of all involved.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jerry Leger Time Out For Tomorrow Latent

Leger’s last recording Nonsense and Heartaches, released in 2018, was essentially two albums in one. It was divided between a side of full on electric rockers, paired with a side of laid-back acoustic ballads.  Time Out For Tomorrow, even though it does feature a mixture of both up-tempo and laid-back tracks, is less experimental and considerably more consistent. However, there are similarities as the album is once again produced by Michael Timmons of Cowboy Junkies fame and recorded on that bands own label, Latent Recordings. Leger’s long-time backing band The Situation again feature and collectively they contribute in no small measure to flesh out Leger’s vocals, guitar and piano. The band members are James Mc Kie (lap steel, guitars, fiddle), Dan Mock (bass) and Kyle Sullivan (drums)

The Canadian has speculated that the two albums that most influenced the direction of this recording were Lou Reed’s Coney Island Baby and Nick Lowe’s The Impossible Bird. The characteristic Nick Lowe melodies do surface on Burchell Lake. However, to my ears, there is a distinct early to mid-70’s feel to the album throughout. Opener Canvas Of Gold recalls the country soul vibe of Van Morrison’s Old Old Woodstock from his Tupelo Honey album. Ledger unleashes a convincing full force vocal delivery himself on Read Between The Lines, a Dylanesque styled song, reminiscent of the Rolling Thunder Revue era. Tell A Lie has a similar feel to it, with nods towards Tom Petty. It’s not all blood and guts though and ballads That Ain’t Here and I Would are both impressive inclusions.

Canada continues to provide quality singer songwriters, both male and female. Leger definitely qualifies with flying colours in this regard, but its possibly doing his band a disservice to label him as a solo artist rather than a band leader. Since 2005, he’s recorded over a dozen albums, either solo or with his side projects The Del-Fi’s and The Bob Fi’s. Firmly rooted in the classic and vintage sounds that dominated the output of many early 70’s bands in America, Time Out For Tomorrow is as impressive as anything in Leger’s back catalogue.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jeremy Ivey Dream and The Dreamer Epitaph

‘‘Who’s going to be the next pretender, who’s going to play that role?’’ asks Jeremy Ivey on the killer opening track Diamonds To Coal, from his equally impressive debut solo album Dream And The Dreamer. The quote instantly brings to mind the number of Neil Young influenced artists that have come and gone over the years, having released albums with the Grandfather of Americana’s stamp firmly on them. Ivey’s album also suggests a love of the Neil Young songbook, but like his peer Dylan LeBlanc’s latest offering Renegade, those influences have inspired a body of work that is also individualistic, having its foundations in both country and folk. Ivey’s workload in recent years has been fuelled by supporting, producing and managing his wife Margo Price’s career. Sometimes touring and appearing on stage with her and other times playing house father while she tours, he has been supportive and protective of her, allowing her profile to prosper.  Times have been hectic for the couple of late, what with the birth of their second child, constant touring demands on Price, Ivey being signed to the independent label ANTI- and now the release of Dream And The Dreamer. In a former life, the couple have written and performed as members of Buffalo Clover, a Music City local supergroup of sorts which included Kenny Vaughan and Sturgill Simpson at one stage.

 Falling Man could be an autobiographical reflection on Ivey’s own life journey. Beautifully melodic, you get the sense of Ivey as a deep thinker, who has probably always sought an outlet to express those considerations. Worry Doll is from bygone times, a route one folk tune, which finds the dreamer imploring his beau not to abandon him. Greyhound is a catchy duet with wife Margo, possibly recalling memories of low budget journeys undertaken by them in their former lives. It’s the type of song that graces Dave Rawling’s albums, a cheerful recollection of innocent times. Gino The Tramp is written in the style of Willy Vlautin, a sympathetic observation of the marginalised in society. It’s common a trait that comes to light in much of Ivey’s writing. A realist rather than a pessimist, Ivey considers life’s challenges of today and yesterday on Story Of A Fish and on the album’s title track, a stripped back ballad which closes the album.

A prolific writer, with the confidence of a record deal now behind him, Ivey is in a hurry to get things done. He has already written material for another two albums, together with co-writes with his wife for her next release. Dream And The Dreamer is a welcome introduction from an artist who is proving to be quite a late bloomer.

Review by Declan Culliton

Michaela Anne Desert Dove Yep Roc

 In an often unforgiving industry, it’s satisfying to witness an artist deservedly getting well-earned recognition and being signed to an established record label. This is particularly the case with Michaela Anne, an artist that has been very much on the Lonesome Highway radar since discovering her at Americana Fest in Nashville a number of years ago. She’s certainly put in the spade work, touring solo and with pick up bands and sharing stages with Sam Outlaw and J.P. Harris in recent years. The possessor of a crystal clear voice equal to any of her peers, Desert Dove finds her sticking with a similar formula to her impressive 2016 release Bright Lights And The Fame. Not just an accomplished vocalist, Anne’s songwriting skills have moved to an altogether different level on this album. The material is a reflection on how we live, love and communicate, in times where tweets and texts dominate normal communication avenues. It’s also noteworthy that her lyrics never attempt to be overly clever, simply coming from the heart, questioning, challenging and considering.

I’m Not The Fire and Run Away With Me recall a young Carlene Carter in her heyday. Anne may be slight in stature, but she’s no shrinking violet and her no-nonsense sassiness rings true in the somewhat tongue in cheek If I Wanted Your Opinion. The gorgeous opener By Our Design evaluates life choices, relationships and goal setting. Child Of The Wind is possibly a reflection on her nomadic childhood dictated by the demands on her military employed father. The reflective title track Desert Dove was no doubt stimulated by her choice to record in California, rather than her current hometown of Nashville. 

The production duties were handled by Sam Outlaw and Kelly Winrich of Delta Spirit fame. A host of top-notch players feature including guitarist Brian Whelan (Dwight Yoakam, Jim Lauderdale) and fiddler Kristin Weber (Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price).

To date Anne has, to her credit, avoided dumbing down her output and targeting the lucrative crossover country market that continues to churn out predictable pop music masquerading as country. Desert Dove is very much an album in the present but with its heart in the past.  Let’s hope she continues down this road and gets the industry support and recognition she richly deserves.  Don’t just take our word for it, Rolling Stone have compared Anne to both Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Enough said!

Review by Declan Culliton

Jason James Seems Like Tears Ago Melodyville

Firstly, a word of caution. This is a COUNTRY album with pedal steel and fiddle on most tracks! There’s nothing crossover, nothing alt or nothing Americana about the album. Simply classic vintage country of the highest order. James released his self-titled debut album in 2015 on the New West Record label. Deemed to be a tad too ‘country’ for the label, they attempted to steer James in a slightly different musical direction. Without any intention of budging from his core sound, he appropriately delivered a cover of the Ernest Tubb song Let’s Say Goodbye As We Said Hello as his swansong to the record label.

Seems Like Tears Ago follows an identical template to his previous album. Covering the usual topics of loneliness, lost love and ‘tears in beer’ heartache with panache, it’s little surprise that titles such as I Miss You After All, Achin’ Takin’ Place, Ole Used To Be and Foolish Heart all feature. Weeping pedal steel guitar introduces the opening and title track followed by James’ velvety vocal delivery, leaving the listener in little doubt of what is to follow. It would be easy to brand James a modern-day George Jones pretender- that’s a compliment in itself - given his vocal style. He’s much more than that, with shades of Dwight Yoakam on Move A Little Closer and the previously noted Ole Used To Be, and echoing Jim Lauderdale when he dons a Nudie suit and goes full on country. The timeless We’re Gonna Honky Tonk Tonight, a two-step invite and classic Texan Dancehall fare, also hits the spot.

The album was recorded in just three days at Signal Hill Recordings in Dripping Springs just outside Austin, Texas. Remarkably, the majority of the songs were down in just two or three takes, testament to the quality of the players that producer John Evans (Hayes Carll, Corb Lund) assembled. Geoff Queen takes the credit for excellent guitar and steel pedal contributions and Reckless Kelly’s Cody Braun plays fiddle. Completing the line up were Rick Richards on drums, T Jarrod Bonta on piano, Jacob Marchese on bass and Chric C Cook on rubboard.

Ironically, James is a modern-day “country outlaw”, writing and recording on his own terms and not prepared to accept the interferences of a record label. Things have certainly come full circle. File under ‘they just don’t make them like this anymore’. Make no mistake, if this album was recorded in the early 70’s, James would be a household name!

Review by Declan Culliton

Suzie Vinnick Shake The Love Around Self Release

If you, like me, thought that the blues was predominantly a sad music then this excellent album by Canadian Suzie Vinnick will make you think again. It’s apparent from the opening chords of the opening song Happy As Hell that she is one contented person and that she’s determined to lift the listener up too. I’m embarrassed to admit that she has never crossed my radar, even though she has won multiple music awards in blues, jazz and folk genres in her native Canada.

The twelve songs here (all but three are self penned) allow her ample scope to show her impressive chops on guitars and bass. She only needs to call in an Ontario local for drum duties (Gary Craig) and her co-producer Mark Lalama adds Wurlitzer, Hammond organ and accordion.

Suzie has a powerful voice that she knows how to use, be that sweetly on a country blues acoustic like Drift Away (a co-write with the wonderful Matt Andersen) or on the bass heavy rocker Lean Into The Light.

Difficult to categorise, she dips in and out of folk, rock and jazz with total ease. There’s a truly sultry cover of John Fogerty’s A Hundred And Ten In The Shade, followed by her own Crying A River For You where she conveys the heartache with some gorgeous lap steel. Recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

New Releases

Chris & Adam Carroll Good Farmer Gypsy Shuffler

This is the debut album from a folk husband and wife duo. Adan Carroll has several solo albums to his credit, including the recent I Walked In Them Shoes. They have been playing live shows together for the six years or so since marrying in 2013. Carroll is a noted and highly respected songwriter in the classic folk tradition. Here he contributes some songs written solo or with other partners, with the remaining six songs written by the duo. They both share lead and harmony vocals and Chris’s vocal makes a fine counterpoint to Adams more fundamental vocal delivery which is more often delivered in a semi-spoken style. Chris also plays guitar and mandolin while Adam adds his guitar and harmonica skills. On occasion there is also some fiddle played by Dennis Ludiker.

The album was produced by Lloyd Maines (who also worked on Carroll’s solo albums) and he also brings his multi-instrumental talents to bear on the songs when required, although many are recorded in a live setting. The album opens with Hi-Fi Love written by Adam and Scott Nolan which sounds like one of the recent John Prine duets. There is a deft touch to this album and enough variety in the instrumentation throughout to hold attention in a home-based, rather than live setting. Adam Carroll has been praised by such artists as Hayes Carll, Slaid Cleeves and Jon Dee Graham (who also provided the sleeve painting). And listening here you can see why his (and Chris’s songs) are worthy of such praise. They introduce characters with enough background detail to bring them to life. Ocean Of Peace, which is sung solely by Adam, is about a solider being shown some solace in a post-war world. Angel In God’s Country is likewise sung by Chris alone and offers that “you can’t judge a book by a cover, or a child by a mother” to make a case for a person being what they in their own right and not judged by association. It is likely that they each take the lead vocal in the songs that they composed, but either way their voices complement and add chemistry.

A good introduction to the two individual talents or perhaps a souvenir of their live show. In the end though Good Farmer offers a fruitful crop of well nurtured songs.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Quebe Sisters Self-Titled Self Release

‘’ It’s an honour to live on the same planet as the Quebe Sisters. They represent everything that I love about pure American music and I’m probably their biggest fan.’’ So says Marty Stuart, articulating his admiration for The Quebe Sisters, a five-piece Western Swing band from Texas comprising of three fiddling playing sisters Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe, joined by Simon Stripp on guitars and Daniel on bass.

The self-titled album is their fifth release over a career that has spanned 15 years to date. Recorded at Texas Treefort Studio and self-produced by the band, it comprises three original songs and seven covers. Standards such as Willie Nelson’s Summer Of Roses and Gene Austin’s Lonesome Road are given make overs, as is the opening track Always Seem To Get Things Wrong, penned by Jesse Harris.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sess Grandeza Boiled

Well, the Lonesome Highway banner does include a reference to Roots Music. So, when a record arrives that contains a lyric sheet entirely in Portuguese, it does set a certain challenge! Sessa is a Brazilian artist who hails from Sao Paolo and this album is about the natural gesture of love and the softness of the human body. It’s also about his love for Brazilian music and its many shapes and colours. 

The beats and melodies are right out of what one would expect South American native music to be; plenty of salsa grooves expressing joy and lightness along with very danceable rhythm. There are jazzy elements scattered across the eleven tracks (especially Sangue Bom and Tanto), but a bilingual lyric sheet would have been a help in deciphering what is being sung about. The backing voices are all female and blend well into the overall groove with a simple production and light percussion augmenting the acoustic guitar and upright bass work. There is a hypnotic quality to the listening experience and definitely one for a hammock on a bright sunny morning.

Review by Paul McGee

Doug Kinch Songs From Last Year Shandon 

This 4-track EP was given to me recently and the title is very apt as the songs date back to 2018 and the Folk tinged sound is very gentle and pleasant. The production by Josh Johnston and Doug Kinch is very clean and the instruments are given plenty of space to fill the arrangements with a ‘less is more’ approach.

With Carol Keogh providing vocals on all tracks and Josh Johnston providing piano, electric piano and Hammond organ, the duo is joined by Patrick Groenland on electric and acoustic guitars and Cian Murphy on double bass. Kinch wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music with Johnston and it turns out to be a very successful collaboration. Johnston is an experienced musician, producer and composer in his own right with a number of previous releases and he brings a guiding hand with a light touch to proceedings.

Hannah Jordan is an angry song that builds over the arrangement, speaking of lies and disillusioned trust. There is a wistful quality to September Day and the title track while the closing song, Sketching For Lydia, is focused on the process of painting and creating an image with colour. Good to see quality Irish musicians making a statement with their talents and hints at better things to come.

Review by Paul McGee

Ray Cerbone (Americana & More) How Much Time Self Release

This is Folk music and story songs that have been crafted over many years. The twelve tracks are self produced and apart from three covers, Cerbone wrote all the songs, in addition to playing acoustic guitar and providing vocals. The project has been a labour of love and the assembled musicians serve the songs very well with understated playing. 

Roy Schneider, who wrote Carriage, one of the songs included, plays an array of instruments from dobro and bongos, to melodica and mandolin. Gil Jusino provides a very mellow and rich upright bass throughout with both Kat Eppie (flute) and J Robert Houghtaling (fiddle) appearing on single tracks. Backing vocals are handled by Maria Valsi on six songs, with both Kim Mayfield and Christine Scholtus singing on one track each.

The spoken vocal style is very effective and adds authenticity to the laid- back acoustic arrangements. There are songs that deal with old memories (Next To You and Let The Bad Times Be), affectionate nods at old guitars bought (Steel On Wood), tributes to Guy Clark (Fondest Memory Of All and My Favourite Song) and  Richard Shindell contributes Next Best Western, a song for the weary, but unbowed. The honky tonk swing of Cowgirl With The Long Red Hair is an up-tempo slice of fun while closing song, How Much Time, asks the eternal question about enduring love. 

The whole project is a very enjoyable listening experience and this artist should not wait as long before focusing on his follow-up release. This has some depth and some very engaging playing and writing.

Review by Paul McGee

Various Artists The Time For Peace Is Now Luaka Bop

Luaka Bop is a record label that was founded by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame. It has a very eclectic mix of artists and this release is the second volume in their World Spirituality Classics series. Unearthed from obscure 45s found in attics, sheds and crates across the American south, the collection presents a sound that is built on gospel and soul leanings. Compiled by soul DJ, Greg Belson, with special essays from New York Times Best-selling author Jonathan Lethem, gospel expert Robert F. Darden and Pastor Keith L. Whitney of Sanctuary Fellowship Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.

There are fourteen tracks and the various artists are mainly unknown names in the wider media. However, the press release states that a number thrived on the gospel live circuit and some are still performing to this day.  

The messages are secular and based around trying to live for one another and striving to get along with our fellow man. In the post Martin Luther King USA, it was a heart-felt attempt to unite people into a loving awareness message. The songs were released on small labels and artists like The Little Shadows, The Religious Souls, The Soul Stirrers and The Floyd Family Singers, among others, give fine testament to the movement and sentiment of the time. 

Clocking in at over 45 minutes, it is a very enjoyable listen, even if the Gospel/Soul passions are some way apart from what Lonesome Highway usually concentrates on. The final song, Don’t Give Up, by the Williams Singers really sums up the central theme of believing in yourself and looking for the good in others.

Review by Paul McGee

Mrs. Henry The Last Waltz Blind Owl

Since 2012, Mrs. Henry has comprised of original band members; Dan Cervantes - guitar and vocals, Jody Bagley - keyboards and vocals, Blake Dean - bass and vocals and Chad Lee – drums. They hail from San Diego, California and their first two E.P. releases were followed by a couple of full-length albums, the latter split between a Vol. 1 with 6 tracks and Vol. 2. With a further 6 tracks…

These guys know a thing or two about exciting an audience with their loose boogie sound and they are perfectly suited to the project at hand; a tribute to the legendary Band concert, The Last Waltz. In November 2017, at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, San Diego, Mrs. Henry played their own gig to celebrate the original; a huge undertaking with the band members being joined by a total of 30 additional musicians and singers during its performance. Not all the original concert songs are included, which is understandable, but the entertainment across the 31 tracks that are performed, is superb and runs to over 2.5 hours of music on this double CD… 

The playing, overall groove and vibe on the evening is terrific and mostly all the great Band songs are there; Up On Cripple Creek, The Shape I’m In, The Weight, Evangeline, Arcadian Driftwood, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and the cathartic, I Shall Be Released.  For some reason Ophelia (a personal favourite) has been omitted but this is a small observation on a special occasion where everyone came together in order to recreate the original spirit of the 1970’s. Unfortunately, my review copy arrived with little information and a trawl of the web tells me that there were guest performances from many of San Diego’s most respected musicians, including Pat Beers of The Schizophonics, Brenden Dellar of Sacri Monti, Jesse Lee of The Paragraphs, Clinton Davis, Noah C. Lekas, Robby Gira, Brian Karscig, Roger Molina, Anna Zinova, Stephen El Rey, Nena Anderson and many, many more…

Although it has been praised as the greatest documentary concert film ever made, The Last Waltz was subsequently criticized for the disproportionate focus on Robbie Robertson and Band drummer, Levon Helm, stated that it was "the biggest f***in' rip-off that ever happened to the Band"; complaining they never received any money for the various home videos, DVDs and soundtracks released by Warner Bros. after the project.

Hats off to the Mrs. Henry band who carry off the mammoth task with great aplomb. Quite why they felt the urge to take this on in the first place is quite anyone’s guess – perhaps because it was just waiting there to be tackled? If you love the original Band sound then you will not be disappointed with the results.

Review by Paul McGee

Lisa Redford Edge Of Love Self Release

This 5 track EP arrived from a singer-songwriter who fits seamlessly into a contemporary Americana/Folk sound that is commercial & radio friendly. Lisa also extends her talents to music tutor, vocal coach, DJ and music columnist; an impressive CV that also includes four previous full-length albums, including a Live recording, an Acoustic Sessions release, two prior E.P.’S – together with a few singles thrown into the pot for good measure! 

