New Album Reviews

Jake Xerxes Fussell Good And Green Again Paradise of Bachelors

North Carolina resident and folk historian Jake Xerxes Fussell continues to explore the music and language of former times on this, his fourth album. GOOD AND GREEN AGAIN is a further deconstruction and recreation of traditional folk songs by Fussell who, for the first time, also includes three self-written instrumental tracks on this album.

Recorded and mixed at Overdub Lane in Durham, North Carolina, the production duties were overseen by label mate James Elkington, who also contributed piano, organ, dobro, mandolin, vibraphone, and guitars. Other musicians that gave a lending hand were Libby Rodenbough on violin, Joe Westerlund on drums, Anna Jacobson on horns, Nathan Golub on pedal steel, Joseph Decosimo on fiddle, and Casey Toll on upright bass.  Bonnie Prince Billy also contributes, adding backing vocals on the sprightly anti-war opener Love Farewell.  Somewhat more instrumentally experimental than his previous recordings, Fussell introduces horns on Carriebelle and the closing track Washington, adding a sense of calm and introspection to both songs.

As is often the norm in traditional folk songs, loss, regret and sadness feature prominently and no more than on the epic nine-minute track The Golden Willow Tree, which tells of the treachery imposed on a young sailor who attempts to sink his own ship at the behest of a rival captain. Elsewhere on Rolling Mills Are Burning Down, we hear of mills ablaze, whether by mishap or not remains untold. The three instrumentals What Did The Hen Duck Say To The Drake?, In Florida, and Frolic display Fussell’s craft as a guitar picker alongside his selected cast of stellar players.

Distressing and thought provoking in its subject matter, GOOD AND GREEN AGAIN more than lives up to the allure of his exceptional 2019 recording OUT OF SIGHT. Fussell grants the listener an opportunity to lose oneself in music and language from another time, skillfully articulated by the finest interpreter of traditional folk songs of his generation.

Review by Declan Culliton

Grady Spencer & The Work Wait Self Release

Born out of self-examination and life changing decisions, WAIT is the fourth studio recording from Fort Worth, Texas roots rockers Grady Spencer and The Work. The album bursts into life from the get go, the racy opener Find You is the perfect precursor for what follows, a fusion gritty no-frills funky Texan rock and some slower paced compassionate love songs.

Grady Spencer had previously juggled his music career with a nine to five construction career and was reaching burnout attempting to maintain both callings. His decision and timing to abandon his construction work and concentrate fully on his artistic career was made shortly before the pandemic hit. Given that timing, the rollercoaster and uncertainty surrounding 2020 could have been total devastation for Spencer and his band, instead it presented him with the motivation and headspace that resulted in a reappraisal of his personal mental wellbeing and ultimately in the creation of this album.

Alongside material writing during lockdown, Spencer also revisited and remodelled some songs previously recorded by the band. The aforementioned Find You is dedicated to his wife and soulmate Kaci, and appeared in a different shape on 2016’s THE LINE BETWEEN. Similarly, the funky Heart Of Mine is a reconstruction of an earlier recording. The full-on rocket powered Therapy’s Good is based on personal experience and finds Spencer championing the principle of professional counselling for those struggling mentally. He follows on a similar vein with the slowly grooving and impressively melodic Here’s Your Chance. The catchy love song Take Me Away Now is a co-write by Spencer and the band’s guitarist Tyler Martin and the album closes with New Year. The latter recalls the highs and expectations on New Year’s Eve 2019, when Spencer, due to quit his day job in a few days, and his bandmates and close friends looked forward to a full year touring in 2020, blissfully unaware of what that year was to present.

An album with zero misfires and many subtle messages, WAIT is an album that celebrates survival and rebirth. It’s loaded with uplifting and pleasant songs which are never over complicated yet exhibit an acute attention to detail.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Artisanals Zia Rocknob

I’m slightly late to the party listening to this album, which was released in September of 2020 and is the second studio recording from Charleston band The Artisanals. The band is fronted by Johnny Delaware who, in a previous life, was a member of Charleston, South Carolina indie rockers SUSTO. The other band members are Clay Houle, Eric Mixon, and Eric Klin. Produced by Drew Vandenberg and recorded at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia, the album is a genre hopper, landing somewhere between dreamy West Coast rock and the lighter spectrum of southern and classic rock.

Album highlights are the sun kissed sound of Heading Somewhere and Way Up, the latter sounding somewhat like an early U2 offering. Always Take Care Of tips its hat in the Springsteen heartland musical direction and Plant The Seed flaunts a late ‘70s New Romantic vibe. Violet Light, the first single from the album, has a slow - rolling groove and is classic road trip listening.

A really enjoyable listen from start to finish and another instalment in their musical journey, one that I’ll watch with interest going forward. They may need to concentrate on a more singular and consistent musical direction in the future to further establish themselves, but in the meantime, ZIA is evidence of a band with multiple tricks up their sleeves. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Maya de Vitry Violet Light Fish

Tennessee based singer songwriter Maya de Vitry was previously a member of roots trio The Stray Birds, alongside her band colleagues Oliver Craven and Charlie Muench. Renowned for their exquisite vocal harmonies, they recorded four albums, the final one LET IT PASS was released in 2018 prior to their parting company. Since then, Maya has released two well received albums, ADAPTIONS (2018) and HOW TO BREAK A FALL (2020), highlighting her skillset as an imaginative songwriter coupled with a striking voice.

The title of her third solo effort VIOLET LIGHT, features in the album’s song Not A Trick Of The Eye and refers to a particular light that is beyond human range and only visible to certain creatures and insects. The song is the first single taken from the album and is a reminder of certain limitations that are beyond us all, a characteristic recognised and close to the heart of Maya, who is an artist inspired and energised by nature and its environs. Flowers and Dogs Run On, both gentle and melodic, follow a parallel template, the latter considers the unselfishness and companionship of those trusted animals. Recollections of bygone days as a travelling busker emerge on Never On The Map and possibly arising out of the uncertain times when the material was composed, How Bad I Wanna Live is a joyous and defiant anthem laced with positivity and optimism.

The album was recorded over a twelve-month period and was co-produced by Maya and upright bass player Ethan Jodziewicz, who previously was a member of Aoife O’Donovan, The Milk Carton Kids, and Sierra Ferrell’s touring bands. The recording took place at Maya’s basement studio, where they were joined at various times by close friends and fellow musicians Paul Horton (Alabama Shakes), Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), and Thor Davidsson (KALEO). Harmony vocals were performed by Kaia Kater and Ric Robertson. While the music flows freely from her musical partners, at the centre of all the songs are Maya’s honeyed vocals which explore both vulnerability and hopefulness across the eleven songs on the album.

There’s a noticeable tenderness embedded across the set of songs on this album and it’s one that lovers of the work of Aoife O’Donovan and Molly Tuttle will be happy to spend a lot of time with. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Aoife O’Donovan Age Of Apathy Yep Roc

 It has been six years since Irish/American singer songwriter Aoife O’Donovan’s last solo studio album. That recording, IN THE MAGIC HOUR, was an introspective concept album that featured material recalling her many visits to Ireland as a child and was composed following the passing of her grandfather in Clonakilty, Co. Cork.  

The intervening years prior to the release of her latest project AGE OF APATHY, found her joining forces with Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins in the trio I’m With Her, and releasing their debut album SEE YOU AROUND, which they recorded in Bath, Somerset. The song Call My Name, from that album, won a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song.

If the writing for 2016’s IN THE MAGIC HOUR was fuelled by cherished childhood memories, her latest offering reads like a continuation of her self-examination, on this occasion from her youth to the present day. Relocating from New York to rural central Florida was the spark for an inspired period of writing for O’Donovan, with the eleven songs on the album composed over a particularly prolific few months commencing in late 2020, no doubt aided by the absence of a heavy touring schedule.

With past memories and concerns for the future, the album’s musical pilgrimage opens with Sister Starling, setting the template for much of the material which follows. The journey of a nomadic touring career, no doubt somewhat autobiographical, is addressed on the bittersweet Elevators and the title track appraises the overwhelming digital age currently enveloping us and reminisces of more uncomplicated times (‘Oh to be born in the age of apathy when nothing’s got a hold on you’).  It’s beautifully delivered vocally, caressed by nuanced strings and one of the album’s many highlights.

Allison Russell, formerly of Birds Of Chicago and who more recently established herself as a major breakthrough solo artist with her Grammy nominated album OUTSIDE CHILD, contributes backing vocals on Elevators, Galahad, and Prodigal Daughter. The latter is a co-write with Tim O’Brien who also adds mandola to the charming folk/bluegrass crossover song. O’Donovan had started the co-write with O’Brien a number of years ago and put the finishing touches to it during the lockdown. The production duties were carried out by Joe Henry and the album was mixed by Darren Schneider. Other contributors included David Pilth (bass), Jay Bellerose (drums), Joe Henry’s son Levon on woodwind, and backing vocals by Madison Cunningham.

 With songs that refuse to be framed in any one genre, AGE OF APATHY finds O’Donovan with one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Beautifully arranged and showcasing both her sweetened vocals and astute songwriting, it’s a most welcome addition to her splendid solo recordings.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Erin Enderlin Barroom Mirrors Black Crow

I’m doing a bit of catch up on this late 2021 release from Arkansas - born Erin Enderlin which, as a result of an intervention from an email spam folder, is only coming to my attention now.  Fortunately, I did finally manage to obtain a review copy, as Enderlin’s previous recordings have established her as steadfastly locked into the traditions of classic country and honky tonk.  Blessed with a sublime country voice and the ability to create ‘down to earth’ and credible storylines, her songs have been recorded by the likes of Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Lee Ann Womack, and Terri Clark in the past. Her previous two albums, 2019’s FAULKNER COUNTY and 2017’s WHISKEYTOWN CRIER were packed with songs that would, no doubt, have been huge sellers in times when real country music got radio play and record company support.

On this six-track self-produced EP, she teams up once more with Terri Clark on a sprightly duet titled If There Weren’t So Many Damn Songs (check out the You Tube video recorded at Dee’s Cocktail Lounge in Madison, Nashville).  That song was a co-write with another diehard country artist Kayla Ray, who, in a similar vein to Enderlin, is a flag bearer for the ‘now’ generation of female country singer songwriters. Ray is also credited as a co-writer, along with Kimberly Kelly on If I’m Not Hell. Five of the songs feature fellow songwriters lending a hand and, not surprisingly given the album’s title, jukeboxes, whiskey and lots of heartache dominate.  The one track credited as a self-write is the barroom tearjerker When I’m Drinking Whiskey which comes complete with weeping pedal steel from Justin Schipper.

The toe-tapper Somebody’s Shot Of Whiskey is a dancehall gem, with some fine fiddle playing from Jenee Fleenor. Enderlin is joined by Roseanne Cash (who sought Erin out, having recently come across her music) on backing vocals on the equally sorrowful Cut Through Me, before closing the themed album with the title track. She expresses the often-despondent existence of the bar fly on this track with the lines ‘Barroom mirrors tell the truth, even if you don’t want them to. You can look away but you can’t look through all the things you can’t undo’.   

Despite sticking to her artistic guns, writing and performing from the heart rather than a Music Row formula, Enderlin continues to gain the recognition her talent richly deserves. She recently performed alongside Connie Smith at the Grand Ole Opry and was invited to perform at the virtual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival alongside Sheryl Crow, Margo Price, Vince Gill, and Chris Stapleton.

Never attempting to reinvent herself and sticking to the template that has worked particularly well for her to date, BARROOM MIRRORS is another knockout set of songs from an artist whose standing in country music continues to rise.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Pine Hearts Lost Love Songs Self Release

 While I am first to admit that certain types of acoustic roots music are not my go-to medium to listen to, I do make occasional forays into the old-time, Bluegrass, and Appalachian forms, particularly when there is something immediately inviting about the music. The Pine Hearts are a trio based in the Pacific Northwest consisting of Joey Capoccia on guitar, Derek McSwain on mandolin and double bassist Dean Shakked. They are joined on this album by friends Lob Strilla (a former band member) and Bevin Foley, whose banjo and fiddle (respectively) are a strongly featured element of the album’s overall sound. They recorded in the small town of Enterprise in rural Oregon and tapped fellow artist Bart Budwig to produce. The end result has a positive energy and is not afraid to play by its own rules over the thirteen tracks and fifty minutes of playing time. The trumpet in Oceans And Limousines and the electric guitar used in Don’t The Sunlight In Your Eyes are just two examples of this.

 This is the band’s latest outing, with their previous albums being available on their Bandcamp site, and although I haven’t heard the previous recordings, this would appear to be a positive step forward in terms of the overall studio sound. Some songs were written by Capoccia on a working assignment in Antarctica. One of which Wouldn’t You Know was written in the isolation of a greenhouse at the base there. All of the principal players have varied musical backgrounds with Capoccia having a punk aesthetic. McSwain played in and around the regional bluegrass scene, while Shakked played in the Washington metal scene before joining the band. This gives them the freedom that comes from such varied musical experiences, yet they all come together to create a solid acoustic music platform that can grace several different stages and genres, whilst staying true to their ideals of music that is rooted in time, place and nature. With a lot of road miles behind them, they have also honed their individual musical skills which are in evidence here.

 Alongside that, there is a pleasing vocal presence, with all three harmonising throughout and the material is not without a strong sense of melody or a catchy chorus to help things along. They also vary the tempo enough to ensure that it isn’t stuck in one groove throughout. The final track Unit Of Time is an almost acapella autobiographical musing on life, that slowly builds as the bass, fiddle and other instruments are brought in to make it an effective encompassing closing statement. This also confirms their adventurousness with the parameters of their chosen musical base. Hopefully, these songs won’t remain lost or unnoticed for long as they deserve much wider exposure.

 Review by Stephen Rapid

Charlie And The Regrets Walking Away Self Release

 It would seem that Charlie has many regrets and they are guitarist John Shelton, drummer Isais Gil, lap steel player Willy T Golden and Mark Riddell on bass. Charlie is, of course, Charlie Harrison, the singer and songwriter with the band. He has also, for this album, brought in the services of other players who often play with the band when members may be committed to other projects. These include Chris Ardoin, Paul Beebe, Derek Hames and vocalist Libby Koch. All make contributions on this album which marks an obvious step forward for the band from their last album RIVERS IN THE STREETS.

 The opening track Prison Radio is about a radio show that broadcasts from Huntsville prisons. The song has since become the theme for the show. It sets the tone for the album with the rhythm section laying down the solid beat over which the guitars snarls and roars and the words tell the true story with a voice that, in a way, that feels all too real, and one that has witnessed much. Texas Echoes adds some robust roots rock with some sterling guitar lead. It was based on a poem about a relative who was in the Air Force and was missing Texas and which is the basis of the song’s structure. Just Be Stlll has a nice relaxed feel with lap steel and guitar setting the mood for the need for stillness during periods of turmoil. Slightly more tongue-in-cheek is Me And These Boots, a song to a pair of much loved cowboy boots and the miles they have walked and the tales they could tell. 

 There are also moments to take a breath and reflect, such as with Pain And Pleasure, which opens with guitar and vocal - a delivery from Harrison that has venerability and validity. Alongside the self-written numbers is One Day Closer to Rain, which was written by fellow artist Owen Temple and has some added muscle making it different from Temple’s original version and again it shows off the band’s strengths and dynamic. Maybe Next Time was written with Tommy Lewis and is an expression of relationships that can end in heartbreak. The tune has a tenderness that is underscored by Libby Koch’s vocal contribution. Koch also brings some additional scope to TV Hurricane, which was inspired by the arrival of Hurricane Harvey, which Harrison ended up in a disconnected way by watching it unfold on tv as it raged outside.

 The final track is done in a very much live in the studio recording and allows the band to cut loose as Harrison introduces them. It is exactly how it would sound in a rowdy bar setting and gives an indication of how much fun they would be live. That song Mean When I Drink was written by Brad Boyer and warns to keep your distance as he is “mean when I drink and I drink all the time.”  But before you go walking away have a listen - I don’t think you will regret it.

 Review by Stephen Rapid

Lawrence Maxwell Ballad Of Miles Self Release

 Canadian country artist Maxwell has released a third album, one he co-produced with Adam Gallant, and an enjoyable collection it is. The opening song Listening To Keith Whitley is a tribute to the much missed singer/songwriter Keith Whitley. He muses that he doesn’t need fancy words but rather a “little bit of whiskey listening to Keith Whitley” are his requirements for the day. The assembled team of players shows that they are well suited to the job and play with understanding and commitment.

 Smile is about all you can do as Maxwell details the nature of his existence as a musician in the age of Spotify. Another lesson in life is detailed in Better You, in which he recognises what is required to get a better deal in life. Next up the jaunty pace of Back To Cape Breton is one of those songs that lists all the good things associated with a place and time, but is delivered in an arrangement that can’t fail to get the feet tapping and the finger reaching for the repeat button. Beer Song (More To Life) and Hurry Up And Hurt Me are innately imbued with a sense humour, with the former likely to hit the spot for many, though they may disagree as they sing along to its chorus holding a beer aloft.

 These four songs are a summation of the worth of this album and the of the team involved, not least the range of Maxwell’s vocals over the thirteen songs that make up BALLAD OF MILES. it is also another indication of the strength of the Canadian country/roots scene which seems, at least at this remove, less influenced by the mechanisms of radio and marketing. His writing is also diverse and can range from humour to heartbreak. It offers ready proof that Maxwell is yet another name to add to those who work hard at their craft as storytellers and narrators. Meat is a poetic semi-spoken word piece over a subtle somewhat ambient musical base, but all the more effective for that. While the title has an engaging subtlety that runs on from that previous track but builds more as the tune flows. The Bird & Worm is a bird’s eye view of life from above and below and how sometimes there is an inevitability that follows us around.

 The initial recordings were done in a small cottage, allowing a certain looseness and vitality to become the bones of the song’s spontaneity. Justin Young is the guitarist and Ben Aitken the keyboard player, both part of the team who bring much of the texture to the songs. It was done in something of a interactive jamming setting which provided the basis and also the overall feel  for all the recordings. Something he had done previously in parts when time and finance allowed. This is more cohesive in context which the end result testifies to. Maxwell then went into lockdown situation which gave him the time to think and to write (and do 1,000 push ups a day). Lawrence Maxwell was a new name to me, but I’m glad I made his acquaintance as this album, while it won’t change your life, will allow you to find much to make that experience one to remember.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Roundtable Billy Blue

Septuagenarian Doyle Lawson has actually lost count of how many albums he has released in his almost 60 year career. His latest, ROUNDTABLE, was released just after he announced his forthcoming retirement from the road, and it continues his consistent record of producing true bluegrass of the highest standard. The title of the album emphasises the equality gifted by him to his five band members, when it comes to both picking and singing. Although he is still possessed of an excellent vocal range, he has taken a slight step back and allowed the others to take their turns on lead vocals, while he himself contributes to the duo and trio harmony vocals that imbue every song. Lawson still, of course, plays lead mandolin, as well as playing various other stringed instruments here. The twin fiddles of Matt Flake and Stephen Burwell are a particularly striking trademark of the current Quicksilver line up. 

From the very opening track, I’ll Take The Lonesome Every Time, with its familiar references to freight trains, whippoorwills, wind in the pines and heartache, you know what you are going to get on this album, and that’s no bad thing. What marks it out from many contemporaries is the high standard of the vocals and playing and the (mostly) excellent song choices. Bassist Jerry Cole takes the lead on that first track and indeed on five other songs. Cole’s smooth baritone (very reminiscent of Doc Watson) is outstanding also on Long Time Lonesome, and on another barnstorming heartache train song, Sad Attack, written by the banjo player, Eli Johnston: ‘I guess I better learn to be alone, I feel another sad attack comin’ on, I guess I better learn to be alone. It’s worse every time I hear the lonesome locomotive whistle moan’. Young Ben James (guitar) takes lead on four songs, all of which impress. He covers the Donna Ulisse penned heart breaking country number, You Ain’t Heard Lonesome Yet, (yes, there are three songs with Lonesome in the title on this album - a record?!), and he also shines on another slow burner, Every Now and Then (written by Glen Duncan). Fiddler Matt Flake gets to sing lead on the cover of a Steve Goodman number, Between The Lines, which is given a jaunty Western Swing treatment.

Doyle Lawson himself produced the album very slickly, right down to the photography and album design. Although he’s retiring from touring, he plans to continue to produce for other acts and has a final gospel album of his own in the works. The album closes with a superb 5-part a capella gospel number, A Little More Faith in Jesus. A minor quibble over a couple of ‘nostalgic’ song choices does not deter me from recommending this album highly.

Review by Eilís Boland

Sad Daddy Way Up in the Hills Self-Release

 Written and recorded during times when live shows and touring were not an option, WAY UP IN THE HILLS, the third album from four-piece Sad Daddy, offers up fourteen songs which reflect on bygone times when life and survival were less complicated. The four members of Sad Daddy are Melissa Carper (vocals, upright bass, banjo), Joe Sundell (vocals, banjo, harmonica, didgeridoo, mouth horns), Brian Martin (vocals, guitar, harmonica, mouth horns, kazoo), and Rebecca Patek (vocals, fiddle, scatting). Each member is involved in other musical projects, Melissa Carper’s excellent 2021 album DAD’S COUNTRY GOLD featured in many ‘best of 2021’ listings, including our own. They have been performing their stylish take on old timey music since 2010 and this recording finds them on top of their game.

There is a ‘heading for the hills’ feel to the material, suggesting that the party favoured hibernation until the world returned to some degree of normality. The songs were written, arranged and recorded at Martin’s cabin, nestled in the Ozark foothills in Greers Ferry, Arkansas. No doubt the stunning environment of woods and lake galvanised many of the song titles (Cold Rain, Up In The Hills, Hanging Them Clothes, Wild Road), resulting in an ageless recording.

 Glorious harmonies, slick banjo picking and fiddle, the classic jazz fused lead vocals from Carper, and not least some great songs, all combine in the ultimate ‘back to the country’ album. They appropriately open and bookend the album with Arkansas Bound, the former featuring harmony vocals, the latter an instrumental, in jug band style. The chorus lyrics (‘And I don’t miss that ol’ life I was livin’ back in the city, runnin’ round, around in circles just to pay my bills. Yes, now I’m free up in these hills’) on the album’s title track wholeheartedly sums up the project and the band’s motivation.  

 You’re well advised to lose yourself for a brief period and indulge in this meticulously executed and absorbing suite of songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

Gregory Dwane Self-Titled Self-Release

With so much music coming our way in 2021 it was inevitable that, despite our best efforts, there were always going to be a number of albums that we enjoyed but did not get around to reviewing. We’ve carried a number of them into the New Year, including this stellar album courtesy of Gregory Dwane.

Dwane may be a new name to readers, but there is every likelihood that many would have enjoyed music and shows by a number of artists that employed him in different roles over the years. His career has included a stint as keyboard tech with Alanis Morrisette, Macy Grey, and Dave Navarro, writing music jingles for a decade and a half, and a producer of albums by Amy Ray and Indigo Girls. Industry burnout eventually caught up with him, resulting in him abandoning his career in music and substituting it by opening a fine art gallery in Brooklyn. However, with time on his hands during the pandemic, 2020 found him revisiting his music demos, some dating back twenty years and composing the eleven songs on this, his debut album. With titles such as Growing Up, Fragile Man and, It’s Fucked Up, the album chronicles his chaotic lifestyle and encounters with alcohol abuse, troubled relationships, therapy and fatherhood.  

Like many of his musical peers, early involvement in punk bands directed him towards recording with both country and rock stylings, laced with bucket loads of attitude and no end of wit, no more so than on the heart-warming pure country opener Do You Really Want Me. He’s joined by Amy Ray on the rootsy Gone and Changed and the previously noted and pedal steel kissed It’s Fucked Up. He mixes driving melody with grungy energy on Gimme A Solution and takes the foot slightly off the gas on the unfeigned break-up tune When You Say California. The spiralling Don’t Change For Me sounds like it was borrowed from the Tom Petty songbook, before the album culminates with the possibly autobiographical Fragile Man.

Described by Dwane as ‘a culmination of years of therapy, sobriety and relationships, good and bad’, the album crosses genres from alt-country to sweet sounding rock, and packs a hefty punch. It’s one that certainly deserves to reach a wide audience, so do take the time to check it out. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Review by Declan Culliton

Anna Ash Sleeper Black Mesa 

My introduction to the Los Angeles based artist Anna Ash came about via her 2017 single, a cover of Lucinda Williams’ Righteously. Whereas Ms. Williams’ delivery was by way of a passionate growl, Ash slowed things down, patiently purring her way through the three minutes plus of the song. That vocal discipline and chic coolness is her trademark and it was repeated all over her 2019 album L.A. FLAME. She has a lot to say, often hard hitting, brooding and dark, but always calmly and expressly articulated. SLEEPER follows a similar template, although somewhat more soulful and menacing.

In recent years the Americana genre has become a popular staging post for recordings that would have been simply marketed as ‘soul’ in former times. SLEEPER is a welcome addition to that subgenre, though to classify it simply as soul would be an injustice. It’s certainly soulful, but much more than that, in a similar vein to the output of the eloquent Canadian artist Frazey Ford. Notes that others would not dare to attempt are effortlessly reached by Ash on the title track and Dress Rehearsal. What The Light Can Do recalls Joni Mitchell, a gentle tingling piano and backing vocals around a tale that is both delightful and distressing. More upbeat and decidedly funky is the bittersweet Favorite Part and childhood memories, both unsettling and emotional, surface on Sgt.Pepper. She also raids the memory bank, both distant and closer to home, on the deeply evocative Fire Season

Difficult to shoehorn into any particular genre, SLEEPER is simply a gorgeous listen.  It merits that listen in one sitting, gifting dreamlike songs with lyrics that often enhance the mystique within the songs. Recorded live to tape over two sessions in November 2020 and April 2021, Ash was joined in the studio by Solomon Dorsey (bass, strings), Julian Allen (drums), and Jason Abraham Roberts (guitars). Her vocals and the supporting arrangements by those players combine impeccably throughout, creating eleven thought provoking songs that are well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Devin Hoff Voices From The Empty Moor (Songs Of Anne Briggs) Kill Rock Stars

 SOLO BASS (2009), the debut album from American bass player and composer Devin Hoff, was heralded as one of her top five favourite albums of all time by Laurie Anderson, which goes a long way towards noting the regard Hoff is held in by his peers. His collaborations over the years have found him working with a diverse range of artists including Yoko Ono, Jim White, Sharon Van Etten, Julia Holter, and Shannon Lay.

 His latest project follows a decade of research and concentrated study into the work of the hugely influential British folk singer Anne Briggs. Briggs may not have attained the level of commercial success of her fellow British folk artists Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Bert Jansch, and Maddy Prior, but her influence on these artists was immense. Very much a free spirit, in the mid- ‘60s she spent her summers in Ireland, often accompanied by Dublin folk singer Johnny Moynihan, travelling around the country by horse drawn cart to play in numerous pubs and impromptu sessions. The winter months found her returning to England to work the folk music circuit in various pubs and clubs, more often than not singing a capella. 

 VOICES FROM THE EMPTY MOOR is a celebration of Brigg’s musical legacy. It’s a nine-track collection of songs, with invited guests on a number of the tracks adding vocals to Hoff’s interpretations. The album also features a number of hauntingly atmospheric instrumentals.   Julia Holter is the guest vocalist on the beautifully arranged Let No Man Steal Your Thyme. Whereas the original Briggs version was under the two-minute mark and sung a capella, this recreation, which runs for over six minutes, is awash with a quartet of double basses alongside Holter’s wistful vocals. Equally striking is Shannon Lay’s vocal interpretation of Living By The Water, which captures the mood and tenor of Briggs to perfection. The chamber music styled instrumentals work best on Hoff’s solo bass executions of She Moved Through The Fair and closing track The Lowlands.

 Though often experimental in the extreme, Hoff has remained true to the dark and forbidding mood of the original songs. Without any degree of self-indulgence, his ambitious interpretations result in a most impressive exercise on all fronts.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Lord Nelson Transmission Self-Release

Charlottesville, Virginia-based band Lord Nelson consists of brothers Henry and Calloway Jones, Kai Crowe Getty, Andrew Hollifield, Niko Cventanovich, Johnny Stubblefield, and Dave Pinto. TRANSMISSION is their third studio album and attempts to recreate the full-on energy and spirit of their live shows.

Subjects addressed on the album include tales of surviving on the edge, with drug busts, crashed trucks and relationships, homicide, and bank robberies all making appearances. Their core sound is rampant and uninhibited, landing somewhere between Tom Petty and Drive By Truckers.

Recorded two years ago in a converted barn over a few weeks, the intention was to showcase the material on the road on their planned tour. Covid-19 knocked that on the head, and instead they put additional touches to the material at numerous makeshift studios. The best moments on the album are the driving opener Tooth and Nail and bulletproof rockers Cheap Red Wine and Drag Me Down.

Laden with heavy grooves and occasional wicked humour TRANSMISSION captures the mood and sound of a band renowned for their lively stage shows. It’s a body of work that packs a heavy punch and is the ideal company for any road trip. Maximum volume recommended. 

Review by Declan Culliton

David Gideon Lonesome Desert Strum Self Release

It is going to get the year off to a great start to hear such striking albums as this so early in the year. Of course,  the signs were there from the beginning with the talents of such stalwarts as Dave Roe, Kenny Vaughan, Steve Hinson, Billy Contreras, Pete Abbott and Chris Scruggs on board. This is Gideon’s first full length album, a previous EP Drifter (2017) featured three of the titles found on this release, indicating that the genesis of this album and recordings were done over a period time. Given the ability of those involved and the fact that this is an independent release, this is entirely understandable. So it may have taken a little time to get here in this twelve track format, but truth is it doesn’t really matter, what counts is it’s here now and it is well worth the wait at any time.

Gideon’s attention gets the best out of everyone and the collective team deliver on all fronts. Throughout there are moments when the guitar and steel are captivating, while the fiddle adds its own dexterity over the solid rhythm section. Gideon is a great writer and his vocals are equally adept. The subjects of the material range from a love of country music in Ashes wherein the songster wants his ashes not to be buried but to be scattered in locations that meant something to him - like Nashville’s Studio A and Studio B and The Ryman Auditorium, “places that are dear to me.” It reveals Gideon’s love of traditional country and history. Naturally there is a more than a suggestion of love, loss and heartbreak here. My Birthday tells of being dumped on that particular occasion. It is delivered with a dash of mournful melancholy. Moving To The Country is a pacy description of “getting the hell out of Dodge.” Both Nice To Meet You and A Woman Like Her are full of fond memories alongside some more bitter feelings of soured relationships in the former and a mishandled mistake in the latter.

The title song has a little more atmosphere and is a thoughtful consideration of regret and reflection on what might have been, with Vaughan’s guitar underscoring that sentiment. Also full of an almost campfire folk like contemplation is Ballad Of Crazy Horse, which talks of the Native American’s legend and longevity. Things pick up again as we enter a honky tonk bar and encounter a woman whose footwear is just one of her attributes and attractions. The songs are penned by Gideon with a couple of co-writes, with all revealing a writer who understands who and what he is writing about, when it comes to old school country storytelling.

There isn’t a bad track here and those titles named are just to emphasise the variety of moods and meanings that Gideon touches on throughout the album. Doubtless it will be an album that I will return to throughout the year. One can only hope that this testament to his talents means that album number two won’t quite take as long to distill. The point is that it’s not that easy for an independent artist to get everything together in a way that might be possible with a signed artist. So one can only wish that LONESOME DESERT STRUM gets the attention it is worthy of, as many such albums can so easily be missed in such a cluttered communication process. So listen hard and you can hear that desert strum playing and know what good music is out there to be discovered and enjoyed.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Delevantes A Thousand Turns Moonriver

Album three from the Delevante brothers arrives some 20 years after the release of their last album POSTCARDS ALONG THE WAY which was released on Capitol Nashville in 1997. Back then it looked like the duo were on their way to a solid future, but there was a fundamental shift at mainstream country music radio and it became so much harder for certain type of acts to get exposure to a wide audience.

Bob and Mike took the decision to pursue different careers and both were successful in the graphic design field, although Bob continued to release albums alongside working the graphic arts. Fans of the duo (and I count myself as one) will be delighted to know that in the intervening years they have not moved to heavy metal, hip hop, electronica or any other unexpected musical avenue but, in terms of sound, pick up pretty much where they left off. They put together a select team that includes their friend and former producer Garry Tallent who again joins them as co-producer. Tallent also brings his bass playing skills to the table and is joined by multi-instrumentalist Dave Coleman and drummer Bryan Owings as the main players for the album recordings.

Their sibling vocals were always an essential part of their sound alongside some concisely crafted songs built around melody and chorus. That skill has not been lost to them, as evidenced by the opening two tracks here All In All and Little By Little. Both show the essence of what was their signature sound, a nod to traditional country conciseness but filtered through a roots/rock edge. A sound that was quite prevalent back in the 90s and in 1995 gained its own chart from Gavin Americana. Back then it had, a little like alt-country, a specific style and sound which has now been dissipated to virtually encompass any sound made in America (and beyond).

That the Everly Brothers, The Byrds, R.E.M, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan are called to mind at times is not surprising, given that the brothers grew up at a time when these acts were primary sources for The Delevantes and many of their contemporaries 

But the picks don’t end there, as repeated listens reveal that among the fourteen songs there are many that resonate. The intervening years may have had a direct bearing on the themes of the songs which on occasion, understandably, offer commentary on the political divides and problems that have emerged since the duo’s return to the fray. The Junkman perhaps is the most obvious: Noting that “the Junkman’s a liar / a con man / a fraudster / a cheat” and he’s “running the show. Sound like anyone you (we) might know?”  Previous elements like love, attraction and loss are also presented in songs such as Dear Kate, Every Sunset and Light Of Your Eyes. There is also room for interpretation in the songs that allow them to be viewed from an individual perspective. 

While losing none of their energy there is a maturity to the playing. As well as the players mentioned above, there are additional contributions from Jody Nardone on keyboards and sax and trumpet from John Painter. Bob Delevante takes the bulk of the writing credits, with brother Mike co-writing three of the songs. Mike also adds his signature Rickenbacker jangle and harmonies to an overall sound that has a timeless quality, demonstrating that they have not become an act focused on the past but one with an open future. Welcome back Delevantes and, hopefully, stick around. It’s going to be interesting, the next turn.

Review by Stephen Rapid

William Russell Wallace Confidence Man Beardog

This is my first encounter with the music of William Russell Wallace. He had a previously well received album DIRTY SOUL, but on the evidence here this new release is every bit as good. Although Americana seems to come up in media mentions, to my mind it is a little more on the roots/rock side of things - a little more Tav Falco than full on Tom Petty to these ears (though the latter was undoubtably an influence). As these tracks were cut over a period of time in a couple of different studios in Ohio and California, the personnel change to suit, but lead guitarist and pedal steel player Travis Talbert appears on the majority of the recordings. Also vocalist Amanda Addy is present on many of the tracks,  and the vocals delivered by Addy and Brett Puryear (and others) are an important part of the overall sound. Wallace himself contributes acoustic guitar, bass, piano, organ and percussion, as well as his distinctive vocal presence.

The album closes with a nice relaxed soulful version of the Velvet Underground song I Found A Reason and there’s a version of Tom Petty’s No Second Thoughts that fits the overall scheme of things. But prior to that we delve into Wallace’s world of misfits, miscreants and misfortune. These strong songs are written by Wallace with a couple of co-writes included. The opening track Recklessly is a statement of intent about living up to the song’s title. Another track Mormon Cocaine was conceived during a car trip and written around the title. The video for the song is also worth checking out. The album title comes from the song Missoula (Confidence Man Blues) wherein the protagonist considers his journey in life “I was a confidence man / but I lost all control / I’ve gone a long distance / man, got a long way to go.” There’s no doubt that Wallace knows how to turn a phrase that has a poetic sense that is not always immediate, but conveys its meaning with some gravitas, as in this couplet from The Timing: “It makes me think on old ways / living out our time as thieves / Just like the old days / when our gods were more than ghosts.” Or the couple trying to find their place in the world and trying to rise above past mistakes in Roanoke (Resolution Blues): “Oh, but think on that hand to mouth existence and those happy payment plans / But forget about the other women; I’ll forget that other man.” 

