New Album Reviews

 Jesse Daniel Beyond These Walls Die True

It is a very heart-warming thing to find an artist who is committed to his music, while still exploring the parameters of a particular genre. For Jesse Daniel that happens to be traditional country music. Working again with producer Tommy Detamore, they have delivered an album rich in tone and refreshing in sound. This time out though there is a shift of emphasis and there is a move towards the border and a Tex-Mex sound, with accordion featuring prominently on some songs, which are lyrically rooted in that area. On El Trabajador (The Worker) Daniel is joined by the Mavericks head honcho Raul Malo for a Spanish language duet on which Daniel more than holds up his end against the might Malo. All of which is a way of saying that he has grown as a vocalist and his delivery here is paramount.

His back story is one of overcoming some troubled and testing times which have resulted in a depth to his writing and experiences, that translates to something that is real and believable. The opening song Clayton Is A Cowboy is a tale of a rodeo bull rider who lives life to the full, until he reaches a life changing situation. It is rich in detail and features Detamore’s dobro and some fine guitar picking which gives an indication of the shift in the musical platform to something which  has a strong rhythm section, that drive many of the songs, but there is a little less of the twanging guitar and pedal steel. Although the next song Looking Back does feature all these things as well as some telling electric 12 string guitar, which conjures a different set of influences. It also highlights the vocals of Jodi Lyford, an essential part of the overall sound and a perfect vocal foil for Daniel. Lyford is also involved with the writing on a numbers of songs on the album, giving a rounded perspective on the topics of the material.

There are twelve tracks here in total and to these ears there’s not a misstep among them. It plays out as a complete package and a damn good one. He celebrates the simple things in life and lists many of them in Simple Things which include “country music on my radio.” There is a sense of ease in the ways these songs are delivered that says something about the confidence that Daniel has gained since his self-titled debut album released in 2018. He also writes about the joys of fishing in Drop A Line (Out Here On The Water). Angel On The Ground takes us back to the honky-tonk and the captivation of the singer’s attention by a woman he meets there. There is a wider perspective in Living In The Great Divide which considers the way that people from the same, or similar backgrounds, are often at odds with each other. It delivers the message with an uplifting beat, twang and a sense of hope that things can resolve themselves. Grey is a stripped back song that opens with impassioned voice and guitar that regrets a life that is slowly fading into that indeterminate colour. It features an effective violin break underlining the sense of loss. He returns to a full-on Tex-Mex sound with accordion and verses in Spanish on Sonando Contigo, a tale of a relationship that has been broken and lost. It is another highlight on an album full of them. The closing track I’ll Be Around Again has been described as bluegrass a song built around the flat picking guitar of John Carroll, Detamore’s dobro and the fiddle of Hank Singer. It offers another aspect of Daniel’s music and closes the album advising us to stay true to our plan and once more highlights the power of Daniel and Lyford’s vocal partnership.

This album will doubtless be seen as one of the albums of the year in its genre. It is already up there for this reviewer. It joins a number of new releases that honour and explore a true understanding for the heritage of country music. That is something to praise and duly applaud.

Review by Stephen Rapid

I See Hawks In L.A. On Our Way Self Release

Looks like we’re on our way to another addition to the band’s already lauded musical cannon with this, their 10th album release. This well established Californian band has been building on their country rock background for quite some time now and exploring elements of that state’s varied musical heritage. As with pretty much everyone who was placed in a lockdown situation, the band had to write and record under all the limitations and opportunities that situation presented. But, happily, this set of new songs sounds no less impressive for all that and is very much in line with their previous albums.

The core members of Rob Waller, Paul Lacques, Paul Marshall and Victoria Jacobs worked on the eleven songs individually, or in various combinations. The next step, after getting the initial recordings down, was to bring in some appropriate guests to enhance the songs. Two notable collaborations are Radio Keeps Me On The Ground that features James and Ed from fellow Californian combo Great Willow (the latter also adding organ to another track) and then Double Nought Spy Car join them for the extended closing eight minute plus How You Gonna Know?  The former is a harmony-laden sing along that offers a thumbs up to the way that radio was something of a lifeline for many. The other song takes an extended groove that collages voices and sounds to ask that in these strange times what and who can be trusted and how you gonna know the truth? The use of synth and wah-wahed guitar over the bass and drum bedrock all add to a slightly unsettling psychedelic sense of displacement and distorted vision. The end result is a band moving forward and delivering something different than might be expected, but something that offers an open door for the band and its next steps without abandoning those alt-country elements for which they are noted. 

The humour and insight that I See Hawks In L.A. are know for is readily apparent throughout the album, as are their vocal and musical skills. Might Have Been Me features Dave Zirbel’s uplifting pedal steel which sets the tone for the song and he does on the other two tracks that he features on. There is a distinct 60’s feel to the title track with its Rickenbacker guitar motif and it also highlights the band’s melodic and poppier side. Know Just What To Do opens with Brantley Kearns abrasive fiddle over some ambient noise before letting the softer side of the song surface. Mississippi Gas Station Blues is one of those gritty blues workouts with a semi-talking vocal from Waller than has similarities in approach to Dave Alvin.

Waller handles most of the lead vocals here with a weathered voice, while Jacobs takes the lead on two tracks. Her song Kensington Market I think is about the famed much-missed London multi-shop emporium. Appropriately it has, again, a 60’s rock feel with 12-string guitar and folky harmonies as well as what sounds like some squiggly keyboards interludes. The second track she features on is the aforementioned recent single Radio Keeps Me On The Ground (Slight Return), joining Waller and Great Willow to give the songs its strong vocal presence. Kentucky Jesus tells of a disillusioned vet. In Geronimo, which is about the famed Native American leader, there is again a more apparent alt-country feel. Stealing and If I Move round out this album with thoughtful lyrics and sold affirmations of the fact that I See Hawks In L.A. are a highly visible presence who ably continue the rich history of California’s rock, country and psychedelic influences. It should also keep them on the way to more fulfilling trip.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Gary Gibson Ain ’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet True Country

It’s a labour of love for us at Lonesome Highway tracking down genuine classic country music from artists previously unknown to us and unearthing great albums by folks that often get very little media exposure. The latest artist and album ticking that box is North Carolina born Gary Gibson with his recent release AIN’T THROUGH HONKY TONKIN’ YET. 

Currently residing in Nashville, like many other artists from North Carolina, his early days were filled with a combination of fishing for bass and writing songs, before eventually moving to Music City to pursue a career as a singer songwriter. The move was fuelled by a career that included opening for Mel McDaniel, Charlie Daniels and Billy Joe Royal. It did not take long for Gibson to establish himself as one of the standout honky tonk acts on Broadway, playing in a number of bars such as Legends Corner, The Wheel and The Stage.

AIN’T THROUGH HONKY TONKIN’ YET closes out with an acoustic and hopefully not autobiographical song titled Wasn’t’ Meant To Be. It’s a familiar tale of the artist whose dreams of stardom in Music City never materialise, leaving him playing to empty bars twenty years into his career.  You’d hate that to be the case with Gibson, given the quality of music on offer on the preceding twelve tracks. Other than that final track, the sound is very much in keeping with what you’d expect to hear in the type of hardcore honky tonk hideouts that populate the majority of the album’s songs.

As you would expect, drinkin’, leavin’ and lovin’ are all affairs that regularly raise their heads. Classic dance floor gems include the ripping I Ain’t Through Honky Tonking Yet, Granny’s At That Honky Tonk Again and Roll On Big Mama. Although laced with humour, all three contain supercharged playing from a stellar collection of players, behind Gibson’s potent country drawl. Alongside those originals he includes a number of traditional classics that, no doubt, feature in his live set. He’s joined by Martha Martin for a fine version of the Melba Montgomery written We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds and equally does justice to Glenn Sutton’s What Made Milwaukee Famous.

Although peppered with up-tempo tunes, the album contains more than two stepping and tongue in cheek dance songs. The Bottle is a powerful three and a half minutes, both in its content and Gibson’s delivery and will surely be covered by one of the current commercial country mainstream artists. A graphic and potent song, it’s made for country radio and with any justice should contribute to the writer’s pension pot. It may also bring this most talented artist to the attention of the major record labels. 

Review by Declan Culliton

The Divorcees Drop Of Blood Self-Release

Canadian award-winning Americana/roots band The Divorcees have been touring and recording for almost sixteen years and DROP OF BLOOD is their fifth studio recording. It finds them reunited with founder member Jason Haywood, who, together with Alex Madsen, Denis ‘Turtle’ Arsenault, Shawn Thomas and Kevin Macintyre, make up the five-piece combo. It’s business as usual on the album, where they stick to their winning format that has served them well to date. Unlike the succession of breakthrough artists from Canada that have hit the ground running in recent years in the Americana genre, The Divorcees’ sound is closer to Austin, Texas than their native homeland.

They kick off the album with a short instrumental track that’s drenched in pedal steel, titled Caledonia Mountain. For lovers of pedal steel, the track captures your attention from the get go and the same instrument features strongly on many of the eleven songs that follow. Losing Hand is a guitar driven rocker, the type of sound that Dave Edmunds’ Rockpile thrived on and the title track, which is surely one of the album highlights, recalls the songwriting talents and driving melody of their fellow Canadian Kathleen Edwards. Their signature sound is very much in evidence on the country roots twangers Drinkin’ In The Afternoon, Making the Scene and The Other Side Of The Blue.

If groups like Reckless Kelly and Mike & The Moonpies float your boat, then DROP OF BLOOD is for you. Given their touring history, I can only imagine that their live shows would be equally as lively as those two bands.  An act entirely conducive to sweaty honky tonks and entertaining beer swilling punters, DROP OF BLOOD is a no nonsense and uncomplicated album, well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

GLEN CAMPBELL Live From The Troubadour Big Machine

Artists such as Lou Reed, U2, Paul Westerberg, The Foo Fighters and Green Day are not names that immediately spring to mind when considering the music of Glen Campbell. However, the Arkansas born legend, who passed away in August of 2017, included songs written by them all in his legendary show at The Troubadour on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in August 20008.

Of course, Campbell also found room for his three Grammy Award winning songs Gentle On My Mind, Wichita Lineman and By The Time I Get To Phoenix on a setlist that was a reminder of the hugely diverse musical journey of the artist, which included session playing, acting and TV host alongside his successful singer songwriter career.

By Campbell’s side on stage were four family members: daughters Ashley and Debby added backing vocals, his third daughter Shannon played acoustic guitar and his son Cal was on drums. He was also joined by a host of session players including members of Jane’s Addiction, Danzig, Beck and Jellyfish. There’s so much to savour in the mixed bag of cover songs on the album, some of which remain true to the original versions (U2’s All I Want Is You and Sing from Travis) and others that get a slight country makeover (Tom Petty’s Walls and Green Day’s Good Riddance (I Hope You Had The Time Of Your Life). He also premieres a previously unrecorded John Lennon song, Grow Old With Me, presented to him by Yoko Ono. Sticking close to the tempo of The Velvet Underground’s Jesus, the song sounds as if it was written for him. ‘This is a heck of a song, I call it my Foo Fighters song’ he announces, before launching into the set closer, a rousing version of Times Like These. Of course, the three previously mentioned Grammy winners are all included in what must have been a memorable experience for those lucky enough to have been at The Troubadour to witness this exceptional concert.

It’s the last full show of Campbell’s career that was filmed and this album catches the warmth of the performance, together with the excellence of the material both in his vocal deliveries and the musicianship that accompanies it.  More than just simply a live album, the recording is testimony to the charismatic powers of Campbell. It finds him doing what he loves best, singing, playing guitar and entertaining the audience, with family members on stage with him. The album captures all that and much more on a quite stunning and beautiful fifty-eight minutes of entertainment. An essential purchase.

Review by Declan Culliton

Mike Ross The Clovis Limit - Tennessee Transition Taller

Is the Clovis Limit a reference from a science fiction novel by William Gibson (The Peripheral), or does it refer to a tribe of hunter-gatherers who first settled the Americas in the years BC? It doesn’t really matter which interpretation you favour, as much like Mike Ross himself, the creativity that has been unleashed through this project, now in its third iteration, is well worth the journey either way.

The initial Clovis Limit recording was released back in 2019 when Mike Ross decided to bring his many talents to the table in a real tour de force of Blues/Roots music that left a deep impression on all who we fortunate enough to find it.  Not content with the acclaim that the album received, Ross decided to revisit the project last year and reworked all the arrangements into a harder, Rock oriented direction, complete with driving guitar, synth treatments and plenty of high energy sonics.

Scoring a hat trick is something that any footballer will strive to achieve and a real highlight in a career; equally in a musical setting, Mike Ross has decided to aim for that same goal and pushes his art towards that special feeling of hitting the sweet spot. The Clovis Limit, part three, is given the Delta Blues treatment as Ross uses his Covid experience to lay down some wicked solo performances in search of that creative centre, sought out by all musicians who truly want to live inside the moment of finding true essence.

Despite all the attendant influences which may arise when listening to the music of Mike Ross, his deep respect for the blues is ever present and the obvious emotion and feel with which he performs pays fitting tribute to all those mentors who have gone before. With just solo guitar and impassioned vocals, Ross delivers an irresistible, engaging album of thirteen tracks, never dropping the pace for an instant and fully absorbing the listener.

There are four tracks taken from each of the Part One and Part Two original Clovis Limit recordings. Driftwood, Grow In Your Garden, Young Man and Blow Away, all from Part One, sounding suitably earthy and None Of Your Business, Don’t Say A Word, Leviathan and The Only Place You Ever Take Me Is Down, from Part Two, all compliment what goes before and sit equally at home in these deeply resonant surroundings.

Another track, Fixing To Die, is from a debut album released in 2014, Spindrift. An alternative version of Young Man is included in the bonus tracks, this one given the sub-header of ‘Paris transition.’ Ross has also included three Delta blues standards, which are favourite tunes, with Shake ‘Em On Down (Bukka White), Screamin’and Hollerin’ the Blues (Charlie Patton) and Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell), bringing home the message, loud and clear, that everything started with acoustic blues. 

The guitar prowess of Ross is really quite something to experience in this stripped-back setting, with all the songs, over forty-plus minutes, flowing by in an entertaining romp through this excellent material. Played with conviction and adding a new coat of paint to the original song structures, Ross displays clear evidence of his creative muse on these elemental versions. 

Review by Paul McGee

Afton Wolfe Kings For Sale Grandiflora

This album burns with personality on every track as Afton Wolfe, the genre-bending ringmaster of rhythm n’ blues and country soul, delivers a really strong statement of intent. For forty-three minutes these nine tracks bring you to a place where the music dances with a deep resonance and invites you to come along for the ride.

Mississippi is home to Wolfe and his back story is peppered with wrong turns, cul de sacs, bad decisions taken, addiction and redemption. With a creative spirit that is spread across the southern states, the influences lean toward a sound that touches on many genres, including his exploration into both New Orleans jazz-tinged grooves and roots based soulful shuffles, in a joyful experience across a variety of sounds that deliver a rich tapestry.

There is a horn section on three tracks; pedal steel and piano on others, harmonica and clarinet, French horn and violin; all played with precision and beauty. Wolfe can sound like Tom Waits on a few of these arrangements and his vocal inflection adds richly to the mix. The County Blues of Carpenter is a terrific example of the worldly weary tone at play, ‘you said you thought you kinda loved me.  something I don’t think I could help. Now you’re drunk at my bar with another homeless Nashville rock star, And I wish you’d just go somewhere else.’ As an examination of a fractured relationship, it is right up there.

Dirty Girl has a New Orleans jazzy arrangement with trombone, trumpet and saxophone interspersing with harmonica, piano and rhythm section, as the guitar sound weaves about. Channelling a Tom Waits persona as the friends recount a session around the bars and clubs of Mississippi. About My Falling looks at the waste of hedonistic pursuits and councils about calling a halt; ‘and I’d like to think that my falling, is just a natural decline in my mobility, but that would excuse me from my own scrutiny, so that this might go on into perpetuity.’ 

Cemetery Blues is a terrific electric slow burn with strutting guitars, courtesy of Wolfe and Wess Floyd, plus Seymour and Strangroom holding down the rhythm with a nasty beat that allows the vocal growl full vent. The upright bass that fuels the song arrangement on Mrs. Ernst’s Piano is right out of the Tom Waits songbook and the clarinet of Seth Fox sets the mood just right. It’s got a ragtime feel and tells of racial segregation in a changing America, with a piano teacher trying to simply educate the children in the middle of the whole experience. 

Fault Lines is a standout track with pedal steel from Adam Kurtz, Rebecca Weiner Tompkins on violin, Wolfe playing piano and Kristen Englenz on French horn, all creating the reflective mood of facing yourself and moving forward; ‘You break a promise that you never made at all, San Andreas, hell, I guess it’s not your fault.’

Steel Wires has a great vocal performance from Wolfe, all frustrated anger at the way a relationship turned, with hints of cheating in the words; ‘Light your cigars and stare at my wife. Drink your poison. Enjoy my life.’ The mix of the clarinet, saxophone and flute, violin and piano, all combining into a ramshackle, loose and easy rhythm, slipping into laid back grooves. Final song, O’ Magnolia, is a tribute to the state of Mississippi as it changes the official flag into that of the state flower. Accept the past and move on; “O’ Magnolia, you are not just the crimes of you fathers, And until you forgive yourself, you will never know all your wealth.” Piano and organ from Ben Babylon, guitar from Cary Hudson and the congregation choir lifting the arrangement with a plea “Unlock the chains you’ve kept, Your mighty hills and trees and rivers behind, And be free. O’ Magnolia.” A fitting end to an album that resonates with a quiet passion in embracing the real feeling and emotion of a musician who delivers an excellent full-length debut.

Review by Paul McGee

Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny Let’s Get Happy Together Stony Plain

There is something so refreshing behind the sound of vintage jazz echoing over the airwaves. It reminds you of days gone by, perhaps the slower pace of life, more innocent dreams and a glorious era of glamour and largesse.

You are back in the 1920’s with all the trimmings; silent movies, Flapper dresses with string pearls, feather boas, Gatsby era, cloche hats and the sweet sounds of Jazzy Blues... Street band Tuba Skinny join Maria Muldaur on this project and over twelve tracks they bring a broad smile with infectious playing and a great sense of fun that is hard to escape. Tuba, trombone and washboard lay down the rhythm and twin guitars mix seamlessly with 6-string banjo to lift the melody in these addictive tunes – coronet, clarinet and the sweetly placed phrasing of Muldaur bring the icing on the cake. 

Songs like the title track, Let’s Get Happy Together, Swing You Sinners, I Like You Best Of All, Got the South In My Soul and Big City Blues; all capture the mood of the time and deliver superbly arranged and played ensemble pieces that strut and soar.  

Over forty minutes you can lose yourself in a soundtrack of the times, music of the cities and the emerging societies before World War Two changed so much and took away the passion for life that this era created. The freedom of the times is captured so well on these tunes and for anyone who likes their Roots music with a little bit of swing and sparkle them this is for you. I challenge you not to cut a rug and dance!

Review by Paul McGee

Mary Hott with the Carpenter Ants Devil In the Hills Self Release

This is a very worthy recording and one that brings a stark sense of history in the stories of abuse and crimes against the poor and migrant workers in the coal mining industry which developed in the West Virginia mountains. Over the years, from 1890 to 1954, the mining companies and their army of guards ruled with a reign of terror. Stories of severe beatings, hangings, shootings and rape have been handed down by elderly people who had lived and worked in these mines. These memories are captured quite movingly in the story songs that revolve around the Whipple Company Store that was active in Fayette County, West Virginia. Mine owners fought with workers to keep out unionism and to divide and conquer, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest insurrection in the history of the USA. It was fought over a five-day period in 1921 by 10,000 coal miners.  

Mary Hott brings these tales to life with a passionate vocal performance across eleven tracks and her upbringing in the small West Virginia town of Paw Paw, gives full authenticity and gravitas to the songs. She enlisted the talents of The Carpenter Ants to assist her in telling these harrowing tales and their reputation as a band of high quality is very evident on these Gospel based, Roots songs; all of which make their mark in both an entertaining and insightful way.

The members of the Carpenter Ants are Michael Lipton (guitar), Ted Harrison (bass), Jupie Little (drums) and Charlie Tee (vocals). Hott also asked Ammed Solomon (percussion) and Julie Adams (vocals), to contribute, along with Gospel piano master Randy Gilkey. The project was produced by Don Dixon and Michael Lipton, who also contributes on vocals, guitar, saxophone, omnichord and guit-banjo. All of these talented musicians add to the dynamic and the songs are mainly written by Mary Hott. The exceptions are a traditional rendition of the Blair Mountain Ballad, a fine version of Life’s Railway To Heaven (a Gospel Hymn) and a deeply soulful, Take Me Home, Country Roads, bringing out the true essence of a song that was such a runaway hit for John Denver. 

Annabelle Lee documents the lives of “comfort girls” aged between twelve and eighteen, who were trafficked into the mining towns to satisfy the needs of single mine workers who craved release from their frustrations and hard lives. The corruption of innocence continues with Room Of Lost Souls and a tale of boys, as young as eight years old, having to take the place of their dead fathers in the mines or the family home would be taken from the widow and surviving children. The Gospel Blues groove of this track is deeply resonant and is followed by the wonderful guitar driven dynamic of Take the Esau, all taut with tension and an anger behind a song that looks at the proud families that would not sell out their principles to the company men. The price paid just being too much. 

The Spot recounts the tales from a roadside tavern where workers used to blow off steam, with heavy drinking, fighting and games of Russian roulette. They Built A Railroad is the track that captures the spirit of the recording best, with the lines ‘They carried coal from our mountains, They carried our wealth, our legacy. And when the miners stood for their union, they met with crimes against humanity.’ The title track is a slow Blues, burning with passion of all the untold stories that welled up inside of the workers and their families over the years, the anguish and the prison into which they locked themselves. 

This is a soulful shout to the heavens on their behalf, with the biting electric guitar parts reminding that a Devil was always walking through these lives at the same time. Rise Up WV is a call to break the code of silence that has prevailed over the atrocities of these times and asks that full disclosure be received in order to free the victims from their past. Now, thanks to Mary Hott, the people whose stories are told can finally have some sense of release against the incarceration they suffered, both above and below ground. A fine album, filled with great music and more importantly, a message that we all need to heed.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Rick Fines Solar Powered Too Self Release

New to us in Lonesome Highway, Juno nominated singer-songwriter Rick Fines has been spreading the gospel of folk blues throughout his native Ontario and further afield for thirty years. With his trademark gnarled vocals reminiscent of a young John Hiatt, this latest album was recorded in a diy set up of solar panels and golf cart batteries in a little cabin in the North Kawartha woods, not far from his Peterborough home. Six of the tracks were retained in their raw original state, while Fines and co-producer Alec Fraser took the remaining six back to the studio and added further instrumentation and vocals courtesy of various friends who are well-known on the Toronto music scene.

Once heard never forgotten, the lonesome call of the loon is the inspiration for the exquisitely executed One Lone Loon, a slow ballad of heartache accompanied by some searing harmonising harmonica playing from Roly Platt and Jimmy Bowskill on pedal steel. Laundry on the Line is equally affecting, where Fines shows empathy for both parties in the tale of a wife who finds the courage to walk out of a marriage after many years of unfulfillment. Further examples of Fines’ songwriting skills are evident in the country blues of Below the Surface where again no embellishments are needed beyond his vocals and guitar. Utilising the downtime of lockdown, Fines took the opportunity to do some co-writing with the likes of Matt Andersen, Grainne Ryan and PJ Thomas. The only cover song is a full band tex mex flavoured rendition of Jesse Winchester’s That’s What Makes You Strong. Fundamental Nature was appropriately recorded in the wood with just vocals, resonator guitar and Fines foot tapping as he celebrates nature from the ‘hummingbird buzzing in my ear’ to the cuckoo who is ‘joyful, intimate and boundless’.

Special mention must be made of the cover artwork (crows on a high nelly bike!) by Stevi Kittleson. Check it out.

Review by Eilis Boland

John Shipe The Beast Is Back Involushun

To fully appreciate this impressive double album from Oregon’s John Shipe, you need to be aware of his backstory: he has spent the last ten years away from the music business while coming to terms with alcoholism. Now, don’t run a mile having heard this … while at times it is not an easy listen, it is certainly a rewarding one. And, of course, there is more to the man than just this one fact, as many of the songs here demonstrate. Ranging across the gamut of Americana musically, the predominant sound is folk rock meets country. Split into two halves entitled ‘Hagiography’ and ‘Involution’ (which sent me scurrying to the dictionary!) several of the eighteen songs deal with the guilt of the pain caused to his loved ones during his addiction.

That pain is especially palpable on Frozen, stripped back to just Shipe’s vocals and acoustic guitar: ‘here we are, nowhere to go, can’t give, can’t receive’, essentially describing his relationship with his wife during the lowest point. My Daughter, My Love is equally visceral in relaying the gulf that has arisen between him and his daughter, who has ‘put up a wall’ between them. ‘I pulled you into this world with my own two hands’, he tells her over a simple piano accompaniment and echoey strings, ‘but I’m stronger and can wait longer than you can know’. Cosmic Repo Blues is a strident country blues in which he details how he is paying the price for past demeanours, with unsettling steel slide guitar and a long discordant outro emphasising the mood. 

Redemption is approaching in Involution and Just A Man, where past failings are being acknowledged and self acceptance is creeping in. The outstanding ballad Love Ain’t Easy is a moving thank you to his wife for sticking with him throughout, and is also notable for the harmony vocals of jazz singer Halle Loren and the pedal steel of Bryan Daste. 

Thankfully, Shipe hasn’t lost his social conscience during these tough years, as demonstrated in Thoughts and Prayers (a critique of the hypocrisy and platitudes offered by politicians as a response to gun violence) and J. Edgar Hoover. Joined by a large band of accomplished musicians on bass, percussion, horns, organ, guitars and backing vocals and all ably produced by Tyler Fortier, this is a record well worth checking out.

Review by Eilis Boland

Hannah Juanita Hardliner Self-Release

 A throwback to a bygone era, the American Legion Post 82 on Gallatin Pike, Nashville, has proved to be an inspirational venue for artists, both local and visiting from overseas, who love their country old timey and traditional. Hannah Juanita was raised less than two hundred miles from Nashville in Chattanooga, but was living in  Mount Rainer in Washington State, prior to packing her suitcases and moving to Music City. The relocation was fuelled by the lure of the Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights at that now legendary venue, together with her resolution to forge a career as a performer and recording artist.

As the album title implies, Juanita is no wallflower, far from it. Song titles such as Grudge To The Grave, Our Love Is Done and I’m Gonna Leave You suggest a lady with a lot to get off her chest and in a hurry to do so. She’s blessed with a voice that’s tailor made for old school country, it is honey coated and twangy in equal doses but also has a hint of menace, giving the ambience of an ice queen rather than the sweet girl next door.  

There’s more than a nod to Loretta Lynn on the lively opener Call Yourself My Man and equally on the aforementioned two stepping Our Love Is Done. Horns and accordion grace the border influenced Love Like Yours and she confesses to a less than fruitful romantic same sex rendezvous on Green Eyes. She looks over her shoulder on the autobiographical swinger Ramblin’ Gal, before signing off with the stripped back acoustic Hard Hearted Woman.

Juanita co-produced the album alongside fellow honky tonker Mose Wilson and Chris Weisbecker and called on some top players to contribute. Wilson, coupled with production duties, plays guitar and bass, Ryan Elwell (Soccer Mommy, Pat Reedy) is on drums and pedal steel players Neil Jones (American Aquarium) and Daniel Haymore both feature.

HARDLINER is essentially a ‘breaking free’ and re-birth collection of country songs. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, Juanita banishes the demons of bad relationships and poor life choices as she settles into a new beginning. She’s established herself as a member of the growing community of artists in Nashville keeping real country music alive and kicking. Check out her shows at American Legion Post 82 and other honky tonk bars on your next trip to Music City, I know I will. In the meantime, feast your ears on this fine batch of country songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

Olivia Harms Rhinestone Cowgirl Self-Release

Country singer and songwriter Olivia Harms may be a new name to readers, but they would, no doubt, be familiar with her mother, the decorated artist Joni Harms. Joni released fourteen albums between 1985 and 2016, including the 2014 release OREGON TO IRELAND, which was recorded with The Sheerin Family Band in Moate, Co. Westmeath.

Born on a farm in Canby, Oregon, Olivia Harms exposure from childhood to both the agricultural way of life, coupled with accompanying her mother to numerous shows, has given her a clear vision of the career paths available to her.

She followed in the family’s farming tradition by earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management from Oregon State University, in parallel with her career as a singer songwriter. On the strength of her second album RHINESTONE COWGIRL, it’s fair to say that she can leave the degree certificate in the picture frame and put a career in agriculture on hold.

Given her upbringing, it’s no surprise to learn that she was gifted with her first guitar at the age of six and was piecing together her own songs from an early age. She recorded her debut album in Nashville at the age of sixteen and in 2019 released an album of cover songs with her mother, titled OUR FAVOURITES. Olivia started working on this new album in the same year, choosing Nashville based songwriter and producer D. Scott Miller to handle the production duties. Choosing ten songs from her extensive catalogue, they overcame two schedule postponements due to Covid-19, to eventually complete the recording in May 2020.

No shrinking violet, the lyrics throughout point towards an individual very much in control and more than able to fight her own corner. She kicks off with the sassy Hey There Cowboy, calling the shots on a possible suitor. She continues on the ‘man trail’ on the following track Neon Blue. Laced with stinging pedal steel and guitar breaks, it’s the type of song that early career Carlene Carter topped the charts with.

The album’s high point is I Don’t Need You (But I Want You).  It’s simply gorgeous, a classic country love ballad, bringing to mind the musical direction Ashley Munroe was locked into on her standout album THE ROSE. Bakersfield could have been a mite fawning with its Buck and Haggard namechecks, but she rises above that with clever lyrics and a killer melody.  Aching pedal steel and fiddles enrich Just Like Yesterday, a song that could have been specifically written for George Jones to record back in the day. She enters Glen Campbell territory on the slick breakup song Goodbye. Not content with leaving behind sunken and unfulfilled dreams, the song documents the determination of its protagonist - possibly autobiographical - to succeed in her chosen career despite the lack of support from an ex- boyfriend.

Regular readers of Lonesome Highway will be aware of our devotion to what we consider to be genuine country music, alongside our aversion to what is currently churned out on mainstream country radio stations. RHINESTONE COWGIRL ticks the former box with flying colours and surely, given radio play, would offer listeners a gateway to the world of genuine country music, rather than the synthesiser and drum machine driven sounds, currently masquerading as country on the airwaves.

All in all, this album delivers all the key elements of traditional country, while also presenting a modern slant of the genre. Weeping pedal steel guitar and blazing fiddles do impress throughout, but the real winner are Olivia’s crystalline vocals that dip, soar and quiver in all the right places, on a batch of extremely well written songs. Don’t just take my word for it, track down a copy yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Lucky Ones Self-Titled Self Release

Whilst I can’t claim any sort of deep knowledge of bluegrass and old time music, on occasion an album comes onto my radar and hits the target. This is true of the debut release of the Canadian band The Lucky Ones. They are based in the Yukon area and play acoustic music with an obvious energy and conviction. The five piece are led by vocalist and guitarist JD McCallen. He is joined in the vocal department by fellow guitarists Ian Smith and Ryan James West. West is also the band’s mandolinist.  Then Kieran Poile plays fiddle and Jerome Belanger is the double bassist. There are also some guests on vocal and additional piano. Collectively they are credited with writing all of the material here and while it is neither unique in theme or style, they manage a freshness whilst easily fitting into the overall genre patterns.

The opening song Fool’s Gold immediately gets the feet tapping and shows that here is a set of players who mean business. Waiting On A Paycheque makes me think that it could have easily been a track on the O Brother soundtrack. It is a tale that elaborates on the plight of the man waiting for his next work payment to arrive, and how he needs to survive and thrive till that happens. There is a historic feel to the songs. The Old 98 has a similar theme of cash on the bar for every round requested from a hard-worn miner still working at the titular mine. There is deeper thoughtfulness in Everybody Dance, where the sense of relationships seems tentative and also tender.

Lifestyles are at the heart of Since The Farm Got Sold and how generations of workers on the land can deal with a multitude of problems placed in their path to prevent use of their land. The melody here is very reminiscent of a number of songs but it powers along at a pace. Softer and simpler is the approach taken in Wish, where the melancholic and desperate theme is of longing and regret and features a striking vocal from McCallen. More upbeat in tempo if not mood is evidenced in Drunken Goodnight.

The music draws on history and tradition and is steeped in landscape, community and a strong sense of family. There is then also the factor that being a band from the Yukon means a certain isolation and independence. Just getting to play a gig out of the area means a drive of several hours. But there are compensations and, doubtless, the comradeship within the band counts for a lot, as does the locality and the support the band receive from it. But again this music has now a universality that means it is as readily accessible and understandable here in Ireland as it is in Canada, Czechoslovakia or Norway. It also comes in a well designed sleeve which is indicative of the commitment that they have to their music.

Review by Stephen Rapid

John McTigue III It’s About Time  Mc3

Seasoned session players are a talented bunch who are often playing in a variety of styles to suit the particular artist that they are accompanying. So it’s no surprise that drummer McTigue III does that here on this album released under his own name. He has though, more often than not, been associated with county and Americana performers. The list on his website of those he has played with is testament to his talent and appeal.  Now here with IT’S ABOUT TIME he displays that diversity on a selection of tracks, some with guest vocalists, others instrumental. The album opens with Deep Ellum Blues, a song written by Joe and Bob Shelton, and one that features the vocals of one of the more under-appreciated artist living in Nashville, namely Greg Garing, whose tenure there goes back to the very early days of the resurgence of Lower Broadway. Garing also sings on his co-written song Store Bought Liquor. His voice is as distinctive as ever and steeped in ageless honky-tonk, authentic country and rockabilly. It sounds like it could have been recorded back in the late 50’s. Garing’s final vocal is on the classic Ashes Of Love, his delivery emphasising the true heartache of the song.

The producers of this varied collection are McTigue and Kenny Vaughan, both masters of their chosen instruments who also have an understanding of how to add authenticity to their production. The other guest vocalist is the equally vital Tim Carroll. He sings and plays guitar on his two self-written contributions, Keeping Time and Talking to God. The former has a blues/rock sound while the latter is a full-on punky workout that rocks out hard by the end. Very different to Garing’s contributions but equally worth their place here on this release.

From then on it’s about the mood and attitude of the instrumental from Stockholm written by the two producers and sounding like its missing from the soundtrack of a 60’s spy drama. It is one of four tracks that Vaughan plays guitar on. The others are the tracks that feature Greg Garing. These alone show the versatility of his playing. Starbuck (Buckaroo) is an obvious tribute to Buck Owens’ guitarist, Don Rich. Though the guitarist on the track is uncredited, it sounds very much like Vaughan. Luceat Lux Vestra is a McTigue written piece that is something of a showpiece for his undoubted percussion mastery. Billy Contreras adds multiple violins into the rhythmic platform. The version of Chopin’s Étude No 4 is subtle and understated and highlights Contreras again but this time on mandolin. String Quartet No. 3 written again by McTigue features the Tosca String Quartet and it has the feel of a film score contribution and shows that McTigue has the ability to step out behind the drum kit and to orchestrate something that is quite evocative. The other song is The Whale Song, a co-write between McTigue and Ron Blakley. It’s built into a rhythmic pattern and then layered with Blakely’s pedal steel guitar, though here the instrument is played in a more atmospheric style which conjures up effectively the large marine mammal moving through the sea and waves.

This may be too diverse an album to attract wide mainstream attention but it is undoubtedly an interesting and rewarding set of songs and far more wide-ranging than one might expect from a musician more widely know for his sideman skills. But it’s also perhaps about time that he made this individual statement and it is in one worth giving the space to be listened to.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jesse Brewster The Lonely Pines Crooked Prairie

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jesse Brewster has been making music since his debut album appeared back in 2004. He is a very talented multi-instrumentalist who also has many side projects and interests, including music producer and teacher. This latest release follows on from The Simpleness Of Things, an EP that surfaced in 2018, and these ten excellent songs reflect a Roots sound with a leaning towards mid-tempo arrangements, full of sweet melody and atmospheric playing.

Opening track, Let’s Run Away, kicks everything off with a bright dynamic sound and a plea to strike out, into the unknown, until the shimmering images of the coast appear in the distance. Kicking and Screaming has a similar theme and the telling lyric ‘Got to go where we’re not wanted, to find where we belong.’ So, life on the road in one sense, but balanced by the message in other songs, such as the feeling of family and surviving the stormy weather in Southern, a slow acoustic ballad, with Close To Home also highlighting that feeling of belonging and bonding together.

Another song, So Much Good Right Here, has a bluesy groove and a message not to take anything for granted.  The slow waltz of Bitter Pill looks at a former lover and her new life, having moved on and leaving a sense of frustration with the lover that is left behind. Equally, No One To Blame, is an easy melody that has an anxious partner feeling down on his luck, waiting for a positive sign.

The ideal of a dream lover is explored in Woman In My Mind; ‘She’s the one that I’m hoping I never find, She’d never be that perfect woman in my mind.’ The song, Follow It Down, looks at the search for creativity and is a more commercial sound that examines the tricks that the mind can play on the writing process. The final track, Amber Kinney, is a ballad that highlights marital abuse and the need for escape, with some superb violin and mandolin leading the haunting melody.

Jesse Brewster is a very expressive singer-songwriter and his warm vocal tone is perfectly in tune with these well-crafted songs about living through the vagaries of life and love. A very enjoyable thirty-five minutes of your time.  

Review by Paul McGee

John Smith The Fray Thirty Tigers

English Folk music often gets a bad press as being outdated and irrelevant in the modern world, but quality music always finds a way to surface. Gone are the days of suitably bearded poets in heavy woollen jumpers, making ‘serious’ music in meaningful ways, across the damp back rooms of our cities. Once society moved into the ‘me-culture’ - deep introspection had no place at the table set for hedonistic pleasure. However, the times in which we now live have brought with them the deep need for renewed connection and community.

This is a very soulful and heartfelt release from an artist who knows all about life as a travelling minstrel. John Smith is a singer-songwriter and guitar player of some serious talent and has trodden many stages since his debut album appeared back in 2006. Since then, his reputation has grown to the point where he is considered as one of the brightest lights on the circuit and until the Covid lockdown, regularly in demand. Here, during long days of sitting home, Smith has created an album that shines perspective on life and love, the need to reach out for empathy and understanding and to hold out for what is real. Produced by Sam Lakeman, who also adds percussion, and calling on the talents of Jason Rebello (piano), Marcus Hamblett (horns), Emma Gattrill (clarinet and bass clarinet), John Smith delivers on acoustic and electric guitars, lap steel and vocals, an album that is both honest and open in the creation and completion.

Opening with Friends and a message that real connection endures over both time and the miles travelled. It’s as close to a commercial sound as John Smith gets, with its radio-friendly chorus and handclap arrangement. Hold On is just that, a plea to keep moving forward and to share both good and bad times together, ‘Took me a minute to see, When we’re open-hearted, Whatever happens, We’ll be fine.’ The smoky quality in Smith’s delivery includes a vulnerability that adds great character to his soulful tone.

Sanctuary is a song that looks at unfulfilled romance and the feeling of something not fully concluded, ‘I watched you run like crazy, Chasing all those dreams, I tried to follow close, But I ran out of steam.’ A memory or an imagined dalliance? Smith writes all the songs here, including seven co-writes, leading to the strong sense of collaboration that runs through the arrangements and the superbly crafted playing. 

Deserving, channels a memory of the late, great John Martyn, whom Smith toured with in the early days. The rhythm and slap-technique on the guitar strings is beautifully executed and the harmony vocals of both Sarah Jaroz and Courtney Hartman are a real treat. A slow groove that flows gracefully and builds into a fine crescendo. 

The Best Of Me is another gem, all wrapped up in jazzy tones, with Ben Nicholls on double bass and a special guest appearance from the legendary Bill Frisell on electric guitar. It’s like a delicate flower, opening up to the realisation of what true love means, ‘I lay beside you in the dark, With just the beating of your heart, I know the best of me is here with you.’ Equally, Just As You Are is another love song that promises enduring commitment and a deep sense of belonging - superbly delivered along with the lovely vocals of Jessica Staveley-Taylor.

Other guests include The Milk Carton Kids, who provide additional vocals on the title track, The Fray, a song that reflects upon a career that passes in a blur of bright lights and busy days, with barely enough time to draw breath; ‘ I’ll wait for the lights to fade out, And walk into the fray, We all end up there anyway.’ 

Star-Crossed Lovers has a beautiful co-vocal with Lisa Hannigan and looks at the difficulty in maintaining a relationship through challenging times, ‘It’s been a crazy year, where do I begin? Would you allow me to confess my sins, And take me gently for the state I’m in?’

It’s very much a contemporary Folk sound and this sixth studio album has Smith playing at the top of his game, putting down a strong marker for continued success into the future and delivering on all his early promise as most likely to succeed. Well worth investigation.  

Review by Paul McGee

David John Morris Monastic Love Songs Hinterground 

We all search for meaning in this life. Whether we look for gratification in the material world and career success, or whether we seek answers from within, the journey is very much one of personal preference. David John Morris has chosen to focus on his inner path and his spiritual leanings have led to the ten songs included here, all composed during a period of time spent in a Buddhist monastery in Nova Scotia. Morris has now been ordained as a Buddhist monk and his musings on the human spirit, both inner and outer perspectives, coupled with a deep reverence for the eternal beauty contained in nature, form the bedrock of this very enjoyable, self-reflective album.

Morris sings with a hushed vocal style that is reminiscent of Lloyd Cole and is always quietly intimate, even in moments where it appears clipped in tone. As a member of the musical collective that is Red River Dialect, Morris has been recording music since 2010 when he released a duo recording with his friend Simon Drinkwater under the band name. Several releases have followed, ten in total, across EPs and albums both, with the fluid nature of band membership not taking anything away from the reputation earned in English Folk circles. 

We now find Morris in solo mode; Folk influences sharply honed and having sought the assistance of two key players to help colour these gentle song arrangements. Thierry Amar (God Speed You Black Emperor) and Thor Harris (The Swans) arrived at Hotel2Tango studios in Montreal to join with Thaye Chosang (the Buddhist name that Morris now uses) and over the course of a day, recorded together. Their understated playing on double bass (Amar), drums, harmonium, vibes (Harris) and Morris/Chosang on guitars and vocals, brings a sense of calm, where the song melodies infuse an atmosphere of reflected lightness. Other players contributed on individual songs, with Tom Relleen (buchla synth), Catrin Vincent (piano), Coral Rose (cello) and Jimmy Robertson (tambourine) adding their separate parts.

All songs were written by Morris except for one, a cover of the traditional Rosemary Lane, which tells the tale of the seduction of a domestic servant by a sailor, who leaves her pregnant and alone. Certainly not a choice in keeping with the search for something deeper within, the theme which permeates the songs that Morris has delivered.  If it does seem at odds with the overall message of loving awareness, perhaps it stands alone as a stark reminder that we are the master of our own decisions and the way in which we allow the vicissitudes of life to shape us.

Elsewhere, the opening song, New Safe, deals with letting go of anxiety, fears and ego, with the imagery of emotions we hide away in a safe, securely protected by a code and locked tight. The greater universal message of selfless living is captured on Rhododendron, with lines like ‘Through my senses, doorways open. I've been taking, now I'll learn to give.’ Also, on the track, Skeleton Key, where the secret to open many doors comes from the old self being able to accept the new; I'm in the bardo of becoming. Old self died, New self not yet born.’

 It’s all about trusting in the undulating energy that fuels all things. ‘Remember there is no need to strive’ sings Morris as he seeks the union with nature and his inner self. If you view Nature itself as a living, sentient being, then the energy it gives provides all that is required to live openly together in this garden of Eden. This is the message on Gone Beyond, which speaks of; ‘There is a mind so vast, That it has surpassed, All of the hopes, all of the fears. It is already here.’

Purple Gold refers to an old friendship, memories of younger days and meeting up again some years later. Earth and Air seems to reflect an earlier urge to break free and move away from a relationship, while Steadfast deals with a more recent tension between two people, with the message to stop trying so hard to bridge the distance; ‘Tensions rose and tethers slowly frayed, Didn't realise they were starting to braid.’

Circus Wagon is perhaps the most nakedly honest song, with questions around the fallibility of man and the failings of patriarchal Buddhist community leaders to deliver on the principles that they espouse to put into practice in their daily lives; ‘I asked for freedom, And freedom came. Broke the wheels of praise and blame. Circus wagon fell apart, I thought this was my chariot.’

The final song, Inner Smile, is a sentiment of inner joy and written for Hollis, one of the teachers that Morris studied under. It captures the essence of a smile and how it can change the attitude we take in perceiving the world. Morris realised his spiritual calling on a visit to Ireland back in 2015 and a deep resonance felt on visiting the remote island of Skellig Michael. More a giant rock than an island, the experience moved Morris to seek out a life of trying to understand the inner world of being and leave aside the hunt for material affirmation. Whether this search for perfection, in essence, must be flawed, as we are essentially imperfect beings, is something that we can all ponder. However, by aspiring to be a part of a greater ‘whole’ then the path to some enlightenment must lie ahead in the distance… An honest and memorable recording that engages with a hypnotic quality, if you are open to letting the message and the music in.  

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Dave Richardson Palms to Pines Self Release

Massachusetts singer-songwriter Dave Richardson’s last album CARRY ME ALONG was among my favourites of 2018, so I received this latest one with some trepidation. I am relieved and happy to report that this recording does not disappoint and that the songs have already become akin to ‘old friends’.

On the folkier side of Lonesome Highway’s roster of album reviews, Richardson hangs out along with the Club Passim crowd based in Boston, Massachusetts. The title track sets the scene for the album’s themes - no matter how appealing the grass on the other side (in this case, a trip from the colder east coast to the alluring sunny California) home is always best. 

Nature is referenced throughout this enchanting collection, from the joys of sitting alone in his Garden House, comparing his love to the sweetness of maple syrup in Honey Leaf (de rigeur for all New Englanders after all!) and the cycle of life being reflected in planting and growing in And Maybe. Once again, Richardson chooses Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Lula Wiles, Tony Trishka) to coproduce and the result is a beautifully sparse and simple sound that favours the lyrics and subject matter. Richardson’s vocals and expert fingerpicking acoustic guitar skills are complemented by the ‘barely there’ percussion of Ariel Bernstein once again, the acoustic bass playing of Grace Ward and the exquisite cello playing of Valerie Thompson. The final piece of the completed work is the addition of backing vocals from Lauren Balthrop and Emily Moran, who both contributed their vocal parts remotely.

Highlights include Keep Trying, wherein Richardson goes a long way towards explaining to this decidedly extrovert reviewer what it feels like to be an introvert: ‘Sometimes you’ll find me sitting alone, close to the action, watching it happen … but I’m always glad I came, and I’m gonna try harder’. Apology To Mouse (Recently Deceased) is reminiscent of his ode to a dead giant squid from the last album, although in this case, there is somewhat less sympathy forthcoming for the unfortunate rodent who picked the wrong home to invade. The touching My Friends is a simple vocals and guitar tribute to, and a celebration of, his musician compadres - ‘We will sing until the embers burn out’. Long may that fire burn.

Review by Eilís Boland 

The Flatlanders Treasure Of Love Rack ‘Em Records

Yet another recording that would not have seen the light of day were it not for the pandemic, the bones of TREASURE OF LOVE came about nearly ten years ago when the threesome recorded songs at Joe Ely’s Spur Studios in Austin. Ely and his Flatlander colleagues Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, had been at that studio recording songs for other projects and in their spare time put down the basics that make up the tracks on this album. Those tracks included self-written material that featured regularly in their live shows, some favourite cover songs and a few new songs. With time on their hands last year, they decided to flesh out those recordings and finalise the album.

Very much at the forefront of the Texas 1970’s music scene, the three carved out successful solo careers, while also setting the time aside to record and tour as The Flatlanders. Inspired by the writing of Townes Van Zandt (they nicknamed him The Patron Saint of The Flatlanders), the album includes a remake of Zandt’s Snowin’ On Raton, a song that features regularly at their live shws. Other well-chosen covers that impress include Give My Love To Rose, with Hancock’s vocal sounding every bit as convincing as the original from Johnny Cash. Ely is given the lead vocal honours on the Hancock - written Ramblin’ Man and Gilmore leads out on the Everly Brothers’ Long Time Gone. Elsewhere, Leon Russell’s She Smiles Like A River gets a country makeover and The Ballad Of Honest Sam is dispatched with as much vocal twang as Paul Siebel’s original.

They called on Lloyd Maines to assist with the production alongside Joe Ely’s wife, Sharon. The end result is a fine collection of songs that lives and breathes all that is to love about the trio. It’s an album to savour in one listen, from the ripping Butch Hancock written opener Moanin’ of the Midnight Train to the country blues of Sitting On Top Of The World, which brings this splendid album to a fitting conclusion.

It’s no surprise that these three high school friends are honoured by a plaque on Lubbock’s West Texas Walk of Fame alongside legends Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison and this album is a reminder of their collective talents. Hard edged Americana with a capital A and presented by a collection of players that sound as if they’re having the time of their lives in the studio, TREASURE OF LOVE is an essential purchase for any discerning lover of roots music.

Review by Declan Culliton

Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones Here To Tell The Tale Sower Records

On first listen to this album, it’s no surprise to learn that Lara Hope won the Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Female Rockabilly Artist in 2017. Not strictly a rockabilly band only, Lara Hope & The Ark -Tones’ HERE TO TELL THE TALE finds them equally at home churning out country rockers, pop infused blues and melodic ballads, as they are filling dance floors with snappy rock and roll tunes.

Hope’s apprenticeship found her playing in punk bands, prior heading down the rockabilly road with Lara Hope & The Champtones, who morphed into the current band in 2012. That line up finds Lara on vocals and rhythm guitar, Eddie Rio on lead guitar, Matt Goldpaugh on bass and Jeremy Boniello on drums. Studio guests on this album include Hayden Cummings (sax), Rosio Rion Porco (fiddle and cello) and Bobcat Arkham (baritone guitar).