Active since 2005, her output has been consistently praised for its quality and depth. The five tracks included here are beautifully arranged and played by an ensemble of studio players that include the multi-instrumental talents of José McGill, who not only produced, engineered and mixed, but also performed on an array of instruments (10 in total) and provided some backing vocals too! 

Lisa plays acoustic guitars and sings in a voice that has great resonance and timbre. The songs are all written by Lisa and revolve around matters of the heart; whether the difficulty in living together through the doubts (Anything But Easy), to the sense of jumping into something new and unknown (The Edge Of Love); the memory of new love, now lost (I Just Can’t Forget), to the disappointment of being let down by another (Let Go) – or the realisation that ultimately we are on our own (Alone Tonight).  

No questioning the talent of this artist and with plenty of industry experience, the time for Lisa Redford to reach a wider audience is well-nigh… Do check out this excellent music.

Review by Paul McGee

Matt Patershuk If Wishes Were Horses Black Hen

The latest album from Matt Patershuk should see his reputation cemented as not only one of Canada’s finest roots performers but also among the best,period. It is a high point of his career to date and a superb album to boot. Taking its title from an old Scottish proverb which reads “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride” which suggest that dreams and ambitions should be pursued, even if not realised. Patershuk has said that this is a mixed bag and that is true as the songs cover a lot of bases that includes country (and western), blues, rock ’n’ roll and folk. Patershuk’s baritone vocal has the versatility to cover all these avenues with conviction allied to long-time producer’s Steve Dawson deft production skills.

The new album has fifteen tracks that immediately showthe variety in themes with in subject matter in the open trio of songs which are The Blues Don’t Bother Me, Ernest Tubb Had Fuzzy Slippers and Horse 1 (For Bravery & Good Fortune). All are set in suitable musical arrangements, the first is a bluesy song, the second a tribute to the good nature and personality of Ernest Tubb - which recounts a night Tubb spent a night in jail for firing a gun! Slightly at odds with what the title might have you expect. It features Charlie McCoy on harmonica and Dawson on pedal steel. Then the third track is an instrumental that would fit a Tarantino-style B movie. It is one of four such instrumentals on the collection all called Horse (the others numbered 2,3 and 4 are all shorter pieces) and in keeping with the album title but all diverse in their content. 

There is a cover of a Grateful Dead song Sugaree co-written by the recently deceased Robert Hunter and the late Jerry Garcia. Apart from that it’s Patershuk all the way and the writing standard is high throughout. His writing is more in the straight forward story telling mode,rather than as an oblique wordsmith. The words are set against some memorable musical arrangements which are full of hooks and melodies that stick.

Aside from the tracks mentioned above another trio of the songs should be noted. The slow ballad of the Alberta Waltz which, to its credit sounds like a timeless song for the ages. Bear Chase is more up-tempo, telling of the hunt for a bear and features another strong vocal from Patershuk. Walkin’ is a slow ballad which uses the pedal steel and deeply solid rhythm section and vocal accompaniment to set it off in ’50s style. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable outing that touches numerous different bases and which avoids sounding like a compilation album,rather one that compliments itself in its aims and realisation.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ed McGinley Tangled Roots & Twisted Tales Sonic Justice

The debut solo album from former Dixons and The Winters guitarist Ed McGinley who delivers a soulful, understated album of original songs alongside three thoughtful covers of Tim Hardin, Hank Williams and Bill Fay. He has also produced the album with Les Keye in Arad Studio in Dublin. It’s a rich warm sound that utilises numerous players to good effect. While McGinley’s voice is limited in range it is used well to fit within the context of the songs and their overall mood. Highlands and For The Last Time This Year are both good examples of the overall nature of McGinley’s vision for this album.

The three covers also fit neatly into the context of the album. The arrangement for I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry with its brass intro brings the song to a different place, that does what a good cover should, by making you rethink the song and your memories of it. You reflect on its lyrics and what they might mean set in a different musical space to the one you know. Long Ago, Far Away has pedal steel master Percy Robinson add his layered textured sound to the track alongside the organ of James Delaney to evoke a restless journeying. That pedal steel sound is again used effectively on You’re Never Coming Back, something of the opposite theme to that of the previously mentioned song.

There is an emphasis on thoughtful and skilful playing from the fourteen additional listed players on the album (McGinley play guitars throughout). It has the overall feel of a labour of love and it has been realised as such from the well-designed cover through to the control that the producers have used to achieve the contextual sound and vision of the album; something which is difficult to pin down, with its numerous influences, that have blended into nearly 35 minutes of music that fits and feels like a warm glove in winter.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Osborne/Jones Twang CRS

This is a download only compilation from the English duo who have released four albums under their joint names. David Osborne plays guitar and David-Gwyn Jones is the lead vocalist. Their debut album Sometime Soon was released in 2014 but this new album takes tracks from their last two releases, Only Now and Even Closer. Now this compilation lives up to its title and features the guest guitar talents of some of the very best country players around, in Rick Shea (who has worked with the duo on previous albums), Albert Lee, Jerry Donahue, Kenny Vaughan, Will McFarlane and Peter Anderson. Telecaster exponents all. 

The question might be, do these guests overshadow Osborne and Jones who also wrote the songs? The answer is no. Jones is a good and versatile vocalist and while Osborne works with the other players to produce the best performances in the songs. The other players, who include such notables as drummers Shawn Nourse and Don Heffington, bring much to the relative simplicity of the songs, all of which fit the traditional themes in country music, such as lost and requited love. Titles like A Million Teardrops, Always Write In Blue and I Guess That You Will could easily be covered by some of the more traditional country singers of the past 50 years.

There are four songs from the recent albums Only Now (2016) and six from Even Closer (2018). The former album was produced in L.A. and Glendale, while the latter was produced by Teddy Thompson in New York (mainly). The duo were a part of the Los Angeles real country music scene in the past, playing such shows as Ronnie Mack’s Barn Dance, alongside such acts as James Intveld and I See Hawks In LA.

The album is very engaging and a good example of guitar-driven twang that is both listenable and danceable. I’m just surprised that I hadn’t heard of the two albums that these tracks came from. They certainly deserve to be given another outing and will hopefully put the band up among the very best of the current resurgence of real country music emerging from the UK.  One small point however - a better cover may have helped sales.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jim Sullivan Self -Titled Light in the Attic

This release first saw the light of day back in 1972 and was a follow up to the debut U.F.O. that had started a media buzz about Sullivan, his big voice and 12-string guitar prowess. The production on this record is right up there with the best that studios could offer at the time. It is a completely different sound to the simple acoustic recordings of the other release, If Evening Were Dawn. The one track that appears on both records is Sandman and it’s interesting to compare the different production values given to each. This record is very assured and rounded in all the right ways by a studio production that gives the songs a finished feel…

There is a sense of Jim Croce or Gordon Lightfoot when hearing the content but then Sullivan had such a rich resonance to his voice that comparisons seem trite. There are eleven tracks here and the feel to the production is warm and full with the horn section and the rhythm of the back line quite compelling in the overall mix. 

There is a soulful direction to these songs that take them out of the simple Folk category and push them into a more rhythm and blues field. Clearly the talent of this artist was not fully realised, perhaps being on Hugh Hefner’s new Playboy label didn’t do Sullivan any favours? Who can tell? 

He never gained the rewards for all the hard work he put into his career over the years. Tom Cat and Show Me The Way To Go are pure soulful boogie and point to a direction that Sullivan could have blossomed in…. Biblical Boogie (True He’s Gone) is another track that could have originated in the Church influences of Gospel. Gone too soon but with these two revamped works, his memory is being kept alive.

Review by Paul McGee

Jim Sullivan If Evening Were Dawn Light in the Attic

The songs here date back to 1969 and this 2019 release is like a capsule hurled through space and time to reach out to a voice long since silenced. The back story to Jim Sullivan is just that – a back story. In 1975 he vanished without a trace on the way to Nashville to chase a career in the music business. These unreleased tracks were discovered and put into a posthumous release in order to celebrate a talent that never got to fulfil its true potential. 

All songs are simple acoustic guitar and voice accompaniment and have that sense of being trapped in time. The production is very basic, almost like home recordings, while the songs speak of broken relationships, (Roll Back The Time, Walls), looking for something more out there (Jerome), or just trying to make a relationship work out, (Sandman, What To Tell Her…).

So Natural is a quality song that deals with death in a manner that is somewhat different; “He looked so natural tonight, He had his hair all combed just right” – poignant and insightful…

It’s just like a faded photograph taken in the time when the World was a different place; there is an innocence and also a sense of wondering about why the dream never quite worked out.

Review by Paul McGee

David G Smith Who Cares Self Release

The title of this album gives a strong hint as to the content of the twelve songs included here. A message for our times? The opening track, Where Is The Medicine, leaves no doubt as the swamp rock sound of resonator guitars and the soulful backing vocal illustrate the personal anguish and pain suffered as a result of depression and suicide in our cities and towns. 

Second song, I Won’t Remember You, is a look at separation and whether a friendship can endure. The sweet guitar lines of Joe Robinson light up the arrangement with fluid jazz-based runs that you just want to keep going. He is a guitar virtuoso and his playing across these songs is of the highest quality.

Jesse James is a country tune with great fiddle playing from Larry Franklin as he weaves around the story of who the outlaw really was – the facts and the fiction that grew around his legend. The slow blues of Right Amount Of Wrong has the warm keyboard sound of Tony Harrell to the fore on Wurlitzer electric piano with understated guitar duelling along. 

David G Smith lives in Nashville and this is his seventh release over a career that has spanned over 20 years.  His producer, Blue Miller, died just after the completion of the project and the album is dedicated to his memory. Blue Miller produced a number of previous albums from Smith, in addition to working with artists such as Joss Stone, Bob Seger and India Arie. All songs are written by Smith, including 5 co-writes and the excellent musicianship displayed throughout is a pleasure to listen to…

Mary Alice is about a female long-distance trucker and the compromise & sacrifices made to earn a living, while Say Die, tells of a riverboat family who live close to the poverty line as shrimp farmers. The bayou accordion sound and soulful backing vocals give plenty of atmosphere to the arrangement. 

 There is a duet with Mary Gauthier on Shine, a soulful upgrade on the Curtis Mayfield classic, People Get Ready. Mary has also appeared on earlier albums by Smith and as always, she knocks her vocal out of the park. Also featured on the album are the voices of Alicia Michilli and Chante Caan, but without individual song credits it’s not clear who sings which part… suffice to say that both voices are full of soul and real nuance.  

The country sound of Straw Houses and Just To Feel The Wind sit well together; one about the relationship woes of not being strong enough and the other a tale of a dying man, victim of a hit & run and left to take his last breath in a ditch while looking at the sky and thinking of his loved one at home. The fiddle playing of Franklin is prominent again in both tracks.

Without Water is about water pollution and captured in the lines ‘what leaks into the water seeps into our souls and takes us down’. No legacy to leave our children and the frustration at the world and the ignorance displayed daily is tackled in the closing song and title track; also touched upon in the song, Mi Familia, were the futility and hopelessness of lives forced into emigration/immigration is handled  with great compassion, both including fine female vocal parts again. A very interesting release and one that comes recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Simon George I Am The Wanderer - Tales From The Old West Self Release

A second release in as many years from an artist that was born in Dallas and moved to Nashville, where his musical development grew roots. He sent me this music, which arrived with the most comprehensive set of liner notes that I have ever received; what a welcome surprise to be given real insight into the bones of this project. The nine tracks clock in at 50 minutes and the mix of Americana, psyche rock and Soul, makes for an interesting listening experience. 

The title track, for example, is a funky workout with warm keys and trumpet making their mark in a driving arrangement, followed by the laid-back groove of We Used To Love Each Other Once, a tip of the hat to past romance and the nostalgia of something lost that can never be recovered. The opening tracks, The Mountains Calling and My Way Home, are guitar driven songs about love lost and getting a focus on what is important in following your dream and living free and true. 

The studio musicians are excellent in support of the songs and Robert Hudson on Bass and Rhythm guitar; Andrew Kahl on Drums & Percussion; Spencer Garland on Organ, Piano and Keys; Robert Gay on Trumpet and Maggie Reed on superb backing vocals all contribute greatly to the overall feel of the album. 

Robert Hudson also engineered and produced at his Kinda Warm Studio and with Simon George on Lead & Rhythm guitars and lead vocals, both turn in superb performance across the entire recording. The final three tracks really hit the mark as the project climaxes with Save Your Tears For Sunday, Bigger Than Dallas and Good Lord Willin’ all hitting the mark and highlighting the excellent ensemble playing. 

I also received a copy of the first album in my post and I have to say that The Way We Were is a terrific listen also, another nine tracks, clocking in at 55 minutes and well worth a listen. This artist is worthy of further investigation and you will not be disappointed in the time spent.

Review by Paul McGee

The Commonheart Pressure Jullian 

That very broad sweep known as Americana embraces quite a number of genres, spreading its tentacles far and wide. With its growing market it is inevitable that the music industry will become more and more influential in a direction it considers to be most likely to appeal to a wide audience. There appears to be a particular welcome approval from industry for crossover soul/country music presently, with acts such as War & Treaty, Yola, Shinyribs and Nathaniel Rateliff getting lots of positive and well-deserved press. Eight-piece Pittsburgh band The Commonheart are worthy of joining that list of acts most likely to position themselves much higher up the music chain on the basis of their striking sophomore recording Pressure.

The Commonheart featured on the Outlaw Music Festival tour alongside Willie Nelson and Sturgill Simpson, which was great exposure for the band. However, I do sometimes wonder at the increasing number of acts currently being touted as ‘Outlaw’. Qualification for that accolade nowadays appears to be well outside of its original coveted membership.

The album offers ten tracks, the common denominator being Clinton Clegg’s powerhouse vocals and, despite the large contingent in the band, the accompanying and backing instrumentation never dominates. Where The Commonheart differ from the earlier named acts is in the rawness in Clegg’s vocal. His gravelly chanting offers similarities to England's Joe Cocker across a number of tracks but particularly on Wait and Memory. Strings, brass, synthesizers, backing vocals combine delightfully on Can’t Forget You and Best Hold On. The title track is classic soul, evidence that Clegg is just as adept with a gentle delivery as he is with his more powerful and raspy efforts.

Nobody’s Listening proclaims Clegg on the track of the same title. With material as powerful as this and a stage act to match he may not be saying this for much longer.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Beth Bombara Evergreen Lemp Electric

In a market heavily populated with female singer songwriters, all competing for listens and exposure in the Americana genre, making a lasting impression when your album is released is no easy task. Beth Bombara has certainly put her heart and soul into this ten-track album and hopefully will reap the rewards. She may be a new name to some, but Evergreen is in fact her seventh recording - she has already released two EP’s and five full albums.

Aimee Mann comes to mind on both Anyone and I Only Cry When I’m Alone, two guitar driven gems that Ms Mann would be proud to have in her back catalogue. Like many of her contemporaries, the Grand Rapids Michigan artist cut her teeth forming and fronting a punk band, Green Means Go. Those punk sensibilities raise their head on the punchy Good News, it’s sassy and mean as hell. However, the standout track is the striking Does It Echo, a stunner from start to finish and up there with the best individual tracks I’ve heard this year. Woozy guitar by Samuel Gregg and Bombara’s nasally vocals combine like two peas in a pod on this album highlight. The title track Evergreen is an infectious poppy affair and the broody All Good Things simply features Bombara’s vocal accompanied only by piano. I Only Cry When I’m Alone reflects on personal vulnerability and is bravely selected as the album's opening track.

The concept of isolation from the outside world while in the writing process appears to be coming increasingly popular among artists. The title of the album references the log cabin in the Rocky Mountains where the album was written, directly after completion of a gruelling tour. The ‘time out’ in isolation was well invested by Bombara, resulting in a consistently compelling collection of songs, well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dalton Domino Songs From The Exile Lightning Rod

Hailing from Lubbock Texas, Songs From The Exile is Dalton Domino’s latest release following on from Corners in 2017. Gone are the rich arrangements that adorned Corners, replaced this time around by an emphasis on his thoughtfully delivered lyrics, the stories contained within them and some stellar guitar, pedal steel, bass and drums.

 All thirteen tracks were conceived during a period described by him as ‘’my own personal rock bottom’’, so it’s no surprise that titles such as Better Now, Shadowlands, Cheap Spanish Wine and Welcome Home all feature. Yet another artist that was raised on punk and classic country, the album blends both country and southern rock, covering topics such as love lost, family memories, and personal rehabilitation. Domino certainly brought in the big guns to play on the album. Ace multi guitarist Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, Marianne Faithful, Norah Jones, Jewel) and in demand drummer Nate Coon both feature and make a telling impression throughout.

 All I Need, a duet featuring Kalsey Kulyk on vocals, is a killer country ballad, sounding all the better compliments of some awesome guitar work by Pettibone. Daddy’s Mud is on the same page, a mature and reflective song, written from the heart.Shadowlands is a haunting ballad with echoes of a stripped back Steve Earle. Saving the best until last, the album finishes with Welcome Back, an emotional homecoming suggesting an artist presently in a good place.

 The road to sobriety was undoubtedly a challenging journey for Domino. This collection of songs created during his period of crystal clear clarity were therapeutic for the writer, by his own admission.  Collectively they offer the listener a keyhole perspective on the struggles that often accompany the artistically gifted. Domino can take pride in both his recovery and the resulting album that accompanied it.

Review by Declan Culliton

Elaina Kay Issues Rockin’C

‘’In the last few years, I’ve grown so much. I’m not that small-town ranch girl anymore. I run with the boys’’. Part proclamation, part tongue in cheek, but there’s a certain brashness and self-assurance running through Issues, a most impressive debut recording from the young Texan. No shrinking violet by any means - not surprising as she grew up on her family’s ranch in Wichita Falls, Texas, which involved 4am alarm calls to help out on the farm. That fondness and devotion to ranch life, tortuous as it may have been at the time, led to her joining the rodeo team when enlisted in college at Tarleton State University.  Her work ethic and attention to detail must have given her food for thought when assembling a team to work on the album. Enter Paul Cauthen, the somewhat reformed hell raiser and rising star in his own right. Cauthen came on board as producer and Kay also called on another bunch of outlaws, the long haired and denim clad Texas Gentlemen, as her studio band for the recording.

The writing across the album is honest and from the heart, never appearing to stray beyond her native Texas for inspiration.  The opener Daddy Issues, is a true to life tale of her father treading the wrong side of the tracks and getting in trouble with the law. It’s a country rocker that brings to mind the equally sassy Elizabeth Cook. Rodeo is bold and raunchy, as it considers the parallel quandaries that the rodeo and touring musician face. The bar room honky tonker Pull Your Own Weight, is further evidence of a young lady more than able to fight her own corner and not afraid to dish out the ultimatums. Widows Watch is a more laid-back country ballad, combining Kay’s impressive vocals with some equally skilled playing from her musicians.