These words are naturally intertwined with the music and inseparable from them in terms of recording. Wallace has, with the revealing quality of repeated listening, recorded an album that reveals much in its melodic arrangements; one that uses many of the instruments to illuminate texture over the solid platform of the rhythm sections. Those songs mentioned above (and indeed others on the album) are all ones that reverberate and resonate and ask to be replayed numerous times, with no lack of enjoyment for that.   

Wallace loved rock ’n’ roll growing up and soon gravitated to playing in bands and working as a touring bassist. He joined a band called The Wading Girl in Roanoke, Virginia playing indie rock fused with country and folk elements. However this life style led to a addiction with alcohol, something which he now has overcome. During this time he also worked on his writing and later teaching the subject. All these elements in his background, alongside the learning curve of playing cover songs in various bands, taught him about the structures in classic songwriting, something he has put to good effect on this collection of songs, all of which stand up on their own terms. CONFIDENCE MAN is work of an artist who should be confident in his achievement here.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Single Girl Married Girl Three Generations of Leaving Self Release

The second album from the Californian band with the strange name (taken from a Carter Family song title) is a concept album loosely chronicling the troubled lives of three women members of one family, as depicted in the attractive album artwork. There’s the 50s housewife, her wayward teen daughter in the 60s, and her daughter who’s navigating the rough waters of the 21st century.

Despite the struggles depicted, the album benefits from a big expansive sound, courtesy of New York based producer Tom Gardner, and is ultimately an uplifting experience. 

Opening with singer/songwriter Chelsea Coy’s delicate and discordant banjo and her searing vocals, Walking on Water describes the fear and trepidation experienced when a mother and her family are abandoned by her husband. Folk influences expanded by upbeat pop/rock sounds are introduced in So She Runs which expresses the giddiness combined with trepidation of a young woman (the 60s teen) who’s ‘running to the grass that’s greener on the other side’. 

The songs are all written by Coy and her husband Gary Knight who, unusually, is not a member of the band. The band initially developed when the couple lived in NYC for a few years, hence the return there for recording this album and why they describe themselves as a ‘bicoastal’ band. The other members are Charlie Rauh (guitars), John Gray (bass), Oskar Haggdahl (drums) and Shannon Soderlund (harmonies and backing vocals).

Another highlight among the eleven varied but unmissable tracks is Wreck Cut Loose, a slow country ballad about the fall out from heart ache, that builds to an emotion-filled crescendo, helped by soaring layered vocals and the addition of guest Philip Kronengold on organ. There’s an excellent one-shot video that accompanies the song that’s also worth checking out. Moving on in time, the protagonist in Scared to Move needs encouragement to overcome fear and embark on a new love relationship. This dream-like sequence mid-album stands out thanks to the unexpected backdrop of cascading harp runs by Mary Lattimore, an inspired suggestion by the producer, along with the complementary heavenly vocals of Shannon Soderlund. Elsewhere, Thad DeBrock adds pedal steel to the lolloping Runaway and to the closing track, The Flood, a country waltz which deals with loss of life due to drug addiction, inspired by the tragic life and death of Knight’s brother. Recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Hiss Golden Messenger O Come All Ye Faithful Merge 

MC Taylor does it again. If this sounds like a newspaper headline, then I wish that it was! When most of your career has been spent making music of sublime, understated beauty, then you have good reason to expect the great and the good of the music media to make more of a fuss about you. Incredibly, this is not the case when it comes to MC Taylor; even if he enjoys legendary status among those who have the inside track. With a total of twelve prior albums already out there for your listening pleasure, here comes a real bonus - a Christmas-themed record. 

MC Taylor had gotten tired with listening to the banal and trite celebratory music that retailer outlets and general media force upon weary shoppers at this time of year. An implied happiness for us all is just another counterproductive pressure on what has been a very difficult time for the world. Truth is, it can be a lonely time at Christmas for many, and a time when self-reflection and life circumstance only confirm what is missing in personal hopes and yearnings.

Having already released one of this year’s best albums with, Quietly Blowing It, destined to appear in a lot of year-end best-release lists, MC Taylor has now fashioned a quietly beautiful album that captures a lot of what is both good and bad about this Christmas behemoth. His dreamy, soulful arrangements are hypnotic and lull the listener into a sense of quiet calm, as the messages of comfort in a time of extremes are subtly made. Mixing traditional songs with a few cover versions and three self-penned creations, MC Taylor has gotten a perfect balance on these nine tracks that clock in at thirty-six minutes of listening pleasure. He produced the album and the core group of players are joined by guests, Erin Rae, Aoife O’Donovan, Buddy Miller and Nathaniel Rateliff.

His three inclusions are, Hung Fire, Grace and By the Lights Of St. Stephen - all aspiring towards messages of hope and light, in searching for solace. The hymns, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy To the World and Silent Night, are given a new coat of paint and come up shining in their new arrangements. Slowed down and allowed to breathe in terms of the message communicated, they all carry a deeper resonance.  Cover versions of Shine A Light (Spiritualised), Hanukkah Dance (Woody Guthrie) and As Long As I Can See the Light (John Fogarty), are included to give added force to the message of accentuating the positive and keeping those dissenting voices at bay. As Christmas albums go, this one is a real keeper.    

Review by Paul McGee  

Jonathan Long Parables Of A Southern Man Wildheart 

This is a fine album, produced by the steady hand of Samantha Fish and her newly formed record label. It was recorded at the Rhythm Shack in New Orleans, and features Jonathon Long on guitar and vocals, Nicholas David on keyboards, Charlie Wooton on bass and Scott Graves on drums/percussion. 

As you would expect, with Samantha Fish guiding proceedings, the guitar has prominence in the mix. It’s a full and rich sound, highlighting the impressive feel and fret work of Long. The songs are rooted in a Blues/Americana direction with the vocal tone of Long displaying a confident and impressive style. Band work outs like on My Kinda Woman are really excellent, showcasing the tight ensemble playing and the slow burn of other tracks like Pain, point to a direction that fits comfortably within the overall dynamic. Landline has a more commercial sound, a more soulful vocal and a plea for release, with a superb guitar riff surfing through the arrangement. Equally, All I Need, trawls similar waters with a warm keyboard sound and some impressive guitar licks.

Long wrote all twelve songs and with a playing time of forty-six minutes, the time certainly never drags; always a good sign. Saviour’s Face tells a tale from the bible about the life of Jesus and there are definite Stevie Ray Vaughan influences in the guitar lines. That Ain’t Love, slows everything down with a blues lament to the frustrations of loving, while Jenny ends our journey with a stripped-down arrangement, a deep bass and percussion groove and a tale about staying ahead of the law.

This a very solid second album from an accomplished guitarist and songwriter that will please many who like their music big and bold.  

Review by Paul McGee  

Chris Murphy Sovereign Friendly Folk

Opening with the joyful band arrangement of Halfway Around the World, this latest album from the creative muse of Chris Murphy delivers a strong statement of intent. Recorded during lockdown, it’s as if Murphy set out with one central message in mind; focus on the positive and everything else will follow.

Bad Situation is another song that highlights this message of making the best of the straitened circumstances that present themselves at various points in our lives; the violin and guitar elevating the song arrangement and colouring the rhythm. The sound is celebratory and even with tracks like Boxed In, the message is one of ‘get myself sorted out,’ - perhaps a striking theme for these Covid times? 

The assembled musicians on the project are many, and clocking up at thirty-plus, mean that there were often remote recording challenges. Of the guests, the quality  of Doug Pettibone on guitar(Lucinda Williams, Jewel) appears on eight songs and Hal Cragin (Iggy Pop, Rufus Wainwright) plays bass on seven of the thirteen tracks included. The title track is an instrumental, with deep Irish music influences, which includes the musicians from Lunasa (Trevor Hutchinson, Ed Boyd, Kevin Crawford, Colin Farrell, Cillian Vallely). Also included is Walfredo Reyes, Jr. (Santana) on percussion for a really inspiring tune. Another instrumental,  Pear Blossom, includes banjo from Bruce Molsky, acoustic bass from Trevor Hutchinson and Murphy, again showcasing his wonderful runs on violin. It’s all quite addictive and joyous in the delivery and the mood generated.

Done With Diane is a light jazz arrangement that flows along on a great melody, and the Bossa Nova swing of Never the Same is another fine example of the range of influences on offer; Luca Pino excelling on guitar and Walfredo Reyes Jr. adding superb percussion. The violin and mandolin skills of Murphy are once more highlighted on the song, Till the World Lifts Its Head Again, which looks forward to better days and a return to optimism. Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello), plays drums on four tracks, including the spoken word, Wind In My Eye, a tale of chance and romance on the road for two lonely souls. Three Feet Deep introduces saxophone from Dana Colley and atmospheric bass, courtesy of Mike Watt ((fIREHOSE, The Minutemen) with Doug Pettibone supplying edgy guitar lines. 

Tim O’Brien appears on Your Guess Is As Good As Mine, along with Jenee Conlee on accordion, and the easy Country groove is a relaxing wind down as the final song, Hazel Creek, brings it all together with a final instrumental jaunt; Murphy on guitar and mandolin and Hal Cragin on resonant bass. The album is filled with bright, happy sounds and some exemplary musicianship, with Murphy producing and writing all the songs. It ranks as a high point in the varied career of this talented and genre-fluid visionary musician and composer.  

Review by Paul McGee 

Mark Rogers Rhythm Of the Roads Self Release

In 2017, this singer-songwriter released a debut EP and, in the process, concluded a long journey that had started back in Los Angeles in 1982. In the music business, timing is everything and the stars just didn’t align for Rogers during the synth pop dominated years of the 80s. He moved back to his home base in Virginia and parked his passion for music while raising a family and getting on with the daily challenges of life. However, the flame never fully went out and after that debut EP he returned on a path that led to a further EP in 2018, followed by a full album release, Laying It Down, in 2019.   

This second album was recorded earlier this year at Master Sound studios in Virginia beach. Rogers co-produced with Rob Ulsh, and for a  ‘late bloomer’ he has returned with lots of reasons to continue on his newfound path. Rogers is quite an accomplished guitarist and plays with an easy style, perfectly suited to his sweet and clearly defined vocal tone. He sits in the area of contemporary Folk with songs that explore the vicissitudes of love and a leaning towards anything that lends real value to our daily experience.  

On the album, Rogers enjoys the talents of Powell Randolph (drums), Jimmy Masters (bass), Larry Berwald and Alan Parker (electric guitar), Bill Gurley (acoustic guitars and Mandocello), John Toomey (piano), Jamie Lewis (Hammond B3), Lori de los Santos (vocal harmonies). The ensemble playing is nicely balanced with the melodic arrangements and with Mark delivering confident acoustic guitar and vocals, well, the sky is the limit when looking towards the future.

Tracks such as Every Once In A While, speak of enjoying the surprises in life that come your way, while Just So You Know, is a song that asks us to keep faith and believe in tomorrow – written at the beginning of lockdown. Rain Parade is one of the highlights and reflects on the strength of a couple to endure, through good and bad times. The song, Joking, looks at the other side of relationships and the urge to hide behind a façade of openness. The lines in Strange Anticipation speak for themselves; ‘You’re older now baby, It’s time you ought to help yourself, You may want to blame somebody, But there’s really no one else.’

The fragility of relationships is captured perfectly in the song, Leaving, and the lines; ‘And all this pain, Is like a hole in my heart, How can you help me baby, Where do we start?’ The final track, Flying, captures the spirit of the record with a message to wait out the storms and endure the rain in the hope of brighter days.

There is much to recommend this album, with the excellent ensemble playing  and the clear production. No doubt, Mark Rogers has the wind in his sails now and there’s no saying where his journey will point him next. One thing for sure is that he’s plotting a straight course.

Review by Paul McGee

George Enslé Be A Better Me Puff Bunny

This is such a pleasant surprise. An album that comes out of the blue and just lands perfectly into a moment in time. The title and opening song, Be A Better Me,  speaks of looking to the future and honouring the past. The message of enjoying every day is clearly a prayer for these times and the song, $1.65, is a gentle rumination on homelessness and the plight of the forgotten in society; ‘It might be what it takes, To get rid of the shakes, It’s cold living under a bridge.’  On another song, Front Porch Light, the words resonate; ‘It lit-up Dad the first time he handed me the car keys, Said, “Freedom means responsibility.” A song of reminiscence and beautifully captured.

All In the Songs is a tribute to the life on the road and the musicians that live the process, ‘Songs are love letters to the world, they help us laugh and cry and dance.’ This track really sums up the creative muse of George Enslé, fifty years a musician with sixteen albums to his catalogue and a wisdom hard earned on the road of life. He has shared songs and stages with Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Billy Joe Shaver, while also running workshops as an ambassador for Soldier Songs and Voices, a charity that provides free guitars and song-writing lessons for veterans as a form of post-conflict care.  

River Of Life captures the essence of his message in the lines, ‘It’s wise as old man Winter, In the Spring it wants to dance, And it can move a mountain, If you give it half a chance.’ The power of music endures through everything that throws us a curve ball in life and keeping a straight line is all that we can do. 

The playing on the album is quietly reflective and perfectly themed with the spirit of the project. A tribute to his father is so beautifully delivered on Gone Fishin’ and the lines, ‘ On the door back to my favourite times with you, Dad I know just what it’d say, “Gone Fishin.”  Equally, the lovely melody on The Deep Wells Of Her Eyes reflects the sweet memory of lost days, while the elegance of The Unknown Soldier carries such a poignant message, ‘ He’s got a faded tattoo, From a foreign shore, And some unknown wounds of war.’ 

Ending with the anti-war message of traditional tune, Down By The Riverside, this interesting artist brings everything back to the beginning of the protest song – making a difference and pushing towards a better future. The album is produced by Stephen Doster and is a warm and heartfelt representation of all that is good in the Folk tradition of personal reflection and insights from the journey taken. A recommended purchase.  

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Valerie Smith Renaissance Bell Buckle

Valerie Smith has reached that fortunate stage in life where she feels comfortable in her own skin, as she proclaims joyously in the opening self-penned song, I’m Fine Being Me, on her new record - ‘No need to prove myself anymore, trying’ to get my foot in the door … who says I need more?’

It’s a slight move away from the bluegrass that she is well known for, towards a more americana sound. While still using her core touring band, Liberty Pike, for the recording, she has added some special guests on this album, which has been expertly co-produced by herself and Tim Carter at his Treehouse Studio in Ridgetop, Tennessee.

There’s an acoustic rockabilly feel to Heartbreak Hill (written by the late Gary Scruggs), with mandolin from band mate, Lisa Kay Howard-Hughes, and bass supplied by Johnny Cash’s bass player, Dave Roe. Roe’s bass is also prominent on The River Whispers, where Smith pays homage to the comfort and healing powers of rivers, and she credits her regular bass player, the truly legendary Tom Gray, with introducing her to the benefits of river kayaking. Two slow ballads from the pen of Jude Johnston are perfect fits for Smith’s deep and slightly husky vocals: On That Train poignantly expresses the pain of life’s regrets, while the closer Unchained, famously recorded by Johnny Cash towards the end of his life, is an uplifting slow blues, featuring Rob Ickes on resonator guitar. Smith pays homage to her great grandmother on the only other self written song here, A Dollar Looked Mighty Good. The folky bluegrass ballad chronicles the fascinating story, based on Smith finding her journal in an old trunk, of how Maggie Brooks escaped from domestic abuse and went on to become a successful business woman in Missouri. Another inspired choice is a gospel song, The Great I Am, where the band were joined in the studio by The McCrary Sisters (Ann, Alfreda & Regina) for a stomping rendition, with a powerful banjo accompaniment from Tim Carter. It’s enough to almost turn an atheist towards the light!

Sammy Shelor (banjo) and Stephen Burrell (fiddle) contribute on the upbeat bluegrass number Heart of Sorrow and, in a nice twist, the writer of Dancing with the Stars, Jerry Salley is brought on board with Donna Ulisse to sing harmonies on this swing number. 

The standout song for this reviewer is I Found, a song originally performed by indie rock band Amber Run, featuring regular band member, Wally Hughes, on fiddle.

There are many more delights to be discovered on the fourteen track album, which clearly demonstrates the power of choosing songs that express deeply personal sentiments. It’s just a pity that most of the current crop of ‘successful’ bluegrass bands haven’t realised this yet.

Review by Eilís Boland

Jason Boland & The Stragglers The Light Saw Me Thirty Tigers

Concept albums are not that common in country music, but in recent times we had one from Sturgill Simpson and now comes this new release from Jason Boland. The theme is alien abduction and has its roots in the tale of a supposed alien craft crash landing in Texas in 1897. In this story a cowboy is abducted and then the aliens return him to Texas in the 1990s. That was the decade that Boland released his fine debut with his band PEARL SNAPS. It was the first in a series of releases that established him at the head of the Red Dirt posse.

Even with that knowledge and with the exception of a couple of spoken word tracks, this plays out very much on the same track as his previous releases, except maybe calling at a couple more stops on the line. That Shooter Jennings is the producer should come as no surprise, as there are hints of Waylon throughout as well as the presence of Hank Williams Snr. The title is a take on his spiritually designated song I Saw The Light. So the elements of hard core country are very much in evidence, alongside those of the red dirt rockers.

Boland and his band The Stragglers seem to have taken on this concept to allow themselves the opportunity to explore the parameters of their sound without ever moving so far away from their roots that it will confuse or conflict with their many fans. It is an album that requires several listens to really appreciate the achievement in terms of offering a cohesive theme and sound. Boland and Jennings and their crew have created a certain space as well as spaciness in the overall mix that adds much to the sound,without veering into an overuse of “alien” sounds, though the synth is a factor alongside the steel, and guitars.

There is a questioning about events, myths, legends, falsehoods and beliefs. “Having visions of things that bear explaining, no answers in religion or the law / Sending thugs out to call it all illusion, doesn’t change belief in what I saw” the lyrics offer this viewpoint, often expressed by those who have had such close encounters. Or the solid certainty of “ … Hank Williams singing with the conviction of a man who had seen the light”. There is also the consideration of even closer encounters when it comes to this planet we call home. “Flying out over an ocean of time / Our dear mother earth has since been forsaken / Could humanity be in decline?” These lyrics raise a number of points for contemplation while listening to what will be perceived as a “country” album. 

Boland has made his mark with his music by releasing a series of satisfying albums to date and THE LIGHT SAW ME further enhances that body of work by taking some chances and experimenting with both the format of a country concept album and the boundaries of their own take on red dirt country.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Kiely Connell Calumet Queen Self Release

There are singers and songwriters and every now and then an artist arrives with a debut release that excels in both categories - Connell is one of those. It is the type of album that would work with just voice and guitar (as witnessed by the solo performed Slow ’N’ Low) but it has been recorded with a set of musicians, adding a broader perspective to the songs’ often darker tones. “A lot of the songs on this album are about overcoming my struggles with depression and anxiety”, Connell notes. It also looks at those around her who often turn to self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to help deal with destructive issues.

However, the power of the performance rises above that and creates something that has an uplifting sense of hope, despite the negative themes. The sound, while being understated, is never sparse enough to feel lacking and is underpinned by a deep emotional connection that the artist and musicians have achieved. Producer Don Bates has brought the material to a cleanly understated but thoroughly effective place by allowing the spaces to happen. Connell is also joined by guitarist Drew Kohl, who worked with her in a band called Zografi Music who released a digital album The Driver earlier this year. So there is a bond between the two which is clearly a strong one. The two recorded much of the basic tracks in the producer’s home studio and then added overdubs of additional textures such as fiddle, cello and steel guitar to the recordings.

The title track refers to the area where Connell grew up and more specifically to the Calumet River. Its course can change and have many tributaries as can life and, indeed, as the move to Nashville doubtless did. That move has brought her more in line with the indie side of the city’s musical activities than the more hollow mainstream. 

It is then the power, personality and inner perception Kiely Connell exudes vocally that immediately makes these songs stand-out. Nothing here is taken for granted, neither her path nor those of others, like the person whose life in Turning Tricks has left her as something of a shell and her nightmares are now a reality. These songs are akin to listening to the blues as she writes in Nobody’s Business But Mine, wherein she is “listening to the blues to forget about mine”. Things get a little more deep into the South with Something Evil In The Water where its twangy guitars have a definite David Lynchian affinity. Lost love and unrequited truth are at the heart of Wasting My Time, a song that uses the harmonica as an effective counterpoint. Caroline’s Corner Cafe has the ability to conjour up a complete picture of a time and place, as well as of the people who frequent its tables. There is nothing here that one would ignore in passing, but in many ways it leaves the best til last.

Disappear has a starkness, with the fiddle and acoustic instruments telling the listener of the endgame faced by a person “drowning in my tears.”  But the crux of the mindset and desperation is summed up in the devastation of “I’m not afraid to die, I’m afraid to disappear.” That, though, may paint a picture of Kiely’s debut solo album as it marks a special talent and one that I have listened to more than most this year, as its undoubtably one of this year’s best.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Pistol Annies Hell Of A Holiday Sony

Christmas albums can be very much a hit-and-miss affair. If I’m honest, I can count on one hand the ones that I take down from the shelves to revisit during the holiday season. More often than not they feature festive season standards that have been covered over and over again.

In their defence, Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, better known collectively as Pistol Annies, have written ten of the thirteen tracks that feature on their first seasonal recording HELL OF A HOLIDAY. Rather than a throwaway affair, the original material is extremely listenable, much of which is up tothe standard of their previous three studio albums.  As you might expect, the vocals and harmonies are exquisite as they manage to infuse light-hearted humour into their customary free-flowing and razor-sharp lyrics.

Snow Globe, complete with gilt edge bass line and handclaps, is instantly addictive and Harlan County Coal is a sassy jewel. The country flavours are particularly dominant on the ballads MakeYou Blue and Believing, elsewhere the pop infused Happy Birthday and the jaunty title track also impress. The non-original tracks that feature are the closer Auld Lang Syne, Sleigh Ride, and an admirable makeover of Merle Haggard’s tearjerker, If We Make It Through December.

Unlike INTERSTATE GOSPEL, the Pistol Annies 2018 album, HELL OF A HOLIDAY is not going to be nominated for a Grammy. However, as alternative Christmas albums go, it’s one that I’m likely to return to in the coming years. Give it a spin, you’re likely to concur.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Fretless Open House Birthday Cake

This is the fifth album from a Toronto group that released their debut album back in 2012. They have been acclaimed for their musicianship at the Canadian Folk Music Awards on more than one occasion, also winning a Juno along the way. Their sound is very exciting and full of inventive ensemble playing as the musicians soar and dive around the melody and the rhythm. They have a percussive element in their playing that provides a base from which they weave their magic and fashion their instruments to colour the song arrangements.

The production on this album is really wonderful – very much alive and bright with lots of dynamism in the playing, the vocal layering and looping effects. Karrnnel Sawitsky (fiddle, viola), Trent Freeman (fiddle, viola), Ben Plotnick (fiddle, viola), and Eric Wright (cello) have created a very compelling and hypnotic sound on these tracks. There are different guest singers on every song and the  collaboration works spectacularly well, with amazing versions of songs by Steely Dan, Bruce Cockburn, Feist, The Bros Landreth, William Prince, Red Tail Wing, and others. 

It’s a diverse mix of covers and the vocalists chosen to participate are also an eclectic selection of talents, including Rachel Sermanni, Taylor Ashton, Dan Mangan, Celeigh Cardinal, Nuela Charles, Ruth Moody and Freddy & Francine. It all works so well, despite any misgivings that may have been originally present for such a different project. The arrangements break away from the original recordings and this leads to really dramatic results in most cases. Full marks to production wizardry by The Fretless & Joby Baker, who recorded everything at Baker Studios, located on Vancouver island. Baker is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who really captured the essence of this very talented group.

Stand-out tracks like Retrograde (James Blake) and Earthly Days (William Prince), are wonderful performances by the vocal talents of Ruth Moody and Celeigh Cardinal respectively. Other tracks like My Moon My Man (Feist), sung by Rachel Sermanni, and Wondering Where the Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn), sung by Lady Phyl, are further examples of the successful blending of original song with inspired guest vocal. This is a highly recommended album and one that will bestow carefree joy upon repeated listens.

Review by Paul McGee

Brandon Isaak Modern Primitive Self Release

The acoustic Blues is alive and well, when it comes to honouring the tradition, with superbly constructed albums such as this new release. Brandon Isaak hails from Whitehorse, which is situated in the Yukon and his debut album first brought his talents to the attention of a waiting music media back in 2011.

He released an excellent follow-up album in 2014, titled Here On Earth, and has also played in a jump-swing band called The Twisters. His soulful vocal tone is full of character and ‘lived-in’ qualities that make these stripped down tunes all the more authentic. For this recording, Brandon headed to Vancouver and checked into the Rosewood Hotel with his friend and fellow musician, Keith Picot. Together, they spent just one day recording the eleven songs featured, with the help of engineer/producer, Conrad Hillis. 

The results are just sublime, with organic playing and a real sense of feel and groove in such an intimate space. The hotel was built in the 1920s and the room chosen was the very one that hosted CKWX broadcasts during the period 1930 – 1941; the most popular radio station in British Columbia at the time. You can also imagine the inspiration that gripped both musicians when they paid homage to the fact that such luminaries as Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby had all stayed in this very room at different stages. You can just feel the ghosts in the room, tapping along and swaying slowly to the addictive groove.

Brandon Isaak plays guitar, harmonica, banjo lap steel, piano and drums. He also sings superbly and with real passion. Keith Picot is a terrific upright bass player and he supports Brandon on back up vocals. In looking back to the past, we are given fresh direction towards the future and the path is paved with hope and sunshine as we step forward. 

All the songs are written by Brandon Isaak and the sense that they already exist as genre standards is the highest praise that I can give to his creative muse. The songs all drip with character and titles such as, One Too Many Blues / Lost Love and Loose Women / Walk That Road Alone / Valentine Blues and Back To New Orleans all give a strong sense of the authentic spirit that the arrangements contain. There is the swing of, Something New and Lucky So n’ So, that conjure up the old days of big band sounds and the  light jazz touch on Six Little Letters, with such an easy flow and sweet melody.  The Folk Blues of, I Wish I Did What I Said, is a real highlight, summing up the dichotomy between feeling sad over a woman and the sweet release of singing out the pain and turmoil – a superb track.

I’m reminded of the roots that such music calls upon – the deep south was the originator of the blues, from the chants of cotton field workers, into the gospel sounds of the churches and back onto the front porches of simple shanty shacks in the evenings as communities gathered to eat and to share the vicissitudes of life through music and dance. Before the early acoustic blues was replaced by the migration to the big  cities and the adoption of electric blues, you had the influence of such greats as Charley Patton, Son House and Willie Brown to influence the legend that became Robert Johnson.

With this wonderful new album, you can almost trace a straight line back to those early days of hardship and on through the swinging 20s as city life turned the fate of rural communities into something that would never revert to the small-town values of before. Brandon Isaak captures it all here; a truly inspiring project that is deserving of the highest praise. I strongly suggest that you purchase this one.

Review by Paul McGee

Bruce Cockburn Greatest Hits (1970- 2020) True North 

One of the true legends of the Canadian music scene since he first appeared, back in 1970, with the release of his self-titled, debut album; Bruce Cockburn has since forged a career that has seen him achieve global fame and recognition for his body of work. He has received thirteen Juno Awards and in 2001, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. 

Over the last fifty years of performing and recording, he has seen close to forty albums find their way into the world and he has walked a path that has highlighted the issues of human rights exploitation, political corruption, environmental abuse and third world debt. He also continues to be an outspoken critic of corporate and governmental apathy towards the plight of indigenous peoples in many parts of the world.

Bruce Cockburn certainly has the courage of his convictions, and is not afraid to place himself in the way of real danger and life-threatening situations as a champion for those without any voice of their own. He is a practicing Christian, having always been interested in our spiritual journey through this life and in 2014 he released his memoir, Rumours Of Glory, which is a compelling read; full of insightful wisdom, and giving a fascinating glimpse into a world that we could never imagine. It is a highly recommended autobiography. 

This is a true greatest hits compilation, even if the title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, (you would never find his music in the pop charts or played on commercial radio), in that it has been curated by Bruce himself. With a generous thirty tracks, he selects songs from every stage of his illustrious career. Beginning with that 1970 debut, he has chosen nine songs from the first decade, across the first seven albums that he recorded. There is a certain charm reflected in the very early songs, which is quickly replaced by the more resonant subject matter of the songs, as he awoke to political awareness. One of the highlights is a live version of Mama Just Wants To Barrelhouse All Night Long, which really turns up the heat a few notches. 

The next decade sees a further nine songs included from six album releases, as he continued to mature as both a social commentator and a critic, through his song writing. What has never been in doubt is his skill as a guitar player and his impressive technical ability is very evident here. His live shows are a real tour de force and having experienced a few over the years, he can make his guitar sound like several instruments in building both rhythm, tempo and soloing dynamics.

A further ten songs are represented from his third decade, across seven more releases and the remaining songs are taken from a singles compilation from 1987, and a more recent album, Bone On Bone, which was recorded in 2017.

Highlights for me, from the early years, are Wondering Where The Lions Are / Rumours of Glory / Lovers In A Dangerous Time / Call It Democracy and If I Had A Rocket Launcher. As you progress through the succeeding years and the list of albums, there are tracks like, Waiting For A Miracle / If A Tree Falls / Night Train / Pacing The Cage /  Last Night Of The World, all of which are worth the price of purchase and filled with stirring performances and song arrangements.

On his more recent releases Cockburn occasionally displayed a softer side and wrote some relationship songs, such as, Put it In Your Heart  and Different When It Comes To You. Included also is, Call Me Rose, a song about reincarnation that name checks Richard Nixon and also delivers a telling punch on social inequality, with the lines “I'm back here learning what it is to be poor, To have no power but the strength to endure.” 

This is a very well-balanced look back through time at a career that has questioned and challenged at every turn. His talents were never in doubt and his social conscience is something that Bruce Cockburn has to be admired and revered for. If Folk music was originally created as a channel to highlight and reflect the times in which we live, then there is no better example. If you are new to Bruce Cockburn and his work, then this is a perfect place to start getting acquainted.

Review by Paul McGee

Jane Willow Burn So Bright Self Release

This is a very accomplished debut album from a Dutch musician that has made Ireland her home over the last ten years. Janneke has now become a fully integrated member of the honorary-Irish musicians club, earning respect among her peers with her consistently high- quality output and hard work ethic. Her debut EP arrived in 2018, Onward Still, and she has been building a solid base of admirers ever since, with her lovely vocal tone and her expressive song writing skills.

As with her debut EP, Jane has called on the talents of  Dave Hingerty (Josh Ritter, Glen Hansard) on drums, and he provides a creative and subtle axis from which the other musicians can colour the rich melodies on these ten superbly crafted songs. With Alice Grolerro providing warm bass tones on six tracks and Joe Csibi adding double bass on another two; the rhythm section is very much the anchor as the arrangements take flight. There are the sensitive keyboard creations of Scott Flanigan on all the tracks and a string quartet that comprises Gerald Peregrine on cello, Karen Dervan on viola, Lynda O’Connor and Deirdre Reddy on violins. They really excell in bringing bright hues and calming tones to the songs, with string arrangements created by Joe Csibi (Head of RTE Concert Orchestra) on five songs, and  Marco Francescangeli on three others. Their rich talents elevate the songs to deliver a new dynamic and with the soprano vocals of Jane intertwined, the results can be really haunting and expressive. It could be viewed as veering towards Chamber Folk, but it is much more than just that.

Jane has a whispered tenderness in the delivery at times, stripping everything down to pure emotion, and then soaring high in other moments, as the song structures build into something more. There is an endearing quality to her delivery, and also a certain longing on songs that touch on affairs of the heart. Unfailingly, has a meditative tone and the theme that love endures is perfectly mirrored in the string arrangement that sees the musicians soar. Equally, Up Here, lifts the spirits with a love song that moves from a simple acoustic start into a fuller sound as the string arrangement builds. 

Pat Byrne guests on co-vocal for the love song, In Your House There, giving meaning and perspective to the tale of days spent together as a couple in a growing commitment. It is a very strong inclusion here. On the flip side, The Fool, reflects upon a former lover who was self-absorbed, selfish and who could only take from a relationship. Another song, Give It Time, provides comfort for someone trying to get beyond a failed romance and hoping to heal the wounds suffered while being vulnerable. 

Hand On My Hips asks a lover to live in the moment and stop looking for quasi-answers to outside issues. Steve Wickham guests on fiddle and the playing is really excellent. Linger Here looks at the sweetness of desire and not needing anything more than feeling close to someone. The title track shows an attraction that was not followed through upon and a flame that continues to burn, despite the reluctance to act.

In a break from relationship themes, This Free Life, is a cutting commentary on the rental trap that so many have endured in trying to live in Dublin city over recent times. The inherent greed of the landlord system and the short-sighted myopia of the authorities to the misery that is caused. As Jane sings; “What Free Life?”  

However, the abiding message is one of remaining positive and facing life’s challenges; even if, as the song, Let There Be Light, muses, “In the commotion it’s getting hard to know, What really matters and what’s worth letting go.”

This is a very enjoyable album and one that confirms Jane Willow as a both a creative and significant  presence in the Irish music scene; poised to build upon her talents and carry her momentum onto greater things.

Review by Paul McGee

Tim Easton You Don’t Really Know Me Black Mesa 

On Tim’s website there is an entry under the Journal section that highlights the musicians involved in making this album. There is a collage of nine photos, from the musicians to the producer, and there is also mention of a few people who were involved, but did not make the photo box. It’s a nice touch by Tim, a visual depiction of the team-based approach that is involved in the collaborative process of bringing any new album release from creation to completion.

Tim Easton has been around the block a few times. He was born in New York and grew up in Ohio, before taking to the life of travel and playing music for a living. In fact, when it comes to trains, planes and buses, he can tell plenty of stories from the road. His career has seen him in constant motion, chasing the next gig across the continents, as he strives to make enough income to warrant the full-time demands of a musician’s nomadic life. Not so easy with a family back home and the body slowing down after all the years of feeling like you would stay “forever young” - to quote a famous musician you may have heard of!

Tim’s debut record appeared back in 1998, and he has released a steady flow of albums since then. His career has taken him on many twists and turns, from a deal with New West records and touring the world, to relocating in Nashville and starting a family. This new collection of tunes comes on the back of his recent albums, Campfire Propaganda, Volume One (2020); Exposition (2019) and Paco & the Melodic Polaroids,(2018), which was a stripped down, solo-acoustic album celebrating 30 years of companionship with "Paco," his Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. 

The title track, You Don’t Really Know Me,  opens the album and it’s a mid-tempo band workout that is in step with Tim’s reflective message about can we ever really know someone fully. It appears to be a personal song that references his parents and six siblings; about growing up and the lessons learned, expressed in the lines, ‘sometimes you learn from your mistakes, other times you stubbornly nurse the pain.’ 

Real Revolution is a song about coming to terms with internal struggle and growing to the awareness that significant personal growth takes place in your heart and in your mind. Again, we find Tim in pensive mood on the song, Speed Limit, with the lines ‘when the pain of staying the same, outweighs the strain of making changes.’ We all have our own cruising speed and our brakes for stopping when we feel things getting weird in our lives.

I guess that like many musicians who experienced the isolation of Covid lockdown, time at home was balanced against the need to communicate with people and get in front of live audiences again. These songs grew out of such a reflective time and Son My Son is a slow Blues song that resonates with anyone who reached out to help another during these unparalleled times.

Anchor is a sweet song that looks at the troubles of being constantly on the move and never knowing, ‘if I‘m leaving, or going home.’  Festival Song is one for the memories of getting into the van with a bunch of friends and sharing the buzz of a music festival, with all the trappings of the unspoken rule book; come together, stay up late, share your drinks and smokes, wake up with strangers, get nice and dirty, get some sun and pick up your trash! The final track, River Where Time Was Born, is a gentle acoustic groove that looks at going with the flow, doing a bit of fishing or taking a swim.