Two albums followed : 2014’s LUCK MAKER and 2017’s LOVE YOU TO LIFE, both very much reflecting their high energy rock and roll live shows. Although the latest recording finds them somewhat broadening their horizons with eleven original songs built around Hope’s impressive vocals, it never abandons their full-on rockabilly tone. They’re out of the starter blocks at pace with the full on twanger Let’s Go, which is matched with the equally steamy Some Advice. Likewise, the jaunty Stop, Drop and Roll is a dance floor filler, before they draw breath with the more relaxed It’s A Crime and the jazzy The Art Of Asking, both evidence of their resourcefulness outside their traditional musical comfort zone.

A scorching stockpile of rockabilly, Western Swing and rock ‘n’ roll, HERE TO TELL THE TALE does justice to a combo that manages to recreate their live sound on this very enjoyable, and very danceable album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Rodney Crowell Triage Thirty Tigers 

Although conceived during a period of political, social and environmental upheaval, TRIAGE, the latest album from Rodney Crowell, circumvents the anger and exasperation that have fuelled many albums from his contemporaries in recent times. Had a younger Crowell sat down with pen and paper to create this album, the result would no doubt have been somewhat different, most likely finding him spitting fire. The passing years have progressively found his writing more controlled, with the cogent messages in his songs well-reasoned without ever being preachy.

Recent recordings have found the Texan to be in a particularly reflective frame of mind and this album continues on that path and is probably his most personal to date.  Looking for answers to the topsy turvy times we live in, the album deals the listener a chapter of songs whose themes consistently address love and restoration. 

While many of the songs had been completed pre-pandemic, the enforced quarantine found Crowell re-writing a number of them alongside penning the remainder in isolation. He also re-entered the studio, masked up, to re-record the vocals on many of the songs.

As you would expect, the musicianship is top drawer. Pre-pandemic, Crowell had been joined in the studio by a host of musical friends, under the watchful eye of producer Dan Kobler. Among them were Steuart Smith (guitar), Larry Klein (bass), John Jarvis (piano) and Jerry Roe (drums). Eamon Mc Loughlin and David Henry added strings and harmony vocals came from Ruth Moody, John Paul White and Tanya Hancheroff. Other contributors engaged remotely later, including John Leventhal and Greg Morrow.

The opening line from the title track ‘I think I know what love is’ addresses the theme of universal love, which is a recurring topic in each and every song on the album. ‘The girl on the street was once someone’s daughter’ he later reminds us on the tale of the out of luck addict he encountered begging in San Francisco on the Girl On The Street. After a one-minute semi-spoken confessional intro, the opening track Don’t Leave Me Now bursts into life. It’s a heartfelt admission of a past indiscretion and a plea for forgiveness. Transient Global Amnesia Blues was hastily written following a temporary loss of memory for Crowell which led to a short-term hospitalisation. It’s expressed in spoken lyrics, inspired by the frightening health scare and the relief brought on by his recovery. A beautifully crafted song, it recalls the late David Olney’s epic Jerusalem Tomorrow. The simple country ballad One Little Bird is bursting with melody and is fuelled by memories of good and bad times and thoughts of mortality.  The most politically charged track is Something Has To Change, a song written some years ago by Crowell but one that was left in the slow cooker. Ironically, the sentiment expressed still remains relevant. Adding no little dynamism to the song are some unexpected killer saxophone bursts. 

He closes the album with the self-portrait and hymn like This Body Isn’t All There Is To Who I Am. It’s a positive note to finish with and a reminder that redemption and liberation are never unattainable. It’s also a statement by Crowell of his current state of mind and a fitting album closer.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bill and the Belles Happy Again Ditty Boom

With a sound that recalls the vocal harmonies of The Ronettes, the country swing of The Hot Club of Cowtown and the retro vaudeville of Manhattan Transfer, Bill and the Belles comprises founder Kris Truelsen on guitar, Andrew Small on bass, Helena Hunt on banjo and Kalia Yeagle on fiddle.

Produced by Teddy Thompson, the eleven track HAPPY AGAIN fuses old time country and Western Swing with a bit of Motown on the side. It’s also very much a divorce album, with all songs composed by Truelsen following his marriage breakdown. (“One of the darkest times of my life turned out to be one of the most creative,” he notes “I realised, ‘‘My life is chaos. I need to write about this shit.’’). Despite the subject matter, the songs are more often than not laced with humour and innuendo. They also offer a timeless free and easy style, sounding like an album you discovered in your elderly aunt’s attic.  

You are left in no doubt about Truelsen’s drift from the word go with the opener Happy Again (I’ll Never Be). Crisp lead vocals, doo wop harmonies and plucked banjo unite on the tale of lost love and woe. On a similar vein Blue So Blue laments unrequited love with weeping fiddle and brisk upright bass. They raise the tempo on the toe -tappers Taking Back My Yesterday and The Corn Shuckin’ Song before bookending the album with the mournful Good Friends Are Hard To Find.

Notwithstanding the unfortunate circumstances that triggered the album, it gifts the listener a breezy summer sound that would hit the spot in any season. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Johanna Samuels Excelsior! Basin Rock

This is an interesting debut release from Los Angeles artist, Johanna Samuels, who delivers songs that are laced with cryptic lyrics and soft, dreamy arrangements that lull the listener into a sense of easy reverie. Her band consists of Harrison Whitford on guitars, Garret Lang on bass and Sean Mullins on drums and they deliver as a unit on all fronts throughout.

Having your songs open to interpretation is perfectly fine of course, and we can all take what we hear from the words. Sonny seems to be about a failed relationship with tell-tale lines like ‘I want to be alone, More than I want to be alone with you.’ Looking back at someone who was caught up in different priorities; ‘I did not think about you, I thought about loyalty; It means make money and fuck the rest. Every now and again, I get a heavy feeling in my chest’

Nature’s Way has such a sweet melody but hides the meaning of the song that deals with being put down and taken for granted, ‘Most people say it's nature's way, That I give and that you take. What will it be, My Love, today? It's getting hard for me to say.’ High Tide For One is concerned with a relationship breakdown and feeling frustrated by the lack of communication, ‘And I don't wanna talk to you, Even if you get time to, I just don't need more work to do, It's no help being sorry.’

All Is Fine picks up the tempo and breaks into a sweet melody with some great keyboard parts from Samuels. The lyric speaks of moving on and not having to share space with the same person anymore, ‘All is fine, Sometimes I even keep what's mine so, Take your time, I'm already gone.’ The Middle has some nice pedal steel and keyboard sounds as things return to a slow pace and a drift across more relationship musings where the individuals don’t want to work out their problems, ‘And you said you didn't want me near.’ 

Similarly, Close To the Vest, is centred around keeping guard of emotions and not being too open with laying yourself bare, ‘And I thank you for reminding me to, Play close to the vest.’ Song For Sid is about the struggles of a friendship with a fellow musician and the lines, ‘Oh all the things that we take, Say you love me like the money you make,’ tell their own story.

Julie is another slow melody around a toxic relationship where, ‘You're breaking me, Julie, I do the best that I can; But you always find something, That you must reprimand.’ Again, in the song, Less Of You, we are treated to the musing that ‘And I rarely think about you, And when I do, I couldn't think less of you.’ Also, the focus of divisive pride comes to the surface with, ‘Since you're always thinking of you - I don't have to.’ So, some great written lines interspersed between the catchy melodies and the fine music that is created. 

The last song, Cathy, is just Samuels and her piano, a beautifully judged performance and the regret of leaving precious feelings behind, ‘It's so funny how the days will just pass by, How I can heal enough to love, And something gorgeous had to die.’

Ultimately, this is an album laced with emotions, of moving on and growing up. From youthful dreaming and wishing for certain outcomes; all the way through to the grim reality of actual experience. The world gets cold and not everybody processes the need to keep reaching out instead of deciding to retreat and hide away. I sense that these are very personal songs to Samuels and her strong musicality is certainly very evident throughout these thirty-six minutes of soothing melodies. 

Samuels called upon a number of female friends to add vocal harmonies and address the gender balance. When you can reach out to Courtney Marie Andrews (two tracks), Hannah Read (two tracks), Olivia Kaplan (two tracks), AO Gerber (four tracks), Hannah Cohen and Louise Florence (one track), then the life lessons learned through these tracks seem a little easier to reflect upon. This album leaves you feeling that there is so much more to follow from this talented artist.

Review by  Paul McGee

Melody Duncan Wolf Song Self Release

This is a debut album from multi-instrumentalist, Melody Duncan, an artist who comes from a musical family and who has written, performed, recorded, and produced this entire project from her home base in Atlanta, Georgia. Quite an impressive achievement and displaying a quiet confidence in her abilities to deliver work of substance. Melody did call upon the talents of Josh Reynolds (Little Big Town) for the mastering process, but apart from this we are given a completely formed DIY package.

Prelude opens the album with layered vocals, raised in sweet harmony, offering such an inviting welcome. The title track, Wolf Song, follows and examines the excitement and fear that accompanies change and embracing risk. Duncan has an interesting vocal inflection to complement her excellent skills on a number of instruments. She has a rich tone in her delivery and there is a hint of a Patty Griffin influence in the singing style. However, comparison is lazy and the thief of joy, so let’s just move along. 

Cardinal uses the species of bird as a metaphor in looking at a relationship ‘You may have sung your song, But if you think you’re keeping me, I don’t fly the way the wind blows, There’s other ways to be free.’ Some impressive whistling also on this track by Melody.

Dear Friend asks why we feel the urge to be continually questioning and searching for answers, while Lonely deals with a sense of isolation and depressive thoughts, ‘Such a matter of the head that really messes with my heart.’ Again, there is whistling, as an added touch, this time lending an almost-Morricone tone to proceedings.

Reunion is a song about past problems, getting sober, learning how to accept who you are and reach out for love and connection. Edward, is a song that has an interesting jazz-like arrangement but is obscure lyrically and just don’t seem to land properly. There are others that carry superbly arranged melodies, like Paper and Campfire, and there is no doubting the talent of Melody Duncan on this debut project and I see a future that is bright.

The final track, Rain Storm, is a field recording, or sound effects, of rain - running for almost five minutes. It’s not the best choice to end an album, leaving an unfinished sense to the record. It just seems like a missed opportunity to finish on a stronger note.

Review by  Paul McGee

Steven John Birks Along The Tracks Self Release 

Contemporary singer-songwriter Steven John Birks delivers ten songs with an earthy vocal delivery and impressive harmonica playing on his second release. It follows his 2018 debut, Long Time Comin’ Round and there is a similar Folk/Roots feel throughout the entire project, which was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by Birks himself. If that was not impressive enough, he also plays all the instruments, which include acoustic guitar, harmonica, percussion and tambourine. 

There is an appealing acoustic blues sound on the title track that opens the album and on songs like, I Will Rise and When the Whistle Blows, the topic of war is highlighted and the struggle, not only to   survive the fighting and the trauma, but to also endure. 

Dreamcatcher sings about the power of dreams and the potential to spark our imaginations to conjure up positive changes. Ship Of Fools looks at the way in which we are all caught up in our routines, habits and impulses. Is it our destiny to simply repeat the mistakes of the past?

There and Back Again is about the nine-to-five drudgery of work and the self-imposed prisons we make. The story song, The Curse Of Matilda, is a tale of abuse between master and servant, unwanted pregnancy and a gypsy curse. Beware, all ye who take this path!

The album winds down with Keepin’ On, a song about living through the obstacles and pushing ahead, followed by Waiting For the Moment, another message for those who need to keep focus in challenging times. These are nicely played songs, delivered with a strong self-belief and a talent for self-produced creativity, at a time when we all can do with examples of hope and inspiration. 

Review by Paul McGee

A.C. Wallin Useless Heart Self Release

Since 2004 the critically acclaimed Swedish blues/country duo, Wallin-Jison, has been releasing a number of quality albums. Singer/songwriter A.C. Wallin has now decided to create this debut solo project and the ten tracks are very much rooted in his personal experiences, covering such ground as growing up in a small town, moving to the big city, relationship lessons, lost friends and different roads taken, before coming full circle with a closing song about enduring connection.

It Happened To Us is a song that charts the breakdown in a relationship and the title track, Useless Heart, follows – internal anger at not being open enough to let down those emotional walls; ‘Well I know you can't be trusted, 'cause you're nothin' but a coward, And you don't have the nerve, to let down your guard, To open up and show someone who you really are, That's too tough for you, useless heart.’ Disarming honesty in the writing and the sentiment.

Tape Deck Car Stereo is a memory from childhood and car journeys with his father, enjoying his company and the bonding experience; ‘Nothin' but white lines and the red light on the dash, Old time country music like angels from the past.’ It captures the innocence of youth in a gentle arrangement and melody.

The playing is very stripped back and engaging, with Wallin playing all the instruments; guitars, 6-string banjo, bass and drums. He is very skilled at getting the right mood on each track to convey the message with easy blues and roots influences displaying nice melodies and sweet sounds. 

Thin Walls is about having a crush on your next-door neighbour, only to find that she is involved with someone else; if walls could talk indeed. A song about unrequited feelings. Along the Way is a song to his daughter and about being there to guide her as she grows, ‘Trust yourself, Don't be afraid, I'll be with you, Every day, Along the way.’ Again, the song arrangement is wrapped in a sweet melody and a gentle groove.

Back On the Job is a bluesy song that deals with trying to make money for yourself, rather than returning to a dead-end job that was creating a self-imposed prison. Letters In A Box, on the other hand, is a song that recounts a teenage flirtation with a wild girl and the eventual spinning out of the tale into adulthood, where they are in the same Supermarket queue, some twenty years later, but don’t engage.  Fearlessly is a more up-tempo song and deals with loving your partner openly and ignoring any nagging self-doubt that threatens to surface.

Small Town Stuff is a look back at wayward adolescence and the silly things that get balanced against growing up and maturity; ‘A friend of mine was crazy but always good with his fists, 'Cause he had to fight his daddy, like his daddy fought his.’ 

Final track, If You Need A Friend, has an easy melody and a message that you are never alone; ‘Someone to turn to in the night, Someone to listen, To give you advice, To guide through the darkness, Like a beacon of light.’ We could all use a true friend like that in life.

AC Wallin gives us a look through the letter box and into the room where he keeps his memories and wishes. It’s an interesting thirty minutes of your time and a very worthwhile listen. I will leave the last word to the artist; “These songs are all about people that are in - or have passed through - my life. But ultimately, in one way or another, I guess they are all about me." 

Review by  Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Wild Earp & The Free For Alls Dyin’ for Easy Livin’  Western Myth

I suspect that this particular outfit don’t take it too seriously, even though they are serious about what they produce. Under the leadership of Earp, they deliver songs that are well played, produced and persuasive. The Chicago combo have a little of that town’s insurgent country in their makeup, alongside some rockabilly, western swing and more, all of which creates an enjoyable set of spirited song supplication. Earp takes the producer chair and is the writer and co-writer of several of the songs along with contributions from guitarist Jed Taylor and one from bassist Charlie Malave. George Hurden also adds guitar and mandolin, while Sean Hughes plays piano and Alan Maniacek is the drummer. Earp also takes the lead vocals on several tracks where he is joined by ‘Sweet Sassy Molassey’ Moore on harmony. Moore also takes the lead on a number of the songs. This gives the album a variety that maximises the band’s potential. There are others involved on the musician side including Robert Daniels and Brian Wilkie on pedal steel, Felipe Tobar and Jess McIntosh on fiddle and Hope Arthur on accordion. Many of these also have nick names that remind me a little of early Hank Wangford and indeed the band’s overall tongue-in-cheekness and musical path is not dissimilar, even though they are decades and continents apart.

This time out they bring a new set of twelve songs for public consideration which should  garner them a positive opinion from those who like their country and western delivered with aplomb and style. These are the inevitable tales of heartache, hell-raising, hope and helplessness. The band honed their trade in the clubs of Chicago and took their notion of a ‘free for all’ gathering of musicians to something more solidly purposeful. There are also themes that derive from the lifestyle they had prior to the current enforced layoff. I Wanna Go concisely sums up that feeling of getting out here and delivering their music to a ready and waiting audience. They want to break their new boots in and get back into their van again and to experience that collective band on the road closeness. Perhaps another key track in that line of thinking is Living’ The Life where Earp outlines his current feelings about this life and times ’”cause this glamorous life’s a little light on the glamour … or his doctor’s advice that “son, you’d better slow down this train / take it easy on the drinkin’ and absolutely no cocaine / I said, “doc, even if you’d support it, ain’t no way I could afford it.” Lyrics that reveal the sense of humour as well as the far from perfect lifestyle of a working musician, who travels from venue to venue to keep body and soul together. In Step On It he reflects on being something of a man who makes the wrong choices and is beginning to learn from his mistakes and impulses. It also highlights Earp’s vocal strengths. Moore’s vocal ability is maybe best shown in Two ’Til Midnight, an intimate tale of a couple not being able to stay together, a kind of classic country weeper for modern times.

Throughout the album there is an upbeatness that has the toe’s tapping and the song’s engaging in a way that makes a connection on a number of different levels. The open song and first choice for a single Ain’t It A Shame (When Your Horse Goes Lame) is a perfect introduction to the band and their tight sound. It is about the way that expectations and hopes can be thwarted by reality, when one is least expecting it. Wild Earp has conceived a look that is not out of line with that of the wild west figure that immediately springs to mind when you hear the name and likewise the Free For Alls also dress to impress. There is no mistaking the musical affiliation and intention and DYIN’ FOR EASY LIVIN’ fulfils its mission to update and at the same time be a part of a living tradition that has always managed to cover the different aspects and inadequate way we deal with them. That this is doing so in such an appealing way is all credit to these guys and girl, who show us that while we might all be looking for an easy living, it takes a fair bit of work to pull off. A tip of the hat to Earp and his outlaws for doing it their way.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Stuart Smith The Sun EP Vol.2 Illnoise

As the title proclaims, this EP was recorded at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis - the home of the legendary Sun Studios. As the cover denotes this is volume two, however neither his debut album WAR HORSE nor the previous volume one made it to our review desk. Smith, growing up, was fascinated by the music that came from that important studio and he finally got the opportunity to stand and record where numerous legends did before him.

There is a presence captured in the recording, although the recording is largely just voice and acoustic guitar and could in that light have been recorded anywhere. There is an electric guitar on Wait By The Window and a harmonium on one other track. But just being there gave Smith a special feeling haunted by the ghosts of many of the icons who has also stood in front of the microphones there. This is especially true on the one cover here which is his take onTownes Van Zandt’s classic Waitin’ Round To Die. The remaining five compositions are his own, with one, the opening song Josephine, being a co-write with William Fitzsimmons.

The recordings have a certain sense of melancholy which is emphasised by the simplicity of the vocal delivery that seems ensconced in the timeless echo and lyrical downbeat themes such as A Long Goodbye and Always & Never. But the bottom line is I enjoyed this short introduction to Smith’s world, as it serves as a reminder that there are always artists out there that are worth discovering. Hopefully the sun will continue to shine on him and his work going forward.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Malcolm Holcombe Tricks Of The Trade Need To Know/Proper

By this stage in his career, I reckon that those who are drawn to Malcolm Holcombe’s idiosyncratic take on Appalachian dirt folk and blues are already fans. His catalogue contains some seventeen albums, fifteen of which have been released since the start of the 2000’s. His respect among his peers has never diminished and he has always attracted players who understand the wisdom of his words. This album was produced by Brian Brinkerhoff and Dave Roe. Roe also handles the bass duties and is joined on most tracks by his son Jerry on drums. Long-time supporter Jared Tyler is also back here. Add to that backing vocals and contributions from Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris and some cello from Ron de la Vega (on Lenora Cynthia) and you have a a set of players willing to do justice to Holcombe’s often deliberately opaque writing. Equally, though, other tracks lay out tales of hard times and hardened hearts. Your Kin would be an example of this, where a family have to face the unpalatable truth wherein “the cops take away your children.” What is also a pleasant surprise is the melodic catchiness of Misery Loves Company, which belies its lyrics of a bar-room’s neon darkness of the psyche. The closing song Shakey Ground is another song that gets its melody and chorus firmly embedded in your head. Elsewhere in Higher Ground he notes that he has the “ freedom to choose / I got freedom to loose.”, suggesting  that the path that we all get to chose is as much a choice as it is a destiny.

He has been described as a songwriter’s songwriter, with many of his contemporaries recognising his skill in that department. Equally he has a rough-hewn baritone voice that has the grit of a dirt road and the pain of experience. Behind his own deep inhabitation of his songs the assembled players are indispensable to Holcombe deliver wherein the voice, words and music create something more powerful than the individual components involved. There is a lyric booklet included, which is a help and although it is not difficult to make out the words, it is possibly a little harder to completely understand his meaning in every song or phrase.

Never-the-less this is perhaps one of the best sounding collections of songs that Holcombe has recorded to date and is, while maybe the word ‘enjoyable’ may not be the right term, a testament to a very unique performer and his talent as storyteller, whose music always leaves its mark on the listener. He is prolific in his output compared to some of those he first appeared alongside back in 1994 with his first album and long may he continue to adds his vision to this uncertain world.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Erik Shicotte Miss’ry Pacific Black Country Rock 

 Recent years have seen a resurgence of what used to be tagged back in the day, as ‘Country and Western’ music. What is encouraging is both the quality of the product and the age profile of the torch carriers that have dug deeply into the musical archives for inspiration. Colter Wall, Charley Crockett and more recently Vincent Neil Emerson have been leading the charge and with considerable success.

Erik Shicotte is another artist travelling in a similar musical direction. With a booming baritone voice and songs written from personal experiences, he doesn’t put a foot wrong on this six-track mini album. An ironworker by trade, his days are filled constructing fire training towers and his evenings are often spent writing songs in motel rooms. With that lifestyle you’d expect songs about trucks, trains, highways and hardened blue collar workers and that’s exactly what is on offer here.

The title track pays homage to the Missouri Pacific Railroad, one of the first railroads in America west of the Mississippi river. It’s a lively opener with Shicotte’s billowing baritone surrounded by raging fiddles and lively pedal steel. The country waltz Kansas City, which follows, is a weepy ballad mourning love lost. Elsewhere, the honky tonkin’ and defiant Die Like A Man gives caution the two fingers and Flint has Waylon stamped all over it. It tells a tale of staying on a straight road despite the distractions and temptations. His existence as a transient steel worker, possibly autobiographical with a degree of embellishment, surfaces on Niners. Laced with sly humour, harmonica and pedal steel it’s a pointer to a writer that has a number of tricks up his sleeve.  The sixth track Silver revisits the themes of self-doubt and survival.

With a powerful voice that adds gravitas to some fine songs, credit must also be given to the quality players that joined Shicotte in the studio. No stranger to Lonesome Highway and an accomplished recording artist in her own right, Miss Tess plays bass. Pedal steel and electric guitars come courtesy of the multi-instrumentalist Patrick Lyons. Nate Leath contributes fiddle, harmonica is played by Jake Groves and percussion by Aaron Goodrich.

If you’re reading this review it’s likely that real country music appeals to you and you may not have previously heard of Erik Shicotte. I’d highly recommend that you check this album out and if there’s any justice, you should be hearing a lot more about him going forward.

Review by Declan Culliton

John Murry The Stars Are God’s Bullet Holes Submarine Cat 

Tupelo, Mississippi born John Murry’s third full album is another chapter from his eccentric lyrical and musical diaries. In a similar vein to THE GRACELESS AGE from 2013 and A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY which followed five years later, the listener is advised to set time aside to drill into the often-impassioned wordplay on offer and the deviant sonic structures that surround them. Each subsequent revisit of Murry’s latest offering is likely to unearth previously unnoticed musical thrills. Furthermore, each visit will most likely promote conflicting interpretations and messages to the listener’s initial understandings.

Murry’s choice of producers on each of his three albums has been opportune. The late Tim Mooney, of American Music Club fame, created the optimum sonic backdrop to Murray’s confessional debut album.  He then sought out Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins to produce the second album, powered by a painful divorce. This time around Murry knocked on the door of John Parish. It was an inspired choice in hindsight, as Parish most certainly ‘gets’ Murry and where he’s coming from. Parish is a producer and artist that can take huge credit for the thriving musical career of P.J. Harvey, having worked on seven of her albums and co-written two. Unlike many producers, he does not work to a set formula. Instead, he forges individualistic musical nuances that define the artist he’s working with. Murray is on record noting his wonderment at Parrish’s ability to build the songs from what Murry considered to be meagre beginnings.   

THE STARS ARE GOD’S BULLET HOLES finds the adopted Irishman in a more sanguine mood than previously, although one shouldn’t expect balloons and bunting. We are talking dark grey here, rather than the jet-black tenor of his two earlier full albums.  The songs often appear to be exhausted, raw and unfinished. They’re often infused with scratchy guitars and mottled electronics, working alongside Murry’s intense and sometimes layered vocals. It all works spectacularly well.  A fitting contribution are Nadine Khouri’s backing vocals on a number of tracks. Her murmurings act as involuntary support for Murray, something akin to a colleague joining a marathon runner for the last mile, as he struggles for the finish line. This particularly comes to light on the Ones + Zeros and Perfume & Decay. The former finds Khouri’s vocals bookending a song that kicks off in a defiant mood but ends in surrender. The latter, recalling past and lost love, alleges torture and self-despair (‘who will remember to place flowers on my grave after this world explodes?’) with Khouri’s whispered backing vocals akin to a cue to Murray from the wings.

The album’s opener Oscar Wilde Came Here To Make Fun Of You is loaded with streams of consciousness, flirting between self- questioning (‘Oscar Wilde came here to make fun of you /to dress well and play bridge/ so why the hell can't I do the same’) and exasperation (‘lock me up in Clerkenwell prison, I'll blow a hole right through it’). Although both questioning and self-searching, I Refuse To Believe - You Could Love Me kicks off like a distant relative to The Undertones Here Comes The Summer. It’s as close to radio friendly as Murray has ever been, even if the lyrics (‘this is my last dance; this is my final prayer’) dampen down the snappy melody. The ruminative Di Kreuster finds the writer reflecting on his adoptive family. Surprisingly, despite the thorny subject matter, (‘I know I'm not what you bargained for…. I'm a one night stand you can throw me out in the morning’), it’s as mellow as Murray has ever recorded, with Joe Harvey Whyte’s pacifying pedal steel alongside vocals which are soaked in disquiet.

Those familiar with Murry’s live shows, and in particular his solo shows, will be more than aware of his knack of plucking the most unlikely songs out of the air to cover. He’s done it once more here with Duran Duran’s Ordinary World. It really shouldn’t work but, surprisingly, it does and spectacularly so. 

Following the unique THE GRACELESS AGE was an almost impossible task. Having just about manoeuvred the difficult second album syndrome with A SHORT HISTORY, Murry has come out with guns blazing this time. He has also - with considerable input from Parish - shaped his most powerful album to date, and by some distance. Despite the plaudits, name checks and cult following, John Murry has, to date, achieved only ‘big in his own backyard’ status. This intriguing eleven track gem could, and should, earn him considerably greater recognition.

Review by Declan Culliton

Shaye Zadravec Now And Then CRS

Alberta, Canada singer songwriter Shaye Zadravec follows her 2018 EP release NORWAY with her first full album titled NOW AND THEN. Essentially an interpreter of songs penned by others, the album is a collection of ten tracks reworked by her and, more often than not, sympathetic to the original recordings.

What makes the album stand head and shoulders above many cover albums is Zadravec’s stunning vocals. Her working of Windfall is a note perfect version of Jay Farrar’s opening track from Son Volt’s debut album TRACE. It’s also the first track on the album and had me hitting the repeat button on first play. And it gets better. Rosanne Cash covered and made her own the Jesse Winchester song Biloxi on her 2014 triple Grammy Award winner THE RIVER AND THE THREAD. Zadravec remains true to that version here with a disciplined, delicate and equally striking rendition. It would be challenging to maintain the standard of both those opening songs but she seldom lets her guard down on the remaining songs.

Selecting a song to cover from renowned Canadian singer songwriter Ian Tyson could have directed her towards his masterpiece Four Strong Winds. Instead, she invited Tyson into the studio to record his Christmas song Silver Bell, which includes the famed writer of the song on backing vocals. Zadravec’s crystalline vocals and accompanying weeping pedal steel guitar are the perfect match and are combined to fine effect on the Lynn Miles penned Night Drive and the Pat Mc Laughlin and Lawrence Russell Brown co-write The Whispering Wind. The latter was previously recorded by country singer Mandy Barnett and its inclusion finds Zadravec more than comfortable in the role of country songstress. 

Paul Westerberg’s Skyway gets a gentle workover without straying too far from the original and she signs off with the haunting East Longview Serenade. It lasts slightly over one and a half minutes and features haunting vocalising alongside some more aching pedal steel.

NOW AND THEN showcases Zadravec as a dedicated flame carrier and interpreter of some classic songs. Her versions are a mouth-watering flavour of what she is vocally capable of. In former decades, artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris carved hugely successful careers recording the work of other songwriters. In today’s overcrowded market, Zadravec may need to follow this album with some more self-penned material in order to raise her profile. In the meantime, track this album down, slip on the headphones, put your feet up and have a listen. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jesse Terry When We Wander Self Release

The songs on this album were all written prior to the onset of Covid-19 and the new reality that followed during 2020. With a release date already set, Terry took the decision to hold back on all media activity, as the timing didn’t feel quite right. In the year that has followed, we have all sought inspiration and motivation in many places and none more relevant than through music, which can lift the spirit and deliver solace. As a sanctuary to ease our restless or troubled minds, we need look no further than these twelve tracks, with the impressive Jesse Terry providing his own balm for the soul. Releasing this album in 2021 makes great sense as the music speaks to the current space where we all look for a sense of connection and community.

Recorded at Skinny Elephant studios in Nashville, the superb musicianship that delivers the rich texture of these songs is very impressive, especially when you learn that the entire project was recorded live in the studio. The interplay between the assembled players is just wonderful and one can only imagine how inspiring it was to be present in the room for all concerned. The production by Neilson Hubbard is so bright and airy, with the spaces between the playing as much an integral part of the whole fresh and buoyant sound. 

Opening song, When We Wander, was written for the previous life that Jesse Terry spent in touring on the road. He had been gigging continuously across America, joined by his wife Jess, prior to lockdown, with a lifestyle spent on the move and bringing its own spirit of freedom. However, the arrival of his beautiful daughter, Lily, has led to change in the plan and a schedule that has now been focused upon home performing and online streaming as the new Covid lockdown rules also brought change and delivered a new perspective. 

A look at the past is also part of Hymn Of A Summer Night, where memories of youthful days are recalled; the band excelling on the melody and elevating the song to great heights. Hanging the Stars has a more commercial sound and a nice rhythm, with violin, guitars and piano working off the fluid backbeat. If I Were the Moon slows things down with a thoughtful ballad, acoustic guitar dovetailing with pedal steel and violin, on a love song that celebrates the harmony between two lovers. 

Strangers In Our Town has a great arrangement and a sweet sound, with a look at the joys of returning home after a prolonged time away. Ghost Stories appears to be a personal song that looks at Terry’s past, before meeting his wife Jess, when he felt partly formed, wondering if he would ever meet the one to make him complete.

Little Fires tackles the doubts and fears that can lurk just below the surface, ready to ignite if not controlled. ‘It’s all just chemistry and faulty circuitry.’ Again, wrapped in some superb musical interplay. The band dynamic on Pretty Good Hand is a complete joy, an addictive beat and melody allowing violin and pedal steel to add subtle nuance to the arrangement. Just Out Of Sight is a slow song that soothes and suggests that we look for the unexpected and the magical in living.  

Terry has a very warm vocal tone in his delivery and he produces quite an impressive performance in colouring these songs and setting the different moods. The harmonies, provided by Liz Longley and Mia Rose Lynne are an added benefit and they both support the songs with an understated elegance with their superb vocals.

Is There An Answer deals with the big question around world wars and the basic need for man to create division on the planet. The acoustic feel of In Spite Of You is an anti-establishment song that asks why there is never enough Government support for younger generations who need social assistance, direction and guidance in growing into adulthood. Similarly, Innocent Ones is a theme surrounding trust and developing some sense of balance in becoming a parent. Great band dynamic again and some superb guitar parts by Will Kimbrough. 

Album number seven and one that benefits from the growing confidence and maturity of this artist who is becoming a real presence in the song-writing pantheon. The assembled players are Jesse Terry (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), Neilson Hubbard (drums), Eamon McLoughlin (violin, viola), Will Kimbrough (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin), Juan Solorzano (lap steel, electric & acoustic guitars), Dean Marold (electric and upright bass), Josh Kaler (pedal steel), Danny Mitchell (piano and harmonies), Mia Rose Lynne and Liz Longley (harmonies). 

This is well worth your time and money. A superb achievement and one of the strongest releases this year.

Review by Paul McGee

Hiss Golden Messenger Quietly Blowing It Self Release

Mike (MC) Taylor started his band in 2007 and in the intervening fourteen years, has released some of the most eclectic, interesting and memorable music of these times. And, we can all agree, the last year that we have experienced has never been more challenging. So, please welcome MC Taylor to the room – his room, at home, during lockdown. 

Out of the routine that has been his reality for so many years; the frequent touring, nomadic life on the road, anonymous hotel rooms and airports. It has been a time to reflect and to reboot. Taylor says “I went looking for peace,” in the promo sheets that announce this new album, following in the footsteps of the wonderful TERMS OF SURRENDER from 2019. Well, peace comes dropping slow, to quote WB Yeats, and the self-analysis and inner-quest that has always been a part of this gifted songwriters’ creative muse, continues to ask the hard and interesting questions. It’s as if the search is the most important thing from which to shape our life lessons and not any conclusions reached at the end of the journey.

So, eleven quietly addictive gems, across thirty-eight minutes of superbly crafted music. The album is written, arranged, and produced by Taylor and it delivers what is a real highlight in his career to date. Co-founder and friend, Scott Hirsch, plays some beautiful lap steel guitar and synthesizer, while Josh Kaufman contributes on acoustic/electric guitars and mandolin, with Devonne Harris on piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, clavinet - all contributing superbly to a sound that is both soothing and soulful. 

There is also the subtle and steady groove on these gentle musings, laid down by the duo of Alex Bingham on bass and synthesizer and Matt McCaughan on drums, percussion and synthesizer. Other credits for Brevan Hampden (drums), with contributions from Chris Boerner on electric guitar and both Stuart Bogie and Matt Douglas on saxophones. Mention too, for both Sonyia Turneron, vocals and James Wallace on piano. There are also guest appearances from the great Buddy Miller on guitar and Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow on vocals.

The title song states; ‘You gotta let someone in, That’s all that’ll save you.’  In a way, this is the key component that is shared across these tracks, a message of connection and humanity, running through everything and grounding the whole perspective. Mighty Dollar takes aim at the greed and infatuation with wealth that cripples our way of life, with the message ‘Poor man loses and the rich man wins.’ If It Comes In the Morning has more of that soulful sound which is very much the abiding influence across these eleven tracks, similarly on, It Will If We Let It and Glory Strums (loneliness of the long-distance runner); all loose and flowing with the vocal tone of Taylor elevating everything. There are some fine harmonica sounds on selected tracks and the warm keyboards of Harris weave their magic into the melodies and arrangements throughout. On Painting Houses, there is the despair of just surviving and getting by, ‘Time’s creeping past the quarter moon, If it takes forever, I guess we’ll be there soon, And still you hum that old tune, I Don’t Wanna Talk About It.

However, the ultimate optimism of the album shines through and the final song, Sanctuary, looks for the blue sky above; ‘Feeling bad, Feeling blue /Can’t get out of my own mind / But I know how to sing about it.’ 

Hope is the central theme that binds us together in these challenging times and this album is a testament to those who strive to seek better days ahead. A real cracker!

Review by Paul McGee

Brigitte DeMeyer Seeker BDM 

If you are new to the music of Brigitte DeMeyer, then a real treat lies in store. If you already know her previous output then this album, number eight, shines brightly as one of her most cohesive works to date.

DeMeyer has been releasing vibrant music ever since her debut album surfaced back in 2000. With this new release, the nuance, tone and personality in her vocals have never sounded better as she delivers a real tour de force across ten songs that run just short of the thirty-five- minute mark. The musicianship is sublime and such stellar playing makes such a rich tapestry for soulful blues, jazzy tones, slow-burn rhythm and sweetly salted grooves.

This is a great example of the power in simple arrangements, letting the songs breathe and not getting in the way of the spaces in between the notes. Produced by Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked on two previous releases, and augmented by Ted Pecchio (acoustic bass/electric bass), Kris Donegan (acoustic/electric guitar), JP Ruggieri (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar), Alfreda McCrary (harmony and background vocals), Oliver Wood (electric guitar, harmony vocals), Chris Wood (upright bass and electric bass), Viktor Krauss (upright bass/electric bass), the sense of time standing still is always to the fore as these songs weave their way into your consciousness. Imagine that sunny day, lounging in your hammock and sipping an iced tea, as these addictive sounds wash over you.

Whether it’s the classy slow groove of opener, All the Blue, or the easy, jazzy tone of Ain’t No Mister, the organic feel to the melody is infectious. The slow blues slide of Cat Man Do and Salt Of the Earth sit snugly side-by-side with the acoustic rhythm of Already In and the easy tone of the title track, Seeker, with DeMeyer singing about her continuing search for new horizons and opportunity. The wonderful Louisiana just drips atmosphere and New Orleans piano blues, with Roots and Wings and Bones another cool blues, slow groove -a song written for her son.

DeMeyer recently moved away from Nashville and returned to her original home of California and a number of these songs reference the need for change and in believing that you have the strength to continually shape character out of experience. The album title really sums it all up nicely, with the realisation that “often, art comes from struggle” and with this release DeMeyer raises the quality of her art to a whole new level. A standout album and certainly one of the year’s most vital purchases.

Review by Paul McGee

Dylan LeBlanc Pastimes ATO Records

Ten years into a career that has yielded four celebrated albums, Dylan LeBlanc gives a thumbs up to some of the artists that have inspired his career with PASTIMES, a six track EP of particularly well chosen cover versions. 

Far from randomly chosen, each song had a deeply personal significance for the artist, recalling specific moments or incidents as a boy and into his teenage years. Followers of Dylan’s distinctive sound won’t be surprised to find a Buffalo Springfield song on the album. A band that hugely influenced his musical trajectory, on the first spin of Expecting To Fly, you could be forgiven for assuming the lead vocal was taken by Neil Young. While not straying too far from the original, Dylan manages to impose his own stamp on the song, giving it a fuller and more dramatic dynamic.  

Memories as a child of accompanying his father to hear him play at smoky dive bars in Muscle Shoals led him to J.J. Cale’s songbook and the smouldering bluesy Sensitive Guy. Even earlier childhood memories of his grandfather singing and playing guitar to Glen Campbell’s Easy On My Mind motivated its inclusion. Led Zeppelin’s Going To California was a song played regularly at coffee shop shows by a teenage Dylan, often to attract the attention of the fairer sex and its assured acoustic version recall those days. If that song was a mating call, he also acknowledges the artists that opened his eyes to the art of storytelling as a means of songwriting. Unsurprisingly, a Bob Dylan selection features in the form of Blind Willie Mc Tell which appeared on Dylan’s THE BOOTLEG SESSIONS Volumes 1 – 3. The final song is a reworking of Play With Fire, which was the B-side of The Rolling Stones single The Last Time from 1965. The song is transformed into something even greater by the addition of strings, awarding it a richer styling than the original.

Recorded live at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, PASTIMES is a tantalising flavour of the music that channelled the young Dylan down a musical path. It is also a most pleasing listen while we await the next instalment of original material from an artist that has so much to offer.  

Review by Declan Culliton 

Jim Keller By No Means Continental Record Services

The four-decade career of Jim Keller has included roles in every corner of the music industry. The co-founder of San Francisco rock band Tommy Tutone back in 1978, the subsequent years have found Keller working in publishing, management and production, alongside writing, performing and recording.

Very much a cult figure on the New York music scene, his shows at The Lakeside Lounge and The Rockwood Music Hall often feature visiting musicians and local players joining him on stage.  BY NO MEANS is his fourth solo recording, seven years after the release of HEAVEN CAN WAIT (2014).

The album was co-produced by Mitchell Froom (Los Lobos, Suzanna Vega, Randy Newman) and David Boucher (Randy Newman, The Indigo Girls, Andrew Bird), Froom also features on keyboards.  Keller also surrounded himself with an ace bunch of musicians in the studio. David Hidalgo of Los Lobos fame plays guitar, and bass guitar comes from Bob Glaub, whose previous employers include Bob Dylan, Steve Miller and John Lennon. Michael Urbano, who contributes drums can also name check some big hitters that he has played behind, John Hiatt and Sheryl Crowe for starters. Also joining the party was Vonda Shepard, who adds backing vocals on Wild Love.

Collectively they create a tantalising flavour of blues fused roots songs delivered by Keller’s inimitable weather-beaten vocals.  Leonard Cohen’s Tower Of Song is recalled on the gorgeous Maria Come Home. The distinctive New Orleans’s vibe surfaces on Easy Rider and even more so on Mistakes. The latter’s vocal delivery nods in the direction of Chuck Prophet. The muscular Don’t Get Me Started includes an amount of sly humour alongside addictive bass and drum beats.

Career wise, Keller manages successfully to keep several balls in the air. He channels elements of those life experiences into songs that never attempt to overwhelm the listener and, on the contrary, draw his audience in from the get go. He achieves that and much more on this hugely enjoyable album.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Jenny Don't and the Spurs Fire on the Ridge Self Release

 It’s a wonder that FIRE ON THE RIDGE, the third full album from Portland’s Jenny Don’t and The Spurs, ever saw the light of day. Vocal cord surgery and a pandemic are not what you would expect to encounter when preparing to record, but the onset of both resulted in the album being recorded over a period of two years.

Following successful surgery, Jenny’s vocals, a big feature in the band’s sound, are back to their finest. The band self-reference their output as Western Outlaw Garage and the album shifts between country twangers (Restless Moon, California Cowboy), fully blown rockabillies (Train Ticket, She’s Not The One) and blazing border romps (Queen Of The Desert, Johnny Vagabond, Fire On The Ridge).

The band were formed when Jenny, who had been fronting her own band and playing solo shows in Portland, hooked up with members of the garage rock band Pierced Arrows and punk band Problems. That marriage of punk sentiment and aching country subtlety is all over the album, blending Jenny’s bruised and tender lyrics with players who can let rip in places and yet also master the art of unfussy two step country elsewhere.

Very much a touring band who spend a lot of the year on the road, they have infused that live sound and energy into FIRE ON THE RIDGE. It also sounds very much like a good time was had by all during the recording, by a band that deserves to reach a wide audience.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Rose City Band Earth Trip Thrill Jockey

Another album that may not have seen the light of day had it not been for the pandemic, Rose City Band is essentially a vehicle for Ripley Johnson to record his own music, divorced from his other life as a member of San Francisco experimental psychedelic rock bands Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo.

Given the times that the material was written, it’s little surprise that much of the sentiment dwells on the loss of freedom but also delights in the return of life’s simple pleasures, too often denied to the touring musician.

There’s a marked simplicity to Earth Trip, often alluding to a return to childhood, less complicated times and casting away responsibilities. That relaxed and laid-back feel kicks in from the opener Silver Roses with Johnson’s chilled vocals cloaked in delicate pedal steel guitar. Even when the pace is picked up somewhat on Ramblin’ With The Day, as the title implies, Johnson is still in cruise control. Similar sentiments emerge in the country blues World Is Turning with nods to J.J. Cale, another artist that liked his sound free and easy.  The shimmering Rabbit is psychedelic nirvana, carrying the listener along with every floating note and lyric. Likewise, the closer Dawn Patrol soothes and calms, bringing to mind early career Israel Nash.

There’s so much to enjoy on EARTH TRIP.  The songs manage to express both sadness and vulnerability, yet optimism is always close to the surface.  However, the real winner is the telepathic understanding between Johnson’s vocals and guitar, coupled with Barry Walker’s subtle pedal steel. The combination of these subtleties presents a deeply melodic and calming listening experience. Highly recommended.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Martha Fields Headed South Continental Record Services

An artist that, in normal times, divides her time between her native Texas and her adopted second home in the South of France, HEADED SOUTH was written and recorded by Martha Fields in France during lockdown. Self-produced, the finishing touches were applied by Sean Sullivan, who mixed the album at Butcher Shoppe Studios in Nashville.

Born into a family soaked in the music of Appalachia, Fields’ 2016 politically charged release SOUTHERN WHITE LIES, paid homage to the music of her childhood. It was essentially an unplugged affair, inspired by her childhood memories of fiddles, guitars and banjos accompanying numerous singers on the family front porch in Wayne County. DANCING SHADOWS, which followed two years later, returned to her core sound, which slides smoothly between country, blues and high energy rock & roll. That same template is applied to her latest recording.

Field’s is renowned for her thunderous live shows with her dynamic band of merry men. Those players are Manu Bertrand on dobro, banjo, mandolin, guitar, Urbain Lambert on guitar, Olivier Leclerc on violin, Serge Samyn on bass and fiddle and Denis Bielsa on drums. They combine to bring that high level energy and passion into the studio with HEADED SOUTH. The musical chemistry of players very much on the same page and supporting Fields’ gutsy vocals are showcased across the twelve tracks. A particular standout is the swinging, country meets rock and roll, Lavada’s Lounge, but she’s equally impressive on the more relaxed title track and the similarly paced Yellow Roses. As on her previous recordings, a few genres melt together on this album and Death Rattle and High Shelf Mama represent the bluesy aspect of her repertoire.

HEADED SOUTH mirrors precisely what Martha Fields is all about. A collection of musicians firing on all cylinders, fronted by an intense vocal execution, it further whets the appetite for a return to fun music like this in a live setting. Bring it on!

Review by Declan Culliton 

K.C. Jones Queen Of The Inbetweens Free Dirt

This is the debut release from singer/songwriter and fiddler Kelli Jones, who also is a member of roots/Cajun bands Feufollet and T’Monde. For this album the singer moves between the elements of Cajun, country, indie, Appalachian folk and psychedelic music with ease and authority. It’s something that comes more naturally to a musician based in Lafayette, Louisiana, than it might in other more genre defined areas.  She underlines this sentiment when she says that she had an obsession with Gene Clark’s No Other album, as well as some Janis Ian and a “little too much T-Rex.” Though like all her other influences that have merged into a vision that Jones makes her own.

She brought noted musician/producer Joel Savoy to helm the project, which was recorded in Savoy’s studio with some talented music from the locality to join her in the album’s creation. Chris Stafford on pedal steel and electric guitars, bassist Trey Boudreaux and to complete the rhythm section Jim Kolacek. They then created a rich “quilt of an album” as Jones describes it. She has recorded songs that are at times raw but with a confidence that allows for individual interpretation.

The album opens with a guitar riff that is both familiar and engaging. That track Beginnings And Ends is the perfect opener to the diversity displayed throughout. It has a strong feel of the 60s with the guitar, keyboard and vocal identity considering the often uncertain paths that life takes us on. It is followed by Heat Rises, the current single, which has some slow burning pedal steel to emphasise the lyrics hope for a spark from what may have be a a dying ember of a relationship. I’ve Got Time is about that feeling that there will always be time to do those things we promise ourselves and that we will eventually do. Again, the pedal steel is prominent in an understated way below the appealing electric guitar. Jones’ vocals are the emotional centre of the songs, with a certain vulnerability yet hidden strength. There are a number of harmony vocals throughout that add to the overall context and texture of the songs. Something on display through these ten self-written tales.

Overall, the album is affirmation of the broad palette that Jones and her team have chosen to place these songs in. A rewarding three quarters of an hour that hints at several possibilities for the future whilst, here and now, showing that Jones’ solo debut release is a strong opening statement that many should enjoy.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Jon Byrd Me & Paul Self Release

A self-described “real country singer” who has brought these songs on this EP out in a stripped form that is justifiably perfect, with Byrd’s gut-string guitar and his notable tenor voice, backed only by the highly effective ambience of Paul Neihaus’ high lonesome pedal steel guitar. 

These are songs full of life and character, from the story of Junior And Lloyd, who ran a business as bootleggers and their separate way of dealing with that life, its dangers and its money making possibilities. I’ll Be Her Only One and Why Must You Think Of Leaving offer differing perspectives on relationships. Neither exactly have happy endings and the steel guitar cries as much as the participants in the songs might. The former offers some kind of understanding of two being of the same kind of off-the-line walkers. The latter is about wanting to do one thing but having to do another, to make a move on.

The songs comprise a number of co-writes between Byrd and Shannon Wright (…Leaving) and Kevin Gordon (…Only One). The final song has an element of blues within its exhortation to come to someone who hopefully understands in J.J. Cale’s Dont Go To Strangers. The remaining songs is a cover of the Louvin Brothers’ Cash On The Barrelhead, where the judge places a fine on the culprit for his offence. Either the cash is placed where it should be or it’s thirty days in the can, as they don’t quite trust this particular offender to be around for too long. Niehaus’ steel on this track takes on a more 50’s upright steel feel which is ideally suited to the mood and era of the original recording.

These two fine musicians make a perfect partnership and there is much to enjoy on this short outing (under twenty minutes playing time) - but it is time well spent.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Esquela A Sign From God Livestock

Call it roots rock or even cowpunk, but there’s no denying the energy that emanates from these grooves. Esquela is a band fronted by John “Chico” Finn who is the lead vocalist and chief songwriter in the band . Their latest release was recorded during the current pandemic and featured the musicians working remotely under the guidance of Eric “Roscoe” Ambel - no better man for the job. His credentials and feel for this music are evident from many productions he has overseen from his Evie’s Terrace home studio in Brooklyn. The songs were accumulated since the band’s last outing CANIS MAJOR was released back in 2015. Finn sent guitar and vocal recordings to Ambel to get the project off the blocks and the end results turned out to be what may be the band’s best effort to date. Everyone seems focused and happy to be making music. Finn shared the lead vocals throughout with Becca Frame and the two work well together, something that is doubtless the result of the time they have spent working in the studio and on the road together.