Parallels could be drawn with Jade Jackson, another young artist blending rock with country overtones. Issues exhibits an indisputable quality and consistency, not always found in debut albums. It’s a crowded market for aspiring country artists at present, but given Kay’s talents and determination, don’t be surprised to be hearing a lot more from her in the coming years.

Review by Declan Culliton

Tim Grimm Heart Land Again Cavalier

This is good natured, mature and warm folk music from Tim Grimm, a musician, actor and tour leader. The title relates to an album called Heartland he recorded in 1999. The album comes with a lyric booklet and a brief précis on the subject of each song. All this shows an album that is rooted, in more than once sense, in a location and in family.

Grimm delivers these songs in a warm, rich, easy on the ear, voice that is well suited to his subject matter. The songs included one about a much-loved father, Staying In Love, while This Old Man is about his Grandpa. A part of his story was making the move for Los Angeles to Southern Indiana. There was a farm that became home and he also writes about neighbours around the 80-acre farm that they worked and still live on.

The lyrics are evocative and delivered in a way that makes it easy to assimilate with the combination of simple melodies and crafted writing. Grimm is joined on this and previous albums by his sons, Connor and Jackson, as well as his wife Jan and a couple of guests including Krista Detor. Anyone who has encountered Tim Grimm on his recent albums will be more than happy with this new collection of material that seems like a message from an old friend telling stories of his life.

Recorded in Bloomington, Indiana, the heartland, it is a reflection of a simpler time and lifestyle. But without becoming overly sentimental. Much of this is down to Grimm’s sense of place and his easy delivery. There are also a couple of covers. One is AP Carter’s, Carter’s Blues, and the other a traditional song, Sowin’ On The Mountain, which he originally learned from his friend Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and his here arranged by Jackson Grimm. Heart Land Again is about family and is appropriately delivered by one (one what?).

Review by Stephen Rapid

Karen Jonas Lucky, Revisited Self Release

For album 4, Karen Jonas decided to revise tracks from her previous albums as she didn’t quite like the way they turned out. Here with a more confident and prominent vocal performances they sit in a more acoustic setting that brings a uniform setting throughout that seems to work on a number of levels. The band is the trio of long-time guitarist Tim Bray, bassist E.P. Jackson and drummer Seth Brown with Jonas on vocal and acoustic guitar. This touring unit are especially familiar with the songs and how they are performed in a live setting and deliver them closer to this format than on previous recordings. It shows an intuitive chemistry that bands who have played a lot of road shows have.

Jonas is the writer of the songs featured here, other than the two covers, Lovesick Blues and Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry. The latter given a sad, slow reading that gives the lyrics a different slant with some effective guitar from Bray. Four songs are taken the debut release Oklahoma Lottery (including Money, River Song and the title track in a less bluesy, slightly more rocking version). Her second album was appropriately entitled Country Songs and the selections from that album still live up to that title. The guitar twangs with country tones although there is the absence of the fiddle and steel that appeared on the original versions. Gospel Of The Road and the title track Butter came from the most recent album and are given more stripped-down arrangements here that fit within the context of the album’s intentions.

Jonas is a strong writer and vocalist who brings the traditional themes associated with country music to the fore in her work. This album is an ideal place to get to know her work, which has seen her acknowledged as a winner in the Washington Area Music Awards as best Americana/Country artist. Her music may not be that well known outside of her home territory but should be. It is above all fun and fresh so as Jonas says upfront at the start of the album “hang on to your hats boys!

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dan Bern Regent Street Kababa 

25 releases to date and still counting! Having lost 2 fingertips in a domestic accident involving a snowblower, Dan remains undaunted – he simply went and played piano instead of his trusty guitar. His vision has always been big and in technicolour and this release is no different. He paints on a wide palette. 

The opening track, Regent Street, is a sweaty work-out complete with brass section, hand-clap beat, funky piano and fiddle all joining in on the fun. Don’t know where this Regent Street actually is, but if they play sounds like this, then I think I’ll ignore Dan’s advice not to go there and jump in a cab…

Teresa Brown is another big sound with something of a Dion or Gary US Bonds feel to it – thumping bass lines and military tattoo drum rhythms. Bern has always been a commentator of our times and he dishes up America For The People, a sardonic swipe at the politicians who would package up the democratic process in search of personal power and more of the gold. 

Not Perfect struts along at a busy pace and the layered sound drowns the vocals somewhat but on Dear Tiger Woods, the message is clear and the tongue-in-cheek dig at obscene fame is well aimed and delivered; suggesting maybe it’s time to play a little less golf in his search for Gandhi-like global acceptance and the possible need for a song-writer on his back-up team.   

Produced by Jonathan Flaugher, who also plays a mean bass, the assembled studio musicians are many. They deliver the goods on most songs, with the funky groove of Negotiation one of the stand-out tracks, all Little Feat vibe with Flaugher prominent on his bass rhythms, with harmonica, keyboards and wah-wah pedal guitar effects adding a great backdrop. Riding On A Train is something of a respite with simple piano, harmonica and a gentle rhythm hinting almost in the direction of a ballad. 

Deregulation speaks for the need to wake up and come together in the face of increasing regulation and constraint on daily living. This new release has plenty on offer and when this truly talented artist decides to enter the studio then you can be assured that sparks are likely to fly – in which direction is something that the listener is invited to explore…! 

Review by Paul McGee

Sadie Jemmett Phoenix Twouptwodown

This singer-songwriter is based in London and is releasing her third studio album in a recording career that began in 2013. Her vocal is assured and strong with a nice tone and warmth in the delivery. She deals in heartache and the vagaries of love and relationships, with opener, Rescue Street, dissecting the marketplace of boy meets girl and followed by Bitter (Danni Nicholls guests) a song about uncertainty in relations and the curse of envy. 

Don’t Silence Me is a call out to the MeToo movement and to females beyond who have been silenced for too long, “take your hands off my sister, didn’t you hear her say NO!?” A Fighting Chance is a mellow groove and a message to keep things going even if there are a few bumps in the road and on Good Friday, a cheating song, the urge is strong to never forgive and just move on.

Joby Baker handles all string arrangements as well as contributing on an array of instruments, nine in all. Richard Moody also plays mandolin, violin, viola, with Adam Dobres contributing electric guitar. Sadie plays acoustic guitar and sings all songs, in addition to writing everything. Two of the tracks are co-writes and all songs are the work of an accomplished artist who knows how to create a dynamic in the song structures and deliver arrangements that are never predictable. 

Leonard’s Waltz is a stand-out track with its’ heartfelt words to the fire of friendship and a beautiful melody; “So where will you go to when absence covers your face? How will I find you with no forwarding address?”

The Wilder Shores Of Love is a salutary tale of war and the price paid by innocent people caught up in the madness. “They bombed us in the night until the break of day, rounded us up like vultures’ prey…”

The closing song is a call to arms and a cry to give in order to receive – a pay-it-forward message in What You Give Will Come Back. 

Wonderful stuff and a terrific listen.

Review by Paul McGee

Josh Johnston The Art Of Saving Lives Shandon

This release from Dublin based Josh Johnston was created over a number of years, with some of the tracks dating back as far as 2009. Having released three solo records since 2000, plus a number of collaborations with various artists, Johnston has established himself as a musician and producer of some wide experience and depth. His compositions are always interesting and, on this project, the overall feel is that of an eclectic mix of differing styles. 

Josh Johnston plays Piano, Wurlitzer Piano, Synth and pipe organ and provides lead vocals. Nine of the eleven tracks included are co-writes and the studio players joining in are Eoin O’Brien (electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals, synth, percussion), Martin Gruet (bass), Cormac Dunne (drums and percussion), Carol Keogh (vocals), Adam Fleming and Paddy Groenland (electric and acoustic guitars), Tom Portman (dobro, pedal steel and electric guitar), Aisling Bridgeman (violin), Rory Pierce (cello), Marco Francescangeli (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Bill Blackmore  (trumpet and flugelhorn).

Rain is veiled in a busy production with plenty going on in the mix but I hear it more as a stripped back song of staying the course and being a true friend. Scattered is more effective with a simple piano melody and a vocal that speaks of self-doubt and chances lost. Equally, with A Light In The Dark Of Night, the light touch on piano and subtle dobro of Tom Portman ground the instrumental in a sweet melody that drifts easily along like a gentle breeze.

A duet with Carol Keogh on Missed Her On The Road works well within an easy groove and the combination of cello, violin and soprano sax on Midsummer With Anja is very affecting. Closing track, The All-nighter, is a slow burn that shimmers with the guitar of Adam Fleming and the bass of Martin Gruet providing perfect foils for the keyboard flights and synth sounds of Johnston.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Releases

The Steel Wheels Over The Trees Big Ring

Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Steel Wheels are a five-piece roots band consisting of Kevin Garcia (percussion, keyboards), Brian Dickel (vocals, bass), Trent Wagler (vocals, guitar, banjo), Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) and Jay Lapp (vocals, mandolin, guitar). Now in their tenth year, the band have recorded six previous albums showcasing their roots sound that has resulted in repeated invitations to play various prestigious festivals across America and further afield. The band have also hosted their own annual three-day Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon Virginia for the past seven years. The timely release of Over The Trees coincides with this year’s event.

For this recording the band travelled 1200 miles north to Maine where they worked with producer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Langhorn Slim).

Climate change or indeed political climate inferences could be drawn from the funky opener Rain Come. Road Never Ends treads a similar sounding path, seductive percussion driving the sound along.  The recurring themes of exodus and moving to pastures new feature on the rocked up Keep On. Classic love themes emerge on I’ll Be Ready, an impressive and easy on the ear listen that could very well be raided by a ‘big name’ in the future, given its radio friendly vibe. Get To Work, which follows, also impresses, not necessarily by its lyrical content but more so by its addictive backbeat and melody. This Year is the album closer, an impressive acapella prayer of hope for reconciliation and compassion.

Review by Declan Culliton

Christopher Lockett Between The Dark And The Light Gritbiscuit 

As a film director, photographer, cinematographer and singer songwriter, it should come as no surprise that Los Angeles based Christopher Lockett is a lover of a story. His travels across all continents working on documentaries has given him ample ammunition to translate his observations into songs and the opportunity to develop these stories into albums. Between The Dark And The Light is his third studio recording.

 Whereas his two previous recordings were self-produced, Lockett engaged multi-instrumentalist and producer Fernando Perdomo (Todd Rundgren, Andy Pratt, Jennifer Kaiser) this time around. An individual renowned for his ability to operate at breakneck speed and maximum efficiency, Perdomo also contributes percussion, bass and keyboards. He and Lockett also managed to piece the whole album together in two days.

 Conscious that he normally performs solo, Lockett was intent on creating material that he could perform on the road. Therefore, the instrumentation is sparse yet well placed to give the material depth, but also allowing the vocals to be the main instrument. Jacarandas, named after a flowering plant common to Southern California and Shake It both recall Warren Zevon. The former is enriched by violin courtesy of Kaitlin Wolfberg and backing vocals by Trevi Fligg. The latter is a souped up harmonica driven bluesy toe tapper. Old December is a reflective slow burner and the album closes in style with There Is A Darkness, a grippingly melodic song that considers unexpected mood change.

The album is no doubt a labour of love for the multiskilled Lockett and a welcomed deviation from his other career pursuits. More than that, it’s an impressive late-night listen from a talented storyteller.

Review by Declan Culliton

Paddy Godfrey Doin’ Just Fine Oldflattop 

The debut four track EP from Belfast’s Paddy Godfrey is an impressive introduction to a young artist whose core inspiration is drawn from Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. His deep baritone delivery brings to mind Canadian Colter Wall, an artist with comparable musical idols and one who has made a significant industry advancement over the past few years. Recorded and produced by Percy Robinson at Newhills Sound Studios, Ramelton, it features Godfrey on vocals and guitar accompanied by Robinson on dobro on the track The One. Opener So Far and the bluesy Doin’ Just Fine impress most.

Godfrey is a maturing artist with considerable potential and hopefully doin’ just fine is a stepping stone to establish himself firmly in the Irish market and further afield.

Review by Declan Culliton

Shawn Fenner Bad Decisions Self-Release

 The third album release from Shawn Fenner never strays too far from his blueprint of pure and unadulterated traditional country music. Also sticking closely to the country song rule book, the album features lots of drinking, bar room fighting, loving and leaving, despair and misbehaving across the twelve tracks.

After spending several years playing barrooms and honky tonks in Nashville, Fenner relocated to Chester, Virginia where he currently resides. Winner of Richmond’s Voice, a competition sponsored by WKHK-K95 Radio, he has opened for Willie Nelson, ZZ Top and Hank Williams Jnr.

Fiddle and twangy guitar set the scene for the opener and title track Bad Decisions (“chasing the wrong gal, crossing the wrong guy”). A tale of wrong turns and choices, it’s saterical and catchy as hell. Tales From The Barside follows the same path with beers and brawls in dive bars. Late Nights is the morning after the night before, with hangovers, black eyes and crashed trucks. Too Late For Coffee (Too Early For Beer) is holiday midday crisis, time off and decisions to be made. Until You takes a more serious turn, the regret of a self-imposed broken marriage. Sad, Lonesome, Brokenhearted is the same story, remorsefully retold. House Always Wins closes the album on a sober note, with Fenner reminiscing over indiscretions and flings in a previous life, but rejecting the bar stool these days for the comforts of home bliss. I’m not sure that the inclusion of covers Ring Of Fire and Misery And Gin add to the listening pleasure. In fairness, he does them both justice and they would work well in his live setlists but the original material on the album is strong enough in its own right.

The album is simple and predictable in the best possible sense. The common denominators on all the tracks are Fenner’s deep melodic vocals, the cracking playing throughout and the strength of the songs.

Fenner is unlikely to have the major record labels knocking on his door, given what sells as country music these days. It’s unlikely to faze him. He’s more inclined to unapologetically continue to write, record and perform good old country tunes and keep the music of his heroes Haggard, Cash and Jennings alive and kicking. Bad Decisions does just that and more. Hats off to him for that.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dan Webster Devil Sky Paper Plane Records

Kicking off with the rousing drinking song of good cheer, Playing Cards & Late Night Bars, the prominent violin of Emily Lawler highlights the tempo and the guitar of Webster also features in the song progression. Home Again is a slow tune, again featuring some fine violin playing, plus the mandolin of Polly Bolton and a song about leaving a dead relationship and packing for home. The celebratory nature of Bo is a real delight with the full band in overdrive, great rhythm provided by Mark Waters on bass and Yom Hardy on drums, driving the beat; mandolin and violin taking turns in lifting the song arrangement to greater heights.

Webster has been described as ‘Anglicana’ but I must say that he moves very much in a contemporary Folk direction for me. Haul Away is a gentle acoustic number with Danni Nicholls on backing vocals and the understated cello of Rachel Brown adding colour to the melody. Mary Ann is a song that balances life on the road as a travelling musician against the more stable reality of a steady routine; restless natures build their own prisons. Again, the playing is superb as violin and mandolin circle around the easy beat. 

Sand has a Celtic feel to the arrangement and the electric guitar of Stuart Allan is a nice counter point to the excellent keyboard sound of Joshua Burnell. Again, a song about lost love. The lost opportunity of Nothing At All references the title of the album and sums up the angst in many of these tracks at a failure to connect and find real meaning in relationships. The final track, Anyway, is a standout and brings everything to a sweet, if sad, conclusion. The studio players are excellent throughout and serve these songs well. A very pleasant listen overall.

Review by Paul McGee

Allah Las LAHS Mexican Summer

Guitar driven band who formed in 2008 and who made their reputation in the Los Angeles area playing a combination of Psychedelic/Folk Rock that mirrored the west coast sounds of 60’s bands such as Love, Jefferson Airplane and early Traffic. Lots of retro sounding arrangements with simple beats, terrific harmonies and a jangle to the guitars. These musicians are all excellent players and guitarists Pedrum Siadatian and Miles Michaud play off one another with a series of electric weavings that are well rooted by Spencer Durham on bass and Matt Correia on drums. 

There is a timeless quality to tracks like Star and the instrumentals Roco One and Houston build into lovely slices of dreamy pop rock that stays in the memory.  There are keyboards throughout that echo and the distant groove on Electricity and Pleasure are also very striking. Prazer Em Te Conhecer and Holding Pattern are subtly simple and yet fully formed in their interesting rhythms. 

Understated and gently geared to lull the listener into a sweet state of somnambulance. Thirteen tracks that will help you to put the world to rights as you surrender to the insistent rhythm and melody of this interesting band

Review by Paul McGee

Maureen Toth Blur Self Release

This name is new to me but on doing some research it appears that Maureen Toth is very much a D.I.Y. artist/entrepreneur in every sense. When she isn’t writing her own songs and performing them, she runs a successful talent agency that concentrates on film and television placements. She has a Psychology degree from Boston University and has plenty of experience in what makes a successful career from both sides of the fence.

This 5-track EP clocks in at under 25 minutes and is a very pleasant listen. There is plenty of variety across the songs included, with production from Carlos Calvo who also contributes guitar and vocals. Dave Sutton plays bass with Marc Slutsky on drums and backing vocals from Nicole Washington. Paul Smith also contributes as engineer/co-producer. 

The opening (title) track addresses the unbreakable bond of love that stretches beyond our worldly confines and endures, despite the veil of death. The slow tempo of Fundamental is a sad look at the many problems facing our way of life right now and the need to survive in the face of hatred and violence.  

Deep Dark is another plea to cease the endless fear and suspicion of what we don’t understand. The tragedies suffered in the name of extremism are so many and the need to shed some light is always there. Great bluesy delivery from Toth and a fine guitar solo from Calvo give the song added dimension.

Siren is a shout for independence and the need to be free to live your life, including another great guitar break from Calvo who plays with economy and feeling. The closing song, Island, is a love song that raises hope for the future and the power of individuals to rise above the constraints of daily living.

With two previous releases, this artist is certainly a breath of fresh air and delivers a confident statement of her talents that should certainly gain her increasing recognition.

Review by Paul McGee

Katie Dahl Wildwood Leaky Boat

This artist is from Wisconsin and has been releasing music since 2009. Her Folk sound is very organic and traditional with the superb playing of Kristin Weber on fiddle weaving through these songs of love, life, loss and many other road signs along the way. Steve Dawson also features strongly and plays a range of instruments as always; a musician of the highest quality who never fails to deliver.

From family history (Wildwood Girl) and immigration (Good Northern Ground), breaking free from small town constraints (Helen), childhood friendships (Braver Than Me) and those already passed away, yet still present (Anna Lee); the wistful sense of something lost is never far away. 

The light touch on drums and percussion from Jamie Dick and the considered bass playing of Rich Higdon, serve these songs well and colour just enough to lift the arrangements beyond the ordinary. The backing vocals of both Larissa Maestro (5 tracks) and Allison Russell (4 tracks) are perfectly delivered in the sense of the emotion displayed by these vignettes into simple lives, lived with dignity. 

Oh Minnesota is a look back to growing up and a tribute to the state. In the Dark is a standout song with such delicate touch that it resonates long after the record has finished. Valmy is a cover of a Pat MacDonald song and producer JT Nero (Birds of Chicago), has two co-writes among the eleven songs featured. 