Ten tracks to warm the spirit, all played and produced with the knowing hand of a real veteran who knows exactly what he wants from his band of gypsies. Tim Easton does not make mediocre albums. They all carry the mark of a consummate craftsman and the playing on this latest release is of the highest order. As with the back catalogue, which warrants closer investigation, this album is a real pleasure to explore.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Lucinda Williams Bob’s Back Pages Highway 20

This is one of the series of albums that Williams released over the last year under the heading of Lu’s Jukebox. Each volume is a tribute to an artist or genre that she considers an influence in her life and work. So previous editions have featured Southern Soul, Classic Country as well as those devoted to Tom Petty and The Rolling Stones. However, this volume, an homage to Bob Dylan, is the one we received for review. As with the other albums, the band is superb including Stuart Mathis (guitars), Joshua Grange (guitar, steel, keyboards), Tim Lauer (keyboards) and a solid and defining rhythm section in Fred Eltringham and Steve Mackey on drums and bass respectively. The production is shared between Tom Overby and Ray Kennedy.

This leaves Williams and her vocal and that in itself is a key instrument, being utterly distinctive and instinctive. The fact that these are largely cover songs means she has concentrated on delivering a nuanced and erudite performance. It is central to the sound and yet at the same time allows the band to shine in its own right. 

These songs have a toughness or tenderness entirely suited to the themes and the choices are maybe not the obvious or usual. This includes It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A train To Cry, Everything Is Broken, Not Dark Yet, Queen Jane Approximately and Idiot Wind (are among the 11 featured songs). All for the most part, bar one, topping out over four minutes. As an example of her contrasting approach, try Not Dark Yet and Political World as examples. In both cases she is in contact and empathy with Dylan’s sometimes opaque but always enjoyable lyrics. You may know the songs, but here the arrangements are convincingly Lucinda Williams.

There is no doubt that the six albums in the series are a real bonus for William fans who are more used to long waits between albums. Other less committed listeners may think that this is too many albums in a shortish time frame, but who wouldn’t want to listen to a favourite artist no matter the quantity if the quality is as good as it is here? The album itself runs to over an hour in playing time. Her website opens by stating that GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS is the “new” album and that implies that these releases in the Lu’s Jukebox series are a sidestep and a diversion. If so, they are welcome, as will be the next release of original material when that arrives.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Sturgill Simpson The Ballad Of Dood & Juanita High Top

The album opens with the sound of a marching band with a vocal chorus before we get into the songs proper with Ol’ Dood. It continues with the sound that Simpson used for the two previous releases, CUTTING GRASS volumes 1 and 2. These albums were recorded with such sterling acoustic and bluegrass players including Sierra Hull, Mike Bub, Mark Howard, Miles Miller, Stuart Duncan, Scott Vestal and Tim O’Brien. This same team is present here, with the addition of players such as Russ Pahl and the sound of Willie Nelson’s guitar on Juanita. It was recorded in the famous Cowboy Arms Hotel studio in Nashville.

Ostensibly this is a song cycle similar to Nelson’s RED HEADED STRANGER, which features the title characters in a consecutive set of songs that relate to their lives. Set in the past, it is a tale of tribulation and revenge. The characters (named for Simpson’s grandparents but not about them) are a couple, with Juanita courted by half breed Dood, who is accompanied on his adventures by his horse Shamrock and his dog Sam. He places these people in a time of historical conflict but does so with a sense of reality that helps bring the people and place into focus.

Co-produced by David Ferguson and Simpson, the music is acoustic, old-time Appalachian folk and early country in overall tone. The idea of such a concept album has been done previously and in some ways in more depth by other artists, which may make this seem a somewhat lighter approach, as its ten tracks run to under 28 minutes total. It seems like an idea that came to life after the pleasure Simpson had in recording the previous two albums. It was an idea he had had for a while and then actually wrote the songs and recorded them quite quickly afterwards.

For all that, I enjoyed the listen and perhaps the conciseness of the time spent with the album helped that. The stand out track is Juanita and not just for the Nelson guitar contribution, but for its tone and warmth and Simpson’s expressive and emotive vocal. He is indeed a fine and easily recognisable singer and all credit to him for that. So it comes down to the music, to its ability to please and this it does in a way that may not be his finest work but is one that may help convince others that here is an artist deserving of his breakthrough status and continued attention.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Wild Earp & The Free For Alls A Cynical Christmas Western Myth

Christmas albums often tend to leave me cold but a lot of people out there love them and they are perhaps more prevailing in the country genre than nearly any other. There are a few exceptions, both in albums and in specific songs. That usually relates to your particular liking for the artist involved. So that means releases by Dwight Yoakam and Chris Isaak usually make it to my player fairly regularly around the Christmas weekend. Nor do we tend to cover them that often in reviews. But having enjoyed DYIN’ FOR EASY LIVIN’, the album by Wild Earp and the Free For Alls released earlier this year, I was keen to give this a listen. It was indeed worth it as this album is every bit as well played and produced as the previous one, and the same players and singers are involved in both.

This is one of those album that mixes the well know tunes Pretty Paper, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen with a bunch of original songs such as the title track and  I Saw A Ghost On Christmas. The arrangements are largely country, with pedal steel and fiddle to the fore. There are also well suited covers such as John Prine’s Christmas In Prison and Loretta Lynn’s To Heck With Ole Santa Claus. This shows that there is a love for Christmas here, as well as an understanding that it is not the same for everyone.

As well as Earp’s vocals, we have tracks featuring Sweet Sassy Molasses and Gorgeous George Hurden on lead vocals, which adds to the overall band feeling. This comes across as a band seeming to be having some fun with these songs recorded, as they usually are, well before the spirit of the season is apparent. The album finishes in that light on a cautiously optimistic note with NewYear, New One. It may be a cynical Christmas, and an album recorded during lockdown but Wild Earp and The Free For Alls have done their best to make it fit with the different moods that many will be feeling right now, and even with the pessimism there is no small amount of positivity in these Christmas blues.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Malcolm MacWatt Settler Need To Know

This singer is based in Scotland and has released an album that fits easily under the folk/americana umbrella. The instrumentation is largely acoustic with banjo very prominent in the mix on these songs, which tell tales of lost community, lost souls and new found homes. The opening song, Avalanche And Landslide, makes the point that the individual is essentially a small stone but that small stones together, when they move, can create a landslide. He is joined on these tracks by Jaimee Harris (there are a number of other guests through the album). Letter From San Francisco is a man away from home to seek his fortune but only finding the lack of it, detailing the crumbling of his gold-rush dreams in a letter to be sent home when he is in his grave. It is a compelling tale in the folk tradition, as is the next song, Ghosts Of Caledonia. It speaks of those who left their homeland to see adventure and notes that the “deeds you did for good or ill echo down the ages still” - a reminder of how legacy is important in many ways.

Laura Cantrell adds her vocal to the very Celtic story of love, lust and longing that is The Curse Of Molly McPhee, which is one of those songs that sounds like it could become a classic much covered song on that circuit. The next song laments emigration and the loss of family to far shores, My Bonny Boys Have Gone shows MacWatt’s ability to write a new song that seems like it could have been around for generations and it likely will be. The vocalist who adds her harmony to his here is Gretchen Peters. A third song in that vein of reflection of different ways and different times is The Miller’s Daughter, about a man’s wish to marry the miller’s daughter against her fathers wishes, as he wants her to marry a rich old man for money. The protagonist waits out his time so that he can return and be again with his true love.

Kris Drever adds vocals to John Rae’s Welcome Home, another tale of travel, this time about a true life man who travels to Canada to seek a better life, while Scotland still calls him home and where he has not been recognised for his achievements. Other songs here are equally effective in their intent, with MacWatt having a vocal that is central to the tale telling, which it does it with commensurate conviction. Banjo Lullaby tells of an abusive father and the instrument he plays. The final song, North Atlantic Summer, is a reflection on the power of nature in wind and sea and it ends an album that has its heart rooted in the homeland of MacWatt, as well as those places that he and many before him have had to experience by want and need.

The closing track on the album is An Oral Explanation in which MacWatt goes through each song to give you its setting and background and does it much better that I can. MacWatt will doubtless be considered among the best of the new breed of folksingers and songwriters, who speak of the past as a way to perhaps understand it and move forward to settle oneself in the best place one can hopefully find.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Houndmouth Good For You Dualtone

 The fourth album from New Albany, Indiana band Houndmouth was recorded in a 19th century shotgun-style residence named The Green House, previously the residence of the grandparents of the band’s drummer and vocalist Shane Cody. It’s a fitting recording venue for a band whose sound is a prime mix of vintage and contemporary roots. The other members of the band are vocalist and guitarist Matthew Myers, and Zak Appleby who plays bass and also adds vocals.

 The band’s strength is in their ability to both create provocative and thought-provoking scenes and dress them up with grungy guitar breaks alongside rugged vocals. Characters that occupy the ten tracks on GOOD FOR YOU range from beauty queens to vampires, across tales that visit youthful love on the Dylanesque Make It To Midnight and fading love on Cool Jam. The inevitable passage of time and fond memories of times passed are recalled on Ohio and the playfull and robust Los Vegas. With track titles that reference probable locations (Ohio, Los Vegas, Jackson) that Houndmouth toured since their conception in 2011, it’s not difficult to form the opinion that the album represents a retrospective look over the shoulder by maturing songwriter Myers.

 Houndmouth’s sweet spot lands somewhere between The Felice Brothers and Hiss Golden Messenger, and punters drawn to the musical landscapes of both these acts will be well impressed with this album which captivates without ever overwhelming the listener.

Review by  Declan Culliton 

Willie Nelson The Willie Nelson Family Legacy

 Continuing his prolific recording output - this is his third release in eighteen months - Willie Nelson’s latest album is a country gospel collection featuring his immediate family members and longtime band members. The family that contributed are his sister Bobbi Nelson, sons Lucas and Micha, and daughters Paula and Amy. His adopted family members include Mickey Raphael, Billy English, Kevin Smith, and the late Paul English, Nelson’s regular drummer since the mid -‘60s, who passed away in February 2020 at the age of eighty-seven. Co-produced by Nelson and his ‘go -to’ man Steve Chadie, it was recorded at Pedernales Studios in Austin, Texas.

 The twelve songs on offer are divided equally between new self-written material and cover versions of songs composed by George Harrison (All Things Must Pass), A.P. Carter (Keep It On The Sunnyside), Kris Kristofferson (Why Me), Hank Williams (I Saw The Light), Claude Gray, Paul Buskirk and Walt Breeland (Family Bible), and the traditional ballad In The Garden.

 Playing out like eavesdropping on a Nelson family gathering and singsong, included is one of Nelson’s earliest recordings, Family Bible. Written from memories of his grandmother’s bible readings following her singing of traditional gospel songs, the song was adopted by Claude Gray whose version reached No.7 on The Billboard Hot Country Singles in 1960. Its success was the motivation for Nelson to relocate to Nashville from Texas, to establish himself as a songwriter in Music Row.

 Nelson’s son Lucas (of Lucas Nelson and The Promise of the Real) takes the lead vocal on Keep It On The Sunnyside and All Things Must Pass. Four of the inclusions, Heaven And Hell, Kneel At The Feet Of Jesus, Family Bible, and Laying My Burden Down were among the last recordings with Paul English prior to his passing. On an album with the emphasis very much on thanksgiving and prayer, Nelson closes with his own Too Sick To Pray, which first appeared on his 1996 album SPIRIT, before signing off with Kris Kristofferson’s Why Me.

 At the fine age of eighty-eight - his sister Bobbi is three years older - Willie Nelson’s recent releases have been albums primarily recorded for his own personal fulfilment, generally looking over his shoulder and revisiting songs close to his heart from bygone times.  That is certainly the case with this delightfully tender project from a legend that continues to shine brightly.

Review by  Declan Culliton 

David Climaco Garcia Between The Devil and Me Self-Release

“Much of my life has been a Kerouacian fever-dream, that I’m lucky to be alive to tell about”, confesses David Climaco Garcia, describing his nomadic and often chaotic history. Spending many years hitchhiking around Western America presented Garcia with the memories, misfortunes, and events to more than fill this debut solo album. Shaping these reflections and recollections into song came about during the enforced lockdown during 2020.

A benchmark for the background to the album could be the atmosphere and glorious disorder so vividly found on Howe Gelb’s Giant Sand albums. Fans of Gelb will no doubt recognise a similar pattern on the tracks Everybody Gets To Be Wrong, Rolling On, and If Lonely Were Money. Somewhat more conventional are the heartfelt ballad Half Of The Time and the jaunty confessional country opener The Devil In Me.  The bones of the album were recorded at Howlin’ Dog Studios in Alamosa, Colorado, with the final tracking of vocals and guitar completed at Garcia’s home studio in Albuquerque.  

An album driven by chaos, loss, and death, and fuelled by fervid personal searching could be a difficult listen. On the contrary, BETWEEN DEVIL AND ME is an unguarded and impressive batch of songs well deserving of your attention. 

The Albuquerque-based singer songwriter also co-fronts the band Beloved with his wife and co-writer Nikelle Garcia.

Review by  Declan Culliton 

Kristian Montgomery Prince Of Poverty Self Release

When you reach the crossroads where Country music meets with Rock in an unholy alliance; there you will find the smoke of Kristian Montgomery as he speeds off into the distance, in search of the next show. This is the second album from a Florida-born musician who has a vocal that seems forged in the fires of middle-earth. Coming out of the traps swinging, he tears into a heavy rock performance on They’ll Remember My Name, a statement of intent if ever there was one! 

He sounds like 16-Horsepower hooked up to the amps of Govt. Mule. Following on with the Americana Roots sound of Tired Of Being Tired is quite a leap, but only goes to show the range of this artist when it comes to wearing his influences on his sleeve. Attitude is in the air and he continues this on the whip-smart bluegrass sonic attack of banjo-wielding, Working Hands, all shimmy and shine, with a degree of danger in the mood. 

Things get dialled-down a few notches for the acoustic-led, A Warm Grave, sounding like Greg Allman, Kristian weaves his way through a slow burn track about rural life, fishing on a lazy afternoon and living a simple life. Don’t Call Me Baby is a rockabilly influenced work-out and a tale of a fighting woman who ‘found Jesus in a paper cup.’ Keep away boys! 

Soul For a Soul is another acoustic-based song with a bluesy leaning that  takes off with some fine electric guitar parts as the track builds. The track, That Kind Of Love, is a straight rocker that calls upon all the band members to stretch out and show their power. With Joe Clapp on co-production and guitar, Charlie Hill (guitars), Dave Leitch (bass), Jeff Armstrong (drums); the overall impression that Kristian Montgomery is a voice to be reckoned with, is not open to question. 

Final track, Just Driving Around is a Country-tinged, easy mid-tempo song about local romance and quite a distance from the anger of American Fire, his attack on the political corruption that deceives the ordinary, hard-working people of America.  It’s a great listen from start to finish, full of exciting tunes and laying down a strong marker for the future. Watch this space.

Review by Paul McGee

Grace Morrison Daughter Self Release

This is the third album that Cape Cod singer songwriter Grace Morrison has released in the last six years. I’m the Apple appeared in 2017 and was followed by Reasons in 2019. She also released a live album, recorded back in 2015 at New Bedford's Zeiterion Theatre,  a historic building that dates back to the 1920s. Her bright personality and winning smile are perfectly suited to the persona that she displays across these twelve songs. Whether writing from personal experience or inhabiting the character in one of her tales, Grace exudes exactly that - plenty of grace and a hopeful attitude.

Being joined by the legendary Lloyd Maines (pedal steel, papoose guitar, dobro) and Jon Evans (Bass, acoustic guitar, background vocals, electric guitar, B3) is a real statement of the gifts that Grace possesses. Such experienced players don’t sign up for just any old project and you need to show some serious chops in order to attract such talent and interest. Jon Evans also produces the album and his lengthy list of credits include top artists such as Tori Amos and Sarah MacLachlan. Joining the collective is Mathias Bossi (St Vincent) on drums and Teddy Mathews on backing vocals. 

Grace is a real star turn throughout, whether showcasing her engaging lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar or  - handclaps! The production is crisp and clear in the speakers and the songs are given plenty of space to breathe. There are some that border on crossover and definitely will appeal to commercial radio. However, there is a lot more to this Country artist than just a desire to climb on the bandwagon that rolls towards the preening Nashville music machine. She will find her own way and her writing prowess is very evident on these tunes. 

Stories of addiction are covered in tracks like Sloppy and Put the Bottle Down. ‘Sometimes I get sloppy, When no one’s there to stop me, I take the bottle off the shelf, What am I doing to myself.’ Compulsion to keep hold of old habits, even in the face of cold realisation. ‘I tuck you in like a baby, Take your shoes off, Let you say “this is the last time,” - and additional lines, ‘Who put the storm in your head and who put the bottle down.’ Both songs cutting to the core of addictive behaviour.

Just Loving You is a song written for a new life coming into the world and there is some superb interplay between guitar and pedal steel on the arrangement. ‘He doesn’t know why you cry or you hurt, Or why anyone would want solitude, He’s coming into this world, Just loving you.’

Woman Like That takes a look at mistakes made in holding out for the perfect life as imagined through the fairy tale of happy ever after. The disillusion of seeing relationships not live up to expectations can leave everything broken; ‘You only ever hear how beautiful it is, Starting your life and raising your kids, Nothing ever said about how broken you feel, When you learn it’s not real.’ 

The Edge Of I Am sees a girl on the frontier of breaking free from her youth and turning into a grown woman. The sentiment is one of holding on to childhood doubts but hoping in the journey that stretches out ahead, ‘I’m on the edge of “I am” - I’m on the edge of “I can” - I’m at the end of my rope; God, I pray She’ll float.’

The song, Mother, is a look at the different shades of caring for someone and yet making them aware of the dangers that life can throw at you, ‘There is rain and tired feet, Babies crying in the desert heat, And mama sings while mama cries, The last of her sweet lullabies.’

The more commercial sound of Small Town Lament hides the claustrophobic observation of everyone knowing your business, ‘I do one tiny little thing, And word gets around.’ Equally, the message about growing up in the song, Daughter, councils ‘Oh, dream long and slow, But it don’t mean nothing ‘bout the way things go.’ Another song, Free, is in similar territory, a radio-friendly romp that highlights the superb Lloyd Maines on pedal steel, great drumming from Mathias Bossi and a feel-good bass line, courtesy of Jon Evans. 

There are two songs that linger most in the memory - Lone Star, with some sublime pedal steel from Lloyd Maines and the lines, ‘It’s a real sure thing, We’re all gonna fall, I’d rather spill the cup, Than feel nothing at all, This lone star…’ With the last line elongated on the vocal as pedal steel wraps around the melody – just superb! The other song is Alice, somewhat autobiographic, I would hazard a guess, ‘Back when we could be anything, If we could see us now, would we be laughing?’ The pain of love and illusions shattered. 

This is a really enjoyable album showcasing a prolific singer-songwriter who is really gathering momentum in her career. The superb interplay of the musicians is also another reason to snap this up. A real keeper.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Neal Casal Highway Butterfly Neal Casal Music Foundation/ Royal Potato Family

The opening track on this voluminous tribute to the enduring memory of Neal Casal, Traveling After Dark, captures this entire undertaking in the lines; ‘Traveling After Dark, Guided By the Stars, Just Dream Another Dream, And May It Take You Far.’ Neal was a free spirit who lived to play music and to immerse himself in every aspect of the creative process. He was a wonderful songwriter, a gifted singer, a talented producer, and an artist who also displayed a real flair for photography.

He led a nomadic life; always on the move to the next gig, the next recording session. Living in the nether world of hotels, backstage dressing rooms, meet and greet sessions, after-show burnout, and all that travel – airports, tour buses, taxis – all the time just looking for a place to call home, a search for something real. Something didn’t fit for Neal in this scheme of things. Somewhere the meaning just got lost and the direction that a musician’s life demands got turned around. Neal spoke of ‘Running Wide Awake Too Long’ in the song, Need Shelter, and it resonates with me, just two years after his decision to leave it all behind.

This tribute album is quite a feat and getting the entire project over the line has been a real labour of love to all who were involved. It has forty-one songs, taken from Neal’s prodigious output, over the years of being active in a number of bands, multiple collaborations, and his solo work. The scale of getting all these artists to commit to studio time and select a particular track to cover; the logistics of recording constraints and prior commitments – it’s so impressive that this was able to come to fruition in such a relatively short timeframe since Neal died.

The different performances were captured by co-producers, Jim Scott and Dave Schools, both of whom worked closely with Neal over previous years. They deserve great respect for pulling it together with such cohesion and style and many of the sessions were recorded at Jim Scott’s studio, PLYRZ, in Valencia, California. Recording commenced in February 2020 and by using this one location, there was a sonic continuity to the entire challenge. This comes through in the feel of the entire project, with bright production, lots of separation on the instruments, and space for the music to elevate. 

John Ginty also produced two tracks and he was ever-present over the years with Neal, both in touring and playing on all his solo albums. There are a number of other producer credits, as some contributions were recorded remotely, once the Covid crisis shut everything down after March 2020. The extensive liner notes explain the roles played by all participants and there is so much to enjoy in the music - real quality that just has to be admired. 

Of course, some songs are more successful than others, and indeed, artist preference will colour the listening experience for everyone who purchases this box set. Listening to all these songs confirms that Neal should have been given much greater recognition and media exposure for his song-writing abilities. True, there is a wistful sense of longing that runs through, and a sense of regret and rueful observation, but there is also great warmth and compassion, and understanding for the path that we all must, ultimately, walk alone. 

Songs that jump out, after a few listens, are – No One Above You (Marcus King/Eric Krasno), All the Luck In the World ( Billy Strings/ Circles Around the Sun), Day In the Sun (Susan Tedeschi/Derek Trucks), and Maybe California (Shooter Jennings). As you dive deeper into the tracks, more gems are revealed, with Willow Jane (Britton Buchanan), Free To Go (Warren Haynes), Lost Satellite (Lauren Barth), Fell On Hard Times (Angie McKenna), Raining Straight Down (Allman Betts Band) and Soul Gets Lost (Hazy Malaze/Jena Kraus), hitting the high spots. 

All tracks are performed with both caring commitment and passion, and there are many other worthy performances. White Fence Round House (Vetiver), Feathers For Bakersfield (Fruit Bats), Traveling After Dark (Aaron Lee Tasjan), and Time Down The Wind (Hiss Golden Messenger), are worthy inclusions also.

There are ten songs with leading female vocals and they all colour the arrangements in their own unique ways. There was something about Neal’s vocal tone that aligned beautifully with the female vocal register and highlights like Feel No Pain (Leslie Mendelson), These Days With You (Puss n’ Boots), and a few others mentioned above, sit nicely alongside Detroit Or Buffalo (Jonathan Wilson w/ Hannah Cohen), Sweeten The Distance (Dori Freeman w/ Teddy Thompson), and Too Much To Ask (Kenny Roby w/ Amy Helm).

This is the equivalent of four albums worth of material and the total running time of three hours and thirteen minutes is such a generous span of music. Of the ten solo albums that Neal released, the greater share of songs included here is taken from the latter four releases that spanned 2000 to 2012. There is a total of twenty-six songs selected from these four recordings, with a generous eight songs taken from SWEETEN THE DISTANCE (2012). As a long-time admirer of Neal’s early albums, which drew me to him in the first place; I’m happy that his debut, FADE AWAY DIAMOND TIME (1995) is represented with six tracks. 

However, RAIN, WIND and SPEED (1996); FIELD RECORDINGS (1997); THE SUN RISES HERE (1997); BASEMENT DREAMS (1998) are represented by only a further seven songs. Somewhat disappointing, but my personal opinion is no reflection on the difficulty involved in deciding what gets included and what gets left off this sprawling tribute...

Great credit is also due to Gary Waldman, a life-long friend to Neal – his manager and producer, plus, the founder and executive director of the Neal Casal Music Foundation. This wonderful charity has been created in Neal’s memory and out of all this love has blossomed an organization created to inspire future musicians and to bring support for existing artists who are experiencing mental health difficulties, bad health, and personal issues. The Foundation is non-profit, donating musical instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools, where Neal was born and raised, as well as making donations to other mental health organizations that support musicians in need. 

There were numerous others involved on the team that brought all this together, far too many to mention here, but they all know who they are and the valued contribution they have given. Neal never sold a lot of albums or sought a big media profile, however, he was the glue in so much of what happened around his orbit. He was an enabler and he bonded with fellow musicians, bridging the gaps between different musical genres and reaching out to enrich those who knew him. 

He spoke openly about the human condition, his sense of sadness with the ways of the world, and ultimately, the inner demons that would not let him find peace. This is an essential purchase and it will continue to bring the music of Neal Casal to generations of music lovers who are not familiar with his body of work. All proceeds from album box set sales and streams will benefit the Foundation directly and you won’t buy a more worthwhile album this year.

I will finish this review with the opening lyrics from one of Neal’s songs that reaches out and speaks to me of the separation he must have felt – the longing for connection and the pain that he could not endure, in trying to keep some perspective. The song is, Time Down the Wind, and the opening lines;

‘Everywhere I go, they say where have you been,

We ain't seen you around since we don't know when

It seems like only yesterday

we thought we'd never see you again.

You tell me that there's no such place as far away

Things ain't changed too much around here anyway

As far as we go back together

You think there'd be so much more to say

But it's all over now, it's all over now

You can't go back again

It's all over now,

It's all over now my friend.’

Rest in Peace … Neal Casal  1968 -2019

Review by Paul McGee

Abby Posner Kisbee Ring Self Release

Los Angeles is home to multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner and this release is her debut as a solo artist. She has always immersed herself in music, starting with piano at a very young age and her current skillset sees her extend her range to guitar, banjo, mandolin, drums, bass, keys, and excellent song-writing talents. She has also scored for films, written music for SYNC placements, and played regularly with her four-piece band, Abby & The Myth.

Abby has a very distinct sound and the songs here are firmly planted at the Folk/Roots end of the spectrum. Her vocals are strong and clear, possessing a confidence that also extends to her playing on these very enjoyable ten tracks. Abby plays every instrument on the album and also mixed and produced everything in an impressive demonstration of the DIY ethic in full flow.

 A Kisbee Ring is also known as a life buoy or an apparatus to save those who are lost at sea. This is a strong metaphor for the themes that run through the album; supporting each other, enduring dark days and looking for the light. Written during lockdown, it’s not surprising that the feeling and emotions are very bare and laid out for therapeutic healing. The title track opens the album and speaks about a failed relationship and trying to repair what can be salvaged, ‘We gathered all the pieces that we broke, It seems that life is one bad joke.’ 

On the song, Low Low Low, Abby is feeling demotivated, something that so many experienced during the early months of lockdown, and she sings, ‘ When life as we know is on hold, And all that we have is time’ - and of  not wanting to ‘Get right with God, I don’t even know who that is.’ Yes, we all grapple with the big issues as we grasp for answers to the big questions in times of uncertainty.  Joshua Tree is about feeling at ease in the quiet of the desert and letting all anxieties settle, while The Trilogy tackles the issue of being a prisoner of your own thoughts and doubts. 

Blind Spots is a song about racial injustice and the way that many in society choose to turn away and tune out from the reality of daily bigotry. Is It Wrong is a gentle love song that admits to simple needs and pleasures from being with your lover. Wishing Well looks at wanting to break away from yourself and nagging doubts; to feel hope in the future. Digging Corners has simple acoustic guitar with a sweet vocal; a childhood memory of feeling safe in the past, but now looking for a similar refuge with new optimism as an adult. Trying to let somebody in and fearing all that vulnerability. It’s an honest song and speaks to the doubts we all feel when trying for connection with others. 

With all the uncertainty in the world right now, it’s towards the healing balm of music that we all turn. Abby Posner has channelled all her emotions and talents into creating something of substance and her efforts have borne rich rewards.  This is a really well delivered album with plenty to engage the senses and to lift the spirit.

Review by Paul McGee

Suzie Ungerleider My Name Is Stella 

Having used the performance moniker of Oh Susanna for such a long time; she first played under this name as far back as 1995 – Suzie Ungerleider has decided to ditch her stage persona and step into the light of being herself in the public eye.

Suzie has been celebrated as a talented singer and a songwriter of some gravitas for a number of years now, especially in her career as a member of the extended Toronto music family. She launched her debut EP in 1997 and has more recently returned to her original base in Vancouver, where she lives with her husband and daughter. This album is her tenth release and includes songs of gentle delivery, expressive vocals and a sense of being haunted by memories that linger. Susie writes from both a personal perspective but also reflects upon situations through the eyes of others as she delivers these sweetly sad, uplifting songs of wistful reflection.  

The great Jim Bryson produces and also plays guitar, keyboards and percussion.  Basil Donovan of Blue Rodeo plays subtle bass on six songs,  with Keri Latimer providing harmony arrangements, harmony vocals and theremin. There are drums on five songs with both Peter Von Althen (four tracks) and Cam Giroux (one track) supporting the arrangements in an understated way. Philippe Charbonneau also plays bass (one track), Kinley Dowling on violin and viola (one track), Kevin Fox on cello and Samantha Parton (harmony vocal on one track).

The songs are stripped back, and whether reflecting own experience or channelling the emotions of others, the imagery is very strong and enduring. Opening song, Mount Royal, looks back at youthful memories and attending college in Montreal. Suzie remembers a friend with a girl crush who ended up dropping out and trading his skateboard for a guitar. She namechecks places where they hung out, like the Blue Angel bar, Mount Royal (a small mountain in the city), Saint-Laurent (a suburb in the city) and St. Joseph’s Oratory. All memories caught in the amber glow of looking back at a past long gone. 

There are darker moments where Suzie examines post-natal depression on Baby Blues, ‘please don’t leave us alone, please don’t break up our home.’ Again, on the song, Disappear, we are shown an insight into family strife, a father leaving and a daughter trying to hide from the pain. Pumpkins deals with a friend who is going through difficult times and who dwells in the dark corners, with a wish for him to focus on the joy in the days, ‘the light morning raindrops that shine in your hair.’

Suzie sings a loving song to her daughter about her premature birth on, Summerbaby, and also addresses the teenage challenges she is currently experiencing on, Hearts, where just giving love and care in living through testing times are enough. North Star Sneakers is a great song about the rebelliousness of youth and the way we settle into life as we get older and gain perspective. She wonders if her friend is now happy with ‘two kids and a yard.’ Final song, Ships, is a look at overcoming fear that can linger from childhood and impact on the present, ‘Let it sail or let it stay, Just don’t keep it locked away.’

Suzie writes in different layers of meaning and throughout we are treated to her peerless vocal and guitar skills. Her talent continues to shine brightly and this album is a worthy addition to her body of work.     

Review by Paul McGee

Annie Gallup Oh Everything Self Release

This is the thirteenth solo album from an artist who always challenges, as much as she soothes. Her voice is a beautiful mix of sweet emotion but with a strong sense of hidden depths in the delivery., The tone of Annie Gallup is both seductive and menacing in the same breath; sometimes reminiscent of Canadian avant-garde artist Jane Siberry. The thirteen songs also mark this album of unsettling opposites – there is the opening light touch of Magic Saved Me, counterbalanced by the following song, Rockabye. The former, all soft arrangements and believing in an unknown force when all else fails; the latter, a dissonant jazz arrangement that uses a baby expanding in size beyond the universe, as a metaphor, perhaps, for the damage we are inflicting upon our Earth?

Equally, Sleeplessness, is dripping in sweet string sounds, breathy vocals, and a tale of unrequited love; balanced against the somewhat duplicitous friend in Who Hurt You, a song that reveals the depths to which a person will go for some deluded outer approval from others.  The drinking Mother of Little Theatre, clouding childhood memories of feeling special; or the frustrated suitor in Everybody Wants, all tongue-tied at the crucial moment of taking action.

 It can be something of a challenge to interpret these songs, as they are written with an oblique leaning towards something ‘other.’ Tallahassee appears to be a song about abuse and physical violence that ends in a hospital ward. Nothing/Everything speaks about a broken relationship and looking for reasons to leave behind the wasted years; while the song, I Dreamed, is a series of images that link together water, air, survival, and comfort. A Long Way To Go is a challenge to keep a relationship fresh and in the present, despite the weight of the past and the expectations of the future. 

Make No Mistake is all jazz-beat dissonance with a spoken word vocal that reminds of Laurie Andersen; another touchstone in this exploration of Folk, dressed in a modern outfit of new, groundbreaking dynamic. The final song, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Punk, examines the place of self-expression in the search for truth – whatever that may be and wherever you may look to discover it for yourself. 

These are not easy songs; they are multi-layered and the meanings can be interpreted in different ways. As always, the playing is superbly restrained and atmospheric, with Annie playing an array of different guitars, lap-steel, dobro, foot percussion, rhythm loops, and whistling. Her partner, Peter Gallway adds different guitars, a few types of bass, synthesizer, loops, drum programming, percussion, and triangle. They are joined by Henry Jones on synthesizer, piano, clavinet, beatbox, cello parts, saw, triangle, and a school band arrangement. Such a rich bounty of musical talent all wrapped up in these three musicians.

Annie Gallup uses her muse to create these paintings of blurred lines; in relationships, expectations, hopes, dreams, and disappointments. Her vocal delivery is always compelling and her power to deliver music of real substance is as strong as ever. 

Review by Paul McGee

Tip Jar One Lifetime Shine A Light 

This Dutch duo is comprised of Bart de Win and Arianne Knegt, who have come together to share their complimentary vocals on this debut collaboration. Arienne sings with a real vibrancy on all the eleven songs included here and she dovetails beautifully with the more grounded vocal style of her partner, Bart.

The opening song is a catchy work out called Go On and Get Lucky, reminiscent of a New Orleans groove, with Wurlitzer, accordion and piano from Bart laying down a nice melody, anchored by Eric van de Lest on drums and Bill Small on bass. Something I Said is another light rhythmic walk along the bright side with Bart on melodica and Harry Hendriks on atmospheric guitar, ukulele and bass. All the studio players are excellent musicians, with Walt Wilkins guesting on vocals and sharing lead parts with Arianne on the bluesy, Best Year Of Your Life,  and de Win adding soothing B3 in the melody lines. Kiss Me is a very radio-friendly arrangement with a light jazzy feel to the violin playing of Joost van Es, the guitar and 8-string ukulele of Hendriks, and rhythmic double bass of Tonnie Ector. 

Find Your Way is another taste of Folky Blues and guitar, banjo and dobro support the laid-back vocal from Arienne, while the Wurlitzer and organ of Bart de Win weave a quiet magic. Tell Me Something has Walt Watkins on vocals with both Arienne and Bart, in a soulful groove around the guitars of Hendriks and the bass of Ron Flynt in harmony with the easy drumming of de Lest and the B3, Wurlitzer and piano parts. Bart wrote all the songs, with six co-write credits among the other band members, and Arienne contributed on four others. They recorded in Eindhoven, with a number of musician parts sent remotely and captured at other locations, including studios in both Austin, Texas and Athens, Greece.  

The title track, One Lifetime, is a love song with just the vocals of Bart and Arienne, augmented by guitar from Harry Hendriks.  Fallen Angel is a song about keeping focus on the real things that matter in life and always letting love in. Final song, The Right Word, is pure vaudeville swing with  both tuba, ( Harold Spaan), and clarinet (Gilad Atzmon), adding great atmospherics. This is a very enjoyable set of songs and their engaging delivery highlights the undoubted talents of this interesting duo.

Review by Paul McGee 

Clara Rose Band Live Live Love Self Release

My abiding memory of a performance from Clara Rose was when she guested on The Lonesome Highway Radio Show on 103.2 Dublin City FM a few years back. Accompanied only by her acoustic guitar, within a minute of her first song the sound room was crowded with staff members from the station who left their desks to witness her powerful vocal performance.

LIVE, LIVE, LOVE (pronounce LIVE-LYVE-LOVE) is a twelve-track album that captures the dynamism and range of her voice. She is supported by a list of crack players, many of whom are household names in the Irish blues and roots scene. The album was recorded live in Spring of 2020 at two venues, Arthur’s Blues And Jazz Club in Dublin and The Garage Theatre in Clara Rose’s hometown of Monaghan.

Included are four of her own songs, alongside some well-chosen and carefully prepared covers, all of which are given terrific makeovers. Dolly Parton’s signature tune Jolene is deconstructed and rearranged into a blues infused treat that nearly hits the seven-minute mark, complete with a raging guitar break mid-song by Daragh Stacke. Other players that impress and feature in both gigs include Darragh O’Kelly on keys, Tony Mc Manus on bass, and Gavin Taylor on drums. The horn section comprises Colm O’Hara on trombone, Bill Blackmore on trumpet, and Cathal Roche on saxophone.