The opening song Not In My Backyard (Nimby), like many of the lyrics here, has a serious theme of wanting something to be changed, as long as it’s not happening near them. The song opens with Frame’s voice before Finn joins in. I can’t help but be reminded of Ireland’s The Golden Horde in the vocals, something of a second cousin to the Horde’s duet with Maria McKee on Friends In Time. As well as the catchy chorus there are some compelling guitar riffs to help it along. From there on the songs come thick and fast, all making the best use of the component parts to deliver a highly enjoyable album that rocks in all the right places. There is humour here as well, as in the worries that are prominent in not knowing how to deal with very First World Problems - broken sunglasses, stolen phones, not knowing your wi-fi password and so on. It makes a point but does so in a self-depreciating yet forceful way and ends with a little throwback reference to the Sex Postols. The rhythm section of bassist Keith Christopher and Mike Ricciardi are solid and synced throughout, which considering that they recorded separately is acknowledgement of their skills.

Kudos though must go to the collective guitar skills of Ambel, Brain Shafer and Matt Woodin, who kick up some noise throughout and bring electricity to these songs. There are other guest players here who all bring something to the show too. There’s the tale of a character in very shady Three Finger Joe “a deputy sheriff who ran the show in Ohio.” Or the oft-ask question of a troublesome personality that is framed by What’s Your Problem?, before deciding that enough is enough.

The final track takes a different approach, using a poem of Konstantin Simonov and music from Frame and Shafer to close the album in a more contemplative mood. It delivers an effective end to the album’s more up-tempo and animated performances. This is one of those albums that effortlessly convinces but the truth is it is usually born out of hard work and hard thinking. Esquela have made their announcement that they are back and they are again ready to rock.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Emily Duff Razor Blade Smile Mr. Mudshow

Here’s another release that emanates from the New York, Brooklyn community. This is singer/songwriter Emily Duff’s latest album. The lady we have here is a veteran of the roots scene with her songs of hard times and tough love. Duff has some seventeen previous releases available from Bandcamp. But this album may well be the best place to start. Duff is a writer who is honest and forthright in her writing. There are a number of songs that have an immediate impact including the title track, Another Goodbye and Go Fast Don’t Die - pretty solid advice overall.

The project has nuances and light and shade throughout, from the accordion of Charlie Giordano (who also adds keyboards), used to set the mood for Feelin’ Alright, to the bluesy tone of Don’t Hang The Moon wherein she confides to a partner that “you never asked for nothin’ and nothin’ all I gave you.” The song is built around how expectations can set up something in a relationship that can never be reached. There is still a tenderness to this observation that allows the vulnerability in Duff’s voice to come through. Something that is at the heart of the message that anger and arguments should never be left to fester. Indeed, she sings with conviction in Angry To Bed noting that conflict is no way to leave bad feeling unresolved before attempting to sleep. There is some endearing electric 12 string guitar in the song’s make-up too. That brings us to the production host, who is non-other than Eric “Roscoe” Ambel and who again brings the best out of the artist and songs. It was recorded in Brooklyn, New York City with Keith Christopher, Phil Cimino - the bedrock rhythm section. There are pedal steel contributions from Cody Nilsen and additional vocals from Ambel and Mary Lee Kortes.

I have seen comparisons to Lucinda Williams but that really is in the fact that they both know their own minds and how they want their music to be heard. Duff is likely never going to get the breaks that she, like many other artists, deserve. That is not down to lack of quality, but rather that many artists never get enough exposure, (if they even want it), to have a chance to reach a wider audience. I get the feeling that at this point in her career Duff is happy being able to put out the albums that she wants to without supervision or interference. 

The album ends with a country-esque ballad Nicotine & Waiting that delivers one of the most heartfelt vocal performances on the album. The accordion and pedal steel are perfectly poised to allow the lyrical message of how hanging around and smoking are not perhaps the best ways to wait for the homecoming of a lover, while noting that it is often what we don’t say to each other that tells the underlying story. Emily Duff has heart and soul, can write and sing with the best of them and deserves your consideration and I’m sure she’d be happy to see you regardless of how you might interpret her smile and welcome.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

New Album Reviews

John R. Miller Depreciated Rounder

 It has taken John R. Miller far longer than it should have to get his music directed towards a wide audience. Quitting school early and spending fifteen years on the road as a bass player for The Hackensaw Boys, J.P. Harris and Sierra Ferrell, together with drinking to excess, his life was spiralling out of control. Relocating to Nashville in 2017, kicking the bottle and concentrating on writing and performing his own material, has given him a new lease of life and DEPRECIATED is the upshot of those life changing adjustments.

 Like so many artists that eventually find their sweet spot in ‘real’ country music, Miller served his apprenticeship fronting a punk band, in his case, at the ripe age of 14 years old.  He then progressed to street busking before being hired as a touring bass player, before finally taking control as a recording artist in his own right.

 He made an immediate impact on Lonesome Highway at Americana Fest in 2019, his performance leaving me scratching my head as to how this guy was not signed up to a label and recording. It was therefore with much anticipation that I learned that the West Virginian had packed his bags for Nashville, was signed to Rounder Records and that his debut album was on the way.

 Well, it has arrived and it more than lives up to expectations. The album lands somewhere between the laid-back country bluesy coolness of J.J. Cale (Borrowed Time, Looking Over My Shoulder), the swampy story telling of Tony Joe White (Motors Fried) and the classic songwriting of Guy Clark (Back and Forth). The songs read like diary entries from Miller’s exploits, both physical and emotional, as he drifted through life.

 His punk sensibilities of former days surface both lyrically and sonically on Old Dance Floor. It’s a raw and urgent guitar driven song delivered with a grainy lived-in vocal that had me hitting the repeat button on first play. The breakup of a long-term relationship is addressed on the broody Shenandoah Shakedown, painting evocative scenes of breakdown and chaos.       

Miller does not put a foot wrong on DEPRECIATED. It’s both a personal triumph and the emergence of an artist that you’ll hopefully be hearing a lot more from in the coming years. Highly recommended.

Review by Declan Culliton

Vincent Neil Emerson Self-Titled La Honda / Thirty Tigers

“It took a guy from Canada bringing me on tour for people to actually start paying attention. Before that it was a grind like anything else just trying to make a living.”

 So says Vincent Neil Emerson, a twenty - something East Texan of Choctaw-Apache descent, commenting on his self-titled album, which follows his 2019 debut album FRIED CHICKEN and EVIL WOMEN (great title!).

 The Canadian referred to is Colter Wall, who invited Emerson to open for him on tour. That exposure, together with support slots for Charley Crockett and Turnpike Troubadours, elevated Emerson from unknown status to ‘one to watch’. Reinforcing that potential was Rodney Crowell’s enthusiasm and readiness to produce this album. No doubt he flagged Emerson as a student of his own music and the styling of his comrades of yesteryear, Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

 Emerson, in a similar vein to Colter Wall, is the possessor of mature voice and road weary stories that belie his years. The material confronts a broad spectrum of topics and memories. He kicks off the album with one of those narratives, the tale of the road whacked artist, possibly autobiographical, heading home in Texas Moon. The stoty of a nomadic alcoholic, longing for the simple pleasures of home, is disclosed on Rippin’ Wild. He confronts his father’s suicide and the subsequent family collateral damage on the sombre Learnin’ To Drown. The displacement by the government of his ancestors from their land in the 1960’s is detailed in The Ballad of the Choctaw-Apache.

 The ten songs on the album grapple between light and darkness and the powerful songwriting is matched by Emerson’s articulation, which displays a frankness and self-assurance that draws the listener in to each and every song. The musicianship, performed by session players engaged by Rodney Crowell, is also thrilling, complementing the songs with raging and delicate fiddles and acoustic guitars to match the songs’ subject matter.

 A glimpse of the unquestionable talent of Vincent Neil Emerson, this suite of songs should be a career launching pad for an artist proudly following in the footsteps of his revered Texan songwriting legends. 

Review by Declan Culliton

John Hiatt and The Jerry Douglas Band Leftover Feelings New West

The birthplace of The Nashville Sound, as well as the room where Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, the Everly Brothers, Chet Atkins and numerous others recorded, RCA Studio B was the chosen location for this collaboration between John Hiatt, one of the most revered songwriters of the past five decades and the equally celebrated multi-instrumentalist Jerry Douglas. It’s a marriage that very nearly did not happen. A tornado which struck Nashville weeks prior to the scheduled date for the recording was followed shortly afterwards by the arrival of Covid-19, leaving their plans in disarray.

Fortunately, in October 2020, they were able to schedule four days at the studio and the couple, together with The Jerry Douglas Band, working to a tight timeline, recorded the eleven tracks that feature on LEFTOVER FEELINGS. Surprisingly, despite releasing over thirty studio albums, it was Hiatt’s first visit to Studio B, which still has an ‘x’ taped on the floor where Elvis Presley, who had a huge influence on teenage John Hiatt, used to position himself while being recorded.

The album kicks off with the snappy Long Black Electric Cadillac, with Hiatt’s weather-beaten vocals in front of, as you would expect, quality playing from Douglas and his band. The players consisted of Mike Seal on guitars, Daniel Kimbro on bass, Christian Sedelmyer on strings, Carmella Ramsey on backing vocals and Douglas on various stringed instruments.

Following the environmentally friendly titled up-tempo opener, things are generally taken at a more relaxed pace, with Hiatt providing the lyrics and giving Douglas a free hand to bring those words and stories to life. In fact, only Keen Rambler matches the tempo of the opening track.

Some of those songs visit dark moments and memories for Hiatt. He recalls the suicide of his older brother, at the age of twenty-one, on the touching Light of The Burning Son. It’s a heartfelt remembrance of the tragedy and its devastation on the family. It’s also the first time Hiatt has revisited the subject in his writing. As you might expect, the musical arrangement that supports the vocals are fittingly sympathetic. His former drinking and drugging days are evoked on the bluesy Mississippi Phone Booth. He dips into his back catalogue on the electric blues toe tapper Little Goodnight and All The Lilacs In Ohio, which previously was cut on his 2001 album THE TIKI BAR IS OPEN, gets a bluegrass makeover. Other notable inclusions are the stripped back Buddy Boy which features a gorgeous string arrangement and the rootsy nostalgic Sweet Dreams, which closes the album, bringing to mind the John Prine penned Glory Of True Love.

LEFTOVER FEELINGS follows Hiatt’s terrific 2018 release THE ECLIPSE SESSIONS and is a pointer to yet another senior statesman in the industry that has no intention of drawing the curtains on a career that has gifted us with so much. Hallelujah for that!

Review by Declan Culliton

Tylor & The Train Robbers Non-Typical Find Self Release

Having lost their touring lifeline which generated over two hundred shows a year, Boise, ID roots band Tylor & The Train Robbers put their time in lockdown to good use. Their third album NON - TYPICAL FIND was written and recorded during this period and they also continued to play live through their regular virtual shows on the Patreon platform.

Having self-produced their first two albums, they reached out to Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly to do the honors on this occasion. It seemed a shrewd choice, given the similarities both in structure and sound of both bands.  Reckless Kelly is also a tight, rockin’ roots band, constantly on the road and fronted by brothers Cody and Willy Braun.  Tylor & The Train Robbers are also very much a family band, originally formed by Tylor Ketchum and his brother Jason Bushman. Another brother Tommy subsequently joined and to complete the family involvement, Tylor married Jennifer Pisano, the daughter of the band’s guitar player Johnny ‘Shoes’ Pisano, effectively elevating ‘Shoes’ to a family member.  While not officially a band member, Jennifer adds backing vocals on the album.  

Without the option of road testing the songs, they entered the studio with the material fully written. Under the watchful eye of Cody Braun, who adds fiddle and mandolin on the album, the songs were constructed by the family members, with the addition of a few guest musicians who played pedal steel, banjo and cello.

 The album features eleven lyric driven roots songs, mostly written by Ketchum, with subject matter ranging from human remains being discovered by a friend while out hunting (Non-Typical Find) to a tender ode to his wife (Jenny Lynn). They’re also equally at home with the laid-back country numbers (Lemonade, These Eyes) as they are with the foot heavier on the pedals on the rockier ones (This Town, Staring Down The North).

All in all, the album delivers an open-ended collection of songs that sit very comfortably alongside each other.

Review by Declan Culliton

Tony Joe White Smoke From The Chimney Easy Eye

Tony Joe White, or The Swamp Fox, as he was affectionately nicknamed, passed away in 2018, leaving behind a back catalogue that consisted of almost thirty albums. His last studio recording, BAD MOUTHIN’ was released around the time of his passing and was considered to be the final chapter of story songs from the prolific singer songwriter. Few would have anticipated the emergence of this posthumous album three years later.

White’s son Jody, discovered a library of songs on numerous tapes recorded by his father over the years. The songs that were to become SMOKE FROM THE CHIMNEY were collected on four reels, and given that they were written at various stages of his career, it may be that White intended them to feature on an album at some stage. Jody, quite innocently, sent the track Smoke From The Chimney to long-time friend Dan Auerbach, who immediately reached out for more material. The end result is this exceptional recording. 

Targeted in his early career by his label Monument Records as an Elvis lookalike and soundalike, much of his output at that time was cover versions and middle of the road country soul singles. However, his discovery of The Maestro Boomerang Wah pedal, brought a totally new dimension to his core sound, leading to his christening as the ‘godfather of swamp rock’.

Auerbach has managed to create a seamless transition from White’s acoustic recordings to the full-blown sound on the album. Gathering the cream of Memphis and Nashville session players around him, he has given some of the songs the ‘swamp’ treatment and others a more country soul flavour.

Recorded at Easy Eye Sound in Nashville, the players that Auerbach gathered included White’s fellow Louisiana born Billy Sandford on guitar and Memphis big hitters Bobby Wood (keyboards) and Gene ‘Bubba’ Chrisman (drums).

The title track gets a soulful Memphis makeover, complete with horn section. Boot Money and Scary Stories are unadulterated Louisiana blues stomps and Bubba Jones is a nod in the direction of Bobby Gentry, an artist that hugely influenced White’s story telling songwriting. The dreamy love song Del Rio, You’re Making Me Cry showcases Billy Sanford’s acoustic guitar skills, alongside Paul Franklin’s ghostly pedal steel guitar. Although White described his music as ‘more a soul sound than anything else, I certainly hope so, because I sure hate country and western’, his recordings included some classic country rock. Auerbach acknowledges this with his breath-taking treatment of Someone Is Crying, which brings to mind Neil Young’s epic Pocahontas, before signing off with the sweeping ballad Billy.

Alongside being a technical triumph and a tribute to an avant - garde artist, SMOKE FROM THE CHIMNEY is musical chemistry which does justice to a wonderful writer and vocalist.

Review by Declan Culliton 

The Hello Darlins Go By Feel Self Release

Canadian musical collective The Hello Darlins is the coming together of a number of Alberta based session players. Grown out of a two-piece band featuring vocalist Candace Lacina and keyboard player Mike Little, the band have recorded their debut album titled GO BY FEEL. A Juno nominated songwriter, Candace Lacina has also provided backing vocals for a number recordings from artists such as Shania Twain and Charlie Major. Mike Little has enjoyed an equally impressive musical career, playing keyboards with B.B. King, Long John Baldry and The Rankin Family, to name but a few.

For this album, they invited a number of players from a range of musical backgrounds into the studio. The impressive list of musicians includes Dave and Joey Landreth (The Bros.Landreth), Murray Pulver (Crash Test Dummies), Russell Broom (Jann Arden), Clayton Bellamy (The Road Hammers), Matt Andersen (Buddy Guy, Little Feat, Greg Allman), Russell Broom (Ian Tyson, Jann Arden) and finally renowned fiddle player and instructor Shane Guse. 

Very much targeting the Americana market, the eleven tracks on the album offer the listener an amalgam of roots, bluegrass, country and gospel, with all three often featuring on an individual track.  Ballads such as Aberdeen and Prayer For A Sparrow are typical examples, both benefiting from imposing harmony vocals. They do let their hair down on the rousing Mountain Time and Smokin’ Gun but elsewhere the emphasis is directed towards more slow rolling and less muscular grooves on the radio friendly Lonely In Las Vegas and Still Waters.

The instrumentation and vocals are of the highest standard throughout, not surprising given the pedigree of the players. What began as a casual meeting of musical minds for Candace Lacina and Mike Little has developed into a very marketable production that ticks all the boxes for a commercial breakthrough. Watch this space.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dean Owens – The Desert Trilogy EP’s – Vol.2 & 3. Sand & Blood/Ghosts Songboy

SINNER’S SHRINE, the forthcoming album by Edinburgh’s Dean Owens, is scheduled for release later this year. The recording sessions for the album took place at WaveLab Studios in Tucson, Arizona, where Dean was joined in the studio by Tex-Mex indies Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico fame and other notables.

THE DESERT TRILOGY EP’s Vol.1,2 and 3 include songs from the sessions for that album, together with songs recorded remotely with John Convertino and other guest players. Each volume also features a track which will be included on the forthcoming album. We reviewed Vol.1, THE BURNING HEART, on its release back in March of this year and it is followed by two equally impressive recordings to complete the trilogy.

Land of the Hummingbird opens the second volume and is a co-write with another desert dweller, Gabriel Sullivan (Giant Sand, XIXA). It also features the stunning vocals of Guatemalan singer songwriter Gaby Moreno, whose atmospheric contribution, sung in Spanish, was recorded from her home in New York. She Was a Raven, which bookends this volume, is an alternative take on the same song which, on this occasion, gets a less Tex-Mex and a more rock - fused treatment. Continuing on the border and desert themed sonics and inspired by a character from a novel, Dolina, with its lush and rich instrumentation, practically transfers the scorching sun and sands into your living room. 

Ashes And Dust could be the closing song on a Spaghetti Western movie as the credits roll after the final bloodshot battle. It touches on darkness and light, life and death, danger and chaos. A truly international endeavour, it was recorded by Dean in Pencaitland, Scotland with contributions from El Paso, (John Convertino - drums), Tucson (Naim Amor - guitars) and Berlin (Martin Wenk - trumpet).

GHOSTS, the final volume, offers four more tales of longing, escapism and the spirits that subsist along the desert’s borders. The Hopeless Ghosts, is a standout track, visiting lost love, missed opportunities and a drifting unsettled existence. Contributions from Jacob Valenzuela on trumpet and Paul Niehaus on pedal steel elevate the song to another level and backing vocals are courtesy of Grant-Lee Phillips. The passage of time, as witnessed by a ninety-three-year-old barber, Angel Degadillo, is the backdrop to Mother Road. With his barber shop located in the town of Seligman, Arizona on Route 66, his life story is considered and thoughtfully recounted.  Closer to home and delivered acoustically is Even When I’m Gone. It features vocals, nylon string guitar and little else but Dean whistling. It’s a simple love song which contemplates mortality and relationships that live on beyond our passing. Unrelated but with a similar theme of dying, GHOSTS closes with The End. A grisly murder ballad, it details the final thoughts of the protagonist as he awaits his final and fatal retribution.

Dean Owens continues to be one of the most interesting and innovative artists in Americana circles residing outside America. Despite a hefty workload and output both as a solo artist and the numerous collaborations he is involved in, the quality never suffers. It’s fair to say that THE DESERT TRILOGY EPs equal his most impressive work to date and are a pointer to what we can expect on the release of SINNER’S SHINE later in the year. To  repeat and expand on my observation in the review of Vol.1, the artwork and packaging are by far the most striking of any album I’ve laid my hands on this year. Hats off to all involved in this splendid project.

Review by Declan Culliton

Peter Bruntnell Journey To The Sun Domestico

Written and recorded at his home in Devon, JOURNEY TO THE SUN is very much a product of enforced confinement, from the artist described by Rolling Stone as “one of England's best kept musical secrets”.  To complete the ‘hands on’ package, the majority of the instruments were played by Peter Bruntnell, with only some keyboards added by mastering engineer Peter Linnane, and pedal steel on Dharma Liar, courtesy of his often-touring player and Wynntown Marshals’ member, Iain Sloan.

With time on his hands in the absence of live shows, some degree of musical experimentation took hold, in particular the acquisition by Bruntnell of a new synthesizer and also a bouzouki, both of which feature on the recording. It’s not the first time that he has used synthesizer, his 2011 album BLACK MOUNTAIN U.F.O. was equally exploratory, with the use of synths and strings.  He puts his new toys to good effect on the album, particularly on the two instrumentals The Antwerp Effect and Moon Committee.

Saying that, although tracks such as You’d Make A Great Widow and Lucifer Morning Star are laced with synch overtones, the album remains vintage Bruntnell. Quite a dark sentiment often pervades, covering the emotional baggage and the social environment that was at large during the time of the songs’ conception.To that end the album is somewhat more introspective than his excellent 2019 release KING OF MADRID. 

The gentle opener Dandelion, with its minimalist approach, sounds and reads like a preface for what is to follow. It hints at the album’s direction, touching on mortality, anxiety and remorse. The aforementioned You’d Make A Great Widow is simply a blast. A Syd Barrett type sixty second configured intro merges into close on six minutes of hook laden power pop that soothes like a warm summer breeze.  He picks the pace up somewhat on Runaway Car which offers a rockier edge than much of the album’s material.  The album’s delicate closer Mutha reflects on the importance of living in the moment, the passage of time and cherishing the ones we love.

A stunning showcase, JOURNEY TO THE SUN more than mirrors the lofty heights of KING OF MADRID, which was a worthy recipient of album of the year at Lonesome Highway in 2019. More restrained and brooding than its predecessor, it’s very much an album of its time and another ‘must have’ Bruntnell album for any serious collector of fine music.

Review by Declan Culliton

Joana Serrat Hardcore From The Heart Loose

Released in 2017, DRIPPING SPRINGS found Catalan artist Joana Serrat expanding her musical horizons. The album was named after the small town in Texas, close to where it was recorded under the watchful eye of Israel Nash, whose production skills and experimentation gave the recording a gloriously layered sound. Joana has stuck with a parallel musical template on HARDCORE FROM THE HEART and the end result is equally impressive.

She returned once more to Texas for the recording. On this occasion the location was Redwood Studio in Denton, which is run by Midlake band members McKenzie Smith and Joey McClellan, who both feature on the album, playing guitars and drums respectively. Other musicians that contributed are Aaron McClellan on bass, Jesse Chandler on keys and Eric Swanson on pedal steel. Joana’s brother, Toni Serrat, also makes an appearance on drums. Joana chose Grammy winner Ted Young to oversee production. Young has worked with Israel Nash for a number of years and his previous employers include Kurt Vile, The Rolling Stones, The Gaslight Anthem and Sonic Youth. 

Collectively they combine flawlessly to breathe life into Joana’s lush soaring vocals and deeply felt lyrics. Those lyrics often reveal quite painful and personal retrospections of unfulfilled promises and infidelities. Challenging issues they may be, but the songs are delivered joyously and with no small amount of positivity. They range from lightly rock tinged anthems (Easy, Pictures) to excursions into more chilled introspective territory (Hotel Room, Summer Never Ends). The highlight of the ten tracks for this writer is the spellbinding How To Make You Love Me. An intoxicatingly layered sonic voyage, it simply bombards the senses. Not far behind in the quality stakes is the similarity bewitching Demons. 

The aforementioned Pictures, already released as a single, advocates living in the moment without distraction from minor issues. It’s sage advice and a theme that resurfaces on an album by an artist who seems to grow in maturity, both as a writer and vocalist, on each subsequent recording. Well worth your investigation.   

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Curtis McMurtry Toothless Messiah Self Release

Those who like a challenge from their music should seek out this fourth album from Austin’s Curtis McMurtry (and yes, he’s the son of singer-songwriter James and grandson of Larry, the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist). A full on exploration and forewarning of the dangers of authoritarianism, this does not make for an easy listen, but its rewards grow in proportion to the time spent in its company.

Written exclusively on banjo and banjolele, those percussive instruments are perfectly balanced throughout the recording by the cello playing and backing vocals of long-term collaborator Diana Burgess. It’s no surprise then to realise that she and McMurtry are partners in life as well as in music collaboration. Muted horns are liberally used to great effect to help convey menace in this socio-political commentary, and Mike Meadows on percussion goes heavy and persistent on the bass drum, adding to the atmosphere of foreboding.

Praise Caesar tells the dictator story from the perspective of a sycophantic follower - ‘I guard you like a dog’, and the ominous atmosphere is palpable. That same atmosphere informs Lion on A Leash ‘they want a winner, not a saint’ and ‘our weapons demand to be used’, the leader exhorts his followers. Although Trump appears to be the obvious target of McMurtry’s warnings, he sees it as being about the bigger picture, around the world and throughout history. Power corrupts, he reminds us, but he aims to inform us from a variety of perspectives. The mildly skeptic are given a voice in You Need Me To Betray You - ‘My teachers taught me not to trust my teachers’ while the protagonist in the menacing Around My Neck is a former follower who now sees reality.

Evan Kaspar’s pedal steel must be mentioned in particular for contributing to the sinister and dystopian musical landscape of Dinosaurs, a stark reminder to not repeat the mistakes of history.

The short but intense album, a combination of songs, instrumentals and spoken word pieces does end on a somewhat positive note (thankfully!), with Flowers Through The Stone - ‘to the fire we surrender ... from the ashes we return’.

Review by Eilís Boland

Two Cent Revival Demons Self Release

The man behind the moniker is Matt Jones, a New York City and Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter, who has combined a myriad of different influences into his writing and music. He is an adept storyteller who has recorded this new album with producer Dan Devine and a group of musicians who give each song its own identity, some of which reflect his influences in a slightly more obvious way, while on others he performs tracks that  are more his own thing.

Perhaps because he was adopted from Brazil by parents who raised him in Texas before his move to the East Coast, Jones’ music is a reflection of those people and places he has encountered along his journey. His last release under this name was in 2011. Since then, he has been working on these songs, which move from the confessional to the complications inherent in the human race. These are delivered with thoughtfulness and consideration.

Jones has a variable voice that has a baritone edge that bends to suit the mood and structure on the saxophone led closing track Violin. The opening song and single Crow relies on some subtle ensemble playing from the bass and drum combination of Tom Welsch and Davine. Brian Axford adds much overall with his keyboard skills, while on guitar Elijah Tucker makes his presence felt throughout. There’s a certain desert ambience applied to the song that may be a reminder of the Giant Sand/Calexico ethos. Without the benefit of a lyric sheet the songs have to speak for themselves. Candy is a “why does a girl like you like a guy like me.” It opens with ominous bass and drums that herald an obsessiveness of mind that develops into a keyboard jam which underlines the dark nature of the song. In a more laid-back setting Happy Hell and the more forceful It Look Like Blood makes the Nick Cave comparisons more apparent with its Biblical connotations and the dualism of light and dark.

The upbeat Julia, musically and lyrically, is by way of contrast and makes an unashamed assessment of love. Guerrilla Love has twangy guitar, a solid beat, some saloon piano and a story to tell. Another track that has an energy, an edge, an attraction and a touch of the Attractions is Never See The Bullet - life never lets you see what might hit you at any time. It is also a reminder that we often head for a different place with the realisation that we are all being used to some degree, even if we are not sure in which way. Likewise, the song shifts between reflection and rebellion.

Those two seemingly opposing attitudes might be a pretty good way to sum up the diversity that DEMONS offers to the world. My two cents is that this, while it may flirt with the fringes of Americana, is an album that marks the arrival of another name to add to a growing list of artists who are developing in to something a little bit special.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Rod Picott Wood, Steel, Dust & Dreams Welding Rod

This latest release from Rod Picott is a limited double CD of songs that Picott has written through the years with his good buddy and fellow master songwriter Slaid Cleaves. So, this collection is Picott’s rerecording of songs that they have written together. In his notes he talks of the different backgrounds the two writers come from, but how their common interest in observing and understanding their fellow man has served them well as thoughtful and evocative writers. When we look for the writers with the skills to measure up to the likes of Guy Clark and John Prine, these two are likely candidates. Though their work differs in many ways to those lost and loved icons, it has the same degree of pursuit of the art of telling a story in the best way to chase the magic of creating great songs.

The material, in the main, has come from the albums released under their individual names on preceding recordings. Some of the songs included here have never made it to the public previously. Overall, they are delivered in a stripped-down setting with voice and guitar front and centre. Picott possesses an aged and evocative delivery that is entirely right for this material. However, there are other players here who add touches that bring much to the songs under the guidance of producer Neilson Hubbard, who is also the percussionist here and is joined by guitarists Matt Mauch and Will Kimbrough. Both also provide the harmony vocals on some tracks. Lex Price is the final component adding bass and mandolin. All of these have appeared on some of Picott’s previous albums and are players, therefore, that he is comfortable recording with.

However, aside from the work of these fine musicians, there is no doubt that the words matter and over these twenty-six tracks there’s much to savour in the detail. Here are just a couple of examples to illustrate that point: “I don’t need to read the news or the tea leaves to understand / That this world’s been shaved by a drunken barber’s hand.” Taken from the song Drunken Barber’s Hand it is an obviously poetic way of saying how much is wrong with the way we live today and the people who effect the way we exist. Then there is the simplicity of Primer Gray, a song about the love of cars, their maintenance and the intertwined relationships of family. Words that manage to reveal much about a life in those short verses. “I pulled the engine with a block and chain / got the oil pump in just before the rain / in the gravel drive there’s a Pontiac / come the weekend I’m down at the track.”

Of course, aside from this particular project, their partnership and perception, both writers work with others as well as on their own. As a result, there is no lack of maintaining the high lyrical standard in that capacity either. Rather this is something of a summation of friendship and the shared love of creating something special in song. While this may not be the ideal starting place for anyone unacquainted with Picott’s writing craft and voice, it will be a welcome addition to anyone who considers themselves a fan of either writer, but of Picott in particular. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Holly Macve Not The Girl Modern Sky

GOLDEN EAGLE, the 2017 debut album from Holly Macve, certainly struck a chord with us at Lonesome Highway. That album was a snapshot of the huge potential of the young Galway born artist with her distinctive and stylish quavering vocal delivery and well-constructed songs. Country, old time, blues and jazz influences all emerged on that album, fuelled by an early exposure to Hank Williams, Big Bill Broonzy and Billie Holiday, courtesy of her mother’s record collection. The songs were quite skeletal, a fusion of the Brighton based artists vision of country noir. That musical landscape is revisited on NOT THE GIRL, although on an altogether larger scale both vocally and instrumentally.

The stunning Be My Friend, the first single from the album, was released a few months back and its surreal and dreamlike treatment offered a sneak preview of a more sophisticated and full-blown sound. On a similar theme, she probes for lasting love on the emotive Eye Of The Storm. Both tracks find Macve pushing out the boundaries without leaving behind the notable gothic template of the album’s predecessor. The arrangements are also more intricate and the subject matter even darker this time around. A case in point is the misty opener Bird and the grisly murder ballad Behind The Flowers. The latter features musician, producer and founder member of The Coral, Bill Ryder-Jones on guitar. He also guests on the soaring and quite exquisite You Can Do Better. Other notables that contribute include Fiona Brice (John Grant, Placebo), whose string arrangements add depth to many of the compositions, particularly on the evocative slow burner Little Lonely Heart. Equally essential in fashioning Macve’s thrilling sound is pedal steel guitarist C.J. Hillman.

Two albums into her career, Macve has created musical landscapes that call to mind artists as diverse as Bobby Gentry and P.J. Harvey and bands equally varied from The Velvet Underground to Mazzy Star. She has also passed the difficult second album syndrome with flying colours, with a body of work that is delivered with a confident swagger and that blends all the key elements of classic panoramic alt-country noir.    

Review by Declan Culliton

Volk Cashville Romanus

 With a sound self-described as ‘equal parts rock-roaring, twanging, honky tonking, acid-tripping, American-ing, and spaghetti western-ing’, it’s no surprise that CASHVILLE, the explosive debut full album from VOLK, offers the listener a multiplicity of sounds to take on board.

 A musical marriage that came about following an open mic session in a brothel cum bar in Berlin, Volk is Chris Lowe on guitar and vocals, alongside Eleot Reich on drums and vocals. That early encounter in 2013 found the duo performing acoustic folk songs, quite a distance from the sonic eruption that they deliver on CASHVILLE. Leaving Berlin for Nashville in 2016, on arrival they loaded the van and hit the road, honing their skills and developing their cowpunk savviness in any dive bar that would book them.

The album explodes into action with the opener Welcome To Cashville with raging guitars, thumping drums and shared vocals, landing somewhere between The White Stripes and AC/DC. They seldom take their foot off the gas on the eleven tracks that follow, only slipping down the gears slightly mid album with Old Palestine and the closer Simple Western Song. Elsewhere it’s an onslaught on the senses with bruisers Honey Bee, Snake Farm and the toe tapping bluesy Yorkshire Girl.

 A comparison with the The White Stripes may be a little obvious, but VOLK do display similar energy levels, intensity and spiritedness that would, no doubt, come across even more strikingly in the live setting. In medieval Germany the term Volk was a reference to a large crowd or army. On the strength of this album, I expect it might also describe the growing fan base that this powerful recording could spawn.

Review by Declan Culliton

Rachel Baiman Cycles Signature Sound 

A masterly violin and banjo player, Nashville resident Rachael Baiman’s 2017 album SHAME also exhibited her skills as a songwriter, with a particular emphasis on social and political issues. Alongside her solo work, the Chicago born artist also performs with fiddle player Christian Sedelmyer in the acoustic duo 10 String Symphony. Her third solo recording CYCLES finds her contemplating matters closer to home, with the bulk of the songs created from both personal and family happenings.

Those events recalled are often achingly sorrowful. The opening and title track confronts the loss of a baby suffered late in pregnancy by her sister-in-law and the trauma that such an event sets in motion.  Her own rejection is confronted on Hope It Hurts, where she comes to terms with being unceremoniously and unexpectedly dropped by her booking agent. No Good Time For Dying finds her fondly recollecting her grandmother, an independent soul finally overwhelmed by the passing years, which forced her to end her days in a nursing home. She is joined on backing vocals by Melbourne based singer songwriter Dan Parsons on Ships In The Night. The song considers the artist’s dilemma of personal freedom to pursue their vocation alongside the need for emotional and spiritual support. Young Love explores the various stages of a relationship, from the starry-eyed beginnings to the more challenging undercurrents that inevitably follow.

Less personal are the socially conscious Wyoming Wildflowers and Rust Belt Fields. The former contrasts the beauty and tranquillity of that landscape, set against an horrific murderous white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The latter, a cover of the powerful Slaid Cleaves/Rod Picott song, bemoans the creation of ghost towns in the Midwest due to outsourcing and globalisation. It tells an all too familiar tale of the demise of industrial employment, which paid a decent wage and supported so many American towns both socially and economically.

As you would expect the instrumentation is impeccable throughout with Baiman’s fiddle, violin and acoustic guitar playing augmented by a host of session players. However, it’s her maturity as a writer that shines through with her tales of troubled times catching your attention and holding it. 

CYCLES is a worthy follow up to SHAME.  It’s also an album for the slow cooker, so don’t expect to connect with the songs on first listen. They do, however, reveal themselves on repeated plays to be the work of a seriously mature wordsmith as well as a gifted musician. 

Review by Declan Culliton

The Green Line Travelers Baker’s Bog Blowout Ella Ruth Instutet

Sweden has become a ‘go to’ destination for many touring Americana and country music acts in recent years, with artists such as J.P. Harris, Tyler Childers and Whitney Rose all playing the Nordic country. Together with having a thriving support base for traditional country music, Sweden has also got its own homegrown roster of artists and bands. First Aid Kit are now a household name and The Country Sound of Harmonica Sam are making a well-deserved breakthrough. The Swedes have also adopted American Doug Seegers as one of their own, following his appearance on a Swedish TV show in 2014.

Another act from that part of the world giving the thumbs up to classic old style country honky tonk is The Green Line Travelers. A five-piece combo from Stockholm, they consist of David Ritschard on lead vocals, Agnes Odén on fiddle, Daniel Björkander on lead guitar, Anders Höjlund on upright bass and Fabian Ris Lundblad on drums. Pedal steel player Daniel Wigstrand also guests on BAKER’S BOG BLOWOUT. The band borrows its title from a subway in their native city and their album is a delight from start to finish, delivering toe tapping originals alongside a number of well-suited cover songs. 

The original songs include the album’s standout track Honky Tonk Saturday Night, which features Nashville’s Kristina Murray sharing honeyed vocals with drummer Fabian. It stands shoulder to shoulder with any classic country duet. The rocking Honky Tonk Tuesday Night is most likely a thumbs up to the weekly Tuesday night honky tonk sessions at the American Legion in East Nashville. Other originals that impress are the classic old timey Pretend Girlfriend and the rockabilly Last Last Time.

As you would expect, the album also delivers on ‘the tears in your beer’ front.  Connie Smith’s The Hurtin’s All Over and Conway Twitty’s This Time I’ve Hurt Her (More Than She Loves Me) are both included with treatments that are sympathetic to the original versions.  

The Green Line Travelers don’t attempt to reinvent the wheel and BAKER’S BOG BLOWOUT is simply no-nonsense old-school country, providing a glimpse of a band dedicated to that genre and wearing their heart on their sleeves. If you like your country super twangy, this one’s for you.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Accidentals Time Out (Session One) Self Release

A five track EP born out of quarantine finds three-piece band The Accidentals collaborating with a number of established songwriters. Their world seemed to fall apart in March 2020 when, following a successful twenty-three date tour, they were on the road to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas.  What promised to be the perfect opportunity to further showcase their talents was aborted when they learned that the festival was cancelled and they had to turn their van around and head back to Nashville.

The Accidentals are multi-instrumentalists Savannah Buist and Katie Larson, whose friendship dates back to high school in Traverse City, Michigan. The female fronted band also includes third member Michael Dause, who plays drums. TIME OUT (SESSION ONE) follows their highly acclaimed debut album ODYSSEY released in 2018. Alongside their band duties the members host master classes and workshops for music students. Buist and Larson are also in high demand for their stringed instrumental skills by numerous artists and bands in Nashville.
With their committed work ethic, it’s not surprising that they took full advantage of the Covid-19 enforced lockdown to record this album. Furthermore, on the realisation that others would also have time on their hands, they reached out to a host of respected songwriters to collaborate with. The result is an introspective set of songs that drift between folk and country, beautifully harmonised and performed, bringing to mind the music of Nickel Creek. The songs were composed via numerous Zoom calls starting with the opening track Wildfire, written with Kim Richey. The spirited anthem All Shall Be Well, was penned with Mary Gauthier and Jamie Harris. Two harmonised voices and two acoustic guitars feature on the song, which is the most stripped back of the five tracks. Dar Williams, whom they had opened a show for early in their career, came on board for the fuller sounding Night Train.  A series of weekly remote writing sessions with folk legend Tom Paxton yielded Anyway. Written at the lowest point of the pandemic, its lyrics reflect fear, the unknown and the ongoing loss of life. The final song Might As Well Be Gold was composed pre-pandemic and is a co-write with celebrated songwriter and recording artist Maia Sharp. It’s an optimistic and hugely catchy inclusion, beautifully orchestrated.

All in all, a most enjoyable listen by a team of young musicians, hugely gifted, totally committed and with the world at their feet.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Deep Dark Woods Changing Faces Six Shooter

The album title CHANGING FACES may be a reflection of the moving parts of The Deep Dark Woods as much as it may be a reference to the band’s frontman Ryan Boldt’s relocation from the rural prairies of Saskatchewan to his current residence on the east coast of Canada. Line-up changes may be regular but the musical landscapes brought to pass by Boldt remain absorbing. The band’s seventh album has a particular emphasis on alt-folk, moving some distance from the band’s more Americana sound on their earlier releases. It’s a path that Boldt has travelled more frequently on the band’s more recent work and one that featured exclusively on his debut solo album THE BROADSIDE BALLADS in 2014. That recording was Boldt’s rendition of traditional American, Irish and U.K. folk songs. On this occasion he has created his own similarly themed songs, laced with bruised and tender lyrics and brought to life by some fine musicians.

Boldt has acted as a father figure and chaperone to Kacy (Anderson) and Clayton (Linthicum), bringing them along as a support act and also band members since their teen years. The talented duo feature prominently on the album, collaborating on six of the eight tracks. Clayton plays bass, pedal steel, cello and various guitars with Kacy contributing violin, acoustic guitar and angelic backing vocals. The duo’s input is particularly striking on the perfectly tailored and standout track In The Meadow. It offers a sound that brings to mind the finest Richard Thompson has to offer and is packed with left of centre folky diversions. Cello, harmonica and harmonium, (both courtesy of Geoff Hillhorst) and percussion by Mike Silverman, all work hand in glove with Boldt’s well defined vocals. How Could I Ever Be Single Again? also impresses with its classic English folk sound and romantic heartbreak also surfaces on the Nick Drake like Everything Reminds Me. Closing the album is the slightly more acoustic Yarrow, which Deep Dark Woods fans will recognise as the title of their 2017 released album. 

Recorded at The Sugar Shack in London and Ghetto Box Studios in Saskatoon, six of the eight songs were written by Boldt, with the previously mentioned In The Meadow co-written with Clayton. The final song is the Hungarian folk song Anathea, previously recorded by both Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell

CHANGING FACES places Boldt very much in his comfort zone and doing what he does best. His folk sensibilities emerge with flying colours on a suite of songs that lean heavily on dark gothic themes, missed opportunities and previous romances.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Paul Handyside Loveless Town Self Release

This is the fourth solo album from an artist who describes his sound as Folk/Roots and has been refining his music since his debut release, back in 2007. An experienced musician since the heady pop days of the eighties, Handyside calls on his regular go-to musical buddies, both David Porthouse and Rob Tickell, ever-presents on all his solo albums to date. Indeed, it is Tickell who produces and engineers the entire project and brings to life these gentle songs that mainly focus on affairs of the heart, the need for love and the hopes of finding connection with others.

Title track, Loveless Town, has some atmospheric lap steel playing from Tickell that wraps around the expressive vocal delivery of Handyside and the standard is set regarding the rest of the album. ‘Love wears a hopeless crown and fits like it should, Wherever you come from you’re still going down, Looking for love in a loveless town.’ A fine example of the song writing craft on offer throughout.

Light Of My Life is a sensitive love song to a partner and a wish to be saved by the love of a good woman, superb guitar interplay and the message that ‘Give me one last roll of the dice, be the light of my life.’ Tracks such as Deepest Love and New Frontier are honest love songs and have a restrained delivery that highlights the mood and the sentiment.

Not in my Name, is a protest against the self-appointed business, political and religious bullies who try and dictate how our lives should unfold, ‘Whatever you’re playing, I’m not a part of your game.’ It’s a little bit Bluegrass and a little bit Folk, crossing hands across the ocean between UK and USA. Another song that hits hard is the salutary tale of Hartley Pit Catastrophe. A coal mining accident in Northumberland, England, in 1862, which resulted in the deaths of 204 men and children. Sung in his native Newcastle accent, it is a heartfelt Folk song, performed with passion and righteous frustration. The disaster resulted in a change in British law that required all collieries to have at least two independent means of escape. 

Only You is another love song but with a harder edge in the great guitar lines that enhance the message; one that could be aimed at a higher power, as much as a partner in life, ‘For this lost cause that St. Jude won’t avow, only you can save me now.’

Lord, Show Yourself, however, is an angry plea to display some sign that He actually exists and to intervene in the continuous failings of Man – the self-righteous hypocrites who dare to pretend they know better, ‘And to the preacher in his fervour who fuels the non-believer in us all.’ 

Other tracks, like Lonesome Touch and Don’t Let Your Heart Be A Hotel, are focused on the harder side of love, where parting leaves regrets into the future and where an open, gentle soul can be abused by uncaring lovers who are selfish and cold.  

Final track, Someone Like You, sums up the abiding emotions and message on the album, with the lines, ‘When I don’t know who to turn to and all my trust is gone, You will give me hope to still believe and faith to carry on.’ It’s this abiding message of hope, in both a love that can endure and in community, that repeats; the belief that we can lift each other up, in finding purpose in it all. 

Paul Handyside puts in a real stellar performance throughout, on vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, harmonium, harmonica and percussion. His musical friends are equally as influential with Rob Tickell on dobro, lap steel, weissenborn, electric guitar, bass guitar, percussion, backing vocal, joined by David Porthouse on double bass, melodeon, banjo, percussion, backing vocal. A very impressive album, beautifully delivered and performed. One that wraps itself around the listener with sensitively played music of real quality.

Review by Paul McGee

The Imaginaries Self-Titled Self Release

The Gospel Blues of opener, Revival, has an attractive slide guitar sound running through the melody with organ swells adding to the dynamic. It’s a song about renewal and highlights the vocal prowess of Maggie McClure and Shane Henry. It’s a great opening sound but one that this duo doesn’t revisit on the remaining tracks that are included here.

This debut album was recorded at the legendary Muscle Sholes studio in Alabama and calls upon some heavyweight players in the form of Dave Hood, Kelvin Holly, Shona Tucker, Rob Humphreys and NC Thurman. Based in Oklahoma, this duo has had individual success prior to releasing these songs under the name of The Imaginaries. The couple have worked at building careers over many years and experienced success as live performers and in having song placements in various tv and film projects, in addition to advertising media. 

Their leanings are towards the commercial side of the music business and are apparent with radio friendly songs like There Will Come A Day, with soaring chorus and Geronimo, with a big production sound and a message about holding your nerve when taking risks. This is balanced against the Folksier sounds on tracks like Thinking ‘Bout You and Trust Falling With You, a pair of back-to-back love songs that also talk of staying strong and the joy of jumping into a relationship. One Life is another song that looks at enduring companionship, with restrained playing supporting a nice melody on keys, piano and guitar. ‘You are not alone in all you’re going through’ and ‘Put yesterday behind us, tomorrow is up ahead’ give the sentiment involved on this gently delivered song. Blue Sky carries a similar message and returns to a more commercial song arrangement.

McClure plays keyboards, piano and sings in a sweetly toned voice, while Henty contributes on guitar and a vocal that dove tails superbly with McClure, his strong delivery laying the bedrock for McClure to harmonise around. Enough Of You has a more Rock oriented vibe with some fine guitar riffing and is a departure from the rest of the album’s direction, mostly aimed at the commercial market.

I note that these songs were further worked on by adding the keyboard skills of Chad Copelin and Dan Walker, back home in Oklahoma. The harmonies and sweet melodies are very appealing, but I just wonder if some of the sonics err on the side of being over-produced and too crisply clean? 

Final track,You Remind Me, is a nice message of trust and acceptance in another; a gentle melody that glides along on some understated ensemble playing, in my view, the direction that best suits this duo in their next recording activities.

Review by Paul McGee

Folks Like Them Our Places Self Release

This is a father and son, Allen and Chris Kave, and the duo deliver a traditional Country sound that is very expressive and warmly engaging. Both been recording and performing music for many years now and have released a couple of prior EP’s before this full length, twelve song, debut. The music is well produced and arranged with Nashville music veterans Chip Hardy and Rod Lewis at The 515 Studio in Nashville. The songs cover the entire range of emotions from looking back at paths taken, youthful memories, mistakes made, love gained and lost, wisdom from those who have lived longer on the earth and who bring the gifts of perspective in their life lessons. The vocals are strong and sung with great personality, balanced perfectly by the variety of instruments in the mix, with piano, dobro, pedal steel, violin, mandolin, guitars, all adding great range and variation.

The twelve songs play out over forty-plus minutes and deal with the simple pleasure of conversation and a beer (Don’t Need A Thing), learning life lessons (When You’re Called), reflections on father/son relationships (I Needed That / Eight A.M. / Daddy’s Garden), death and what gets left behind (When I Pass / Empty Church) and standing on the shoulders of those who went before over the generations (Fog On the Mountain). 

There is also a relationship song, Home Again, that mirrors a house renovation with a renewal of connection, ‘Please take the time to find what the years tried to hide, Look underneath there’s more to me than meets the eye.’ There is a song that deals with Alzheimer’s disease, Bits Of Time, and is a standout track with ‘I feel so alone when you can’t remember my name, And your thoughts skip like the dusty records we used to play,’ summing up the sentiment perfectly. 

There is the story song, Motel Six, and a look at shady deals, money and guns, murder most foul. The River Still Flows is a simple song about time alone, fishing and some solitary peace. Rod Lewis on bass and Tim Grogan on drums is the rhythm section on all songs and compliment the talents of Allen and Chris Kave throughout. The other players on the album were not available at the time of review but they flavour the songs with additional touches and the whole project is a great success.

Review by Paul McGee

Red Idle Rejects Ink and Nicotine Oak Honest

This band are based in Cincinnati, Ohio and formed in 2014. A debut album, Where the Lonely Reside, arrived in 2015, announcing the band to the listening public and starting a run of two further albums, in 2018 (ROOM WITH A VIEW) and 2019 (GENUS AMERICANAS). Their Country/Folk sound is rooted in the music of deep traditions, but they also have the ability to rock out when the dynamic requires a change of mood and tempo.

Way Down Deep In the Jar is a good time opener with some great guitar driven rhythm and a song about having one too many when playing music but getting high on the feeling created. Blind Leading the Blind is another great workout, reminiscent of a countrified Cheap Trick arrangement, again with jangling guitars and a great rhythm section.  

The album title and centrepiece, Ink and Nicotine, contains a three-track section, that runs over seventeen minutes and looks at the plight suffered by the miners of days gone by in Kentucky, where exploitation of the poorer classes and dangerous manual labour were the order of the day and abused.  Jumping to modern times, when the mines eventually bowed to progress and closed, they were replaced by opioid addiction in the rural towns where the lack of jobs for the youth continues to leave deep scars and occupy the need for a healthier way to live. The songs featured are Tradition, The Moon Ain’t Right, Abraham and Love and Dust. The fiddle playing of Justin Bridges is prominent across this section of songs and gives a reflective feel to the tunes, aided by the arresting vocals of Grace Bowling.

Underground is a fine example of the band dynamic with some superb guitar riffing on a track that takes an angry look at the war between the sexes. More rock-based than any other track included here, it shows the versatility of the band. Shades Of Blue continues in a Country groove with a look at a stalling relationship that is stuck in gear. It’s a brightly arranged song and the following track, Our Courtyard Tiles, has the sound going in the direction of rockabilly with the words, ‘These tiles we tread hold love between the crevasses and cracks unseen.’ A message to enduring love, despite the ups and downs of any relationship, again driven by some great guitar melodies.

Final track, Carved In Stone, has a similar theme and looks at love over the generations with the commitment to stay the course and forever honour the old family traditions. This is a fine collection of songs, superbly performed and plenty to engage for everyone. The full band is made up of Jeff Boling (electric guitar), Grace Bowling (keyboards and vocals), Steve Bowling (acoustic guitar and vocals), Daniel Parker Ferguson (bass guitar), Derek Johnson (drums) and Kurt Kaufman (guitar and percussion).