Two songs are taken from “The Fisherman’s Daughters,” a musical set in 1908 and based on the true story of two sisters who fought the state of Wisconsin’s attempt to take possession of their homestead in order to create a state park. Breathing Room, from the perspective of one daughter who moved to the city, and The Fisherman’s Daughter, a sorry tale of the sister who stayed behind and perhaps, sacrificed her dreams. 

Production by JT Nero is very sympathetic to Dahl’s rural leanings and sound with plenty of space for the players to add texture and tone to the song arrangements. I have the strong feeling of something special here and a real contender for album of the year. Just buy it.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Mark Moldre Fever Dreams Yellow Moon 

‘’I’ve got these Fever Dreams they keep me up at night, and as my mind fills up with darkness, well all that I can wish for is the light’’.

A genre hopping delight from Australian Mark Moldre. Most likely to find shelter under the Americana umbrella, the third release from Moldre, as the title implies, is surreal, wacky, thrilling and edgy. Moldre displays his capacity to mix country rockers, electric blues, jazzy folk and dreamy ballads and yet still end up with an album that hangs together coherently, from start to finish.

Leave Me Where You Found Me is a jazzy blues affair, kicking off in Shakin’ All Over fashion, before heading off into B52 stomping grounds. White Lightning is a riotous sing-along and equally disorderly is the wonderful Full Moon Over Luna Park, a 2am boozy waltz. Shades of The Sadies emerge on ‘Til Now and both Josephine and Fever Dreams II recall his fellow countryman Nick Cave.

 The album was recorded live, with Jamie Hutchings once again producing and contributing to the mayhem with electric guitar, percussion, handclaps and backing vocals. More experimental and innovative than his 2013 album An Ear To The Earth, Moldre’s latest offering is both challenging, futuristic and rewarding. It offers the listener a body of work that creeps up, unravels and permeates with each subsequent listen.

Review by Declan Culliton

Angela Perley 4.30 Self Release

Most definitely a night owl, the title of Angela Perley’s album is a reference to her preferred bedtime, or as she describes ‘’when her body’s natural sleep cycle begins.’’ Having previously recorded two albums with her Columbus Ohio band The Howlin’ Moons, 4.30 is her first solo venture.  Co-produced with her musical collaborator and guitarist Chris Connor, the album boasts a mixture of rocky and gritty sounds, paired with some gorgeous more laid-back tracks. The opener and title track is one of those more chilled offerings, an impressive and dreamy delivery before the explosive Let Go that follows. It’s a full on and in your face gem, highlighting not only Perley’s adorable vocal but also the driving and crunching guitar skills of Connor, features that both repeat right across the album. That high-octane level continues with Back In Town which follows, another head banging gem, before Perley takes a breather with the mellow He Rides High and possibly the albums stand out track Don’t Look Back Mary. Walk With Me is cosmic 60’s psychedelic pop territory, fuzzy echoing guitar dancing between the speakers, creating an evocative sound resembling Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter. The melodic Snake Charmer recalls Aimee Mann and Ruby Girl is uncomplicated power pop.

It’s hard also not to like the cover photo either, courtesy of Chris Connor. It depicts Perley in classic guitar rock chic poise, looking fashionably cool in 60’s style with platform boots, flared sleeves and even wider flared trousers (or loons as they were christened back in the day!). A cool photo equally matched by a superbly cool album.

With the tiresome tendency to over categorise these days, you may find 4.30 filed in the Americana section of your record store or even possibly the Indie section. In more unelaborate times, it would be found under the ‘rock’ label. Either way, have a root in both places and seek it out. It’s an excellent listen of retro pop/rock, great songs, with equally impressive vocals and impeccable playing throughout.

Review by Declan Culliton

The HawtThorns Morning Sun Forty Below

 There is no shortage of husband and wife duos touring and recording for Americana audiences both in America and Europe. The HawtThorns are a welcome addition to the expanding list. You may be familiar with KP Hawthorn from her previous life as part of the countrified trio Calico alongside Jaime Wyatt and Manda Mosher. Multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, session player and producer Johnny Hawthorn hooked up to collaborate with KP and the relationship moved on from workmates to partners. Morning Sun captures what they both individually do best, bottles it and delivers an impressive debut across the eleven tracks.

Lush harmonies and killer guitar licks dominate throughout and the production duties undertaken by Johnny, Steve Berns and Forty Below Records founder Eric Corne is slick, expansive and often guitar driven. West Coast influences are hard to miss but there’s also a smattering of jangly power pop on Shaking and All I Know, the latter a co-write with Ted Russell Kemp. John Moreland’s Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore, the one cover on the album, gets a makeover, delivered in harmony alongside acoustic guitar and moody keyboards. Most impressive is Steady Fire with its gorgeous Byrds-like melody and killer guitar break mid song, a model for radio airplay.  Not lagging far behind is the title track, beautifully harmonised by the duo.

Like its title, The HawtThorns debut is bright, organic and welcomed. Check it out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Aaron Watson Red Bandana Big Label

With this new album, Texas independent country artist Aaron Watson, has upped his game  and produced an album that is both artistically and commercially successful. Subtitled 20 songs for 20 years, it is a major achievement for Watson, who also co-produced the album with Jordan Lehning, in that all of the songs were written solely by Watson. The album opens with a tribute to Guy Clark (Ghost of Guy Clark) and then delivers songs that cover all the aspects that are a part of Watson’s music motivation. He has always taken a solid professional family-business approach to his music, in that his music is likely to have a little of something for everyone. There are the deeper songs sitting alongside those that aim for a broader appeal and should fit easily on today’s country radio. The best example of this may be the album’s first single, Kiss That Girl Goodbye, is an up-tempo song with a busy production that has an easy appeal. By way of contrast, Country Radio, is a ballad that is full of nostalgia about the place of country radio coming into homes in the past and how this still happens. It has a soft sound with steel and strings giving it that overall feel. Another tribute to his heroes is Legends, which mentions pretty much every country legend (and more) who are, mostly, no longer with us. He equates his attitude alongside these performers noting that “just like my heroes I’m free as the wind.”

A lot of the songs here are love songs to family, friends, place and profession. There is little of the darker side that appears on the albums of the more outlaw writers who are writing from a different aesthetic. It is however heartfelt from the author’s perspective and pretty true to his vision for the album. He also expands the sound out so that there are a number of musical settings that broaden his palette while keeping a consistent overall sound. As with some past albums, Watson and Lehning use some of Nashville’s finest session players such as Jedd Hughes, Stuart Duncan, Charlie Worsham who are all among 17 listed players. The album’s playing time runs over an hour, which raises the question that as to whether it would be a better album with just 10 tracks?  However it’s unlikely that there would be a consensus in the choice of those ten tracks. As it is it’s a listening experience that seems to flow well across the 20 tracks.

The song, Riding With Red, is about losing a mentor and friend and how he still has that man’s red bandana to wipe away the dust as well as the tears and is convincing in its straight storytelling. The title track also evokes images and takes inspiration from hard work and “walking the line.” Something that is important to Watson in the way he approaches what he does is remains true to himself and his many longterm fans. This is a mainstream album that rises above what that might mean in many cases. Its scope and vision is something of an obvious milestone in the career of Aaron Watson. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ed Dupas The Lonesome Side Of Town Road Trip

The title of this new album from Ed Dupas hints at a time of personal upheaval for the songwriter. Written in the midst of the break-up of a long-time relationship and how the departure of a person, who was pretty much a major part of his life, causes him to consider the nature of love, loneliness and the lessons learned from such an experience.

It was partly recorded in a reconditioned church in Greenville, Michigan. There they recoded the drum tracks and built the rest of the tracks around that base. As with the personal changes this also meant changes to the way the album was put together. On the previous albums they tracked live with the band in the studio. here Dupas recorded most of his parts in his Ann Arbor home. This allowed him some personal space to consider both his life and music.

The end result sounds as unified as his previous albums with Michael Crittenden again taking on the production role and several of the musicians who played on his last album returning again, including Rob Avsharian on drums, Drew Howard on steel guitar, Jaes Simonson on bass and Crittenden on guitars, keyboards and banjo. 

Dupas is in fine vocal form and his songs reflect a state of mind that contemplates many of the things that affect the way an individual can cope with the vicissitudes that life throws at each of us. From the title track on through the album there are titles that are chapter headings to his state of mind at the time of recording. Lonely, The Things I Miss, It Tears The Heart Right Out Of Me, Just For Two and State Of The Nation look a little bit more closely at what is going around him and sees much negativity out there in the wider world. 

The Lonesome Side Of Town is the third release from Dupas and finds him delivering his country/roots music with a skill and passion that marks him out as a singer/songwriter with something to say and something worth listening to.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Chuck Hawthorne Fire Out Of Stone 3 Notches

The welcome return of another storytelling troubadour who has turned his life experiences and what he has observed into a series of songs that convey an honesty and understanding for the subject matter of these tales. For instance, Sara’s All The Way, contrasts the rigours of a rodeo rider against that of the titular Sara, who is in a different place, literally being “all the way down in Austin tonight.” Throughout the album you are taken into the lives of some vulnerable people who Hawthorne makes feel real and believable. Just as his references to the details of a person’s home, life or sacred objects also ring true and add to the overall enjoyment of the song.

Hawthorne has a relaxed and easy vocal style that is part spoken and part sung. It is one that works in drawing you into the heart of these songs. The arrangements are sparse and effective allowing the essential nature of Hawthorne’s craft to come to the fore. The album was produced by Walt Wilkins and Ron Flynt and Hawthorne’s friend Libby Koch not only brings some fine harmony singing to the project but was a source of encouragement throughout. His mentor and producer of his last album Ray Bonneville adds harmonica. Both producers lend their talents here alongside other contributors including Geoff Queen on steel guitar and dobro, Marian Brackney’s fiddle and viola and Julie Carter playing cello. All play a subtle but important role in bringing depth and resonance to the recordings.

These are a set of songs that fit together as a collection and should be heard as a whole. They are all written by Hawthorne other than the final song, I Will Fight No More Forever, by the late Richard Dobson and based on the words of Chief Joseph, but have a deeper reality for an ex-marine like Hawthorne. A profession which undoubtably saw him encounter the good and the bad sides of life. The songs here such as Standing Alone, New Lost Generation, Worthy Of The Sea, Broken Wire say a lot in their simplicity “sail away, build a fire, hanging on, broken wire.” It attests to the skill that their author has as a lyricist; words matched with some equally memorable melodies and vocals. Fire Out Of Stone sparks every which way.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dave Gunning Up Against The Sky Self Release

This Canadian singer-songwriter releases his twelfth album in a career that has seen him highly celebrated for the craft he brings to his work and words; observations on life, love and everything in between. He has always been able to hone his vision with an honesty and integrity that is becoming increasingly rare in these days of political correctness.

Co-produced by Gunning and Jamie Robinson, the sound is very alive and open and feels free from much of the studio constraints that can end up blurring the lines of a project such as this. J.P. Cormier plays fiddle on Celebrate The Crop and Jamie Robertson supports on an array of instruments. The ten tracks are all very inviting and make for a really enjoyable listen over the 35 minutes that just seem to fly by; always a good sign.

The Atlantic String Machine are Sean Kemp on violin, Natalie Williams on cello, Karen Graves on violin, Jeffrey Bazett-Jones on viola and Adam Hill on bass. Their contribution here is really pleasing and their superb playing on four songs is perfectly realised.

There are eight co-writes, with Jamie Robinson (three), Ray Stewart (two), Thom Swift, Paul McKenna, and Mark Lang all sharing the creative muse. The encouragement of All That’s To Come and the plea to believe in yourself is balanced by the cautionary tale of Horse For Sale, a commentary on family farming and the pressure to keep hard times away from the inevitable forced sale.

The Loyal Fisherman is a tale of love and betrayal and shows all the writing skills of Gunning in full flow while Nothing On Me could be taken on different levels; a politician’s take on a squeaky-clean past or a personal admission that an uneventful youth can be a happy thing. Wish I Was Wrong is a protest song against a local pulp mill that is the source of air and water pollution, leading to illness among the community. The final song, Beyond The Day, is a rumination on fate and what may await us all while urging that we live in the present. This fine artist goes from strength to strength and his ability to produce consistently strong records continues with this superbly crafted collection.

Review by Paul McGee

Angelina Last Cigarette Wonderfulsound

This artist comes from the Isle of Man and recorded this album, her second, at Studio Humbug on the island. The eleven songs run to just over 36 minutes and quite a quirky and compelling listen they prove to be. The song structures and instrumentation are both offbeat and measured in a fashion that gives the project a sense of yesteryear, as if we are listening to the rediscovered old recordings of early blues artists like Bessie Smith or Ma Rainey.  

Her debut surfaced in 2016, titled Vagabond Saint, it received much critical acclaim, especially for the time worn feel and sound of the eleven tracks that belied the youthful age of Angelina. She sings like there is an old soul breaking forth from her young body and the beat heavy rhythm of the backline gives her the opportunity to open out her vocal range and deliver with plenty of nuance. Her vocals give an effect of being from another room; almost otherworldly…

My release notes say that she grew up with the blues, folk, country, gospel, jazz and rock'n'roll as companions and she taught herself to sing by listening to field recordings of country blues singers working on the land. I get the sense of Tom Waits and Amy Winehouse in the delivery and rhythmic arrangements with Rupert Brown (drums, percussion, auto harp, backing vocals), Boe Weaver (guitar, bass, keyboards), Barrie Cadogan (electric & slide guitars), Jason Wilson (double bass), Gary Plumley (flute) and Joe Glassop (keyboards) adding great colour and subtlety with their playing. 

The Peoples Choir of St. Louis also assist with five backing singers and the whole sound created is one of controlled tension with tracks like See Through Dress and Devils Wishing Well really stirring up an atmosphere. That Old Diesel and Killing Me have a country blues feel and a slow burn. Fire Broke Out has a rockabilly groove with some edgy guitar playing off the beat and Aggravating Trust is a sassy jazz shuffle that pleases greatly. A very unique record in many ways and one that arrives with much to admire. 

Review by Paul McGee

Album Reviews

Paul Cauthen Room 41 Lightning Rod

My first encounter with Paul Cauthen was back in 2017 when he performed solo at Kilkenny Roots Festival. Playing a lunchtime set in a small venue, his booming baritone vocals caught my attention, as he managed to silence a noisy crowd a couple of songs into his set. A founder member of hell raising Texas band Sons of Fathers, Cauthen disbanded the group in 2013, despite having released two albums, both of which charted in the Top 10 of the Americana Charts.  The bands direction was not fulfilling Cauthen and he pursued a solo career, allowing him the artistic freedom to follow his chosen path. It’s been a journey not without mishaps and headaches, for an artist with his finger never too far from the self-destruct button. Seldom on the straight and narrow from a young age, he spent a short spell in jail as a teenager and got kicked out of college in later years.  His artistic creativity and musical expertness appear to be his salvation, and Room 41 is his second solo recording, following My Gospel which was released in 2016. Blessed with a striking voice from childhood, Sundays and Wednesdays in his childhood were spent singing a cappella in his local church choir, developing a love of Gospel, blues and soul music

Room 41, could be labelled as a journey to hell and back again, written while Cauthen was literally living out of a suitcase as he pieced his life together after a number of health scares. The title refers to a room at The Belmont Hotel in Dallas, where the ten tracks were written by Cauthen.

Possibly best described as country funk, it’s a triumph over tragedy. Cauthen combines his brooding and powerful baritone vocals with a combination of rich and experimental instrumentation.  Shades of early Jim White Searching For The One Eyed Jesus era come to light on tracks Holy Ghost Fire and Freak. The latter a possible reference to Cauthen’s incarceration for marijuana possession in his youth.  The narcotic theme continues on the ultra-funky and album standout track Cocaine Country Dancing, which finds Cauthen sounding like a reincarnation of Johnny Cash. It’s pure modern-day outlaw, funky and as addictive as its subject. However, there’s a lot more to the album than rebel rousing offerings. The considered ballad Slow Down is a beautiful piece, a plead and cry for help from pending burnout. Equally impressive is Can’t Be Alone, a confessional account about a relationship regretfully abandoned. Give ‘em Peace dances between the spoken word and driving vocals, enriched by soothing choir harmonies and some jazzy playing. The autobiographical Big Velvet - Cauthen’s nickname - chronicles his many misdemeanours and eventual rehabilitation. Lay Me Down also impresses, a fitting and meaningful track, closing the album effectively.

Very much an album of its time, Room 41 is a hybrid of classic old school country and gospel, alloyed with more modern-day funk. Credit also to producers Beau Patrick Bedford and Jason Burt, together with the numerous artists that contribute. Cauthen has travelled a meandering life path to date, much of which inspired this album. His rising star status is well earned, let’s hope his journey continues to find him in such creative form and grants him the peace of mind he craved for while creating this most impressive collection of songs in Room 41.

Review by Declan Culliton

Native Harrow Happier Now Loose

An album laced with sadness and regret from Devin Tuel and her multi-instrumentalist musical partner Stephen Harms, otherwise known as Native Harrow. Whether autobiographical or not, Tuel’s writing tends to focus on topics that others may prefer not to give discourse to. Titles such as How You Do Things, Hung Me Out To Dry, Hard To Take and Can’t Go On Like This give a flavour of a writer that isn’t afraid to confront the less savoury relationship issues.

Opener and aforementioned Can’t Go On Like This, together with the title track, recall 60’s U.K. Folk and Sandy Denny, in particular. Blue Canyon is delightful and dreamlike, mirroring the album title perfectly. Questioning and without restraint, both Hard To Take and Hung Me Out To Dry showcase Tuel’s writing skills and silky vocals. Bookending the album and approaching seven minutes in duration, the sanguine Way To Light closes the album in a manner that suggests the writer is putting burdensome times firmly behind her.

Happier Now is an exceptionally impressive recording from the latest act to be signed to Loose Records. Sadness and regret seldom sounded better, from a maturing artist with endless potential.  The album will appeal to lovers of Judee Sill and indeed, Laura Marling.  It’s also one that won’t be gathering dust in my collection and will be a contender for my best of 2019 listings. Well worth checking out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Ana Egge Is It The Kiss Story StorySound

 There’s a comforting and soothing hallmark about Ana Egge’s vocal that has the capacity to eclipse that bad mood that may have crept up on you unexpectedly. Even when her songs penetrate displeasing personal territory or the painful realisms of the modern world, her gentle and delicate deliveries arouse sensibilities of serenity rather than misery. Those lullaby qualities are once more very much to the fore on her latest collection of songs titles featured on Is It The Kiss. Following on from where she left off on her 2018 recording White Tiger, her ability to fuse country and folk with some clever jazz overtures is quite individualistic. The production duties are once more pulled together by jack of all trades Alec Spiegelman, whose early formal musical education was rooted in jazz. Spiegelman regularly appears on stage with Egge and his improvisation prowess is the perfect foil for Egge’s fine vocals and edgy melodies.