Etta James’ classic anthem I’d Rather Go Blind, the perfect vehicle for Clara Rose to showcase her vocal reach, also gets a splendid makeover that tips the eight-minute mark. She recalls the great John Prine on Angel From Montgomery and Bob Dylan on Like a Rolling Stone, inviting her mother, Elizabeth Monahan, to join her on vocals. And while other covers such as Chris Smither’s Love Me Like A Man and Hit or Miss from the pen of Odetta also impress, her own compositions blend seamlessly into the setlist. Throw The Dice, the first single from the album is a full-force blast, and the slightly less robust Sex And Music display her ability to write and execute controlled ballads.

Hats off to First Music Contact for providing the funding for the completion of the album and, once more, highlighting the immense local talent that Ireland can boast. Clara Rose stands side by side with Mary Coughlan and Mary Stokes, representing the finest female vocalists on our shores, markedly interpreting and creating wonderful blues and roots music.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Ian M Bailey Songs To Dream Along To Kool Kat 

This eleven-track album of countrified jangle laden power pop follows hot on the heels of Ian M Bailey’s EP SHOTS OF SUN, released earlier this year. That recording was a collaboration with ex-Cosmic Rough Riders member Daniel Wylie, and following the positive response to that album, the pair started working on SONGS TO DREAM ALONG TO. No stranger to collaboration, Bailey is also a member of The Lost Doves, alongside Charlotte Newman, whose 2020 album SET YOUR SIGHT TOWARDS THE SUN was packed with easy on the ear pop infused ballads.

With nods to The Byrds - and closer to his home, Teenage Fanclub - his latest album recalls the laid-back West Coast sound of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.  The album was recorded at Bailey’s home studio, Small Space Studios and its rich vocals and harmonies are complemented by twelve-string Rickenbacker, bass, keys, and drums, all combining on an album that is coherent from start to finish.

Highlights range from the jangly opener This Is Not A Feeling, the unhurried breezy Everything Will Be Alright and I’m Not The Enemy, the latter recalling early career R.E.M. Also included are the catchy instrumental Midday At Hope Lodge and the cracking Take It Or Leave It, which is classic retro West Coast fare.

The album’s title says it all. Packed with easy on the ear consoling and mellow songs, it invites the listener to sit back and lose themselves for forty-five relaxing minutes. There are quite a few bands on both sides of the pond that remain flag flyers for this sub-genre of music which brings to mind hazy days, sand, sunshine, and carefree times of yesteryear. Ian M Bailey can boast life membership of that expanding club.

Review by Declan Culliton

Wolf Willow Old Guitars And Shooting Stars Grey

Lovers Lane, the instrumental opening track on OLD GUITARS AND SHOOTING STARS, sounds like it was plucked from a Tarantino soundtrack. With its early ‘60’s Tornados vibe it signposts the retro feel that inhabits this charming album from Saskatchewan, Canada band Wolf Willow.

The band’s sound is unapologetically vintage, drawing on classic countrypolitan, Western swing and honky tonk.  Mitsy Mueller’s relaxed and unhurried vocals hark back to yesteryear on the swinging Heaven Didn’t Seem Too Far, complete with a slick saxophone break. However, the real winners here are the Countrypolitan treats Does The Sun Know, In A World Of Our Own and All I Can Say, all of which have Billy Sherill’s late 60’s sound stamped all over them.  The lead vocals on all three are enveloped by flawlessly arranged strings, with harmonies credited to The Garryaires (Lenore, Erica, and Julie of The Garrys).

The title track is pure country and western with delicate upright bass, stinging pedal steel, and ‘light as a snowflake’ sweet vocals from Mueller. Love Letters Left Unsent is typical of what charted handsomely for Nancy Sinatra in her heyday.

Wolf Willow have poured their hearts and souls into this album. The spectacularly lush arrangements - produced and recorded by Dana Rempel at a remote location in the Qu’Appelle River Valley in the south-eastern part of Saskatchewan - are matched by the quality of the vocals and musicianship throughout. Albums such as this may or may not be the future for country music but OLD GUITARS AND SHOOTING STARS is meticulously executed on all fronts and a further reminder that the majority of albums celebrating quality country music is emanating far away from Music City.

Review by Declan Culliton

 Ken Pomeroy Christmas Lights In April Horton

Listening to Joan, the stunning opening track on Ken Pomeroy’s third album, it’s difficult to grasp that the Cherokee singer songwriter is only nineteen years of age.  It is every bit as impressive to learn that she wrote the songs on the album between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.

Those ten songs on the album are quite skeletal, with the focus very much on the her voice and the stories that unfold. Many only feature Pomeroy on vocal and acoustic guitar, elsewhere pedal steel, bass, and keys form the backdrop to her crystal-clear voice.

There’s a certain charm in one so young declaring ‘the love of my life, I am yours and you are mine, ‘til the end of time’ on the fetching ballad Magnolia. A similar sentiment emerges on Flannel Cowboy, where she announces ‘put your hand in mine I get lost for days in your green eyes’. That stripped back delivery also surfaces on Cowboy Song and Grey Skies. Mournful pedal steel embellishes and adds to the achingly beautiful ‘coming of age’ song Truth.   

I like the idea of closing an album with the title track, as if saving the best until last.  Pomeroy does just that on the album, closing with a heartfelt song that suggests wounds not yet fully healed (‘Do you ever want to fall asleep and not wake up. Christmas lights in April are a dim reminder of what we used to be’).

Optimism may seldom be on the agenda on the album, but there is a noticeable tenderness embedded in the songs, which embody pain and confusion in equal measures. Recorded over a weekend at Fellowship Hall, Little Rock, Arkansas, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN APRIL is an introduction to an artist that is blessed with the ability to craft dreamlike songs that dance in and out of lucidness. A hugely impressive album from an artist that has the world at her feet.

Review by Declan Culliton

New Album Reviews

Showman/Coole/Gross/Allison/Killianski  Adeline Owl

Another happy result of the pandemic, the enforced time off the road enabled this project to come together against the odds. All five musicians are well known within the Old Time and folk music fraternity in North America, but never before had all five been together in the one room. 

Canadians John Showman (fiddle) and Chris Coole (banjo) are, of course, more than familiar with each other’s playing, both being founder members of the outstanding Lonesome Pine String Band. On mandolin is Adrian Gross, from another highly regarded Ontario based string band, The Slocan Ramblers. Another Canadian, Sam Allison (Sheeshum and Lotus) provided the upright bass and bass harmonica, while New Jersey native Mark Kilianski represents the US on guitar.

Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, the five artists holed up together for three days and nights (not much sleep was availed of, one suspects!) in a 70 year old cabin in the Kawartha Highlands in March 2021. After having been pent up for a year, the energy unleashed during this short recording window is palpable and has resulted in a fifteen track collection of intensely played high tempo instrumentals. The fluidity and freedom that they aimed for was certainly captured for posterity here.

Many of the tunes are interpretations of early 20th century tunes from the likes of Ernie Carpenter, while there are some from more recent bluegrassers like Bill Monroe and Kenny Baker. Evening Prayer Blues is the dynamic opening tune, introduced to Bill Monroe by Deford Bailey, who was the first African-American to play the Grand Ole Opry. The occasional hollers from the players confirm that a good time was had by all during these live recordings. Not even the daylong power cut during a bitter snow storm could dampen their spirits, they just lit candles and played on! Mind you, the sleeve features a grim photo of the intrepid five in snow gear, standing on a frozen lake during the blizzard. 

Most of the tunes, being originally fiddle tunes, are led by John Showman, who also engineered and mixed the album. Art Stamper’s Josie-O and Old Melinda from the playing of Lyman Enloe particularly linger in the memory, but my overall favourite is an original from Chris Coole, entitled Saul David, which he leads on his open-backed banjo.

Play it loud and get those dancing shoes on!

Review by Eilís Boland

Over The Moon Chinook Waltz Borealis

The title of Over The Moon’s second album is taken from their home on the Chinook Ranch, where they recorded this ten-track roots album. Over The Moon is Alberta acoustic roots duo Suzanne Levesque (vocals, bass) and Craig Bignell (vocals, banjo, acoustic guitar, and percussion), and alongside a number of additional players, CHINOOK WALTZ is inspired by their rugged surroundings on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

A mixture of self-written material and a number of well selected covers, the album’s common threads are the melodic vocals and harmonising, supported by note perfect playing. Ian Tyson - a close neighbour of the duo - is represented by their take on his ageless song Someday Soon and they remain true to the original on their version of Buddy and Julie Miller’s ballad I Can’t Get Over You. Also recalled are The Everly Brothers on a fine delivery of Kentucky. Their own material stands up equally well, the opener Lonesome Bluebird features Bignell on an open back banjo, manufactured in the England in 1898 and subsequently refurbished. John Ware recalls the Alberta revered cowboy, born into slavery in South Carolina. The title track, with the duo sharing vocals, celebrates their relationship and the picturesque environment that surrounds them.

Over The Moon blend folksy stylings, bluegrass, and country roots, inhabiting the musical territory perfected by Allison Krauss and Union Station. CHINOOK WALTZ follows their similarly impressive debut album MOONDANCER from 2017, offering the listener a suite of unhurried and intimate songs that are extremely easy on the ear.

Review by Declan Cullito

Joe Nolan Scrapper Fallen Tree

My introduction to Canadian Joe Nolan was his stunning showcase set at the Static Roots Festival in Oberhausen, Germany, in 2019. Very much the wild card on the festival billing and unknown to the audience, his mid-afternoon set was one of the highlights of the festival. That show was one of many that he played during an extensive touring schedule in Europe, which inferred that an industry breakthrough was most likely. However, like many other artists, the arrival of Covid put the brakes on that career progression.

Rather than sit back and lick his wounds, Nolan used the enforced time off the road to write the eleven songs on SCRAPPER. Much of the material examines the loneliness and isolation of a solo artist on tour, the difficulty in developing or maintaining long term relationships, and yet the uncontrollable drive to continue that vocation. No doubt the quarantine imposed by Covid also fed into that recurring theme on this album.

Recorded live on one September day in 2020 at Riverdale Recorders in Edmonton, Nolan added overdubs to complete the album over the following months. The lion’s share of the instrumentation is by himself, he is credited with vocals, guitars, piano, keys, and synths. Bass guitar was played by Nigel Gale and Andrew Scott was on drums.

The album follows his impressive last recordings CRY BABY (2018) and DRIFTERS (2020), suggesting an artist with a lot to say and in a hurry to say it.  Issues of the heart surface on Solid Gold and All Love is Lit, both songs recalling mid-career Josh Rouse at his most melodic. More up tempo is Cherry Valance which gifts the listener with some Willy De Ville urban swagger and the gloriously brooding When I’m Feeling Down. Other tracks that particularly hit the sweet spot are the rootsy Whole New Love and See You Soon. The latter closes the album, and fittingly includes the lyrics ‘A friend of mine asked unto me, do you think that you were born this way. I just answered back unto him, have you heard the last words of Ballad In Plain D’.

The album title SCRAPPER denotes a character with an unflagging inexhaustible fighting spirit and its content suggests an artist continuing to seek the meaning of life. The end result is yet another intense and often hook filled album that can boast scores of noteworthy moments.

Review by Declan Culliton

Mick Mullin Mullin’ It Over Self Release

 The son of a Kentucky coalminer’s daughter and a Tennessee bible editor, Mick Mullin’s second album MULLIN’ IT OVER takes its title from some deep thinking and life changing decisions made by its author during 2020. Like so many others, the isolation and inactivity during that year offered Mullin the time to consider his past and prepare for a more structured future. Struggling with alcohol abuse, Mullin finally tacked his demons and fuelled by a reconnection to his Christian faith, abandoned the Saturday late night bars in favour of Sunday morning worship.

Having said that, the album is anything but preachy and navigates its way across a number of emotions, with the stories adapted to reflect his hometown upbringing in the South. Unsurprisingly, the tales include bars and unrequited love on the old school country opener Thank God They Closed The Honky Tonks and on Keep All My Roses. Murder, liquor, and remorse emerge on the slow swinging ballad Small Black Gun. Exchanged love letters from yesteryear form the backstory to the evocative duet Bristol 1927. Mullin trades lines with the sweet voiced Hannah Juanita on the song, which captures the hopes and dreams of long-distance lovers, eventually shattered by the author’s fondness for liquor. 

 Recorded at The Project Room in Nashville, Mullin was in the company of some local big hitters in the studio. Joe Spivey and Craig Duncan played fiddle, Eddie Lange was on pedal steel and Lisa Horngren played upright bass. The album was co-produced by Mullin and Jerry Webb (Lynn Anderson, Mo Bandy, Charlie Louvin, Neal McCoy) and they achieve the perfect vintage sound to celebrate the musical history of Mullin’s home state, while also conquering some demons in his previous life.

Gospel and bluegrass are the backbone on the album closer Do You Know Where You’ll Go? which includes some serious picking from fiddle player Marilyn Smith and guitarist Billy Smith, who is the son of Music Row publicist Hazel Smith. It’s a fitting way of signing off on an album that resonated with me long after that final track played out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Glass Cabin Self-Titled Self Release

 Nashville based Americana duo Glass Cabin is the brain child of successful songwriter Jess Brown and session musician David Flint.  A Grammy nominated song writer, Brown has written songs for Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and Julie Roberts. Flint’s previous life included co-founding country rock band Billy Montana and The Longshots, together with being a hired hand for numerous touring bands including Highway 101. His more recent work has been as a producer and studio session player at his home studio outside Nashville.

 Having worked together on albums for other artists, Nashville neighbours Brown and Flint decided to use some of the downtime imposed on them by the pandemic, to write and record their own album. The end result is a hugely rewarding eight-track record, which fuses country rock and folk, with a somewhat left of centre gothic edge.

 A plucked banjo and pounding drums open Hey O. What follows is a chanted recital, complete with handclaps, which sets the theme for some equally dark tunes that come next. Pray For Me and Opportunity also lean heavily into mysterious territory with rolling rhythms, handclaps, and cleverly overdubbed harmonies, all adding to the bewitching atmosphere. They take the foot off the gas on the slow burners Crazy Missing You and Feel Again before tailing off the album with the spiralling Final Day.

 This is hard edged heartland Americana at its finest. Dreamlike songs of unease and unrest play out like chapters from a Daniel Woodrell country noir novel, by a duo not afraid to challenge the tried and trusted. If Willard Grant Conspiracy and The Handsome Family rock your boat, this one is for you.

Review by Declan Culliton

Charissa Hoffman Different View Self Release

This 5-track EP is a debut release from Berklee College of Music graduate, Charissa Hoffman. She has chosen the ukulele as her main instrument and her inventive playing on these five songs give it such a completely different feel and a perspective of something to savour. Indeed, it sounds very like a gently plucked harp on these songs and there are no clipped strums to limit the melody or the flow of the arrangements.

The songs all focus on emotions and feelings; internalising the thoughts and doubts over a relationship or a sense of something changing. The theme of heartache is balanced by the perspective to show compassion and understanding also.  Opening with, Knight Song, Hoffman looks at fallen images and unsure feeling that surface. Wavering on the brink of shattered illusions, ‘I think the measure of a man, it lies in the way he fights the battles within.’

Different View is just that, the realisation that you do not see eye-to-eye, and feeling separate. The vocals of Hoffman are airy and light while the excellent bass and drums move the tempo along with the strummed ukulele rhythm. Weigh Him Down is very atmospheric with inventive violin from  Lucy Nelligan and great upright bass plucking from Jeff Halpin Jr.

Compromise is a song that looks for middle ground but only sees signs of a lack of commitment and interest, the sense of losing yourself and being ‘a casualty of compromise.’ The playing is sparce and somewhat hypnotic. The final track, Goodbye, references ‘Daddy’s coffee, Mama’s sigh’ in a song that questions whether ‘what we lose, is ever really gone.’ Memories can haunt us more than any perceived external ghosts or threats. The cello (Kely Pinheiro) and violin (Lucy Nelligan) sounding ethereal as they interweave around the melody. 

Mason Turner (guitar on two tracks), Garrett Goodwin (drums on two tracks) and Zack Lamb (electric bass on two tracks) all provide subtle playing and fit perfectly into the group dynamic. There are also background vocals on two songs by Jeff Halpin Jr. and Rebekah Novinger. All songs are written by Charissa Hoffman and the self production is very impressive. A resident of Nashville, her focus and muse is suitably different in a city that is famous for its Country music. However, it is also a melting pot for many other genres that co-exist side by side. This is music that deserves a wide listenership and expands the Folk definition of composition and structure in song.

Review by Paul McGee

Henry Parker Lammas Fair Cup and Ring

This is a second album from contemporary Folk artist Henry Parker. Born in West Yorkshire, England and absorbing the traditional Folk music of the 60s and 70s era that gave flight to so many great bands, Parker has studied his craft well. His fingerstyle technique is seemingly effortless across these ten tracks that have a very retro-feel in the production. Of course, the amount of practice and honing of delicate skills to reach such a jump-off point is something to which only Parker can attest – no doubt, hours of reaching a peak of performance where it all falls into place.

The wonderful, Travelling For A Living, has violin (Richard Curran) and resonator guitar ( Henry Parker) merging seamlessly into a glorious hypnotic whole, as they spiral towards a sweet climax. Death and the Lady is a traditional song, the words from another time, with olde English phrasings and a tale about meeting old man death along the road. Again, Richard Curran on violin and cello adds great atmospherics to the arrangement. Similarly, a second tradition song, The Brisk Lad, is given a new arrangement and Parker lets his electric guitar phrasings drive the tune with superb backing from Louis Berthoud on drums and Robert McNicholas on electric bass.

Nine Herbs Charm is a mid-tempo arrangement that channels early John Martyn with a slapped guitar rhythm and a floating, soaring Theo Travis on celestial flute. The song weaves a magic spell, much like the herbal elixir of the song, fashioned from the forest floor. Given Time is a song that aims and takes fire at the information highway that we all speed upon these days. ‘It’s seeming harder to hold back the flow, This raging stream of information.’ The internet as the devil and the cure is to ‘step into our own lives.’ Theo Travis on piano and Parker on acoustic guitar in another compelling performance. 

 Return To the Sky is a song for environmental awareness and a hope that it’s not too late to repair some of the damage caused; ‘And away to the North, A frozen land has thawed, The water here was never meant to run.’ Hugh Bradley on double bass and Brendan Bache on congas and percussion adding to the reflective guitar delivery of Parker. Fool’s Gold is a call into pastoral fields of nature’s rich  bounty, with acoustic guitar (Parker), fender Rhodes (Theo Travis), electric bass (Robert McNicholas) and electric guitar (Parker, again), bringing on a faerie spell of gay abandon. Blackthorn sees Parker unaccompanied on acoustic guitar and a tour de force it is too; a beautifully melodic arrangement and played with real panache – an instrumental perfectly formed for quiet contemplation. 

The title track, Lammas Fair, refers to the harvest season and closing track, Coming Of the Spring, beckons a new beginning and a merging of the mind and spirit. His dexterity and skills on the fretboard are reminiscent of Richard Thompson and I cannot give this young musician any greater accolade, or encouragement, than that. If Henry Parker continues this journey and follows in the great master’s footsteps then the sky is the limit. 

Review by Paul McGee

Paul Benoit Beautiful Lies Zebadiah

Since 2002 this artist has been releasing albums that reflect an Americana/Roots sound and direction. This is his twelfth collection and the ten songs are very well delivered and produced. Benoit shared the credits with Jesse Field and part of the recording process was captured in a cabin. Lockdown indeed!

Benoit lives in Seattle and his song arrangements are a series of mid-tempo tunes that are well supported by a cast of musicians that include Ron Weinstein on Hammond B3 organ and piano, Will Dowd on drums, Rebecca Young on bass, Jesse Dalton on acoustic bass and Noah Jeffries on violin and mandolin. 

Benoit displays a very fluid style on guitars and his vocal delivery is easy on the ear. There are other studio musicians that appear and Jay Pinto plays bass on one track, while Sean Devine (six tracks), Amelia K. Spicer (one track), Michelle McAfee (one track) and Reggie Garrett (three tracks), supply backing vocalists to enrich the overall sound. The title track, Beautiful Lies, is a gentle melody that deals with matters of the heart and the slide guitar playing is in perfect tune with the longing contained in the lyrics. The Score looks at the same issues, with the issues of causing each other pain, foremost in the thoughts and delivery. Saddest Eyes looks at a dysfunctional relationship and the need to connect.

The slow blues groove of Let’s Pretend We’re In Love is a highlight, showcasing Benoit on guitar and the rich b3 organ sound of Weinstein.  Black Crow rocks it up a bit with the impressive guitar runs of Benoit a real treat, while the slow melody and rhythms of both Smoke and Freeways sit perfectly together as the album winds down. 

Plenty to interest the listener and the ensemble playing of the various musicians is worth the entrance fee alone.   

Review by Paul McGee  

Kalinec and KJ Let’s Get Away Berkalin

Brian Kalinec lives in Houston, Texas and KJ can be found near Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.   They originally met in 2013 and have regularly hooked up to tour the continents together. They share a spiritual home in Scotland and their love for the country is captured on the track, Home In Scotland, one of ten songs included on this release. 

There are two tracks written by Kalinec (plus two co-writes), with KJ contributing five tracks (plus a co-write with Kalinec). A cover version of When You Say Nothing At All (Overstreet, Schlitz), is also included and the vocal duties are shared between the two in an easy manner that compliments the natural flow to the arrangements and the melodies. Kalinec takes lead vocals on four of the tracks, with KJ taking the same role on another five. They share lead and harmony vocals on the opening, title track, Let’s Get Away, with both artists contributing on guitars throughout. Kalinec plays all the lead guitar parts and he has a light touch and an expressive tone on the instrument. The overall sound is in the Folk/Roots arena with the songs supported by uncluttered and subtle playing from Tyson Sheth (percussion ), Rankin Peters (bass) and Jeff Duncan (fiddle).  

The sentiment of getting out in the world and experiencing new adventures is a good way to open the album and the sense of new love on New Lovers’ Waltz captures the heady dance of heightened emotions. On the other side of new love, lies the song, Paint, which deals with the end of a relationship and a new beginning, the metaphor of painting over the old blue shades that linger, perfectly reflected in the superb guitar and fiddle interplay. This theme is followed on Where Do Old Lovers Go and the reflective look back at what once was. 

KJ uses her initials, mainly due to her full name being something of a challenge; Reimensnyder-Wagner. Her talents go well beyond single acoustic guitar and she is also proficient on 5-string banjo, mandolin, lap dulcimer, autoharp, keyboard and djembe drum – none of which she uses on this recording! Her vocal is very engaging, never more so on the song, Home In Scotland, which has the authentic feel of a British traditional Folk standard. Don French guests on bagpipes to add an even more evocative feel to proceedings. Reach Out has a similar feel and a message to enjoy the company of the moment. 

The co-vocals on the love song, I Don’t Know, are a highlight with again, the fluent guitar of Kalinec meeting the circling fiddle of Duncan. On This Winter’s Eve reaches out across the miles and speaks of connection to both living and dead; Kalinec playing superbly on lead guitar and cello synth. Final track, What’s Left Over, has a gypsy-style fiddle that brings to mind the light jazz feel of a Grappelli/Reinhardt arrangement, especially with the easy rhythmic groove of Peters and Seth driving the arrangement. All in all, a very enjoyable album that is both refreshing and engaging in the impressive playing and vocal harmonies.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Ana Egge Between Us Story Sound

Canadian born singer songwriter Ana Egge’s back catalogue stretches to over a dozen albums since her self-titled debut album back in 1994. That body of work includes albums such as BAD BLOOD, recorded at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock and produced by Steve Earle, and LAZY DAYS from 2007, an album of cover songs on the theme of laziness. The common denominator in her recordings is the quality of her writing and her ability to deliver her work in a silver-tongued and composed manner.

Always prepared to expand her own musical universe, Egge took advantage of the enforced lockdown by collaborating online with our own Mick Flannery, whom she had encountered at festivals over the years. The regular two-hour sessions on FaceTime between the duo yielded numerous songs worthy of recording and the majority of the appropriately titled BETWEEN US feature these co-writes. Flannery, a double platinum Cork born artist, is due to include a number of the pair’s co-writes on his own next recording.

Egge has shifted seamlessly between musical modes and genres throughout her career. Folk, roots, blues, and jazz influences often emerge, but her laid back individualistic stamp remains consistent. Though co-written, a number of the album’s songs offer personal reflections on troubled and toxic relationships. Pain and misery particularly resonate on You Hurt Me and Don’t Come Around, with each word perfectly pronounced, no more than on the whispered opening lyrics on the latter. Even less upbeat is Lie, Lie, Lie, the only solo write by Egge on the album. It offers bruised and tender lyrics, reflections, and afterthoughts on love lost.

Further highlights include the breathtakingly moving Sorry and the horn filled opener Wait A Minute. She bookends the album with We Lay Roses. Co-written with Grammy-winner Gary Nicholson, the song is a sensitive eulogy for her nephew.

Egge albums have consistently contained songs embedded with tenderness and emotion. This delightfully arranged album showcases a tunesmith of unlimited talent at the top of her game.

Review by Declan Culliton

Abby Bryant & The Echoes Not Your Little Girl Self Release

 In an increasingly crowded marketplace, it’s becoming more and more difficult for artists to have their music heard and appreciated, despite the quality of what they have on offer. Just ask the likes of Margo Price, who hauled her music from door to door in Nashville, before her superb debut album MID WEST FARMER’S DAUGHTER eventually found a home at Third Man Records and launched her career.

 Hopefully, Abby Bryant & The Echoes’ striking debut album will reach the ears of the movers and shakers that help to propel the progressions of acts from ‘under the radar’ to flourishing. Both Bryant and her sidekick, guitarist, and album producer Bailey Faulkner, hail from Gastonia, North Carolina. They have been playing music since childhood, learning the ropes the hard way, and enduring the challenges faced by touring musicians. 

 Bryant has been singing all her life, initially at church under the watchful eye of her music minister father, and latterly at Appalachian State University, where she guested with Faulkner’s rock band. She soon progressed to lead singer in a band with Faulkner, alongside a number of guest musicians and the duo subsequently began writing songs for what was to become this debut album.

 As the album’s defiant title and opening track imply, the theme across the thirteen tracks is often one of taking control, without undue interference from others. However, alongside that liberation, the material also conveys the trauma of leaving the security of friends and family, and the resulting personal dilemmas. She addresses these topics full-on from the onset.

 The title track, with Bryant’s powerhouse vocals and a backing sound equally explosive, is likely to have you hitting the replay button. That blood and thunder expansive sound, fronted by Bryant’s powerhouse vocals, continues on the twelve tracks that follow. The marriage of soaring vocals, a polished rhythm section, soaring horns, and ripping guitar breaks, all combine impeccably.  Bryant is equally comfortable executing the more relaxed soulful ballads Time Wasn’t On Our Side and There’s No Way as she is belting out the more robust inclusions Tried, Had To and When I’m Gone. By way of reference, I’m picking up certain parallels between this album and the aforementioned Margo Price’s band, Buffalo Clover, prior to her debut solo album.

 If you are one of those, like me, that reaches for the mid-career Shelby Lynne albums when you need a blast of full-on Southern Country Soul, this album is for you. ‘I gotta find my very own way to live in this big old world,’ announces Bryant on the album’s title track. On the strength of this full-blooded record, she’s certainly heading in the right direction. Maximum volume recommended.

Review by Declan Culliton

Adia Victoria A Southern Gothic Atlantic Mod

Described by Rolling Stone as ‘P.J. Harvey covering Loretta Lynn at a haunted debutante ball’, A SOUTHERN GOTHIC is the third album released by South Carolina artist Adia Victoria. Her debut album BEYOND THE BLOODHOUNDS (2016) offered a collection of songs that reflected the writer’s life in her twenties. It was followed by the hard-hitting SILENCES (2019), produced by Aaron Dessner (The National), which dealt with betrayal, discrimination, and chauvinism. Both albums suggested a writer of undeniable talent, blessed with the vocal capacity to passionately deliver her astutely composed songs.

Raised as a Seventh Day Adventist, Victoria’s attraction to the arts was initially fuelled by poetry and short story writing, before embracing the music of artists such as Miles Davis and Fiona Apple. Her musical career, and in particular her love of the blues, coincided with receiving a gift of a guitar from a friend on her twenty - first birthday. Following spells in New York and Atlanta, she arrived in Nashville in 2010, where she earned a diploma in French and was also welcomed into the bohemian East Nashville musical community. 

SOUTHERN GOTHIC picks up where the previous album left off. Once more, it’s refreshing to witness a woman of colour recording an album packed with gothic tales of the religious obsessions of the South and particularly when the narratives are based on first hand experiences. The production duties on the album were overseen by T. Bone Burnett, and a pointer to the esteem she is held in by her peers are contributions from Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Kyshona Armstrong, and Matt Berninger.

The album shifts between gospel blues and rootsy country songs, all delivered by Victoria’s striking vocals. The tales are a black girl’s memoirs of the Southern upbringing, its challenges, and contradictions.

Her comfort zone as a child is remembered on Magnolia Blues. “I’m gonna plant myself/under a magnolia,” she announces on that opening song, recalling seeking refuge under the shade of a large magnolia tree.  Darker times emerge on Whole World Knows, where we hear of the preacher’s teenage daughter shooting heroin in her father’s car, as he delivers a sermon in the nearby church. Far From Dixie, the highlight of the album for me, tells of fleeing from a smothering regime. It’s loaded with layers of baleful overdubs, menacing bass lines, and screeching guitar breaks.

Bordering on disturbing, Troubled Mind - with a rhythm that recalls I’m A Man by The Spencer Davis Group - screams of religious guilt (‘I wanna behave Lord, but I’ve been led astray Lord, don’t know where I’ve been Lord’). Following a spoken intro, You Was Born To Die is a bluesy romp, with backing vocals and hand claps by Margo Price, Kyshona Armstrong, and Jason Isbell. Elsewhere she is joined by Stone Jack Jones, who shares vocals on the ghostly My Oh My, before closing the album with South For The Winter. The latter includes vocals from Matt Berninger on a somewhat upbeat ballad, a contrast to the preceding tracks.

The exceptional album HOLLER, released by Indigo Girl Amy Ray in 2018, was a stoical look at American history in the Southern States from the eyes of a white American woman. Victoria, from the perspective of a woman of colour, has equalled that album with this most powerful collection of songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

The High Hawks Self -Titled  Self Release

This band is made up of a number of veteran players that came together for a project that has resulted in thirteen songs, over an hour of listening pleasure, and a really enjoyable result for all involved.

The collective is made up of musicians from different bands, all of whom know each other over years of sharing stages and tour bus/hotel stops along the road. The core group is Vince Herman  (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals- Leftover Salmon), Tim Carbone (fiddle, electric guitar, synthesiser, vocals - Railroad Earth), Chad Staehly (piano, B3 organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, keyboards - Hard Working Americans),  Adam Greuel (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals - Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), Brian Adams (bass - DeadPhish Orchestra) and  Will Trask (drums and percussion - Great American Taxi).  They are joined by Ross James, who plays pedal steel on one track and Sheryl Renee adds backing vocals on three tracks. 

The album was recorded at Silo Sound studios in Denver and all the songs are written by individual band members, with the exception of Fly High, a cover of the Woody Guthrie song. Having existing friendships and sharing a respect and appreciation for each other’s music, has been the magic ingredient in the chemistry here and all six individuals really grasp the opportunity to play together.

The sound is a relaxed, laid-back Americana groove with the instruments dove-tailing effortlessly into each other across the songs. The warm keyboards and understated guitar riffing is kept anchored by a great rhythm section and the fiddle of Timothy Carbone really shines on a number of track’s; White Rider, Do Si Do, and Trying To Get By, allowing the band to really stretch into solo swaps on their various instruments. Without guitar credits on individual track’s, it’s difficult to separate the playing of Carbone and Greuel but both deliver great, inventive runs and solos on a number of songs.  The track, Home Is, slows matters down and has some nice string arrangements, with fiddle and pedal steel adding an added layer of melody. 

Blue Earth has a reggae lilt and is a different sound to the other tracks that mainly fall into a roots-based area. When the Dust Settles Down and Talk About That  lean towards both The Band and The Allman Brothers in the easy delivery and loose arrangements, while other songs like, Just Another Stone and Fly High allow the ensemble playing and harmony vocals to shine. Most impressively, the feeling that these guys have been playing together for many years comes over strongly, and let’s hope that this maiden voyage together is not the only time they decide to produce music of this quality.

Review by Paul McGee

Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs Through the Smoke Self Release

This band combine superb ensemble playing with an energetic élan, fusing the best of both Bluegrass and Folk traditions, with a modern twist. Their four-part harmonies and engaging song-writing are quite addictive across the eleven tracks showcased, and the running time of just over thirty minutes is a perfect example of sticking around just long enough to leave a lasting impression.

Having released their debut album in 2016, the band has gone on to record a further three albums, culminating in this new release, written during the months of lockdown. The band comprises  Lena (Laney) Schiffer (vocals/guitar), Matt Demarais (vocals/banjo), Brian Kassay (vocals/fiddle), Josh Moore (vocals/guitar) and Ethan Demarais on bass. The harmonies are tight and the musicianship is impressively fluid; just what is expected of a Bluegrass-influenced band who dove-tail around the rhythms with disarming ease.

They speak of change, rebirth and resilience and their strong ethic for hard work and regular touring comes shining through with a real clarity and focus. Everything is self-managed and shared among the band members, with a do-it-yourself approach to steering their career in exactly the direction that they choose to pursue. Self-made and self-directed. Amen to that.  

The slower songs highlight the sweetly clear vocals of Lena (Laney), with Reeling and Count On You showing different sides of relationships; separation and feelings of loss juxtaposed with feelings of comfort towards a trusted companion. The up-tempo songs, such as Burn It Down, Black Crow and Ball and Chain, show the ensemble in full flow with the melodic bass lines of Demarais grounding the rhythms and allowing the twin guitars, fiddle and banjo to kick up a storm. Coming from the big sky country of Montana has also been an understandable influence on the music and there is a theme of nature running through the songs, highlighted by the excellent Paradise, which celebrates all the joys to be found in getting into the countryside.

Feed the Beast looks at a difficult relationship and trying to control anger issues, while Up For Air channels feelings of vulnerability and surrendering to emotions. Final track, Alive, sums up the giddy pleasure of this superb album, with energetic playing and a message to enjoy this life; we’re only here once and no-one makes it out alive. This is a worthy project and filled with great tunes that will linger in the memory.

Review by Paul McGee

Roland Roberts All About the Timing Happy Life

A singer-songwriter is only as good as the songs in his bag and this Alaska-based musician certainly carries a colourful array of engaging material. Given that this is his debut album, Roberts has plenty to be proud of and his way with a lyric and a melody will see him gather a fair wind as his career blossoms.

The easy style of his writing and keen observational skills bring to mind a young John Prine. It is something that Roberts displays in his vocal tone and in the easy groove of his music, ably supported by the playing skills of producer Bob Hamilton (Weissenborn, steel guitar, Telecaster, mandolin, archtop guitar, Dobro), Sarah Hamilton (fiddle, harmony vocals), George McConkey (harmonica), Rob Bergman (bass), with both Lonnie Powell and Patrick Hamilton sharing drumming duties. Roberts himself, stars on guitar, Wurlitzer and vocals, with the thirty minutes flying along on the crest of these eleven appealing songs. 

The blues feel of songs, Don’t Tell Me Goodbye and Lonely Blues, are restrained and tinged with a sad acceptance; the fiddle, steel guitar and harmonica colouring the former, and the warm keys soothing on the latter track. The feeling that John Prine was somewhere in the ether is heightened on the track, Sittin’ In Nebraska, a humorous, tongue-in-cheek look at the travelling blues; ‘Tyler Childers was in town tonight, I had tickets to the show, But I’m stuck in Nebraska, with nowhere else to go.’ In addition, Being Me, delivers the sage advice that walking your own path is what life is all about; ‘ Well, being me isn’t easy, but I guess it isn’t hard too, Maybe that’s what makes me me, and that’s what makes you you.’