Review by Paul McGee

Deborah Henriksson So Far DHP 

With the release of her debut album, SIMPLE GIFTS, back in 2007, Deborah Henriksson announced herself with a mix of different influences in her sound. Blending folk leanings with the original Celtic airs, this artist has built a consistent body of work over the succeeding four albums and years of putting in the hard miles of live performance across Europe and America. So much so, that we now have a retrospective package of twenty-six songs, including four alternate/extended versions, of her most popular tracks.

Based in Sweden, Henriksson played a series of outdoor concerts last year for senior facilities and nursing homes in lockdown, showing a great commitment to community in these challenging times. She has chosen a varied collection of songs on this compilation and they create an easy stream of gentle melody and refined vocal delivery. The mix of different styles, including pop and Americana, is somewhat typical of a lot of contemporary folk releases these days, with varied instrumentation and diffuse influences included. A cover of the Clannad song, Harry’s Game, is a prime example, with lush arrangement and layered vocals. Following on from the more rootsy sound of, In Time, it sits into a space where you wonder what is coming next. Similarly, Calling, is a track that wears its Celtic connection lightly and overall, the  songs are infused with the mix of flutes, harps and synthesizer generated sounds, blended with guitar and percussion in a fusion that is very enjoyable. 

There is no information regarding the musicians who play on this retrospective or indeed, production credits, so while enjoying the ninety-five minutes of varying sounds, including songs like Share This Moment, Shine, Ae Fond Kiss (Robert Burns), Always Near, A Woman’s Heart (Eleanor McEvoy), Evangeline and Trains, the overall sense of no real signature sound for this clearly talented performer remains.

Review by Paul McGee

Lindsay Ellyn Queen of Nothing Hail Mary/Queue

The debut album from New Jersey born Lindsay Ellyn follows a pattern of recordings reflecting on unfortunate life choices and regret that have arrived in the past twelve months at Lonesome Highway for review. No doubt the lockdown during 2020 gave many artists the time and space for reflection, together with the subject matter for their recordings.

Currently residing in Nashville, Ellyn is employed as a copywriter for a creative agency and that skillset at wordplay is very much in evidence across this album’s ten tracks. Rather than maudlin and overly sentimental, much of the material reflects light-heartedly on loss and life’s low points. The writing is matched by slick and striking melodies, no more so than on the jangly opener Dirty Fingers and the confessional and self-deprecating Pettyesque title track.

The heavy hitting is done by the melodies but the lyrics are equally impressive without attempting to be overly clever. She details her tales, often of woe, but seldom overly reprehensible. Carefree times house sharing are recalled on Hard To Forget and the album highlight Raising Hell is instantly catchy, sounding like Elizabeth Cook at her most brazen. Unease and unrest are set aside on the thunderous gospel anthem Glory, Glory.

‘I know about making mistakes, I know how it feels to miss your shot,’ Ellyn accepts on the title track Queen of Nothing. However, rather than a body of work composed at a low point in her career, you’re left with the impression that the album is an acceptance without remorse of the past and acts as a cleansing springboard from an artist currently quite happy in her own skin.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Accidentals Time Out (Session One) Self Release

A five track EP born out of quarantine finds three-piece band The Accidentals collaborating with a number of established songwriters. Their world seemed to fall apart in March 2020 when, following a successful twenty-three date tour, they were on the road to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas.  What promised to be the perfect opportunity to further showcase their talents was aborted when they learned that the festival was cancelled and they had to turn their van around and head back to Nashville.

The Accidentals are multi-instrumentalists Savannah Buist and Katie Larson, whose friendship dates back to high school in Traverse City, Michigan. The female fronted band also includes third member Michael Dause, who plays drums. TIME OUT (SESSION ONE) follows their highly acclaimed debut album ODYSSEY released in 2018. Alongside their band duties the members host master classes and workshops for music students. Buist and Larson are also in high demand for their stringed instrumental skills by numerous artists and bands in Nashville.

With their committed work ethic, it’s not surprising that they took full advantage of the Covid-19 enforced lockdown to record this album. Furthermore, on the realisation that others would also have time on their hands, they reached out to a host of respected songwriters to collaborate with. The result is an introspective set of songs that drift between folk and country, beautifully harmonised and performed, bringing to mind the music of Nickel Creek. The songs were composed via numerous Zoom calls starting with the opening track Wildfire, written with Kim Richey. The spirited anthem All Shall Be Well, was penned with Mary Gauthier and Jamie Harris. Two harmonised voices and two acoustic guitars feature on the song, which is the most stripped back of the five tracks. Dar Williams, whom they had opened a show for early in their career, came on board for the fuller sounding Night Train.  A series of weekly remote writing sessions with folk legend Tom Paxton yielded Anyway. Written at the lowest point of the pandemic, its lyrics reflect fear, the unknown and the ongoing loss of life. The final song Might As Well Be Gold was composed pre-pandemic and is a co-write with celebrated songwriter and recording artist Maia Sharp. It’s an optimistic and hugely catchy inclusion, beautifully orchestrated.

All in all, a most enjoyable listen by a team of young musicians, hugely gifted, totally committed and with the world at their feet.

Review by Declan Culliton

Nate Fredrick Different Shade Of Blue Wanda Recordings/Queue Records

Some artists do their writing while on tour, others head for a cabin in the mountains for the peace and solitude they require for inspiration. Missourian Nate Fredrick’s time and place came about through a near tragedy. While running away from the police with a friend one night, Fredrick inadvertently fell off a cliff. He fortunately survived the incident but his injuries necessitated a two-year recuperation. He used the downtime during this period to hone his craft, write songs and gain the confidence to consider that a career as a musician was worth pursuing.

Relocating to Nashville in 2015, Fredrick wrote over one hundred songs in his first two years living there. Eleven of those songs appear on DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE. With a style that sits comfortably on the fence between country and blues, his sound is bullseye Americana and this debut album ticks all the right boxes.

Opening track Be The One is a bluesy and breezy affair echoing a young Van Morrison. The chilled country ballad Love Someone is a hard-edged heartland country affair. Paducah, the first single taken from the album, is an easy on the ear track. It’s the name of a town in Kentucky, midway between Nashville and Springfield, Missouri, that Fredrick passed every weekend on his trips home. The Dreamer is a light hearted anecdote of a teenager’s infatuation with an older woman, it’s also a classic honky tonk song.  Love lost surfaces on All Over You Again, Forget Ever Loving Me and the ultra-catchy title track.

Recorded at Farmland Studios in Nashville with David Dorn (Hootie and The Blowfish, Maddie and Tae) at the controls and a host of skilled players contributing, DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE finds Fredrick pouring his heart and soul into a fine collection of songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

Toler Gibson The Days Before Rocket Girl

The opening song Dead End Lady on this ten-track album perfectly sets the scene for what’s to follow. Gentle and tender harmony vocals, recounting the tale of an unfortunate drifter, are backed by weeping pedal steel that immediately draws you into the song. Those well-matched vocals and distinctive pedal steel are a recurring feature on the melody laden songs that follow.

Gavin Toler and Kenneth Gibson have previously paid their dues in a number of bands including Old Gold, Furry Things, Bell Gardens and Winter Flowers. They both also previously performed solo.  Mountain dwellers based in Idyllwild, California, the pair recruited drummer Charlie Woodburn and pedal steel player Drew Manne and expanded from their duo format to create the four-piece Toler Gibson. 

Their musical tones and textures offer a sound that lands in the country rock genre, though with more emphasis on country than rock. It’s also a sound quite different to what many of their peers are doing, giving the impression of a band creating music on their own terms, without any external browbeating. The Murder Will Fly is a throwback to the late 1960’s and the type of song that you might expect to hear on a movie soundtrack from that era. The trippy Mountain Room and No Time Too Soon similarly recall the sounds from that era. They also enter fully fledged country territory on Firewater and dip their toes into old timey with Next Time We Meet, which offers a vocal styling that is somewhat more than spoken word yet not quite fully voiced crooning. That delivery is repeated in the quirky but very listenable I Want A Dog.

There’s something simple yet addictive about THE DAYS BEFORE that drew me back in for repeated listens. You’re never quite sure if some of the topics visited, such as domestic disaffection, are tongue in cheek whereas others dealing with empty lives and regrettable life choices, leave you in no doubt. Either way, it’s an album that never attempts to overwhelm the listener and one that I connected with on first play. It’s also one that I will most certainly continue to visit going forward. 

Review by Declan Culliton

New Music Reviews

Crys Matthews Change Makers Self Release

Creating music for the past ten years, Washington DC resident Crys Matthews has released a powerhouse of an album that leaves one in no doubt as to her views on the acute need for social justice and humanity in her beloved USA. But unlike most of her like-minded campaigners, she manages to do so with a level of positivity and hope that is truly uplifting. From the opener Exactly Where You Are “no us and them, just me and you” to the closing Hope Revolution she attempts to reunite “we the people” by emphasising their similarities over their differences. Possessed of a powerful voice, Matthews draws on soul, folk, country and pop influences to realise her twelve empowering anthems. She’s aided by the uncluttered production values of Mark Williams (also contributing guitars) and by calling on the veteran folk/grass duo of Marcy Marxer (mandolin) and Cathy Fink (banjo) to help her to musically illustrate her vision. Ben Tufts on drums anchors them all and Wes Lanich on keys emphasises the soul vibe.

In For The Women With Steel In Their Bones, Matthews pays tribute to “the ones with titanium skin” and appeals that we teach “all little boys to respect and believe women”. Amen.

Another highlight is the upbeat acoustic guitar-driven Time Machine where she reminds Americans that “we are a nation of immigration but oh how quickly we forget” and there is “a new kind of trail of tears”. As a black lesbian woman she is acutely aware of homophobia, racism and misogyny but she still manages to believe that love will conquer all.

The well designed digipak is illustrated with photos of Matthews at the Lincoln Memorial. Highly recommended and already added to my Best of 2021 list.

Review by Eilís Boland 

J.P. Harris Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man Free Dirt

In a move that seems appropriate to these straitened times, J.P. Harris has made an album of stripped back old-time music that consists of nothing more than claw-hammer banjo and his ageless vocal delivery. Producer Chance McCoy joins him on fiddle and backing vocals. The two had, in the past, toured together and created a lasting brotherhood, bonded by the music they listened to and played. Music that came from an earlier time but sent echoes right through to this present day. 

As his main non-musical work as a carpenter, the opening song and oft-recorded House Carpenter may have a special meaning for Harris. It is also not the only song on the album that relates to this means of creative employment. Likewise the professions is referenced inThe Little Carpenter, a song that was learned from a John Lomax field recording from 1933. Although Harris misplaced the original cassette on which he had encountered a version of the song, he was able to remember the tune if not all the words, some of which he had to improvise for his version. It is a slow mournful droning lament that is very heavy-hearted in overall delivery. By way of contrast Otto Wood is a “bandit ballad” which is a lively tale of lucky escapades and misadventures that is matched by the pace of the  music. Wild Bill Jones is likewise the tale of an outlaw that was again a song learned from another version, but one that in the recording revealed a variation that worked for this, its final, second take. Closer To The Mill (Going To California) is another song heard over time and adapted to the duo’s delivery. The title comes from a line in Mole In The Ground where the protagonist wishes he was a mole in the ground or a lizard in the spring (in the later case to hear a woman sing) as well as delivering the advice to never marry a railroad man, as he would kill you if he could and drink the blood as if it were wine. It is a traditional song that today may seem to contain something an archaic folk tale logic something that one encounters with the inherent story that has passed down through the ages from a much earlier era and source. Yet these tales seems to translate  to a ready understanding of their meaning and metaphors.

Harris tells these traditional story-songs in a way that is as enduring as it is relevant. He notes that prior to his involvement in the classic country mode that was the focus of his band the Tough Choices, this was the world in which Harris had been immersed and after they had finished touring and the electric guitars and amps stored away, it was the banjo that was then his instrument of choice. So, when the opportunity came about during this enforced lockdown, he went to West Virginia and while there helped McCoy set up a studio in an old sharecropper’s shack where they recorded this material. Old time, old values, old friends and an old honesty in the songs and performances.

As with all of J.P. Harris’ music it is a case of following one’s heart and making the music that feels right at that time. Something he has always done despite any prevailing trends and fashions. It has, in that sense, a pureness that is intuitive and is the measure of the man.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dave Clancy The Path Self Release

This is a debut album from Galway musician, singer-songwriter and session player, Dave Clancy. He has been a part of the creative music scene in Ireland over a number of years now and his experience in knowing what he wants from a song arrangement is very evident on this very impressive solo outing.

Clancy has been able to call on the many talents of musician friends that he has met over his career to date. Included are Noelie McDonnell, Nicola Joyce and Noriana Kennedy (The Whileaways) on guitar and backing vocals, together with Matthew Berrill (Irish Memory Orchestra) on clarinet, flute and saxophone, Will Merrigan on Double Bass, Fergal Scahill (We Banjo3) on Fiddle, Tom Portman on dobro, Gerry Paul on electric guitar, Shane O'Donovan on drums, Pauline Scanlon (Lumiere, Sharon Shannon) on vocals. Clancy is front and centre on all the tracks, adding acoustic and electric guitar, piano, pedal steel and superb vocals to elevate the experience.

There are drums used on two tracks, (Shane O’Donovan), with the remaining eight songs delivering gentle, sensitive playing; all wrapped in an easy, laid-back style. The production and engineering duties are handled by old music friends of Clancy. Both Liam Caffrey and Eamon Brady, who helped shape some of the original versions of these songs in their infancy, wrap the arrangements in soft colours and hues throughout. Brady also contributes on selected tracks, with some piano and synth bass, plus Wurlitzer and bouzouki, to elevate the overall sound.

Opener, Sunrise, sets the tone with some superbly understated interplay between the musicians and the warm vocal delivery of Clancy. The melody drifts along on a beautiful lilt and a reflective concern, ‘Where are we going now,’ - a look, perhaps, at where a relationship is heading; although it could equally be a cry for clarity in these challenging times we are experiencing and the lack of direction felt.

They’re Leaving follows and the soothing vocal tone belies the message of loss; barren country towns where the youth face the reality of leaving in search of bigger dreams. A tale of migration to the cities and away from those left behind, missing their daily presence. Title track, The Path, follows in a similar vein, with some atmospheric pedal steel, linking with clarinet and flute, to sooth the spirit and give reassurance, ‘Something tells me, We will find our way.’

The River Clare has another gentle arrangement with dobro and violin adding bright tones and a message to ‘cast our fears away’ and learn to dream again. Don’t Try To Hide Your Tears Away is a song that introduces drums for the first time and the sway of piano, with pedal steel and sweet harmony vocals, delivers another lovely melody. 

The Welcome speaks of ‘A candle in the window,’ with the acoustic guitar and dobro parts a real highlight. Some fine playing also, from Willie Merrigan on double bass, always supporting the songs in a simple yet tuneful style and Pauline Scanlon sharing vocal harmonies with Clancy. All I Ever Knew is a standout among all these excellent songs; a love song to a hometown that is beautifully delivered and an evocative homily to the past and the carefree days of youth.

Be Yourself is a pep talk to banish self-doubt and to move forward, with lines like ‘You have to be yourself, although you may feel blue’ and ‘Your heart will keep you true’ pointing the way. Clarinet and dobro playing off each other as the troubles of the past melt away on the positive message. Surrender is another highlight with some tasteful piano and saxophone parts ‘the wine we once drank is from some other time, And the time we once spent is forever on my mind’ – what a great couplet to capture that feeling and a place that is so familiar - we’ve all been there.

The final song, Hold On, is another tender message to stay true to your feelings. The clarinet and saxophone adding to the acoustic guitar in a melody that celebrates the gift of childhood in all its innocence and bright optimism.   Folk music with a distinctly Irish twist, these songs have come to fruition over a few years and the time spent has been well worth the tender loving care shown. This is a fully rounded album, filled with great song-writing, musicianship of the highest order and, most importantly, a real authentic mood and feel. As a vibrant young Irish artist, this points towards a very bright future.

Review by  Paul McGee

Turner Cody and the Soldiers Of Love Friends In High Places Capitane 

New York City is where Turner Cody called home, the place from which his artistic inspiration evolved, stretching back to the late 90s and presiding over the fourteen albums that have been released over this time. Cody has seen his East Village indie ethos develop and grow, into a more nuanced approach to music making, and the many interests and influences that have coloured his creative muse now find their way into this new album.

Cody introduces the talents of the Soldiers Of Love, the band of Belgian singer songwriter Nicolas Michaux, who also produces the project. They played a few shows together, back in 2017, and enjoyed the experience so much that it developed into a full European tour during 2018. 

Turner Cody delivers a clear, unhurried vocal in a reflective mood, as the songs unveil themselves. There is the regret of The Beginning and wanting to return to something now lost. Lonely Days In Hollywood is just that, a reflection of days spent in isolation. The Four Thousand Dollar Days hints at better times when money was no object and life was lived high on the crest of a wave. Perhaps the character in Boozing and Losing has seen it all crumble down to dust, now living rough and aimlessly drifting.

On a separate note, Mr Wrong appears to be a bounty hunter song where someone is tracking a wanted man – of course that man could very well be the writer of the song, in search of his own identity, buried deep within? Telling Stories is a look at the little white lies that we all tell each other, just to keep on believing that we make a difference, as opposed to simply ignoring each other every day as we pass along in our busy lives. Self-delusion in order to endure? 

Love In Vain follows a different path in speaking of unrequited feelings and what gets lost. Similarly, Nothing But Regrets, looks at ‘A lifetime of living, with nothing but regrets.’ 

On the other hand, What I Tell You, is a song about domestic bliss - a love song about being home and feeling happy in the company of another. The final track, Drink A Toast In Heaven, hints at the enduring power of love beyond the thin fabric of life, to pull back that curtain and keep a weather eye on those whom we love. The title track, Friends In High Places, sums it all up really with the lines, ‘I’m short on tomorrow and I’m long on yesterday’ with a focus on the past running through these songs; however, one can look forward to tomorrow with renewed optimism and a fresh beginning.

There is an understated approach to these eleven songs, with very fluid musicianship among the players who display a great understanding of the song dynamic and exactly what is required. At just thirty-five minutes long, this is the perfect album to chill out with, either in the car or just listening at home after a busy day. It’s a good companion that delivers some sweet music. Cody is now living in St Louis with his family and if you want to catch up with his back catalogue, then I recommend two compilations; SIXTY SEASONS (2000 – 2005) and the other, THE GREAT SHADOW (2000 – 2017), but this fine album is also a great place to get acquainted. 

Review by  Paul McGee

Annie Keating Bristol County Tides Self Release

This Brooklyn based musician, performer and teacher has been very active since 2004, when her debut album surfaced. Before taking up music on a full-time basis, Keating was involved in non-profit education at various levels, something that she still maintains as a passion today. She has been delivering consistently strong albums over the years and her relative lack of widespread media attention remains something of a mystery. Now, on her eight full release, plus a couple of EPs and a ‘Best Of’ collection in 2018, we find Keating in reflective mood since her last outing in 2016. 

She retreated to her Mother’s home in Bristol County, Massachusetts with her family during the pandemic lockdown, taking time to look at her life and pouring her meditations and reflections into these songs. Over a five-month period, Keating wrote the fifteen tracks that are included on the album and, no doubt, a few more besides. The running of some fifty-four minutes demands quite a commitment from the listener, unless you are already an admirer, in which case this is no real imposition at all.

These are songs all about spending quiet time with family, slowing down and connecting with the simple pleasures - boat trips, walks by the river, drives in the country. The gentle, acoustic feel of a number of these songs show the contemplative nature of days and time spent in quiet reflection. Looking at the past and trying to learn lessons into the future (Nobody Knows), resolve to keep going in life’s journey (Blue Moon Tides) and being kind to yourself when doubt beckons (Half Mast). 

There are also some fine examples of the power of the studio musicians that Keating called upon, with their restrained playing and stellar musicianship a real highlight on songs like Third Street, Marigold, High Tide and Hank’s Saloon, where letting your hair down and going for sweet oblivion is as good a cure as anything, during these challenging times. Lucky 13 is another example of the musicians in full flow, a deep groove that echoes the sense of having a good time and just being in the moment.

Keating covers both the personal and the universal in her themes and recalling days gone by, she delivers songs that evoke feelings of nostalgia for the past and gratitude for all that she holds dear.  There are also hints of a broken relationship in these songs, with perhaps the Covid-19 lockdown providing the backdrop to escape a difficult situation, time for quiet contemplation and to rediscover what is important, as a way to move forward. 

The core band is comprised of Richard Hammond on bass, Steve Williams on drums, Todd Caldwell on organ, piano and melodica, with Teddy Kumpel on, 6 and 12 string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, percussion, backing vocals. Kumpel also produced the album and there are guest appearances from an additional seven musicians across various tracks.

There are a few songs that reference a friend made along this sojourn, someone who helped get perspective on everything and support the process of renewal. Tracks such as Kindred Spirit, Kindness and Song For A Friend all look towards connection and ‘Trying not to worry about not having plans.’ The use of pedal steel on two of these songs evokes the sense of the glow of friendship over time and in not being broken by life experiences.

The song, Doris, is a warm tribute to her beautiful Mother, who ‘Came to New York in 1959, an immigrant with a bright and brave smile.’  Bittersweet is a heartfelt goodbye to Bristol County and the community of friends that helped Keating through her months of new beginnings. It’s a sad song for the leaving, but also one of hope for the time to come, ‘It will not be goodbye, just the ending of a time, Salty sweet smiles and fish caught on the line.’ 

It would have been an appropriate way to end the album but Keating adds a further two songs that reference a broken relationship and the chance to rebuild from the damage suffered. Both, Shades Of Blue and Goodbye seem to come from a personal space and lines like ‘I’d seal the lid on you so tight, and walk away so I just might, Not feel these shades of blue today,’ plus the sense of loss, ‘Days of sadness that I walked through, Now I’ll try to wish you well, Will you think of me on occasion? Maybe smile to yourself.’

Perhaps the abiding message can be taken from the final track and the words, ‘Hope for kindness and connection, Try to stay clear of the doubts, There’s a little light now on the inside, Not going to let it burn out.’ This is a really strong statement from a consummate artist who returns with another shining example of her song-writing talents. And it is well worth the wait.

Review by  Paul McGee

Naomi in Blue An Experiment Self Release

An award-winning humanitarian journalist, Naomi Larsson has released a four track EP which lands somewhere between experimental folk and psychedelic rock. Her writing career in 2020 earned her listings in Forbes ‘thirty under thirty’, having also been shortlisted for an Amnesty Media Award. As a musician, she was a regular solo performer prior to Covid - 19 lockdown and fronted the house band at Jambalaya’s Honky Tonk Thursdays at The Betsy in Trotwood, London.

With those live performances shelved throughout the best part of 2020, Naomi concentrated on recording these four songs, engaging Andrew Harwood, who produced and engineered the album at Reservoir Studios. The co-producer was Joe Harvey Whyte, who also contributed pedal steel and the mastering was undertaken at Abbey Studios by Miles Showell (The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Underworld, The Sugarbabes).

Both Drunk Again and the title track enter Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Thereafter territory.  Haunting pedal steel guitar adds to the atmosphere of self-loathing and mortification on the former, while the latter would not be out of place on a neo-noir David Lynch movie soundtrack. More conventional is the acoustic folk-tinged Homeless Man, a wistful and lyrically poetic new British folk song, complete with imposing layered vocals and acoustic guitar. The seductive and melancholic final track Bottom Of My Glass is quintessential British folk-rock but with a fetching edginess to it.

It remains to be seen if AN EXPERIMENT is a launching pad for Larsson’s recording career or a distraction from her day job. Either way, it’s a most impressive and beautifully produced introduction to a multi-talented individual.

Review by Declan Culliton

Shannon Mc Nally The Waylon Sessions Compass

The musical career of Shannon Mc Nally as a performer and songwriter reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Americana, Roots and Blues music. Her early journey found her opening for Ryan Adams, Stevie Nicks, John Mellencamp and Son Volt, while she began to establish herself as a headline artist. Appearances on Letterman, Leno and Conan soon followed, as she cemented her reputation as a prolific and talented songwriter.

SMALL TOWN TALK, released in 2013, was her seventh studio album since she began recording 2002. It was a musical collaboration with Dr. John and a tribute to her long-time friend Bob Charles, who is a native Cajun and the king of swamp pop rhythm and blues. That project may have given her a further appetite to visit the songbooks of her musical heroes, leading to this recording.

It’s not an understatement to suggest that THE WAYLON SESSIONS was a labour of love for the New York born Mc Nally. In a similar vein to Jennings, she has always been a fiercely independent and free-spirited artist. A leading light in the male dominated Outlaw country movement most popular in the 1970’s and 80’s, it may come as a surprise to find Jennings’ back catalogue being explored by a female artist. However, on the contrary, the feminine representation of the songs by Mc Nally does not in any way diminish their muscle or indeed their messages. It may be sacrilege to suggest that some of her reconstructions improve on the originals, but a few spins of Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, aided by the all-star band she gathered around her, leaves the listener in little doubt as to how well these cover versions work.

Those masterly players included Kenny Vaughan on guitar, Bukka Allen on keyboards, Chris Scruggs on bass, Derek Mixon on drums and Fred Newell on pedal steel. Guest appearances were also made by Buddy Miller, Jessi Coulter, Rodney Crowell and Lukas Nelson. The tracks were recorded live over a five-day period and any listener unfamiliar with Jennings’ war chest could be forgiven for assuming that the songs were written by Mc Nally. As a single mother and divorcee, she makes her own of songs such as I’ve Always Been Crazy and Black Rose. She finds room for rapid fire selections (I’m A Ramblin Man, Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line) alongside the more considered ballads (Help Me Make It Through The Night, We Had It All). A duet with Lukas Nelson, You Show Me Yours And I’ll Show You Mine, also features. Rodney Crowell joins the party on I Ain’t Living Long Like This, singing a verse from the song he wrote with Waylon back in 1979.

Mc Nally bookends the thirteen songs with Waltz Me To Heaven. It’s a tasteful and fitting conclusion to what is a sublime delve into the songbook of one of country music’s finest songwriters. I’ve no doubt Waylon is looking down and tipping his hat.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jack Ingram Miranda Lambert Jon Randall The Marfa Tapes Vanner/RCA

Located in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas, Marfa has been a preferred location for Texans Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall to seek isolation and inspiration, resulting in some of their finest songwriting in recent years.

The ACM Song of the Year Tin Man, which featured on Lambert’s 2016 album THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, was written by the trio at Marfa in 2015.  They returned to the same location on this occasion, not only to write but also to record the material they collectively fashioned. The three Grammy Award winners spent a five-day retreat in November 2020, writing and recording the material for THE MARFA TAPES. With the exception of a couple of the fifteen tracks, such as Tin Man and Tequila Does, the songs were written and recorded outdoors over those five days. Recorded in single takes, the album is very much a ‘fly on the wall’ experience for the listener, capturing the rawness, intimacy and magic of the songs, which were constructed around a campfire with the aid of three voices, two microphones, acoustic guitars and little else but nature’s surrounding elements.  

One of the highlights of the project is the opportunity to hear Lambert in such a stripped back environment. She has been voted Vocalist of the Year in nine successive years by the ACM and her contributions on the album are a reminder of her vocal finesse. That aside, Lambert is also an exceptional songwriter, one of the finest of her generation of new country artists. Unfortunately, her writing has often been overshadowed by the pop country treatment which has, at times, overwhelmed much of her output. 

THE MARFA TAPES captures the three artists at their most relaxed, laughing at and with each other and most of all, enjoying themselves. Lambert takes centre stage, providing powerful lead vocals on Geraldene and Two Steps Down To Texas. The latter, which pays homage to the dance halls in Austin, sounds as if it was recorded late at night after the cocktails had been finished and includes laughter, hand claps, whoops and the whistling wind in the background. She also leads out on the gorgeous Waxahachie and the aptly titled The Wind’s Just Gonna Blow. The trio dampen down the campfire with the closing track Amazing Grace - West Texas. It’s a tender and fitting recognition to the guiding light that inspired the project. 

Ironically, given the typical work schedules of the three, the recordings might not have been brought to life without the pandemic. Given its raw condition, the outcome is an album that works spectacularly well and although Ingram and Randall deserve the kudos and credit for their input, the real winner is the unguarded performance from Lambert. Let’s hope it gives her the hunger to further pursue some more roots based output.

Review by Declan Culliton

Peter Doran Voices Self Release

 The fifth album release by Peter Doran finds the Mullingar, Westmeath native sticking with the template that has served him well in his musical career to date. It’s a sound that embraces the best elements of folk music, delivering a well-constructed and considered suite of songs, ten in total, on his latest recording. His career path has served him well to date, resulting in headline shows locally, across Europe and in New York.

VOICES was recorded at Arthouse Studio in Co. Kildare, where Doran was joined by multi-instrumentalist Lenny Cahill, whose contributions include piano, bass, organ and drums. Harmony vocals come courtesy of Portland, Oregon singer songwriter Haley Heynderickx and frontman from Irish indie band The Prayer Boat, Emmett Tinley.

Doran recalls his musical mentor Vinny Baker on Blue Mountains. It was the first song he wrote when he acquired Baker’s acoustic guitar, following his friend’s passing away. It features that guitar alongside Doran and Heynderickx’ vocals and tells a tale of a mythical paradise nestled deep in the Blue Mountains. The opening track Slow is the most up-tempo track on offer, with the remaining songs more stripped back.  

Childhood acquaintances are recollected in None The Wiser and the life journeys, often unexpected, that we navigate. Similarly contemplative is Dark Days which features imposing strings courtesy of Mary Barnecutt and Gerard Toal. Both songs are reflective of the gentle pace and consistency of an album from the deft wordsmith.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Rylan Brooks If Wishes Were Horses Self Release

Nate Rylan and Chris Brooks formed this duo when they started writing together, having met as long-distance commercial drivers. Their sound is, as a result, something of  a full throttle sound that has its roots in the 70s but also has a nod to 90s country. A slice of rowdy roadhouse rock is evidenced by the opening salvo of Abilene and Hands Off. Easy Street looks at a place where you can hang out if your expectations are on the low side. Then things get a little more country with One Time Woman, Milan and the mediative thoughts expressed in the title track. Theirs is a mix of road stories and relationships, no doubt inspired by the many hours spent looking through a windshield and the motels and bars that they frequented on these trips. The whistled intro to Keeping My Distance adds some atmosphere and the pedal steel creates the ambience that makes this track an immediate stand-out and shows that these guys can travel on more than one route down the highways of life - a life that threw them together with some ladies whose needs were not always what they were able to offer, or wanted to offer. She Loved That Cocaine (more than she loved me) depicts one such encounter. The mid-tempo I Let You Down (Again) is an admission of repeated indiscretions despite wanting to get it right.

Their debut album was released in 2018. It was titled HALF WILD and the cover of that album showed the humorous content that is a part of their outlook. Rylan co-produced that album in Philadelphia. This time out they took a big step forward and recorded the album in Nashville with a producer who understood what they needed to move to the next level. Dean Miller was the man behind the desk and he rounded up some of the best players around to help out. These included Steve Hinson on pedal steel, guitarists Guthrie Trapp and Michael Spiggs and drummer Eddie Bayers. But it is the vocals of the duo which holds the project together. They range from rough-edged songs like Abeline to the more nuanced If Wishes Were Horses and the harmonies of Milan. The lead vocals are largely handled by Brooks but the duo are the key element here in the writing and delivery of the album’s ten cuts.

By their own accounts, the influences on their listening radar range from all the usual suspects of Haggard, Jennings, Bare and Paycheck to Kristofferson, Tom T Hall and through to Dale Watson and a whole lot more. They provide the groundwork that these guys are building from with their music. It has the substance and sincerity of some of the best elements of blue collar country and shows that the duo are ready for the ride.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Brother Brothers Calla Lily Compass

There is a long list of music produced by brothers who use their sibling blood harmonies as the key element in their sound. Alongside that there are a number of acts who have been influenced by, and have appropriated elements of that sound for their endeavours. Twin brothers David and Adam Moss are exploring their family and musical bond after each working separately on different projects. For this, their second full album, they have begun to develop their sound with producer Ryan Hadlock. But apart from these divine harmonies they are also very accomplished musicians in their own right. David features on guitar, cello, piano and percussion while Adam plays fiddle and keyboards as well as percussion and guitar. They are joined by the rhythm section of Dave Speranza on bass and drummer Brian Kantor, who also adds some vibraphone. Both also add their vocals to the mix. Additionally there are keyboards and electric guitar from Wayne Horvitz and Mike Robinson respectively. 

The brothers handle the writing of these songs together with the exception of one song Waiting For A Star To Fall which is a co-write with Taylor Ashton. It is also a layered, expressive song that has the underlying melancholy of enforced loneliness while awaiting something to end that state of mind and is one of the stand-out tracks on the album.

On The Road Again seems like a fairly obvious reaction to the enforced epidemic non-activity, by wishing to get out on the road and play. Sorrow, given its sentiment and title, takes the downbeat line “that it’s the only thing that cares for me” and is conveyed appropriately. The Road Runner Song seems more outgoing and has a beat to drive its humour along but also has a restlessness at its centre. Seein’ Double is a country song that make good use of the electric guitar and the humorous lyrical play on the word “double”- as sort of follow up from their song Notary Public from their debut TUGBOATS EP. There is also a short violin and cello instrumental, A Popuito Doina, that is as evocative as it is brief.

So alongside the vocals par excellence and the undoubted musicianship they can also craft a meaningful lyric. In Circles they sum up a time and place with “hand to mouth living’s no way to get laid in this town / love is like a war when you can’t pick a side”, all of which makes these brothers worth the listen, and overall their chamber-folk/country is a worthy continuation of those close harmony duos. Comparisons with two particular famous duos come up all the time, yet while that’s a valid consideration the Brother Brothers are not in thrall to anyone other than to their own muse. There is a gentleness overall here that is restrained yet has its obvious strengths. This is an album that puts Adam and Davis on the road that they have defined again.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Chillemi With Woman Taxi Gauche

When a press release mentions Lee Hazlewood, Roy Orbison and Nick Cave, this undoubtedly might spark some interest in the music of the artist involved. And indeed, the album WITH WOMAN has hints of these artists to some degree, but I would see it as the kind of music you would hear in a club scene in an episode of Twin Peaks. It is principally the work of Brian Chillemi who plays the twang-fuelled, reverbed guitar and whose voice is an effective element in the sound, without quite having the gravity of the voices of the aforementioned singers - as yet anyway. He is aided here by Kyle Avallone’s organ, bass, guitar and drum machine contributions. The latter is not one of those fancy programmable pieces with sampled drums, but rather one of those old school time-keepers that used to come as part of an early electronic keyboard or the button-pressing rhythm machine favoured by the late 60s lounge or wedding reception players. Adam Amaram adds all sorts of percussion instruments and Nasa Hadizadeh joins Chillemi on vocals for the final track Evil Eye.

That they are based in Los Angeles should come as no surprise. Overall there’s a slightly unreal, moody and unsettling quality to the sound that still has the ability to draw you in to its dark but accessible recesses. Chillemi apparently was  previously based in New York where he was a member of the band Organs and Junk Boys which had different musical directions to the music that now bears his own name. He is also a film maker with a love of vintage noir, among other influences. All of these elements, no doubt, have a bearing on the somewhat cinematic nature of the music presented here.

The opening song Neon Bride has an accompanying video that appropriately features Giselle DaMier who played Sandie in the Twin Peaks TV series. He previously released another track (Friend) from the album and both easily lodge themselves into your memory, as do the other nine tracks here which all make for an interesting and arresting body of work. The big guitar, vintage keyboards, drum machine and vocal delivery create a distinctly retro feel that ensures this sound is different enough to stand out in these days of polished production techniques

Describing Chillemi’s music as a ‘dark alt-country’ might be the best tag, if you happen to need one. These tales of love, lust and longing may appear stark at first listen but soon reveal something that is redolent with sonic hooks and a certain calculated strangeness that is both organic and captivating. Here Chillemi asks you to enter his world of found dreams and augmented musical reality and it is one that is inventive and inviting.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Golden Roses Devil’s In the Details Self Release

A second album from this excellent band who are based in Austin, Texas and who wear their influences proudly on their sleeves. When you mix a blend of Western Swing, Honky Tonk, traditional Country and Red Dirt Outlaw, then what you come up with are these twelve songs, brimming with wonderful playing and plenty of fun filled attitude.

Recorded at Yellow Dog studios in Wimberley, Texas, the album was produced by Adam Odor and all songs were written by frontman, John Mutchler (vocals, guitar). He is joined by the formidable and talented Heather Rae Johnson (fiddle, vocals), Troy Wilson (bass) and Shawnee Rose (drums). There is a guest appearance from Zachary Moulton (pedal steel) and his expressive playing across most of the tracks is particularly impressive. The playing is really tight and yet, there is a loose feel to the swing and tempo that shows just how comfortable these musicians are with each other. The band call their sound, “Texas Country music,” a description that covers much of what can be expected from growing up with a rich heritage in Country music, but The Golden Roses deliver so much more in their collective; attitude and a strong work ethic will get you far. As they sing on Sawed Off and Hauled Off, a song about life on the road, ‘Where we goin’ next? I don’t know, Wherever it is, we’re gonna give em’ a show.’ 

There is plenty of due reverence to the old standards but their strong contemporary influence in the symmetry of fiddle, pedal steel and twanging guitar adds an extra layer to the performance. Drums and bass anchor the sound with fine swagger and drive the engine room that stokes up these welcome flames. There is also a guest appearance from Mike Harmeier of Mike and the Moonpies on vocals, another quality Austin outfit who have close ties with the Roses.

The opening track, When I’m Gone, kicks things off in style with a great swinging tempo and a hope that estranged family members will come visit the graveside of an exiled father.  San Antonio By Sundown follows with a sweet melody and the message that there is only one girl in the world for the disillusioned and weary traveller, ‘I’ll either find her waiting or I’ll find a cold and empty home.’ The band interplay highlighted by the fine vocal tone of John Mutchler, who delivers in a clear and strong vocal throughout. 

The easy tempo and jangling guitar of Song I Can’t Write is a nicely paced track about mistakes made along the way, time in jail, friends lost and folks who were wronged. There is a similar theme to No Guitars In Prison, with its message about paying for your crimes and the things that must be forsaken. The fun of Song About My Cowboy Hat is a true tale of Mutchler’s hat being stolen at a gig while they played onstage. It leaves with a warning to all hat thieves ‘The eyes of Texas are upon you.’ There is a terrific Honky Tonk rhythm on other tracks like, Going Going Gone and Boy From the East, Gal from the West, a song about how Mutchler met his wife.

There is traditional Country feel on the title track, Devil’s In the Details, with a slow melody enhanced by both pedal steel and violin lifting the song. Laughing At Myself is another traditional workout that ruminates on the dubious benefits of turning forty; some nice guitar and drum parts to provide the backdrop. 

The final track, This Old House is a tale about the memories that are held within the walls of the old family home and a melody that would have fitted perfectly onto a classic George Jones record in times gone by. Smell the Roses is another fine example of traditional Country and a fitting invitation to come and sample the very engaging and energising music of this superb band. Another real gem and highly recommended.

Review by  Paul McGee

Josh Washam Squash Blossom Self Release

Originally from the Philadelphia area, this talented singer-songwriter graduated from the Berklee College of Music, before moving to Nashville ten years ago. His approach to music as a qualified producer and engineer is also embellished by his talents as a multi-instrumentalist and this is the third full-length album of a developing career.

Supported by a cast that includes John Wood (drums), Will Cafaro (bass), Steve Peavey (pedal steel, dobro, fiddle, mandocello, concertina), Jeff Adamczyk (organ, keys on four tracks), and Nick Pankey (backing vocals on four tracks), this is a fine example of the high-quality music that is out there, trying to break through to a wider listenership. Commercial radio is no longer the influence that it once was for a developing artist and searching for new outlets has become an increasing challenge in an over-crowded marketplace. However, Josh Washam ticks all the boxes and this is a very interesting new release that highlights his creativity.  

Don’t Cost Nothing is a rumination on writing songs, the sense of being in the present, whether taking a walk or just holding hands with the one you love; pedal steel and guitars mixing with mandocello on a very enjoyable opening tune.  The easy groove continues with Good Work! and a funky rhythm, all about getting your hands dirty; feeling good in committing to a tough job well done. Some great guitar and organ sounds fill out a compelling backbeat. 

Nothing Is Like It Used To Be is a musing on the changing times that are an intrinsic part of growing and learning each day; to just try living your own life, because nobody can ever walk in your shoes. Dream On is a bluesy song that looks at the joys of dreaming and sleeping, and the benefits of not remembering the contents, with some great interplay, as piano and dobro add colours to the arrangement. Record Night is about staying home to enjoy time with your girl and playing whatever takes the mood. Again, some fine ensemble playing with violin and a fine guitar break, augmented by some dynamic drumming that pushes the rhythm. 

Grin ‘n’ Bear It has a rock groove and warm organ melody on a track that says sometimes you have to just stand up and take what life throws at you. Rhyme And Reason is a slow melody that reflects on the need to keep working towards your dreams; with violin, mandocello and acoustic guitar mirroring the pain involved in the process, ‘It takes a bit of hard paddling, to get to a dream.’

San Diego is a love letter to the big city and a goodbye to a small hometown, a need to move on and become a laid-back, tanned, beach bum. Time Transpires has a gentle acoustic guitar opening and is a song about getting back to basics, ‘win or lose, you don’t get to choose, Life is just what happens to you.’ Excellent pedal steel supporting the fine fingerpicking style of Washam. 

Final track, Sweet 100s, is a tale of picking and eating cherry tomatoes, watching the world pass by and enjoying the moment – just where we came in at the start of the album.

All songs are written by Washam and with a running time just shy of thirty minutes, it’s a great example of turning out engaging, concise songs that are full of personality and fine musicianship.

Review by  Paul McGee

Evans McRae Only Skin Self Release

This collaboration is a welcome addition to the respective careers of both artists, Lowri Evans and Tom McRae. Both are already successful solo artists, so it gives great hope to everyone who is an aspiring songwriter to learn that this duo met at a song writing retreat. Given their combined talents and experience in the music industry it is proof positive that everyday is a school day and that you are never fully formed as a songwriter – always open to learning more or refining their current approach.

The songs sound bright and alive with a great production job done by McRae; the arrangements full of inventive playing and a guitar sound with real edge. From a solo career that began with the release of his debut album in 2000, McRae has been feted for his superb craftmanship and song-writing prowess across a number of albums, both studio and live, together with other collaborations and work commissioned for tv and theatre.

Lowri Evans has been producing music with her partner Lee Mason for a number of years, both full length releases and EP’s, singing both in English and her native Welsh tongue. Her debut arrived in 2007 and she hasn’t slowed down since, displaying a strong work ethic and an unquenching desire to keep growing as an artist. There are quite a few players on this album and without individual details giving who plays what, it would be guesses at best. Suffice to say that all involved do themselves proud on a project that crackles with wonderful playing and production quality. 

Say What You Mean is about loneliness, a breakdown in communication between lovers. Gentle arrangement with piano and guitar with Evans taking lead vocal before being joined by McRae in a duet that is gently haunting.

Only Skin is another look at relationships with both voices delivering fine harmony performances. A slow bluesy number that looks below the surface to examine real emotion hidden from outward view. The hint of horns in the arrangement and a distant lap steel echoing the mood. 

Careful lifts the tempo with a nice drum rhythm that stays in the pocket and allows some fine bass playing to drive the atmospheric arrangement that is a tension infused look at a devious lover.

High and Lonesome follows with a nicely laid-back feel to the delivery and some sweet interplay, shared vocals between Evans and McRae, adding to the lovely string arrangement and piano motif. Love’s A Loaded Gun is piano and vocal declaring the regret of an old flame that has gone out. The expressive vocal of Evans resonating before McRae comes in on the call and answer duet, showing both sides of the same hurt. A terrific song.

Sleep With One Eye Open takes things up a notch with co-vocals in an arrangement that is more commercial, with a bigger production and a backing vocal posse that push the angst - guitar solo peaking with the sense of foreboding. Hold On is a restrained acoustic performance with piano playing out the message to stay strong and endure the hard times that fall into our path. 

Welsh choir, Ar Ól Tr, on Merry Christmas My Darling (Drink Up) add both an uplifting quality with plenty of atmospheric voices in a celebration of being alive and in the present and enjoying good company. Another great co-vocal performance from Evans and McRae also.

Stays the Same has a nice swing to the arrangement and a harmonica adding to the drum shuffle and pedal steel, trumpet and backing vocals giving a little Morricone edge to the sound. There is a restrained grace to songs like Eddie, a personal memory of a lost friend or confidante. Lowri really has the voice of an angel, at one turn sweet and subtle, at another a powerhouse of emotion. Final song, Just Falls Apart, tells of frustration and anger at a God who waits, looking on and not caring enough to intervene in the worldly woe that he oversees, ‘Let the child you made take on all the strain, While you raise a stone and take your aim.’

A superbly crafted album with some real quality in the songs and their delivery; beautifully performed and extremely impressive. A real keeper. 

Review by  Paul McGee

McKain Lakey Somewhere Self Release 

With a musical style that embraces the new as passionately as it values the past, the somewhat nomadic McKain Lakey wears her heart on her sleeve on this eleven-track album. It’s the first full length album from this gifted musician, who plays banjo, fiddle, electric guitar and acoustic guitar (handmade by her) and is the possessor of the vocal skills to match.

The album was recorded at Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard, Washington. Rather than engaging a producer with a track record of working old time country albums, she sought out Seattle’s finest Johnny Sangster to do the honours. His history includes producing and engineering cutting edge acts such as Mudhoney, The Posies and Supersuckers, as well as serving as a touring guitarist and keyboard player with Neko Case. He captured Lakey’s vocals and playing live to tape, combining them with the free-flowing contribution by her studio rhythm section. 

She’s equally at home hip shaking on the soulful Movies Treated You Better as she is swinging on the Cajun flavoured number Crush on You. The jazzy Decibel Jezebel also stands out, all the better for a ripping saxophone solo by Jane Covert-Bowlds. Elsewhere, the more relaxed Microscope is simply gorgeous, sounding like a forgotten classic song that you haven’t heard in decades. That chilled side of her arsenal repeats on the haunting banjo lead love ballad Begin Again before she dons her Stetson on the pedal steel kissed honky tonker Queer As Fuck.

A habitual traveller, McKain Lakey’s wayfaring has brought her into contact with musical lineage from traditional folk and old time Country to Dixieland and Zydeco. SOMEWHERE is a celebration of these multiple traditions by a fiercely devoted artist, who oozes a musical worldliness which is both refreshing and intoxicating.

Some noticeable parallels can be drawn between this album and the work of Alynda Segarra and her vehicle Hurrah For The Riff Raff. If that comparison excites you, this album is right up your street and one that will bombard your senses on a number of fronts.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Ashley Monroe Rosegold Thirty Tigers

“I’ll never not be ‘twangy country girl, but ‘twangy country girl’ can write other styles of music as well,” announces Ashley Monroe on the release of her fifth solo album ROSEGOLD. It’s her most experimental recording to date and finds her replacing the honky tonk sound of her earlier work with synthesized echoes and electrified drum beats. The sole reminder of her previous albums are her heavenly vocals, delivered layer upon layer on this occasion.

Despite recording albums that stand shoulder to shoulder with those from the finest female country acts in recent decades, commercial success has somewhat evaded her. LIKE A ROSE from 2013 was particularly striking and in previous decades would have been a career launcher, leading to sweeping industry recognition. Her countrypolitan crossover album SPARROW, released in 2018, would undoubtedly have been a huge seller in the 1960’s. Instead, it made little impact, resulting in Warner Music dropping her from their roster. That rejection may have been the motivation to dust herself down and like her colleagues Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley in their side project Pistol Annies, be more market driven with this recording. Either way, ROSEGOLD, finds her deserting her roots and country leanings and heading down a heavily synthesised poppy/R&B orientated path.

Recording the album on a ‘song by song’ basis, she invited a number of writers and collaborators, all of whom could boast previously commercially successful track records. Big hitters such as Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Lady A), Mikey Reaves (Maren Morris), Jake Mitchell (Ashley Mc Bride, Luke Bryan) and Jordan Reynolds (Maddie & Tae, Dan + Shay) all made contributions.

The drum beat and distorted vocals on Siren are an early pointer to the album’s direction and much of the album, for this listener, suffers from over production. There are a number of highpoints on the album, not least the gorgeous Til’ It Breaks, although I’d like to hear the song stripped back minus the drum beats. The least cluttered and piano led track Flying impresses, as does the dreamlike Gold. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, I Mean It is a heartfelt love song and she bookends the album with the aptly titled The New Me.

Ashley Monroe has more than paid her dues in Nashville and deserves the commercial success that ROSEGOLD will most likely deliver. It’s an album very much in the ‘here and now’ of what is being recorded under the country music banner in Nashville. It also places her in the market with successful female crossover pop/country artists such as Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert and Kelsey Ballerini. Unfortunately, it also probably closes the door on her returning to the roots and twang of her early recordings, following in the footsteps of a number of gifted country artists who were compelled to ditch their country leanings in favour of a more radio friendly musical direction.

Review by Declan Culliton

Maia Sharp Mercy Rising Crooked Crown

An indication of Maia Sharp’s talent as a songwriter can be found in the list of household names that have recorded her songs. Cher, The Chicks, Art Garfunkel, Bonnie Raitt and Trisha Yearwood have all dipped into her songbook and chosen songs to include on their albums. A prolific songwriter, MERCY RISING is the eight release from Sharp whose debut solo album HARDLY GLAMOUR surfaced in 1997.

The album’s recording began at Joshua Grange’s Resistor Studios in Nashville following Maia Sharp’s relocation to Music City from Los Angeles. A player and engineer that has worked with Lucinda Williams, Lera Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Conor Oberst, Grange tracked guitar alongside Ross Mc Reynolds on drums and Will Honaker on bass. The recording was completed at Sharp’s home studio where she added acoustic guitar, keys and vocals.

The album was born out of her move to Nashville at the beginning of 2019 and the upheaval experienced over the past twenty-four months are captured on the twelve songs. A tornado, a bombing downtown and Covid-19 were not her expected welcome when she decided to start a new life in Music City. The material is often directed towards self-examination, as Sharp assesses the present and lets go of the past.