This time around Egge once again displays a capacity to click a switch from one genre to another, while maintaining an evenness across the ten tracks. Cocaine Cowboys is honeyed country, with light dustings of pedal steel and fiddle alongside her calm and gorgeous vocals. Ballad Of A Poor Child, the one cover on the album, is a duet with Iris DeMent. Their contrasting vocal delivery more than does justice to Diana Jones' song. The gentle and caring James recalls lost innocence and unrealised dreams. Oh My My finds Egge’s vocals stretched to high pitched breaking point with equally aching pedal steel guitar accompanying her inner thoughts. Pain and suffering oozes out from the quite beautiful Teacake and Janey, a harrowing tale of unexplained love turned to tragedy. Rise Above is a reminder that despite the helter skelter times we live in, self-belief, honesty and empathy will always conquer.

Don’t just take my word for it, both Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle have namechecked Egge as an outstanding artist that should be on every serious music collectors’ radar.  For the unenlightened this new album is as good a place as any to start. Intoxicating!

Review by Declan Culliton

Leslie Stevens Sinner Thirty Tigers

Having shared stages and studios with the likes of John Fogerty, Father John Misty, Jackson Browne and Jonny Fritz, Sinner finds LA based singer songwriter Leslie Stevens recording her debut solo album. With the accolade of ‘Best Country Singer’ in 2018 courtesy of LA Weekly, the ten track album features material that is accurately described as ‘country’ and thankfully avoids any attempts to target the over populated and more often bland, ‘country/crossover’ market. Instead, what we get from Stevens is a collection of songs, all self-written, that highlight her knockout vocal ability alongside some slick instrumentation. Choosing Jonathan Wilson to produce may appear to be a wild card, given his own often quite left of centre solo recordings and his work with Dawes, Bonnie Prince Billy, Conor Oberst, Roy Harper, Father John Misty and Roger Waters. However, it’s a well-suited marriage as Wilson manages to match the perfect sonics to complement Stevens’ impressive vocals. He also contributes guitar, bass, percussion, drums and mellotron. Their combined talents are displayed to the fullest effect on the title track where Stevens’ crystalline vocals impress alongside woozy guitar playing by Wilson.

The songs are simple and straightforward in the best possible sense, seldom deviating from classic female country singer songwriter territory. Echoes of Ashley Munroe and Sunny Sweeney appear across a number of her deliveries which, for me, is certainly not a bad thing.

In the true country sense the album is laced with pedal steel guitar, in particular on You Don’t Have To Be So Tough and bookender The Long Goodbye. Storybook sounds like a young Nanci Griffith at her best and Falling is a country barroom blues delight. Depression, Descent, the albums highlight, hits the spot on first time listen and demands repeated plats.

Stevens is about to embark on a tour of Europe in the coming weeks with dates in Denmark and the U.K. culminating in an appearance at The Long Road Festival in early September. If undiluted non-commercial country is on your radar, do grasp the opportunity to catch the honeyed voiced Stevens in the live setting. Make no mistake, this young lady's talents expand way beyond her noteworthy vocal capabilities. A top shelf album and a reminder of just how magical ‘real’ country music can be.

Review by Declan Culliton

Edgar Loudermilk Band, featuring Jeff Autry Lonesome Riverboat Blues Rural Rhythm

In 2015, bassist Edgar Loudermilk decided to form his own bluegrass band after having successfully served his time in some of the top bands around (Rhonda Vincent, Marty Rabon and others). He called on the services of his friend and fellow Georgian, Jeff Autry (a powerhouse of an acoustic flatpicker) who had spent 14 years touring with the now sadly disbanded John Cowan Band. Since then, this hard driving bluegrass band has been no stranger to the highways of the US and Canada, but this is their first full album together. Not surprising for a bunch of road warriors, the predominant theme of the collection of 12 songs is one of loss - be that loss of family/friends or loss of one’s connection to home.

The title track is an aptly named bluesy song, co-written by Edgar, Jeff and Jeff’s talented son, Zack Autry, who is the band’s mandolinist. So strong is this song that I can see it being covered by many other performers in the future. Edgar Loudermilk, who takes the lead vocal on most of the songs, is renowned for his distinctive voice, as well as for his songwriting and it’s no surprise to learn that he is related to the Louvin Brothers! However, Jeff Autry successfully takes the lead on several, including his own song The Winter Wind. In true bluegrass style, ample space is given to each of the players to showcase their individual skills in most of the numbers. Banjo duties are taken by Curtis Bumgarner and another Georgia native Dylan Armour is also superb on resonator guitar.

 It seems to me that all stringband players love themselves a bit of swing, and here they get down on the classic Dinah (Jeff on lead vocals) and When I Grow Too Old To Dream

Overall, though, the band’s own compositions are every bit as captivating as the covers, so I’d like to see them concentrating on an album of originals next time. Coproduced by Jeff and Edgar, this is an excellent collection and comes highly recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

GreenSky Bluegrass All For Money Thirty Tigers

A ‘jam band’ is not a concept that we have had much exposure to here in Europe, but Greensky Bluegrass are one of the most successful of the bluegrass jam band genre in the US. They’ve been together for 18 years now and have a huge following of fans who travel long distances to see them live. Combining ‘rock and roll showmanship with high energy bluegrass’ is how they neatly describe themselves. For this, their seventh studio offering, they have aimed to create in the studio a sound reminiscent of their legendary live shows - not an easy ask. They’ve brought on board well known producer (and bassist with Jack White and many other luminaries) Dominic John Davis and he has successfully achieved that aim. 

While their instrumentation may be pure bluegrass (no drums, just acoustic stringed instruments) their songwriting is pure rock and roll. Ashes is a beautiful love song, whereas Courage For The Road and Collateral Damage detail the breakdown of a relationship. They are both from the pen of mandolinist and main song writer Paul Hoffman. Guitar player Dave Bruzza contributes three strong songs; a love song Like Reflections - “If I was a mountain, standing tall and proud, I’d wait for you”; It’s Not Mine Anymore - a dark exploration of disturbed memories, enhanced by distorted banjo, dramatic dobro interludes and maniacal mandolin; and Murder Of Crows - “she wrote it all down with an eagle’s feather, dipped in cocaine and blood”.

The superb production allows the dobro, banjo and bass to come to the fore. Many of the songs become extended jams but they never feel self-indulgent. A fabulous album that has grown on me with each listen. Let’s hope they travel to Europe sometime to allow us to experience the live show. 

Review by Eilís Boland

Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra Soul Of My City Tea Pad Recordings

Almost impossible to categorise, Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra’s sound is a heady stew of rockabilly, soul, country, swing, pop, ragtime and even surf rock, all put together and simmered over the past eight years in the boiling pot that is their beloved Newcastle. Everything about their sound is retro - except the superb production (credited to themselves and John Martindale). From the evidence here, it’s easy to see why the band are in big demand on festival bills across the UK and further afield. This is a rowdy, irreverent celebration of life, expressed by six superb versatile musicians. Rob himself writes all but one of the 12 songs here - songs that are clever, well crafted and above all catchy. Most of them are whimsical in theme (Holy Moly, Life Is A Drag) and are bound to encourage a sing-a-long. But it’s not all fun and games here- the gentle shuffle of Soul Of My City is a searing indictment of the gentrification of their native city, and Lonely Boy In The Dole Queue reminds one that not everyone is benefiting from so called progress. Colin Nicholson must be mentioned for his accordion (and piano and Hammond organ) playing, particularly on Une Bouteille De Beaujolais, where he adds to the distinctively French ambiance. And Ben Fitzgerald’s electric and baritone guitar playing is particularly dominant and successful in creating the retro sound. Ted Harbot’s bass, Paul Archibald’s drums and Tom Cronin’s mandolin and harmonica playing are equally impressive.

Superb artwork and b/w photography complete the package - party on!

Review by Eilís Boland

The Mountain Firework Company The Beggar’s Prayer Fretwork Union

Essentially using acoustic bluegrass instrumentation but with the addition of drums, The Mountain Firework Company have been plying their version of folky bluegrass with Celtic punk attitude in Brighton and beyond for 14 years. This is only their fourth recording and it was produced by the songwriter Gareth McGahan and bassist Simon Russell. Northern Irishman McGahan also sings all of the songs (well, he wrote them after all) and the rest of the band lend backing vocals. The lineup (which has barely changed in the lifetime of the band) is completed by Grant Allardyce (drums), Mike Simmonds (violin, viola, mandolin, nyckelharpa) and Brian Powell (guitar).

Most of the songs are taken at a fair pace and are banjo driven (Gareth McGahan) and the fiddle is very much to the fore. Themes vary from love songs (more like frequent heartbreak!) to social ills, as in Refugee and Spare Change. Come Back, a gentle love song is greatly enhanced by the plaintive lap steel of guest Bernd Rest. The short but sweet instrumental The Fish And The Crow inspired the fabulous artwork with a dark edge, just like in many of the songs - created by Gareth McGahan also! 

Review by Eilís Boland

Latest Album Reviews

Chip Taylor Whiskey Salesman Train Wreck

To be a legend in the music industry can mean different things to different people but my guess would be that not a huge audience is aware of the talent of Chip Taylor. You won’t hear his music, for example, on the increasingly commercial and restrictive playlists of the radio. This is his 40th album over a career that has spanned some 60 years, in addition to writing some huge hits for other artists along the way. Wild Thing(The Troggs),Angel of the Morning(Juice Newton) and Try (Just a Little Bit Harder), which helped establish Janis Joplin - he also wrote Sweet Dream Woman for Waylon Jennings.

Taylor’s own releases have been regularly featured in industry polls but his profile remains under the radar. His distinguished, smokey vocal is reduced to almost spoken word delivery these days but that lived-in tone retains a gentle knowledge that only rests within the wise and well-experienced artists of our time. 

Joined by his favourite players, including Goran Grini (keyboards), Tony Mercante (bass) and John Platania (guitars), his tales have the ability to lift our experience away from the normal and turn the personal into the universal.  The songs are beautifully played, with great restraint and gentle touch throughout. Naples is a wonderful look back on old memory and I Love You Today is a tribute to the enduring power of romance and looking for the positive in life. 

A Sip Or Two Of Good Scotch is a fun jaunt around the pleasures of drinking too much and pondering the journey. The whispered lines of both Whiskey Dreamsand Turn The Clock Back Again are framed and mirrored by the fiddle of Bonnie Sue Walters and co-producer Goran Grini, who shines on piano.

Some Heartsis a superb vignette of reaching out to the fragile and lifting up the spirit. There is a real truth and honesty in the lines of See The Good Side Of The Guywhen Chip sings about ‘there is good and bad in everybody, so when you look in the mirror, see the good side of the guy’; gentle sentiments of forgiveness and grace. A second disc is included, a DVD which has a setting created for each song and filmed at a local bar where Taylor features his wife and friends, among others. An essential purchase.

Review by Paul McGee

Gary Nicholson The Great Divide BlueCorn

When you have worked with a variety of talent such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Ringo Starr, BB King, Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joe Shaver, you should have an open door into every living room in the land of music lovers. However, Gary Nicholson remains largely unknown, an American singer-songwriter, producer and collaborator on more than 500 recordings to date … Not a household name, not famous for any media profile. 

I doubt very much, however, that he is concerned with commercial recognition when you have the reverence of your peers in the business. He is a go-to guy when you want the best, a quality that comes only with true talent and hard-earned experience.

This release is so special that I can only imagine how much it must have sparked the collective involved in its creation and delivery. When the time is ripe for a statement of the times then a clear voice will find its way out of the darkness and shout with a clarity that has to be heard. This is such a moment… I have no doubt that the eleven songs here are all very close to Gary’s heart and the understated grace with which he delivers such a humanistic message has to be applauded…

On the title track he sings ‘I’m not afraid of where you come from, not gonna judge the way you pray’; setting the tone of the record which asks the hard questions of what exactly keeps us apart when we are essentially one and the same….  The credits show a who’s who of talent, all lining up to be part of the project but the outstanding John Jorgenson deserves special mention for his virtuosity on a range of instruments (12 in total) as the arrangements build into a feast of terrific melody and message.

God Help America is a spin on the traditional hymn and a plea to end the present division in his country. Soft Spot speaks to traditional values when you did the right thing without cause for hesitation or question. Immigrant Nation just nails it when it comes to issues of where the roots of America run deepest – lest they forget!

The fiddle of Carmella Ramsey on The Troubles; the piano and Hammond B3 of Catherine Marks on Hallelujah Anyhow; the harmonica of Kirk “Jellyroll” Johnson on Blues In Black and White – all fine examples of the great talent on display.

The final song sums it all up with the universal message – Choose Love. I can’t get enough of this one and it is without doubt a contender for my album of the year.

Review by Paul McGee

The Golden Dregs Hope Is For The Hopeless Funnel

Benjamin Woods is the creative source behind the performance project called the Golden Dregs. It has been described as a means for Woods to explore different musical avenues, whether in a solo capacity or working with a rotating cast of musicians.

Sounding like a cross between Lloyd Cole and Stuart A. Staples vocally, Woods has a deep and rich baritone that gives extra gravitas to the sound of the eleven tracks included here. The lyrics are not very easy to catch and this is a real pity as the vocal is often mixed back in the overall sound, using the tone as much like a musical instrument as anything else.

All songs are written by Woods and the small number of studio players would indicate that he played most of the instruments himself during the recording. Woods also mixed the tracks with Bruno Ellingham, who also provides additional drum recordings. Hannah Woods adds saxophone and Kath Williams plays cello beautifully across a number of songs; Nobody Ever Got Rich (by making people sad)being a highlight…

Woods released his first album in 2018 and Lafayette was four years in the making. These arrangements are full and melodic with a sense of isolation in the plaintive vocal that hovers above the broad rhythms. Songs likeDeath of a Salesman and Pathosare interesting in their differing structures, the former an upbeat rhythm, the latter all reflective cello and piano. Just Another Rock is quite hypnotic, with the programmed keyboard rhythms channelling deep bass and edgy guitar parts... 

The song, Nancy and Lee, is another where the cello sets the atmosphere, surrounded by choppy rhythmic tempos, as Woods laments over a failed relationship. The title track is, as suggested, a glimpse down the path of lonely introspection with a simple arrangement and lyrics such as “self-preservation is no answer in a world where sunshine leads to cancer”. The clouds are gathering but they do make for a very interesting album that should please those who take the time to listen.

Review by Paul McGee 

Hiss Golden MessengerTerms Of Surrender Merge

This one bounces right out of the speakers on the opening track, I Need A Teacher, with an addictive melody and rhythm and a bright production sound that lays down a marker for the rest of the album. The message speaks about ‘give it away freely and it will come back to you eventually; a sentiment that runs through the ten tracks here. MC Taylor is the creative source behind the performing moniker Hiss Golden Messenger and his catalogue of releases never fails to deliver music of real interest and quality.

Americana, Folk, contemporary take on singer-songwriter genre with added groove, this music is quite compelling and quietly rests in the corners of your listening experience.

Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now) and My Wing segue perfectly into each other in a seamless groove that commands your attention. The hypnotic feel of Old Enough To Wonder Why (East Side-West Side) is a departure and the press sheet I received tells me that regular collaborators Phil and Brad Cook, Josh Kaufman and Matt McCaughan are joined by Jenny Lewis and Arron Dessner.

Cat’s Eye Blue has a soulful sound and a stripped back tempo with muted percussion, soft keys and sweet harmony vocals. The lyrics are not always easy to catch but the overall feel to the music is sufficient to say that these are songs from a personal perspective, yet play out to a waiting public in their different interpretations. Happy Birthday, Babyis a song to his daughter and possibly an apology in some sense, ‘I’m a lonely swimmer, a long way from shore.’ The beautiful melody is hypnotic and the sweet sentiment cannot be ignored.  

Also, Katy (You Don’t Have To Be Good Yet) is a terrific song to move your body to and just dance out any sense of lethargy you might be feeling. Whipis a blues groove with a twist, all tight yet loose in the delivery, harmonica adding to the sense of tension.  Final track, Terms Of Surrender, is a sad refrain that speaks of the tipping point in any relationship ‘ It’s one thing to bend it, but another to break it’. A terrific album that will feature in many end-of-year listings.

Review by Paul McGee

Dinah Brand Thank You Driver Transduction

When something works, then best to just leave it alone and enjoy the ride. The seamless quality of this release from Dinah Brand is quietly addictive upon repeated plays and settles in like a well-remembered lazy summer day. Clocking in at just over the 38-minute mark, this music never overstays its welcome across the ten tracks. All the songs are slow to mid-tempo, with an economy and restraint in the playing that is just right on the money. The laid back vocals and understated arrangements create lovely melodies that linger, long after the song has moved on. The urge to stretch out on tracks like Lagos, Old Trackand Other Heads(Cian Nugent guests), is not taken by either Stephen Ryan or Dylan Phillips on guitars and the resulting path not taken gives a sweet tension to the overall dynamic. 

This is the third release from a group of players who are very experienced and came together from other bands (Pet Lamb, Stars of Heaven etc.) in order to create this lovely, languid groove. The warm keys of John Hegarty feature and colour the tracks with a soothing palette, underpinned by the less-is-more rhythm of Gavin Ward on drums and David Lacey on bass. Rotunda Boy is a fine song that ponders the onset of maturity against a backdrop of birth in a historic institution. Gardenis the longest track here and one that sets the bar high for the others, a challenge that is met with something to spare…  

Review by Paul McGee

Sam Baker Horses And Stars Self Release

The first time I encountered Sam Baker, he was playing solo and delivering his songs in his quietly spoken voice and acoustic guitar. Since then I have seen him with percussionist Mike Meadows and heard him on record with a variety of accompanying and sympathetic players. So, it is interesting to go back to that original space and listen once more to Baker solo and live. The only difference is that he now accompanies himself on an electric guitar and occasional harmonica.

The album is something of a career overview and features songs from previous albums Pretty World, Mercy, Cotton, Say Grace and Land Of Doubt. These include Pretty World, Broken Fingers  - a song that details his own past where he was seriously injured in a terrorist attack - Iron, Angel Hair, and Snow. What’s missing though is the amusing and thoughtful introductions that normally preceded the songs in a live performance, but I guess Baker felt that this album would work better by concentrating on the songs and their poetic words.

As with other writers like Chip Taylor or Kris Kristofferson, Baker is not a gifted singer in the traditional meaning of the word. However, it is difficult to image these songs in another voice other than Baker’s. Not that they aren’t ripe for covering as with different arrangements that would be a whole different world. But here in Baker’s world they are what they are, gentle reflections on life and how nature intercepts that passage. The songs are not unlike his impressive paintings, some of which grace the cover. He is also a photographer and his music and artwork are very much one facet of a creative life that funds Baker forging his own distinctive path. He may never have anything approaching mass appeal but that doesn’t take away from his achievements and that includes this likeable album.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Greg Felden Made Of Strings New Neighbourhood

Having listened to this album a number of times,I think it’s one of the best I have heard this year. This is down to some great playing and arrangements from Felden, his players and producers Al Sgro and Will Golden. Recorded in Los Angeles it is a part of the resurgence of roots orientated from thatregion. 

Two notable upfront players are guitarist Jason ‘Ace’ Gonzalez and keyboardist Jerry Borger. They play an array of instruments that add a lot of texture and variety to the songs.It is though thexx rewrite thisxx songs that are the key element on the album. Felden has written some memorable songs and he sings them with understanding and power. They are songs detailing the human condition. They are full of simple truths from the perspective of the main character in the song. The Oregon native now lives in Los Angeles and has made himself a part of the scene there.