The compromise of growing into adulthood is addressed in Picture On the Wall with the observation that ‘Can’t tell if you’re changing, or if you’re not changing at all, like a picture on the wall.’ Adult opioid addiction in the USA is the theme of Wake Up, a serious look at an epidemic that has seen prescription drugs at the centre of a growing crisis, fuelled by extensive overuse. Things are lightened again on Ramblin’ Joe, a song that celebrates freedom of the spirit and a rebellious attitude, ‘ He’s got nowhere to be and everywhere to go.’

Perhaps Roberts sums it up best on the title track, All About the Timing, with the lines, ‘So dance like nobody’s watching and live each day like it’s your last, And keep on looking forward, don’t you worry about the past.’ This is a very enjoyable album and it comes highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Daniel Meade Ever Wonder Why You Get Outta Bed? From The Top

Always asking the important questions in his music, Meade has released his latest set of songs that opens with the title track, a slightly pessimistic look at the day ahead. As with his last album, this is pretty much a proper solo album with the writing, playing, recording and mastering all being handed by Meade. There are some additional vocal contributions from long-time friend and guitarist Lloyd Reid and also from fellow Glasgow artist Cara Rose. As with the last album it has a broader palette than his work with his band Flying Mules or the music he makes with Reid. Like everyone who grew up over the last twenty years or so, it filters a number of different influences to good effect. Every listener can make comparisons which seem to suit, yet the overall sense is of Meade’s encompassing body of work.

Lyrically there are always interesting perspectives on his life and observations of the lives of others. There is a sense of energy throughout that is matched with melodic structures that give the songs the room to explore themselves. Sometimes The Rain Don’t Get You Wet is optimistic and gives a sense of the something positive beyond the obvious. It is a layered sound of keyboards, electric guitars and propulsive rhythms. Meade’s ever requisite guitars and percussion pulse also drive Look No Further, which features the vocals of upcoming Glasgow songstress Clara Rose with great effect. There are keyboard brass inserts into By The Book that give it a different sense of expression and mood that highlight his sense of what his interpretation of a rock band would be.

The strummed acoustic of The Choices That You Make, which also has a hand-clapped rhythm, is a salutary warning delivered in a strong accent that suggests lesson, if not learned, then at least recognised. It is this sense of an individual who has not always seen things go the way they should around him that is again the focus of More So The Other Than The One - a toe-tapping slice of keyboard-led charm and charisma. It again highlights the overall technical ability that Meade has as a player, performer and producer.

Too Tired To Sing The Blues has some enticing boogie-woogie piano underneath the mix of stray voices and choruses. Watcha Doin’ To Me has a robust 60s feel that is again put around a retro keyboard sound that seem right for its questioning sentiment. More considerate is the ballad To The Lovers that sees Meade deliver a more nuanced vocal that shows he is no slouch in that department either, here tinged with the high-lonesome sound he has displayed from the start. The closing track Now I Laugh is again bolstered by the synthesised brass section sound and a robust Faces style ragged but right feel.

There can be no doubting the talent that Daniel Meade has displayed here and with previous releases. Even if this and other albums have moved beyond the Glasgow-inflected Americana of some of his earlier work, both live and recorded, he always brings something to the table that is interesting, diverse and not a little entertaining. Doing this is a good enough reason for him to continue to get himself out of his bed and we can be thankful that he does.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Zachary Lucky Songs For Hard Times Self Release

This time out Lucky has, given these times, which undoubtedly have been hard for many, recorded an EP of seven songs mostly of traditional sources but with two covers - Townes van Zandt’s Rex’s Blues and Damned Old Piney Mountains written by Craig Johnson. These fit thematically with the remaining five songs: Hang Me, Oh Hang Me, Leaving Cheyenne, Goodbye Dear Old Stepstone, I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground and the perennial Wild Mountain Thyme. This, unlike his previous releases, was recorded in Ontario in a small cottage location on the shores of Hall’s Lake. It was a simple and effective process of a single microphone capturing voice and guitar.

The very essence of the song is stripped back to its basics, so the whole thing depends on the song choice and the delivery. This is both affecting and effective. Leaving Cheyenne (also known as Goodbye Old Paint) is a cowboy song that has been recorded many times but this version is no less enjoyable than the others. The same can be said for the other songs which, each in their own way, take a view on hardships and the effect on the protagonist, forcing them to leaving a favoured place or wishing they could be something or somewhere else. So place and time are central to the stories. That and such incidents as losing fingers in a mill accident, something that has a devastating effect on a logger. There are similar stories of down and out desperation and departure that are give resonance by the heartfelt way they are sung and played. The closing reflection of Wild Mountain Thyme is tinged with regret but with a resolution that it may be time to move on. It is a song that would have a resonance this side of the world, having been a standard folk song for eons with many different interpretations of this traditional ballad, yet this also has its place in the here and now.

Lucky has several previous albums to his name, all recorded with a full band, but here he has set out to record something that reflects these (hard) times of self isolation and reflection. In that light this is a moment in time for the artist, one that can be shared and understood and from which a certain solace can be drawn. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Charles Wesley Godwin How The Mighty Fall Self Release

There is little about this album that doesn’t confirm Godwin’s status as a singer/songwriter par excellence. Or maybe that should be folk singer, albeit with a full a wide-ranging sound, or simply an expressive Americana artist. Wherever you care to place Godwin, his second album is a welcome release. As with his last outing SENECA, there is a strong sense of place, people and perception in these twelve songs. Producer Al Torrence is again back behind the console of Music Garden Studio where this was recorded, with some sixteen players bringing their talents to enhance the process. The instruments cover pedal steel, electric and acoustic guitars, strings, harmonica, trumpet and keyboards and blend to create a cinematic countryscape.

This enables the expansive sound throughout, which benefits richly from Torrence and bassist Nate Gatanzarite’s string arrangements. All these elements serve to tell the stories here. The lyrics are poetic but still convey the sense of the story each individual tale needs to bring the words to life. As an example, in Gas Well the lyrics paint a picture of hardship and perhaps some forlorn hope “Droughts have been long and the floods have been fierce / Ain’t made a profit on the farm in near a dozen years / There’s money all around eight thousand feet down / Be a few more months until the drill can break ground.” While in Blood Feud there is a sense in the music of a certain chaos and danger that ends in a contrasting coda of police sirens, acoustic guitar and lonesome voice. This fits again with the lyric (co-written with Larry Hooper) “Ain’t no guessing what the knives are for / I didn’t leave my house dressed to die / Only one of us is going to make it out alive tonight.” There are also moments here of tenderness as in Lost Without You - the title of which sums up its message of enduring love.

However this album is not some academic exercise in prose set to music, as it has a lot of heart, soul and life experience at its core. This time out the writer has looked beyond the West Virginia setting he grew up in. He has also become a father, with all the attendant rethinking and priority adjustments that that might bring to one’s world view. His rich baritone expresses this and more from a sympathetic but realistic viewpoint. One song and one of the immediate standouts here is Jesse, inspired by some graffiti glimpsed on an early morning run. This is just one of several observations that served as inspiration for Godwin’s writing. Though the themes have a universality, they started right there on the street, in some small town with real people. There is a strong sense of life as well as for the understanding that death is something that is also ever present. He is aware of how these current times have a potentially profound effect upon us all, whether locally or worldwide.

The album runs for nearly 50 minutes, but it is time well spent and it allows the listener to be immersed in the world Godwin has created and reflects on through these songs, many of which stay with you long after the album finishes, both in terms of melody, chorus and resonance. The mighty may fall but in the end it is the music which needs to survive and continue - in a way that this album does.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

John Blek On Ether & Air Warr

Prolific singer songwriter, and one of Ireland’s best kept secrets, Corkonian John Blek has launched his latest album, the completion of a quartet of work that he began when he was ill in 2016. Dubbed the Catharsis project, each of the four albums is based on one of the four classical elements; water, earth, fire and air. This album was completed in 2019, but Blek held back on the release so that he could tour the album, to give it the momentum he felt it deserves. As someone who loves touring, he found that delay frustrating but he has come back to gigging with his usual passion and humour.

Returning again to record in Brian Casey’s West Cork Wavefield Recordings studio, the album is another tour de force in Blek’s already impressive portfolio. Casey co-produces and plays bass, organ, synth, piano and percussion. As well as Blek’s own guitar, banjo and lead vocals, Kit Downes is ever present and ever impressive on piano. 

The twin themes of birds and and the sea are used in Cormorant to express the loneliness of separation or space (ether & air) between us and our loved ones. The protagonist is a fisherman who must leave his pregnant wife ashore for many months, and he’s counting down the lonely days and nights until the simple refrain can be fulfilled, ‘cast off, take me back, cormorant’. Known for his collaborations, Blek brought on board Scotland’s Kris Drever on guitar here, Lea Miklody contributes cello and, combined with Kit Downes’ piano, there’s a decidedly retro feel to the arrangement here which calls to mind ‘70s country/folk ballads. Drever is also on hand to play guitar and contribute backing vocals on Forest Strong, when Blek switches to banjo for this folky metaphorical expression of the steadfastness of collaboration, even if one element goes astray - ‘the tree is weak when stood alone, the forest strong when wild winds blow’. In Flight demonstrates Blek’s folk credentials, with his superb finger picking (heavily influenced as he is by his hero Bert Jansch) and interplay with delicate piano and cello on another avian themed observation of loss, ‘Who drew the feathers on your skin? Lines so delicate and thin … floating on ether and air’. Simply beautiful.

Northern Sky is a truly epic cinematic sweep of a song based on ‘the Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, perhaps influenced by his many successful gigs in that part of the country. He carries off the difficult feat of remaining impartial and non-judgemental, all the while producing a powerful emotive piece, conveyed with the help of a heavy bass and drum beat, dramatic piano chords and echoed layers. ‘Living in a border town the blood is thicker than the water flowing underground. There’ll be no shelter in the shadow of the flags’

Long Strand is a reminiscence of staying up all night on a beach, watching the fire’s embers fading as the sun comes up, ‘long nights on long strand, the white noise of the waves shifting the sand’. Empty Days is used as an opportunity for another collaboration, this time with violinist  Cheyenne Mize (Bonny Prince Billy) who also lends ethereal backing vocals to another bitter sweet evocation of separation.

Luckily for his growing legion of fans in Ireland and Europe, John Blek has several album’s worth of material ready to put down, when time permits. This one will keep us more than satisfied in the meantime.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Margo Cilker Pohorylle Loose

The title of the debut album from California born singer songwriter Margo Cilker is the brand name of a Spanish manufacturer of backpacks. The selection of POHORYLLE as the album title would appear to stem from the time spent by Cilker in the Basque region of Spain and a reflection of her nomadic lifestyle of recent years.  Those years found the inquisitorial artist constantly travelling across the world, drawing inspiration from the various geographical environments she encountered. The inevitable isolation of the touring musician also feeds into a number of the album’s songs.

With the songs for the album developed and primed for recording, Cilker sought out a producer to transform the material into the distinct sound she had in mind. That search brought her to the door of singer songwriter Sera Cahoone, whose recent albums, co-produced with John Morgan Askew, captured the precise sound that Cilker was striving for. Cahoone gathered a crack team of players for the recording, which included seasoned players such as Jenny Conlee (The Decemberists) on keys, Jason Kardong (Sera Cahoone, Son Volt) on pedal steel, Rebecca Young (Lindsey Fuller, Jesse Sykes) on bass, Mirabai Peart (Joanna Newsom) on strings, Kelly Pratt (Beirut) on horns, and the album’s engineer John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson) on an array of other instruments.

Despite that ‘A’ list of players and the extent of the instrumentation employed on the album, the resulting sound is very much uncluttered, with Cilker’s vocals, articulating her unfolding tales, very much out front. Tehachapi takes its name from a small town in Kern County, California, and includes references to an unfulfilled romance. It’s driven by a horn-filled dynamic backbeat behind Cilker’s considered lyrics (‘Told you I was willin’, but you heard struggling,’Tell me how does a girl with a family like yours end up so desperate?’). Matters of the heart also surface on Broken Arm in Oregon.

The tour de force on the album is the stunning closing track Wine In The World, which finds Cilker’s recollections shift from the past to the present.  Memorable and also more troubled retrospections surface in the song, including time spent with a lover, her grandfather’s passing, immortality, and her insatiable wanderlust. Large doses of pedal steel courtesy of Jason Kardong are the perfect accompaniment to Cilker’s disciplined vocal delivery on the song.

A sense of freedom and non-confinement is captured on The River, the first single taken from the album. Elsewhere, Cilker considers where different life choices might have led her on Brother, Taxman, Preacher, while once more addressing her restfulness on the beautiful brooding ballad Chester’s (‘I’ve made my bed on the side of the road’).

POHORYLLE serves up a potent and thought-provoking collection of songs, all recounted with vocals that are rich in emotion from an artist well worth your attention.   

Review by Declan Culliton

Mose Wilson Self-Titled Self Release

 I came across Mose Wilson earlier this year when he was credited as the co - producer on a most impressive album from Hannah Juanita, titled HARDLINER. Wilson also played guitar and bass on that fine collection of genuine country songs. Further research revealed a lifetime in music for the artist who was born and reared in Cowan, Tennessee, ninety miles south of Nashville.

 Wilson’s background includes singing in his local Church of Christ at the age of five. That church does not allow any instrumentation during service, resulting in him performing old country songs acapella style. He relocated to Nashville at the age of eighteen, spending three years in Music City, fronting Mose Wilson and West King String Band.  His next move was to Florida’s Gulf Coast with his band Hotel Oscar, who toured regularly, playing musical styles that varied from straight country to blues, and soul to rock. Currently residing back in Nashville, Wilson has graced the stages of all the regular honky joints in Music City, including Robert’s Western World and Dee’s Cocktail Lounge.

 This self-titled album is a blast of traditional country, filled with two - steppers and waltzes. Reminding himself of the acclaimed Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard’s quote that ‘only an idiot takes longer than 3 minutes to tell a story’, the eleven tracks are delivered in under thirty-five minutes. He called on the cream of Nashville’s session players to join him at Compass Records Studio on Music Row for the recording, which he co-produced with Matt Coles (Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, Dan & Shay). Dennis Crouch (Robert Plant, Elton John, Allison Krauss) played bass and Grammy nominated and Grand Ole Opry regular, Trey Hensley, was his guitarist of choice. Miles Miller, who drums for Sturgill Simpson, also features, alongside fiddle player Casey Driscoll and pedal steel player Dan Dugmore, who was previously a member of Linda Ronstadt’s band as well as an A-list session player.

 Collectively, and with Wilson’s versatile vocal deliveries, they breathe classic country vibes on an album that is most certainly ‘all killer and no filler’. Striking the perfect balance between upbeat two - steppers and more relaxed country ballads, knees up songs such as Louisiana Two Step and Don’t Need You are nestled alongside the less muscular Arkansas and the tear jerkers I’m Blue and Burnin’ Memory. The bluegrass flavoured Cornered showcases the calibre of the players and the album also includes some quality Countrypolitan with This Time It’s You.

 Wilson’s debut album is classic upbeat country fare. With gloriously uncluttered playing, Wilson’s slightly weather-beaten vocals, and songs forged from traditional and contemporary country roots, it’s up there with the best country album I’ve heard this year.  Well worth checking out. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Starry Eyed And Laughing Bells of Lightning Aurora

Over forty-five years since their last recording and eight years since the recording of the first songs for BELLS OF LIGHTNING commenced, the latest album from Starry Eyed And Laughing finally gets its release. Having started writing songs with the band’s bass player Iain Whitmore in 2013, an illness to Tony Poole, when he contracted polymyalgia, delayed the completion of the album. This was a further stroke of misfortune and a continuation of the bad breaks that the band seemed dogged with in their earlier days.

Their mishaps included Poole being electrocuted on stage at Atlanta on the first gig of their 1975 U.S. tour and the band being stuck in Boston for three days due to flooding on the same tour. The final catastrophe that was visited on them was the folding of their management company, which finally derailed the band.  The advent of punk rock in the mid-‘70s did not help their cause either, rendering their twangy country rock unfashionable.

The song writing on this album includes six of the eleven tracks being credited to Poole, four to Whitmore, and one co-write. Lead vocals are also shared, Whitmore plays bass and acoustic guitar, with all other instruments played by Poole. Set Me Free From This Lost Highway, the opening track, signposts the album’s direction from the word go. Groovy bass lines, gorgeous harmony vocals, and Poole’s trademark Rickenbacker offer a mouth-watering introduction and that standard is matched on the ten tracks that follow.

Interestingly, the album includes reconnections from their early days. Dreamyard Angels revisits incidents from the 1975 U.S. tour, with references to Poole’s electrocution and being joined on stage by The Flying Burrito Brothers. The song also includes lyrics written by Poole the day after his hospitalisation. The days stranded in flooded Boston are addressed on Three Days Running. Faith and Hope and Charity alludes to the band rise and fall and eventual demise when arriving back in the U.K to a bankrupt management company. Other high points, both heavily influenced by The Byrds, include The Girl In A Gene Clark Song and I See My Rider, before they sign off with the spacey and psychedelic Love Still Speaks Your Name.

Hopefully BELLS OF LIGHTNING - the title is taken from The Byrds’ Chimes of Freedom - will expand the band’s cult status and bring them to the attention of a wider audience.  The Byrds may have effectively set the template for the musical direction of Starry Eyed And Laughing from the outset and this album, laden with hooks, jangle and twang, is like unearthing a previously unreleased recording from The Byrds. A great listen from start to finish, rather than putting closure on the incredible history of Starry Eyed And Laughing, it could actually relaunch their career. Let’s hope so. 

Review by Declan Culliton

The Wild Feathers Alvarado New West

With four studio albums, one live album and tours supporting Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Bob Seger, Nashville based alt-rockers The Wild Feathers have been signed to New West Records and have released their strongest album to date. The five-piece band’s members are Joel King, Ricky Young, Taylor Burns, Ben Dumas and Brett Moore.

ALVARADO is very much a pandemic conceived album. Following the cancellation of a tour supporting Blackberry Smoke, they holed up in a small cabin in VanLeer, Tennessee and recorded fourteen songs in just four days. Twelve of those songs make up this self-produced southern country rock flavoured record, which was recorded at that small cabin, using the limited resources available to them. The minor final touches were applied by Joel King in his home studio in Madison, Tennessee. Their objective, production wise, was to recreate the band’s live sound, which they have achieved hands down.  The recording limitations are far from evident on the final product, which blends driving, hook filled power pop (Ain’t Looking, Side Street Shakedown) with less muscular but equally impressive delights (Get Out Of My Way, Over The Edge, Off Your Shoulders), each of which bring to mind The Jayhawks at their most melodic.

The title track Alvarado was originally written for the band’s self-titled debut album back in 2013. Left on the shelf since then, they felt that it was best suited to open this album and it does so with some impact, setting the bar at a high level for the tracks that follow. It’s a relaxed rocker loaded with sweet harmonies and driven guitar riffs and breaks.

The only poser I’m left with after numerous spins of this album, is how these guys are still slightly under the radar. Possibly, with New West in their corner, ALVARADO will be their breakthrough record.

Review by Declan Culliton

Laura Nyro Trees Of the Ages / Go Find the Moon Omnivore

Where do we draw that invisible line between genre fluid music and intuitive genius that defies all categorisation? Very few artists have that special gift to rise above the media noise that attempts to place their creative muse in a neat little box.

Laura Nyro was one of those artists; someone who always walked that line. Her musical vision flowed through her playing and her writing, with fearless risks taken in self-expression and individualistic creativity of the music she heard in her head. The song arrangements could be somewhat idiosyncratic, very much Nyro’s own personal stamp. Her timing and note patterns on piano were rooted in jazz and soul, plus a healthy amount of improvisation and flights of fancy. One thing however, her enduring brilliance always shone through.

The twenty-one songs featured here were all taken from 1994 live concerts, recorded on a tour of Japan. The album runs  just over one hour and includes six covers of old standards that Nyro often added into her set lists A very eclectic mix of choices, all of which show the diverse span of Nyro’s interests and influences. Included in this concert were, Dedicated To the One I Love (Pauling/Bass),  Ooh Baby Baby (Robinson/Moore); Walk On By (Bacharach/David), Let It Be Me (Bécaud, Curtis, Delanoë), Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby (Spector, Hunter) and The Wind (Edwards, Brown, Strong).

As always, Nyro stamps her own personality on each one, transforming the arrangements and melodies to suit her interpretation of the feel and mood. Her piano playing is always subtle, understated and supporting that beautiful voice that just exudes soul in a passionate channelling of the blues. Her musicality was without doubt a standard that few female artists could aspire to; that tone and unique vision to create her own sound.

Accompanied by the superb harmony vocals of Diane Wilson, Diane Garisto and Dian Sorrell, we can only wonder at the power created; with Nyro on just piano and vocals, in addition to providing all the harmony arrangements. The absence of any band only heightens the performance levels with such a stripped-back purity.

 Many female artists followed in her footsteps, from Carole King to Joni Mitchell, but few had that singular spark that heightened the live performance in space and time. The album, Walk the Dog and Light the Light, is featured with eight songs, having just been released back in ‘94, and A Woman’s World; Louise’s Church; Lite A Flame; To A Child; The Descent Of Luna Rose; Art Of Love; Broken Rainbow and the title track, form the core of this live set. There are also renditions of My Innocence, blending into Sophia, both taken from successive albums, Nested and Mother’s Spiritual from the 1980s.  Wedding Bell Blues, together with And When I Die, first appeared on her debut album from 1967, More Than A New Discovery. 

Emmie (Eli and the Thirteenth Confession), Trees Of the Ages (Mother’s Spiritual) are also featured in such a wide representation of her material across the years. The harmony singing steals the day, delivering pure soul and beautiful voices raised in praise of a higher force that runs through these songs. It stands as another terrific example of the talent that was lost when she died and for those who had the privilege of catching Nyro in a live setting, these concert tour highlights will bring a tear to the eye. Timeless.

Laura Nyro Go Find the Moon Omnivore

These are rough demos that have surfaced from the studio vaults and they are taken from an early session with producer, Milt Okun. We hear Laura in conversation, asked by her producer if she knew any songs that aren’t her own! Okum seems disappointed that she only knows snatches of other artist’s work and then settles for one more of her own – pure gold and an insight into record industry patriarchy that you just couldn’t make up! 

This was an audition tape recorded in 1966 when Nyro was only eighteen years old. It’s a fascinating glimpse of a young artist on the threshold, an unknown talent - even if Okun did eventually produce her debut album. Not to be both captured and enthralled by the pure soul and jazz-based blues that poured forth when Laura sang, beggars belief… Some of the songs made it to official releases over succeeding years (And When I Die; Luckie; Lazy Susan), while others were never officially recorded (Enough Of You; In and Out; Go Find the Moon), yet the vitality of her voice, the odd phrasings of her delivery and individualistic piano playing, are all present, even at this tender age. 

It is only sixteen minutes in length but it gives a unique insight into the talent that was about to emerge, as Nyro released a body of work that is still held in high esteem today. She died, age 49, in 1997, from ovarian cancer; the same disease that had taken her mother at the same age. A tragedy for all and who knows what further heights Nyro may have achieved. This release and others like it over the years bear testament to her lingering memory.  

Reviews by Paul McGee

Garrett Heath Kingdom Come Self Release

This new release from singer song-writer Garrett Heath is a very interesting collection of songs and proof of an undisputed talent. Heath lives in rural Knox, Pennsylvania and this album was created in his recording studio, Okiejoke Audio Sound. The nine tracks run over thirty-four minutes of understated playing , gentle melody and lyrics that display a spiritual leaning.

The messages of hope and love across these songs appear to come from a place of peace and belief in what lies above and beyond this mortal coil. Heath has faith in the distance and in looking for reasons to believe in the enduring message that love always conquers hate. 

In the title track, Kingdom Come, he sings, ‘We’re all looking for hope in all this pain,’ and the empathy with everyman is plain. We all must suffer the days of rain and stormy weather, in order to come into the sunshine. Equally, with, The Feast, Heath sings of leaving excessive pride behind and losing the urge to fight, ‘But only love puts the fear in your enemy’s eyes, Leave your guns at the door, you don’t need ‘em no more.’ 

Heath uses his spiritual message well and never beats the listener over the head, even if there are references to the mercy of God and, as a divine entity, King of all kings. The song, When God Had a Son, says ‘He told us the world would hate us like it hated him,’ not so sure where this is referenced in the Bible, however the sentiment is to look towards the light and to live in loving awareness. Indeed, the track, Epilogue: A Light, speaks of this very image and states, ‘ There’s a light, hidden deep inside you and me.’

The message in the opening song, You’ll Find Me, is to look for love and grace in all that surrounds us and to embrace the joys we find in each other. Two tracks, Wait For Mercy and Rise Up From Your Sleep, address the issues of belief in yourself and in living a worthy life. The music is beautifully 

restrained, circling around acoustic-based songs, lifted by harmonica and guitars that complement the gentle vocal delivery of Heath and leaving plenty of space in the arrangements.

Production credits are simple… all production, instrumentation, engineering, and mixing was delivered by Heath, with mastering by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Nashville. This singer songwriter is well worth investigation and has delivered a very strong album.

Review by Paul McGee

Imelda Kehoe Blue Sky Dreaming Thoroughbred

A second album from Irish based musician and song writer Imelda Kehoe is always worth waiting for. Her debut release, How To Be Human, was released back in 2018 and this latest offering  was recorded between Windmill Lane Recording Studios, Dublin and The Orchard Recording Studios, Wexford. Trying to bring everything together during a pandemic cannot be easy, especially when there are a number of different musical friends and an array of great talent to bring to the project.

Collaborating with a core band that includes Michael Egan (Lead and Rhythm Guitar), Declan Cosgrove (Piano), Lee Byrne (Bass), James O’Sullivan (Fiddle & Guitar) and Sean O’Leary (Drums); Kehoe also decided to call upon some of her international music contacts. Contributing key parts from remote destinations are; Hugo Iglesias (bass and drums, 3 tracks); Dakota Holden (pedal steel); Horacio Valdivieso (classical and electric guitar, 5 tracks); Hugo Lee (saxophone); Meredith Moore (French horn); Sarah Mallock (electric violin). Rick Curran provided all string section parts and the entire album was overseen by producers Darragh Nolan and Brendan Carthy, David Redfearn and Michael Egan, across the two studios. 

The production is light and full of sweet separation on all instruments, making the listening experience one of quiet relaxation. The fact that these twelve songs came together across the continents and in different studio locations is a tribute to all involved, with a seamless sound and gentle, understated performances to support the lovely melodies. Kehoe is very adept vocal phrasing and knows exactly when to hold back and when to elevate a tune with her beautiful vocal delivery. She sits right into the pocket with these stellar musicians and the track, Is That All, gives a perfect example of the harmonious space shared by these players, with an extended violin solo really adding great energy to the melody. 

Kehoe slots into a contemporary Folk category but she also presents plenty of other genre jumping off points; such as the very sweet and easy, trad sound of The Bird Song or the slow sweep of Homeland, an instrumental piece, plucked straight from the mists of the Irish landscape, complete with lush orchestration and meditative violin. Beautifully delivered and a stand out among a number of excellent songs.  Everything I Don’t Know has a simple acoustic guitar arrangement and highlights the pure vocal of Kehoe as she soars on harmony parts and delivers a wistful melodic performance.    

Other songs include a cover version of Walk Away Renee (Brown, Calilli, Sansone), the classic song from the 60s, also covered by The Four Tops. Kehoe interprets the song in a slow thoughtful arrangement that brings out the heartbreak in the words and delivers a fine rendition. The title track, Blue Sky Baby, is another terrific song, a real taste of sweetly sad longing wrapped in a restrained piano and violin delivery, that builds in harmony with subtle strings. The pedal steel playing on Thirty Miles West Of Denver is another high point, adding a layer of regret to the words and soft melody of the song.

All in all, this is a very confident return from Imelda Kehoe, displaying a greater maturity, and the overall feel and warmth of the performance and production point to high quality standards throughout.  

Review by Paul McGee

Bridget Rian Talking To Ghosts Self Release

This is a debut 4-track release from a young artist, based in Nashville, who brings her talents to The Smoakstack studios and benefits from the uncluttered production of Paul Moak. Rian has a sweet  vocal tone and she delivers a confident performance across these mid-tempo tracks that deal with emotional issues of the head and heart.

She plays acoustic guitar, in addition to vocal duties, and she is joined by local musicians, Ethan Luck (bass, guitar, lap steel), Caleb Crosby (drums, vibraphone), Kris Donegan (electric guitars, lap steel) and producer Paul Moak on piano, B3, mellotron, acoustic guitars and backing vocals.

The song arrangements are perfectly suited to Rians’ gentle delivery and opening track, Type Of Girl, speaks about female empowerment and being able to say “No,” when confronted with a delicate situation; ‘Maybe I’m stupid to think that you’re the one, When all the signs are telling me to get up and run.’ 

Pontiac Vibe is a song that recalls a car accident that the song writer came across one night, and the thoughts about who the driver was, have lingered with her; ‘Sitting at a green light with the doors open, A red Pontiac vibe from Michigan, Blue lights shining through the night, White sheet on the driver's side.’ 

Trailer Park Cemetery is a slow tempo song about wanting to be buried in a place of your own choosing; ‘​I don’t want peace and quiet, It’s overrated anyway, I’ll take loud voices, Over silence any day, I don’t ask for much, Just wanna pick where my body lays.’ Interesting subject matter for a song. The music is excellent with strummed acoustic guitars and atmospheric lap steel giving the song added depth.

Final track, Funeral, is a regret at the passing of a close friend and missing the funeral. It’s a touching reflection on the helplessness of such situations and the pain that always lingers; ‘ I’ve been working all damn day, Praying that I won’t see your face, In strangers that pass by me, And in thoughts that won’t seem to fade.’ 

This lady can write a song, and no doubting the talent that is on display here. I thought of Kacey Musgraves and the fledgling start to her career. Like Kacey,  Bridget Rian started writing her own songs at a young age (eleven years) and her NYC upbringing has given her the belief to take her talents down to Nashville in search of her dreams. I have a quiet feeling that we will be hearing much more from this undoubted talent and I wish her “Bonne Chance” in her ongoing development as a music artist.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Fayen From Here On Out Just For The Records

Here at Lonesome Highway we’ve been following the emergence of Nordicana in recent years, and now we have the pleasure of reviewing the debut EP from another new duo, Fayen, out of Trondheim, Norway. Fayen are Anne-Grethe Nyhaug and her partner, Goran Bogstrand. Having met eleven years ago through playing in a traditional bluegrass band, their sound has since evolved to a more acoustic Americana, influenced as they are by the likes of Alison Krauss and by country music generally, but also by their native folk music and by 60s pop.

Meander Love opens with gentle fiddle and mandolin chords, before one is swept away by the beauty of Anne-Grethe’s vocals. Goran supplies backing vocals and guitar, while the sublime  pedal steel playing is by Bjorn Ola Ramfjord Johansen. Encouragement for the broken hearted was the inspiration for A Good Ending, which again starts quietly and builds slowly to the refrain, emphasised by Fritz Flamo Eidsvaag on bass, ‘A good ending is well within your distance, lost love isn’t lost life …. (you will find) somebody more like you’. The gorgeous fiddle playing of Oyvind Smidt harmonises with Hans Martin Storrosten on mandolin on the lead riff. 

There’s a subtle banjo interplaying with mandolin and guitar behind Anne-Grethe’s sweet soaring vocals in another beautiful ballad, Dark Horse - ‘A sea of white horses, but a dark horse can win’. The dreamy Hummingbird is another song of encouragement, ‘When the choice is made they’ll see, Who you are and who you want to be’, building gradually with echoey layered vocals until the  humming bird flies away. Woe Be, tending towards a more country sound, is a warning against religious fundamentalism.

Fayen have achieved their aim to achieve a ‘live’ sound in the studio, with the atmospheric production here. There’s a cute photo of a young Anne-Grethe in a white cowboy hat on the front cover. The 5 track EP is a promising teaser for what I hope will be a full album in the not too distant future. Ones to watch.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Ferguson’s Farewell The Irish Connection Self Release

Bluegrass and country songwriter Gary Ferguson has decided to hang up his guitar case, at least where international touring is concerned. Having visited Ireland for tours since 2005, he has marked the retirement by releasing this collection of twelve songs, cowritten with various friends that he has made here along the way.

 Prominent among these friends, and on the album, are Co. Down couple Colin Henry (dobro) and his wife Janet (vocals and guitar). Colin wrote the beautiful closing instrumental track Ferguson’s Farewell, and contributes his stellar dobro playing to most of the songs in this collection, gifting it a coherence, despite the diversity of artists involved. Janet does here what she does best, lending her angelic voice and talent in cowriting and singing the wistful heartache ballad, Broken Wing.

Most suited to that ‘winding down at night’ kind of mood, most of the songs are taken at a sedentary pace. Bucking that trend is the only bluegrass ballad, Ballad of Benny Freeman, co-written and well performed here by Donna Murray. This, like most of the tracks, was recorded and produced at her husband Joe Murray’s Sessions In The House studio in Castledawson, N Ireland.

Meath’s Gillian Tuite contributes the well crafted and heartfelt Who I Am Today, while Charlie McGettigan’s Gettin’ Old’ should come with a ‘grandparental advisory’ warning for lyrics which could not be played on the radio!

Roy Thompson, a singer songwriter from Kildare, contributes one of the standout songs To Say So Long, which was recorded and produced by the great Frankie Lane, who also plays pedal steel and keys while Gary Ferguson adds the backing vocals. 

Worth checking out.

Review by Eilís Boland

Gary Hector National Trash Self-Release

Former frontman with rock and roll bands Oddfellows Local and Jointpop, Trinidad and Tobago resident Gary Hector launches his solo career with NATIONAL TRASH. Jointpop supported both Blue Oyster Cult and Kansas, they also played shows at the legendary punk venue CBGB’s in New York.  Hector’s influences include the classic country legends Buck Owens and Hank Williams, alongside The Stones, The Clash, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley.

Recorded and mastered at Champion Sounds Studio (St Ann’s, Trinidad) and Heinrich Maneuver Productions (Nashville, Tennessee), NATIONAL TRASH pays tribute to those artists that have shaped Hector’s musical career.

Opener Today I Ride Alone takes its title from Hector’s decision to sever his ties with his previous bands and to launch his newfound as a solo artist. It’s graced with ghostly pedal steel guitar courtesy of Nashville session player John Henrich, whose work features on a number of the thirteen tracks on the album. Henrich’s contribution, together with backing vocals by Nikki Nelson, were recorded remotely in Nashville. Nelson’s cultured contributions, tic tacking with Hector’s weathered voice, work best on Former Gang Leader, Nashville Dreaming and Mercy Me. Elsewhere, the pick of the crop is the title track and the full-on honky tonker Searching For Jimmy Crime.

Trinidad and Tobago may be the home of Calypso music but Hector, tongue in cheek, namechecks his musical styling, which is a blend of country and rock, as Trinicana.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sara Trunzo Cabin Fever Dream Self Release

A five track EP inspired by both personal encounters and astute observations, CABIN FEVER DREAM follows Maine - based singer songwriter Sara Trunzo’s 2019 DIRIGO ATTITUDE album, which featured contributions from Mary Gauthier and Darrell Scott. The lead single from that album, Food and Medicine, earned Trunzo 1st Prize at The Maine Songwriting Associations contest.

She recounts time spent honing her craft in Music City on Nashville Time. It’s an upbeat and catchy tune with nods to the frustrations and demands by those many artists struggling for a break in an overcrowded market.  (‘pilgrim poets praying for a rhyme, now we’re on Nashville time’).  

The aching Kind Bone revisits the bare elements of break up and rejection. The stigmas, pressures, and sacrifices faced by so many trying to make ends meet on little more than minimum wage is expressed on I Work Saturdays. The album culminates with Liberty Tool, which stretches to over five minutes and is a simple but beautifully constructed country ballad with a Nanci Griffith type quality to it.  The catalysts for the song are Trunzo’s Maine neighbours and homesteaders, with the song title  taken from the name of an esteemed tool and antique shop in Waldo Country, Maine. 

Trunzo gathered quite an impressive team together to record the album at Sound Emporium in Nashville.  Producer Rachel Moore, who previously worked with T. Bone Burnett, Robert Plant and Alison Kraus, was at the controls.  The musicians that feature include Dave Cohen (Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd) who played keys and Adam Ollendorff (Kacy Musgraves, Keb’ Mo’) on pedal steel. Bass was handled by Lex Price (k.d. Lang, Neko Case), guitars came courtesy of Kris Donegan (Lee Brice, Molly Tuttle) and drums were by Jamie Dick (Lake Street Dive, Allison Russell).  Backing vocals were provided by the silver-tongued Tiffany Williams, perfectly complementing Trunzo’s high pitched deliveries.