The style is classic singer songwriter combining crafty ballads with excursions into country with Whatever We Are and radio friendly pop with the catchy Backburner. Fractured relationships, possibly imagined but more likely lived, emerge on Nice Girl and Not Your Friend.  The title track is a plea for normality and empathy, from both a personal and general aspect and is very much a song of its time.

A prolific wordsmith and wonderful vocalist, it’s not surprising that Maia Sharp’s songbook has been raided by a host of artists. No doubt MERCY RISING includes tracks that will also feature on recordings by others in the future. In the meantime, tune in and visit this most eloquent suite of songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Charlie Marie Ramble On Soundly Music

"I wanted the record to sound like if Patsy Cline and Dwight Yoakam had a child,” explains Charlie Marie on the release of her debut full album RAMBLE ON. It’s a sentiment that she successfully mirrors on an album that offers so much to enjoy for lovers of bona fide country music.

 Writing songs since a teenager when she fronted her own country band, the Rhode Island native’s passion for classic country is at the forefront of the album. If her self-titled 2019 five track EP was a flavour of an artist with a striking country vocal styling and a deft lyricism, RAMBLE ON raises the bar a number of notches.

 She called on Tyler-James Kelly, the frontman of rock band The Silks and also a resident of her own hometown Providence, to produce the album. It was an inspired selection as he gets the mix spot on, complementing Marie’s sublime vocals with polished playing from a host of Nashville session players.

 Tackling the standard country music topics of love lost, family and alcohol, Marie may have played safe with her subject matter, but across the twelve tracks she injects her own intuition into those topics.  The toe tapping honky tonkers El Paso and Cowboys and Indians may detail broken relationships, but they’re delivered with defiance by an author intent on moving on without regret. They’re also decorated by a wistful border sound, adding to the essence of both songs.

 No shrinking violet, the classic drinking songs Tequila Lime and Heard It Through The Red Wine, find the author in control and calling the shots. She reminds her ex-suitors of their shortcomings on the autobiographical Tough Kitty (‘good looks don’t mean anything when you act like an asshole ‘). She’s equally at home opening up her heart and not afraid to display her vulnerability as evidenced on the tear jerker Lauren. It’s a song that any of her musical heroes would be proud to claim, effortless and aching vocals further emphasised by mournful pedal steel.

 Her soulful side is paraded on both 40 Miles To Memphis and Soul Train before she signs off with the smooth ballad Kiss My Boots. It offers closure to a past relationship and closure to a quite exceptional country album. Yet another standout album from 2021 by a female artist unapologetically applying modern touches to classic country music.

Review by Declan Culliton

Katie Jo Pawn Shop Queen Self Release

‘Even if you ain’t leaving me, it’s just a matter of time’ Katie Jo spells out on the song  I Don’t Know Where Your Heart’s Been. It signposts the album’s direction and is a snapshot of the insecurity, lack of self-confidence and regret that is at the core of her most impressive debut album PAWN SHOP QUEEN.

 A suite of songs born out of personal struggles suffered in isolation, the album  came about by way of a coping mechanism for Wichita, Kansas born Katie Joe (Oberthaler). With a back story that is every bit as dark and guilt ridden as the material that makes up the album, she confronted her inner secrets head on to create the nine songs on the recording that clocks in at just under thirty minutes.

 Following a diagnosis of a bicornuate uterus, which left her prospect of motherhood at best remote, an unexpected pregnancy followed. To further complicate matters, her relationship was breaking apart, leaving her alone and vulnerable. Having sought professional advice, she decided to have an abortion and what followed was two failed procedures and life risking emergency surgery. She struggled through this period, alone and without emotional support, and not surprisingly fell into a state of depression which clouded five years of her life. To make things worse and at her most defenceless, she entered into a relationship with someone she felt that she could depend on by way of emotional support, only to be let down once more when he cheated on her.

 Emotionally crushed, and by way of dealing with her dilemma, she confronted her demons and penned the songs alone in her bedroom. Not surprisingly the tales that emerge are raw and heartfelt, undiluted dark country stories visiting depression, betrayal, religion and self-examination. Notwithstanding the origin of the songs, the recordings are mostly upbeat and extremely easy on the ear. The classic country flavours are particularly dominant on the previously mentioned I Don’t Know Where Your Heart’s Been, I Know I’m A Fool and Are You Coming Home Tonight. All three are outstanding cuts and all the stronger for the delicate subject matter visited. She heads down a rockabilly path on Bad Religion and shows off her bluegrass roots on Timber. The title track is an instantly catchy and fun anthem, disguising the hurt and rejection it details.  The album is bookended with the tender and unhurried Little Bird. It’s a story of acceptance, healing and recovery and mirrors Katie Jo’s journey from rock bottom to rebirth.

 In many ways PAWN SHOP QUEEN is a genuine country album, soul searching and written from the heart. It conveys fractured emotions and melancholy, yet behind the self-pity and hurt there is a sense of cleansing and moving on with a degree of optimism. Let’s hope that is the case and that this most imposing collection of songs acts as closure on troubled times and is a launching pad for an artist with vast potential.

Review by Declan Culliton

Ted Russell Kamp Solitaire Continental Record Services

 Producer, solo artist and bass player with Shooter Jennings band, Ted Russell Kamp’s thirteenth album was written and recorded at his home studio The Den in Los Angeles during quarantine. With his normal routine of over two hundred shows each year shelved, and a tour to promote his 2020 release DOWN IN THE DEN scrapped, the concept for this album was simply a means of remaining positive and focused throughout a most uncertain period.

 The multi-instrumentalist produced the fourteen-track album himself and contributed up to fifteen instruments on the recording. Unsurprisingly, this amounted to the lion’s share of playing on the album, the only other musical contributions came from Jim Doyle (drums) and John Shreffler (pedal steel), both of whom provided socially distanced recordings on a few of the tracks. Despite working remotely, Kamp also invited a number of his friends to co-write, not an easy task to achieve successfully while in quarantine.  The artists that aided Kamp in constructing the material for SOLITAIRE included Don Gallardo, Brian Whelan, Shane Alexander and Ed Jurdi, to name but a few.

 The bones of the material, in the main, are folk songs which would also work in a solo acoustic setting, resulting in the album being very much in the singer songwriter genre, rather than Kamp’s trademark classic southern rock meets country output. It’s an interesting and successful diversion, no doubt driven by his circumstances and environment while in quarantine. The upshot is a more laid-back groove, in contrast to last year’s rockier DOWN IN THE DEN.

 Songs such as Path Of Least Resistance, Birds That Sing At Dawn and the title track are particularly classic singer songwriter ballads. Livelier are the bluesy Be Your Man and the standout tracks The Spark and the bonus track Lightning Strikes Twice. The album’s opener My Girl Now, is a co-write from the archives, written with Micky Braun from Mickey and The Motorcars and also a highlight.

 Kamp consistently releases easy on the ear music, often recalling a vibe harking back to the early 1970’s. On this occasion SOLITAIRE is forged from both modern and traditional roots, giving it a more present day feel than many of his previous recordings and a most enjoyable listen for all that.

Review by Declan Culliton

Eddie Seville High & Lonesome Self Release

This is a follow up to Seville’s previous well-received album RAGGED HEARTS. It is a 5 track EP that, by its nature, is one without any dead weight. His music veers towards the more rock fuelled end of the roots spectrum and his writing and voice are both highpoints of this all too brief collection. Production was handled by Isaac Civitello, a musician who has worked closely with Seville in the past and here he also handled the drum and percussion duties, as well as keyboards and backing vocals.

All Night Radio is something of a roots perennial - a song dealing with long distance travel and listening to the radio to keep awake but in the end, despite that, slowly drifting off. The title tracks deals with the subject of being caught by the twin aspects of being High & Lonesome, revealing “that mescal is the best gal I know.” It has some effective pedal steel from Peter Adams and is the most country of the titles. One More Guitar is a song that is aimed at every guitarist who wants to add that “must-have” to an every growing collection. Billy K plays a guitar solo here which is on the nose. The pedal steel is back for the more thoughtful restlessness of Seeds In The Wind which talks about how one can easily be blown around when trying to find a way forward. There is some inner soul searching on the subject of one’s own nature in the closing song Talking To Myself. Here the duo of Seville and Civitello ably handle all the instrumentation. 

Often playing with his band Steel Rodeo and with some upcoming live dates, Seville is remaining active and with six release to date there is more to come from him. This release will tide things over until the next full album. In the meantime, these are prime examples of his music and what he has to offer.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Doug Schmude Mileposts Lost Hubcaps

The Baton Rouge born roots musician follows up his last album BURN THESE PAGES with a new mini-album of seven tracks. Schmude is very much a roots Americana player, mixing elements of blues, rock, folk and country in his songs. The folk/singer-songwriter’s influences are most evident in A World Without John Prine, which is a heartfelt lament for the loss of this towering figure and an artist who maintained a sense of truth throughout his career and whose songs were never delivered with negativity. Old Crow has a folkish feel though it has with a rhythm section playing behind the prominent fiddle as it seeks to find a way for the said bird to fly away and take the author’s troubles with it. The bird also turns out to “listen better than most folks I know.”

The opening song Milestones In The Rear View adds to those many genre tales of those who put in long miles on the road for work. It also highlights Schmude’s skills with his handling of all the vocals alongside guitars, keyboards, dobro and mandolin. He has a nasal intonation to his vocal that suits these songs and has with a distinctiveness to it that gives it that it a little more of an edge that its often needed to standout. There are some additional players involved such as Gee Rabe, who adds accordion to The Ballad Of Early, a story of boats, winds and lost cocaine. Boris Bengin’s harmonica features on Feels Like Texas, a decidedly roots-rockin’ confection, that benefits from a loose groove and an appreciation of the music from that state. Branden Allen drives the song with his drumming, as he does on number of the other tracks. 

All The Lines On My Face looks inwardly at the way a relationship’s downturn and its associated life struggles can end up being etched on the face staring back from the mirror. Equally offering an unsettled outlook is the closing song Maybe I Just Won’t Go Home Tonight, which is about a man who having lost his employment is afraid to face this fact with his wife and children and considers other equally difficult alternatives.

Schmude produced the album as well as engineering and mixing it plus adding the aforementioned instruments when he recorded it in a California studio. When you add that to the fact that he also designed and photographed the cover you can appreciate his all round talents. Here’s hoping it becomes another milestone in his career to date.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Stephen Flatt Cumberland Bones Self Release

 So far this year there have been several exceptional country/roots albums released. This album is one to add to that list as it brings together the skills of an engaging singer/songwriter, a selection of the best and most supportive players around and a large helping of country/roots music. Music that is not trying to recreate a particular time frame, but rather one that celebrates its continuing legacy and relevance. As a part of a musical family legacy (his great uncle is bluegrass legend Lester Flatt), Stephen Flatt he grew up with the authentic deep-rooted traditions of country storytelling. His music combines elements of bluegrass, country, folk and rock, initially performed as Flatt & Elvis, a duo with a fellow musician Shane Alvis. From there he continued to perform in a blues/rock band (The Tolleson Experiment), broadened his horizons, something that was captured on the two albums they released. All of this experience and road work have been channelled into his debut solo album CUMBERLAND BONES. The songs are drawn from a style of southern-located tales that are largely based on personal experience, observation and insight. 

This album was recorded in 2020 at Seven Deadly Sins Studios in Tennessee. It was co-produced by bassist and former Johnny Cash sideman Dave Roe, who worked alongside Flatt for the recording. They were able to hire some top-notch talent who brought their magic to the sessions. These included Kenny Vaughan on guitars, Steve Hinson on pedal and lap steel as well as dobro and bluegrass stalwart Charlie Cushman. Flatt’s intention was to let each songs find its own musical setting, something that brings a level of diversity and energy to the ten tracks on the album. 

Having listened to the album many times now it is a joy from start to finish - one that has the foot tapping and the melodies spinning around. You soon forget that each track comes at you from a different angle and begin to appreciate the ability all involved to tell you a tales of woe, regret or resolution and love. From the opening moments of the first track Brother, you appreciate that Flatt has a voice for the ages. He is joined throughout by Ronnie Bowman, Kassie Jordon, Dave Roe and Shane Alvis, who add sterling backing vocals to enrich the tales even more. That first song talks of family ties and lies. Hold You Tonight is the tale of a long distance trucker who wants to be back home with his girl. The banjo and fiddle that take the lead instrumentation in White County Shine are more than a nod to his heritage and the spirit that was often at the heart of the songs theme. Another song that brings the banjo out front and adds to an insistent rockin’ beat is El Camino, a tale of a bad boy and girl on the tear, which is similar to parts of Robert Earl Keen’s catalogue. A hint of Southern country rock pervades On More Time. Against that there’s the classic country of You Would Like To Hide which is full of fiddle and steel. The deeper, darker aspects of a relationship gone bad and ending in murder are the subject of Logan Creek. Satellite is another moment that sticks in the mind with all the elements coming together to immediately resonate.

This is one of those debuts that have arrived this year that would be worth picking out as something special in any year, but more especially right now when we all need some music that engages the mind and makes the feet tap. Stephen Flatt is a worthy addition to his family legacy and this is a very fine release.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Garrison Starr Girl I Used To Be Soundly Music

This talented artist has seen all sides of the music industry over her impressive catalogue of albums. In addition to writing for film and tv, she has been releasing solo records since 1993 and regularly works with Neilson Hubbard, who appears here as musician/producer, and who assisted on that major debut release. Growing up in Hernando, Mississippi was a challenge when you are part of an Evangelical Christian community and coming to the realisation that you are naturally drawn towards girls, as a young gay woman. Coming out was not an easy choice during those teenage years, when she was made to feel like an outsider and not welcomed by her local Church.  

Garrison moved to Los Angeles in the 1990’s and started to forge a very successful career which led to the release of a number of critically acclaimed records into the new millennium. On this new collection of nine songs, there is a track, The Train That’s Bound For Glory, that seems at odds with other messages on the record, with Garrison singing ‘I will meet my Lord above.’ With other songs, such as Don’t Believe In Me, she questions the existence of God with lines like, ‘How Can I believe in something that don’t believe in me.’ Also asking why ‘people tell me I should pray to a god I’ve never known,’ and wondering, ‘what’s the point of praying if there’s nothing left to say.’

In fairness, the Gospel flavoured Train… song is one that has been released on a previous record, appearing on the 2012 release, Amateur. The rest of this current record delves into the past, her feelings and emotions and looks with insight at many of the questions she now has answered for herself. Perhaps the perspective gained lies in the message on Make Peace With It, that says ‘I gotta make peace with it, Try to see the grace in it, Be a little more patient, Even when it breaks my heart.’ 

This is the real dilemma in trying to reconcile with a world that does not understand the basic right to live openly as a gay woman in the modern age. The opening song on the record, The Devil In Me, addresses this very point and questions all the heartbreak involved with growing up in fear and inherited shame for having such feelings, ‘I lost my youth, Hiding the devil in me, Broke in two, Fighting the devil in me, Is that really all you see?’

This is an important record for Garrison Starr, coming as her first full release of new material since 2012. Having always been a prolific creative force, Garrison found her energy and direction aimed more towards collaborative song-writing for film and tv over more recent years. Her ability to produce consistently strong work has never been in doubt, perhaps the only limiting factor being her own belief in whether to record a full-length solo project again.

Well, the wait was certainly worth the effort involved, taking these deeply personal songs and deciding to put them out for media scrutiny at a time when the fragile nature of the world has never been under greater examination. These are not songs of self-pity, nor of approval seeking. Rather they are a bold statement from a mature artist who has reconciled a lot of issues from her past and has come to terms with how the journey has shaped her into the person she is today. This is a vibrant record, one that impresses on every level and comes very highly recommended.    

Review by  Paul McGee

3hattrio  Lost Sessions  Okehdokee

The deserts that surround Zion Canyon in Southern Utah are home to this trio of musicians who have been playing together for the past 10 years, ever since jamming with a then-15-year-old, Eli Wrankle at a school fundraiser. The substantial talent on display testifies to some of the most innovative and ground-breaking music I have heard in the last few years and Al Cannon (banjo, guitar, Weissenborn, fretted Oud, vocals), Greg Istock (acoustic bass, foot percussion, piano, vocals), Eli Wrankle (violin), emerge as pioneers of a unique sound that is hypnotic in composition and engaging on every level.

American desert music is what this trio of musicians describe as their sound. It conjures up images of open landscapes, rugged terrain, sparce vistas of singular vegetation, coupled with hot sands, blowing across wide desert spaces of both beauty and obvious hazard. Listening to the eclectic arrangements reminds me of the music made by their spiritual brothers in other parts of the world, like the Tuareg travellers in their Mali desert surrounds, where native instrumentation like the Calabash (Gourd), the Tama (talking drum) and the N’goni (the ancestor of the banjo) are to be found.

Much of the free form sounds created by 3hattrio walk in parallel with this spirit and in honour of the earth and the wonderful interplay of violin, banjo, double bass and percussion makes for quite an addictive cocktail of sound.  There is a natural proximity to jazz in much of the free form playing and riffing, and it takes a deep understanding between these players, allowing each other off the reins of contemporary music structure, only to return to shared rhythm again, as a cohesive whole. 

In the dynamic playing of upright bass player, Greg Istock, I am reminded of Danny Thompson and his melodic soloing over many years with diverse artists such as John Martyn, Songhai and so many more. The musical bow is another instrument that creates much in atmospheric sound and the use of pedals and synth sounds on the violin by Eli Wrankle, echoes this ghostly presence in the atmospherics and soundscapes. Subdued chants, both worded and improvisational vocals, are also mixed with the compelling rhythms, created by these gifted musicians.

The song titles, such as Lost In the Woods, No In-Between, In Or Out, Pushin’ You Down, Miss Tilly, On the Run and Attack Of the Shadows each carry their own individual resonance and the occasional semi-audible lyrics simply add atmosphere to the already compelling music. Meditative and inventive, channelling atmospheric exploration, the ten tracks display an intuitive sense of freedom and experimental joy that resonates long after the album has ended. An essential purchase.

Review by  Paul McGee

Morning Bride Goodbye, Seaside Danny Wilde  Self Release

This trio of Amity Joy Dunn, Mark James Pearson & Pete Bennett has released two previous albums, Lea Valley Delta Blues (2008) and The North Sea Rising (2013). Last year, during the lockdown, they recorded these songs at home, bringing a 7-year itch  to an end on this third album. 

These are very engaging songs, played with a minimalist approach, few instruments and a stripped down atmospheric. Entertainer, Danny Wilde, plays a large part on the album, both with the title and in the two separate tracks dedicated to him. As a well-known performer in the seaside town of Scarborough, the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast, Wilde depicts that entertainer that we all remember as children on summer holidays, a larger-than-life character who could sing, tell a joke and generally create an air of having a jolly time in the company of assembled strangers. 

The cover is a spin on the 19th Century J.M.W. Turner painting, The Fighting Temeraire, with an old battleship being towed by a paddle wheel steam tug. In the foreground, however, is a beach ball, bobbing in the waves, depicting perhaps the decline of the old seaside towns of yesteryear and their faded sheen as holiday destinations. The music here also speaks to a largely forgotten past where things may well have been a little more innocent. 

The Storm Clouds looks at beating depression and looking towards a new sunrise, ‘To close the door on the darkness that took so many years away’ and ‘sometimes you have to put the light out to let the darkness free.’ Wise words that wrap the theme of self forgiveness and banishing the demons of mental illness. 

Just Visiting could be a look at the presence of spirit, a profession of faith in a higher power, or taken as the memory of a close friend who has passed on, but still lingers in the ether and in the memory. It could also be a call to Jesus to return and clean up the earthly mess he left behind. ‘I see you when I search the sky, for a single guiding star.’ Also, on Dear Hazel, the lyric, ‘But He sees everything in broken promised land, and castles made of sand,’ again could refer to a Deity in a song that suggests locked-in syndrome and a life spent trying to shake off crippling depression, ‘Dear Hazel, oh, did he save your soul, or take it for his own, Dear Hazel.’

Greek mythology is the core image on Leucothea, a song that references the sea goddess, who shall rise from the deep to claim her revenge on those that dealt her such a bad hand in causing her insanity while on the earth. The Good Seed is a tribute to Mother Nature and a wish to stay outside of confining convention, that rigidity of trying to define and restrict everyone and everything.

The drift of passion to coldness could be at the core of Apollo 13, where the days of lustful pleasure turn to something more routine, with ‘It's too cold here to call it home, It's too cold here, to be alone.’ It could also be the words of an astronaut speaking from his lonely spaceship! Better to leave the listener guessing and having to make up his own mind. 

The title song looks back through the lens of memory and that holiday camp entertainer, Danny Wilde, keeper of memories, guardian of the eternal flame of youth. The instrumental track, Reprise Danny Wilde, plays out in a more nostalgic and understated fashion. 

Amity Joy Dunn (vocals, melodica, an old Casio keyboard), Mark James Pearson (vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars, percussion) and Pete Bennett (lead and slide guitar), make up the collective and the sense of longing in the vocals, coupled with the feeling that the pain is worth the price that sometimes must be paid, gives this album great appeal and comes highly recommended.

Review by  Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Jesse Aycock Self-Titled Horton

This, Tulsa-based, musician has long been a part of the productive roots music scene that exists there. These Oklahoma musicians often play on each other’s records and stages. Aycock again steps out and upfront here for his latest release. First off, if you don’t know him, Aycock has a distinctive nasal vocal that, at times, reminds me of John Lennon. Passing Days and A Day In The Life particularly. Both of these days tell a story in a way that is unveiled in a fashion that is akin to watching clouds float slowly. Likewise, Aycock skills reveal themselves across these thirteen songscapes, as an arranger, writer, player and vocalist. It is perhaps difficult to pin him down to any specific genre, which is not a bad thing, once you take the time to get acquainted with his songs.

As one might expect there are a number of players here from that local scene and beyond, as Aycock is a member of the Todd Snider led band Hard Working Americans. Here he works with John Fullbright on keyboards, alongside an understated rhythm section and some additional strings and keyboards. Other than the backing vocals, Aycock plays guitars and steel, as well as keyboards including Mellotron. He co-produced with Jason Weinheimer (who with others, including Allison Moorer, add backing vocals) to achieve this particular sound. There are moments where the tempo increases and the band loosen up to allow a little rock into the process such as with High Hopes, Past Life and Shed The Light. More often though the mood is mellow and downbeat. A track like Wreck Like You (“I’m a wreck like you”) is sympathetic to the lassitudes of life. The nature of the songs and the deliveries makes it, on occasion, a little harder to define the lyrical directions. However, the overall mood of the songs are a pretty good indication of that. 

There are a couple of immediate stand-outs here with Sadder Than A Sunset and Under The Gun. These make for memorable performances, the former is a melancholy reflection on using time in the best way possible, as it is limited. The latter has a great melody underpinning the song about living under a burden of iniquities. It could easily have been recorded in the 60s when, in the UK, there was a spate of country-rock albums released. That vague hint of psychedelica is present on many of the tracks too.

It is an album that has reportedly seen its maker deal with some difficult situations. So this self-tiled album deals with many of these issues while at the same time offering hope for others, as it did for him. It has the potential, as the song says, to shed some light.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Doug Hoekstra The Day Deserved  CRS

It’s really been too long. A temporary time out turned into time away, a prolonged break from the business of making sweet, internally driven music soundscapes. In between writing and performing, Hoekstra decided to shift the creative process to more immediate family matters and his honey toned and whispered vocals took a merited rest after a run of eight albums since his 1994 debut.

However, since his last release in 2008 (BLOOMING ROSES), Hoekstra has developed the obvious talents he has for communication and produced two books of fiction and poetry, THE TENTH INNING (2014) and UNOPENED (2019), with another publication of short fiction, Ten Seconds In-Between, due for publication in June of this year.

On this new release, Hoekstra is making up for the absence by penning ten songs that run over a period of fifty-three minutes, with three of the tracks circling the seven-minute mark. These are relationship songs; of friendship, fatherhood, romantic love, unrequited love, alienation and fellowship… Overall, it’s about a sense of community, even in our individual isolation, and being there for each other, whenever we can. As you would expect, Hoekstra has a lot to say, after being so long away.

Using Dave Coleman as co-producer works well and his contributions on lead guitar, mandolin, organ, synth guitar, percussion and vocals, cannot be understated. He colours these arrangements and melodies with different hues and adds symbiotic layers to the superb musicianship of Hoekstra, who shines on a selection of rhythm guitars, piano, organ, melodica, Wurlitzer and xylophone, together with those refined lead vocals.

Further enhancement to the songs is provided by Hannah Fairlight (vocals on four tracks), David Henry (violin and cello on two songs), Jimmy Bowland (saxophones on three tracks), plus an appearance from son, Jude, to whom the album is dedicated, guesting on clarinet for the sublime Late Night Ramble, in a way the cornerstone of this album. 

At every turn, the songs are beautifully anchored by the rich and sensitive playing of Chris Benelli (drums, percussion) and Paul Slivka (bass). There is also a guest appearance by Preacher Boy on co-vocals for the superbly illuminated Gandy Dancer, another key song, detailing the relationship between a navvy worker and his gangland friend who offers a tempting job, ‘In a day he’d make more money, Than a year as a working fool.’ There is a bold arrangement with some mean guitar grooves and a sax blowing sparks above the co-vocals of Hannah Fairlight and Preacher Boy.

Elsewhere, there are numerous subtle touches throughout, such as a gentle violin melody, or a cello part to enhance the atmosphere.  Keeper Of the Word looks at the relationship we often take for granted on visiting our favourite bookstore and bouncing conversation back and forth with the regular staff who lovingly keep the shelves stocked with a sprinkle of fairy dust in the air. The big sound of Wintertime is a throwback to old RnB memories and the heady days of Muscle Shoals artists in Alabama, juxtaposed with the deep wounds of history, rooted in the Civil War past, and the hardships endured by the black communities that continue to bubble, just below the surface; a reminder that racism is always ready to show its ugly face, ‘Storm clouds blow away, Winter of the day.’

There is a light pop sensibility, incorporating soft folk nuances, running through some songs; with an arthouse feel to the music, occasionally nodding towards Beatlesque arrangements. The scoreboard keeper on Outside Looking In, is an observer on life passing him by and the girl that he monitors from his hidden view, ‘Sunlight paints her graceful hands, Holding a pencil, keeping score while she tans.’

The immigrants of Unseen Undetected have a fragile relationship with the locals and do what they must to survive, a quiet dignity pitched against the hate and bigotry of the racist communities.  Higher Ground hints towards climate change but also looks at childhood, memory and regrets, ‘The fields I used to roam, Are an underwater plain, We danced one more time, In the eye of the hurricane.’

Carry Me is a beautiful song that looks at the love between a parent and a child, the passing of time and the need to lift each other up along the way, ‘Please remember when, Everything was new, And if you’re ever feeling blue, I’ll be there to carry you.’

Seaside Town imagines the loss of a local painter who disappears from her local town into her own vision of the American dream, while Grace, looks at a relationship in need of a health check and a time to reflect on what is, ‘Look at what we have, instead of what we lack.’ 

Perhaps the message in Late Night Ramble sums it all up in the lines, ‘Some people skate the surface, Others go just deep enough, To feel any kind of feeling, That isn’t mindless and numb.’ The message of live-and-let-live runs through these songs, however fractured and in need of support we all may be. The gaps between are not as great as the potential for love and understanding in these troubled times. Welcome back Doug, we missed you!

Review by Paul McGee

Kolby Knickerbocker Over and Over Self Release

A singer-songwriter who is new to me, but who has been releasing music as far back as 2004, when a debut album, Kitty’s Musicbox, first appeared. Kolby subsequently released music in collaboration with Nate Donnis, as Rodello’s Machine, and a self-titled EP arrived in 2009, followed by a full album release in 2015. After a further EP in 2016, the duo began to focus on other projects and this resulted in a solo EP of six songs from Kolby in 2019, titled Kindness and Courage.  

So, fully updated, here we are with another EP, this time just four songs, all of which speak in terms of loving commitment and dedication to his role as both committed husband and father. Kolby has a very soulful voice and sings with both conviction and passion. His vocal tone reminds me of the great Marc Coen and there are also signposts to Zack Williams of The Lone Bellow in the gospel-tinged, soulful delivery. 

Prayer is clearly a love song to his wife with the lines, ‘And when the years have gone, Watching the setting sun, May these memories, Of her, Stay beautiful.’ The next track is Over and Over, a soulful ballad, delivered with great emotion, assisted by backing vocals, resembling a gospel choir, ‘‘There is nothing you could say, Nothing you could do, to turn me away, I will love you in every way, Over and over again.’   

Everything I Am follows with more soulful harmonies, gentle strings and a reflection, ‘It’s your smile, when we’re dancing, It brings me back to who I am, When I am old and faded, This love, these memories, will bring me back again and again.’ The final track is Grace and it’s a prayer sent out to the universe to heal our troubles. Equally it could be a song that is dedicated to his daughter as she grows into adulthood, ‘May you find a song that eases all your pain, May there be a friend to help you through your troubled days, May you realize the world conspires to love you in every way, May you find grace.’

What better sentiment to conclude a very enjoyable set of songs? Kolby is blessed with all the attributes to succeed in an industry that’s in need of honesty, integrity and real emotion, all of which he displays in his talent as a songwriter. Just like a knickerbocker glory, that delightful ice cream sundae, layered with different sweet tastes, this talented artist gives fair warning that the best is yet to come.

Review by Paul McGee

Los Brujos Alchemy Inseam

Sometimes the best surprises come later in the day, just when you thought that you had already opened all the presents that were under the tree. Just now finding its way out of the review mountain, this debut EP is the creation of multi-instrumentalists Michael Spaly (Green Monroe) and Chuck Melchin (the Bean Pickers Union).

The five tracks were recorded remotely last year with the aid of some additional musicians on certain songs. Carla Ryder adds beautiful backing vocals on both Bronco and Everything I Can, with Jim Larkin also playing drums on the latter track. Chris Coughlin contributes backing vocals, organ and piano on High Times and all other instruments are played by the dual talents of Spaly (acoustic guitar, violin, mandolin, bass, drums, synth) and Melchin (acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, violin, bass). Both the playing and production is quietly compelling throughout, with superb musicianship and lovely melody lines.  

The opening song, Reckoning, has a haunting quality to the arrangement, with ghostly guitar effects from Melchin adding a sense of menace, as the superb harmonies weave around a tale of an old house, recessed in the woods. There is the hint of evil in the lyrics that speak of eleven bodies underground and a line of trees that block off the view.

Bronco follows and is a song about a relationship gone wrong and a need for the girl to break away from an unwanted role of homemaker, driving into a new life, leaving the guy behind, wishing she had stayed. There is a sad air to the melody, where violin and mandolin raise the heartache involved with some creative interplay.

Everything I Can is another tale of relationship woe; with the guy this time deciding to leave and seek out new experiences. ‘Didn’t mean to say it’s over, I just need a different sky, This old town is growing smaller, You don’t need to throw a clock to see time fly.’ With both Spaly and Melchin contributing on mandolin, the sound is richly melodic, augmented by evocative violin and a nice electric guitar run by Melchin.

High Times is a song that tackles the reality of having moved to that new place and trying to integrate into the pulse of a new environment. Be careful what you wish for as things don’t always turn out the way you envision. As the lyric says, ‘I feel so afraid living around here, My worst habits have become my best friends.’ Some nice banjo playing on the arrangement and a distorted vocal part that heightens the disillusionment of having to wake up with yourself every day, ‘You can change your outlook, you can change your plans, You can’t shake that weight off, God knows I’ve tried again and again.’ The shared vocal on this song is also very effective, with Splay and Melchin highlighting what superb singers they are.

The final song, Bitter Blue, is a look at mistakes repeating themselves, no matter where we move to; a new place doesn’t change the feeling of being just a day away from where you want to be. This is a very enjoyable mini release and certainly leaves the listener wanting much more. Quite why the multi-talented duo stopped at just five songs is something we can only ponder, but I suspect that we may not have heard the last of their creative playing and song writing. A great addition to your music collection.

Review by Paul McGee

Will Overman The Winemaker’s Daughter Self Release

In 2017 this singer-songwriter released a debut EP of five songs that brought him to the attention of a wider market. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, his course through life has been defined, like many of us, by his changing experiences and relationships; growing up, attending college and taking time to travel before settling into a career. Along the path, he met his future wife and in charting their time together, Overman writes from a personal perspective, as these nine songs reflect his experiences over recent years where life has taken a few unwanted turns.

His wife, Janey, has battled and survived cancer on two separate occasions and during this deeply stressful time for both, Overman was also grappling with his own parents split and divorce. Trying to establish a career at the best of times is not an easy road, but with all these added pressures, it’s a credit to the bond he holds with his wife that both can endure and look to move forward. Financial constraints alone must seem overwhelming.

The album has touches of a contemporary Folk sound, mixed with Country and a little bit of Americana Roots, influencing the arrangements. Overman plays acoustic and electric guitar, plus harmonica and sings lead vocals in a very convincing performance and assured style. Eric Knutson adds his talents on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, banjo and mandolin; joined by Butch Taylor on keyboards, Sam Wilson on pedal steel, Jason Kapp on bass, Paul Rosner on drums, Chris Pandolfi on banjo and Genna Matthew and Carl Anderson on backing vocals. The ensemble knit well together and support the arrangements with an easy understanding that highlights the great melodies.  

Overman writes all the songs, four of which are co-writes with Knutson and the album was recorded at Monkeyclaus Recording Studio in Roseland, Virginia. Dave Stipe produced and the songs follow a timeline that includes renting a first apartment together in younger times, Bad Apartment, getting married, despite parental misgivings, The Winemaker’s Daughter, and a heartfelt tribute to Janey on Something To Hold.  It’s a love song that highlights the deep emotions Overman has for her as together they grapple with their challenges.

Living Wage chronicles hard times when the struggles of a musician require support from a caring wife, despite the occasional personal slips and mistakes along the way. Elwood is the story of a local musician that drank his career away and ended up with no hope of changing at the end of his road.   It’s inclusion here is almost as a warning not to follow such a well-worn path.

Mercer Street details the illness that Janey battled and the need for unconditional support during a fragile time, ‘ My baby’s fighting a battle of her own, I’m just here to keep the wolves at bay.’ 

The final three songs are also linked with his wife Janey; Little Things observing the daily minutiae that make a relationship work, coffee in bed, chores, beer on the porch, sitting under a tree in the backyard; Traveller’s Promise is about the perspective gained in touring the world together and the growth felt, taking back home all those memories and life experience; Miss California is a memory back to before cancer came into their lives and the easy way that their time was spent in L.A. on Venice beach, hanging out with friends. The final sentiment says it all, ‘City of Angels, city of devils, Went through hell in paradise, But darling I’d do it all over, If it gets you here alive.’ 

And, so say all of us. Hopefully Janey is now in a period of remission and life can go forward with renewed purpose. These songs are honest, from the heart and a chronicle of a time in their lives that will be survived with the benefit of fortitude. An album that delivers, with fine performances, some great songs and plenty of grace.

Review by  Paul McGee

Janet Simpson Safe Distance Cornelius Chapel 

This is the first solo album that Simpson has released in her own name. A well-respected member of the vibrant music scene in Birmingham, Alabama, she has been a key influence on numerous recordings over the years since moving there in the 1990’s. Previous projects included her solo work under the performing name of Delicate Cutters, plus spells with friends in bands such as Teen Getaway, World War Four and Wooden Wand. 

Her various talents include singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist and the involvement on this album of Will Stewart, her writing and touring partner, is very influential. They also have an ongoing connection as the performing  duo, Timber. Stewart contributes on guitars and vocals, joined in the studio by Robert Watson on bass and Tyler McGuire on drums. There is a guest appearance from Jody Nelson on the track, I’m Wrong,  and his guitar playing is inventive and telling on a song about long distance love. With Nashville Girls, Simpson a look at the fake allure of the bright lights on Broadway and the type of person that is drawn to the shiny surfaces that are never all they seem, ‘They hold their hats and smile so easily, tattoos and bubble-gum, worldly and naïve.’

The talent of Simpson is very evident as she shines on guitars, keyboards, synthesisers, percussion and sings in a richly warm vocal tone. Her delivery recalls different singers and, without making lazy comparisons, she displays an ability to change her vocal style across the songs, in order to suit the particular colours required. The album was recorded at the Communicating Vessels studio in Birmingham and was engineered and mixed by Brad Timco. The players are all beautifully understated with a less-is-more approach to the arrangements and some terrific, melodic interplay, never more so than on the slow, haunting  Ain’t Nobody Lookin’  - a song that gives a sense of separation, of holding on, hiding away from the glare of the crowd.

Elsewhere, the County noir feel of Slip, deals with the boredom of routine in small-town America and the urge to just get away and reinvent the future. Reno is a similar theme but with dysfunctional partners who are at odds with what course of action is best. Talk of going ‘back to the bottle’ sums up the angst and regret expressed in the vocal delivery. 

The title track talks about safety and measure, of misunderstanding. Mountain is very atmospheric with great keyboard sounds and a road trip captured in a dreamlike moment, a sense of dislocation, of being at the mercy of night. Silverman is a look at relationship woes and the need to seek attention, being submissive and feelings of being cheated. Black Turns Blue is centred around distance and a lack of communication, with the denial summed up in the lyric,  ‘I’ve been drinking all my feelings, cause it’s so much easier than dealing.’ 

The last track, Wrecked,  brings all the angst and self-doubt full circle with a flirty and light delivery, a song that ultimately speaks of living life for yourself and being independent of all opinions. There is a sense that the long, lonely journey and relationship constraints have disappeared and the battle between façade and real feelings has been fought and won. A very engaging album and one that will continue to garner praise as the year unfolds.

Review by  Paul McGee

David Leask Voyageur in Song Factor

Voyageur is the name of an acoustic guitar and the stimulus behind a project titled Six String Nation. The guitar’s make up is a reflection of over sixty pieces of Canadian culture and history and the initiative, created by Toronto based writer and radio personality Jowi Taylor, is to tell the story behind the guitar’s inception through words and imagery. Numerous musicians across Canada have bought into the initiative, performing live shows with material reflecting the instrument’s history.

Born in Scotland but residing in Canada for nearly thirty years, David Leask is a singer songwriter and teacher whose work has earned him numerous awards over the years including the Mississauga Performing Artist of the Year. An interesting concept album, VOYAGEUR IN SONG, finds Leask addressing the stories behind the guitar’s biography to construct six imagery provoking songs, with the songs all written by him with the famed instrument.

Opener Against The Grain, calls to mind the three-hundred-year-old golden spruce tree, a carving of which was worked to create the guitar’s top. A fisherman noted for his oyster shucking expertise is remembered in The Legend of Joe Labobe, his prized shucking knife having been used as the seat for the strap post on the guitar. A grain elevator, built by Christian pacifists in Saskatchewan, having fled persecution in Russia, inspired Spirit Wrestlers. A single piece of timber taken from the grain store was used in both the interior and exterior of Voyageur.

The sound is very much classic singer songwriter styling. The songs combine Leask’s compassionate thoughts and messages alongside some fine playing by the host of musicians that contribute. He appropriately signs off with Les Chansons Du Voyageur, which considers the history and culture of Canada inspired by this simple instrument. As you might expect that final track was recorded with only vocals and the famed guitar.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sam Phelps Talking To A Friend Self Release

A native of Kentucky but presently residing in New York, TALKING TO A FRIEND is a three track EP and introduction to the music of Sam Phelps. Like many other artists Phelps put his time spent in COVID-19 -19 quarantine to good use, reflecting on life’s struggles and tribulations and working his inner feelings into songs.

The title track is a contemplation on a past relationship and the need to know when it’s time to move on, for better or worse. An old acquaintance close to the heart of the writer is recalled fondly in Choices and the third composition is the soul searching and forthright I’m Weak.

Phelps’ sound is brooding Americana delivered with a cracked vocal, crisp guitar playing and some mournful pedal steel. This compassionate three song taster is an impressive starting point which should open a number of doors for Phelps

Review by Declan Culliton

Chris Roberts Red Feather Self Release

After a background in athletics in his younger days followed by a chequered career that included bruising work on construction sites, carpet laying and other manual back breaking earners, the Austin born Chris Roberts founded a hat making business, Aspen Hatter. The successful latest venture creates handmade and bespoke hats for guys and gals, expertly designed and crafted by Roberts and his team. As the business flourished, Roberts was in a position to hire additional staff and used the down time to write and play music. He is on record explaining his entry into his side career as saying “I never tried to become a musician. I never thought I would play music. I never desired to play music. It’s just that music kept falling into me and out of me until I had no choice.”

RED FEATHER, his six track EP, was recorded in Joshua Tree in California. With all his shows cancelled, he and his band quarantined there and used the time to complete the recordings for this album. Those band members are Eli Wulfmeier (guitar), Adam Arcos (bass), Jake Abernathie (keys) and Jason Ganberg (drums). The tracks are a blend of hard-nosed Southern Rock (Get Down, On My Own) and melodic Americana ballads (Coming Down Ain’t Easy, Remember That It’s Me).  The sixth tune Hate When You’re Gone is a soulful bluesy affair.

With a strong soulful vocal range, a band operating at a very high level and a suite of quality songs, RED FEATHER is a worthy introduction to an artist we’re likely to hear a lot more about in the future.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Mike Barnett +1 Compass 

Better known as a fiddle prodigy who has played as a sideman with a diverse range of top bluegrass artists, here Mike Barnett gets to indulge himself with his own compositions and musical interests beyond pure bluegrass. On record as saying that he enjoys the freedom that the duet configuration affords him - although it is very demanding musically - here on this second solo record he gets to revel in that freedom along with a bunch of other prodigies who have become his friends over the years. The result is an impressive collection of mostly self-penned songs and instrumentals that range across the gamut of newgrass, jazz, traditional Irish and traditional American genres. Challenging at times for fans of straightforward traditional bluegrass, those with an open mind (musically speaking) are sure to enjoy at least some, if not all, of this heady mix.

Opening with the barnstormer tune Fire In The Hole with avant-garde bluegrass/old-time guitarist Stash Wyslouch, and closing with another high speed tour de force with fellow fiddler Alex Hargreaves, in between are twelve more delights to explore. Fellow Berklee College alumnus (and now Grammy awarded!) Sarah Jarosz features on two songs, one of which Hollow City is a beautifully haunting song about the lingering sadness at Mike’s relationship with his former home of NYC. 

Mike achieves what very few non-native Irish composers rarely do by writing a new ‘traditional Irish’ tune, The Breath and the Bow, on which he is accompanied by top saxophonist Eddie Barbash (Jon Baptiste, Vulfpeck). Elsewhere he is joined by other Berklee alumni (harpist Maeve McGuckian, guitarist/vocalist Molly Tuttle, mandolinist Sierra Hull) and fellow former Deadly Gentleman mandolinist Dominick Leslie for more new tunes.

His most recent boss, Ricky Skaggs joins him on fret less banjo and vocals for an old time medley of traditional tunes.

Tragically, Mike suffered a brain haemorrhage last summer after this album was in the can. He’s making progress with intensive therapy and we wish him well. (There’s a Go Fund Me - Mike Barnett Fund set up if you can help  https://gofund.me/515e408d ).

Review by Eilís Boland

Steve Almaas Everywhere You’ve Been Lonesome Whirlpool

The founder of Minneapolis first punk band the Suicide Commandos obviously learnt how to keep things concise and energetic.That musical experience has meant a sharpness to the writing here  that sees all the songs on his new album delivered under the 4-minute mark (There is also a hidden track (perhaps titled Sarah Lou?) after the twelfth song The One Thing That I Cannot Do). Almaas formed that band in 1996 and has since honed a sound that is part rockabilly, roots rock and  country, all imbued with a pop and melodic sensibility that makes it an enjoyable and uplifting listen. No doubt due to lessons learned with later bands such as Crackers and Beat Rodeo and the many bands he encountered and shared stages with in New York. Those bands were as much inspired by the 60’s British Invasion and Bakersfield, as well as later stalwarts such as Nick Lowe and Rockpile and numerous acts who used close harmony as an essential asset. Alongside the then current New Wave adaption of punk hard edge into something more mainstream.

In the light of all that, this album covers many tempos, moods and eras. All topped by Almaas’ variable vocal and deft songwriting talent. Humour also plays its part as evidenced by the very 50’s swing assisted associations of Cigarettes, Coffee And You, wherein our narrator considers the dilemma of having to give up one of these, while the angel at his shoulder questions his choices. Almass adopts a gruffer vocal for the chorus to the otherwise harmony laden but powerful beat of 1955. This upbeat feel is also present in Someway, Somehow, Somewhere. Bred To The Bone has a touch of early Attractions as well as the attractions of the influential Nuggets compilation. The title tracks starts off acappella before the band joins in led by Jon Graboff’s emotive pedal steel guitar and is followed by an effective guitar solo, an interplay that occurs throughout the album (Graboff also played nylon string and electric guitars). The equally effective and largely understated Down By The Lake is a combination of two voices and strummed ukulele. Three Woman is a soothing admonishment of the fact that love may not be coming the way of the songs ever hopeful protagonist.

The harmony vocals are also a big part of the sound and in Goodbye Nicolina they underline the songs tenderness. He is joined here by Gary Louris. Elsewhere the harmonies were provided by Daria Grace and Vibeke Saugestad. Almass was joined by an important array of players that assembled around the core of Mark Sidqwick on bass and TJ Maiani of drums. Tony Garner adds upright bass on occasion while Almass himself contributes guitar, baritone guitar, bass and ukulele. Graboff, a long-time contributor and friend, added his tracks from his Santa Fe studio. Another notable contribution on two tracks was the innate playing from Kenny Vaughan who added his part when visiting from nearby to play a gig. Sax and keyboards also make an appearance.

The album was produced by Almaas and mixed by another old friend, Mitch Easter. It was largely recorded in and around his New York base and is an album full of special musical pleasure spots that make it an album that will most likely not garner wide ranging attention, other than critically, yet it shows that Almaas’ career to date has resulted in this accomplished sixth solo album. It’s one worthy of attention from fans of any of the aforementioned influences, as well as those who have encountered his crafted-songwriting and performances in the past. Something that has been informed, doubtless, from everywhere he has been - musically and geographically.

Review by Stephen Rapid.

Lael Neale Acquainted With Night Sub Pop

The feeling of old roads taken, echoes of lost days, ghosts in the attic and long evenings spent in quiet thought are all wrapped up in the music that Lael Neale delivers on this, her second album. She has searched for a stripped down, spare and delicate sound in these ten songs and in their construct. With a vocal that is both innocent and intimate in delivery, Neale seems to be on the verge of almost breaking, her delivery suggesting a fragile state of being. 

She has chosen an Omnichord as her medium of delivery and the sound is very akin to that of the Autoharp and indeed, the simple Dulcimer. Maybelle Carter was considered to be the queen of the Autoharp, an instrument much loved over the generations that followed and taken up by legends such as Joan Baez and Dolly Parton. Joni Mitchell played the Dulcimer on her legendary Blue recording and endeared herself to the multitudes.

What separates out this electronic musical instrument is the ability to incorporate pre-set rhythms and percussion sounds. It first appeared in the 1980’s and together with a simple tape recorder, Neale has produced a work of some resonance and one that stays with the listener long after the forty minutes has wound its way into your memory cells.

The sparce accompaniment from Guy Blakeslee, who plays piano on Every Star Shivers In the Dark and guitar on three other tracks, is accompanied by Joce Soubiran, who adds flute on two tracks. Apart from this, Neale plays guitar on one song and Omnichord on everything else, plus delivers her haunted, and haunting, vocal that creates an atmosphere like that in an old Church, where the silence has an eerie presence. There is background hiss to be heard on parts of the recording and this resembles the old days of tape recordings, no doubt deliberate, in order to capture the sense of finding something old that had been discarded, but which delivers quietly, once the dust has been blow off it.

So, welcome to the ‘otherness’ of Lael Neale and her songs of quiet observation, perspective and reflection. Opener, Blue Vein, touches on images of leaving home, growing up, seeking your place in the world, before Every Star Shivers In the Dark is delivered with a sense of isolation, self-doubt, trying for connection, in the arrangement. The title track involves the pain of losing a lover, seeking light in the dark , learning from relationship woes; while White Wings finds itself looking for a happy place, longing for change, almost a note to self.

Measure, attitude, embracing the time given and not chasing false dreams are bound up in How Far Is It To the Grave and the simple observation of daily tasks, household routine, driving for the sake of the journey experienced, are all part of For No One For Now. On Sliding Doors and Warm Summer Roses, there is a warm glow, a smile when thinking of a relationship, with airy flute sounds, like a flitting bird, recalling summer days and happy feelings. 

Third Floor Window, hints at a difficult communication issue, staying in the moment, maintaining self-worth and accepting the topsy-turvy nature of changing emotions.  Let me Live By the Side Of the Road, has dual tracking on the vocal, and speaks of desire, of seeking experience and excitement in the present moment. Some Sunny Day, says to stop over-thinking it all, time is the teacher, just relax. A positive message to end this journey on. Neale is indeed a seeker and a dweller on the threshold. Her singular vision has produced a work of great resonance and sensitivity.

Review by  Paul McGee

deFrance Second Wind Self Release

Taken from the surname of leader-in-chief, deFrance is a band are from Arkansas, USA who formed back in 2015. With this second album, released in 2019, the band is getting a media push into Europe right now. Call it a Pandemic knee-jerk delay or a phased campaign to spread the good word into different territories; either way, this music arrives at a time when we could do with more feel-good music to experience. The nine tracks featured are certainly that, with a mixture of different influences, and good times guaranteed for all.

Keep the Night On It  comes out of the traps with a big rock sound and driving guitars. Runaway Heart wears a Tom Petty badge on its lapel and is a very strong track, while the commercial radio sound of Midnight Lover is reminiscent of a Cars song. There are horn section sounds, provided by Joseph Fuller, adding plenty of colour to the sound of Angel, a track with a strong Stones groove. Fuller contributes a similar dynamic on songs, Forever Girl and Fireball, to great effect.

Stir Crazy could have been written for these times, with quarantine and self isolating such a part of our days.  The band veer towards a more radio Pop sound on Chain, and I‘m Blue (not because of you) closes out the album with pedal steel, strings, horns and acoustic guitar all clicking together for a relaxed ballad.