The sound is not traditional country,although there are some elements of that. Ratherit is more rock and folk oriented singer-songwriter centric. One guest on the album is Brian Whelan,a solo artist in his own right and a member of Dwight Yoakam’s band. He adds guitar to three tracks,while noted steel guitar player Rich Hinman joins him for Man Like Me. One on many songs that stand out as being worthy of mention is When The Change Comes - which asks about the place marginalised people might go when the their circumstances might change for the worse. Man Like Me is about transient loneliness. Bad Guy is where he finds himself in the situation of “never being the baby guy, now let’s have some fun” and so finds his motivation heading down a darker path.Tell Me What’s Broken reminds me of some 60s hard rock with some jaggered guitar and a cutting solo that underscores the confusion of that question. It’sa standout song. More reflective is Made Of Strings which is followed by Incoming another slower song that posers “maybe somehow I’ll be there when you come up for air”,where friends may not be seen for a long time but that friendship can be reignited again. The album closes with another highlight in Ghosts, a song that finds all the reminders we can accumulate are in some small boxes or in some other trigger of memory. That song closes what is an outstanding debut release that has everything in its favour and is also well packaged. It shows again what gems there out there and that discovering such new artists who can produce music of this calibre from the get go is rewarding on so many levels.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The High Divers Ride With You Self Release

A four-pieceband from South Carolina who have returned to recording duty after surviving a road accident, where their van was hit by a semi-trailer truck. Therefore, this release has an energy that is the result of having survived that near fatal incident and translatesthat into music. The final track Still Kickin’ may be an expression of their survival. Other songs here take a similar hard look at life, love and leaving, in various emotional contexts.

The band are essentially a rock band, with a measure of roots overtones, that have the feel of some of the more upfront elements of Tom Petty’s music, alongside reminders of 80s bands like Guadalcanal Diary - not a bad thing at all. The tracks are built around melodic structures and some captivating guitar riffs. The songs are largely written by Luke Mitchell who takes the lead vocal other than Our Love Is A Fire; written by his wife and keyboardist Mary Alice Mitchell, who takes the lead on that song. Kevin Early on bass and drummer Julius De Angelis complete the line up. Production was handled by Sadler Vaden, a solo artist and guitarist in his own right, as well as a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit.

The EP runs to under 25 minutes but the 6 tracks provide enough for a first acquaintance to suggest that the next release will further build on the solid achievement shown here. The High Divers have the potential to jump into the big time with this selection of songs and we can only applaud their on-board skills.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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New Album Reviews

Auburn Game Of Faith Scarlet/Gonzo

This artist is Liz Lenten who is based in England and who recorded in Nashville for this album. She is joined by the legendary Thomm Jutz, (Nanci Griffiths, Mary Gauthier), who produced and played guitars, Mark Fain on bass (Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs), Lynn Williams on drums (Delbert McClinton, Lee Roy Parnell, The Wallflowers) and Britt Savage on harmony vocals (Garth Brooks, Crystal Gayle). Quite a line up and the song themes focus on a range of reflections around trust. Lenten lost her voice some years ago and in rebuilding her career she has had plenty of reason to put her faith and trust in the power of music to pull her through.

 The new release features a strategy-based card game which is something of a departure from the normal promo props one is used to seeing – mind you, my advance copy didn’t include the card game so I can only ponder its powers! Lenten has an unusual vocal delivery which may not suit all tastes but she certainly sings with a unique character and conviction and songs like I Drank and Misshapen Fruit show a quirky edge. This is her fifth release since 2011 when Auburn reunited after taking a career break in order to raise families. 

There is a range of influences here, from the Western swing of Trinidad to the roots groove of Red Velvet Pillow, I Don’t Love Him and Float To Blue. Spoke In The Wheel and It’s Not Love carry a more commercial, contemporary sound while the Country feelof Like I Do and the acoustic atmosphere of His Arms both soothe the senses. The title track is influenced by the blues, as is the Bad Girl, Good Woman song arrangement. The playing is superb throughout with understated feel supporting the song structures and a ‘less-is-more’ touch on the entire project. 

Review by Paul McGee

The Feralings Self-Titled Self Release

A Folk trio based in Iowa City who launched this debut EP towards the latter part of 2018. The Feralings are Nicole Upchurch (banjo and vocals), Benj Upchurch (mandolin) and Patrick Bloom (upright bass and vocals).

At 23 minutes and six tracks, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and by the end of the final song there is a feeling of wanting more – a very good sign! The musicianship on banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, upright bass, fiddle and piano is full of bright playing, coupled with harmony vocals that are very alive and organic in feel. 

The group co-produced with Ben Schmidt and Patrick Bloom also engineered, in addition to writing 2 songs, with Nicole contributing the other four. Also present is the superb touch of Stacy Webster on guitars with David Zollo on piano and Jakob Brietbach on fiddle.  The songs are all very enjoyable and both Weeds In The Wall and Humming Machines have a restrained tempo with some impressive ensemble playing and plenty to admire in the arrangements. 

Maybe Maybelline, has a fast rhythm with some dextrous solo runs, while Lila and Perennials are given a slide guitar addition to compliment the superb melodies. I Shall Bring You Flowers (Sun God) has an easy groove and tempo which is yet another example of the gentle intimacy captured by the band. A very engaging release and looking forward to more from this talented troupe.

Review by Paul McGee

Flagship Romance Concentric Self Release

Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson are the musical duo that steer a steady course for their Flagship Romance project, something that has been an increasingly successful adventure since their debut EP surfaced back in 2013. Kickstarter and crowd funding campaigns has since led to further releases and their strong touring ethic sees the duo spending much of their year bringing their music to audiences across America and beyond.

They have a commitment to planetary awareness which extends to an involvement in the Clean Water Music Fest in Florida, where they helped generate funds for use in providing safe, clean drinking water in Ethiopia, Rwanda and regions of Africa. Jordyn also makes jewellery out of Shawn’s used guitar strings, together with beads and stones they find on their travels. 

So, a self-sufficient couple in every sense of the word and the title of this new record refers to having a common centre. Most appropriate too, given that the heartbeat of the songs pulses to the theme of universal sharing. The twelve tracks were written over a 6-month period and the entire process was captured at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas by Lee Miles Buchanan. He also adds lots of colour on the song arrangements, playing various instruments, to augment the acoustic guitar playing of Fisher. 

The vocal harmonies of this duo are really inspiring and uplifting, providing real depth and drive to their largely self-penned songs (there are a few co-writes). They remind me of the passion generated by The Lone Bellow or indeed the Indigo Girls in full flow, when the crescent of the human voice blends perfectly with the melody of the song arrangement to produce moments of real magic.

Crossroads is a song about self growth and taking the chance to leave doubt behind and embracing your inner self. (Love Is) Running Me Ragged refers to the division between people right now and Julie Wants To Go To War is a thoughtful song about transgender military personnel and the policy taken by the US Army to ban any such individuals from serving their country. It is the first social statement on the record but not the last, with This Land Is Your Land hitting hard as a cutting indictment of American policy, both at home and overseas, as an aggressor and despotic ruler with no moral compass.

The title track is a love song to the relationship shared by the couple and the inner bond created. Two up-tempo numbers are very radio friendly with Sex & Drugs & Rock n’ Roll & Kitties sounding all bright and cheerful with just a hint of Sheryl Crow’s All I Wanna Do, together with California Mansion, and its wry swipe at fame and the illusion of happiness. 

Chardonnay is an excellent song about a broken relationship with both sides reflecting on what went wrong and drinking to numb the pain. Fluorescent is about facing some old ghosts and of forgiveness, while Dorothy is a song along similar lines and speaks of growing up, marriage and dealing with death; a life lived where regret is all too hard a reality to bear…Belly Of The Beast is about grasping life in the now – how procrastination is the enemy of time and living large is the key to embracing change. Closing track, His Town, is a tribute to their community and friends in New Mexico. Originally from Florida, Fisher & Jackson found this little town in New Mexico, a place of true contentment and peace for the couple and it is called Truth or Consequences; now how cool is that? Highly recommended music and a tribute to the talent and vibrancy on display here.

Review by Paul McGee

John Kilzer Scars Archer 

This much-admired artist died in March of this year and it came as a real shock to the music community of Memphis who embraced his talents and celebrated his music over many years.

John Kilzer began his career on Geffen Records with two releases back in 1988 and 1991. He was stable mates with quite a few big hitters and, over time, his traction and tenure saw him slip out of view. Kilzer never went away however and he kept at his music with two more albums, more recently, in 2011 and 2015. 

His Memphis base was vital to his longevity in the business and for this 2019 release, he used the considerable talents of Grammy winning producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price, Drive-By Truckers, John Prine, Jason Isbell). Scars was recorded at Music & Arts Memphis Studios and he called upon some of the top session players in the city; Steve Selvidge (guitar) Rick Steff (keyboards) Dave Smith (bass) and drummers Steve Potts and George Sluppick. 

The eleven tracks run to 40 minutes and the mix of blues, folk and soul sounds makes the listening experience one of great joy, given the quality of the playing and the song-writing.

Musicianship of this level does not always find its own reward, but on this project the big winners are the label, Archer Records whose faith in the artist was more than returned in songs that really stay in the memory, such as The American Blues, Dark Highway, Woods Of Love and Rope The Moon. 

It is on the track, Memphis Town, that you hear the true essence of John Kilzer as he sings with conviction and passion in a voice filled with character and nuance. This is a fitting tribute to an enduring talent that will be greatly missed. R.I.P.

Review by Paul McGee

Matt Woods Natural Disasters Lonely Ones

Fourth album release from East Nashville resident Matt Woods. A hardened industry survivor and an artist seldom off the road, Natural Disasters is both the name of his latest album and his backing band. It’s closer to southern or indeed full on rock than his previous recordings and checklists bad life choices, heartache and dark corners across the ten tracks on the album.

Drive-Thru Town is an all too familiar tale, bringing to mind boarded up shop fronts, closed mills and mines and memories of a thriving community of yesteryear. The Jason Isbell sounding Cold Civil War reflects on the current political unrest and sabre rattling, a frightening reverse in direction to more racist and inhumane decades. The autobiographical Blue-Eyed Wanderer is a full-on rocker created from endless miles of road touring. Things shift down a gear or two on My Southern Heart, a gentle and brooding song reflecting on a failing relationship. Empty lives stolen by a false misapprehension surface on the Springsteen sounding Sitcoms and the radio friendly and album stand out track Hey, Heartbreaker is on a similar page.

With the increasing difficulty of creating a livelihood through album sales, artists such as Woods have little option but to pack up the van and hit the road to survive. More and more albums are constructed around the trials and tribulations of the road weary artist and Natural Disasters is no exception. It’s also an album that works best in the car cd player, playing full blast on your own personal road trip.

Review by Declan Culliton

Chuck Mead Close To Home Plowboy

BR549’s sound was a musical brew that drew mainly from Western Swing, rockabilly and honky tonk. Their early career residency at Nashville’s Robert’s Western World in the mid-90’s kick started a revival in live country music in Broadway, a tradition that continues healthily to the present day.

Since the demise of the band, Chuck Mead has covered practically every patch of the industry, including working as a musical director, producer, musicologist and songwriter. He has also released four solo albums, the latest being Close To Home, produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price) and recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. It’s his second solo release on the Independent Plowboy Records label, following in the footsteps of his 2015 release Free State Serenade.

The moody My Baby’s Holding It Down is classic roots, recalling the BR549 sound. The title track is also straight out of the BR549 songbook, name checking Hank Williams on the toe tapping tale of potential domestic strife. Big Bear In The Sky is a lively rockabilly flavoured opener with driving guitars and thumping bass lines. Daddy Worked The Pole is on the same page.  It’s a tongue in cheek pitch that finds Daddy working the electricity pole so that Mamma could abandon her ‘pole’ career. The Man Who Shook The Hand is high octane and delightfully full on, most likely referencing Sam Phillips given the Memphis connection. A Chuck Mead album wouldn’t be complete without a country tear jerker and the drinking and crying Tap Into Your Misery fills that slot perfectly. I’m Not The Man For The Job is closer to Kingstown than Memphis, a funky reggae beat laced with slick pedal steel courtesy of Carco Clave.  The album is bookended on a more serious note with There’s Love Where I Come From - a contemplative gospel tinged song, with an appeal for empathy and consideration in a world gone somewhat mad.

Close To Home is precisely what we’ve come to expect from Mead, an uncomplicated and fun album that ticks so many boxes, from a maturing artist that never appears to put a foot wrong.i

Review by Declan Culliton

Rod Picott Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil Welding Rod

This is the most intimate album that Picott has yet recorded and is not dissimilar to listening to him playing a live set in a small venue. The difference here is that, following a diagnosis and time spent in recovery, Picott turned his talent to write songs that were often more inward looking and contemplations on his life to the present time. Now in his 50s Picott has his own tale to tell and it displays as keen a sense of the songwriter as ever.

This is simply a hard-bitten, weathered voice, guitar and harmonica, delivering a set of new songs. There are twelve songs on the album and they set up a one to one listening environment that allows the listener into the thoughts of the songwriter. As well as a lyric sheet there are notes for each song from Picott that further gives you insights into the inspirations behind these songs. The simplicity of the delivery means that the words are the heart of these songs along with Picott’s expressive voice. 

So, the opening song Ghost considers mortality while A Guilty Man asks why he was alone during his illness and beyond. Later in the collection Spartan Hotel tells of a venue he played back at the start of his career in a cover band. Mark is about the suicide of a young man of that name. Not all these songs were written by Picott alone. There are there songs that he has co-written with other talented and worthy of your attention sparing partners in Slaid Cleaves (Mama’s Boy), Stacy Dean Campbell (‘80s John Wallace) and Ben De La Cour (Beautiful Light). 

This album will appeal to those familiar with Picott’s work. Maybe not so much for those who are looking for something less stark. However, it is a testament to his belief in the restorative power of his chosen profession and one can only applaud his conviction to deliver what are at times difficult songs but which in the end result are both powerful and persistent. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Doug Seegers A Story I Got To Tell BMG

Something of a back story here as Seegers was discovered in Nashville in what was a homeless situation. He played on the streets and in small venues until he was videoed singer one of his songs. But Swedish singer and presenter was making a documentary on Nashville and was recommended she listen to him. He played his song Going Down To The River and impressed her enough that she took him to a studio to record his debut album of that title. Will Kimbrough produced that album using some of Nashville finest players and it is well worth seeking out.

This new album has been produced by Joe Henry and he has done a superb job. He has expanded Seegers’ horizon without taking so far from his traditional base that he alienates his existing fanbase. From the off you are aware of the power and expression of Seegers’ voice. White Line has veers towards a yodel at the end and shows his range and delivery. It also has Jackson Browne on backing vocals. It is one of the few outside songs and was written by Willie P Bennett, the other is the Johhny Rivers’ song Poor Side Of Town. Elsewhere the assembled musicians, including Russ Pahl on pedal steel and Jay Bellerose on percussion. Demon Seed touches on Blue Velvet territory with its striking vocal and arrangement. There is a judicious use of brass on Falling Star and Rockabilly Bug. The later a 50s style throwback with deep vocals and that infectious beat that shows Seegers would be well capable of making a whole album in either of those genres. In fact, he would be capable of picking up several of the other strands in his music and running with them.

Producer Joe Henry has recently been coping with serious illness and it can only be hoped that he fully recovers and is again able to sit behind the desk and produce other such individualistic artists as he has done in the past. He has made a great album with Doug Seegers that explores Seegers’ songs and voice in a way that makes a perfect pairing. One that we hope can be continued. This is a story that everyone should listen to.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Caleb Elliott Forever To Fade Single Lock

Produced by Alabama Shakes keyboard player and Single Lock Records co-founder Ben Tanner, Forever To Fade is the debut recording from Caleb Elliott. The Muscle Shoals and classically trained sideman captures an impeccable breezy soulful sound across the ten tracks on the album. The music is described as swamp art rock – another new genre for me – but readers would be better considering the pace and melody of Jonathan Wilson and  Dylan Le Blanc as a benchmark.  Not surprisingly, he has toured with Le Blanc and played cello on his recording and though there are similarities, Elliott is anything but an imitator. He also drew songwriting experiences by observing how other Muscle Shoals artist friends such as John Paul White and Donnie Fritts create material.  The son of a preacher, Elliott’s upbringing included an extended time spent inside a cult style religion before attending college where gained a degree in biology. I’m unsure if tracks titled Get Me Out Of Here and opener Makes Me Wonder drew their inspiration from either experience, but they possess an early 70’s West Coast vibe. It’s a sound visited by endless artists in recent years, some capturing it more satisfyingly than others, without totally regurgitating Neil Young. Don’t Go Losing Your Head and Till The Tide Turns point to brighter days ahead in moments of darkness, delicate strings on the latter advising calmness and forbearance in difficult times.  He saves the best until last with the gorgeous closer Black Lungs which recalls Israel Nash – and indeed Radiohead - at their most relaxed and melodic.

Forever to Fade is all about abandoning dark places and existences and moving forward into brighter, simpler times and experiences. It certainly transported me to sunny beaches with scorching sands and cool sea breezes. It’s a collection of songs that I could stretch out on that sun bed, slip on the headphones, chill out and drift into another world for a short while. Pass the sun cream.

Review by Declan Culliton

Josh Gray Songs Of The Highway Self Release

 Three years in the making, the title of the debut album from country/folk singer/songwriter Josh Gray is drawn from the 30,000 plus miles of travelling he covered during the year 2015. His rugged baritone and sometimes semi-spoken vocals tell tales of hard times and love won and lost. Though San Francisco born, he moved to Nashville in 2016, formed his band Josh Gray and The Dark Features and concentrated on raising the funds to record his debut album. The opener and title track recalls that journey to Tennessee and the resulting sacrifices. Take Her By The Hand is a gentle rocker, considering life on the road and the constant motion, whether it be searching for the next location or searching for the elusive love partner. Love carelessly lost is brought to bear on Woodland Rose. Recognisable are the influences of the country legends Cash and Nelson but even more noticeable is the imprint of Leonard Cohen on the most impressive All Out War, the aforementioned Woodland Rose and Ghosts.  All three of these songs are delivered with a semi-spoken rugged drawl. Second Chances is a spoken poem, a nod towards the marginalised, its only accompaniment being the East Nashville street noise in the background. The up-tempo Two Hearts is Johnny Cash territory with lots of Bonnie And Clyde menace, the tale of two runaways and their short but doomed adventure.

 Gray’s primary skill is his ability to create lasting landscapes with simple language. The packaging is also impressive with the benefit of a lyric book, often missing from albums of late. You are left with the impression of an artist that has put his heart and soul into every chapter in the storybook album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Terry Klein Tex Self Release

What a gem of an album from a Texan artist that follows in the storytelling footsteps of his Lone Star luminaries and peers!  You’re reminded of the legends that have left us such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, together with those that continue to carry the torch as classic American songwriters. Robert Earl Keen, Sam Baker, James McMurtry and Mary Gauthier all came to mind while savouring this absorbing collection of songs. Klein delivers matter of fact lyrics with a vocal drawl that creaks and hums across the ten tracks. It’s fair to say that those gritty vocals sound like a singer many years or decades older than Klein, and boy do they draw you in instantly.