A new name to me, I was hooked by Trunzo’s quirky vocal from the first spin, prior to even considering her lyrics. Like many of her peers, she turned to songwriting, and in particular country songs, by way of articulating and expressing grief, frustration and exasperation.  She does that in a most impressive manner in this suite of songs which are loaded with truly touching lyrics and provide a glimpse of an unquestionably talented artist.

Review by Declan Culliton

Asleep At The Wheel Half A Hundred Years Home

Very few bands can boast longevity lasting fifty years and still standing and in the case of Asleep At The Wheel, still swinging. From a modest start on a farm in Paw Paw, West Virginia, founding members Ray Benson, Lee Roy Preston and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) sowed the seeds for what was to become, and still remains, an extraordinary career. Those early days found them opening for acts such as Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna, prior to migrating to Texas via California on the recommendation of Willie Nelson.

Very much square pegs in round holes, the band consisted of long-haired hippy types and most certainly not who you’d expect to be playing western swing and honky tonk in those times.  However, that was their music of choice and over the past five decades they have, under the stewardship of Ray Benson, continued to champion those music genres, despite the ever-changing music forms and modes that became popular during those times.

The band leader to this day remains Ray Benson. He has overseen over a hundred musicians that have come and gone for various reasons, but his role of caretaker of the band’s core sound is as steadfast as ever.

HALF A HUNDRED YEARS is a celebration of the band’s vocation and many of the musicians that have contributed to their journey.  It contains nineteen tracks: eleven are new songs featuring original band members, five more are old songs performed by current band members, another three are previously recorded tracks that were never released, and the remaining track features the current lineup with two previous female members. It does not get any more democratic than that and Benson’s greatest challenge was attempting to accommodate as many previous band members as possible.

The current line-up is fronted by Benson on vocals and guitar alongside fiddle wizard Katie Shore, who also shares lead vocals.  The other players are drummer David Sanger, mandolinist and fiddler Dennis Ludiker, keyboard player Conor Forsyth, Josh Hoag on bass and saxophonist Joey Colarusso. This seven-piece combination is as strong as the band have ever been and tracks such as The Photo and I Do What I Must are evidence of their ability to honky tonk and swing

The artists that guest on this album are a pointer to how revered Benson and his musical vision with Asleep At The Wheel are in country music circles. Industry royalty such as Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Bill Kirchen, and Benson’s close friend Willie Nelson, all lend a hand.

With the quality on offer across the nineteen tracks, it’s difficult to select individual standout songs, one just flows seamlessly into the next notwithstanding the different times and locations that the recordings took place. Their signature song, Take Me Back To Tulsa, originally from the pens of Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan, is certainly a highlight, with contributions from George Strait and Willie Nelson. There You Go Again, a duet with Lyle Lovett, is also a gem, and the jazzy title track from the original lineup, recalling the band’s five decades existence, is a fun filled blast. Bill Kirchen tic tacs lyrics with Benson on one of the recent recordings, Word To The Wise. It’s a song to put a smile on your face but one that also includes some killer playing from the current band.

The final track, The Road Will Hold Me Tonight, is a previously unreleased track that features vocal contributions from Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. It’s a fitting finale to a splendid album that weighs in at sixty-seven minutes. A ‘must have’ for fans of this incredible musical institution, it could also prove to be an invaluable introduction for newcomers to Asleep At The Wheel. Essential listening.

Review by Declan Culliton

Side Pony Lucky Break Mule Kick

Anyone who witnessed a Side Pony stream during the dark days when live music was taboo would have been struck by the duo’s capacity to switch, at the drop of a hat, between humorous chat and innuendo to drop-dead gorgeous ballads and up-tempo power poppy country tunes.   

THE TRASHCANNON ALBUM, released last year by Caitlin Cannon and much loved at Lonesome Highway, was a standout album, which dealt with some deeply intimate personal issues. The subject matter may have been at times disturbing, but the song writing and delivery were packed with slick language and catchy hooks that drew the listener in from the outset. Alice Wallace, Cannon’s partner in Side Pony, set out her stall as an emerging rootsy West Coast country queen with INTO THE BLUE, her fourth album which was released in 2019.

Fuelled by a meeting at a songwriter’s round in 2018, the couple soon spotted that they could create a lot more than sweet harmonies and vowed to knuckle down and work on some co-writes. LUCK BREAK is the result of that pact and it’s filled with tunes that twang and swing in all the right places and are often accompanied by some wicked humour.

The album is a blend of some standout ballads, which drift between country and dreamy pop, together with some stomping hook filled anthems. The powerhouse opener Bad Ideas is typical of the latter, a ‘morning after the night before’ hangover song of remorse and guilt. The simply gorgeous All I Have Is Want displays their talent at writing and voicing slow burning mournful country ballads

The whimsical Heels is a slice of 70’s country and a declaration that in a male dominated industry, these ladies won’t be bowing down to anyone. At one stage during lockdown, their aforementioned live streams featured them donning mermaid tails and Under The Surface reflects that escapade, with both Daryl Hannah and Shamu name checked in the song. They bookend the album with a comical reflection on that period when the world stood still with All The Time In The World (‘be careful what you wish for because it might just come true … I got all the time in the world and no one to spend it with…and now my favourite person is the Amazon delivery man’).

With contrasting vocal styles and musical backstories, LUCKY BREAK could have been an ungainly car crash. On the contrary, it works spectacularly well, imparting easy on the ear songs that tap into the personalities and artistic strengths of both artists. I can’t think of any other band presenting their art in such a carefree and fun filled manner, while also creating music with the maximum levels of verve and gust.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Royal Hounds A Whole Lot Of Nothin’ Self Release

The new album from The Royal Hounds continues, in the main, from where their last album 2019 LOW CLASS SONGS FOR HIGH CLASS PEOPLE left off, with a smorgasbord or fuel-injected rockabilly, roots rock and classic country. The latter is perhaps given a larger part in the overall sound here than previously. Given that the pandemic limited their gigging options, it gave founder and bassist Scott Hinds the time to reflect on where the band stood at that point in time and allowed him to concentrate on some new material for this album. The end result is ten songs from Hinds, two instrumentals from guitarist Matheus Canteri and one from the trio, which now includes new drummer Nathan Place. The trio all bring their different insights and inputs to help add some progression and diversify to their sound. It was produced by the band and recorded in Nashville, where they currently have regular weekly slots in both of the Lower Broadway honky tonks in Robert’s Western World and Layla’s.

In order to get the best from the album, the band, who co-produced the album, brought in some guests to round out the sound, giving it a depth that works so well in these recorded versions of the songs. Eddie Lange added pedal steel, Rory Hoffman played organ and accordion. While fiddle and some backing vocals were added by Aaron Till. The former two also appeared on the band’s last album. At times listening to this enjoyable album, I am reminded of early BR5-49. In other words, the music is delivered with care and attention and not a little humour and overall sense of fun.

Cheap Drunk opens the album with a hot riff and a confession of misplaced love for alcohol. I Just Can’t Two Step has our proponent heading for the dance floor, even if he admits to two left feet, while the band play an effective sense of swing. In fact, the playing from the bands and guests is a delight throughout, with a sense of purpose, precision and pleasure. Pickin’ In The Graveyard even has a short solo from both Place and Hinds showing off their respective skills.

With the overall energy, it might be easy to overlook the lyrical content that Hinds has brought to the material. Perhaps this is best evidenced by the Christmas song in which Kris Kristofferson helps a distressed Santa to do his job. Krismastofferson intertwines the songwriter history and life with the festive needs of the season. A wish to get on with life is expressed by noting that while that person is still on the planet that they are wished well, but ultimately the message is given in the song title, I Hope You Go To Hell. Door #3 and Corn Fritters are the two aforementioned instrumentals that underline Canteri’s talent on six strings. In The Rickety Pines has a somewhat different feel, with its chorus vocal arrangement and overall drive.

Somewhat old school in style is the bad relationship situation outlined in Invitation To Be Lonely and an “invite to join me in misery.” Even though the music, with its fiddle contribution, is the opposite of the sentiment expressed. The distinctive aromas of a beer gardens festivities are summed up in Bring Out The Barrel Of Beer, emphasised by the prominent accordion and chorus. The Jukebox Is Broken is slow-paced lament using the metaphor of disrepair with that of an equally broken relationship. It also emphasizes the versatility of Hinds’ vocals. The album ends with a short blues riff and a variation on its perennial theme. Clocking in at overviewed 40 mins there is much to enjoy from this workman-like band, who have grown with this album and that is a whole lot of something worth havin’.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jr. Gone Wild Still Got The Jacket Stoney Plain

This Canadian quartet are back recording after a hiatus, following their decision to call it a day back in 1995. They subsequently began to play together again in 2013. Their musical direction predates the current Americana scene with their take on the alt. country/cowpunk and power pop sound, which is built around energy, strong riffs and catchy melodies. The current band consists of guitarist/vocalist Mike McDonald, lead guitarist Steve Loree and Dave Brown on bass. The quartet is completed by the addition of drummer Quinton Herbert who joined after the passing of previous member Larry Shelast.

As often happens in these scenarios, they agreed to play some shows in 2013, which led to more shows, new material and to this album, with its tongue-in-cheek title of STILL GOT THE JACKET. They indeed have those garments along with the attitude and the musical chops to make this a welcome return and resumption of their particular modus operandi. The album opens with Girl In The Crowd and then runs through some fifteen other songs. Obviously, they want to take this opportunity to show what they can do with the new material they had recorded. Standouts include What Can You Do? which sits alongside their take on Paul Revere and The Raiders song Him Or Me (What’s It Gonna Be?), a song also previously given a strong reading by The Flamin’ Groovies. Old And Ugly is a comment on getting older. Behind The Wheel highlights, along with many of the songs here, their vocal propensity, as well as their playing ability. While the song Cool For My Kids (Good Looking’ For My Wife) speaks of an attitude of mind which is reflective of their career. Southern Cross and Five Million Songs equally impress on a number of levels. However, if any one track was to get highlighted as an example of their strengths, I’d suggest perhaps that The She’s Gone To California To Finds Herself Blues, would convince anyone who has a penchant for their attitude and approach.  

It is heartening when an act like Jr. Gone Wild decides to give it another go, but don’t just fall back on older songs. Instead, they set out to pick up the baton and take it further. That they still sound pretty much as they have done in the past, is testament to the fact they got it pretty much right back then, even if major commercial success eluded them at the time. It more than likely that won’t arrive now either, I doubt that that was the aim here. They have achieved what they set to do here, and for that, they should be proud of that. They have earned the right to keep their jackets hanging on their respective coat hooks, and this album shows that they are not the only hooks that they have to offer.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Andrew Leahey & The Homestead  American Static Vol. 1 Mule Kick 

This new release is part of a projected double album set, with the second part due for release next year. The band have been described as roots-rock, though that may be better outlined with the rock part first. Leahey and the band owe a debt to Tom Petty’s long career, as they relate to a number of different aspects of that late illustrious performer’s catalogue. Although Nashville-based Leahey’s sound does seem more universal. This is his third album with the band and it is an accomplished piece of power-rock that looks back to the 80s, as much as it does to today’s scene.

Leahey is a notable guitarist who also regularly performs in Elizabeth Cook’s band, along with other acts. But his heart may well lie with these layers of polished guitars that cement his overall sound. As the sole writer and the man whose name is most prominent, it is likely that this is the music he wants mostly to present to the world. To help him achieve that, he has had the album produced and mixed by Jon Estes, who seems the perfect partner to achieve what they set out to do together. It has a sound that is confident and is most likely to gain a wider acceptance from a number of different formats.  While there are many tracks that seem a little more mainstream there are others such as Good At Gone, which has a slightly more rootsy sound and a nuanced vocal approach. This offers a slightly different view of the music but sits easily alongside the rest of the tracks here.  

He has been joined here by band members Jay Dmuchowski (guitars) and Dan Holmes (drums), as well as Estes on bass and a whole range of other instruments as well as string arrangements, to achieve that bigger picture. Also joining in on the action are a number of guests, adding guitars and violin to particular tracks. 

Keep The Car Running is an exercise in the catchiness of power pop’s core values, something akin to the work of the illustrious Cheap Trick. The closing song My Avalanche, takes a more piano-based approach that recalls a time when such outings were de rigour, however it also offers some reflection on his own perspective. The pandemic allowed Leahey the time to concentrate on the writing of enough material for the two volumes. The title echoes his feeling that the inactivity and the isolation of that period made him feel ‘static’ in his situation. But with this release, and a general opening within the music industry, it appears to be drawing to a  close and he now has this music to promote. It is also a time, and an opportunity, to establish himself in his own right and image. 

Review by Stephen Rapid 

New Album Reviews

Moot Davis Seven Cities Of Gold Self Release

From the opening moments of this album it seems that Moot Davis will again divide opinion about his musical direction. Those of us who were able to easily accommodate, and indeed love, the mix of rock, rockabilly and country on his last album HIERACHY OF CROWS are happy to get aquainted with this new set of songs, which takes the template of that album and improves on it. Again it is co-produced by Blake Oswald and Jody Sappington, alongside Davis. They give Davis an upfront and centre platform to deliver these songs, which feature perhaps his best vocal performances to date. Here he has a confidence and swagger that has its antecedents in Dwight Yoakam, with a touch of Jagger swagger on the side.

Having listened to the album several times now, it feels like something special and for those who connect all the reference points from the past it points a way to a future. Now I may sound somewhat hypocritical here, as in the past I have not been overly enamoured by acts who, in their live performances, veer towards overblown metal overtures rather than tapping into something slightly more primal and rockin’. That all three producers are also here as players may have something to do with the cohesive sound that easily slips from one mode to the next.

Joining them are guitarist Bill Corvino, Gary Morse on steel, electric sitar and guitar as well as dobro and banjo, additional guitarist and vocalists Al Backstrom and Dean Edwards, as well as LA scene stalwart Skip Edwards on B3. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and draws form that city’s deep musical roots and branches.

While Davis is the main songwriter, here he is joined on some of the material by co-writers Ted Russell Kamp and Katie Garnett, as well as Oswald. The one cover of a well know song is a vibrant and very different take on Willie Nelson’s Crazy, built around a prominent 12 string guitar sound that takes you right back to the 80s while sounding anything but a simple retread.  There is not a song out of place here and all add up to very engaging listen from start to finish even, though there may be some who will find the darker sentiment of the final break-up song Annunaki War Bride not exactly to their taste. However, its mix of Theremin electronics and electric guitars is hard to ignore and a makes it a memorable way to close the album.

Hey Hey opens the proceedings with B3 and a song that has an innate catchiness (as do many of the songs) and a 60s sense of adventure. Lassoed And Lost follows, its pedal steel driving the song into Palamino territory. The pace is slowed down for the ballad Turn In The Wind And Burn, which has banjo prominent, to set the tone for a tale of a drifting lover that marks a perfect counterpoint to the more forceful material. The title track sounds like would easily fit as a theme for a quirky adventure movie. Lonely Road details just that - a man trying to find his place and his direction in life. California is a plea to a friend for a return from that perhaps not so golden State to something more grounded. Travel is central to Interstate Girl, a love song to long distance romance. Again the B3 and guitar are familiar but intertwine to give the track its focus. Lone Radio Star leans towards a harder edged sound that sounds like it should have been a big hit a few years ago, and should be again.

This new album from Davis reinforces his talent as both writer and singer. He is making the music that he hears in his head, and that it is not simply the solid traditional sounding country of his early albums shows that he is happy to broaden out his sonic template, and to bring those who have followed him from those first steps along with him. Those who don’t want to keep pace with Moot Davis will miss out on these nuggets of gold that mine a rich seam of his individual take on vision and its virtuosity.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Katie Mae & The Lubrication Yellow Medicine Hills Self Release

Arizona native and a high school maths teacher by day, YELLOW MEDICINE HILLS is a five track EP by Katie Mae and her band, The Lubrication. Katie’s music journey follows a similar path to many others that eventually find themselves in the alt-country/Americana genre.  Describing her sound as ‘interpretive country and alt-western’, her ‘go to’ music in her younger years was punk, but her early attempts to start a punk band were thwarted when she failed to attract any other musicians to join her. She gravitated towards open mic sessions, which kicked off her career as a solo artist. She now fronts both The Lubrication and psychedelic punk band Chzbrgr Panic.

This album follows their 2020 EP HAZY ANGEL and in a similar, but possibly more forceful vein, it delivers a suite of raw and dark songs presented by Katie’s gritty vocals, that twang and crack in all the right places. She’s not holding back lyrically either, the bluesy breakup track Ain’t Tryin’ echoes Lucinda Williams’ Changed The Locks in both the lyrics and its delivery. The title track finds her layered drawled vocals in front of some aching pedal steel. It’s laden with catchy hooks and equally striking is the laid back and gloriously loose Say When.

If you like your country left of centre, plaintively sad vocals and slick playing, track this album down and give it a spin. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Declan Culliton

Noel McKay Blue, Blue, Blue Self Release

 Texan singer songwriter Noel Mc Kay should be known to readers of Lonesome Highway from his work with musical partner and an artist much loved by us, Brennen Leigh, together with his solo back catalogue. Originally a member of the duo The McKay Brothers, they came to the attention of Guy Clark back in 1993, which resulted in a number of co-writes by Noel and that legendary songsmith.

Clark’s Grammy winning album MY FAVOURITE PICTURE OF YOU, included the song El Coyote, one of those co-writes, and another, Flying And Falling, features among the twelve tracks on BLUE, BLUE, BLUE. This song came about following an actual accident which resulted in a stay in a hospital emergency room for Clark and it typifies the pair’s ability to turn near tragedy into a light-hearted song. Equally humorous is the closing track You Outta Write A Song About That. The idea for this song emerged from the numerous approaches McKay has encountered by punters after a show suggesting ideas for songs he should write.

Sleeping In My Car recalls sleeping in car parks, washing in gas stations and often been moved on by the police, when at a low point in his career. When This Town Was Cool is delivered with a semi-spoken intro, telling the tale of old timers, with purple tinted glasses, recounting how much better things were back in the good old days.  A co-write with Brennen Leigh, who adds backing vocals, Real Cowboy takes a light hearted poke at the plastic cowboy that moved into his hometown of Bandera, Texas (‘a real cowboy lost his ranch to the banker, a fake cowboy owns them big oil tanker). Lurlene is a toe tapping rocker, written with another Lonesome Highway favourite, Becky Warren. Its inspiration came from McKay’s grandmother, who worked in a women’s Texas apparel store back in the day, despite the protestations of her husband, who felt he had sufficient means to support them both.

The 50 Loneliest Places In The Nation could have been plucked from the Glen Campbell songbook. The bones of the song came to McKay in a dream, where he imagined encountering Roger Miller singing the chorus. Upon waking, he reached for his guitar and recorded the song onto his phone.

There is a noticeable tenderness embedded in many of the tracks on BLUE, BLUE, BLUE but particularly on the tear jerker title track of lost love and break up. In essence, the album recalls the work of the classic singer songwriters that have prompted McKay’s three-decade career.  Guy Clark and Dave Olney, both pals of his and sadly departed, come to mind while listening to this polished set of songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

Tony Kamel Back Down Home The Next Waltz

 The latest album produced by Bruce Robison and released on his The Next Waltz label is a debut solo recording from Tony Kamel. A member of the Grammy nominated four-piece bluegrass outfit Wood and Wire, Kamel was a late comer as a career musician, having not performed professionally until 2012, when he joined that Austin based quartet.

 With an eagle eye for talent in the country music genre and particularly supportive of local Texan emerging acts, Robison had been encouraging Kamel to write and record a solo album for a number of years. That finally came to pass when BACK DOWN HOME was recorded over a few days at The Bunker Studio in Lockhart Studios. The result is a laid-back suite of songs that sounds like a collection of talented players having a lot of fun in the studio. Those players that sat in with Kamel were Noah Jeffries on fiddle and mandolin, Bill Whitbeck on bass and Geoff Queen who added pedal steel, slide guitar, dobro and mandolin. Backing vocals were provided by Kelley Mickwee, Alice Spencer and Kevin Russell, all members of Austin band Shinyribs.  Bruce Robison and Dominic Fisher also added their vocals to the mix.

 Trying to make sense of the world we currently live in, Amen is a ‘call to arms’ to stay positive despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. It’s an upbeat opener with tingling piano, lap steel and horns breathing life into a song that brings to mind Kamel’s fellow Texan, Hayes Carl. From that opening track to the equally hopeful old timey closer Change, you’re treated to a treasure chest of songs that flow seamlessly from each to the next. That final track features Kamel’s vocals supported only by a single haunting fiddle and harmony vocals. More up-tempo and easy on the ear are the J.J.Cale sounding Slow On The Gulf and Let It Slide, the latter finds him showcasing his bluegrass roots. He’s equally comfortable working an old-time country tune with Johnny Law and the horn drenched Heat is a swampy and bluesy romp.

 BACK DOWN HOME is simply a fun listen from start to end. Kamel’s expressive vocals, the stellar playing and slick vocal harmonies point towards a group of people having a fine time. The album title suggests comfortable and familiar surroundings, Kamel and his cohorts appear to have precisely found that spot at The Bunker Studios.

Review by Declan Culliton

Danny George Wilson Another Place Loose

The title of Danny George Wilson’s second solo album could refer to the changed world as we now know it or simply to the town of Lewes in Sussex which entered his universe pre- Covid. The front man with Danny and The Champions of The World, and the now disbanded Grand Drive, and a member of Bennett, Wilson, Poole, became the co-owner of Union Music Store in Lewes along with his fellow partner in crime and music critic Del Day, whose previous life in the industry included PR and promotional work. The store has earned a lofty reputation as an invaluable source for a range of diverse and specialist albums, shifting from jazz to folk and Americana to Indie, fuelled by its owners’ eclectic musical tastes and interests.

It also resulted in Wilson’s introduction to local studio wizard Hamish Benjamin, a young man obsessed with the challenge of experimentation and blending lo-fi and hi-fi with traditional electric guitar, often couched behind harmonised vocals. What kicked off as idle chat in the shop soon developed into a lot more. Their discussions led to Wilson providing Benjamin and his multi-instrumentalist friend Henry Garratt with a number of songs, many of which were conceived during his commute between London and Lewes. Following on, Wilson found himself in Hamish’s Somewhere Studio where, alongside Garratt, the album started to take shape. Others that guested on the recording were Wynntown Marshals pedal steel player Iain Sloan, East Nashville via Australia chanteuse Emma Swift, Gerry Love from Teenage Fanclub and none other than Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fame.

What is instantly striking about the album is how far removed the sound is from Wilson’s usual comfort zone. His trademark soulful roots sound has been replaced by an altogether more gritty and liberating one, which, for some reason, brought Neil Young’s SLEEPS WITH ANGELS to mind. If you’re expecting crystal clear lyrics in front of a silky-smooth production, you’re in for a surprise. This is gloriously muddy, often crowded and grungy - just check out the track I Wanna Tell You - and the perfect result of a combination of inputs coming from different directions.

Other tracks that populate a similar universe are Can You Feel Me and the driving Giving Away Too Much, the latter which would not have been out of place on a late 70’s album from the post punk band Magazine. Not surprisingly and no doubt at Wilson’s insistence, he sought room for a more typical Danny and The Champs number and the title track occupies that space with a melody laden track that’s most likely going to feature on his setlists going forward. He also draws breath on the gorgeously melodic ballad I Would Be In Love (Anyway), sharing the vocals with the aforementioned and sweet voiced Emma Swift and he remains in the same lilting space with Inbetween The Love, which swiftly follows.

No doubt Danny will return to his trusted and well-loved smooth soulful sound with his Champions of The World in the future. In the meantime, this wonderfully experimental album connects a fine vocalist and songwriter with a pair, in Benjamin and Garratt, that recognised a duskier side to Wilson’s songs and thrived in the task of intensifying them. Unlike previous albums from Wilson, you won’t be dancing around to this on a Saturday night. However, pop the headphones on, pour yourself a glass of what you fancy and you’re in for a treat.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jeremy Pinnell Goodbye L.A. SofaBurn Records

 The third album from Jeremy Pinnell finds him instilling a more rocky edge to his country outpourings than have surfaced on his previous recordings. His confessional debut album OH/KY, struck a nerve with its personal tales of painful demons and hard living. Recorded in 2015 it was followed two years later by the somewhat more relaxed TIES OF BLOOD AND AFFECTION. With his weather-worn vocals, multiple tattoos, carefree demeanour and classic country tunes, Pinnell painted a portrait of an authentic modern-day outlaw artist.  He also earned a reputation as one of the hardest working in the genre, constantly on the road and playing six nights most weeks with his trusted band. GOODBYE L.A. was written on the road by Pinnell and the tracks had already been recorded at Sam’s Place in Austin Texas, when Covid hit. With his financial lifeline severed, the completion of the album was put on hold until now.

Having been impressed by the production on Nikki Lane’s HIGHWAY QUEEN album, Pinnell called on Jonathan Tyler to oversee the recording for this album. Intending to draw Pinnell out of his comfort zone, Tyler succeeds in putting down a lusher sound, without entirely deserting the trademark rawness and ruggedness of the album’s predecessors.

With most of the songs written while touring, it’s no surprise that quite a few dwell on the strains that life on the road can put on relationships, particularly when the financial rewards very seldom equal the toils that the touring musician endures. Big Ol’ Good, Night Time Eagle and Doing My Best all fall into this category. Attempts to seek out an alternative career path surface on Wanna Do Something, the end result being a return to his artistic career and an acceptance of who he is. Those life choices taken by Pinnell and his band also come to bear on Fighting Man. 

Having overcome substance abuse in the past and carved out a successful career as a working musician, the title track speaks volumes of the good place Pinnell presently inhabits. In the song he makes reference to the aspiration by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys that ‘I wish they all were California girls’ by replying ‘he ain’ t seen my woman with the long hair and curls. She might kill you in the night, she might love you in the day, but she’s a good woman who knows how to stay’.

The previously referenced Big Ol’ Good opens the album and signposts its direction from the word go. There’s less honky tonk and more muscle and bluster on offer here than on Pinnell’s previous albums. However, the country flavours remain, as does the confident swagger of a tunesmith of unlimited talent.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bob Bradshaw The Ghost Light Fluke

A most enjoyable album from Boston based singer, Bob Bradshaw. He was born in Ireland and went travelling at a young age before arriving in America and working his way to a Berklee College of Music graduation back in 2009. His recorded output has been very steady, gaining much praise for the assured song-writing and an observational style of reflecting the world around him. In the promotional notes received, Bradshaw says that “I write to create, to imagine, and every track on this album is its own little world.” 

Bradshaw contributes on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, plus national resonator guitar across these eleven excellent tracks, joined by an array of talent that includes; James Rohr on Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards and vocals; both Dave Brophy and Mike Connors on drums and percussion;  Andrew Stern on electric and slide guitar; Andy Santospago on electric guitar, pedal steel and vocals; Dave Shrewsbury on Hammond B-3 Organ;  Zachariah Hickman, Joe McMahon, Ed Lucie, Dave Westner,  John Sheeran  and Scoop McGuire, all on bass (various songs); Annalise Emerick, Brit Connors and Mark Lipman on backing vocals; Mike De Niro on vibes; Chad Manning on fiddle and Francisco Martinez Herrera on bandoneon concertina.

I mention all of these musicians because, whether they contribute in a live studio setting, or remotely; whether on just one track or on multiple songs – they all add such great colour and nuance to the entire project. The playing is seamless throughout, with the  production duties shared around the studio in what is a very collaborative effort. Dave Brophy does feature on a number of production credits and he also provided “additional instruments,” – left open to the imagination. Credit also to David Westner for recording and mixing on various tracks.

Bradshaw also comments that “I want to tell stories with room for exploration and interpretation. I want people to bring themselves into the songs as much as possible.“ He succeeds impressively well  across an array of styles and the pacing of the album is quite perfect, always engaging and keeping the interest. Whether it’s the gypsy violin on Blue, very atmospheric and playful, or the flowing sound of the bandoneon concertina on Sideways, the overall atmosphere is one of sweetly addictive melodies. The bluesy, rockabilly sound of 21st Century Blues is a strong workout in rhythm and tempo with mentions of guns, media and storms, all reminding me of Rockpile at their height. 

The soulful groove of She’s Gone For Good is probably the most commercial song included, reminiscent of Hall and Oates, with added ingredients. Gone captures a man on the run, staying ahead of trouble and formidable females. Dream is just that, a mellow slide into sweet melody and an afternoon of reverie and the accomplished playing is as impressive as the virtuosity displayed throughout. A really fine album.

Review by Paul McGee

John McDonough Second Chances Self Release

This album was completed during the moths of Covid lockdown and it is an acoustic reworking of songs from two previous releases, Surrounding Colours (2016) and Dreams and Imagination (2014). The ten tracks chosen all focus on the need for human connection and the basic urge that we all share in wanting to be loved.

McDonough co-produced the album with Kevin Butler, whom he has worked with before, and the simple, unplugged approach to the arrangements lends a refreshingly open feel to the project. Assisted by the talented Kris Farrow on acoustic lead guitar, the melodies are lifted by the playing of Steve Burna (cello) and Niamh Fahy (violin, viola) on a number of tracks. Cody Rathmell adds backing vocals and the sweetly clear delivery from McDonough, on both guitar and voice is a real treat.

Six songs from the 2016 release, Surrounding Colours, include the message to celebrate nature and all its gifts (The Place Where I Belong), a loving tribute to a partner (Your Love Sets Me Free) and a song that looks at the plight of refugees, forced to flee and looking for new beginnings (Nowhere Else To Run). This last song references the Rhine and appears to be focused on a Jewish family running from the Germany of the Second World War. However, it is just as relevant in the current crisis of immigrants who are forced to flee from countries further East, in search of safety and support.

The four songs taken from the Dreams and Imagination album include the beautiful testament of love to a new born baby, You Don’t Know This, with its message of undying devotion. The love song, I’m Home, is a look at returning from the road to a safe place of comfort, while the message in Planes Fly Too Low channels new beginnings, the chance to be reborn and a warning against getting stuck by ‘still trying to change the past.’ 

McDonough brings a very engaging presence to these reworked acoustic songs and the feeling around these stripped-down versions is one of insight and warmth. 

Review by Paul McGee

Dylan Blackthorn Small Flames Self Release

This debut release from Austin musician Dylan Blackthorn is something of a unique listen. Playing both ukulele and accordion, his singular songs revolve around a sense of breaking out from the norms, living with a freedom and questioning what we are told at every turn. Blackthorn uses his accordion as a lead instrument which delivers interesting results. Often viewed as an instrument to provide rhythmic accompaniment, outside of specific genres, this approach highlights its versatility and it certainly delivers atmospheric melody to all of the tracks here. And there are plenty, with the album containing thirteen songs, playing out over sixty-two minutes.

The musicians embellish the arrangements with a combination of fiddle, flute, tin whistle, xylophone, guitar, musical saw, percussion and plenty of backing vocals. Adding to the splendid fiddle playing of  Dr. $ick (Squirrel Nut Zippers), is the sweetly floating flute of Samantha Blackthorn and the excellent Tom Crail on bass and ever-present tuba. It is the tuba that grounds all of these songs, allowing the other musicians to play around the basic tempo and add different colours to the melodies. Many of the songs have a ramshackle feel to the arrangements, with a loose groove, yet working magically into a cohesive sound. Think New Orleans street-jazz, coupled with tango and waltz, as part of some vaudeville circus show. 

There is mention of Morpheus, God of dreams and sleep (Silver Halo Blues), of Tarot as a way of ordering life decisions (Ten Of Wands), of maintaining a sense of wonder (Float) and the gothic imagery of songs like Starry Secrets and Rule Of Three. On the track, Folk Magick, Blackthorn speaks about “Mr. Money Devil” with the imagery of money as the evil ringmaster at life’s big top.  

Blackthorn states that the album ‘is dedicated to that subtle spiritual experience of candlelight that sparks warmth, hearth, home, ritual, creativity and new growth from within us all.’ There is a lot to recommend this almost-punk approach to Folk music and the array of sounds lend a real sense of challenge and reward to the listener.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Danny Burns Hurricane Bonfire

Born in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal and spending his childhood between there and New York, Burns has spent most of his adult life playing music in the US. Influenced by both his native Irish folk music and the music of his adopted homeland, there’s an obvious vein of Celtic blood running through his Americana sound. Now based in Nashville, he has called on many well known roots artists to help him realise his vision for HURRICANE, only his second album since his well received 2019 official debut, NORTH COUNTRY. Penning five of the six songs on this EP and producing it himself, Burns shows that he has learned more than a thing or two in his 20 years in the music business. While the overall sound has a definite hint of bluegrass, there are enough other influences here to help it to appeal to a wider audience, perhaps mining the same hills as Sam Bush and Alison Krauss.

Tim O’Brien provides the harmony vocals on the title track, a powerful declaration of love led by Burns’ rich vocals and underlined by the wonderful Matt Menefee on banjo, Josh Metheny on dobro, and Eamon McLoughlin on fiddle. The production here is a very full sound that really works, thankfully allowing other Nashville stalwarts like Jerry Roe (drums), Byron House (bass) and Jef Linsenmeier (keys) to make their contributions count throughout. Dan Tyminski’s familiar acoustic guitar playing opens another powerful track, Trouble, closely followed by the prominent dobro of Jerry Douglas, vying for attention with Eamon McLoughlin again on fiddle. Here, Aubrie Sellers (daughter of Lee Ann Womack) provides the backing vocals.

 Many Moons Ago is a moving gentle folk ballad, recounting the story of the financial help given to the Irish by the Choctaw Nation during the Irish potato famine in the nineteenth century, a connection indeed that has continued to the present day. Scott Vestal does his usual standout job on banjo here and and the inspired choice of Sarah Jarosz on harmony vocals and octave mandolin makes the song a perfect slice of Celticana.

Dobro is again an important part of the overall sound on Frontline, another power ballad, and on Golden, where the mighty Sam Bush lends his fiddle, mandolin and vocals.

The cover song is of Steve Earle’s Mercenary Song and features the man himself on one verse, and on bouzouki. The song is given a jaunty ‘Tex Mex meets Irish diddley-eye’ treatment, which veers too close to Galway Girl for this reviewer! Overall, though, this EP is highly recommended and I look forward to a full length offering from Danny Burns soon.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Legendary Shack-Shakers Cockadoodledeux Alternative Tentacles

Since my first encounter with Th’ Legendary ShackShakers, live and recorded, I have been hooked by the intensity, diversity, perversity, musicality and sheer entertainment that the band, in its many forms, has delivered. The man who has held the banner high for this band is its founder and central figure, Col. JD Wilkes. Something of a renaissance man, he is a singer, harmonica and banjo player, songwriter, artist, author and director. He performs all these tasks with a skill and insight that adds a depth often missing in those engaged in such wide endeavours. My first recorded encounter was the 2003 Bloodshot release COCKADOODLEDON’T, though I subsequently heard them in a live rough and ready demos set, LOWER BROAD LO FI, that came out later. Those recordings feature Chris Scruggs who, alongside other alumni, makes an appearance here alongside the current line up of Garey Siperko, Fuller Condon and Preston Corn. These include Mark Robertson, Rod Hamdallah and Brett Whitacre. Robertson was an integral member for their memorable appearance at the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival and also on subsequent visits to these shores.The list of players who have passed through the ranks is listed in the liner notes, and includes some 18 plus musicians. So again kudos to Wilkes for keeping the flame alive and still delivering the goods.

The album opens with a cover of the western theme Rawhide, written by Ned Washington and Dimitri Tiomkin who, it is entirely possible, may never have seen a cow in real life. However it sets up the tone for the remaining tracks. They are a mix of covers and (as is usually the case) original songs penned by Wilkes. Those songs are Tickle Your Innards, They Won’t let Me Forget, Godforsaken Town, U-Can-Be-A-Star, Port Arthur Boys, Secret Mountain, Triple Timer, I Told You So, Farewell Ye Rovin’ Eyed Girls and Punk Rock Retirement Plan.