 Drew deFrance handles guitar/vocal duties, with Andrew Poe (guitar), Connor Roach (bass/vocals) and Daniel Stratton Curry (drums), completing the line-up. Production details are not on the sleeve, but there are credits for additional studio guests Neil Jones (pedal steel), Logan J Kennedy (drums), Elliott Griffin (sax), Elliott S Cotton (guitar, vocals), Mary Osteen and Shanna Allen (vocals), all adding their talents. I believe that another album has been recorded for future release, but for now this taste of things to come will bring new admirers who enjoy an up-tempo sound complete with some virtuoso playing.   

Review by  Paul McGee

Rev. Sam and the Outcasts Self-Titled Self Release

Sammy Horner is the creative source behind this album and he has been making consistently excellent music since his involvement with Scottish band, The Electrics, dating back to the 1980’s. Their Celtic Rock sound owed as much to the influence of Horslips, as it did to the Pogues and the band continues to play occasionally, dipping into an impressive back catalogue of releases. Sammy also has created quite a number of independent projects over the years, together with his ongoing activities in youth and Christian work. He has produced children’s albums and books, promoted music as integral to Celtic spirituality and involved himself in community-based congregation. Something of a renaissance man, he can look at a career that has spawned forty-plus releases to date and there are no signs of slowing down for this human dynamo.

This particular album has a gospel rock focus, under the alter ego of Reverend Sam. Horner is an ordained minister in real life so it’s a tongue-in-cheek approach and something of a parody. That’s not to diminish the music in any way however, it’s a rollercoaster ride of hard rock, some soulful blues and passionate performance. There are also two bonus tracks that are funky workouts of main tracks, In the Name Of the Father and Higher. The rocking groove of Blind Leading the Blind is a great example of the exciting arrangements here, with some superb guitar breaks and the swinging, You Are Loved You Are Accepted, grooves along with sweet harmonies and dusky vocal delivery from the Reverend.

Other tracks like There Endeth the Lesson and God Loves You Son are great examples of the tight ensemble playing, the latter including a female harmony that borrows from Sympathy For the Devil. Little Billy Got the Fever is a bluesy swamp-romp while Higher looks to hope of rising above the pressures of sin.  Scars has the heavy presence of backwoods brethren and a life of struggle under the hands of cruel masters. It’s Friday Now But Sunday’s Comin’ is both vibrant and laced with a great groove, dynamic guitar, soulful background vocals, handclaps and sassy attitude. 

It’s difficult to know exactly who plays on the tracks as the credits are given to – Rev. Sam (vocals), Brother James (guitars, bass and backing vocals), Brother David (organ) and Saint Boolean (drums). Superbly atmospheric backing vocals are supplied by the Bad Habits, and they are Sister Joy, Sister Rebecca, Brother Graham and Saint Nick! 

No doubt, they al hide in plain sight … All songs were written by Rev. Sam and the album was recorded at Big Feet Studio in Wexford and the Monsterpop Music Factory in Glasgow. Thrilling stuff and played with both fervour and no hint of redemption in sight.

Review by  Paul McGee

Sammy Horner Far Away Places Self Release

This album has been released at a  time when doubt and uncertainty have gripped the World and the immediate future remains largely uncertain. Similar parallels exist to the days of the Irish Famine in the middle of the 19th Century when the potato crop failed, leading to mass starvation on a widespread scale. Ireland suffered greatly and the population reduced by two million over a period of ten years. Over a million died and a further million emigrated to other countries, many dying on their journeys, looking for better lives. 

The songs featured here are linked to the stories of those times with the horror of leaving loved ones, sea crossings, famine and hunger, sickness and death, all woven into the tracks. Titles like Immigrant Eyes, These Days Will Pass, Linger Here Beside You and The Good Ship Kelly Jean tell their own stories but the hardship of the times is captured so well by the musicians and the performances of all involved. 

Starting out with the voyage of faith aboard the Good Ship Kelly Jean, we are transported by Linger Here Beside You and a sentiment to hope, wrapped in the arms of a Mother’s love, as she tries to protect her children against the gathering storms.

N.I.N.A. is an abbreviation for ‘No Irish Need Apply’ and tells of the hardships faced by newly arrived immigrants in looking for meaningful work abroad. The permanence of sea voyages is summed up in The Children Of White Rock and the price paid in leaving loved ones behind. Annie Glover was an Irish immigrant who suffered execution in the Salem witch trials of the 17th Century, long before the Great Hunger had driven Irish folks across the sea to America. The song, California, looks at the numbers who claim Irish heritage and name checks many surnames in the process. Skibbereen is a lament to the great suffering of the rural population during the Great Hunger and the decimation of a proud Irish village. Hush is a beautiful atmospheric Irish air, with Kylie Horner on whistles, Sammy on guitars and vocals and Tony Silcock on drones. It’s a very affecting tune and stands at the centre of the album concept; dignity and forbearance in the face of the worst of tragedies, visited upon a people.

The Song Isn’t Singing is about the price paid by a people who found their joy of living and their collective spirit broken. Immigrant Eyes is a reality check on all that is lost in the leaving, the haunted memories of home. No Man Is An Island is a duet with Kylie and Sammy sending out a prayer for better times and a hope for community to see everyone through. Bodhran and tin whistle lifting the melody. Final song, These Days Will Pass is a rallying cry, stick together and hope springs eternal.

Recorded and produced by Sammy Horner in Bigfeet studio, Wexford, with great credit due to the ensemble of musicians who bring these songs to life. Rhys Duursma and David Holt (drums, percussion), Nick Stiverson (mandolin), Jim Devlin (guitar), David Lyon and Phil Madeira (accordion), Howard Rogers (whistles), Tony Silcock (drones), Tess Wiley, Maria Ford, Sharon Clancy, Rodney Cordner (vocals) are joined by additional gang vocals in a celebration of collaboration and a vision to acknowledge all who have passed before, paving the way for our lives of comfort and privilege. Of course, at the core of the project is multi-instrumentalist Sammy Horner and his talented wife and muse, Kylie. A work of great merit and a real testament to all involved.

Review by  Paul McGee

Renée Reed Self-Titled Keeled Scales

In creating her own musical genre in what Renee Reed describes as ‘dream-fi folk from the Cajun Prairies’, the southwest Louisiana born artist is bringing to pass a third generation of musical and cultural continuity. Both music and its cultures surrounded her from childhood, her grandfather being an accomplished accordion player and her great uncle was the folklorist, school teacher and radio presenter Revon Reed. Live music was all around her while growing up, including the countless jam sessions at the Cajun shop owned by her parents. Following in the footsteps of her great uncle, she studied Traditional Music and French having enrolled in the University of Louisiana.

Her self-titled debut album acknowledges the music that defined her early years and the wider variety of folk related music which she subsequently explored. Those musical probings introduced her to the 60’s British folk scene and also to the French orchestral pop music of Serge Gainsbourg and Francoise Hardy from the same era.

The resulting album is an Aladdin’s cave of variants which finds Reed recalling her most personal inner thoughts, fears, childhood remembrances and dreams. ‘Look at me, look at me daydreaming’ she repeats on the opening song Out Loud and the eleven tracks that follow do feel like eavesdropping on the writer’s subconscious.

Particularly pleasing are the nightmarish Little Flower Dance and the furious Fast One, which recalls Nick Drake at his most morose. Ou es la fee (translated meaning Where Are The Fairies) is delivered in French, an acknowledgment of Reed’s fascination with French musical culture and language.

 Recorded by her at home on a simple four track recorder and quite skeletal, the songs contain crystal clear and often layered vocals, accompanied by acoustic guitar, keys and often little more.  The end product brings to mind early career Angel Olson and is an absorbing introduction to a most interesting artist. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Zach Schmidt Raise a Banner Boss Dawg

Having Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit as your studio band is as good a place as any to start when recording your second album. Those four players, Jimbo Hart, Chad Gamble, Derry Deboria, and Sadler Vaden, joined Zach Schmidt at Nashville’s Creative Workshop to work on RAISE A BANNER.  Their boss Isbell also clocked in on electric guitar on the bustling opening track Foregone Conclusion. Vaden was also at the controls, taking on the production duties on the ten tracks that dash between solid heartland rock, breezy Americana and smooth country nuggets.

The material pays homage to a number of classic American artists. That opening track may be a full-on toe tapping rocker, but Schmidt is equally at home doing quiet as he is doing loud. You’re Still On My Mind is as gentle as a summer breeze, the type of song that topped up Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb’s pension funds in the late 1960’s. Schmidt might have raided the George Jones songbook with the tearful jewel I Look Different In Your Eyes and Burn Out Easy is laid back in a cool J.J.Cale sort of way. Jangly guitars, layered vocals and a killer riff collide on the instantly catchy Go My Way.

RAISE A BANNER is also much more than an album of impressively sounding songs. Behind the stellar playing and gritty vocals are subtle messages and truly touching lyrics, no more so than on the album closer Back Around. It’s a slow burning song that suggests some fervid personal searching, while giving thought to the devastation of lost love and abandonment. The title track is equally expressive, questioning bigotry often camouflaged as religion, which brainwashes a congregation barely surviving economically.  A most listenable and forthright album, well worth your investigation.

Review by Declan Culliton

Hope Dunbar Sweetheartland Self Release

Unlike many of her musical peers, Hope Dunbar does not reside in a bohemian suburb in a hip location such as East Nashville, Austin or New Orleans, feeding off the creativity of her neighbours. Quite the opposite in fact. Instead, she can be found in the plains of Nebraska, living a quite normal life in a serene location, alongside her husband, who pastors at a local church, and their teenage sons.

Her debut album THE BLACK CROWS, released in 2017, was conceived and written in that same rural environment and the positive reviews it earned brought Dunbar to the attention of a wide audience, resulting in numerous gigs and tours in support of the album. Glamorous as that prospect may seem, the experience for Dunbar was draining rather than stimulating, leaving her somewhat burned out and pining for the more settled lifestyle back home. Following some time spent reappraising her artistic itches, aided by support from family and friends, her creative appetite was rekindled. Rather than rely on any particular inspiration to write new material, she developed a weekly podcast series titled ‘Prompt Queens’, the motive being to write a song each week based on a particular prompt. The prompt might be a film, an individual or simply a specific word.

The project yielded the nine songs that make up SWEETHEARTLAND and if the material was initiated by simple prompts, the songwriting comes from the pen of a writer that gives the impression of having lived every line in each song. The overall sound is a cocktail of roots and country with splashes of blues.

 She’s spitting fire on the gloriously hard hitting What Were You Thinking, which recalls early career Mary Chapin Carpenter at her feistiest. ‘No, a gift card to a gas station is not a valentine’s present’ she reminds her two-timing partner, while describing his latest fancy as ‘'She was a bottle blond in a mini skirt, she was mutton dressed as lamb in a One Direction tee-shirt'. More favoured times and domestic bliss are saluted in the love ballad and title track. It’s the opening track on the album and possibly a statement by the writer of contentment and thanksgiving for her present state of normality. She goes all funky and bluesy on the doleful Dogs Like You. The all too common struggles with dead-end jobs and marriages hanging by threads surface on Dust.

The album was recorded at Ten Four Recording Company in Nashville with the co-production carried out by multi-instrumentalists Jesse Thompson and Zack Smith, who, between them, contributed various guitars, banjo, percussion, lap steel, dobro and backing vocals.

‘John Prine, John Prine I wish your songs were mine, wish I could steal one of your lines and no one would know’, she confesses on the song John Prine. Tongue in cheek or self-deprecating as those lyrics may be, SWEETHEARTLAND is the work of a mature songwriter, more than capable of writing sober songs which sketch the everyday struggles and occasional triumphs of real people. The songs, vocals and playing are complimented by the insightful writing on a striking album that will appeal to lovers of the aforementioned Mary Chapin Carpenter and Gretchen Peters.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno Self Titled Free Dirt

Though barely out of college, both Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno have spent much of their lives accompanying their respective musician parents to old time festivals in the US, which lead to their becoming accomplished veterans of many jam sessions, honing their craft on guitar (Leva) and fiddle, guitar & banjo (Calcagno). Both have been members of old time band, The Onlies, Leva has released an acclaimed solo album and this self titled album is their second as a couple.

This collection of eleven original songs (one from RC, five from VL and five co-written by the duo) is a truly timeless record of mellow ‘old time meets classic country’ gems.

The choice of producer, Joel Savoy, a member of the Savoy cajun musical dynasty from Louisiana, was inspired. Resisting the urge to play on the album himself (unusual for a producer!), Savoy gathered a band of stellar players to realise the gentle vibe that insinuates itself from the start. Opening song, Will You, introduces us to Leva’s sweet vocal (reminiscent of Laura Cantrell) and to her maturity as a songwriter. It’s a song that tells of a lover who is wracked with the guilt of having an illicit affair but who wants to put it behind her. Many of the songs here - Leaving On Our Minds, On The Line, Biding All My Time, Love And Chains- are inspired by the pain of geographical separation, written while the pair were at college in different parts of the country.  Chris Stafford (Feufollet) on pedal steel plays exquisitely throughout, with just the right amount of sensitivity for the delicate subject matter. Indeed the same can be said of the other supporting players - Trey Boudreaux (bass), Matty Meyer (drums) and Sam Fribush (piano). Their Louisiana influence ensures that the songs make you want to get up and dance a two step (everyone in Louisiana dances!). Calcagno only sings lead on one number, Love And Chains, and elsewhere his harmony vocals are perfectly pitched. His one song contribution, On Account Of You, could pass for an old time standard and is the most uptempo song on this laidback collection. Recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

Len Seligman Our Turn Now Self Release

This Florida-based singer-songwriter releases his third album, following on from his 2011 debut, Head Over Heels. His gentle vocal delivery and folky sound includes a great sense of melody and the song arrangements are very welcoming, with a focus on themes such as peace and justice, compassion and gratitude together with dealing with loss. Community and open communication are big messages here and songs like Here For You and Love Is the Answer are typical of his expansive, open message of living in the now and grasping the moment, to let love in.

Seligman began his music career in folk and rock groups around New England in the 1970s, before pursuing a career as a computer researcher. He subsequently returned to life as a full-time musician and 2017 album, Shine Your Light, brought him back to the attention of the music media.

The title track, Our Turn Now, is a tribute to civil rights icon John Lewis, while You Are Home is a look at the history of racism and the attitudes of those who did not want immigrants settling in America. It is a call for inclusiveness. The blues shuffle of Negativity Bias Blues is a light bit of fun and both Precious One and Tonight the Subject Is Love are tributes to the enduring power of love.  True, Helpful and Kind details a code for life and suggests that ‘Karma is a rubber band.’ Another song, I Say Yes, is about being open to the magic that surrounds us. 

This new album features eleven songs, including a cover of the traditional, This Little Light, and there is a co-write with singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel on True, Helpful and Kind. Another co-write is with his brother, Jon, who contributes drums and percussion throughout.  That song, On the Caravan, the final track on the album, is an instrumental that shows off the superb technical ability of both brothers, with a cool Arabian vibe, Jon on compelling percussive rhythm and Len’s superb guitar playing. 

Guest musicians include JP Coley, Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines, Tom Kimmel, JD Martin, Jan Garrett, John Lee Sanders, and brother, Jon Seligman. The world right now can do with unbridled hope, even if it sticks in the throat of the more cynical among us. This album is full of sunshine and positivity and highlights a focus for spiritual awareness. Life is not a problem to be solved, rather a gift to be enjoyed.

Review by Paul McGee

Steve Yanek  Across the Landscape Primitive

This is a most impressive debut release from an artist who has been associated with the music industry over many years. Having initially moved to Los Angeles as a young musician, his dreams of a recording contract suffered at the hands of corporate takeovers and Yanek decided to relocate back to Pennsylvania and start a small independent record label, while also becoming active in artist management.

Knowing the machine and all the pitfalls, plus suffering those early bad breaks, gave Yanek the perfect platform to run his career along personal preferences and to exert greater control over the outcomes. Yanek continued to write songs and after working in other industries, he has now come full circle, with the added maturity of all those years clearly evident in this album. The eleven tracks run over fifty minutes and I did not feel bored at any point during the experience. Plenty of hard work has gone into crafting these tracks and the ensemble playing is of the highest order. 

Yanek plays both acoustic and electric guitar, piano and keyboards, as well as singing all lead vocals. He is joined by Jeff Pevar, who co-produced and also played bass, drums, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars. They are joined on various tracks by the late T. Lavitz (piano, B3 organ), Joe Greico (keyboards), Dave Livolsi and Bob Welsh (bass), Rod Morgenstein and Tom Kristech (drums) and Leah Kunkel, Stuart Getz and Larry Kennedy (vocals). A fine band of musicians and the song arrangements are laced with a great dynamic throughout. The guitar playing is terrific with lots of great riffs, tight runs and inventive solos that are just so enjoyable.

Quarter Moon has a nice blues feel and a very addictive laid-back jazz groove to it; a feeling of late- night liaisons and giving in to sweet temptation. Other songs, such as,  I Could Drown, Right In Front Of You and All I Ever Wanted are very melodic and with great rhythm in the arrangements. There is a rock sound to Dance With You which lifts the tempo but the overriding sound is one of gentle arrangements, with sweet melodies and some fine band interplay, especially on the deeply cool groove of Got To Hear You Say.

No One Said and I Could Drown, deal with the rocky territory of relationship challenges between a couple, whereas Barely Holding On is a love triangle and three-way dilemma where pain is the only winner. It’s a beautifully restrained melody with some subtle keyboard playing and nice backing vocals.

Roll Out Of Here has the writer running for another reality and wanting to escape social inequity and the insular greed of those in power who refuse to oversee change. Desperate times indeed. Final track, Safe Harbours, sums up all the uncertainty and fragility in seeking relationships that work, with the lines; ‘We long for safe harbours, As we stare down the hands of fate, At times we push onward, At times we hesitate.’ 

All songs are written by Yanek, apart from one co-write with Pevar. If taking a break in order to come back stronger makes for a more rounded musician, then Yanek is proof positive that the wait has been well worth the time.

Review by Paul McGee

Liam Moore Visions Of A Perfect Life Self Release

Despite a very questionable cover, which does nothing to entice the listener, this is music of a quietly contemplative nature. A media search instructs that it be filed under Alternative Folk, a strange choice, given that his musical palette is usually writing classical music for choirs and chamber ensembles.

It’s a very interesting album, with the ten songs playing out over thirty-four minutes and leaving a sense of wanting to hear the arrangements just one more time. They do burrow into the consciousness, with string instruments, brass and horns, lap steel and synth, banjo and mandolin, all anchored by double bass and drums, vying for position across the listening experience. There is a lightness to the arrangements, like on Horseshoe, where the strummed acoustic guitar and gentle keyboard melody is balanced by subtle lap steel. 

Finis has a nice, soothing sound that has flute, cello and clarinet playing in tandem with acoustic guitar and creating a flowing sense of calm. Lift is trumpet, saxophone and trombone in unison while Moore sings of taking to the skies in flight. There is a pastoral air to the melody, whereas the more acoustic arrangement on Cottonwood, with guitar and lap steel, is a gentle reflection on time apart from the one you love. The Slouch is a look at posture from the perspective of an imposter that craves attention, ‘I lost my ambition, but found my resolve.’

Imbalances has some creative drum parts by Todd Olson and inventive guitar from Dexter Wolfe, who also recorded and mixed the album. Apologia, with violin, viola and soothing cello, is a look back on a relationship that never worked, and Early To Bed, Early To Rise, is a gentle lilt on banjo and mandolin that looks at bare cupboards and pantries while seeking domestic bliss with someone who can fill the empty spaces. Final song, Grow Up (You Don’t Have To), sums up the feeling that life is there to be experienced as we all, individually, see fit. Moore leads from the front and plays acoustic, electric and bass guitar, plus sings in an easy, warm tone. An album that is quietly addictive and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Review by Paul McGee

Tawny Ellis Love Life Music Building

This album slipped through the net towards the end of last year, as the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continued and we all wrestled with delayed and lost mail, among many other challenges.  The first thing that strikes me is the poor choice of album cover, which does nothing to promote the excellent content. However, while playing these ten songs, the highlight is the superb production, with Jesse Siebenberg credited on the sleeve notes as having arranged/mixed/produced eight of the tracks, in addition to contributing on various instruments, including lap steel, pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitar, drums, keyboards, synthesisers and background vocals. 

There are three recording credits for Ted Russell Kamp, who also contributes bass and guitar on four tracks. In addition, Ellis is joined by her life-and-writing partner, multi-instrumentalist Gio Loria, who plays bass/guitar on five tracks, with production credits for one song. A number of other musicians play on specific tracks, with Quinn and Jamie Douglass (drums), Scarlet Rivera (violin), Kailin Wolfberg (violin, vocals) taking turns to add their talents to the arrangements.

Ellis lives in Los Angeles and has been steadily releasing music since her full debut in 2006. Her sound has been variously described as Rock, Pop, Country and singer-songwriter. So much for trying to box talent into a specific genre. To my ears, Ellis displays great skill and talent in crafting these songs and her sense of melody is very strong. As an experienced musician, she contributes on guitars, omnichord, percussion, lap steel and lead vocals. Her vocal tone is clear and warm, with a subtle power and control that impresses throughout. 

The songs are quite engaging, with I Believe,  a support for someone who doubts whether they have what it takes to succeed, while the title track speaks to never giving up and chasing after that silver lining. Pretend Love is a look at second chances and the risks in trying to start over, the pedal steel echoing a sense of desire and hope. No More has some superb lap steel playing from both Ellis and Siebenberg, together with a resolve to move away from a toxic relationship. 

Story-song, Deep End Of Love, examines another cheating relationship and the price paid for exposing feelings and letting down the walls. Separately,  Spark Of Love, deals with the fading inevitably of physical beauty and the internal scars that remain. All the nuance in the vocal delivery of Ellis is evident in this fine song.

There is a cover of the Steely Dan song, Dirty Work, which dates back to 1972, plus a dramatic arrangement on Powers That Be, a passionate look at abusive power, heightened by the excellent Scarlet Rivera on violin. Daddy is a heartfelt song about her Father, who took his own life, looking  for forgiveness and understanding, trying to move on with life. Another fine vocal performance.

In addition to being an accomplished musician, Ellis is also a sculptor and actress. Her talents are very evident on this album of impressive songs, complimented by excellent players and delivering a most enjoyable listening experience.

Review by Paul McGee

The Pink Stones Introducing ….. The Pink Stones Normaltown

Coming from a music obsessed family in Albany, Georgia, with an out and out rocker for a father and a mother whose music of choice was country, Hunter Pinkston’s childhood was surrounded by those clashing musical genres. His father also played drums with local bands in South Georgia and as a teenager Pinkston was drawn towards rock music, discarding country music as being seriously unhip. He formed his own band in high school, gravitating towards hardcore rock and punk.

His awakening to country music came about accidentally. He picked up a copy of The Lemonheads’ single Brass Buttons which featured the original version by Gram Parsons on the B-side. Instantly absorbed by Parsons’ interpretation, he began revisiting the country music dismissed by him years earlier. His interest in country and country rock accelerated when he moved to Athens and attended the University of Georgia Music Business programme. Befriending other young enthusiastic musicians from the local music scene, Will Anderson, Logan Brammer, Adam Wayton, and Jack Colclough, they collectively became The Pink Stones. The final addition to the band was a big hitter in the Athens’ music scene and former Drive By Truckers’ pedal steel player, John Neff. Alongside Neff’s technical expertise on guitar and pedal steel, he also brought nearly two decades of industry experience to the party.

Their debut album was recorded at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, where hundreds of artists and bands such as REM, Drive By Truckers, Bright Eyes and Amy Ray have recorded. At the controls was Henry Barbe (Drive By Truckers, Deerhunter, Jerry Joseph, Lee Bains III). With all the right boxes ticked, would the album come up trumps? The answer is a resounding yes! It revisits Cosmic American Music with new eyes and ears, often sounding like a modern day version of The Flying Burrito Brothers.

A sleepy late 1960’s laid-back stoned sound runs through both Put Me On and Shiny Bone, the latter written following a storm that flooded Pinkston’s apartment. Let’s Sit Down tips its hat in the direction of Neil Young, to the extent that with a more downbeat delivery it would fit snugly on side two of TONIGHTS THE NIGHT. The Gram influence both musically and lyrically comes alive on the raunchy Barroom Blues, it’s not difficult to imagine Emmylou moving to the mic for harmonies on the chorus. Love Me Hardly comes across as a countrified Velvet Underground track, drawled lyrics, thumping bass lines with a side plate of twang.

It remains to be seen if INTRODUCING…THE PINK STONES is a one-off venture, reflecting a moment in time and a pointer towards where Pinkston was, lyrically and musically, when constructing these songs. Either way the album presents bulletproof songs, aching vocals, a crew of like-minded musicians with splashes of piano and large doses of killer pedal steel all in the right places. It’s a seriously strong album and possibly a reflection of the musical direction Gram Parsons would have headed in, if he had lived longer. Without doubt, one of the best albums I’ve heard this year.

Review by Declan Culliton

Addison Johnson Dark Side Of The Mountain Self Release

With the country music charts loaded with lightweight formulaic songs delivered in the main by pop/country crossover artists, it’s a welcomed breath of fresh air that a number of artists continue to write and record vital country songs.

The Greensboro, North Carolina native, now resident in Nashville, Addison Johnson is one such artist and turned quite a few heads with his debut album I’M JUST A SONG five years ago. If that was a taster of his potential as a writer and singer of traditional country, he has raised the bar by quite a few notches with his latest recording DARK SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. Without the support of a major label, the album landed at No.3 in the iTunes country chart on the day of its release, placing him in the company of legendary artists Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson. Quite an achievement for an independent artist but perfectly understandable after a few spins of the album.

Johnson comes from the ‘been there, done that’ school of hard knocks and much of his writing reflects on bad life choices and bad company, some fictional but mostly lived. His sound incorporates classic country with bluegrass influences and his vocal has an authentic twang to it. In the tradition of many classic albums of yesteryear, the title track is the album’s opener. With its bluegrass edge and tale of moonshining, pills, murder and outlaws, it’s the perfect introduction to where Johnson’s musical sentiments lie.

Sober for over two years, Johnson confronts his own demons on Black Leather Red Letters. It’s a touching gospel song, referencing the Bible in its title and inspired by stories told to him by older folks that also conquered their demons. Similarly personal is the gentle ballad Blues Eyes Red, which reflects on wasteful drinking days and the ensuing relationship carnage that followed. Equally standout are the two singles that preceded the album, the honky tonking Rollin’ Stolen’ and the mid-tempo Cumberland River ’58. The semi spoken, tongue in cheek You’ll Do Just Fine takes a pop at the music industry in Music City. It’s also as catchy as hell with some aching pedal steel and slick guitar breaks.

Gifted with the ability to write lyrics that fit the songs like hand in glove and with a style that circles back to a country sound more celebrated in the early 1990’s, DARK SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN is likely to considerably raise the profile of an extremely talented artist.

Review by Declan Culliton

Charley Crockett 10 For Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers

Honouring a commitment by Crockett to his friend and sometime mentor James Hand to record an album of the Texan’s songs, this eleven-track album plays as a compilation of some of Hand’s best work. It’s actually a ten-track recording of his songs, as the opening track is an intro by Crockett. It had been his intention to release the album prior to Hand’s death but regrettably that was not the case, as Hand passed away in June 2020 from heart failure. Hand failed to achieve a similar level of commercial success as many of his peers, hardly surprising given that he only released his first album at the age of forty-seven after decades playing in honky tonks, mainly in his home state of Texas. Nevertheless, he earned a reputation among the music community as one of the most lauded country singer songwriters, with Willie Nelson famously describing him as ‘the real deal’.

Crockett does not attempt to recreate Hand’s unique vocal styling on the selected songs, instead he sings the tunes in his own characteristic cracked drawl. Crockett survived a turbulent childhood and an early musical career that included busking in New Orleans and New York. What followed was a year spent in Europe, and on his return to the U.S., being placed on probation for possession of cannabis. Having lived through trying times, Crockett has blossomed in recent years as a recording artist and student of 60’s gothic country and western music. He recorded his debut album A STOLEN JEWEL in 2015 and his output has been prolific since then, releasing a further seven albums, including this one. Those albums featured both original recordings and cover versions of classic country songs from the work of Ernest Tubb, George Jones and T-Bone Walker, to name but a few.

The previously referred to intro track on this album finds Crockett recollecting his first encounter with Hand at The Allgood Café in Dallas. What follows is a compilation of Hand’s finest work with particular concentration on the more melancholic material in his back catalogue. Titles such as Mighty Lonesome Man, Lesson In Depression and Slim’s Lament leave little to the imagination and if the vocal deliveries are somewhat more forced that the casual loose style on the masters, the accompanying playing often outshines the originals. Equally affecting are the classic Midnight Run, the up-tempo rockabilly Don’t Tell Me That and the broody Floor To Crawl.

With a recording career that spanned from 1997 to 2014, James Hand released seven albums packed with classic country songs. Had these albums surfaced thirty or forty years earlier, his name would have been cast in stone as a country legend. Unfortunately, commercial success evaded him, but hopefully this superb collection of his work, tastefully recreated by Crockett, will bring the music of James Hand to a new audience as well as serving as a reminder of his creative writing to his long-term fans.   

Review by Declan Culliton

Sarah King The Hour Self Release

Described by Sarah King as ‘a collection of songs influenced by bourbon and bad decisions’, THE HOUR is her debut EP. It’s a five-song suite of hard-hitting soul drenched Americana, with no holds barred lyrics that contain anger, pain and confusion in equal measures.

Four of the songs are self-penned, the fifth being a surprisingly potent and skeletal live cover of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, featuring King’s bluesy vocals and lightly strummed acoustic guitar. Elsewhere her self-written songs are every bit as powerful and in your face as the vocals that transport them. She’s not holding back on the soulful Not Worth The Whisky, where the offending party featured in the song is well advised to keep his distance. ‘What do you say to a man who won’t listen, I don’t want to waste my breath’ she utters on the equally forceful Poison. The liberty and freedom from pain and hardship, found only in death for some, is the theme of the sombre Cold Hard Ground.

King has survived and overcome multiple hurdles in recent years including the loss of her mother and the death by suicide of her estranged husband, who was a soldier that struggled with PTSD. Given the backdrop it is not difficult to get the impression of an artist singing deeply from the heart rather than from a script. The aforementioned anti-war song War Pigs came to mind in the aftermath of her husband’s death. Though apart, they remained on good terms and the song was chosen by way of dealing with the anguish of losing him.

The album came about after King sent a speculative email to Simone Felice containing a video of her song The Nightstand. Felice was suitably impressed by the hard-hitting lyrics and its bluesy stomp and invited King to record the EP at Sun Mountain Studio in New York with David Barton (The Lumineers) co-producing.

With lyrics that sound like they emerged from a session on a therapist’s couch and a striking voice, THE HOUR is hopefully a taster of what we can expect from Sarah King going forward.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Emily Moment The Party’s Over Self Release

An ambassador for promoting Americana and roots music since arriving in the U.K. from America in 2012, Emily Moment was one of the organisers of Chalk Farm Folk which showcased regular free gigs in Camden, London. She was also a member of two bands, The Savannahs and Mahoney & The Moment, and released her solo debut album NEVER ENOUGH in 2011. Her latest project THE PARTY’S OVER features many of the artists that appeared at those shows in Camden and became close friends, creating a tight knit music community.

Moment cut her teeth musically as a member of the New York anti-folk community, dividing her time between performing and her other career as a working actress.

Those folk leanings are stamped all over her latest album, which displays her wherewithal to both write notably and bring those words to life with an impressive vibrato style vocal delivery.

The album’s title suggests arriving at rock bottom and facing up to the mental and day to day physical challenges that life deals. Much of the inspiration did emerge from Moment working as an administrator in a counselling centre. Standout tracks are the countryfied ballad Santa Maria, the raw and bluesy Josephine and the rootsy harmonica driven The Bottom, which tackles mental illness head on.

Recorded at Urchin Studios in London, Moment called on Dan Cox (Laura Marling, Tom Odell, The Staves) to mix the project which she produced.

Review by Declan Culliton

Amy Speace There Used To Be Horses Here Proper

An eloquent lyricist and gifted vocalist, Nashville resident Amy Speace’s life was turned upside down by events that inspired the eleven tracks on her latest recording THERE USED TO BE HORSES HERE. Coming late to motherhood, the birth of her son gifted Speace with a welcomed life changing purpose. However, this event preceded a shattering blow the following year with the passing of her father. Her relationship with her father had blossomed in recent years, bringing them closer together after an often complex association in previous years.

These events directed her songwriting back to her childhood, her early career as an actress in New York, commencing her songwriting at the age of twenty-seven, finding love and motherhood, alongside the loss of her parent. Rather than being overly melancholic, the writing is matter of fact, vividly descriptive, like postcards from various stages in her life.

‘I have to go down that trail,’ were the last words that her father spoke to her before he passed away and the opening track Down The Trail recalls one of the many childhood tales told to her by her father in the months before he died. It’s a stunning preamble, rich in orchestration, with the simple pleasure of a childhood afternoon drive through rolling fields being recounted.

The title track which follows is a physical and emotional journey taken by Speace back to the log cabin where her parents lived, shortly before her father died. On her many visits to her parents, the approach road to the house was strikingly lined by expansive farm lands, thoroughbred horses running freely. Her final journey offered an entirely changed landscape, with the lands now redeveloped for holiday homes.

Sequencing the songs in meticulous order the album kicks on to another level following those two impassioned opening tracks. The soulful and gospel-tinged Hallelujah Train is a powerful statement, celebrating her father’s final journey to his place of rest. It’s an uplifting and heart-rending testimony, crowned by a blistering vocal delivery by Speace. More solemn memories surface on the tender Father’s Day. A family photograph recalling weekends spent at their father’s wood cabin brings back innocent childhood recollections, ‘I wish I could go back there, in my dreams I go there still, when Mom snapped that picture, as we stood on that hill’.

Shotgun Hearts revives memories of living in New York in carefree younger times and with a poignant reflection on loss, Grief Is A Lonely Land also considers regret and the inability to express and articulate one’s feelings. One Year celebrates the first year in her son’s life, an event that Speace fully expected to be followed by writer’s block. On the contrary, motherhood, by her admission, has reinvigorated her writing passion, as evidenced on this project. The album bookends fittingly with a song for our times, Don’t Let Us Get Sick, written by Warren Zevon.

An album as much in the present as in the past and a musical travel memoir, THERE USED TO BE HORSES HERE opens new doors with each repeated listen. The quality of the songwriting is matched by Speace’s crystalline vocal deliveries. Equally essential are the wonderful musical contributions from The Orphan Brigade team of Ben Glover, Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt, who also are credited with co-writes on Halleluiah Train and the title track. The trio, together with Speace, also produced the album, which was recorded over a four-day period at Skinny Elephant Studios in Nashville.

Tragedy and heartache are often the most provocative triggers that inspire songwriters and Amy Speace has channeled those emotions to perfection on this album. With the exception of Roseanne Cash’s’ BLACK CADILLAC, I cannot recall an album that addresses those sentiments as profoundly and eloquently.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Minor Moon Tethers Ruination/Whatever’s Clever

Chicago based band Minor Moon present their cocktail of present-day cosmic Americana on the rousing TETHERS, their third studio album.  Led by multi-player Sam Cantor, who is also a sideman in indie band Half Gringa, the ten tracks on offer lyrically reflect a period of transition in his personal life, while he dealt with the demise of a long-term relationship. Not surprisingly, the lyrics combine both pain and confusion, yet when twinned alongside fuzzy and lap steel guitars, intensely layered harmonies and flowing keyboards, the net result is quite uplifting.

Cantor’s last recording AN OPENING landed in 2019 and with the exception of the addition of Konstantine Stebliy on lap steel, the band members are the same combination of players on this recording. Cantor plays guitars, synth and piano and is also joined by Michael Downing on bass, Nathan Bojko on drums and Colin Drozdoff on piano and organ. The recordings were carried at Cantor’s home, Foxhall Studios, Decade Studios and finally at Public House Sound Recordings in Chicago, where engineer Dave Vettraino supervised the final mixing. To their credit, the resulting sound is spot on, extremely listenable without every being showy or over produced.

No Lightning Fix, the first single from the album, is a laid back and candid recollection dealing with loss. After a wistful start it bursts into life mid song and trots out a flashy guitar break from Cantor. Swirling guitars and layered harmonies impress on the killer track The Ground, recalling Neil Young era-EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE. It opens the album in fine style and instantly grasps your attention. Another stand out track is Under An Ocean of Holes which boasts a dreamy late 60’s British Canterbury vibe. In contrast Was There Anything Else is a no-nonsense exercise in classic power pop. 

Pioneered by way of therapy and healing by Cantor, TETHERS finds the writer confronting his sensitivities, laying them bare and seeking recovery.  In doing so he has created an album that offers the listener many moments of splendour.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kat Danser One Eye Open Black Hen

Her debut album was called ASCENSION, and you can certainly say that over the course of the next eighteen years, Kat Danser has seen her star both rise and shine brightly. Five releases since 2002 and a reputation for authenticity and integrity in all that she represents, this Canadian powerhouse has, once again, enlisted the rich talents of  Steve Dawson as both producer and musician on this new outing. With a core band of  Dawson (guitars), Gary Craig (drums) and Jeremy Holmes (bass), the album was conceived and written by Danser at her favourite, La Tienda Cigar Shop in Edmonton, Canada. 

Having also studied Cuban culture, Danser has a strong passion for Afro Cuban jazz and the place where it intersects with traditional New Orleans music. Six of the tracks include a full horn section with Kat recording her vocals in Edmonton, and other musicians located at separate locations, while Dawson directed affairs from his Henhouse studio in Nashville. Although they were not able to record in the same room together, the many talents of  Dominic Conway, Jeremy Cook and Malcolm Aiken on horns and Kevin McKendree on keyboards, plus Daniel Lapp on violin, trumpet and tenor guitar, all come together in a potent playing mix.

On this release, Kat has also used her love of blues to great effect, beginning the record with superb piano and guitar parts, a great horn arrangement and her vibrant vocal soaring above it all on Way I Like It Done. She ends the track with the words ‘welcome to the party everyone,’ and that really sums up the thirty-eight minutes of superbly crafted music included here. Blues and jazz have always influenced each other and the Mississippi delta, homeplace of the blues, is just a short distance from the New Orleans territories.

The vibrant arrangements include two cover versions, the first, a happy rendition of the late '20s classic, Bring It With You When You Come, by Gus Cannon and the Jug Stompers. They were the premier jug band of those heady days of genre fusion, from skiffle to barrelhouse blues. The joyous sound of this track , with lots of New Orleans sassy attitude and rhythmic swing is really all you need. The second cover, Get Right Church, is a Jessie May Hemphill country blues song from North Carolina that is given a new treatment and additional verses by Kat. The gospel blues feel is what roots music is all about, coupled with the message ‘Don’t get so high on yourself.’

The slow burn of Lonely and the Dragon is full of atmospheric restraint with great organ and guitar sparring, and the message ‘We go chasin’ dragons all through the night, Baby, baby, you are my rock and you are my pipe.’ Frenchman Street Shake is another horn fuelled workout that inspires, with great arrangement and groove, topped by the expressive guitar sound of Steve Dawson. 

One Eye Closed is a chance for the core band to release their punkabilly demons with a fine piece of playing, all topped off with an angry, from the gut, vocal attack from Kat. The electric blues of Trainwreck has a fine drum shuffle to propel the guitar runs of Dawson and the slow bluesy feel of Please Don’t Cry follows, with a wonderful violin part from Daniel Lapp, dove-tailing guitar and upright bass and brushed percussion.

End Of Days was written on the cusp of the Covid-19 shutdown last year and is a salve to soothe the troubled spirit with a soulful groove and warm organ sound to bring hope for the future. Mi Corazon (My Heart) is sung in Spanish as a love song to Havana and the influence that it holds,  ‘never again be what I was, But why would I want that anyway? Every moment of my life has brought me to you.’

The music of Kat Danser brings out the inner urge to connect with something primal and embrace the rootsy part of what makes us all want to move to a groove. Music to lose yourself in, time and again.

Review by Paul McGee

Gerry Spehar Lady Liberty Self Release

Having forged a successful music career around the Colorado area in the 1970’s and played with his brother George as a duo, the Spehar brothers, Gerry hung up his guitar in order to raise a family and take a day job in banking; something that paid a lot more than the financial prospects of a travelling musician. He never stopped writing songs however and when time allowed, he returned to his passion for music. 

In 2017 he released an album with his wife Susan, called, I HOLD GRAVITY, and it was critically acclaimed. A second album followed in 2018, in the wake of his wife ‘s passing from cancer, and Anger Management was a protest album aimed at the injustice of the Trump presidency and the lack of basic human kindness that it encapsulated in the policies and rhetoric.

This three-track release is really an addendum to the last album and comes in the wake of the Trump reign having come crashing down around the heads of the Republican party. The songs look at some key issues and themes with title track, Lady Liberty, Day One, dedicated to the Statue of Liberty and John Lewis, the famous Civil Rights leader and statesman. It holds dear to the principles of freedom and equality, with room for everyone to live in peace.

Laura Dean is based around the real-life trauma of the COVID-19 healthcare workers who risk their lives for others during this pandemic. It’s a song that is a tribute and a prayer to raise awareness of the selfless work being done ‘Across a thousand miles of prayer, Grandkids wish they could be there, Laura Dean sits by another bed, stroking someone else’s hair.’ 

The album is co-produced by Spehar and Paul Lacques (I See Hawks In L.A.), with the assistance of stellar musicians, Joe Berardi (drums, percussion), Marc Doten and Rick Moors (bass), Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Javi Ramos (guitar), Erinn Bone (trumpet) and vocalist, Christine Spehar. Paul Lacques also adds some very fine lap steel and electric guitar and it all comes together on the twelve-minute final track, Immigrant Suite, which is broken into three separate sections; 

Barrier Reef, sees a young immigrant girl struggling to reconnect with her father in Virginia, ‘Papa and Grandpa swam this same river of hope, She can feel them pulling On a long, long, long, long rope.’

Boy and Beast, has a 12-year-old boy riding the train north to find his mother in Los Angeles, ‘The men in the boxcar, he steals them smokes, To buy their protection because he’s twelve and he’s broke.’

Meet Me at The Moon, tells of a farm labourer grieving for his daughter who didn’t make it out of Guatemala alive, ‘We were planning to send her up north to me, She never made it home ‘. 

These songs are based on the real-life stories of three Central American youths, seeking the promise of a better life in America and are beautifully delivered by Spehar. Ultimately, a celebration of hope over darkness and a message that experiencing hard times builds a greater resolve to endure and survive.

Review by Paul McGee

The Joe Stamm Band The Good and the Crooked (and the High and the Horny) Self Release

The Joe Stamm Band make a celebratory roots-rock sound, with jangling guitars and plenty of sassy attitude. It’s a sound that gets you dancing and the blend of different influences, where traditional Honky Tonk meets Americana, is a compelling mix. 

Growing up in a small town in midwestern America has the benefit of seeing life unfold among a community of local folks that carry similar values around education and working influences. Joe Stamm was one of those kids who embraced all aspects of his upbringing, from the school days of his youth, through to the college years and a promising football career, cut short by injury.

Picking up the guitar however, put Stamm on a different path, culminating in this debut album which comes on the back of a number of previous E.P.’s and a live solo outing. He has also spent the last five years earning his success while touring and refining his sound across the States. As debut albums go, this one is very self-assured and engaging.  "Songwriting is where experience and imagination meet," says Stamm on his impressive website and these eleven story songs contain lots of life-lesson nuggets, in addition to some personal experiences. 

The band sound is described as “Black Dirt Country Rock” and coming from Illinois, it’s an 800-mile drive, straight into neighbouring state, Oklahoma, to the home of Red Dirt music. If you were to continue on the same journey, you could drive straight onto Texas and the famous Outlaw Country sound. So, his influences are clear and the spirit of the movement that broke away from the conservative chains of the Nashville directed Pop-Country music is very evident in the songs here. 

His band comprises Dave Glover (electric guitar, keyboards, vocals), Bruce Moser (drums, percussion, vocals), Dave Zollo (piano, organ), Jonathan Byler Dann (bass, keyboards, vocals). Stamm writes all the songs and contributes on guitar and lead vocals. 

THE GOOD & THE CROOKED (& THE HIGH & THE HORNY), is a great album title and the track itself kicks things off with a look at growing up, sowing your wild seeds and ‘Running from the Devil and the Lord at a breakneck pace.’ The bravado and attitude carry on with Bombshell and a song that rocks out with a warning to stay away from the dangers that a female predator brings.

Things slow down for Good Times and a look at a troubled soul, down on his luck and lacking any plan, ‘Everything I’ve ever done wrong keeps running through my head, And everything I’ve got to do today keeps me in this bed.’ Some nice guitar on this slow burn track with atmospheric organ swells. Bottle You Up is another slow number, a relationship song where the prospect of getting high together is the main attraction and the gift that keeps on giving.

The fun lyric of Blame It On the Dog is a chance for the band to show off their Country licks and the guitar twang is wrapped by the solid rhythm. Equally, the Honky Tonk style on Lower When I’m Sober shows the band on a roll and enjoying the opportunity to play off each other. The chorus of ‘I get down when I get drunk, But I get lower when I’m sober,’ is one of those classics that you just know sounds great when you are watching the band live and singing along!

Twelve-gauge Storyline is a look at what happens when you mess with the wrong guy or start chatting up his girl at the bar, ‘ There’s a couple of ways of doing things in this land, The letter of the law or the spirit within a man.’ Again, a great band groove with some fine guitar runs.

Coming Home Again is a song that has the girlfriend’s car disappearing from view and their last argument spinning round his head, while the attitude on Pearls To Pigs is to get out of sleepy towns and escape to Texas in search of some real action. Wild Imagination, is just that, a night of partying with the wrong girls and having both guns and handcuffs to add to the fun. Final track, Tough Times, Hard Luck brings everything to a close with a Johnny Cash styled rhythm and an attitude that sees life as something to stand up to and not get kicked around – the band really pulling out all the stops on an up-tempo workout and some lyrics that you won’t hear on the radio.  

Jo Stamm is certainly working hard at building a lasting career, leading his band of road warriors and delivering an album rooted in all-American storytelling and guitar-driven swagger. An Excellent debut.

Review by Paul McGee

Breanne Marie & The Front Porch Sinners Juniper Self Released

The Duluth, Minnesota singer/songwriter released her debut album in 2013 and since then put together her band The Front Porch Sinners, whose name suggests the blend of acoustic and electric elements in their sound. The former is exemplified by the fine fiddle playing of Kailyn Spencer and Kyle Gondick Anderson’s upright bass, who also adds electric bass to other tracks here. The latter is given rein by Evan Tepler’s electric guitar and Johnny ‘Blaze’ Peterson on pedal steel. Chris Petrack handles percussion, Matthew Sjelin plays piano and Matthew Leibfried contributes trumpet on occasions. The band are led by Breanne Marie Tepler, who also plays some trumpet and acoustic guitar, while delivering some delicate and melodic folkish vocals. She is the writer of all the songs featured, except for one song from outside songwriter Kirk Kjenaas, the atmospheric Dead Man Walking. 

The self-written songs are a reflection on some darker and sadder moments, including the recent death of her brother. But there are wider themes also, such as the break-up of a relationship in Between You And Me. There is melancholy elsewhere with Too Tired To Cry, a song that relocates the coldness of grief with the weather in Minnesota. The song also reflects on the loss of close family members which finds her “Chasing ghosts again this week / looking for you in my sleep.” Hard Time is about trying to ease a lasting personal pain that seems deeper than before. Equally there is sense of love and hope in Love Is A Song and the need to embrace those relationships that are positive and life affirming, despite any obstacles that might arise.

The album was postponed during the pandemic, which gave Tepler some additional time to review the songs before they were recorded. Having recently become aware of ways to incorporate the highs and lows associated with lockdown into the writing process, something that gives the album that balance between the positive and negative. This is also tempered by the Minnesota climate and landscape. The title relates to the juniper tree’s ability to survive in a sometimes harsher landscapes.

The album opens with Central Hillside ’91 and it sets the tone for what follows with its energy and relationship between the then and the now. It is something of a standout track as is the song Dead Man Walking, which has an intro of guitar, drums and trumpet and has a touch of the soundtrack about it, with lyrics dealing with the dark and metaphysical nature of the protagonist. 

JUNIPER is an album that has grown on me as I got further acquainted with the songs and the notable playing of the band and may find some favour with Zoe Muth and Eilen Jewell fans.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Shootouts Bullseye Soundly

Great songs, great picking, great singing - so says producer Chuck Mead of this new album from The Shootouts. “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?” you might say, but in this case Mead has hit the bullseye. He is in a pretty good place to judge, taking into account his pivotal role in bringing honky-tonk back to Lower Broadway in Nashville with BR 549, and their following track record as well as in his varied solo releases alongside his work as a producer. 

The band are now releasing their second album and, as with the previous debut release, it is a cracking example of honky tonk which balances the sound of the traditional retro country, revitalised for the needs of today. Not that it will find it easy to fit in with the current mainstream consciousness and radio formats. However, it has a basis that is essentially timeless in having a good time, hitting the dance floor - or kitchen floor if you can’t get out to do that. The Shootouts are Ryan Humbert, who handles the lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Emily Bates on harmony vocals, bassist Ryan McDermott, Dylan Gomez on drums and lead guitarist Brian Poston. They have some notable guests on board, including pedal steel maestro Al Moss, Renae Truex on fiddle, Micah Huscher on keyboards and Mr. Mead himself steps out of the control room, for a couple of songs on acoustic guitar and harmony vocals. All in all, an impressive team who deliver the goods.  

This time out the tracks are all written by the team of Humbert (4), featured player Al Moss (6) and one from Brian Poston, as well as a Humbert/Moss/Shannon cowrite Waiting On You. There are many highlights of which Rattlesnake Whiskey is one of the first. It’s all about that first taste of whiskey and what it can subsequently lead to. Hurt Heartbroke sounds like a track that BR 549 would have done back in their day, a steaming rockabilly-styled rocker. The title track is a twangy fast-paced guitar and pedal steel fuelled instrumental from Poston. Everything I Know is a throwback to the 90s and has a persistent melody that gets the toes tapping and the memories of other great tracks from that era . I Still Care and Forgot To Forget are classic heartbreak and lost love songs, the former is delivered with a sold beat and the latter is a slow steel drenched weeper. Here Comes The Blues is Bakersfield Buck through and through. All these tracks highlight the versatility of Humbert’s strong and varied vocal ability, which is backed up by Bates’ harmony vocals throughout. This allows the band to enhance the sterling contribution of the sound with some fine and dexterous playing.