What kicked off as a casual first listen soon stopped me in my tracks and drew me in with the opening track Sagamore Bridge. Acoustic guitar and fiddle are soon joined by Klein’s clear-cut vocal, articulating every day hassles of traffic chaos, and queues at the local deli. However, a darker picture emerges with the words ‘There’s a suicide fence on the Sagamore Bridge.’ Parallel lives of the privileged and survivors emerge. It’s quite a dynamic opener which succeeded in capturing my undivided attention. Further sagas emerge on the accompanying songs, not unlike a novel you can’t put down.

Family matters come to the surface on a number of the tracks. Childhood memories of a broken marriage surface on Every Other Sunday and a return home by a wayward and unstable son to attend his mother’s funeral is recounted on the powerful Oklahoma. Daddy’s Store tells the tale of two sons, one of whom shoulders the responsibility of running the family business at the age of eighteen, as his father’s health fails. It’s more out of a perceived family loyalty than any commercial ambition that ties the son to his small-town birthplace, as his older brother bails out in search of brighter lights and more action. Too Blue To Get That Far is a heart harrowing account of an individual on the edge of despair as he considers self-harm or worse. It’s delivered with a bluesy stomp, made all the more impressive by some moody keyboard playing by Bart De Win.

When The Ocotillo Bloom is a simple love song, complemented by some chipper accordion playing by Robert Casillas, giving it a distinctive Tex Mex flavour. The album closes with Steady Rain, Klein’s vocals alongside a heavy bass line and jazzy percussion. As the track tails off additional spoken vocals are added by Arianne Knegt across a cracking guitar break by Corby Schaub.

Every word on the album is meticulously enunciated and the playing throughout the album is both subtle and atmospheric, never dominating or competing with the unfolding lyrics. Particularly impressive is the pedal steel by Kim Deschamps and fiddle by Warren Hood. Jaimee Harris also contribute backing vocals on a number of tracks. An unveiled treasure that has hardly left my CD player over the past week.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bob Livingston Up The Flatland Stairs Howlin’ Dog

This is the first studio release in almost seven years for music legend Bob Livingston. As a founding member of the Lost Gonzo Band who appeared in 1973 and were influential in the Austin, Texas music scene, Livingston was nicknamed “Cosmic Bob”, while playing a central role in the progressive and outlaw country movements of the time and the development of the ‘Austin Sound’.

Whether appearing as a band leader, solo artist, session musician or sideman, Livingston has spanned genres in Folk, Americana and Country music and collaborated with the likes of Michael Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, Ray Wylie Hubbard and David Halley. His recorded output is huge and over the years he has attracted only the best musicians to perform with. Livingston was inducted into the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame and into the West Texas Music Walk of Fame.

This project spans seventeen tracks and the quality of playing is of the highest order. Co-production is shared by Livingston and another legend, Don Richmond.

Don Richmond has been a professional musician for more than forty-five years. He regularly performs and records on more than a dozen instruments and percussion and is an award-winning songwriter. He has released 6 solo CD’s, with other projects totalling a further 14 releases! Don also owns and operates Howlin' Dog Records, which has recorded and released this record along with hundreds of other recordings by many local, regional, and national artists. Wow…!

This release has Bob Livingston on acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass, piano, percussion, harmonica, lead vocals; Don Richmond on bass, electric guitars, banjo, accordion, organ, pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, harmony vocals; Warren Hood on fiddle, Jimmy Stadler on piano, Bradley Kopp on guitar; Phil Bass, James Doyle and John Michel share drums; Kelley Mickwee on lead & harmony vocals, Robin James on harmony vocals and Eliza Gilkyson on vocal (That’s The Way Things Go).

So much to enjoy - Western Swing is here with Public Domain, Cowgirl’s Lullaby and The Early Days; rockabilly on You Got My Goat; reflective folk on Can’t Get Enough Of It, It Just Might Be Your Lovin’ and We Should Have Stayed; Country groove on A Month Of Somedays, A Few Things Right and Caution To The Wind; soulful blues on That’s The Way Things Go and Shell Game; plus a rock workout on The Usual Thing … Wonderful, sprawling and very impressive.

Review by Paul McGee

Josh Ritter Fever Breaks Pytheas

An artist of some substance since he first emerged in 1999, Ritter has continuously delivered music of a high standard. Here the goalposts shift a little as Ritter decides to take on some new directions, courtesy of producer Jason Isbell and his deft touch at the controls. Having the talents of Isbell (guitars, vocals) and his band, The 400 Unit, of course is a big help and the superb playing that informs these ten songs is expertly delivered by Amanda Shires (violin, vocals), Derry Deborja (piano, organ and Hohner accordion), Jimbo Hart (fender electric, ukulele & upright bass), Chad Gamble (drums, percussion) and Sadler Vaden (electric guitars, acoustic and 12 string guitars).

There are fine examples of country-tinged quality with I Still Love You (Now & Then) and All Some Kind Of Dream. The folk leanings of songs such as On The Water, A New Man and Blazing Highway Home are balanced by the harder edge of band-driven arrangements like Old Black Magic and Losing Battles.

The murder song, Ground Don’t Want Me and the rape and murder core of Silver Blade are both peppered with revenge and a restless spirit for what has been lost. Running through the project is a sense of self examination and reflection that there is a darker side to our personalities, a sense of dislocation and a dichotomy between forgiveness and sin. The disillusionment of All Some Kind Of Dream and its look at modern American policies, displays a crushing lack of empathy at the root of its mighty power; a theme also explored on The Torch Committee, an attack on bigotry and persecution of freedom and truth. It is nicely summarised by the lines “the only cure for fear is blame” and could just as easily be aimed at the ancient Witch Trials, Guantánamo Bay, the current Immigrant Policies or that infamous Wall.

This is a record of hidden depth that marks yet another strong statement in a career that has seen Josh Ritter continue to progress down his chosen path.

Review by Paul McGe

Dan Krikorian Grandeur Self Release

This is the fifth release by an interesting writer who has quite a few arrows to his bow. As well as being a talented singer-songwriter, Krikorian is also a college basketball coach, professor, and podcast host. 

This release clocks in at 16 tracks and just over one hour of listening time. By far his most expansive project to date, Krikorian co-produced with Shawn Nourse, who also contributes on drums & percussion. The studio line up also features Ron Dziubla on saxophones, Jimi Hawes on upright bass, Carl Byron on keyboards,  Bob Boulding on guitars & mandolin, Probyn Gregory on trumpet, trombone & french horn, Danny Ott on electric guitar, Gideon John Klein on mandolin, cello & pedal steel, Storm Rode on guitars, Taras Prodaniuk & Jason Chesney on bass, a backing vocal team of Deb Tala, Mike Teague & Dustin Robinson, all gathered together in delivery of a rich and varied studio sound. 

There are a number of styles across the project and the sweet soul sound of The Lucky One and Need Me Bad is balanced by the Folk leanings of Baby’s Got the Blues, 59th Street and Monday Morning. Ulanga is a big powerful Rock song with plenty of dynamics and the gentle acoustic strum of Angels Sing, complete with subtle strings, is followed by Joe Purdy, a song which also appeared on the last release, Bloom… complete with soulful sax playing.

The Country feel of Lyla and Don’t Look Like You also add to the variety on display while Crazy Love is a Blues workout with some nice piano and harmony vocals. Lots of music on offer, much of it very easy on the ear and worth investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

Drivin n Cryin Live The Love Beautiful DrivinNCryin

A new album from the Atlanta formed band who’s debut Scarred But Smarter came out back in 1986. Founding member Kevin Kinney is again the centrepiece of the band and has kept himself busy through the years with solo releases, band tours and a series of Drivin N Cryin EPs. He is joined on this new album by Dave V Johnson, Tim Nielsen and former Sturgill Simpson guitarist Laur Joamets.

This album is a consolidation of the band’s hard rocking Southern influenced rock. Producer Aaron Lee Tasjan is perfectly placed to realise the album’s intentions having previously played with the band as well as delivering his own take on roots rock. Tasjan adds keyboards and guitar while Matt Rowlands’ synth is also effective on tracks like If I’m Not There I’ll Be Here. Alongside the more raucous moments are some more thoughtful moments like the title track. Likewise, the song Ian McLagan is a tribute to the late Faces/Small Faces Austin-based keyboard player, as well as any number of committed players who love playing for the right reasons.

Joining Kinney on vocals are Dan Baird, Elizabeth Cook and the McCrary Sisters, among others, a strong point on the album alongside the layered arrangements, which give the songs their additional depth. Fans of either Kinney or Drivin N Cryin will be happy to see the band active and sharing the love so beautifully. Special mention for the final song, Sometimes I Wish I Didn’t Care, which is graced with an infectious vocal chorus that builds to a sentiment of understanding the nature of these times. An album summed up by one of the song titles, What’s Wrong With Being Happy … well absolutely nothing.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Liar’s Trial Friends In No Places Bob Lunch

If you’re looking for some more outlaw country then this Milwaukee band will fit the bill. They have the look and the sound. The touchstones of David Allan Coe and Waylon Jennings are apparent in the sound they deliver which, while it is constant and clarion. The band’s first two albums were reported to be more punk rock with country influences. The third then moved more towards outlaw country and this their fourth fits that bill to a tee. Using just Christian names, Bryan, Johnson, Andy and Patrick are joined by a number of guests, most crucially Leroy Deuster on pedal steel who adds a lot of that essential country feel to the overall sound. Singer Bryan's full name is revealed in the writing credits. He has written all the songs apart from the cover of Diablo’s Highway, written by Billy Don Burns, Hank Cochran and Jeff Williams.

They are songs about love, self loathing, being lonesome and heroes. That really is the thing at the end of the day - how listenable are the songs in themselves? The answer here is that these songs stand up to repeated play, with strong vocals, solid playing and variety in the arrangement and temps. Walls Come Down has the sound of regretful anticipation. Just Me And The Silence, I Don’t Deserve Love and I’m Too Lonesome (To Play Those Lonesome Songs) all consider the way that relationships can fail even though the will for them to succeed is there. Diablo’s Highway fits right in with that overall theme.

The final song is tribute to a major influence. It starts with a hangover and ends with the makings of one and then some - it is David Allan Coe's Put Me Back On The Wagon. The song closes what is the sound of a band coming to terms with itself. Producer Shane Hochstetler has got the best out of the band, who have made this positive statement of intent, and it places them alongside some of the best of the current outlaw exponents. While it may not be a leader in this field, it will find them friends.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Album Reviews

Resonant Rogues Autumn Of The World Self Release

Out of Asheville, N Carolina comes this excellent self produced third album from a stringband who successfully encompass elements of folk, Appalachian, gypsy jazz, country, klezmer and old time music in their unusual but appealing sound. The core of the band are two colourful characters: Sparrow, on accordion and clawhammer banjo, and her partner Keith J. Smith, on guitar. Sparrow’s rich resonant vocals kick off the opener, Maker’s Song, an anthem which could be adopted by ‘makers’ everywhere. It tells of the powerful drive in all creative souls, be they ‘storytellers … builders or bakers.’

His penchant for, or addiction to, travelling is detailed by Keith J Smith on several offerings, including Tramp and Watching Those Wheels Roll, both of which are heavy on the gypsy jazz feel. Kristen Harris ably supports the band with her stunning fiddle playing, whether that be on the several swing jazz inflected songs or the more folky offerings. Eric Heveron-Smith completes the line up, mainly on upright bass and vocals but he also plays trombone on one track.

Irish audiences will particularly identify with, and perhaps gain some solace from, Sparrow’s homage to (rain)water in Strength Of Water! Her soaring haunting vocals lull the listener gently into a sense of acceptance - ‘Let it roll, let it rain, let the water wash your tired frame’. Yeah right.

It is, however the title track that stands out most for this listener. In the very moving Autumn Of The World, Sparrow sings beautifully of the fragility of life and the devastation of depression and suicide - ‘a song for the sad ones, those of us who cannot stay away from the edges of existence, whose flame it burns too bright for it to stay’.

The CD is accompanied by fine cover art, combining photography and line drawings and lettering, continuing the ‘earthy’ theme. Resonant Rogues are touring the UK in July and I urge you to get out and hear them, as well as buying this album.

Review by Eilís Boland

Pete Gow Here There’s No Sirens Clubhouse

Readers may or may not be familiar with the U.K rock flavoured country band Case Hardin.  Their frontman and songwriter Pete Gow’s stunningly beautiful solo debut album is far removed from the more upbeat music in the band’s repertoire. Here There’s No Sirens is an intimate and confessional collection of songs, laced with pain and tales of personal disarray.

Gentle piano and dusky vocals introduce the opening track One Last One - Night Stand, before being joined majestically by symphonic strings, one and a half minutes into the song. It chronicles an elusive cry for help and affection of any kind. (‘’One last one-night stand, unprotected, uneven, unplanned. They get to be boring; they can start to taste bland’’). We learn of a doomed relationship and a bond sealed by personal needs rather than love in Mikaela. (‘But songs are like tattoos, and you should think before you name one after a girl’).

What raises the album well above the parapet are the most impressive arrangements. Many of the tracks are drenched in orchestral arrangements. Strings, brass and pianos all emerge in exactly the right places, without ever dominating Gow’s husky whispered vocals. The title track is divine, particularly goose bumps inducing when the strings kick in mid song. It’s plea for help and release is heart rendering as the songs end fuses atmospherically into The Pogues Rainy Night In Soho. Some Old Jacobite King grieves the loss of a wayward son, unsatisfied and unprepared to exists within the confines of his parent’s lifestyle. Emotion seeps out of Gow’s every pore as the tale unfolds (‘He made it away before the snows came in late’88. The ferry pulled the port mists apart, and his mother’s heart’). Strip For Me, which namechecks the Donald Trump accuser Stormy Daniels, leaves the listener considering various definitions of power, abusive control and chauvinism. A song very much of today.

 No doubt this album will pass many people by, given the difficulty for lesser known artists to get exposure. Most unfortunate if this is the case, as it’s a joy from start to finish. If Gow never releases another album, this is a legacy that he can be justifiably proud of. An exceptional listen.

Review by Declan Culliton

Buddy & Julie Miller Breakdown on 20th Ave. South New West

Ten years after the release of their last duo album, husband and wife team Buddy & Julie Miller return with an impressive recording that considers the often traumatic period since their last recording. They had already commenced writing songs for the follow up to 2009’s Written In Chalk, when Julie was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder characterised by muscular pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Buddy’s workload at the time also accelerated, collaborating with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on Raising Sand, producing and appearing on a multitude of albums and touring with a number of artists. He also worked with T Bone Burnett on the ABC-TV Series Nashville.

The illness and work-related issues put serious strains on the marriage but also gave the often bedridden Julie the inspiration and ammunition to write up to sixty songs over that period. The album could have rightly been released as a Julie Miller solo album, given that she wrote the twelve tracks and is the main vocalist on many of the songs. The production, recording and playing were carried out by them both.

I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, finds Julie setting her stall out from the word go. It was the first song recorded for the album. It catalogues a demand for the support of her otherwise engaged husband and a reminder that she’s no longer going to wait in line for his attention ("I’m gonna make you love me and be your number one girl. I’m gonna make you love me and shout it out to the whole wide world").  Similar mantras are repeated throughout the track to a thumping back beat. Everything Is Your Fault is frank and to the point, a cry for help at crisis point ("I’m fragile, you’re agile at being so covert. Let’s pretend then, make it all end, as if no one got hurt"). The sparse sounding Till The Stardust Comes Apart hints at reconciliation and rebirth, a vocal duet that reads like an oath ("I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine, Til the clock runs out of time").

The title track opens the album, a raw grungy sound with snarling vocals, a reflection on a turbulent relationship facing possible disintegration. Feast Of The Dead, with its mandolin intro, finds Julie sounding like Lucinda Williams performing a song plucked from an early Steve Earle album. We’re nine tracks into the album before Buddy takes a lead vocal on the soothing and confessional Secret.  Accompanied by a gentle acoustic guitar intro, it plays like a response and apology from him to his wife, having considered and accepted the frustrations she had vented on previous tracks. The album fittingly closes with Storm Of Kisses. The only co-write on the album, it was written by Julie and her nephew Alasdair MacKenzie. The title was thought of by Alasdair when only four years old and the lyrics, delivered as a duo, are written in memory of Julie’s brother, tragically and fatally struck by lightning.

Fortunately, having lived and survived through trying times, it’s a happy ending album. It could very well have been a partner to Richard & Linda Thompson’s break up album Shoot Out The Lights. On the contrary, the lights appear to be shining brighter than ever on the partnership, both in loving and creative terms.  A moving, charming and soothing listen from start to finish.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella Oh, The Starlings Self Release

This is a family affair and all the better for it… Kieran Goss has been a much-loved part of the Irish musical landscape since he first appeared in the late 1980’s and his excellent songs have brought many pleasures to the airwaves and concert halls of Ireland over the years.

This project is undertaken with his wife, Annie Kinsella, who has one of those beautifully disarming voices, soft and sweet with a real warmth. The eleven tracks here include five covers and six originals and the choices blend together into a seamless whole to create a very pleasant listening experience. Gentle, soft, easy flow are words that come to mind when reflecting on the mood that is created by these songs that seduce and connect on many levels.

Kieran sings lead vocal on the sweet lullaby, Time To Go Sleeping and shares lead vocal with Annie on Hollywood Boulevard. Annie takes the remaining songs and makes them her own. The title track is a husband and wife co-write and Into Your Arms, Hollywood Boulevard and Hymn To Love are written by Kieran with Brendan Murphy and Sharon Vaugn. Crazy For Your Love is written by Kieran, Stephony Smith and Brendan Murphy.

The covers include W.B. Yeats, The Song Of Wandering Angus and Jewel Of The South by Rodney Crowell. Time stands still while these lovely melodies and understated playing spin their spell. A very welcome addition to the body of work from Kieran Goss and one that is delivered with no little skill and dedication to the work itself as the most important ingredient.

Review by Paul McGee

Danni Nicholls The Melted Morning Proper

This English rose has been making quite a name among the right music circles and there is a real buzz spreading, given her bright talents as a singer-songwriter. This release is her third and the growth as a musician is obvious from the opening Wild As The Water, a song of desire, passion and promises that is wrapped in the most appealing melody and song arrangement. 

The warm organ sound on Hear Your Voice seeks courage and self confidence in another. Unwanted is a song about leaving and the end of an unhappy relationship. Wish I Were Alone is a song about missing an ex-lover and feeling lonely. Frozen deals with self-doubt, the inability to open up and being our own worst enemies while Lemonade spins a different perspective of being positive and looking for good things in life. 

Losing It is a song about feeling lost and in need of stability while Texas is a co-write with Ben Glover and deals with hope, despite the pain of feeling lost but surviving. Power To Leave is about moving on, meeting an ex-lover and realising that life has already gone forward. Here is an artist that is maturing with the perspective of life lived and reflecting on all the growing pains that result.