There are numerous guest appearances that broaden out the ShackShakers sonic country and western palate, which make for some enjoyable contributions to the overall sound. “Hillbilly” Bob Prather, Miranda Ceara Rix-Hayes and label owner Jello Biafra all add vocals while Jack Martin, Micah Hulscher, Patrick Carrico, Dr Ted Borodofsky, Jim Caugill and Rebecca Stout all have walk-on parts that bring some additional authenticity to the material. Again, it is Wilkes who is directing and producing the album and delivering something special that caps the band’s 25 years as a unit.

Wilkes has deliberately brought in some of the veteran Kentucky musicians, who were there at the start, to work with the newer players and the mix works well. They recorded in Paducah, Kentucky and that is a location very important to Wilkes, a musical historian himself who has a deep understanding of the music that originated from that region.

There is an underlying degree of humour in many of the songs, like from his own Punk Rock Retirement Plan wherein the retireee has “put collar back on the hound” and swapped “Johnny Cash for Johnny Rotten and Johnny Horton for Johnny Ramone.” Then there’s the Harlan Howard and Bobby Braddock penned I Don’t Remember Loving You- ‘Don’t tell me that you ain’t gonna smile, as well as tapping your feet and singing along’.

Ultimately this album is a superb summation of the singular imagination and drive of JD Wilkes and the many musicians who have accompanied him under the ShackShakers banner. This is understandably less frantic and intense than earlier recordings, yet that does nothing to detract from the achievement here in marrying the old with the new, the shack and the shakers. One for the ages.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Matt Patershuk An Honest Effort  Black Hen

In his bio it states that Patershuk loves words as much as he does music and also that his Grandfather said that “God loves a trier.” Which on the surface may not fill you with too much confidence for the album presented here. However, as the saying goes “this is not his first rodeo.” He has four previous albums to his credit, so as a “trier” he seems to be succeeding on a number of levels. Not least is having the noted producer Steve Dawson at the desk, with all his audio skills and multi-instrumentalist ability. Then add to that Fats Kaplan, Jeremy Holmes, Gary Craig as well as Patershuk’s vocal and musical contributions and the harmony vocals of Keri Latimer and you have the makings of a pretty decent album.

The one thing that Patershuk doesn’t do is short songs. He spreads his observations and tales with songs that run mostly from over four minutes to one clocking in over six minutes. This in effect sets up a listening experience that has the sense of not being rushed. The songs are mid to slow paced slices of Canadiana. Johanna presents a woman who likes to be lost and find herself there. The longest track Jupiter The Flying Horse is set in a travelling circus show. The shortest track Turn The Radio Up celebrates things heard and seen and welcome in middle age. More aware of how a relationship can be difficult and hard to escape is the subject of Sunny. Stay With Me, by way of contrast, wants things to continue despite the inevitable problems. It has a harmony vocal that enhances the mood and positivity of the song and some neat harmonica from Kaplan. 

Somewhat deeper in theme is The 2nd Law Of Thermodynamics, though the song has simple banjo and Weissenborn guitar setting that works well. Clever Hans is about an unwanted but very smart horse. Perhaps the most specific song here is Shane McGowan, a tribute to the celebrated singer and Pogues frontman and noting that he “has a brand new smile” but also that the new teeth can also pick up the radio”

The album title pretty much sums up the overall nature of this recording. But in reality, it is more than honest. It is open, understated, heartfelt and largely acoustic in its musical direction, with voice and often a single instrument leading the way. This is very evident in the final song Upright. It is once again in the careful production hands of Steve Dawson and released on his independent Black Hen label. A sure sign of integrity and something of interest. Not that everyone will immediately fall for this album. Though anyone who loves carefully thought out roots music will find something here to savour on what is likely Patershuk’s best album to date and his fans will welcome its truthful tales of relatable folks.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Felice Brothers From Dreams To Dust Yep Roc

Seventeen albums into a career that kicked off in 2005 with their debut album IANTOWN, the Catskill Mountain band’s line up has had a number of personnel changes over that sixteen-year period. The current band consists of original founding members and brothers Ian (guitar and lead vocalist) and James Felice (multi-instrumentalist and vocals), bass player Jesske Hume and drummer Will Lawrence.  Also featured on this self-produced album are trumpet player Nathanial Walcott and Mike Mogis on pedal steel. Having witnessed them perform on numerous occasions, the most recent being in early 2020 when they were touring their excellent 2019 album UNDRESS, I’m of the opinion that this present four-piece format is their most formidable.

Forever straying from the conventional - their self-titled album was recorded in a chicken coop - on this occasion they recorded the album in a small one room church in Harlemville, New York. Built in 1873 and in poor repair, the church was acquired and renovated by Ian Felice. The location proved to be perfectly suited to an album of strikingly evocative songs that address both social and political concerns.

FROM DREAMS TO DUST, as the title implies, finds Ian Felice’s writing at its most creative.  It follows the band’s tried and trusted template of pairing thunderously frenetic songs with beautifully constructed and measured ballads. The streams of consciousness style writing, often akin to a jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing, challenges the listener to explore the characters and episodes within the songs. Those name checked on the album range from John Wayne to Kurt Cobain, Jean Claude Van Damme to Peter Fonda and Francis of Assisi to Barney Rubble. We hear of Helen and The Sherriff leaving behind their old lives and fleeing in a ‘doomed’ Corvette on the opener Jazz On The Autobahn, which suggests that an impending catastrophe awaits. It’s a powerful opener with heavy percussion and raging horns and one that no doubt will be a feature in their live shows going forward. They maintain a similar pace on To-Do List which follows and to a lesser degree on Celebrity X, the latter aiming daggers at the world of shallow and over exposed so called ‘celebrities.’

Particularly striking and eloquent are a number of songs recited in the spoken word by Ian. Be At Rest, a requiem for a departed Mr. Felice, tells of an ‘owner of two ill-fitting suits…never once named employee of the month and avoider of eye contact. ‘Also delivered in the spoken word, they close the album on a hopeful note with the hymn like We Shall Live Again. Offering a glimmer of hope for the future, (‘from Francis of Assisi to the fans of AC/DC, we shall live again’).

For this writer, YONDER IS THE CLOCK, released in 2009, is The Felice Brothers’ masterpiece. They have certainly matched the brilliance of that album here and, after a few more plays, I’m quite likely to come to the conclusion that they have surpassed it.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Sundogs Embroidered Rose Self Release

Formed by brothers Lee and Will Haraway in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 2000’s, The Sundogs’ harmony drenched sound exquisitely blends power pop with melodic country, bringing to mind both The Jayhawks and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The Tom Petty comparisons actually resulted in the band performing an annual tribute show to Petty each December since 2008.

However, they’re far more than a covers band and EMBROIDERED ROSE, their fifth studio recording, is a ten-track set of polished songs, intricately arranged and consistently pleasing on the ear from start to finish. 

Written and recorded during the pandemic, the songs were penned by the two brothers and Jon Harris. The standout track All Of This had me hitting the repeat button on a number of occasions. Gorgeous harmonies, drenched in pedal steel and with killer guitar breaks, it recalls Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at their finest. The trippy Space & Time is also soothing on the senses, deeply melodic and perfectly executed. 

Despite the unsure times in which it was penned, its optimism and hopefulness shine through. The same can be said of the buoyant opening track Love Will Lead Us Through. In fact, that optimism is very much on the agenda across the whole album. The dreamlike The Sundog wouldn’t have been out of place on the soundtrack of Easy Rider and that musical era is also recalled on the album’s title track. They sign off with the raucous Full Speed Ahead, bringing closure to a hugely impressive listen.

Lovers of the late 1960’s and early 70’s sound will lap this up, I certainly did.

Review by Declan Culliton

Megan & Shane Daughter Of Country Self Release

 Husband and wife Megan and Shane Baskerville’s first date was at a Motorhead concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis and, as their romance blossomed, they formed a ska band and eventually opened a School of Rock franchise in Arizona.  In a previous life Shane had toured with a number of punk bands while Megan was a student of bluegrass, having grown up with a passion and love for country music. That passion was more than a fleeting allure, but instead a method of dealing with a dysfunctional upbringing, where she was raised by a deserted and wayward mother. She confesses to adopting Patsy Cline as a mother figure during her teens, by way of escapism. She opens the title track on the album with the powerful lines, ‘I’m a daughter of country, she raised my whole life, ‘cuz my momma was out getting stoned. My daddy he left us to find his new wife, Patsy kept me from being alone’.

With a lot of collective baggage on board, what better way to unload that baggage than record a county album. DAUGHTER OF COUNTRY is exactly what a genuine country album should be, confronting real life issues and tribulations by creating songs around them. They brought producer Bob Hoag (Courtney Marie Andrews, Gin Blossoms) on board and recorded the nine tracks at Flying Blanket Recording in Mesa, Arizona. Songs that catalogue loss and regret include the title track and Scars (This one’s when I lost that little baby, Lord how I cried and I cried), both of which feature a powerhouse vocal delivery by Megan. Equally notable are her vocals on the bluesy Oh Lord, which recall the wonderful Shelby Lynn. Shane takes the lead vocal on Leaving It All Up To You and the reflective closing track Taken This Long. The latter recalls his survival from an illness that nearly took his life (Said I didn’t have long, six months to live. But I knew in my heart I had more to give).  Sweet harmonies and layered vocals combine on the First Aid Kit sounding Little Birds.

Hoag’s production manages to create a charming and cohesive sound on an album that explores a number of tortured personal issues. With a sound that’s at the crossroads between modern country and heartland rock, DAUGHTER OF COUNTRY presents the listener with an affecting collection of songs well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sturt Avenue How Do You Think It Should Be? Self Release

This is a debut album from Australian band Sturt Avenue and a very fine collection of songs it proves to be. Eleven tracks over forty-two minutes of well-crafted arrangements that linger gently in the memory. The collective is made up of three family members and a few friends from the Adelaide suburbs around Sturt Avenue, where they grew up.

Kicking off with the nice flow of Cannery Row and a song about waking up with regrets over the night before, an aching head and questions about why this pattern keeps repeating. Bell Curve Blues looks at the sacrifice of working mundane day jobs in order to be able to meet the bills and come home to the girl that you love. Over Everything deals with the black dog of depression and the lack of purpose in getting through another day.  A Few Simple Lines is a sweetly played love song with nice harmony vocals from Bryn Soden, Tarn Soden and Katie Pomery.  

Childhood memories are revisited in Waiting, the lines ‘Don't think I didn't see your small sad smile, The kind that doesn't really reach your eyes, When I told you everything would be alright.’  It’s a reflection on all those youthful days of dreaming about the future and wanting to get out into the world.

Lions is a song about regret and looking back at the way life wears down the burning fire of optimistic youth. It’s a pessimistic view of the world, but contains the hope that we can all be reborn and become lions again. Sirens looks at feeling lonely and lost in the alienation of big city lights, ‘Drink for the ghosts of all the friends we left behind, Sing for the silence that is eating me alive, The hungry beast creeps ever closer every night, You’re gonna get what’s coming to you - and so will I.’ 

The sense of disillusion that runs through a number of these songs is lifted by the craving for things to get better; with Nowhere Town we are given the lines, ‘But by the creek, wild roses grow, And through the fields the hot wind blows, This ugly place is still my home, The only one I have ever known.’ Equally, Flowers On the Sill is a song that looks for the little things, ‘Live quiet, live light, live long, Plant the seeds of brighter futures in the garden, give them love and make them strong.’

Falling is the longest song on the album and has some great guitar parts that heighten the emotion of a troubled romance, ‘But falling in love, Was a rope around your neck, And when you put your head in the stove, Tell me what did you expect? Final track, Stay, is a profession of love to bring everything full circle. The hope that passion will endure and that it is enough to weather all the storms of life. 

Bryce Lehmann (drums), Isaak Kerr (bass, vocals) and Dave Thompson (keyboards), provide a solid bedrock for these gentle songs and the fine lead vocals by Bryn Soden are augmented by his prowess on  acoustic and electric guitar, ukulele, harmonica, harmonium, toy piano and additional percussion. John Soden contributes on electric guitar, slide guitar and backing vocals and there are also the talents of Ollie Patterson on violin and Sean Helps on flugelhorn to add to the overall sound.

Patrick Lockwood mixed the album with Bryn Soden and it certainly comes across as a real labour of love. The songs evolved over a number of years and the final results point to a bright future for this band of family and friends. Worth your time.

Review by Paul McGee

Joe Stamm Band Midwest Town Self Release

A second release from Joe Stamm and his fine band of brothers. They formed in 2013 and developed a strong work ethic, playing live around their home state of Illinois. Led by the striking vocals and guitar of Stamm, the core band consists of Dave Glover on lead guitar, Bruce Moser on bass, harmonica and percussion and Tim Fiers on drums. They provide the bedrock of the sound and are joined in the studio by Blaine Johnson on swirling B3 organ, Scotty Sanders on superb slide guitar and Jonathan Brown on piano. All the players lift these song arrangements and instil a really dynamic element in their ensemble playing. Perry Coleman, Angie Primm & Tania Hancheroff provide classy background vocals and their voices swell in the overall mix, adding some extra punch. 

Stamm describes the band sound as Black Dirt Country Rock “a nod to our Midwestern roots, as well as the Red Dirt music scene, which has had a big influence on our music.”  The new album certainly builds upon the momentum of the debut release, THE GOOD AND THE CROOKED (the High and the Horny), which was released two years ago. To these ears, it’s a good helping of countryrock, with elements of blues and honky tonk mixed in. Tracks like Drink Enough (For the Town To Talk) and Speed Trap have the band in full-on attack mode as they burn up the rhythm and rock with some superb guitar driven honky tonk swing.

Hope It Turns Out and Catchin’ My Breath are two slower tracks that show another side to the band. Mostly, the songs fall into the category of everyday middle America, with a list of characters that represent the everyman in our cities and towns. There are long distance truckers (Pocketful Of Quarters), Vietnam Vets (Empty Places), a drugs runner (High Road Home) and an old rodeo rider (Bull Rider). 

The final track, Catchin’ My Breath,  is a solo acoustic performance and deals with life on the road for Stamm and his dreams of getting back home. He is a fine lyricist and these songs are very authentic in their construction and delivery. In the number, Bull Rodeo, he sings, ‘  Another small town, another few bucks, If this is the dream, I ain't dreamin' enough.’ These lines could equally be identified with the long-distance trucker, the rodeo rider or the road weary musician – all keeping body and soul together as the commitments in life continue to challenge.

There are three bonus tracks on the download I received, including a tribute to the late John Prine (Goodbye John). Another strong statement from a quality songwriter and a band that really knows how to deliver when it comes to dynamic performance. Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Dar Williams I’ll Meet You Here Renew

Album number twelve in a long and distinguished career, Williams continues to reign at the top of the folk pyramid when it comes to songs from the heart and of social conscience. The album cover has a photograph of Williams, adrift on a floating platform, surrounded by water. One could read into the symbolism as being ‘all at sea,’ but I suggest that such a conclusion is all too simple. Williams is a very literate writer and her words have deep resonance. She is ever the thinker, observing our lives from the perspective of her own and never afraid to open up to the honesty within and the truth that comes forth.

That deck on the water is a raft that connects who she was to the woman that she now has become. As she stands to face the challenges of the modern world, in all her true glory and spirit, she looks at what is around her and charts her own course. It may be six years since the last release but Williams never stops honing her skill-set. Whether this is through the music workshops that she holds or the books that she writes, she continues to stand for all that is good in the craft od song writing.

Interestingly, there is a cover song included on this album, something that Williams seldom does. Sullivan Lane (Gandalf Murphy) is about finding kindred spirits and sharing the closeness of a group that get your essence – inclusion and acceptance. These are the themes that run through the ten songs and they resonate with an openness that bears plenty of rewards for the listener. 

One song is taken from her debut album, You’re Aging Well, and its inclusion is the clock turning full circle, as the now-older Williams looks at her life and the journey travelled. "I'm so glad that you finally made it here, With the things you know now, that only time could tell, Looking back, seeing far, landing right where we are.”

Elsewhere we are treated to musings on time in the guise of an ally (Time, Be My Friend), the frustrations of having new talent unrecognised and unrewarded (You Give It All Away), the power of enduring friendship (Let the Wind Blow), discrimination and small-town attitudes (Little Town), young college rebels trying to change the world (Berkeley), the future of our planet and the energy of our next generations to effect positive change (Today and Every Day), a paean to love and learning to accept yourself first (I Never Knew) and staying optimistic and hopeful while you dream of tomorrow (Magical Thinking).

If indeed, life is about meeting everything face on and not backing down from a challenge, then Dar Williams is certainly someone that you want on your side as you stride forward. Her writing remains as relevant today as it has always been; a steadying hand on the rudder and a voice in your ear that says “keep going, everything will work out and listen to your heart.”  This album is a strong statement that this lady is not for turning. Her music resonates with both depth and heart and she remains one of the premiere songwriters of our day. 

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Ronan Gallagher Time Waits For No One Modal Citizen

Ronan Gallagher is a man in a hurry. The Leitrim man only came to learning guitar and creating music in his mid-life and this second album comes hot on the heels of his 2019 debut record, ALWAYS BROKE NEVER BROKEN. ‘Life is out there waiting, live it while you can’, from the title track, is the overriding theme of this record, perhaps partly fuelled by Gallagher’s recent medical issues. Over the eleven original songs, there’s hardly any let up from the manic opening pace, and Donegal producer Marc Geagan has chosen a large cast of local musicians to imbibe the album with a Celtic americana sound.

The aforementioned Time Waits For No One is a country meets rock ‘n roll rollercoaster ride, with an insistent back beat from drummer Michael Christie, the interplay of Damien McGeehan’s fiddle and Seanan Brennan’s mandolin, and layers of electric guitar licks from various players complementing Gallagher’s gritty vocals. The pace continues on Out of my Head, the electric organ (Enda Ferriter) and some killer harmonica (Sean Debney) giving the song of heartbreak a blues rock feel. Another song of longing, The World is an Empty Place, continues the disillusionment theme, as does the mid-paced rock n’ soul road song, Looking For Something.

Miss You is quite a departure - the tongue in cheek woefully mournful country blues (think Hank Williams at his most depressed) features some fabulously over the top backing vocals from Farah Bogle, and the wonderful Richard Nelson’s pedal steel playing.

Liberty is another manic country rock message, expressing Gallagher’s disillusionment with politics and capitalism, and is a call for environmental rescue, with a ripping Albert Lee style guitar  solo from local legend Johnny Gallagher (no relation). More highlighting of impending environmental disaster is expressed in the powerfully apocalyptic The World is Burning, with a notable contribution from Rory Corbett on 5 string banjo. The Argumental Man tells us that ‘he won’t back down, he won’t conform’ and ‘he’s doing what he can’, clearly an autobiographical message, backed up here by horns and electric organ. Live Life To The Full ends on a positive and hopeful note.

The striking cover art features a small terrier gazing up into a galaxy of stars - as quirky as the album itself. Check it out.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Tim Grimm Gone Cavalier

The latest release from Tim Grimm continues his recent musical path with thoughtful, lyrical songs of life recorded in a restrained setting and for the most part built around Grimm’s vocal warmth and intimacy. This is inherently central to the opening song A Dream, which is about remembering a girl from faraway. That song is followed by the similarly themed Carry Us Away - wherein Grimm announces that he “will search within you for a thing we’ll never find,” offering that feeling of companionship even when apart. Both of these are imbued with an understated naturalness. Cadillac Hearse is more up-tempo, with bass, guitar and mandolin and it has a humour about the delivery of a baby and the car in question - a story told well. 25 Trees reminds me a little of Sam Baker with its description of location and literature. But overall, it’s Grimm’s show - with his well-observed and compassionate songs of family, friendship and fulfilment, providing the lynchpin for the album.

Family is important with Connor Grimm, Jackson Grimm, Jan Lucas-Grimm, all playing on the album, alongside the likes of guitarist Jason Wilber, Diederik van Wassenaer who adds violin and strings, to name but a couple of the other fine plates featured here. Susan Lindfors Taylor adds harmony vocals on his take on Eric Taylor’s Joseph Cross. It is an astute and sympathetic story of a Native American boy raised on a mission and under pressure to move away from his culture. Gone is a tribute, in part, to John Prine and his being gone though “there’s hope in knowing everywhere some people know the words” to his songs. It is the song that has the added touchstone of Jason Wilber’s contribution. Grimm also praises his lost contemporaries Michael Smith, Eric Taylor and David Olney in Dreaming Of King Lear, all of whom are company he could easily sit and share songs with. Coming full circle, the album closes with a reprise of the opening track A Dream. It seems to complete the circle to takes back the basic beauty that can exist alongside the more iniquitous times that we live through.

This is folk music pure and simple. It doesn’t need a prefix to allow it to be something else. It is born of voice, guitar and imagination. Something that Tim Grimm has used to deliver his songs since his debut HEARTLAND at the end of the 90s. As an aside, Grimm visits Ireland regularly as a host and tour guide and likely his travels inform who he is. The album deals, at times, with those who are gone but Grimm is definitely with us here and now.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Nathan Bell Red, White And American Blues Need To Know

There’s no doubting that Bell’s concerns here relate to the state of his nation, his own state of mind and a declaration he needed to make. The songs were written, in the main, in 2019 and things have not got much better since then. The subtitle of the album “It Couldn’t Happen Here” is a reference to novel by Sinclair Lewis from 1935, which posited the theory that American could become in thrall to fascism. Reality bites. The songs written at the time of the impeachment of a President include American Gun, American Blues, Wrong Man For The Job, songs that make a direct reference to troubled times. Other songs here include Retread Cadillac, his tribute to Lightin’ Hopkins. While he reflects on family ties and some of the good things that can transpire in A Lucky Man, he reflects on having “ a pocket full of dreams, but I tossed them all / had a few good friends until I lost them all.”

Throughout, Bell sings with conviction though mixed with the experience of doubt. He has a voice that you can believe in. Musically there is, not unnaturally, a larger slice of a blues folk axis to the sound, built around a solid rhythm section (Alvino Bennett and Frank Swart). The keyboards are from John Deaderick, while Reverend Crow values the harmonica. Bell handles the main guitar duties as well as vocals. His is ably joined on the album for some songs by the distinctive voices of Regina McCrary, Patty Griffin and Aubrie Sellers. All are artists themselves who know a good song when they hear it.

Running On The Razor holds nothing back on its depiction of those living off the grid and doing as much damage to themselves as they did to those they picked on. They “thought that it was funny / that they lived outside the law / and did it on government money.” In three lines Bell says a lot about  what life can be for a segment of society that has fallen through the cracks. Zensuit’s Samadhi Blues and Monday Monday have the blues running though them, with wah-wah guitar and gospel grabbing keyboards. 

Too Each Of Us (A Shadow) is a simpler evocation of love amidst a certain desperation. Effective in its simplicity of delivery, it conveys the raw emotion of need. Folding Money closes out the album and Bell adjusts his voice to suit the song, which is built over a restrained, effective backing that heightens the mood of uncertainty. Brian Brinkerhoff and Frank Swart’s production heightens the sense of unease, while giving the sound a sturdiness that feeds in to the intensity of these songs. This is something that continues to happen, then and now.

Review by Stephen Rapid

John Wort Hannam Long Haul Black Hen

The John Wort Hannam pictured on this album cover looks like a man who might have some life experiences to impart. That indeed is the case on LONG HAUL, wherein, over several songs, he states that he is taking a look at the bigger picture and what it shows us. Produced by Canadian roots music stalwart Steve Dawson, it has a warm, aged but not always rosy view of live, love and the pursuit of happiness (or something that might pass for that). The title track is the introductory affirmation of his stance taken, obviously, in later life, that it is now not “all about the chase / not the finish line / but babe that ain’t the case / no not this time.” There is also a lot of love expressed throughout in such songs as Wonderful Things, as well as the opposite side of the coin in Beautiful Mess, where the spoils of a relationship are divided “keep the Lou Reed record and the god-damn cat,” while acknowledging that they had loved each other with their beautiful mess.

Old Friend is a testament to the life of a long-time friend and partner in crime, what they got up to and how the memories are both sad and good. Hurry Up Kid is about waiting for a birth to happen “hurry up kid … I quit smoking … your Mama is showing / boy she’s glowing.” Hannam is an observer in the wings for these, essentially, small town vignettes of how we all deal with the cards dealt to us. In this case without bitterness but rather with to learn. Meat Draw is about a “small town legion Friday night meat draw” that has the observation that can only come from being there,“there’s an old gal in the corner / showing off her legs / but the old boys just ignore her / they came for bacon and eggs.” There are a couple of solid country moments in here that fit in the overall scheme with the pedal steel on Beautiful Mess and Young At Heart. The former a delightful duet with Keri Latimer. Elsewhere the folk/roots axis of the songs are perfectly delivered by the producer and players, including the contributions of multi-instrumentalists Fats Kaplin, keyboardist Chris Gestrin and Dawson own multi-guitar skills. They all bring enough variation to the tracks in that they never seem samey but rather mines a richer seam of Canadian life.

However, obviously, all this requires the focal point of Hannam’s rich wordsmithing and his aged, warm vocals. It fits and feels like a pair of well worn and loved jeans. Perhaps the title and the sentiment expressed in the closing song Young At Heart best sum up John Wort Hannam’s philosophy and outlook in say “may you die young at heart at a ripe old age.” There’s something of old wisdom in that saying. It’s a heartfelt and sincere wish that brings to close the latest album from the Lethbridge based performer who is undoubtedly in it for the long haul himself. Enjoy the journey.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Kashena Sampson Time Machine Self Release

The fortunes of Kashena Sampson had already hit a career low point prior to the pandemic.  The tornado that hit East Nashville in March 2020 destroyed the iconic music venue The Basement East, cutting off her income stream and her means of financing her artistic career. With her bartending employment cut off overnight and the onset of Covid-19 soon afterwards, Sampson faced both financial and emotional ruin.

Her album TIME MACHINE had been recorded in February 2019, but with her financial stream severed, she had lost the means of funding its release. Thankfully her fortunes eventually improved, giving her the wherewithal to release the album.

Prior to relocating to Nashville in 2015, Sampson had spent a number of seasons on cruise ships, performing cover songs and eventually including some self-written songs in her repertoire. Encouraged by the positive feedback from her audience she bravely headed to Nashville, where she soon became a part of the burgeoning songwriting scene in East Nashville, alongside other like-minded female songwriters such as Erin Rae, Mary Bragg and Kyshona Armstrong. Co-writes with each of these artists feature on TIME MACHINE, as does a song written with her sister Jolana Sampson. Many of the recordings coming from that music community features material deeply personal and often harrowingly painful, and this album follows a similar theme.

The survival and struggles of artists, particularly those who may feel somewhat insecure, can have a devastating effect on the individual and Sampson confronts these issues head on. From The Outside considers the rollercoaster highs and lows of that chosen career, from the sold out shows to the financial burdens and isolation.  Titles such as Alone And In Love Again and The Black Sea, recall dark times and dysfunctional relationships and they also showcase Sampson’s remarkable vocal range. The latter features a powerful, almost operatic, vocal performance, the former a breezy country folk presentation.  It’s not all trouble and strife, the raunchy and full-blooded Whole Lot Better hints at a rebirth and while the title track recollects childhood innocence and rebellious adolescence, it also suggests a resilience and positivity going forward.  

The production duties on TIME MACHINE were overseen by Jon Estes. The producer and multi-instrumentalist also added bass, piano, cello and organ, alongside guitarist Jeremy Fetzer, drummer Jon Radford. Jon Estes’ wife Elizabeth contributed strings.      

An album that points to some deeply fervent soul searching by Sampson, you’re left with the impression of a cleansing and exorcism of darker times in the writer’s past and of acceptance and positivity going forward. On the strength of this most impressive recording, it’s no surprise that she is an integral part of that hugely talented group of female singer songwriters in the East Nashville musical community.

Review by Declan Culliton

Stuffy Shmitt More Stuff Happens Deluxe Edition Self Release

One of the my most played albums of the year, STUFF HAPPENS, from the idiosyncratic Stuffy Shmitt featured in our review section back in February of this year. It made an immediate impact, to say the least, with its stockpile of raging rockers alongside smooth ballads, which found the author digging into the memory vaults and recalling incidents and characters from his explosive past.

Settled and reinvigorated in East Nashville, following a near self-destructive existence in New York, Stuffy hooked up with producer Brett Ryan Stewart and multi-instrumentalist Chris Tench to record the album at Stewart’s studio in Franklin, Tennessee.  What also followed were some striking videos to promote a number of the songs, filmed by the talented husband and wife duo Ahana Kaye and Iraki Gabriel.

The deluxe edition features an additional four tracks alongside the eleven from the original recording. Three of them are re-recordings of It’s Ok, Scratchin’ At The Cat and Sleeping On The Wet Spot, while the fourth, Sunglasses, is a live recording. I have no intention of reviewing the album track by track here, readers can check out the review from 14th February. Suffice to say that the tracks, from the minimalist The Last Song to the fully blown It’s Ok and She’s Come Unglued sound every bit as vital as they did when I originally reviewed the album.

The purpose here is to remind people to check out what is one of best suites of songs I’ve come across this year and a masterclass in grungy Americana.

Review by Declan Culliton

Riddy Arman Self Titled La Honda

Growing up in rural Ohio and leaving that environment to work as a travelling ranch hand, Riddy Arman’s country and western music is every bit as authentic as her lifestyle. Signed to La Honda Records, she joins like minded label mates and storytellers Colter Wall and Vincent Neil Emerson. In common with both artists, her songs read like poetry and are heart on sleeve musical memoirs of past experiences.

With her exquisite articulation and her ability to expertly stretch syllables in her deliveries, she draws the listener into her musings from the word go. The album is a collection of brooding ballads, nine in total, and was recorded at Portland, Oregon’s Mississippi Studio. Producer Bronson Tew (Dom Flemons, Jimbo Mathus, Jerry Joseph) ensures that Arman’s vocals are always out front and enriched by some fine playing that never distracts from her storytelling.

Spirits, Angels, Or Lies tells of her father’s passing and while on his deathbed, his hallucination of a visit from Johnny Cash. It’s a striking opener to the album, with vocals that perfectly convey the message within the song. Equally evocative and vivid is Barbed Wire, which paints a picture of the often-lonesome existence of the ranch hand. That lifestyle is also echoed in the contemplative Herding Song and the heartbreak of a failed relationship is recounted on Half A Heart Keychain. She ramps it up a few notches on Too Late To Write A Love Song before bookending the album with only vocal and acoustic guitar on the soul-searching Problems Of My Own. Also featured is a cover of Kris Kristofferson’s Help Me Through The Night which, although in keeping with the thread of the album, lacks the punch and impact of the self-written material.

An artist new to me, Arman’s songs succeed with flying colours in lifting the veil on personal and often difficult issues close to her heart. They also reveal her commitment to the agrarian lifestyle, without attempting to glamorise it in any way.  An extremely impressive debut recording from an artist that I’ll be following closely going forward.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kevin Daniel Been Here Before Self Release

This is a break up album that dwells upon the hurt and the pain that stays after two lovers have separated. It certainly seems to be based in personal experience and all twelve tracks revolve around this central theme of trying to move on but still being haunted by the memories of both pleasure and pain. Kevin Daniel sings with a bluesy vocal tone that adds real authenticity to these songs of love and loss. It’s roots-based Americana with blues-tinged ballads and steamy rockers, sitting alongside a few numbers that reflect a Country leaning. 

Two separate studios were used during the recording process with Jonathon Clayton (guitar), Steve Olonsky (keyboards), Keith Harry (bass) and Logan Jayne (drums) playing on six tracks, recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, North Carolina. Separately, Jon Ledeau (guitar), Billy Pearson (bass), Renee Hikari (drums) and Brian Mitchell (keyboards) appear on four songs, recorded in Brooklyn, NYC. 

Both ensembles play really well together and there is no sense of separation from the overall soulful feel of the album... Daniel produced the entire project, with some help on individual songs and there are contributions from other guests who either sing or play on various tracks. The vocal talents of Ashlee Joy Hardee, Margo Valientie and Sean Walsh appear, either on co-vocals or harmony and they enrich the sound with their talents.

The first two tracks jump out in real style, with Single In the Centre showing the bluesy side to Daniel as he laments his cheating lover and Don’t See the Light bringing a more rock-based attack with some nice keyboard and guitar breaks. The soulful element to Daniel’s vocals highlights the pain in knowing that your lover is gone. Lovemares is a vocal interlude of less than one minute, with the acapella voices sharing the frustration and fear of not being able to sleep with memories flooding every waking moment in the dark. Later on, there is a further song, Lovemares Part II, which arrives as a fully-fledged country song with Daniel feeling still haunted by the separation and not sleeping. The terrific pedal steel playing of Neal Rosenthall is a real highlight. Horizons is another country song with Daniel again feeling lost and lonely, ‘Life Is change and change is suffering, Spreading love is the only way to grow.’ Margo Valiente on harmony vocals, with Erica Mancini on accordion colouring the arrangement.

One Hand On the Bible is a rocky number that examines the dichotomy between wanting to live a good life and slipping into bad habits again. Guitar and keyboards lift the arrangement and Ashlee Joy Hardee joins Daniel on vocals to turn in a stellar performance. Sorrow Laden Song is similar with and easy blues groove and the warm keyboard sounds reflecting the difficulty that Daniel is having in moving on. Similarly, the final song, Dial Up Pain, is a bluesy tune that still sees the ache in separation and the bitterness at the cost and price of love. 

Build It All is a folk song that Daniel delivers on acoustic guitar and vocals. It questions whether doing thing differently, with hindsight, would have made any difference. ‘Ain’t nothing in this world you cannot leave or lose, A life worth livings means a broken heart, Build it all to watch it fall apart.’

Me, No Myself and I, is a song that delivers an easy groove to both regret and sad memories while also looking at the good and bad sides of love. ‘Two people can never know each other till one is gone.’ A sentiment that is hard to agree with perhaps; or maybe it hides an unwanted truth? Daniel is heading back to North Carolina with a heavy heart. 

It is a fine album in many ways. The playing and the production are excellent even if the subject matter doesn’t really change across the twelve tracks. After all, there is only so much heartache that a guy can take…! 

Review by Paul McGee

Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fielder Trouble In Time Self Release

Seattle based singer songwriter, Tekla Waterfield, has released this superbly crafted album of nine songs and the talent on display is very impressive indeed. The sound is very stripped back with plenty of space in the recording, which allows the music to linger and land gently on the senses.

Her husband, Jeff Fielder, produced the album and his multi-instrumentalist skills are very much to the fore. He has played with a number of renowned artists, including Mark Lanegan, Amy Ray and the Indigo Girls. Tekla plays guitar and sings lead vocals in a sweetly sensitive style with Jeff adding guitars, drums, bass and backing vocals on these understated and warm arrangements. The melodies are grounded by the subtle playing of Keith Lowe on five tracks, with upright bass and bowed bass setting the groove. The easy flow of Trouble In Time is a perfect example of the soulful delivery that Tekla delivers and the layered harmonies are quite superb. Equally, the gentle Better Days has a restrained tempo that gives room for the creative playing of Jeff to take flight around the melody.

No Justice, No Peace is a song that speaks against the inequality that society imposes on those of us who are born into a different skin or a separate ethnic group. Let There Be opens the album with a message of hope  and a prayer sent out for future generations to make good all of the mistakes made by their forebearers. Again, some very creative guitar parts from Jeff and multi-tracked vocals to bring a sense of calm. Through the Falls has a slow, bluesy feel to the rhythm and the whispered vocals of Tekla are both intimate and wistful in the delivery.

In addition to creating her own music, Tekla also runs an entertainment and media public relations business that helps fellow artists connect with a wider audience. Her company is called, For The Story Press, and I can only wish her success in her endeavours to bring quality music out into the light.

Tekla has two previous albums, THIS NIGHTLIFE IS WEARING ON ME (2015) and THE CURTAIN FALLS (2018). I look forward to discovering both of these and I recommend that you also take a dive into this entertaining and enriching music.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Charley Crockett Music City USA Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers

“They better watch out in country music because I'm just getting started, brother.”

These were the defiant parting words from Charley Crockett when we interviewed him in 2020 at the height of the pandemic and after the release of his excellent album WELCOME TO HARD TIMES. That album, written in 2019 and pre-pandemic, reflected a period of serious personal challenges for Crockett, culminating in life-threatening open-heart surgery from which he has thankfully fully recovered.