In the end it is pretty much as Mead has described it, with a fun cover in the same spirit as their first album QUICK DRAW, designed, alongside his musical duties, by Ryan Humbert, with a knowing nod to pulp western paperback covers and B-movie cowboy poster graphics. This is a rewarding album on a number of fronts and one that will entertain those who like their country music to have a Janus head atop a cowboy shirt. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

West Of Texas Heartache, Hangovers & Honky Tonks Planet Valley Ranch

Certainly one of the most entertaining on-the-money straight down the line honky-tonk albums I have had the pleasure to hear in recent times. Those of us seeking the real deal will know a wide range of independent artists whose recordings still believe in the old school sounds that emanated from the dancehalls and honky tonks over the last eighty years or so. The title alone of this album will set your expectations up and it doesn’t disappoint. In the main this is the work of Jerry Zinn and a bunch of equally enthusiastic and talent players who support Zinn’s songs and vision. He has written the majority of the material himself, as well as having a hand in the additional three co-writes.

Zinn was also involved in the production alongside Rich McCulley, Jason Eoff and Jeremy Long. The latter also contributes some vibrant Telecaster twang as well as baritone and pedal steel guitar. However, that’s not all, as he also adds bass, piano, accordion and cabasa. There are others supporting players of note here including the excellent guitarist Dave Gleason (on two tracks) - a fine artist in his own right. Jordan Shapiro and Gary Brandon are both featured on pedal steel on selected tracks. The rhythm section is ably handled by bassist Dale Daniel and Erik Herrera on drums. Not to mention the contributions from and Rob King, Rich McCully, Robert Black and David Serby (another performer with his own solo albums). Finally, the fiddle is played by Dan Weinstein and Phil Gleen. It’s a large cast indicating that the album was recorded at a number of different sessions and times over the last few years, considering this there is a consistency overall that might suggest otherwise. 

The theme of these songs fits neatly into what you expect on album of this title. The lyrical content is riddled with loss, loneliness, regret and, perhaps, the inevitable alcoholic intake that either seeks absolution or oblivion. The latter is front and centre from the opening song My Whiskey Life and recurs in Watchcha Drinkin’ and 12 Steps To Drinkin’. The cause of a lot of this consumption is the loss of a good/bad woman. The two inevitably collide too, hence If You Were In My Shoes, Cheatin’, Drinkin’ Hurtin’ and The Sound Of My Heart Breakin’ (there ain’t no g’s around these parts). Another topic that reflects a life lived under the rules of a maintaining a honky tonk lifestyle is Dead End Job Blues. Particularly notable as an immediate standout, in what is a pleasurable listening experience from start to finish, The Cost Of Lovin’ You. As is the accordion-fronted paean to a local red-headed girl that is Bayou Boy. It is not only is about a sense of lust, but it is one delivered with a sense of that Louisiana locality. Sign Of A Broken Heart and If You Were In My Shoes are another couple melodically memorable tracks. But as already noted, this fine album is full of beer-assisted genuine country dance floor moments. that may, right now be restricted to the comfort of your own home.

Much of the effectiveness of this album is down to Zinn’s vocal ability and his lyrics, which sound as though they could have been written and recorded by many of the masters of the genre over the last seventy years or more. This is a honky-tonk delight, from the retro styled-cover back and front (by Stroughton Old Style Record Jackets - where Zinn holds down a day job), to the album and song titles and the contributions of all the players alongside Zinn’s central vision. An album that comes from west of Texas to the waiting world.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

David Miner Silver Valley Potholes

David Miner’s third album is proof positive that one doesn’t have to hail from the USA’s Deep South to make good country music. Traditional country themes of relationships (good and bad), rural stories and social concerns, and closeness to nature are explored in thirteen original songs on this expertly self produced record. Originally from Seattle, Miner has put down roots in Colorado state, from where he has pursued his early love of traditional country music combined with admiration for songwriters such as John Prine and Guy Clarke. 

Too Fast starkly recounts the decay of small towns that is all too common right across rural America - ‘now this town is just a gift shop and a place to pump your gas’- the mournful atmosphere appropriately evoked by Miner’s acoustic and electric guitar, and little else is needed along with his clear tenor vocal. The title track is a story song along the same theme - the dichotomy of the initial prosperity of mining towns and the legacy of irreversible damage to both the workers and the environment, that remain long after the mining companies have rolled out. 

The classic line-up of drums, bass and guitars are the basis for many of the well-constructed songs, be that honky tonk tales of outlaws (Virginia Dale, Hanging Me In Abilene) or the traditional  country ballads Dreaming of Montana and Silver Valley. Special mention must be made of young Colorado fiddle player, Jackson Earles, whose prowess on his instrument belies his youth (he’s not yet 20 years old). From a bluegrass background, his playing here is reminiscent of Scarlet Rivera on Dylan’s DESIRE - a great choice for these songs, and I reckon that’s not the last we will hear of this fiddle prodigy. 

Review by Eilís Boland 

J. Tex Neon Signs & Little White Lines Heptown

The veritable J Tex (Jens Einer Sorensen) has a good number of albums under his belt going back to 2006, released under the name of J. Tex & The Volunteers. Though he was born in Detroit he grew up in Denmark and spent time touring and playing around Europe and in the USA, including time in Nashville and other towns and cities, seeking his musical roots while all the time playing and writing songs along the way.

This album was recorded in Sweden’s End Studios in a raw and old-time fashion. The players included Tex, bassist Frank Borgaad and Thyme Van Dassen on fiddle. They were joined for some tracks by drummer Julian Guedj and Benny Pedersen on steel guitars. Tex gives these rerecording of tunes from his back catalogue a stripped back delivery, that suggests earlier times but with something of a contemporary edge. There is also some newer material included in the twelve selections. Tex has been a nominee on numerous occasions in the DMA Folk Awards and has garbed respect for his work through the years. 

His name and music (in the press release) are linked with a number of the distinguished and influential songwriters in country/folk territory, as well as some of those currently inheriting that mantle. However, while his music here is not as forceful or immediately memorable as some of these other artists it is deeply rooted in that enquiring spirit and has much to keep the listener involved. There are lyrics, such as those in the opening song Broken Rose, which deal with the inevitable relationship dilemma. Sometimes I Fell Like An Angel equally looks at the human failings and losses. While Way Down In The Country has a darker tone, with its opening lines offering that the protagonist considers his options after some unexplained adventures, “Woke up this morning / With a pistol in my hand / It had fired 3 rounds / It didn’t make any sense / I found myself quite amazed by the fact that I was still alive.” The title song deals with travel, gigging and the restlessness of the troubadour. His voice, like his features, have been ingrained with the patina of living and surviving. The songs document that experience with an authenticity that is only gained in time. Waiting For A Train is a song that would fit alongside any number of acknowledged fine worded train songs.

The band and Tex work in harmony to give these songs a simplicity that enhances the substance of the material in a way that feels like a live concert in a small intimate venue. Naturally, given these times, Tex has been playing in Denmark recently and is more likely to be known there than he may be in other parts of Europe, the UK and Ireland. This is my first encounter with his music although I am aware that there is a long tradition of roots/country in Scandinavia and around that whole region. Artists who have been gaining ground, recognition and followers around the world. J. Tex can be added to that list and offer a balance to some of the more concurrent and broader ranging musical acts from that region. Yet his music is equally a part of that rich seam that is ready to be dug.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Heath Cullen Springtime In My Heart 5by9

I have to admit that Heath Cullen was not an artist who had previously featured on my radar. But after a first listen I was captivated by his music. That the album was produced by Joe Henry was an added incentive to give it some listening time. Cullen hails from Australia and has previously released three albums, the most recent in 2015 OUTSIDERS which was recorded with Elvis Costello’s band The Imposters. Cullen produced that album, which was recorded in Australia, but on this occasion, he has made the choice, a pretty good one, to hand those duties over to Henry. This time they worked at a studio in Los Angeles. Again, as with the last album, the musicians are a tight knit unit of Adam Levy on guitars (with Cullen), the rhythm section of Jay Bellerose and Jennifer Condos and Levon Henry adding reeds alongside Patrick Warren’s keyboards as required. They recorded essentially live over three days. Pete Min handled that process along with the mixing. These are players who do not need to show off, on the contrary their role is to add (or subtract) in the context of each songs’ requirements, that in the end adds much to the song and its story.

The arrangements are full of texture and astuteness, that add much to the overall sense of the song. The Song That I Know is enhanced by slightly discordant reeds and percussive embellishments. The words here were written by Henry, the remaining songs are Cullen’s alone, bar the inclusion of T-Bone Burnett’s Kill Switch which closes the album. It acknowledges the differences that lead to decisions in life and whether they involve the need for money, fame or just love of the game. They offer a vision that is full of intrigue and introspection. Cowboy Truths (dedicated to Sam Shepard), takes the unwritten cowboy code and gives it a new plain to roam. “A cowboy must / always be kind / kind of word / and kind of deed.” Sturdy sentiments that may not have been adhered to as often as one would have liked, but a true path to follow nonetheless. The Song Always Remembers, to these ears, has a certain Irish quality. A philosophical keynote that reasons that “Every saint and every liar / will lead a verse at the final fire,” implying that we all lead the lives we are given in different circumstances. These lyrics indicate that Cullen is an engaging wordsmith who, while having something to say, doesn’t need to overstate (or overwrite) to make his point. This is something that Henry’s production understand and underscores with his characteristic diligence and dedication.

Cullen has a commanding vocal stance that is solid and adaptable to the needs of the songs. It is the central to what’s on offer here, without needing to be self-indulgent, in many ways in the same frame of fellow singer/songwriter such as Henry himself or others like Jeffery Foucault. Artists who are about better their craft and leaving a lasting mark, that is not dependent of sales or media fame to thrive. Something that is echoed in that T-Bone Burnett lyric.

The album was recorded in a number of first and second takes to keep the spontaneity that occurs when the recording is not overthought or multi-layered. Likening the process to having an unscripted conversation, rather than one that has lost much of the first take energies. That energy flows through the album and the pairing of the producer artist and player are a perfect match for all concerned. That includes the listener who can’t fail to take in the artistry and humanity involved. Kudos to all involved in an album we can all take to heart.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Melissa Carper Daddy’s Country Gold Self -Release

It’s hardly surprising that Melissa Carper’s music lands somewhere between the country trilling of Kitty Wells and the jazz crooning of Billie Holiday. DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD has the hallmark of a childhood exposed to her parents’ record collection of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash albums, followed by delving into the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole while on a music scholarship at the University of Nebraska.

Carper is a vocalist and upright bass player with a number of strings to her bow. The album takes its title from her nickname ‘Daddy’, acquired from her bandmates in her early career, earned by her history of taking care of business on their behalf.  Those bandmates include Beth Chrisman and Jenn Miori, who together with Carper, are members of The Carper Family, the Austin acoustic trio that have been performing old country and jazz, bluegrass and Western swing for over a decade. She’s also a member of Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy and a founding member of the roots duo Buffalo Gals, alongside Sad Daddy bandmate Rebecca Patek.

This album was recorded at The Bomb Shelter Studio in Nashville, where Carper surrounded herself with the cream of local session players. Household names such as Chris Scruggs (guitar and pedal steel), Jeff Taylor (keys), Matty Meyer (drums) and Billy Contreras (fiddle), were all selected by Dennis Crouch of The Time Jumpers, who alongside Andrija Tokic (Hurrah For The Riff Raff, Alabama Shakes) produced and engineered the album. Other notables that guest on the album are Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell and Lloyd Green. Although she is an outstanding upright bass player, Carper delegated bass duties to Crouch to allow her to concentrate entirely on perfecting her vocal delivery. 

Smouldering tracks Almost Forgot About You, I’m Musing You, Many Moons Ago and The Stars Are Aligned recall smoke filled rooms back in the 1940’s and candle lit tables occupied by couples in dinner jackets and evening dresses. On the opposite side of the spectrum the high-spirited Back When, You’re Still My Love, My Old Chevy Van and It’s Better That You Never Know offer widescreen panoramic scenes of dusty small-town honky tonks in the 1950’s.

The sweet voiced creator of all twelve tracks on the album, Carper manages to shift effortlessly between musical modes and genres on this timeless gem.

Review by Declan Culliton

William The Conqueror Maverick Thinker Chrysalis

Newquay U.K. based three-piece William The Conqueror’s 2019 release BLEEDING ON THE SOUNDTRACK managed to replicate the dynamic sound, in the studio, of a band hailed for their live shows. That album was recorded in the U.K. and produced by the renowned Ethan Johns.

MAVERICK THINKER, their third studio album, found vocalist and guitarist Ruarri Joseph, bassist Naomi Holmes and drummer Harry Harding heading Stateside to Sound City Studios in Los Angeles for the recording. Following in the footsteps of Johnny Cash, Neil Young and Nirvana, who all recorded in the legendary studio, the end product continues the band’s upward spiral and will most likely further their reputation, not just at home in the U.K., but also further afield. Joseph Lorge (Bob Dylan, Dawes, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief) was at the controls and has also successfully recreated their live sound with a powerful production.

The formula that worked so well on BOTS has not been abandoned, but here comes across as more concise and clinical than its predecessor, while retaining the band’s customary groove.  

Shades of Chuck Prophet emerge on the perky Wake Up, thumping drums and bass lines are nestled alongside Joseph’s piercing guitar. The Deep End conjures up memories of Dr.Feelgood at their raunchiest. Move On opens the album in the band’s trademark mid-tempo grungy style. At the other end the album closes with the title track. Weighing in at just under seven minutes, it showcases Joseph’s capacity to pen introspective and considered narratives and the band’s capacity to bring those lyrics to life. A slow burner at the onset, it grows mid song instrumentally with sweeping accordion and piano joining in to dramatic effect.

Call it roots, blues, alt-rock or whatever label you want to paste on it, the album’s essence is its ability to embrace the best elements of all of those genres. The bottom line is a killer album and one that you really need to seek out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Loretta Lynn Still Woman Enough Legacy

Fifty years since the release of COALMINER’S DAUGHTER, country royalty Loretta Lynn has released her 50th studio recording, which excludes her numerous duet albums with Conway Twitty.  Like her two previous recordings WHITE CHRISTMAS BLUE (2016) and WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT (2018) the album was, in the main, recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with the production overseen by John Carter Cash and Loretta’s daughter Patsy Lynn Russell.

The album offers thirteen tracks and includes a number of reworked landmark songs from Loretta’s seventy year plus career. Also included are Hank Williams’ I Saw The Light and A.P. Carter’s Keep On The Sunny Side, both tracks being by artists that inspired her and opened her heart to country music.  Guests that joined her in the studio include Margo Price, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Tanya Tucker.

Remarkably for an artist approaching eighty-nine years old, her voice is still imposing, disciplined and instantly recognisable. She does get some help from Reba Mc Entire and Carrie Underwood on the title track, which is a new song co-written by Loretta and Patsy Lynn Russell and enjoys the same title as her autobiography, written nearly twenty years ago. Elsewhere Margo Price plays a blinder, joining in on One’s On The Way, the Shel Silverstein song immortalised by Loretta back in 1971.

Her very first single I’m A Honky Tonk Girl gets a makeover and another survivor of decades in the industry, Tanya Tucker, fittingly contributes to another Loretta standard, You Ain’t Woman Enough. Coalminer’s Daughter is simply recited in the spoken word with nothing but Matt Combs’ banjo picking in the background. 

As you would expect the accompanying playing on the album is of the highest standard. Numerous contributors are credited including Pat McLaughlin, Randy Scruggs, Robby Turner and Matt Combs, to name but a few. However, the real winner is the delivery of the songs by Loretta, who graces the album’s cover in full regalia, looking every bit the undisputed Queen of Country, which she has been for decades.

Review by Declan Culliton

Cristina Vane Nowhere Sounds Lovely Self Release

Currently based in Nashville, NOWHERE SOUNDS LOVELY is a most impressive debut album from singer songwriter, slide guitar and clawhammer banjo player Cristina Vane.

Born in Italy, Vane arrived in America to attend Princeton University having lived in Italy, England and France. Growing up in Europe, her childhood and teen years were spent studying classical vocals, music theory, piano and flute.  Her relocation to America found her also developing the skills of fingerpicking acoustic and slide guitar, alongside clawhammer banjo. Enthralled by country blues picking and old folk guitar styles, she moved to Los Angeles after college, where she worked at the noted Mc Cabe’s Guitar Shop. During her time there she became increasingly absorbed by old style guitar styles and country blues and perfected her own fingerstyle guitar style under the tutorship of acclaimed guitar teacher Pete Steinberg.

Having gained experience and confidence playing small venues in L.A., Vane decided to take her act on the road and headed on a five-month solo tour across America. In the main she booked gigs anywhere she could, often with the help of contacts she had made from her Instagram page. That experience and the opportunity to study local musical traditions and customs first hand was a game changer for Vane, who confesses to have known very little about country, old time and bluegrass music prior to her travels in the American South. Having previously been motivated to write songs from emotional and relationship perspectives, the whole experience opened up a treasure chest of writing opportunities for her. Out of her encounters and observations came the inspiration for NOWHERE SOUNDS LOVELY.

The album was recorded in Nashville, where Vane worked alongside Grammy award winning drummer and producer Cactus Moser. The album was engineered by Rodney Dawson and also features Dow Tomlin on bass, Nate Leath on fiddle and Tommy Hannum on pedal steel.

Describing herself as ‘a rock kid who is obsessed with old music’, Vane is undoubtedly a fast learner as she sounds like a veteran on an album that delivers twelve impressive tracks, traversing between traditional roots, delta and country blues and also rocks out on occasion. Badlands, the first single from the album, showcases Vane’s bottleneck slide guitar skills, behind her equally impressive layered vocals. She switches to clawhammer banjo and sounds every bit as dramatic on the acoustic Will I Ever Be Satisfied?  The melodic Blueberry Hill is a catchy blues driven folk romp and she lets her hair down on the rocky Dreamboy.

A technically gifted musician and blessed with a striking voice, this album finds Cristina Vane combining those skills with a hugely accomplished portfolio of songs, forged from both traditional and modern country roots. A highly recommended listen.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kaurna Cronin Aloft In Blue Self Release

Album number six for this Australian artist with a strong work ethic and a sense for steering his own career along increasingly successful lines. All the songs here were written by Cronin and recorded last year with a small group of musicians. Cronin is concerned with the internal and external on this collection of songs, the state of our mental health and the way in which we navigate through the world around us.

The fragile nature of everything is the key message on tracks, Glass Road and Sucker For That, with concern for the future and how we are living. A theme that is visited on All the Years To Come and our tendency to live on autopilot, with a look at city life versus the quiet calm of nature. Embracing life and trying to live in the moment is something that we all aspire towards and songs, Sweet Chardonnay and Roses Can Be Blue, capture this sentiment. The urge to hide feelings and our true selves in an uncaring world is tackled on The Part Of Me I l Let You See and the abstract reality of time and the passing days is tackled on Wishing On Forever. The contemporary Folk sound is mixed with some interesting departures, such as synthesiser sounds as part of the overall mix but the playing of Kiah Gossner (bass), Tom Kneebone (electric guitars), Matt Morison (piano, organ, synths) is rooted in a tight ensemble approach that anchors the arrangements.

Cronin displays his talents on guitars, synthesisers, drums, percussion, piano and harmonica, plus all vocal parts. He is joined by Lauren Henderson on backing vocals and hopefully the somewhat pessimistic message in tracks like, The Dead Things Grow, Aloft (How Far Will This Grow) and Give Your Love To A Stranger, where destructive behaviour leads to its own life lessons, is something that we can all rise above as we move forwards in these uncertain times.

Review by Paul McGee

The Mystix Can’t Change It Self Release

This band formed in 2002 and has five prior releases. They walk a line that separates Americana, Blues and Gospel leanings with a raw, pared down sound and a vocal delivery that is very reminiscent of Roger Chapman, once lead singer in Family, a band from way back when. Not such a bad thing, as the passion that is present in the voice of Jo Lily is very impressive when coupled with the guitar histrionics of dual players, Duke Levine and Bobby B Keyes. They share a great dynamic on these tracks across an array of six-string instruments, driving the arrangements and regularly colouring the melody with understated touches.

 It’s full-frontal attack on Jumper On the Line (RL Burnside) and Wouldn’t Mind Dyin’ (traditional) with the band firing on all cylinders. Marty Ballou on upright bass and producer Marco Giovino on drums and percussion, sit nicely in the pocket and provide the perfect accompaniment on all song styles with Tom West lifting the arrangements on B3, Hammond and piano.

Bottle Of Whiskey and I Can’t Change It (Frankie Miller), Backstreet Girl (Jagger/Richards) and Ain’t Gonna Cry (Byers/Yuro) all display a more stripped back sound with originals included, such as the Gospel groove of That’s All, That’s All, or the gentle Country melody of Let’s Get Started, showing a rich talent at play. Carrie is another original that has an acoustic feel to the laid-back arrangement, with accordion and restrained guitar parts a highlight. 

The slow Blues of Going To the River (Jimmy Reed) is a real joy with Kathleen Parks guesting on fiddle and Dreamers Holiday (Wayne/Gannon) showing the ability to cover a traditional pop standard in the style of Willie Nelson, who also recorded the tune previously. The production by Giovanni is flawless, given his reputation with stellar artists such as Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Nora Jones, the North Mississippi All Stars, Charlie McCoy and B.J.Cole.

A very enjoyable collection and superbly delivered. Perhaps a few more original compositions next time out and not so many cover songs? These guys can really play and don’t need to be seen as a covers band as opposed to building their own signature sound. 

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Anna Elizabeth Laube  Annamania  CRS

What happens when an artist uses the impact of lockdown to revisit her body of work and assess the previous output through a current lens? Well, what you get is a 13-track retrospective from a singer, song-writer who has, for the last fifteen years, been following her muse and creating songs that are a joy to discover.

With four prior releases to draw from, plus some additional work for film, tv and advertising, this compilation includes tracks from each album, with a total of seven taken from her latest two, Anna Laube (2015) and Tree (2016). As compilations go, this one sits very comfortably in terms of consistency, with the easy flow of the selections complimenting each other and finding their own place in the well-chosen running order.

The opening songs, Sweet Boy From Minnesota and Time To Move On (Tom Petty), are concerned with leaving; the first, an optimistic look at departing the Midwest as a youth in search of fresh experiences and wishing her boyfriend all the best – the second, an older and wiser person leaving a more recent relationship. The beautiful arrangement of this Tom Petty cover is so perfectly judged in terms of instrumentation, with John Turman guesting on French horn and Anna on softly delivered vocal and sweetly understated piano. It sets a strong mark for what follows, with songs about new beginnings, meeting future lovers or just being in the moment and enjoying the essence and rapture of it all. There are also darker songs about letting go and having to reflect on lessons learned with the wonderful Please Let It Rain In California Tonight, capturing both prayer and plea for the world to right itself and fulfil all the wishes that are sent out to the universe. Of course, such naiveté could never be and the tag line alludes to the fact that in never really rains in California. Superbly crafted song writing.

Handling all production, song arrangements and a talent on quite an array of instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, bass, banjo, drums, percussion, organ, Laube presents a relaxed persona with a leaning towards light, bright and breezy compositions.   The New Orleans jump blues sound of Oh My! (Oh Me Oh Me Oh My) is quite addictive, as is the light jazzy feel of  Sunny Days and the acoustic charm of new song, Jardim da Estrela, a park in Lisbon, Portugal that hints at new romance with the accordion playing of Chris Joyner particularly memorable. There is acoustic blues on Beautiful Boy and the feeling of being in deep with your lover, while Hippie Boyfriend has a hypnotic walking bass line from Ben Ferris and great drumming from Riley Sattler, with terrific electric guitar and harmonica licks included.

The pedal steel on All My Runnin’ by Dan Tyack is very memorable in the overall country-tinged arrangement and the blues vocal on If You Build It is right out of the Bonnie Raitt school of love gone bad. The atmospheric groove to I’m Gone is another gem, with Anna providing all instrumentation to a song that featured on Netflix show, Locke & Key. Closing track, Tree, is an ode to youth and impermanence, both locked in her memory of growing up in Iowa and the sense that everything returns to the beginning somehow.  

This is a very rewarding album and one that I highly recommend to those who enjoy quality music. It will appeal to both old fans and new.

Review by Paul McGee

Jaimee Harris The Congress House Sessions Ruby White

This new release has seven tracks taken from the 2018 debut, RED RESCUE, revisited by Jaimee Harris, with a group of musician friends, at the famous Congress House studio in Austin, Texas. The songs stay close to the originals, just pared back a little, with no drums or additional tracking for the most part. Harris has never been afraid to examine personal issues and included are confessional songs that look into her past and merit full praise for her honesty in tackling issues such as depression, substance abuse and issues of the heart, that include betrayal and self-doubt. Far from the songs dragging down the listener, the performance and passion in both the playing and the vocals create an uplifting experience. Jaimee has a great vocal tone and delivery, full of attitude at key points and laced with gentle delicacy at others. 

The playing is quietly subtle and the harmony voices dove tail nicely into what is a glimpse at how these songs were originally created.  Jaimee stars on acoustic guitar and vocals, while a supporting cast of Kris Nelson and Jane Ellen Bryant (backing vocals), Brian Patterson (electric guitar), Sammy Powell (piano), Ray Bonneville (harmonica) and co-producer Mark Hallman (piano), add warm tones to the melodies and song arrangements.

Catch It Now is a personal manifesto to rise above any anxiety and self-doubt and just go and grab life by the balls, “I’m Gonna Jump Right In / And I May Not Live A Righteous Way / But I’ll Try To Never Hide My Soul Away From Anyone Ever Again.” Spot on in affirmation and attitude.

Red Rescue recounts a story that involved an old friend who took Jaimee home to have dinner with his family and the crazy scene that greeted them. Fake is self-admonishment and a sense of imposter syndrome, ‘I Woulda Loved You Honey, If You Would Have Believed In Me, I Would Change For Something Good, I Think I Could.’  

As her career continues to develop, Jaimee Harris has overcome some childhood doubts and fears and Snow White Knuckles recounts a past journey that involved rehab, issues of faith and self-preservation against  the odds, “Well, I Never Thought I’d Draw A Sober Breath / I Always Thought I’d Be A Wreck / Always Figured I’d Have Nothin’ Left.”

Depressive State frames her past battles and her wish to break free of the cycle of depression and to continue to step into the light, “Is it forever, in my mind prisoner / Will I be okay, will I ever be okay / And not someone that everyone hates.”

Damn Right is a story song about an ex-lover who quits, leaving his partner with a baby on the way, “And If He Grows Up Just Like You, Honey / I’ll Know Who To Call,” while Creatures looks at the weakness of desire and the consequences of surrender to the forces at play in a relationship.  

Again, a strong statement from this very talented artist who impresses throughout and who can look forward to continued success along her chosen path.

Review by Paul McGee

Steve Mayone Mayone Mayone Music

An experienced artist/producer who has taken hold of the lockdown period and written some new music to add to his impressive catalogue of recordings. Living in Brooklyn and using his home studio, Mayone has drawn from the inspiration he originally felt on hearing Paul McCartney’s first solo album in 1970, to deliver a similar lo-fi project. The thirteen-track release mirrors McCartney’s home recording approach, even if it contains a few more instrumentals, with five short inclusions. The entire album clocks in at only twenty-seven minutes which is a welcome relief in these times of overly long recordings. Brevity equals quality in this instance.

Unlike McCartney, Steve Mayone has used a few musician friends to add some layers to his homespun songs and despite his myriad talents on vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, lap steel, bass, drums and percussion, he has included Billy Beard on big drum, Tauras Biskis, Yuval Lion and Andy Plaisted on drums; Steve Sadler on guitar & synths; James Rohr on piano and organ; Jef Charland on upright bass; Mike Castellana on guitar and Martha Bourne on lap steel.

There are 2 co-writes with Matt Keating and all other songs are written by Steve Mayone, a graduate of Berklee College of Music in the 1980’s. He played in a number of bands in his early career, has always been in demand as a session player or producer and has released eight solo albums since 2004, including his Music For Film and Radio, a twenty-five-track compilation, covering input to independent films, television commercials and syndicated shows, which appeared in 2014.

The five instrumental tracks are all beautifully constructed, each lasting less than two minutes, with the atmospheric Underwater Cave and the gentle Sing Along Stuff, standing out. Airport Goodbyes is the longest track here, at almost four minutes, highlighting Mayone’s arrangement skills with the combination of banjo, piano and lap steel colouring the slow melody and subtle guitar parts.

There is a country feel on tracks, Like You’ve Never Been Away and Stuff, while the folk leanings on Missouri Loves Company and I’ll Take You As You Are, compliment perfectly. The blues tempo of Dragging Me Back is balanced with the rockabilly groove of Sweet Little Anchor in a very enjoyable mix of different styles, all overseen and executed with great aplomb by this talented musician. Worthy of your time.

Review by Paul McGee

Bobby Dove Hopeless Romantic Self-Release

Montreal born artist Bobby Dove has been steadily gaining attention in Americana and country music circles in recent years.  Dove’s fine debut album THUNDERCHILD, released in 2016, earmarked the singer songwriter as another name to add to the new generation of torch carriers for traditional honky tonk music. A number of bases were covered on that album which blended some crunching Americana numbers together with classic old school country. The intervening years have found Dove busy on the road playing festivals and showcase gigs alongside a host of household names such as Mary Gauthier, Richard Thompson, The Sadies and J.D. McPherson.

While many promising artists struggle with the ‘difficult second album syndrome’, the reverse is the case with HOPELESS ROMANTIC. The album finds Dove embracing the finest elements of old school traditional country and doing so with some aplomb.  The result is a collection of prime songs, confident vocal deliveries and most importantly, a cracking set of players to bring the songs to life. The icing on the cake is the slick production by Dove, with the assistance of Blue Rodeo’s Bazil Donovan, who also plays bass on the album and Tim Vesely of Rheostatics, who contributes tambourine. The other players Dove rounded up are some of Canada’s finest and collectively give the songs the same uplift that The Hot Band gifted Emmylou on her early albums. Those players are David Baxter on electric guitar, Jimmy Bowskill on violin and electric guitar, Burke Carroll on pedal steel, Michelle Joseph on drums and Steve O’Connor on keys. Jenny Whiteley adds backing vocals on a number of the tracks and Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy joins Dove by adding support vocals on the track Chance In Hell.

Tear jerkers, lost love and dubious life choices all get an airing, communicated impressively with vocals drenched in passion and sincerity.  While Dove possesses the skills to deliver up-tempo treasures such as Gas Station Blues and the title track, the more laid-back country ballads are every bit as imposing. Sometimes It’s A Lonely Road, Golden Years and Early Morning Funeral are ‘tears in your beer’ excellence.  The closer New Endings New Beginnings could have been plucked from the Tammy Wynette songbook and the previously aforementioned mid-tempo ballad duet Chance In Hell is honky tonk nirvana.

All in all, an excellent album and as pure a musical experience as there is. It’s also an album that, no doubt, will encourage newcomers to Bobby Dove’s music to also check out its predecessor. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings All The Good Times Acony

Recorded during lockdown last year, this collection of cover songs was released in July 2020 as a limited-edition handmade CD. Following the album’s 2021 Grammy nomination as Best Folk Album, it now sees the light of day as a full CD release, with revised artwork and packaging.

Covid-19 and the tornado that ripped the roof off their Woodland Studio in East Nashville last March kick - started a flurry of activity from Welch and Rawlings. Fortunately, the couple were able to salvage their equipment and master recordings from the studio. That near disaster and the potential loss of their recordings stimulated them to release some of their vintage archive recordings into the world. The result was the arrival of three albums of archived material titled BOOTS NO2 THE LOST SONGS VOLS.1,2 and 3.

What was somewhat unexpected was a covers album also surfacing. The skeletal recordings on ALL THE GOOD TIMES sounds as if Welch and Rawlings simply turned on the recorder on a typical weeknight, while they jammed some of their favourite songs, which is precisely what they did during lockdown by way of distraction. Interestingly it’s the first album in which Rawlings gets equal billing in the title. He takes the lead vocal on two Dylan covers, Senor and Abandoned Love and also leads out on the traditional song All Gone Times Are Past and Gone. Particularly impressive are the traditional songs which are given a makeover. The dark murder ballad Poor Ellen Smith and the love song Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss standout. Fittingly, John Prine, who passed away in April of last year, is remembered with the sorrowful Hello In There. A strikingly evocative song, documenting the passage of time, the selection is a touching tribute to an artist much admired by the duo.

For those starved of product for quite a while from the king and queen of old timey folk and country, ALL THE GOOD TIMES is a must have and a welcome addition to an absorbing back catalogue of recordings.

Review by Declan Culliton

Mary Stokes Band featuring Sarah Michelle Comin’ Home Self-Release

With eleven of the thirteen tracks recorded live in one session at Displace Studios in Dublin and the remaining two completed at Sonic Studios in Dublin, Mary Stokes and her band fully capture the raw and powerhouse sound so popular with her live audiences for the past twenty-five years. The initial recording acted as a rehearsal for a gig, with the selected material the actual set list for that show. Well-chosen covers, self-written material and remodelled traditional blues numbers all feature, the common denominator being the passion injected into them all.  The band members are Mary Stokes on vocals, Brian Palm on harmonica, Chris Byrne on bass, Robbie Barrett on drums and Dermot Stokes on piano. The latest recruit to the band is ace guitar player Sarah Michelle, whose input was her debut with the band. Shobsy O’Brien of local band State Lights also contributes vocals on a number of duets.

The self-written title track opens the album in fine style with Stokes’ rasping vocal and Palm’s piercing harmonica in fine fettle, in front of a driving rhythm section.  Classic selections included are the jazz standard Fine and Mellow, penned by Billie Holiday, which gets the full seven and three-quarter minute treatment, and Roll With The Punches, the title track from Van Morrison’s 2017 release. Bessie Smith’s At The Christmas Ball, previously released as a single by the band, gets a rootsy makeover and equally impressive is a storming rendition of the epic Story of Bo Diddley. Mixed by Pete Holidai and mastered by Joe Chester, the recording wholeheartedly captures exactly what Stokes and her band are all about. It seizes the passion, vitality, vigour and talent of a collective of players that seem to be enjoying every moment themselves.

Blues artists can often boast the enviable delight of sounding even better as the years march on. This certainly applies to Mary Stokes and her band and until we put this pandemic behind us and get out to hear smokin’ live music again, we have COMIN’ HOME to remind us of what we’re missing.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sean Burns & Lost Country A Bakersfield Half-Dozen Stringbreakin’

Better late than never - my vinyl copy of this 2020 release from Canadian Sean Burns took all of nine months to reach me, thanks to the you-know-what! So I think we’ll be forgiven for being a little late with this review - indeed Declan reviewed a more recent release (We Gotta Lotta Truckin’ to Do’) from the prolific Burns and his band Lost Country, in October last.

Continuing with his reverence for the Californian Bakersfield arm of country music, Burns and his band recorded this album live over two nights in their local Winnipeg country club, Times Change(d) High & Lonesome. You’d be hard pressed, however, to detect that this was recorded live as there isn’t a hint of audience/ambient noise to interfere with the clarity of the sound. Across seven tracks, Burns and his four piece band give it their all in reproducing six typical songs and one instrumental from musical trailblazers of the sound that became popular with ‘real America’ in the 50s and 60s.

Not being very familiar with this genre, the album sent me  scurrying back to check out the originals. Buck Owens is represented, not surprisingly, by three songs:-  the straightforward love song Above and Beyond (from the pen of Harlan Howard), the heartbreak of Playboy, and the two minute classic Truck Drivin’ Man. The pedal steel of ‘Skinny’ Dyck is prominent and adds to the melancholy on the sadder songs that highlight the misery of the life of the long-distance drivers, which came as a bit of a shock to this relative newbie to the sound. They don’t get much sadder than the tear jerker She Didn’t Color Daddy (a hit for Wynn Stewart) or the maudlin, though catchy, Merle Haggard classic Too Many Bridges To Cross Over. Burns does a good job of reproducing the vocal styling of his hero Buck Owens, and the playing throughout is stellar. 

You can also check out Burns’ weekly radio show on Winnipeg’s CKUW 95.9 for more of the same.

Review by Eilís Boland

Sara Petite Rare Bird JTM

Described as a genre blending Americana artist, the word outlaw is often linked to Sara Petite’s name, but in reality, that is because she has chosen to tread her own path. Even though, as often happens, that comes with comparisons to other strong female artists like Lucinda Williams, as well as to some of her like-minded contemporaries. The truth is that while there are reminders here of classic country, rockabilly and roots-rock, her amalgam of these influences has resulted in her defining her music in her own way. The one artist that came into mind as I listened was that of the similarly approached work of Rosie Flores. Given that she has released five previous albums from her debut, TIGER MOUNTAIN in 2006, LEAD THE PARADE (2008), DOGHOUSE ROSE (2010), CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN (2013) through to ROAD LESS TRAVELED (2016), you can be assured that Petite knows what she wants from her music and has learned how to get it.

Petite produced the album with Ben Moore, who also engineered the album. Initially she worked with David Bianco, a producer with whom she had a track record for past recordings, though they only got to work one song for this album project as Bianco passed away soon after the recording. That song The Misfits was, in many ways a summation of her music and ideals. The spirit of that song’s ethos pervades the rest of the album and the end result is one that all can be proud of. The listener can enjoy the album on a number of levels, from the immediate energy that many of the songs exude, to the title tracks more contemplative considerations of how life can give one strength to survive so much: “I’ve had triumphs / I’ve had tragedies / But I’m still standing through it all.” 

The players involved with the recording included Mike Butler on guitars, Steve Peavey on acoustic, electric and steel guitars, fiddler Bobby Furgo, percussionist Michael Kastner and the renowned Harry Stinson on vocal harmonies. All are solidly behind Petite given her the platform to perform and do these songs justice. The scope of the material runs from the harder roadhouse rockin’ of Crash, Band Boom, to the traditional influenced country of Floating With The Angles and to the realisation of how life imprints itself on one’s soul in Scars “I got scars / I wear like tattoos on my heart / Imprinted little lessons / Like a tortured work of art.” It’s just one example of Petite’s thoughtful reflections, turn of phrase and ability to tell a story with honesty. Medicine Man has some B3 organ as a key element which gives it something of a different feel. Keep Moving On adds a trumpet to the B3 to give the song something of a more nocturnal mood that is a statement of intent. In the final track Working On A Soul, Petite recognises that her spiritual development is an ongoing project. Something that this album shows to be a journey that can be beneficial to all and that is often a rare bird indeed.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Lauren Napier Mourning Moon Self Released

This self-released mini-album comes in cassette format as well as a self-decorated CD version. It was recorded by Napier in a pleasantly lo-fi and stripped back process which is often just voice and guitar but on occasion with some added elements. She is a poet, model and artist as well as a songwriter. The seven songs on the album engage with their directness and purity of vision. A blend of melancholy and melody is how she has aptly described these recordings. The songs have specific inspirations as has been noted, with St Charles Romance referring to a favourite location in Prague. Although Napier relates a love of such icons as Patsy Cline and a liking for the space of the soundtracks of spaghetti westerns, the nature of the songs in this format have hints rather than any direct references to either of those influences. She had realised that her music would not necessarily fit some of the accepted frameworks of the current state of country in the mainframe, although it still draws from elements of a more folk noir and traditional country sensibility.

I have listened to this now a number of times and still find there is an element of mystery in the songs intertwining of voice, guitar and melody. It was recorded by Tom Zwanger during a November full moon and he has aptly captured the essence of the songs. All contain interesting lyrical prose and some words that stand out like the intriguing one from Bedfellows “The priest was on time but the devil set his watch twice as fast.” The devil pulls a fast one in an unworldly romance. Then there’s the largely self-explanatory Cigarettes & Carefree Love, while Hiding From The Sound Of Fire was inspired by her time living in Berlin during riotous times. The remaining tracks are Put It On My Tab, Dirty Deeds and Chapters Of Lace. Whilst the process means that there is an overall similarity in the performance, it is the nuances of the songs that give them their individuality.

What I was reminded of from first listen was of an old favourite of mine which was the band Tarnation (once signed to 4AD) and their lead vocalist Paula Frazer. There was something in the quality of both voices that has a distinctive tone that is very effective. Not for everyone perhaps but still worth discovering this set of full moon fever recordings. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Domenic Cicala Come On Over (The Honky Tonk Duets) Tortured Artists

From the opening bars of the first song Loving Arms, you know you going to be embraced by a similar audio experience. The pedal steel that is prominent throughout lays out a stylistic road map that is rooted in the classic country duets of the past.To that you can add a sense of a definite love for these songs and for the project. The album in itself is nothing new; simply a set of songs performed in classic country duet style. However, it is an exercise in relaxed and resolute styling and making the right choice of song fro be covered. The warmth of Cicala’s voice set against a number of female duet partners who, alongside Cicala’s warm vocals, would tend towards the spotlight for the most part. Which is nothing against Cicala’s delivery, as he performs his part of the equation with aplomb.

He only began performing in a solo capacity, by all accounts, in the late 2000’s and released his first album (WHO’S FOOLIN’ WHO?) in 2014. Previous to that he had played in the Americana band Vincent 52. This project was recorded over a period of three years or so. That may account for the added sense of ease and comfort to the nine songs featured here. Cicala is a Washington DC based artist and has brought in many of the best roots musicians from the area to perform on the songs, not least Lynn Kasdorf on pedal steel and Gary Ferguson on guitars, to mention two among the other fine players featured. However, it is his chosen duet partners who will no doubt garner some attention here. They are BettySoo, Michelle Hannan, Rachel Harrington, Janine Wilson, Mindy Miller and Jaimee Harris. A collection of singers who each bring something considered and assured with their vocals and an understanding of the songs. So it seems unnecessary to highlight one singers contribution over another as they all work in context and feel compatible overall.

The songs are Loving Arms by Tom Jans (which has been recorded by many including Doby Gray), Drinking Too Much written by Fred Eaglesmith, both of which feature Michelle Hannan. Jaimee Harris joins in on the cover of the Tift Merritt/John Howie Jnr song If Only You Were Mine, originally recorded on a duet EP by the Two Dollar Pistols. I Want Out and Come On Over (the latter not the Shania Twain song but a country take on the Bee Gees song) find Cicala singing with Rachel Harrington. Mindy Miller is the partner on We Had It All which was written by Donnie Fritts and Troy Harold Seals for Waylon Jennings. Miller also features on the Sean Locke/Billy Montana song The Coldest Fire In Town, which was originally recorded by Pinmonkey with Elizabeth Cook.  Appropriately, the final song is another much covered and loved song.  The tender and fragile If I Needed You by Townes Van Zandt finds Janine Wilson as the duet ally on this one.

When listening to this album I felt, at first, that I would be making comparisons to other versions of these well-chosen songs, but instead I found myself just enjoying these songs for what they are. No doubt it is something of a side project but also a labour of love for Cicala and his friends. My only slight concern is that it would take a pretty sedate honky tonk setting to appreciate these songs as they are here. In your own home, or on the right jukebox in the right location though, they offer a very enjoyable thirty-five minutes of music to unwind to. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dean Owens The Burning Heart -The Desert Trilogy EP’s Vol.1 Songboy

With many strings to his bow and seldom without a very full workload, Edinburgh’s Dean Owens has four recordings due for release in the coming months. His album SINNER’S SHRINE, recorded at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, Arizona, with Calexico members Joey Burns and John Convertino, is due for an autumn release. The album was recorded prior to the arrival of Covid-19 and tracks from it are included on a three volume EP project titled DESERT TRILOGY that precedes the release of the full album. The EP’s will be released individually in March, May and July of this year. The songs that are included on the EP’s are a combination of material recorded during the album sessions and home recordings during lockdown, aided by long distance contributions by a number of Owen’s fellow musician friends.

2019 saw the release of Owen’s collaboration BUFFALO BLOOD, a project where he joined Neilson Hubbard, Audrey Spillman and Joshua Brit to record an album of songs exploring the migration of Native Americans from their homelands. The album was recorded outdoors in the New Mexico desert. Owen’s devotion to travel and the musical and writing inspirations offered to him by such voyages come very much to the fore once more on THE DESERT TRILOGY recordings. Fascinated in particular by the states of Arizona, New Mexico and California and their desert lands, the material conjures up scenes of ghostly celestial spheres, burning suns and scorching sands.

New Mexico previously featured on Owens’ debut album THE DROMA TAPES, in a quite skeletal format. The reconstructed version breathes new life into the song. With the Calexico team on board, Jacob Valenzuela on trumpet and complete with handclaps, it’s a sparkling affair. A similar styling repeats on the carefully measured and refined Here Comes Paul Newman, which was inspired by the classic film Hud and the spaghetti western soundtracks composed by Ennio Morricone. That cinematic critique is also perfectly captured on Riverline, where the atmosphere is further enhanced by nimble percussion and tuneful whistling. The final track Tombstone Rose is a tender-hearted ballad, its minimalistic approach features only vocals and nylon string guitar. Written during lockdown, its subject matter is a desert plant waiting for rain and rejuvenation. Its wider message suggests a reflection on the world we currently reside in and our own regeneration as we await liberation from the current pandemic.

Attractively packaged with a most impressive sleeve design, THE BURNING HEART is a mouth-watering taster for what we can look forward to from Owens’ recordings in the coming months and a pointer towards what is likely to be his most accomplished work to date.

Review by Declan Culliton

John Blek  Digressions#2 Grounded Warr

Written and recorded at home during COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, GROUNDED continues John Blek’s prolific recording output of recent years.  The album follows his DIGRESSIONS #1 LIVE AT STUDIOWZ, which he released last May. A ten-track album, it was recorded in Pembrokeshire, Wales in April 2019 and was a live recording, coming after four studio albums previously released by John in consecutive years.

The pandemic, and the enforced lifestyle changes that ensued, turned John’s attentions to subjects closer to home when composing this album’s material. Marrying his long-term soul mate Ciara O’Leary Fitzpatrick in July also opened a new chapter in the life for the Cork born folk singer. The result is an album of quite uplifting songs, openly honest and thought provoking. It’s also a diversion from his traditional skeletal recording style and finds him experimenting, quite successfully it has to be said, with a synthesiser and drum machine.

Simple homely delights surface on the punchy love ballad Right Moves, where walks in the woods, dances in the kitchen and singalongs to Van the Man are fondly recalled. A glorious summer, despite lockdowns and restrictions, is commemorated on Summer’s Lament.  Sage advice, imparted by his father who was also John’s best man at his wedding, is recounted in the spoken word My Father’s Son. It also reads as a reminder to himself of principles and ethics that he may himself need to utilise in the future. Like A Child is a ‘prodigal child’ type elegy and a reminder of doors that are never fully closed. The equally affecting Thin Air celebrates the liberation from anxieties, whether at present or in an afterlife. A similar theme emerges on the closing track Joy In Sorrow. A gentle ballad, it proclaims fond remembrance and celebration of a passing life, rather than sorrow and despair.   

More than anything else, GROUNDED is a joyful and introspective album. Vulnerability and sorrow emerge in the song writing but are ultimately conquered by optimism. The construction of the songs is certainly a change in direction for the composer, but the end result is every bit as satisfying as we’ve come to expect from this treasured songsmith.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Kimon Kirk Altitude Dos Kay

Los Angeles based musician, singer songwriter and producer Kimon Kirk has toured as a bass player with a lot of big hitters. Aimee Mann, Gaby Moreno, Alejandro Escovedo, Session Americana, Grant-Lee Phillips, Amy Correia, Sarah Borges, Jennifer Kimball and Kris Delmhorst have all offered him a seat on their tour buses over the years. Production duties for a host of artists such as Dennis Brennan, Lyle Brewer, David Champagne and Steve Shook have also added to his workload, alongside lecturing in songwriting and music performance at Berklee College of Music, Georgetown University and Boston University.

ALTITUDE is his first solo album in ten years, having released SONGS FOR SOCIETY in 2011 and it’s well worth the wait. Packed with melodic songs that make an instant impact on first listen, Kirk has coined a suite of songs that land somewhere between the 60’s countrified pop of The Byrds and the quintessential power pop of Big Star.

Tracks like Evergreen and Trampoline are breezy and beautifully constructed gems. They are also the opening two tracks of twelve on the album and they simply bombard the senses.  Sarah Borges adds backing vocals on the latter and also on the Jayhawks sounding The Girl I Used To Know. Kirk’s former employer Aimee Mann joins the party, adding her honeyed voice on the album’s stand out song Baby Who Knows, a song that she shared the song writing credits on. It boasts a melody and hooks that are impossible to shake off and demands a hit on the replay button. Kirk is equally comfortable with a lighter foot on the gas pedal with soothers like Halfway Right, the otherworldly What Do I Know and the retrospective My Old Neighbourhood.

Not surprisingly, Kirk self-produced the album and contributed vocals and guitar. His studio band that contributes to the fine sound throughout were Lyle Brewer on lead guitar, Jamie Edwards on keyboards, Jim Haggerty on bass and John Sands on drums.

There is hardly a weak moment on this album, which gifts the listener twelve sparkling and jaunty songs that resonate in the mind long after they have finished. An album that’s so easy to fall in love with.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Spencer Cullum Coin Collection Yewknee

In a city that can boast a wealth of homegrown gifted pedal steel instrumentalists, Londoner Spencer Cullum has established himself amongst Nashville’s finest players. A co-founder, with Jeremy Fetzer, of the instrumental space country duo Steelism, Cullum is also a member of Miranda Lambert’s band and has recorded with Dolly Parton, Andrew Combs, Caitlin Rose and Dylan Le Blanc.

His debut solo album’s origins are disclosed in its title COIN COLLECTION, which finds Cullum revisiting music and genres dear to his heart, of yesteryear. He has temporarily abandoned the sounds of his adopted home of Nashville, returning for influences to his birth country. The album’s direction visits the Canterbury Brit Folk of the late 60’s, together with scatterings of prog rock, jazz and krautrock.