Nicholls has a very expressive voice and her vocal tone and timbre are quite absorbing; both reflective and wistful in delivery. Production is by Jordan Brooke Hamlin who also contributes on drums, bass and electric guitars, trumpet and piano and her contribution cannot be underestimated. She also supplies the string arrangements on a number of tracks and the various studio musicians all contribute to what is a beautifully rounded and delivered production. The Secret Sisters appear on backing vocals for three tracks and the cello of Larissa Maestro is very memorable. This is a highly recommended album and a real keeper.

Review by Paul McGee

Six Mile Grove Million Birds Self Release

Lyle is a township in Minnesota, a mile from the Iowa border, which also flanks the city. The population is 550 approx. and is home for all five members of Six Mile Grove. This is the story of hometown boys made good and these childhood friends have grown into quite a compelling country music band. 

The core of the group revolves around the superb and richly textured lead vocals of Brandon Sampson, augmented by his guitar skills, together with the excellent drumming of brother, Brian. Other members are Barry Nelson who plays keyboards, electric guitar and provides backing vocals, with Dezi Wallace on bass guitar and John Wheeler on steel guitar. 

Recorded in The Barn Studio, Pine Island, Minnesota; all eleven tracks are written by Brandon Sampson and this is their seventh release over a 20-year career that has seen them hone their impressive talents into quite a convincing unit that delivers a sound that is full of character and charisma. The slow Country sound of tracks like Early Morning Rain, with restrained guitar solo and warm keys, is pure quality and Shot In The Arm is vintage Heavy Rock with a mean groove and snarling guitars sparring with the rhythm section. 

The title track and Damned If I Do are both gentle tunes that weave a spell while Shame On Us smoulders with a plea for greater empathy and compassion. The Radio is a more commercially friendly song as is the easy tempo of Money Doesn’t Matter, which includes a fine guitar break. 

The band has previously collaborated with Johnny Cash guitarist Bob Wootton over the years and he is credited with saying; "There's nothing fancy about them and they don't try to be something they're not. And that's what I like about them."

Roots music doesn’t get any better than this and I recommend this band to anyone who likes their Alt-Country sounds both energising and exciting, played with an integrity and presence that demands attention. There is an element of Son Volt meets the Jayhawks but really, their sound is all their own and filled with personality. Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Ian Noe Between The Country Thirty Tigers

Noe is an accomplished songwriter who is from Kentucky and belongs to a tradition of songwriters who have a strong sense of place that in recent times has brought such artists as Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Dillon Carmichael and Kelsey Waldon to the fore. Noe’s songs deal with a deeper, darker side of life and are delivered with a voice capable of passion and purpose. The underlying sense of desolation is also tinged with compassion, something that Dave Cobb’s RCA Studio A’s production is perfectly suited to. Also, in keeping with the songs, the musicians remain in the background adding colour and conscience to his sometimes harrowing tales that deal with the underlying drug abuse that is prevalent throughout his country. He can also reach back in time as with the track, Barbar’s Song, which deals with a train derailment in 1904. Hard times are always with us as these songs make clear. Yet there is a positive feel in this music which makes it eminently listenable.

Adam Gardner, Chris Powell and Cobb himself provided the musical setting behind Noe’s vocal and guitars and Savannah Conley’s backup vocals. A tight and focused team who understand what needs to be done with these songs. 

Sure, there are undoubted influences with the likes of Prine, Dylan and older inspirations like Woody Guthrie to be heard, but then folk music is somewhat eternal and Noe is yet another expression of this need to tell the tales of his time. Following on from his debut EP, Off This Mountaintop this album exposes the work of another artist who deserves to reach a wider audience. However, due to the realism that is the backbone of his writing, Noe may struggle to reach the exposure that his mentors and influences achieved. That, however, was delivered over many albums and years, so hers’s hoping that the music of Ian Noe will have time to grow and be appreciated in a wider context.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jade Jackson Wilderness Anti

Social Distortion’s Mike Ness is back behind the board on Jade Jacksons’s second album and it more or less continues from where the debut Gilded left off. Lyrically she is also pulling no punches from the opening Bottle It Up which is something of a declaration of her independence. ‘Bottle it up the way we feel right now, Whenever I get lonely gonna drink a little down.’ A means to an end by not confronting some emotions head on with the impact lessen with drink. The sound is upbeat rocking country with Jackson voice bolstered by experience garnered on the road and off. Closer to home are the content of songs such as City Lights which details a personal accident. A serious back injury led to some darker times and addiction problems which have undoubtably influenced her writing since that introspective time in her life. 

Overall the sound is on the edge with some pedal steel and fiddle to blend with the guitars and B3 organ. All which create a tension in the sound that drives these songs along. Ness’ understanding of old school country and hard edged punk rock makes him the ideal person to to develop her music - initially as a mentor but now as her producer. There are comparisons to Lucinda Williams in reviews which there are to a lot of the strong-willed females singer/songwriters in roots music these days. And while I would see it as a pivotal influence it is no doubt a considered one.

On the album she is again joined by guitarist/pianist Andrew Rebel (who has subsequently left the band), Tyler Miller on drums and Jake Vukovich on bass guitar. This core unit deliver a committed sound throughout the album that has a wide ranging appeal that never falls into the overblown rock that some of her mainstream contemporaries displays live. However it whats on the record here that counts and many of the songs. Tonight conceals a sense of handling things alone while also revealing a sense of vulnerability by doing so while revealing that ‘boys like you make me want to spend my nights alone.’ Long Way Home takes a similar position. Dust is a slower song with steel guitar glides and a solid twanging guitar riff under her softer vocal approach that under lights the strength oh her vocal ability as well as it does her songwriting. Wilderness finds Jackson relishing her freedom but not entirely from the emotional landscape that title might suggest. The song itself is a powerful statement of knowing when you are and where you want to be at this time in your life and sums up a career in the ascendency. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Latest Reviews

Foghorn Stringband Rock Island Grange Self Release

Well, you can’t say you’re not getting value for money in this latest superb release from Portland’s Foghorn Stringband. As well as the nineteen listed tracks, there are a bunch more thrown in for good measure. Possibly the best (and hardest working) Old Time American string band in the business, this recording gives a true flavour of what it’s like to experience the band’s legendary live gigs. All of the band members are masters of their instruments, and all of them can take lead vocals.

Founding member Caleb Klauder is a natural frontman and an incredibly talented mandolinist and fiddle player. The other original founding member Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind is an outstanding old time fiddler, and plays banjo here also.The lineup has been completed for the past few years by Québécoise Nadine Landry on rock solid upright bass and Reeb Willms on guitar. 

Recorded live over three days by Bruce Harvie in the historic Grange venue in Caleb’s native home of Orcas Island in Washington State, the album is a rollicking ride through a selection of songs and instrumentals. All of the band members are proud historians and custodians of the music so it’s no surprise that the cleverly designed folding card cd cover is accompanied by extensive notes on the provenance of every tune. Most of the tunes are taken from sources both old and more recent - a gorgeous version of Hazel Dicken’s little known Only The Lonely being one of the latter, sung beautifully here by Reeb.

This album could serve as a perfect introduction to old time music, if you are not familiar with it, while established fans will know exactly what they are going to get and will relish it, as do I.

Review by Eilís Boland

John Blakeley & Jeff Larson Yesterday’s Dream Compass 

If you’re a fan of the California Sound, this album will be right up your street. I have to admit that it didn’t grab me on first listen, but the more I listened the more it got right under my skin. Throw in some other West Coast influences like country rock and folk, and you’ll have an idea of the retro, but simultaneously modern, aesthetic invoked here by the two veterans of the SoCal music scene.

Both artists contribute original songs to the project, while Jeff Larson takes all lead vocal duties and John Blakeley plays most of the instruments. John is an underrated guitar player, not well known outside of this scene, but he has played in sessions and on stage with a myriad of top  artists like Van Morrison, Glen Campbell and Country Joe McDonald. In his 73rd year and a survivor of two heart transplants, here he plays acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin and mandola, and bass and slide guitars.

 Straight from the catchy opening song Renaissance Man, it’s obvious there’s something a bit unusual going on here - it is the prominence of John Blakeley’s mandolin as the main instrument insistently holding down the rhythm. On Day Trip, the only instrumental, the opening guitar riffs are pure surf guitar a la Dick Dale, and again the mandolin interjects. The interplay between the two instruments is phenomenally good, thanks to the strength of John’s writing and producing. Elsewhere, his prowess on various stringed instruments is breathtaking but never showy.

Jeff Larson is a singer-songwriter, producer and is also the archivist for the band America. He has long been connected also with The Beach Boys and Chicago. His ability to write catchy tunes and his clear pure voice impress on songs such as The Calamar Trees and Always the Mystery. Long time collaborators/friends from The Beach Boys are called up eg Scott Mathews on drums and Jeffrey Foskett on backing vocals.

Lastly, the minimalist cover art is contributed by another senior surfer dude, the ceramicist and musician Ron Nagle. Worth checking out!

Review by Eilís Boland

Jim Lauderdale From Another World Yep Roc

 It’s somewhat stating the obvious to label Jim Lauderdale as prolific.  He has released at least one album each year since 1998 and From Another World is album number thirty-two from the twice Grammy Award winning artist. The twelve track album sticks with the winning production team from its 2018 predecessor Time Flies. Jay Walker again co-produces with Lauderdale, with the engineering duties carried out by David Leonard. The title perhaps recalls less turbulent and aggressive times, in keeping with many recent recordings coming out of the US under the Americana brand. Much of the albums spark is motivated by our rapidly changing world. However, rather than personalised attacks, Lauderdale’s messages are more controlled, subtle and understated, without the slightest hint of ego. Not surprising given his Tai Chi proficiency.

 Titles such as Listen and Some Horses Run Free are pointers to less knee jerk reactions and more thoughtful contemplation. The Secrets of The Pyramids, the first single from the album, includes some fine fiddle playing from Third Man Records artist Lillie Mae, while her brother Frank Rische also features on the track, providing backing vocals. The previously mentioned Some Horses Run Free opens the album in fine Southern Rockin’ style, pounding drums and screeching guitars competing with Lauderdale’s distinctively nasal vocal. For Keeps is no apologies classic country, which would sit comfortably on a mid-60’s George Jones album and I’ll Forgive You If You Don’t is on the same page. Country Soul is represented on the closing track Are You Trying To Make a Song Out Of Us.

Lauderdale has seldom stood in the same musical spot for too long across his career. Always a fervent student of various musical genres, bluegrass, soul, southern rock, experimental and traditional country have all been represented in his recordings. This album dips in and out of many of those categories, resulting in his strongest album in some time. Recent albums have found Lauderdale recording music very much in the present, neither overly retro nor futuristic. From Another World follows that pattern. Another stellar listen which can be summed up by his often-used phrase ‘‘Now THAT’S Americana’’.

Review by Declan Culliton

Norrie McCulloch Compass Black Dust 

No stranger to Lonesome Highway, Norrie McCulloch’s two previous releases, These Mountain Blues and Bare Among The Branches, both made favourable impressions on us. If those albums revealed a singer songwriter growing in confidence, his latest offering Compass, raises the bar to an entirely higher level. Rather than the tortured soul searching and politically frustrated writings of many of his peers, McCulloch’s nine song album is overflowing with affection, cherished memories, love captured and love lost.

In a different era, the wonderful Road Sign would be played to death by radio stations. A beautifully constructed love song, it emphasises McCulloch’s mastery of the minor detail, as he daydreams of his loved one during another torturous late-night journey. Fond childhood memories are recalled on Janey (When We Were Young) before he reverts to amorous themes on both She’s So Good and the closer With You In My Life.  Dear Lady Blue reflects on the tragic loss of a loved one and the ensuing aloneness. Drinking Money is a tongue in cheek ballad and closer to traditional folk than anything else on the album. The title track is a dreamy affair, streams of consciousness underlined by echoing vocals, swirling guitar and rhythmic bass lines.

Mc Culloch, who plays guitar and harmonica on the album, is reunited with his trusted musical contributors. Iain Thompson plays electric guitar, Dave Mc Gowan bass and Marco Rea adds backing vocals. In simple terms, Compass is a delightful listen from start to finish, by another totally under rated U.K. singer songwriter. Americana delivered with a charming Scottish accent never sounded better.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kevin Daniel Things I Don’t See Self Release

This new talent is currently living in the Brooklyn area and his debut album includes eleven tracks that are all written by Daniel. He plays Americana music with a confidence that augers well for his developing career and the musicians used here all turn in superb performances that add plenty to the the overall groove and sound for the project. 

Eight tracks were produced, recorded and mixed by Ben Rice at Degraw Sound in Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY. A further three tracks were produced, recorded and mixed by Kenny Siegel at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY. Different producers and session players don’t always make for a smoothly cohesive end product, but in this case, there is a seamless quality to the entire project and the soulful groove of Daniel comes over strongly.

The players on the eight tracks are Muddy Shews on bass, John Hummel on drums, Anthony Krizan on both tenor guitar & slide guitar, Judd Nielsen on organ and Erica Mancini on accordion. Backing vocals are delivered by Irene Blackman and Roman Urbanski. 

Separately, Jon Ladeau on electric guitar, Lee Falco on vocals and drums, Brandon Morrison on vocals and bass, Will Bryant on vocals, organ and keyboards deliver on the remaining three tracks.

The songs are all very strong and All I Need, Jupiter And Xanax, Cocaine & Whiskey are Country tinged songs that sit well into the overall tempo that is very much driven by Daniel on vocals and guitar. Pour Me A Drink is a slow blues that showcases the band in full flow and Name Of Fame has an up-tempo bluegrass vibe with some nice fiddle playing. The acoustic strum of 22 is a Folk tinged reflection at the disappearance of youth and the rites of passage as College years begin and the emergence of hesitant adulthood. 

There are strings on some of the arrangements and there are horns on others, plus occasional fiddle and piano playing but I have no information as to who played what. Advance review copies don’t always have sufficient liner notes sadly, but this cannot take away from the overall enjoyment of the songs.

The opening tracks Used To Be and Things I Don’t See set the tone with warm keys and tales of life experience taking its toll in shaping us and our dreams along the way, while City That Saves is a fine bar room boogie that closes the album. The playing is superb throughout and I can recommend this album to everyone who likes their music big, bright and brimming with bravado.

Review by Paul McGee

J.D. and the Straight Shot The Great Divide Self Release

This is the seventh release by a band that is the self-realised creation of Jim Dolan, guitarist and vocalist who has been front and centre since their first release back in 2005.

Dolan has continued to chase his passion to perform and play music that is based in a Country Rock sound and despite criticism of his deep pockets as a successful business tycoon, one cannot fault his dedication and doggedness... If there was no back story regarding the wealth that Dolan has amassed, then the music would stand some chance of being assessed purely on its own merits. The musicians in the band are certainly top drawer and the album is not in any way an artificial exercise in self-promotion by Jim Dolan… 

The album was recorded at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville with Marc Copely producing and also contributing on guitar, mandolin and vocals. He is joined by Byron House on upright bass and banjo, Carolyn Dawn Johnson on guitar and vocals, Shawn Pelton on drums & percussion and the stand out Erin Slaver on violin & vocals. The harmony vocals of Tabitha Fair, Erin Slaver, Byron House and Mark Copley are also very strong throughout. The eleven tracks featured here are expertly performed by this group of experienced musicians and cover versions of the Turtles, Happy Together, and the Allman Brothers, Jessica, showcase the band in full colours and displaying the depth of Nashville talent that exists across their collective experience. 

Production by Marc Copley is crisp and precise throughout with the wonderful Erin Slaver lifting many of the tracks with her superb solo runs on violin. Invisible, It Must Be Night and I Should Have Known are all prime examples but the rest of the band more than chip in to the arrangements with the swing beat of Bees highlighting some nice guitar work  and the Salsa sound of Take It Slow hinting at a commercial Latin groove. The duelling solos that energise Jessica are delivered on violin (Slaver) and mandolin (Copley) in place of the sweet guitar of the Allman Brothers Dickey Betts on the original.

Review by Paul McGee

The Royal Hounds Low Class Songs For High Class People Self Release

This Nashville trio can be placed somewhere between Jesse Dayton and Southern Culture On The Skids for their take on roots rock/rockabilly. There is equally a strong sense of humour lurking within the grooves, from the opening The Walk, the most simplistic of dance craze tunes, to The Parthenon, a song about a brothel in Greece and the strange clientele that is to be found there. Then there’s Chinese Buffet which contains the following lines as a sample of the general lyrical direction on offer here: “Well lock up the house, chain up the dog. We’re going into town to eat like a hog. Got my plate stacked high as hay at the Chinese Buffet”. However that’s not to take away in any way from (name?) lead singer and upright bassist’s vocal and musical skills. He is joined by new Brazial guitarist Matheus Canteri - a player who the US government deemed to have ”extraordinary talent” and granted him a visa to live and play there. The drummer on the album is Scott Billingsley. Hinds has written five of the songs solo and two with Canteri, who also contributed two instrumental tunes. 

They are joined by some extra musicians who add pedal steel, accordion, organ, trumpet and backing vocals which all helps to give the music a wider scope on the recordings. The album was co-produced by Hinds and Canteri and they give the proceedings a full and expansive sound throughout.

There is an additional bonus track - a recording of the Stan Jones classic Ghost Riders In The Sky which might give Kenny Vaughan’s version a run for its money. The stated aim of the band is to entertain, get people dancing and in a party mood. Well, they have pretty much done all of that with some style and a tongue-in-cheek approach to life. Not sure about high class people but these songs have the ability to make you forget the lows of life. Facetious and friendly - just like the hound who adorns the cover.9

Review by Stephen Rapid

Sam Outlaw Hat Acts Self Release

This is a digital release from the ever interesting Sam Outlaw, an artist that has been on Lonesome Highway’s radar since his first independent album release. He has managed to create a sound which he is developing, that appeals on many levels. Despite his chosen name, his music sits outside what would generally be considered on the outlaw side of non-mainstream country. His idea of “pop”, however, is far more interesting than what we usually associate that term with on major label releases.

For Hat Acts he has recorded three new songs. Cigarette, Shake A Heartache and Humility all are solid extensions of the sound he has been developing over the last few releases. The first sees him wishing he was a cigarette close to the lips of the woman in question. It features some good steel guitar, as indeed do the others two tracks. Shake A Heartache is an uptempo attempt from the man in question to forget his woes on the dance floor. Humility is a slower song that opens with guitar as our ‘hero’ realises what he needs is not more drink but in truth ”one strong shot of humility”. He has a distinctive voice and sound that will doubtless see him reacher a wider audience in time. Also notable, but not for radio play, are three before and between song scenarios wherein the character in question is caught trying to talk to a girl outside the venue and finally being insulted by another attendee. They fit the overall mood well and each song directly relates to the ambient mood. Outlaw also recently released a single Love Is On A Roll that has more than a hint of Jimmy Buffett in its production. All are available from his website and are worth checking out as, indeed, are all his releases to date  - which you can buy as a special rate job lot at the moment.

Review by Stephen Rapid