Produced by Grammy winning producer Jeremy Ferguson (Lambchop, Nicole Atkins, Joshua Hedley) at his Battle Tapes Recording studio in Nashville, it features vocal contributions from neighbours Caitlin Rose and Erin Rae. Other members of that tight knit East Nashville musical community that also lend a hand are Andrew Combs, Sean Thompson and multi-instrumentalist Luke Reynolds.

The jaunty Tombre En Morceaux lands somewhere between Robert Wyatt and Caravan and Kevin Ayers, one of the mentors that inspired the album, comes to mind on the sweeping The Dusty Floor. He takes a detour from the U.K. to Germany and tips his hat to NEU! on the powerful instrumental Dietrich Buxtehude. The eight-track album closes with a cover of The Incredible String Band’s The Tree.  While remaining close to the original, it is enhanced by the addition of backing vocals in the chorus. Similarly enriched by accompanying vocals alongside those of Cullum’s is the ballad Jack Of Fools which opens the album.

Circling back to sounds more celebrated back in the 60’s and 70’s may very well be a diversion from the day job for Cullum. Regardless, it’s an intoxicating mix, probably best described as alt-folk, by an artist with more than one string to his bow. A delightful listen in its own right, it’s also likely to jumpstart a revisit to some of the classic music and artists that it brings to mind.

Review by Declan Culliton

Rod Abernethy Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore Self Release

On his impressive website, this artist defines himself as a southern troubadour, storyteller and solo guitar player. Somewhat short of the full story, as Abernethy has many more strings to his bow, including accolades as an award-winning composer for film, TV, and video games. He also creates steampunk robots from antique parts and found objects around his home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This new album is his third solo outing since 2018 and this time around Abernethy has used Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard and recorded the tracks at Skinny Elephant Recording, Nashville. The musicians involved, apart from Abernethy on guitars and vocals, are Will Kimbrough on additional guitars and mandolin, Michael Rinne on bass, Nielson Hubbard on drums, Dan Mitchell on piano, David Henry on cello and Mia Ernst on backing vocals, augmented by Hubbard, Kimbrough, Rinne. 

One of the songs on the album is a cover version of the Bob Dylan 1962 classic, Oxford Town, with a back story of entering it into a competition run by American Songwriter Magazine, where Abernethy won the grand prize. 

His fluent guitar style and finger picking dexterity are very prominent across all tracks but his deft touch as a lyricist of some perception may get lost in the overall mix to his many talents. Abernethy has a good balance of social commentary (Another Year and Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore) and personal perspective (My Father Was A Quiet Man and Just Around the Corner). He also pens a fun slice of life on Birds In the Chimney, turning frowns into smiles with a well observed tale. Again, on the wry look at self sabotage, It’s Always Something, he quips ‘It’s always something that I did, Or didn’t do.’ 

Get In the Car is a personal song that Abernethy wrote with his deceased brother in mind, imagining a conversation they would have around taking a road trip together. When Tobacco Was King is a commentary on the mass hypnosis that the corporate lies of 50’s and 60’s generations ingested from the tobacco industry and the way that history is repeating today with current vaping habits. There is a cover version of the John Mayer song, Changing, which suggests that being aware to the twists and turns of life will keep your options always open. There are two instrumentals included, both of which featured on the Without A Word release from last year. Over the Fence is light and breezy while Whiskey and Pie is more rhythmic with 12-string guitar creating a strong tempo. 

The life lessons handed down in the standout, My Father Was a Quiet Man, is a quality piece of writing, with memories of his own father giving him a first guitar, to their bonding in grief over the passing of his brother and the hopes he has for his own son as he grows. This is a very well-constructed release and certainly one that will enhance the already impressive reputation of Rod Abernethy. 

Review by Paul McGee

Andrew McConathy & the Drunken Hearts Alive ’n’ Free Self Release

This is a live album and takes in all three prior studio releases from this interesting band. There are thirteen tracks included and the running time is just short of an hour, so there is plenty to enjoy, including three new songs and dynamic interplay between McConathy on acoustic guitar and vocals, Alex Johnson on drums, Jon McCartan on bass, Cody Russell on pedal steel, lap steel, and dobro and Kory Montgomery on electric guitar and vocals. 

Produced by McConathy & Todd Divel at his Silo Studio in Denver, the tracks were recorded by sound engineer Taylor Hines during a 20-gig tour in late 2020 and then mixed and mastered. The sound is classic Americana with hints of the Allman Brothers woven through a number of the songs. The interplay between Montgomery and Russell is very much the driving dynamic in the band sound with the rhythm section of Johnson and McCartan providing a solid bedrock for the expressive soloing. McConathy has a vocal tone that carries the songs along a familiar path with good range and character in the delivery.

The absence of almost all crowd reaction is somewhat strange, given that this is a live album, with the fade out on the songs cutting most of this away. The live feel does shine through however with the band members displaying a polished, tight sound, with workouts on tracks like Fire In A House and In the Middle showing fine energy. The driving rhythm on Shining Eyes is built upon by Montgomery and Russell with some nice  guitar dynamics that excite. Title track of their last album, Wheels Of the City, slows things down and gives McConathy the space to deliver a soulful vocal performance.

There are a lot of references to the road, especially on earlier tracks, Tell Me, Happy, Unrest and Don’t Go, songs that speak of spinning wheels, going back home, lack of sleep and missing the girl; code of the road motifs. Black Snake introduces harmonica and a song that builds to a fine crescendo, with some great guitar driven, rhythmic solos. Want You Back is another up-tempo arrangement with great band dynamic and the twin guitar attack providing the fuel that drives the beat.  Prom Night is a cover song that has McConathy  singing strongly against the great bass lines of McCartan and the change of tempo, mid-song, allows for some interesting back-and-forth between the players when the arrangement picks back up again. A real highlight among many impressive tracks. 

Denver, Colorado has something in the air that produces a band of this quality and a live act that would be a joy to experience in full flow. 

Review by Paul McGee

Elvis Perkins Creation Myths MIR/Petaluma

Released in the final months of 2020, this is a peek inside the creative mind of an artist who has been active since the release of his debut album, back in 2007. Two subsequent releases, in 2009 and 2015, don’t really tell the story of this talented musician, who in recent years has been collaborating with his actor/director brother, Osgood, on film scores. One such project has been Blackcoat's Daughter which was released in 2017. Being the son of famous actor, Anthony Perkins, clearly exposed Elvis to much in the way of creative individuals and influences as he grew up. His family lineage includes fashion designers, art experts, astronomers, psychic mediums and actors. The fact that he was named after Elvis Presley gives insight into the dynamic at play and the shaping of a talent from an early age.

This album has many influences, taken from the wide panorama of music, and it’s hard to find a central sound to define the recording. There are Beatle-esque sweeps of melody and the use of horns is a constant throughout. Balanced with this is the evocative pedal steel sound on some songs and the psychedelic, dream-like backdrop for others like on Sing Sing, with its cryptic lyrics and broad message to just enjoy the moment and not let outside factors cramp your style. The use of strings and synth sounds swells the arrangement. Similarly, See Monkey, has a big production with grand horn sweeps and melodic drifts that channel 60’s Pop sounds.

Produced, engineered and mixed by Sam Cohen, who also plays bass, pedal steel, percussion and electric guitar; with Perkins on guitar, piano, sitar, harmonium, moog and singing duties, this is very much a twin project. Daydream sequences like that of I Know, You Know takes a skewed look at relationships and how separate we all are in our singular existence. Pedal Steel blends perfectly with the isolation. Mrs. & Mr. E hints at domestic conundrums and again the theme of separateness is explored with pedal steel echoing the distance between.

The gentle swoon of Iris is a love song to a special person who equates to the entire universe and all it contains; moons, suns, supernovas, islands, diamonds, black holes and cataract skies. On the other hand, Half Life is a song that reflects self-doubt and a reluctance towards commitment, ‘Half of the time, I think twice to myself, Am I halving the time of my life?’ Again, pedal steel plays a nice melody line with violin and piano enhancing the sound. The brass section returns for an almost vaudevillian arrangement on Promo and what seems to be a swipe at our automated ways of living, following the lure of retail therapy and numbing the pain in front of tv sports, drinking beer, while the corporate giants turn the screw on what to promote and sell as essential lifestyle purchases. It would fit nicely into any number of movies.

See Through is just that, a look at transparent lives and wanting to hide away from all those messy feelings. ‘I’ll leave you alone with your headphones We’ll be just fine.’  The string arrangement and muted horns is again back to Beatles territory in feel. Final track, Anonymous, is a song of desire with the enigmatic ‘other’ so hard to pin down; ‘you are the one who’s gone crazy, you are the rain, who fell out of love.‘

All very engaging and enriching, this album is a far step from his initial Folk roots. However, it is painted with many colours and well worth exploring the hidden depths that await within. 

Review by Paul McGee

John John Brown Americana Comics Self Release

A second album from this contemporary Folk artist who was born in New Milford, Connecticut. The seven tracks are all story songs, based around different characters that represent everyman and the ways in which we try to navigate life on a daily basis in order to survive.

From the schizophrenic shopper in the mall, On Black Friday I Met Jesus, to the veteran of the Vietnamese war who is haunted by his past actions, Where the Good Buzz Goes, both tales are a look at the real cost of damage suffered by the individuals concerned. Graduation Day is a fine song that looks at the blossoming of young dreams, cruelly cut short by a motor accident. The tragic consequences and loss of life, trapping a ghost who haunts the lake site of the tragedy. An inventive use of lyrical and musical ideas. 

Mary is a song that reflects on the life of a young girl who lives out the aimless ramblings of her mother from town to town and lover to lover. It’s a really sad look at what gets sacrificed along the way to adulthood and the scars that remain. The Armadillo Song is a fun look at finding road kill that suddenly turns out to be still alive and intent on revenge. Yossi the Balloon Man is another slice of life that highlights the colourful characters in local neighbourhoods and the past that can be carried – in this case, the haunting memory of war, concentration camps, and finally, new life in another country. An immigrant tale of moving on and making something real. 

Big Old Beard is another example of clever song-writing that looks at growing a beard, spreading well beyond imagination and the tune is given an old timey arrangement with fiddle and upright bass. 

John John Brown provides lead vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, with Andy Stack contributing electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, pedal steel, piano, keys and backup vocals. They are joined by Jacob Silver on upright and electric bass, Konrad Meissner on drums and percussion, Jeremy Baum on B3 Organ and Adrien Reju on backup vocals.

Don’t take it all so seriously, is the abiding message here and these songs bear testament to a real talent when it comes to raising a smile and handing out life lessons at the same time. The release is accompanied by an illustrated comic book (drawn by Sapri Andy), plus online videos of selected songs in an innovative way to promote the album. All excellently captured and realised in different creative forms to add to the enjoyment and fun.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

GRANT NESMITH  DREAMS OF THE COAST Self Release

Despite the fact that he has spent most of his life living in the beach community of Myrtle Beach, S.Carolina, it is evident that the novelty has never worn off for Grant Nesmith. His second solo album covers the gamut of genres from surf psychedelia to country to rock and pop, and the influence of the ocean is never far away. Dreams of the Coast is a mid-tempo country rock affair, lush layered vocals sing the praises of the sea, enhanced by the masterful slide guitar of Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell, Drivin’ N Cryin”), another Myrtle Beach native. Seizing the day is the theme of Another Day which gets a psychedelic rock treatment, dominated by the freely riffing fiddle of Gene Elder (Lyle Lovett, George Strait). Elsewhere is evidence of the unsurprising influence of the Beach Boys and the Beatles (Kaleidescope, Souvenir). Recorded in the studio of Ed Dennis, he adds his sweet pedal steel playing on most tracks, particularly outstandingly on the love song Haunt. Nesmith’s falsetto vocals invite inevitable comparisons with a youthful Neil Young and on the closer Such a Dream he indulges this with a whole eight minutes of fuzzy guitar driven psychedelic rock - ‘the ocean kisses outer space, the moon would like to get a taste’. Chill and enjoy.

Review by Eilís Boland

Israel Nash Topaz Loose

Missouri born Israel Nash’s last recording was LIFTED, released in 2018. It was conceived in his fully functioning custom-built studio named Plum Creek Sound in Dripping Springs, Texas. An expansive affair, it was created with layer upon layer of vocals, horns, strings, guitars and percussion, as Nash relished the freedom to experiment in his treasured home studio environment. Co-produced with Ted Young (Kurt Vile, Rolling Stones), it featured a number of Austin based musicians and garnered, quite deservedly, very positive feedback in the music press.

TOPAZ finds Nash taking complete control on this occasion. The album was self-produced and recorded in isolation between touring over the course of a year, with only minimal input from other musicians. The sound retains the sonic laminations, soaring vocals and harmonies of its predecessor with the addition of a full horn session, courtesy of Austin funk band Hard Proof.

Despite being the recipient of a Master’s Degree in political science, Nash’s writing has more often concentrated on the intimacy of relationships and his love of nature. There have been political sentiments expressed previously but seldom to the extent that emerge on TOPAZ. He hasn’t totally abandoned writing about matters close to his heart, though. The ballad Closer speaks of loneliness on the road many miles from home and similarly evocative is Stay, where the reality of leaving the nest to tour once again beckons. Though written a while back, the swirling opening track Dividing Lines is very much a song of its time, as the writer reflects on the politics of recent times that promote division rather than unity.

The worst mass shooting in an American place of worship that took the lives of twenty-six people in 2017 is recalled on Sutherland Springs. It’s a quite beautiful and heartrending song, the sadness is further emphasised by mournful pedal steel guitar throughout. Down In The Country places its emphasis on ‘rock bottom’ rather than the escapade that its title might imply. It riles at the empty promises by politicians over the past decade which have done little to assist families whose farms face repossession, or factory closures and crumbling small towns dotted across America. The first single taken from the album Southern Coasts, is a sun-drenched triumph, coaxed along by a thumping bass line. The album closes with Pressure, which reflects on the struggles which face the growing numbers of helpless and marginalised people and families, simply attempting to survive.

Nash’s superb 2011 release BARN DOORS AND CONCRETE FLOORS was a breakthrough album for him, gaining him universal acclaim. Many of those accolades made reference to him being firmly rooted in Neil Young sounding territory. In successive albums Nash has distanced himself from pretender status to develop his own unique recognisable sound. He achieves that and more on TOPAZ, which gifts the listener with further listening treasures on each subsequent play. Headphones recommended.

Review by Declan Culliton

Esther Rose How Many Times Father/Daughter

‘I don’t grapple with fate, I accept my bad luck and my good luck equally’ confides New Orleans based Esther Rose, discussing her third album HOW MANY TIMES. That simple sentiment goes a long way to define the background of this ten-track album where distress and jubilation are greeted equally and channeled into some extremely listenable songs.  

Rose is the possessor of a silver-toned vocal range that’s often closer to spoken delivery rather than full blown, in a similar style to Laura Cantrell. It works spectacularly well on this album where she’s in the company of crack musicians and quality songs. Those players are Matt Bell (lap steel), Max Bien-Kahn (electric guitar), Dan Cutler (upright bass), Cameron Snyder (drums) and Lyle Werner (fiddle). With this team and under the co-production of Rose and Ross Farbe, the album was recorded live to tape at The Tigermen Den in New Orleans.

Fiddle player Lyle Werner has featured prominently on all of Rose’s albums and he’s first out of the blocks on the opening and title track. It’s the perfect introduction to what follows as Rose confronts reality and a painful break up head on, drawing a line in the sand and preparing to move forward. Given the album’s soul-searching content, the track sequencing is carefully arranged, with each song reading like a personal diary entry. Keeps Me Running, which follows the opener, is very much a ‘note to myself’ reminder to steer clear of a rebound relationship while the wounds from a previous fall out remain unhealed. Refreshed and energised, the gorgeous glass half full Coyote Creek finds Rose in a carefree state.

The buoyant Good Time is a self-deprecating and cheerful jaunt, disguising the fact that it was conceived when, after a sixteen-hour drive, Rose’s car died a death five hundred miles from her home in New Orleans. Less stressful recollections surface on the sprightly Mountaintop and the mellow ballad Songs Remain.

Rose signs out on the hugely impressive HOW MANY TIMES with Without You, the first song written for the album. It’s an apt closing statement and recognition that there are no quick fixes to rebuilding your life and that acceptance is the best starting point.

Review by Declan Culliton

SomeRiseSomeFall  No Simple Highway Fitzz

This twelve song collection features some of the finest Irish musicians reinterpreting songs by a host of artists from the Americana, folk and indie genres. An extremely worthy project, it was undertaken to further raise awareness of the ever-growing issues relating to mental illness in Ireland. All proceeds will be directed towards Aware Ireland, who support those struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other mood related conditions. The recording is particularly timely, given the increasing crisis in mental health related issues, intensified by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The artists that contribute include quite a few that have featured previously on Lonesome Highway, in album reviews, interviews and/or our radio show. The silky voiced Anna Mitchell provides four songs, showcasing her range of vocals on the haunting Beth Gibbons /Paul David Webb composition Funny Time Of Year and Eliza Carthy’s delicate Fallen Leaves. Anna also performs Thought Dream penned by Country Joe Mc Donald and Roy Wood’s The Rain Came Down on Everything.

John Blek has established himself as one of the leading lights in the new folk movement, not only in Ireland but also in Europe and the United States. His contributions include Blues Run The Game, written by American singer songwriter Jackson C. Frank in 1965 and Greg Trooper’s Biologically Blue. Breathing new life into the former and in typical fashion, John performs with minimal support, joined only by Brian Casey on Hammond organ. The latter also features Casey, on this occasion adding piano and electric guitar. John also remoulds the bluesy I Remember You written by Eilen Jewell.

Noted guitar player Kevin Herron chose Dave Ball’s When The Thought Of You Catches Up With Me and Jimmy La Fave’s The Beauty Of You for inclusion. His delightful guitar skills shine through on both, supported by a relaxed vocal delivery. The Grateful Dead may not be considered the obvious selection by the Choice Music Price nominee Marlene Enright. However, accompanied by pedal steel maestro David Murphy and adding vocals and piano herself, she injects even more heartache into Stella Blue, the Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia classic, while remaining faithful to the original version.

Cork indie band Rowan dipped into Joanna Newsom’s songbook and selected Swansea from her debut album for their input, adding a degree of depth to Newsom’s version. Also included from Rowan is a stripped back rendition of Years Gone By from The Milk Carton Kids. Like so many of the selected songs, the lyrics perfectly capture the theme of the project. 

The project was the brainchild of Michael Fitzgerald, founder of Fitzz Records, which funds community artistic ventures, the proceeds of which go to support organisations that provide aid to those suffering mental health issues. Particular mention is also merited for producer Brian Casey, graphic designer Riona O’Regan and Richard Dowling of Wav Mastering in Limerick, who mastered the final mix. Other musicians that contributed include Brian Hassett, Davie Ryan, Dylan Howe, Fionn Hennessy, Kealan Kenny and Hugh Dylan.

Cover albums can often be hit and miss affairs. However, in the case of NO SIMPLE HIGHWAY there is a fluent connectivity from start to finish. Setting aside the most worthy cause that inspired the album, it stands on its own two feet as a treasure chest of well-chosen songs, beautifully performed. Hopefully, at some stage in the near future, the collective will be in a position to perform the album in a live setting, both as a fundraiser and to display the wealth of talent that brought this project to life.  Highly recommended and well worth your attention and support.

Review by Declan Culliton

Hjalte Ross Waves Of Haste Self Release

Following on from his 2018 debut, Hjalte Ross releases a follow-up album of nine tracks, recorded in Dreamland Studio, Sebbersund, Denmark. Ross has again employed the services of producer John Wood (Pink Floyd, Nico, John Cale, Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Bert Jansch), together with the talents of Steve Turner for all brass and string arrangements. It’s unclear whether Ross used studio musicians during the recording process, although I know that he has previously worked with Who Killed Bambi, a string ensemble trained in classical music and experienced with folk, jazz and improvisation music.

The pace never gets beyond the gentle, melodious slow-tempo of almost all the song arrangements, with the notable exception of Thinking About You which has a busier, up-tempo feel, perhaps reflecting the part of the recording process that Ross spent in NYC, as a contrast to the isolation of Northern Jutland. The use of understated brass works well as an atmospheric bedrock upon which Ross can layer his soft, almost whispered vocals and if the lyrics are difficult to make out, it is the atmosphere created that carries one along on a wave of sound, almost akin to somnambulism.

Nordic Folk music with a twist, the opening, Accidents, announces itself with minimal acoustic guitar and piano, along with subtle strings, certainly reminiscent in overall feel of Nick Drake in spirit. Adrenaline introduces brass and an easy percussion beat over which strings set the emotion and an electric guitar plays a restrained solo. Off My Mind is another restful vocal performance, almost slipping into an easy jazz vibe with plucked bass, quiet piano parts and a saxophone to compliment the crooning delivery. If Norah Jones had been offered to duet, you could see a perfect symbiosis.

How Am I Supposed To Feel has an almost breathless, vocal tone and a slower treatment, hinting at the Neil Young classic, Tell Me Why.  The aforementioned, Thinking About You, is a welcome break with its driving beat, female backing vocal and an almost Pet Shop Boys groove, complete with brass instrumentation giving a bigger sound. The title track reverts to simple acoustic guitar with background piano sounds, occasional trumpet and minimal string support. 

The sense of sweet isolation continues on the atmospheric Holidays with talk of procrastinated time wrapped around haunting strings and minor acoustic guitar progressions. Passes By has an arrangement that would fit in a Hovis advert from years past but also introduces a downtempo drum beat and keyboard swells.

The closing song, The Truth, complete with the sound of waves lapping, (that link the previous song), consolidates the sense of trying to just go with the flow of the natural world. There is a quiet, compelling tug on the sleeve that has one returning to these tracks, with the calm of the music providing an ideal evening companion.

Review by Paul McGee

Jim Ghedi In the Furrows Of Common Place Basin Rock

Sheffield in South Yorkshire is home for this Folk artist who delivers his third album, since he first appeared on the music scene, back in 2015. Ghedi finds his passion from exploring themes of social politics, history and environment, with the titles of his previous releases signposting his focus; HOME IS WHERE I EXIST, NOW TO LIVE AND DIE (2015) and A HYMN FOR ANCIENT LAND (2018).

This time out, we are given eight songs with a sound that is rooted as much in the distant past, as it is seeking a new direction for English Folk music. The atmospheric and organic instrumentation fits perfectly with the vocal delivery of Ghedi, which is full of passion and frustration, and aimed at the universal themes that speak to a time once filled with the challenges of hard manual labour and the need to survive. With this in mind, opening song, Common Thread, addresses the generations of agricultural and industrial workers who filled the English landscapes and who toiled for greedy profiteers. You can also find relevance in the present economies of both England and beyond, where industrial jobs have disappeared and heavy labour has made way for technology in ghost towns filled with the grim reality of unemployment.

The harmonium drone of Lamentations Of Round Oak Waters, laced with violin, presents a stark backdrop before both trumpet and flugel sounds are added in what almost constitutes a prayer that greed and avarice to be punished. It asks that the lives of the poor to be given a dignity, that stretches not only back to tenant land workers, but also forward into current economic injustice and social deprivation. Centred around the area where Ghedi grew up in the Yorkshire midlands, these are authentic songs of great feeling and passion where the twin industries of Coal and Steel dominated the landscape for generations and shaped the lives of so many.

Instrumental, Mythlom, winds its way into a rousing acoustic guitar display of tone and tempo. It is set against the quietly gentle delivery on Stolen Ground with its traditional Folk tunings that recall a young John Martyn in the full, compelling power of delivery. Ah Cud Hew is a traditional coal mining song that originated in North East England and is delivered with both an urgency and a sense of anger running through it. Beneath the Willow has haunting violin, playing over the beat and the impassioned, nuanced vocal of Ghedi venting in honour of his working-class South Yorkshire brethren who paid such a high price for their lives of hardship and poverty. There is an additional instrumental piece that forms an addendum to this track where guitar, fiddle, harmonium and double bass combine to great effect. Final song, Son David, runs for eight minutes and is a traditional Scottish ballad that confirms the quality and strength of musicianship running through these songs, conjuring up visceral images of the past and the future - a sense that the old ways point the direction for future challenges. 

Dan Bridgwood-Hill plays violin, Neil Heppleston plays double bass, with Sally Rowan Smith on flugel and trumpet. Jim Ghedi plays guitars and harmoniums while singing with a fire and with strong vowel annunciation. Ed Pickford originally wrote Ah Cud Hew, and the John Clare poem, Lamentations Of Round Oak Waters provides the lyrics for the song of the same name. Otherwise, Ghedi wrote the songs and produced the album which was recorded in Scotland at the Black Bay studios in the Outer Hebrides. A very impressive work and one that grips the listener throughout.

Review by Paul McGee

KB Bayley  Little Thunderstorms  Self Release

Reflective, contemplative, contemporary Folk sounds from guitar player, songwriter and composer KB Bailey. He is a London-based musician who grew up in the North-East of England and this is his second album. There is a strong sense of intimacy across the tracks and Bayley displays his great range of playing skills on acoustic, cigar box and lap steel guitars, dobro, piano and vocals.

Bayley recorded at home during lockdown last year and the tracks were mastered by George Shilling, who also worked on his debut album from 2017, Rivers and Rain. He reached out for contributions from a group of musicians who recorded their parts remotely and included Charlie Jonas Walter (pedal steel and banjo), Dean Parker (electric guitar), Simon Small (percussion), Brin Heywood-Snell ( trumpet), Gavin Thomas & Glen Vaal (harmonica), Adiescar Chase (violin), with Ben Glover, Jim Cozens, Claudia Stark (vocals). 

Bayley has cited the influence of Tom Waits on his writing approach, but it’s not very evident here, as the overall feel is that of roots music with a hint of Americana on certain tracks. These are relationship songs, where reaching out for simple communication and companionship is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Blood Red Lullaby is a song about loss, in its different forms, people gone from our lives and others whose innocence has slipped away. Some beautiful guitar playing from Dean Parker lifts the sombre mood, whereas Night Dogs looks at lonely isolation and the muted trumpet of Brin Heywood-Snell sits comfortably with the understated melody of Bayley on keyboard and Parker on electric guitar, ‘streetlights burn bright in the darkness, whisky burns cold in the glass.’  

Pedal Steel on Time To Leave Town is played with subtle atmospheric touch by Charlie Jonas Walter in a song about wanting love to last, whereas North Coast Girl is a memory of younger days, with the harmonica of Gavin Thomas echoing a distant sense of reminiscence, against lap steel playing from Bayley. Wistful and yearning. Crazy About Me is a song about feeling lost and not coming to terms with the end of a relationship. It can be a dark world if you let it but for all the sadness contained in these songs, there is a light of understanding and empathy that shines, giving perspective and hope for better days. Melancholy keeps its own company. North Shore Road speaks about a Church and the memories contained within its walls. Harmonica from Glen Vaal and banjo from Charlie Jonas Walter both beautifully intertwined with the acoustic guitar of Bayley and the clear vocals. Wayfaring Stranger is a traditional tune that also appeared on the debut album, but here it’s given a fresh interpretation in instrumental form with the violin of  Adiescar Chase particularly atmospheric. 

Cheap Suit ends the album and it’s a cover of the Jeffrey Foucault song which captures a memory of his Father playing guitar in the living room, ‘I see him from the doorway, I see that look in his eye, And I know I’m going to go there, Where My father’s dreams lie.’ A fitting way to end what is an album about simple dreams and longing for a better sense of connection. Worth your time for the simple grace of the song arrangements and the superb musicianship running throughout.

Review by Paul McGee

Martin Simpson Home Recordings Topic

This consummate musician is something of a living legend within English Folk circles. Over the years, since his arrival in the 1970’s, his talent as a guitarist, singer and songwriter, has seen him in great demand, not only as a session musician but also as a collaborator on various projects. His live performance has always carried a hypnotic quality and Simpson has not only released instructional DVDs, but also published a book. His many honours in the folk music industry place him at the very centre of all that continues to represent this genre of music, both the past heritage and future direction.

Armed with just guitar, banjo and ukulele on this stripped-down project, this constitutes an arsenal of formidable weaponry in the hands of a master musician. The flavour of the album is captured on the instrumental, Lonesome Valley Geese, punctuated by the background sound of honking geese and the soft laughter of Simpson as he exclaims, “Geese”, at the end of his home recording, proving that it was indeed entirely live and in the moment.

These songs were recorded during the early pandemic lockdown and a wide array of influences are woven through the song choices. There are covers of songs by Lyle Lovett (Family Reserve), John Prine (Angel From Montgomery), Bob Dylan (The Times They Are A-Changin’), Robin Williamson (October Song). There is a tribute to Mike Waterson with the inclusion of Three-Day Millionaire, coupled with Don’t Put Your Banjo In the Shed Mr Waterson, the former appeared on a Waterson’s album back in 1975 and the latter is an instrumental piece written on clawhammer banjo by Simpson. 

Separately, it is the atmospheric and dynamic playing on Plains Of Waterloo that really captures the imagination, an instrumental that was first recorded in 1997 by Simpson for his COOL AND UNUSUAL album. Equally, the traditional and long-time favourite, House Carpenter, was one of the songs that appeared on 2005 release, KIND LETTERS and is included here to great effect. An Englishman Abroad has all the hallmarks of classic Richard Thompson and was featured in 2009 on the TRUE STORIES album. 

The fingerstyle playing is so good across these selected tracks that there appears to be more than just one musician playing. His ability to move effortlessly along the frets and strings is equalled by his unwavering strum and tempo, which generates a rhythm that adds a bottom layer of percussion. Admiral Benbow is a fine example of this and the instrumental, Augmented Unison, has Simpson showing his prowess on ukulele, with beautiful spacing and note perfect flow.

Fourteen tracks and forty-plus minutes of real pleasure in the company of a master craftsman. His star has always shone brightly and his inclusion alongside such folk icons as Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Richard Thompson is fully earned and justified. This is a quiet gem and one that would stand tall in any music collection. 

Review by Paul McGee

David Olney & Anana Kaye Whispers and Sighs Schoolkids

When David Olney passed away just over a year ago, the world lost another first-rate singer/songwriter who, while he may not have been that well known in wider circles, deserves to be considered as a member of the higher echelons of respected and revered songsmiths. So, it was something of a surprise when this album, recorded on equal terms with Anana Kaye, arrived. It opens with My Favourite Goodbye (after a short instrumental prelude) which finds Olney’s writing and distinctive vocals still resonating. It has the feel of a track from one of his more recent albums. Kaye is of Eastern European origin and shares many of the writing credits along with Olney as does Irakli Gabriel. There are also a number of co-writes with Olney’s long-time writing partner John Hadley. Gabriel is not only a co-writer and co-producer but also the guitarist on the project. He is the husband of Kaye and both are now based in Nashville where this album was recorded. Brett Ryan Stewart is the fourth member of the production team and also mixed, engineered and helped with the arrangements on the album.

 Given the circumstances of subsequent events there seems a somewhat melancholy feel to some of the songs which take in reflections on life, love, death and departing. The material here can move from the emotional, to the historical, to the more existential thoughts on existence. The dozen musicians, some who have worked with Olney in the past, involved with the recording add much to its depth and range. While in the past on occasion Olney’s music has had a sparse feel, here there is much to enhance and develop the sound. Strings, brass and an ever-present forward-thinking rhythm section are all a part of the thoughtful arrangements here. Some of the tracks like The Last Days Of Rome also manage to set the pulse racing and rock out and are testament to the change of mood and tempos that run through this rewarding album.

 The lead vocal is often taken by one or other and it should be noted that Kaye’s voice has a distinctive edge to it that is in harmony with Olney’s elder statesman voice. There was an obvious interaction and respect between both artists and it provides, in many ways, a fitting bookend to Olney’s career. It displays his willingness to explore his writing, and the subject matters therein and the way these songs are to be recorded. It was completed just as the news of his passing was announced. These songs and arrangements do justice to the talents of all involved. They captivate from the first listen and then manage to reveal further, with each play, its stories imputed with a sense of imagination and craftsmanship, that is important to the memory of this most individual of artists, as well as to the growing reputation of Kaye and Gabriel.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Dave Desmelik The Calendar Album Self Release 

A few years back, Dave Desmelik set himself the challenge of writing a song a month about what that month meant to him. Luckily for us, the upheaval of the past year afforded him the time and impetus to finally get these works recorded and self-produced in his home studio in Brevard, N. Carolina. Being a multi-instrumentalist, he didn’t need to call on anyone to play the myriad of instruments he uses here - from stringed instruments to piano to percussion. His reflections vary in mood with the months and the seasons, as one would expect, but they are never less than thoughtful and mostly uplifting. 

The album opens with the ‘hopeful aspirations’ of January, a country rock ballad which is enhanced by the tasteful electric guitar work of the only guest musician, David Philips (an Englishman living in Spain). Here we are also introduced to Desmelik’s vocals - reminiscent in their yearning wistfulness of those of Americana legend, Mark Olson. There are two instrumentals, October being the standout with its backdrop of acoustic guitar, piano and banjo pierced by chiming Rickenbacker riffs. May is an emotional month, bringing the birthday of Desmelik’s firstborn son and Mother’s Day and June is dominated by the loss of his dog, the pain expressed by the visceral pounding on the acoustic guitar. The sultry heat of July ‘remind me to be nothing but a child, and I remember to be nothing but wild and free’. The intimate and honest aspirations continue throughout the months, culminating in the closing chapter of December when ‘we’re all a bit longer in the tooth’ and ‘softer in the gut’ but we can take stock and be grateful that we ‘made the cut’. 

The self described ‘journeyman songsmith’ has given us an album to cherish for all seasons.

Review by Eilís Boland

The Barlow Horseshoe Lounge Self Release

I was instantly attracted to this album on learning that Mike Harmeier, the front man of Mike and The Moonpies, contributed vocals and Zachary Moulton, the pedal steel player also from that killer Texan band, features throughout the album.

The Barlow are a band from Denver, with a reputation for belting out their own model of Colorado Country, which is a cross breed of outlaw and Americana with a side helping of Southern Rock. This is their second album following their self-titled release two years back and it doesn’t disappoint. There’s no attempt to reinvent the wheel here, just a suite of cleverly written songs, supported by a frontman with a weather beaten, road weary tone and a skilled bunch of players behind him.

Close friends since high school, The Barlow are Shea Boynton (lead vocals, guitar), Ben Richter (drums, vocals), Brad Johnson (guitar, vocals) and Troy Scoope (bass, vocals). It’s no surprise to learn that they have shared stages and barrooms with like-minded acts such as Mike and the Moonpies, Sunny Sweeney, Ward Davis and The Steel Woods. There are noticeable parallels with all these acts and their sound is honed from numerous live shows where they traverse modern and classic country.

The songs seldom deviate from their up-tempo hard-hitting flavour. Richter, an oil field worker during daylight hours, writes uncomplicated and matter of fact lyrics from both personal and observational perspectives.  Pick of the crop are the racy opener Hard Lovin’, the bar room ditty with hints of Tyler Childers Ain’t Ever Comin’ Round and the bubbly title track. Chris Knight’s Homesick Gypsy gets a worthy makeover and they tone it down on the closer Part Of The Band, with the aforementioned Mike Harmeier sharing the vocals.

The album is packed with songs and sounds that add up to the perfect Saturday night live show at The Horseshoe Lounge or any lounge for that matter.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bob Collum and The Welfare Mothers This Heart Will Self Destruct Fretsore

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but resident in the U.K. since his teenage years, Bob Collum’s latest recording has its foundations in the music of both locations. Mixing 1960’s Brit beat music with the swinging sounds of Bob Willis and the rockabilly leanings of Buddy Holly is his trademark and very much to the fore on this recording.

THIS HEART WILL SELF DESTRUCT is a ten-track collection that would have been pigeonholed back in the pre-punk early 1970’s as pub rock, alongside bands like Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe and Bees Make Honey. Clever lyrics, fine playing and humour - evident in both the band and album’s titles - are the order of the day.

Written and recorded during the period when the U.K. entered and exited various levels of lockdown, Collum’s vocal and guitar contributions are ably assisted by Mags Layton on violin and backing vocals, Martin Cutmore on bass and Paul Quarry on drums. Also featured on guitar and Fender VI is honorary Welfare associate and former member of Graham Parker’s Rumour and Nick Lowe’s Cowboy Outfit, Martin Belmont. Originally intended as an EP, the songs flowed freely from Collum’s pen resulting in a worthy successor to his 2018 album PAY PACK AND CARRY. Highlights are the broody ballad From Birmingham, the full-on rock and roller Saved, the zippy title track and the flowing country ballad Second Fiddle.

Collum’s songs and the players that passionately support him, are tailor made for a lively Sunday afternoon’s session in a packed pub. Let’s hope that comes to fruition sooner rather than later and uplifting music like this is available to raise the spirits.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Weather Station Ignorance Fat Possum 

Without totally abandoning the alt-folk leanings of her two previous albums LOYALTY (2015) and THE WEATHER STATION (2017), Tamara Lindeman has taken a detour both lyrically and sonically on her latest release.

 Unlike her previous work, Lindeman chose to write the material on piano rather than guitar. This departure, together with coproducing with Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, The National), signalled a change in direction and a body of work more dramatic and indeed emotive than before. A more generous recording budget on this occasion also offered opportunities not previously feasible for her. If her earlier works were principally ‘sit back and listen’ affairs, IGNORANCE is more akin to a danceable record and that musical diversion works exceptionally well.

‘I never believed in the robber’ is the opening line on the first track Robber. You’re left in little doubt of the central character or the populist agenda that motivated the song. ‘He had permission by words….it was all done real carefully’ she continues, her vocals bolstered by string, synths, layered percussion and ripping saxophone.

Despite the addition of heavy backbeats, strings and synthesisers, Lindeman’s vocals are dominant throughout, out front in the mix and more aggressive than on previous albums. A point in case is the break up song Tried To Tell You, where, unlike previous similarly themed songs, she is less confessional and more forthright. Paquin’s stamp is firmly felt on the free-flowing Parking Lot which is steered along by heavy drum and steady bass beats and the sweeping Atlantic recalls vintage Talking Heads. Lindeman’s writing has frequently explored relationships, occasionally flourishing but more often failed. A shattering divorce is called to mind on the quite beautiful Trust, with riveting strings that emphasise the raw emotion of the drama to perfection. The equally impassioned Separated follows a similar theme of disconnection.

Like most talented female singer songwriters hailing from Canada, lazy comparisons are often made with Joni Mitchell and Lindeman is no exception. Notwithstanding that, the impact of leaving her comfort zone on IGNORANCE does bear commonality with Mitchell’s musical explorations.  That resolve has given rise to an album that sounds better on every subsequent listen and also one that is most likely to feature in my favourites of 2021.

Review by Declan Culliton

Stuffy Shmitt Stuff Happens Self Release

A survivor, by the skin of his teeth, of decades at the bumpy end of the music business, STUFF HAPPENS is Stuffy Shmitt’s first album in eight years. Living in New York, at the end of his tether, battling bipolar disorder and on a self-destructive path, he made the crucial decision to finally ditch his deadly lifestyle in the West Village and attempt to rebuild his life. Moving to Nashville and getting himself correctly medicated set him on a path towards normality and regained sanity. 

Growing up in Milwaukee in a somewhat dysfunctional family, Shmitt bailed out and headed for New York at a young age. A further move to Los Angeles before heading back to New York, he played in numerous rock bands and recorded with a host of luminaries. Those musicians ranged from Willy De Ville to David Johansen and Levon Helm to Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes. Five solo albums followed prior to STUFF HAPPENS, all of which offered a combination of husky voiced Tom Waits type observations and the unwashed rock and roll of The Replacements. Despite the impressive calibre of the recordings, Shmitt surprisingly remained relatively unknown, enjoying a cult following rather than commercial success.

 Having settled in Nashville, a chance encounter with artist and producer Brett Ryan Stewart in the 5 Spot bar in East Nashville, where Shmitt was performing, was the connection that cemented a relationship and resulted in Stewart producing this album at his studio in Franklin, Tennessee. The final cog in the wheel was an introduction to a close ally of Stewart, multi-instrumentalist and producer Chris Tench, who worked hand in hand with Shmitt on the preparation of the songs for recording.

The song development and production took on an altogether more disciplined approach than previously tackled by Shmitt. Accustomed to self-production and recording with minimal pre-production, he spent two months working the songs on acoustic guitars with Trench, before taking them into the studio to flesh them out with his band.

 With a clear head, decades of demons to exorcise and the guidance and input from Stewart, the resulting album is a treasure chest of honest and hard-hitting songs. Writing from personal experiences and observations Mommy And Daddy recalls his parents, once wild, carefree and unpredictable, now aged and weakening. The raunchy opener It’s OK speaks openly of a close friend, a walking car wreck who’s constantly messing up, despite the many helping hands offered to her. His vocals never sounded better than on the belter She’s Come Unglued. It boasts an addictive and killer riff and tells the story of a partner heading for a breakdown and  a crumbling relationship.  The striking piano led ballad The Last Song grieves a failed love affair and Sleeping On The Wet Spot is a self-deprecating yarn of recurring catastrophe, a possible recap on the writer’s often ill-fated life choices. 

 An unusual yet exceptional combination of soothing ballads and hardcore rockers, STUFF HAPPENS plays out like a few genres melting together, by an artist with a hyperactive brain and on this occasion, firing on all cylinders.

Review by Declan Culliton

Tammi Neilson Chicka Boom Outside

A genuine powerhouse vocalist who mixes fiery R ’n’ B and rockabilly tropes. This edition of the album, originally released in February 2020, includes five additional songs recorded live at Roundhead Studios. Neilson moved from Canada to New Zealand and has built a reputation for the strength of her no holds barred vocal stance that can be seen as taking the emotion and inspiration of Wanda Jackson into a new era. Not that it stops there though as she is equally influenced by Mavis Staples and a myriad of other female vocalists who deliver their music true and from the heart. In this part of the world, it would be easy to see why fans of Imelda May would find a kindred spirit here.

Neilson is not just a front woman; she is also in command of her music by writing and co-writing the ten tracks from the original release. She also co-produced the recordings with guitarist Delaney Davidson, who is a player totally in sync with the singer’s musical journey. But it’s not all hell-for-leather as witnessed by the subtle 60s pop stylings of Any Fool With A Heart and the soft lullaby of the tender Sleep. She can easily turn her hand (and voice) from rockabilly, old school country, soul, gospel and jazz-tinged swing among other genres. Neilson is making her music on her own terms and has reaped the rewards, if not in large sales and radio exposure, then in critical and fan based-responses.

Understandably a lot of writing comes from a female perspective. Some of the songs come with a touch of innuendo and humour as well as with some insight. For instance, A Woman’s Pain from the live tracks, shows an understanding and universality from a distinct female viewpoint. In the main with this album Neilson wanted the sound to be short, sharp and stripped back to guitar bass drum and voice, while still giving them the necessary chicka boom boom. 

The opening Call Your Mama continues the classic cheating song template but, this time, reversing the charges. It features also as one of the additional live tracks where you can easily compare the urgency and intensity of Neilson’s ability as a vocalist. The nature of the recording is not entirely different in either setting. The studio version is fuller using that facility for an extra depth to the sound. Either way Neilson, live or in a recording studio, is someone not to be taken for granted. This album is here to prove that she is both righteous and ready for action.

Review by Stephen Rapid

XIXA Genesis Jullian

The Tucson based band have a sound that brings together elements of Latin rhythms, cambia and Peruvian chicha with psych rock, desert blues, dark folk and elements of a lost gothic/horror/western soundtrack. There is an overall trippy nature to the sound that is apparent from the opening Thine Is The Kingdom and then throughout the ten tracks on the album. The band are led by guitarists Gabriel Sullivan and Brain Lopez, who produced and recorded the album in Tucson. They used their own studio Dust and Stone Recording to capture these cosmic, cactus-barbed anthems. The band are completed by Jason Urman (keyboards), Winston Watson (drums and percussion), Efrén Cruz Chávez (timbales, percussion), and Hikit Corbel (bass). They are additionally joined by Uummannaq Children’s Choir from Greenland for some tracks, and also invited some additional guests such artists as Sergio Mendoza of Tucson based Orkrsta Mendoza and others from further afield. This has allowed them to explore the outer regions of their musical landscape that finds them having, at times, more in common with the likes of some Tuareg musicians that their location, if not methodology, might suggest. This is evidenced on Eve of Agnes where their sound is melded with that of five-piece Algerian quintet Imarhan. The end result is seamless and readily identifies the connection and commonality of purpose.

XIXA have developed their sound now over two releases - a debut album and an EP (BLOODLINE and CODE) and now Genesis which is epitome of the exploration of their measureless music at this point in their career. There are many sonic clues in the sound as there is in the lyrical content which they have revealed is topically centred around the age-old battle between good and evil and the innate spirituality that exists between the two. There is also a notion that this may be a parallel universe version of a latter day incarnation of The Shadows, such is the melodic and incisive guitar interplay.

The sound is immersive and takes you through their world in a way that seems you are lying down in a desert oasis listening to this sounds as they flow over and through you. You hear hints of fellow Tucson artist and a whole lot more as the album evolves from the darker Nights Plutonian Shore (a song that has Edgar Allen Poe in its psyche) to Velveteen, a riff-based song with soft surreal vocals that has a Twin Peaks dream-like quality that is nevertheless not without a slightly sinister sphere. These diverse elements make the album stronger by allowing the listener individual interpretation.

The front cover image by Daniel Martin Diaz brings mysticism and symbolism elements that have an old world feel that is like discovering an old map that indicates a rarely explored future. His work is totally in sync with XIXA’s musical vision and allows the beholder to interpolate the music and art in a way that makes sense to them as an a singular entity. It is the same kind of synchronicity that Barney Bubbles had with early Hawkwind.

This is an album that may seem like it is an outsider of those we normally review, but it is still considered Americana by its very nature and sources. It may not be for everyone but it is an album that will give much to the intrepid explorer.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Saugeye Self-Tilted Horton

The band’s name is taken from that of a favourite hybrid fish from Oklahoma. They are a collaborative collection of Tulsa-based musicians led by Jared Tyer, a singer and guitarist who has previously worked for a number of years with Malcolm Holcombe as a key sideman. He has co-produced the album with Jake Lynn who held the drum chair for these sessions. They were joined by bassist Casey Van Beek, Set Lee Jones on additional guitars and keyboard player Isai Mireless. The music incorporates a range of influences from the areas and beyond that take in rock, blues, folk and country - the melting pot that is Americana.

Aside from his time working with Holcombe, Tyer worked on his own projects and music, releasing three albums under his own name. The aim here was to capture the essence of their live shows, so they recorded the basic tracks in a single day in a studio and added overdubs later. The end result captures that simple groove and their intention is apparent from the opening song, the Malcolm Holcombe penned To The Homeland. It is a great introduction to the band’s sound and an immediate highlight with some tight guitar at its centre. Holcombe’s One Leg At A Time is given an outing here also and is a recommendation to approach the start of the day by putting one’s pants on by the time honoured method suggested in the title. It also features some strong guitar soloing. There are other songs that have been chosen to cover such as Gideon’s Bible from the late Brandon Jenkins and Grandma’s Hands which was written by Bill Withers. While Another Lifetime which closes out the album is a contemplation of what one might need to find a deeper truth and it’s delivered in a thoughtful rendition.

They are also songs (Dirt On Your Hands, Gwendolyn, Death Of Me, Waltzing Around With My Shadow) taken from Tyer’s solo work that get a workout here in a more immediate band setting. There is a chemistry at work as the players dovetail into the songs that capture the live feel in the recordings which they were after, taking it beyond just a solo project into something more organic. Tyer’s vocal contribution should not be underestimated, as he has the capacity to give a song its essence without ever overplaying his hand. The backing vocals also add to the overall enjoyment of the tracks, fitting easily over the musical substance.

Tyer’s song Keystone Lillie is an ode to his faithful dog and the nature of their relationship and its unconditionality. It shows, along with other originals and co-writes, that Tyer is a solid writer who has something to say with his simple approach to laying out the heart of the songs. Songs that also reflect the locality and heritage of the music made in Tulsa. The end result is laid back when it needs to be and kicking when it needs to be. So, it’s a credit to all involved and an album that will easily be savoured in an old school way.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ian Fisher American Standards Self Release

Sonically, this album seems a little different from previous albums by Ian Fisher, who has expanded his musical vision to include a broader context. He names albums such as Neil Young’s HARVEST and the Beatles WHITE ALBUM as foundations he built on. He has done this with producer René Mühlberger (aka Pressyes) and a set of players including Mühlberger who mixes the bass, drums, electric guitars with a selection of synths and pedal steel. That it is his least sounding country outing is noted, but he has not totally moved away from that influence in his lyrics and influences. However, the hardcore honky-tonker would be forgiven for missing out on that particular connection. 

Alongside the poppier moments there is an element of experimentation with ambient tracks like Early Morning Haze that sit beside the more acoustic-based Be Thankful’s consideration of those things that we should, indeed, be grateful for. It flows along on a collection of synth and pedal steel soundings. Two tracks that feature an essential element of the album having melody in their titles are Melody On Tape, a brief instrumental, and Melody In Nashville which has a more after-hours sadness and rainy night feel. The same town is also a feature in the album final track Ghosts Of The Ryman which takes into account those on both sides of the stage. Those who fill the pews to listen to these ghosts and, as it moves along, those ephemeral presences are echoed in the accompanying vocals. The slow build up has a sense of something that matches the grandness of the occasion with Floyd-like guitar and surrounding synths. It Ain’t Me has a unifying chorus over a building goose that suggest whatever you might be looking it likely won’t be found herein.

Pressyes is, under that guise, featured on One Foot with its wah-wah guitar refrain and an arrangement that recalls something of a soft soul ballad. Much simpler and starker is Three Chords And The Truth (itself a description of country music songwriting) which is one of the tracks that takes the song to a basic level that could be taken in many different directions, which could be country music or farther beyond its boundaries. It is effective here for its directness and diversion. Winterwind again starts low key and builds its melodic structure to something that is effective in many ways. Fisher travelled outside of America for some time, which saw him playing and working in theatre all over the world and using the time and experiences to consider the country he had left and the reasons why. 

That is something that is at the heart of this album and its varied sounds and themes. It hangs together as a complete statement and one that is captivating in its diversity and range. It easily reaches beyond the standard, America or otherwise. 

Review by Stephen Rapid