True to his word, he has cemented his reputation as one of the most prolific writers in the country music genre. MUSIC CITY USA is Charley Crockett’s second release of 2021, having earlier this year released CHARLEY CROCKETT SINGS JAMES HAND, which was a tribute to the much-loved country singer who passed away in 2020. His latest release is a double album, gifting the listener with sixteen tracks that branch off from traditional country to bluesy infused honky tonkers and horn backed country soul.

The nomadic songsmith describes his take on country music as ‘Gulf and Western’, which precisely outlines his talent to trigger the sound of country music from bygone eras while also sounding contemporary and original. His back story could be a movie script, having survived homelessness, open heart surgery, run-ins with the law and record label rejection.  Twenty years into a musical career that kicked off as a seventeen-year-old busker, Crockett has built his career as an independent artist, dealing with the cut throat industry on his own terms rather than at the behest of a record label suit. MUSIC CITY USA took less than eight weeks to write and record and the songs offer personal reflections on relationships, both of the heart and with his chosen line of work.

Soulful horn drenched songs such as I Need Your Love, This Foolish Game and I Won’t’ Cry sit comfortably alongside some classic country tracks. ‘’ I shouldn’t have come here in the first place, the folk in here don’t like my kind’, he recalls on the title track and later tells of being locked up in Nashville on the track Muddy Waters. Both are standout tracks, delivered in his distinctive semi spoken drawl, which combine pain and confusion in equal measures.  Surviving and moving on come to pass on Just So You Know and the Buddy Holly sounding Lies And Regret offers an upbeat tempo beside some down beat lyrics. The World Just Broke My Heart reflects the current state of uncertainty at large. He signs off with Skip A Rope, which was recorded back in 1967 by a like minded country artist, Henson Cargill.

The album title may point in the direction of Nashville but Crockett explains that it refers to ‘’any street corner where I put the damn guitar case down to make money’’. It’s also a statement of survival and worldliness in an unrewarding industry and due reward for an independent artist that continues to grow in stature. Talent alone is no guarantee of survival in the current crowded marketplace, though Crockett has endless amounts of that. However, coupled with hard graft, awareness of his market and a constant flow of new material, he continues to be a major player in the underground country music scene. A highly recommended album and by the sound of things we’ll be hearing more from him in the not too distant future, as he reckons he has already written the material for two more albums.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sierra Ferrell Long Time Coming Rounder

Having spent a number of years as a travelling musician, busking, playing at street corners and honky tonks and just about anywhere that she could, small town West Virginian Sierra Ferrell settled in New Orleans for a while prior to relocating to Nashville. Tapping into the bohemian musical community in East Nashville, she soon found herself on stage at the legendary Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights at American Legion 82. Those performances brought her to the attention of Rounder Records, who wasted no time in signing her to the label on the strength of her dynamic live shows.

Describing herself as having ‘a country heart but a jazz mind’, LONG TIME COMING, her debut release on the Rounder label, is a treasure chest of traditional country, western swing, bluegrass, crossover jazzy roots and border influenced songs. Apparently, Sturgill Simpson was so impressed by her live shows that he offered to produce this album. Instead, Rounder Records hired Stu Hibberd and ten-time Grammy winner Gary Paczosa to co-produce the album. They also surrounded her with a host of top players for the recordings at Southern Ground and Minutia studios in Nashville. Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Chris Scruggs, Sarah Jarosz, Billy Strings and Dennis Crouch all feature and their combined talents behind Ferrell’s dazzling vocals shine brightly on the twelve tracks.

Those twelve tracks shift seamlessly between musical modes and genres. Jazzy and New Orleans’ influenced offerings The Sea, Why’d Ya Do It and At The End Of The Rainbow nestle comfortably alongside old timey gems Jeremiah, Bells Of Every Chapel and West Virginia Waltz. She’s equally at home belting out honky tonkers such as In Dreams and Far Away Across The Sea is Tex-Mex at its finest.

 The album title literally describes the arrival of an artist whose reputation as a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter has been expanding over the past number of years. This current chapter in her musical voyage is one of ‘being in the right place at the right time’ to merit the attention of one of the premier record labels supporting roots artists. It’s also most likely the launching pad for one of the leading lights amongst the newcomers to the Americana orbit and one that we will be hearing lots more from in the coming years.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jason Eady The Passage Of Time Self Release

My initial introduction to Texas based singer songwriter Jason Eady was his superb 2012 album AM COUNTRY HEAVEN.  It made an instant impact which sent me checking out his back catalogue and tracking down his three previous releases. THE PASSAGE OF TIME is his eighth full length album and like its predecessors it’s packed with thought provoking and carefully measured songs. Over half of these songs were composed over a three-day period at the height of the pandemic in August 2020. The prevailing circumstances and uncertainty at that time stirred his thought process to the extent that he literally locked himself in his bedroom for three days and wrote.

Reflections on both the past and present emerge on Nothing On You and French Summer Sun. The former is the album’s opening track and reads like an ode to a loved one, possibly his wife Courtney Patton, who is also a singer songwriter who contributes backing vocals on the album and also gets a co-write credit on the track Saturday Night.  French Summer Sun tells the powerful tale of Eady visiting the beach where his grandfather fought in and survived The Battle of Anzio in Italy during World War II. The spoken verses in the song draw the listener’s attention instantly as Eady reflects on how his grandfather’s survival ultimately led to his own inception. Less solemn is the aforementioned and possibly somewhat autobiographical Saturday Night, where the writer recalls early career gigs in empty rooms. Back To Normal considers the eventual return to times post pandemic, (‘What do we do when we get back to normal, and we find we’re somewhere we ain’t ever been’). Words regrettably not expressed in former times are considered on My Best Friend before the album closes with the title track which contemplates the aging process in confessional terms.

The album was recorded at The Finishing School in Austin where Eady surrounded himself with tried and trusted musicians with whom he had previously worked. Noah Jeffries plays fiddle, Geoff Queen is on pedal steel and dobro, Mark Williams plays bass, and drums are by Brian Ferguson. Backing vocals are courtesy of Courtney Patton and Jamie Lin Wilson. The production is credited to Gordy Quist of Band Of Heathens fame, who draws the best out of every player without ever competing with Eady’s introspective vocal deliveries. 

In a similar vein to songsmiths such as Guy Clark, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, all of whom were hugely influential in his career, Eady possesses an acute attention to detail and a worldliness in his writing. Those attributes shine brightly on this wonderful batch of songs from a dedicated flame carrier for the classic singer songwriter genre.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dori Freeman Ten Thousand Roses Blue Hens Music

Twenty seconds into the first track Get You Off My Mind and before Dori Freeman’s vocals kicks in, you could be forgiven for checking the album sleeve to establish that you’re actually listening to the fourth album from the small town of Galax, Virginia native. The grungy intro to that track signposts a somewhat more experimental musical direction from her previous recordings.

The musical orientation may be a contrast from her previous albums but her instantly recognisable alto vocalising remains out front. Equally striking are her carefully considered lyrics which combine pain, confusion and empathy in equal measures. The songs on this album consider a range of topics including female emancipation, self-examination and her rural surroundings.

Having previously engaged Teddy Thompson to work the studio controls, she looked closer to home on this occasion. Husband Nicholas Falk undertook the production on the album, together with adding percussion. The husband-and-wife team were joined by a host of cracking players which included Eli Wildman on guitar and mandolin, Victor Furtado on banjo, Sam Fribush on piano and keys, Eric Robertson on guitar and bass and Aaron Lipp, who also played bass and banjo.

The ten tracks that make up the album were composed during the pandemic and unlike many of her peers, who recorded skeletal albums during lockdown, Dori gathered this team of skilled players and recorded the album live in the studio. The only remote addition was Logan Ledger’s vocals on the classic heart melting country duet Walk Away.

The Storm, which addresses unfaithfulness in a relationship, presents a lavish sound, cleverly layered vocals and a rousing chorus. Dori is very much an independent spirit and defiant in the face of any challenge. I had the great pleasure of witnessing her silencing a rudely talkative crowd when she played before Rodney Crowell in Nashville, by launching a capella into Ain’t Nobody from her debut album. She spotlights this feistiness on the sprightly I Am, reminding us in the opening lines, ‘I ain’t a good girl though everybody thinks I am, I got a mind as dirty as the bottom of a coffee can’. Equally autobiographical is the simply gorgeous Appalachian, where she sings proudly and sublimely of her heritage. The full on I Wanted To is as grungy and seedy as she’s ever recorded and she’s also calling the shots on the jaunty title track. Sounding like a companion giving sage advice to a close friend, she hits high notes well above most singers’ ranges on Nobody Nothing.

Songs that snap, crackle and pop, TEN THOUSAND ROSES is another triumph from an artist that is Americana with a capital ‘A’, both in her musical output and everyday lifestyle. The third generation in a musical family, Dori’s dad, Scott Freeman, and grandfather, Willard Gayheart, are also both musicians.  The album is born out of a small-town rural environment rather than at the behest of a record label. Likewise, it’s one that marks another exciting chapter in the musical output of a classic vocalist and distinctive artist who continues to make music on her own terms. It’s also one of the best I’ve heard this year.

Review by Declan Culliton

JR Harbridge Long Black River Mob Acoustic

This singer songwriter releases his second album and it is a very enjoyable package of ten songs, perfect for anyone who enjoys Americana based rhythm and groove. Harbridge is based in England but his sound is very much steeped in the influences of American Country Rock with radio friendly melodies and engaging arrangements. 

There is a great sense of easy confidence and freedom in the playing with the core players, Pete Larkin (organ, piano, Wurlitzer, mellotron) and Mark Bates (drums) supporting Harbridge (acoustic and electric guitars, bass, harmonica, percussion) across songs. The tracks focus mainly on relationship issues and letting our experiences change us with the times. A number of guest players add to individual tracks, with Thomas Mapes (bass on three songs) and both Nick Clarke and Paul Scott Connop each contributing electric guitar to individual tracks.

All songs are written by Harbridge, with one co-write, with the confident vocal style bringing a sweet tone to the arrangements. These are all very listenable songs, structured with melody and punch. The organ sound of Larkin elevates a number of the arrangements, along with the guitar work and songs like Wrong Side Of the Fight and Break the Spell look inward and seek to bring change and turn-around situations that are in need to redress. 

Love songs, like Sunshine Not Rain and When the Sun Doesn’t Shine, show understanding and commitment while the slow groove to Open the Door and We don’t Talk About It bring a different dynamic to the album. We Don’t Like It is a protest song and a call to effect change, while Side By Side carries a similar message about community, fighting for ideals and spreading the message that love conquers all. 

The title track has the band playing a slow burning Blues against a backdrop of fearing a lonely death and has some great guitar riffs. You Saved Me Twice references a loved one who has passed on but still leaves a strong influence and memory. The backing vocals on Side By Side are provided by the Facebook/Instagram friends of Harbridge and quite an interesting departure. Quite how he captured their collective voices is something of a mystery. It sums up the album in many ways, with a sense of inclusion, a strong band collaboration and some very enjoyable music along the way.  

Review by Paul McGee

The Allman Brothers Band Down In Texas ’71/Live At Great Woods 1991 Self-Release

One of the great pleasures in reviewing music for Lonesome Highway is when a package arrives with unexpected treats from one of your favourite bands. It was a happy week when I opened a package that contained two separate live concerts from the legendary Allman Brothers, a band that were formed in Florida back in 1969. Their sound incorporated elements of different musical genres and the merging of Blues, Country, Jazz and Rock has made them untouchable among their peers over many years. The band went through many personnel changes over the five decades that they reigned, but never dropped the high standards or the quality of the musicianship.

Last year, I reviewed their famous live concert from 2005 at the Warner Theatre, PA and it had long been considered by the band themselves as ‘one that got away.’ Luckily, most of their concerts have been recorded, if not always by the band themselves, and a superb document of the show was released in 2020. 

I have to admit that the Down In Texas ’71 CD that I now received is a strong statement of their prowess, although much shorter at only half the length (still, sixty minutes of prime playing), plus there is a thirteen-minute interview with a very bored sounding Duane Allman and Berry Oakley that is archival gold! 

The original band are all here, barely two years after they formed, with Duane and Greg Allman joined by Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Jaimoe, Butch Trucks and a special guest appearance by Juicy Carter on saxophone for six of the nine tracks that are included. There are killer versions of Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) and Stormy Monday (T Bone Walker), plus an incomplete rendition of In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed. The track, Hot ‘Lanta, gives the band creative licence to stretch out and the gloves really come off on the fifteen minute, You Don’t Love Me (Willie Cobbs).

The second live recording I received was on DVD (remember those?) and I was so pleased to have further proof of the bands’ continued quality, all of twenty years later, when they played this gig at the Great Woods Centre in Massachusetts. It captures ninety minutes of the 1991 concert and includes the aforementioned Statesboro Blues and an incredible version of In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed. So glad that this was reissued as it still has original band members, Greg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, who were joined by the superb Warren Haynes on guitar and vocals, Allen Woody on bass and Marc Quiñones on congas and percussion. There are lengthy versions of Jessica and Whipping Post, together with Midnight Rider and End Of the Line. 

One of the joys in listening to a jam band is that the tracks are nearly always played differently, with interpretations and flights into the unknown, freely allowed by the players on any given night. There is a mini acoustic also in the set and the DVD has uninterrupted concert footage, with all the band interviews that appeared on the original VHS version removed. A cover version of Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) is also included and the overall sound quality is top drawer, with the energy of the night, in front of twenty thousand fans, perfectly captured. An exciting duo of live releases from a band who never get old, despite the years that pass.

Review by Paul McGee

Will Graefe Marine Life 11A

The band, Okkervil River, has been described as falling into either folk rock or alternative country. Take your pick when it comes to defining music that is often beyond genre and having its own unique sound. Will Graefe plays guitar in Okkervil River, in addition to collaborating with many other artists across a variety of different projects. Safe to say that he knows his way around the highs and lows of being a professional musician. Equally, when it comes to the world of relationships, things can be as tricky as trying to collaborate on a new album where you hope for both inspiration and real commitment.

This new solo release from Will Graefe succeeds superbly well in the lush production and the lovely melodies that drift along in a wash of sonorous, dreamlike Folktronica. The ten tracks chart the sad decline in a personal relationship that Graefe experienced in the lead up to Covid lockdown in early 2020. The way in which he decided to deal with the hurt and pain of losing a lover, was to pour his energies into creating the songs that appear here. The music is beautifully delivered and belies the message in the lyrics of trying to find a way through all the recrimination and the upset caused.

Will Graefe brings his A-game to the studio and in addition to producing the album, stars on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, programming and MIDI. Benjamin Lazar Davis joins him on keyboards, pump organ, samples and additional production.

There are key contributions from Katie Von Schleicher (vocals on three tracks), Shahzad Ismailly (Moog synth), Ricardo Dias Gomes (keyboards, synth), Jason Burger, Jeremy Gustin and Marshall Vore (drums), Adam Brisbin (bass, Nashville guitar), Ryan Dugre (tenor guitar), Aaron Kruziki (woodwinds) and Dan Lead (pedal steel). It all blends and flows so seamlessly that you simply fall under the spell of the collaboration as a whole.

The gentle vocal tone of Graefe is often multi-tracked and layered to great effect and tracks like Almost Morning, All the Ways, Green and Gold establish the high quality of sonically rich sound as they look at both failing to connect and walking away from the relationship; how it felt wrong from the start, with a lack of honesty and yet, still not sure what happened, in the autumn of their feelings.

Dead Reckoner and Coral Court Hotel look at how one can lose their way and any sense of ballast to keep things on an even keel. Moving on is painful, the hurt remains and letting go of blame takes time. There are two instrumental tracks, Bathing Griever and Neowise Griever, the former using pedal steel to great effect and giving the sense of love washing away with the running water at the close; the latter a more acoustic, reflective sense of memory. Run Away and Honey Boy are songs that further deepen the fear that we are in self-denial, shutting down emotions and not wanting to accept that we can never really know someone fully. We are all actors who like to hide.

The final song, Run To You, still harbours some hope for common ground and the sense that the next steps on the journey are still halting and uncertain. This is an album that bears rich rewards and wraps the listener in a world where both the pleasure and pain of being human are intertwined.

Review by Paul McGee

The Odd Birds Better Days Self-Release

This is a six-track release from a musical duo who have been gigging in the state of California for the last ten years. Playing live is the best way to hone your skills and to get those harmony vocals watertight. That is just what we are given on this debut EP, nicely played and performed songs that leave a positive impression.

Ron Grigsby plays a range of guitars, both acoustic and electric, bass, piano and harmonica. His music partner, Jennifer Moraca, joins on vocals and plays acoustic guitar. Her vocal is very powerful, with a warm tone, most evident on a fine cover version of Willin’ (Lowell George). Grigsby takes co-vocals on their self-penned songs, Better Get Outta Town, Jenny-Lynn (won’t you come home) and Fly. The harmonies are very pleasant and lead the song melodies with an easy style. 

The relaxed arrangements are evidence that this duo can continue to move forward and build upon their reputation. Jennifer takes the lead on the memorable Better Days and again lifts the song with her vocal prowess. The final track is a cover of the classic, Return Of the Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons/Tom Browne) with Grigsby leading the vocal and Moraca harmonising to great effect. They are joined by Bobbo Byrnes, who adds bass, lead guitar and organ on two tracks, and Matt Froehlich who contributes on drums and percussion. All songs were written by Grigsby/Moraca, apart from the two covers and production was handled in fine style by Bobbo Byrnes.    

Review by Paul McGee

Anthony Wilkerson Silver Self-Release

In June 2020, this artist released a seven-song EP, I Should Feel Heartache. It was an appropriate title for the times and song titles like The Last Trip and The Hand You’re Dealt reflected the mood of Covid lockdown. 

Earlier this year, Wilkerson returned with a four-track EP, Silver, with all the essential tasks handled by himself; from the song-writing to the recording, mixing & mastering. He also played all the instruments, with the exception of one track, on which Elza Goodlow guested on guitar. 

Wilkerson sings with an expressive vocal style and these four songs focus on the travails of love and the wrestle with heartache. What A Mess kicks off the trouble of having lost at the saloon of love and The Sorrow I Had, follows, with the blues getting bigger and his thirst matching the pain. 

Magic Woman looks for respite in the potions of a mysterious lady who lives in the woods and can cure all heartache. No doubt it worked, as the final song, Dollar, has the hero with a good woman who deserves the best and the couple now leaving the drudgery of working for a dime and heading out for hills, breaking the chains and living free.   

It’s a short visit with a musician who has plenty more to offer. Perhaps last year’s EP would have made a nice addition to the four tracks here and a full album to represent the talent on show.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

HANK & ELLA with the Fine Country Band Good At Being Lonely Self Release

Infused with Californian optimism and sunny vibes, the second album from this Santa Cruz country band had me drawn in from the very first play. Subsequent listens have confirmed it to be a wonderful slice of country and honky tonk, comprised of thirteen original welcome ‘ear worms’ from the pen of Henry ‘Hank’ Warde. The Good Old Days Are Now sums up the philosophy of Hank and co - citing Willie, Hank W and George Jones, they exhort us to live in the moment and to make the most of the hand one has been dealt in life. That optimism informs all the songs here, whether they be the typical country themes of loneliness and heartbreak or the celebrations of true love.

The four core band members of Hank (acoustic guitar and lead vocals), his wife Ella (fiddle and harmonies), Meghan Leslie (bass and harmonies) and her partner, Poncho Lefty (electric guitar) came together a decade ago as bluegrass players, and that influence is still evident in the overall sound. However, they mainly pay homage to the Bakersfield and Nashville sounds of vintage country music. That sound is rounded out here by the fine contributions of pedal steel player Uncle Dave Magram and Marty Carpenter on drums.

Opening track Down By The Waterline is an extremely catchy song of wistful optimism, with Hank’s vocal wrapped in a blanket of fiddle, electric guitar, and pedal steel, yet never smothered by them. The project was recorded in the Wardes’ home studio and the sparkling production is down to bassist Meghan Leslie and Vince Sanchez. I particularly like the way that the fiddle is given equal prominence as the guitars, something that’s unusual in current country music but it really works here. The production is uncluttered, with room for all the individual instruments to shine. 

Only Lucky When It Rains gives thanks to rainy weather for a rare chance to stay in with one’s love - clearly written by a Californian rather than an Irishman! Elsewhere though the themes are universal: Who Needs Eyes, Riding On Easy and River Of Love (with a Texas Swing feel) explore the intensity of love; while Double Vision and No Happy Hour detail the aftermath of a broken heart. Another memorable song, given a country rock treatment here, Time Is Slipping Away From Me very accurately portrays how one perceives time differently with age. 

Check out all the above and even more on this highly recommended record and, while you’re at it, their debut album is equally worth investing in.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Elijah Ocean Born Blue Self Release

One quick listen to this album and you will know which flag that Ocean sails under. It is a solid immersion in the classic stylings of honky-tonk, with all the necessary themes. It follows on from a number of previous albums which have increasingly moved towards this release.  Ocean handles the production duties as well as composing all the songs that have touches of Bakersfield and beyond in the references to the music that emerged from the west cost over time, from the 60s to the early 90s. Indeed when you see the name of top session guitarist Brent Mason and Dwight Yoakam’s keyboard/guitar player Brian Whelan in the credits, the pointers are there. However these guests only appear on a couple of tracks and the remaining songs feature a well-honed team of other players who get things just right. Whelan was originally signed up to produce the whole album, but Ocean was not totally in sync with the results and decided to take over the helm himself. Given the results, that seems to have paid off.

There are twelve fine songs included here, performed with an honest passion and integrity. He’s not reinventing the wheel, instead concentrating on honing his music from the, reportedly, more Americana stance of his earlier work to something that will leave you in no doubt where his heart lies, at this point in his career. The subject matter of these songs is equally timeless, with love, disconsolation, cheating, break-up and divorce at the (broken) heart of each track. The titles give a clue as to which song relates to which emotion: from Livin’ To Love You, The Long Haul through to Honky Tonk Hole, The Ice Machine, The Writing On The Wall and Let’s Call It A Night.

All of these songs are testament to a writer who has learned well through his previous musical and life experiences and carefully honed his words and melodies to a consistency that is the mark of a maturing artist, happy to evolve his music without trying to court radio. It should come naturally and undoubtedly these songs would be well received if they did get wider exposure. Those Telecaster licks, smooth steel, fiddle and accordion all deliver embellishments that draw you into the songs and add a sense of timelessness, as well as referencing a specific period of real country music. This is an album that not only has that emotional empathy that country music should have, but also points you to the dance floor or, at least, some solid toe-tapping moments. 

Elijah Ocean joins the ranks of those men and women who are making unashamed country music, on their own terms, for a discerning audience that is growing month by month, and long may that continue to be the case. Some will change and evolve and move beyond the boundaries of what’s considered to be country music (in a traditional sense) but there seems to be a new wave of artists ready to step up to the microphone. Watch, listen and enjoy.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Matthew Austin Hunt 11 Edgewater

Given the title, it’s easy to see that this is the impressive second solo album from Texas-based singer/songwriter Matthew Austin Hunt. However the title 11 is as much about the duality that exists within most people, as it is also, conveniently, his first release since his self titled debut. Normally a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Band in his native Texas, Hunt has been around the music business for some time. It is something that has run through his family, going back to receiving his first guitar from his grandfather, and being influenced by the record collections and musical loves of both his grandfather and father. In terms of his developing writing skills, he acknowledges the likes of Robert Earl Keen through to Jackson Browne as influences. That equates to a country influenced sound that looks beyond the honky-tonks to a broader contemporary roots rock process similar in outlook, if not always in sound, to the likes of Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson.

The song that opens the album is Free. Here, Hunt takes on a persona to deliver the song about personal freedom, or lack of it, considering the different aspects of what it is to be free and how that might be seen. In the realisation of this viewpoint and thinking, Things I Find has effective pedal steel and guitar and follows on from the opening song’s concept of perceiving things from different angles while still looking forward, to finding more about his life and the lives of those he meets. Each of these songs expands, in one way or another, from the character whose overall perspective these lyrics elucidate. This process is always tempered by Hunt’s own experiences and journey through life to date. Going Home deals with the good feeling that is associated with returning to that place of happier memories and extended family. By way of contrast Drink You Off My Mind is a more singular emotion, a bar-room bemoaning about drinking to forget an unsuccessful romantic encounter - something that is not an uncommon theme in roots and country songs. The accordion of Healin’ Time adds a welcome variation to overall sound, with its border atmosphere and celebration of tequila and temptation.

Overall there is plenty to like about this album which sits at a well though out place that has folk, country and more uptempo roots rockin’ sensibilities, all adeptly handled by Hunt, both vocally and musically. The production by Derek Hames, who is also a multi-instrument contributor the album alongside Will Van Horn’s steel guitar, Ellen Story on fiddle and mandolin, John Shelton’s guitars, Roberto Rodriguez 111’s accordion and a solid rhythm section. All of these players add much to the songs and doubtless enjoyed the process that built upon Hunt’s song writing and lead vocals. This second album of original material has shown him to be a name to add to the list of promising and purposeful performers from Texas and beyond, who continue in the tradition of those artists who inspired them. The future then is free.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Son Volt Electro Melodier Transmit Sound/Thirty Tigers

The cancellation of a tour which was to mark 25 years since the release of their seminal debut album TRACE offered Jay Farrar the time and thought process for ELECTRO MELODIER, Son Volt’s tenth studio album. Jay Farrar may be the only original member of the band formed in 1994 following the acrimonious break up of Uncle Tupelo, but their core sound remains the same, fronted by Farrar distinctive and stellar vocals.

The current line up alongside Farrar features Mark Spencer (piano, organ, acoustic slide, lap steel, backing vocals), Andrew DuPlantis (bass, backing vocals), Chris Frame (guitar) and Mark Patterson (drums, percussion). Whereas Jeff Tweedy, his partner in crime in Uncle Tupelo, went down a somewhat indie rock route with Wilco, Farrar has remained closer to the alt-country sound of the ground breaking Uncle Tupelo.

ELECTRIC MELODIER’S title is taken from the names of two vintage amplifiers dating back to the 1950’s and follows the politically charged UNION, which was released in 2019. That album was fiercely critical of the Trump administration and although the latest album touches on broader issues, tracks such as the bruising Living In The U.S.A and the stripped back bluesy War On Misery, reiterate Farrar’s exasperation with social issues close to home and further afield. (“I wanted politics to take a back seat this time, but it always seems to find a way back in there.” admits Farrar). Similarly, The Globe is a call to arms for a universal fight for equality.

Elsewhere Laura Cantrell adds her sweet vocals behind Farrar’s drawling delivery on the standout Diamonds and Cigarettes and it’s business as usual with the trademark driving Son Volt sound surfacing on Someday Is Now and Reverie. Further highlights emerge on the optimistic and broodily melodic Arkey Blue. ‘’It’s alright the worst will soon be over, let the rhythm rise’’ announces Farrar in the song, stretching each syllable to its limit to make his point.

This latest album finds Farrar and his band at the top of their game. Songs of unease and indeed unrest never sounded better on an album that packs an equally hefty punch to that of their classic AMERICAN CENTRAL DUST from 2009.

Review by Declan Culliton

Choctaw Ridge New Fables Of The American South 1968–1973 Ace Records

When Bobby Gentry sang of that ‘third of June, sleepy, dusty Delta day’ in her 1967 single Ode To Billie Joe, she could hardly have imagined the impact that song, with its deep, dark and unsettling overtones, would have. 

The country music lords in Nashville may have been initially dismissive of murky tales and shady characters from Tallahatchie Bridge, but this southern noir classic opened doors for a host of songwriters and singers, both male and female, and mainly from the southern States.  That song from Gentry only entered the Billboard country charts after it had topped the pop charts and by doing so compelled the conservative music industry movers and shakers in Nashville to sit up and take notice.  From it emerged a succession of classic songs, more often than not penned by songwriters that composed rather than performed. There was no shortage of singers to record the songs and many who charted them became household names as a result of that purple patch from 1968 – 1973.

Lee Hazlewood, Jerry Reed, Charlie Rich, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, Billie Jo Spears, all of whom became hugely successful country artists, grasped the songs presented to them with open arms and made them their own. Others such as Dolly Parton, Tom T Hall and Tony Joe White, composed their own similarly themed songs and also cemented eminently decorated careers. Somewhat lesser celebrated singer songwriters who blossomed during this era included Jeannie C Riley, Hoyt Axton, Nat Stuckey, Rob Galbraith, Ed Bruce and John Hartford. Michael Nesmith, becoming increasingly frustrated by the manufactured image imposed on him in the hugely successful cartoon pop band The Monkees, extracted himself from that band to pursue his preferred musical direction with the country rock outfit First National Band. 

Ace Records pay homage to these singers and songwriters on this excellent compilation album which celebrates the golden era of progressive pop country from the late 60’s to early 70’s, prior to the arrival of what became known as outlaw country. It’s also a reminder, if needed, of some of the outstanding writing and performances that followed that original Bobby Gentry four Grammy winning record. The twenty-four tracks on offer read like a series of Tennessee Williams’ short stories, often as dark as the deep waters of the Tallahatchie river and seldom presenting happy endings.

Tom T Hall sings of a miserable existence in an orphanage on Strawberry Farms and both eternal and young love, infidelity and domestic abuse feature on Four Shades Of Love, courtesy of Henson Cargill. The House Song, by Lee Hazlewood, details a tragic family break up and heartache emerges once more when Hazlewood is joined by Suzi Jane Hokom on the duet Alone. The taboo subject, at that time, of pregnancy outside wedlock, is tackled by Dolly Parton on the self-write Down From Dover and a Korean War veteran, returning from battle and scarred physically and emotionally, fills the lines of the Mel Tillis written classic Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town, performed by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition. These songs referenced are simply a snapshot from an album of perfectly tailored songs, both topical and unflinchingly honest.  It’s a ‘must buy’ for any discerning lover of country or indeed Americana music, but be warned, it’s also likely to empty your wallet as you get drawn into the shady world of southern noir and seek out other recordings by many of the artists featured.

Hats off to Ace Records for this enthralling musical journey. Let’s hope there are further volumes in the pipeline, rewarding a new generation of listeners with some ageless and classic songs that fully deserve to be rediscovered.

Review by Declan Culliton

Mikaela Finne Time Stands Still Self Release

 Dubbed ‘The Outlaw Queen of Finland’, Mikaela Finne is another name to add to the growing list of artists in the mushrooming Nordicana genre. Born and reared in Finland, where her music of choice was heavy metal in her younger years, she currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden, where her latest album was recorded. Her crossover to country and roots music was fuelled by her father’s passion for all things Dolly and Creedence.

 Producer and session drummer Brady Blade has worked with a host of household names in country and roots music including Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Buddy and Julie Miller and Patty Griffin. Given that Blade also lives in Stockholm, he was an obvious choice to get on board for the production duties and they recorded the album over a week in the studio during November 2020. Joined by a host of local session players, they also called on the services of the decorated pedal steel player Al Perkins to add his magic to the recording.

 The combination of Finne’s nasally twang and the support of those players has resulted in a suite of songs with a very raw and live feel. An ode to the collection of female artists recording what they want, rather than what the market might demand, she puts her cards on the table on both Outlaw Women and the swinging opener What If. As you might expect she also includes a few lovin’ and leavin’ numbers. The textbook country ballad We Both Wanted Forever (But Got For Now) is simply vocals and acoustic guitar, only embellished with bass and drums as the story reaches its conclusion. She’s moving on from a relationship that has lost steam in the catchy You Put Your Fire Out and her classic vibrato voice is put to good use on the melancholy title track. The latter is a highlight on an album that delivers melodious country flavours on some perfectly tailored songs. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Steve Dawson At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree Pravda

The soulful vocals of Steve Dawson formed a lasting impression on the music aficionados of the Chicago alternative scene in the early 1990s. His band, Dolly Varden, included his wife, the very talented Diane Christiansen, and they released six albums up to 2013. Since then, Dawson has released a few solo albums, collaborated on other projects and produced a variety of albums from his home studio, Kernel Sound Emporium, in Chicago. 

This new album is another solo offering and it was completed during lockdown at home. Self-produced and containing fourteen songs, all written by Dawson, this is quite an achievement in both depth and vision. The writing seems to come from a personal place and many of the tracks speak of childhood memories, looking back to find clues to moving forward and reminiscing on what shapes a life.

Dawson played a range of instruments for the album, including all guitars, bass, drums, various keyboards, lap steel, dulcimer, accordion and harmonium. He still sings as sweetly as ever, with a resonance in his delivery that is very capturing. Alton Smith contributes piano on two songs, Michael Miles plays banjo on another and Diane Christiansen adds vocals on one track in addition to creating the cover art. 

She Knew appears to reference his Mother and the life lessons learned from listening to her advice, ‘honey, you always worry too much.’ The message of enduring friendship in Hard Time Friend is a sanctuary from the cold world that cares little for the concerns of the individual, ‘here we are tired and obscured, Pulling the weight of the centuries, My hand reaching for yours.’ The need for connection is all too clear from these songs and it’s a theme that continues through the album.

On the title track, Dawson sings, ‘I am stunned by the cruelty, I am trying to be kind, To undo the damage left behind.’ The song conjures up an early memory of Dawson and his sister swinging on a large branch and channels childhood as innocence lost. Equally, I Will Never Stop Being Sorry, seems to capture another painful memory and family loss. The lines ‘But who are the ghosts, who plot and who plan? Who stomp ‘round the room with their sacks full of sand,’ paint an all-too real image of being haunted by the past. There is the thought in Forgiveness Is Nothing Like I Thought It Would Be that ‘There’s no choir of angels, no surprise epiphany, But I can wish you well out on your island in the sea.’ Resolving to let go of the past and the weight that holds us down is perhaps the best response to the feeling of being trapped by memories?

In, The Spaces In Between, Dawson says that ‘Life’s too short and it takes too long, Years fly by and the days drag on.’ The dichotomy of these thoughts only goes to highlight the dilemma of being in the present but consumed by the past. This is a brave album, bare in the writing with lovely melodies to soothe as the song arrangements lure you into an easy state of relaxation. A really impressive album and one that should feature in any discerning collectors list.

Review by Paul McGee

Charles Ellsworth Honeysuckle Summer Burro Borracho

Based in Brooklyn, New York and with a number of previous releases, this talented singer-songwriter delivers his latest slice of Americana. With plenty of insightful lyrics, these eight songs are very well produced by Joe Reinhart at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia and delivered by a group of musicians that include Jared Schapker on bass, Blake Suben on drums, Mike Brennan on pedal/lap steel, Nate Vaeth on piano/organ and Lucy Stone on backing vocals. They all support Ellsworth’s vision and play with a great understanding and groove on the song arrangements.

The title, Honeysuckle Summer, crops up in the song, Miami AZ, which is a look back at small town romance and a girl and boy striking out for something bigger. The reference to Miami in this song refers to a town in Gila County, Arizona, the state where Ellsworth grew up before moving to the big city lights.

Opening song, Gripping Onto Water, speaks of father issues, employer greed and unrequited love. It could have its roots in personal experience but equally it’s the song of everyman growing up in small town conservatism and limited opportunity. Equally, the song, Max and Geraldine, looks at a couple, teenage sweethearts, who now struggle to pay their bills in the middle of health issues. White Cross On the Highway looks at a life spent on the road and long-distance love. Perhaps, another personal reflection, with a sense of time running down; maybe a slice of personal regret, ‘Oh, this highway’s like a graveyard, For the lives I could have lived.’ 

Blessed is a song that hits home with commentary on the bankrupt morality in the USA. The hypocrisy and the Vaseline-smeared image of ‘The Land of the Free.’ Also, the song, Blood In the Halls, is an anti-gun lobby view of school shootings and punches out an anger that is palpable in the arrangement. Laundromat is a song that looks at the vicissitudes of life, the knowledge that love comes and goes and above all, to believe in yourself.  

Final track, Trouble, is perhaps a view of our collective Covid fears and speaks of ‘Living in the past and worried about the future.’ Also, Ellsworth sums it all up in the final lines of the song, ‘Be right here, right now and remember to breathe.’

This is a superb album, coming from a personal space, filled with lots of great moments and well worth your time. 

Review by Paul McGee

James McMurtry The Horses And The Hounds New West

When approaching a new album from this much-revered songsmith of hard-earned experience, it’s important to bear in mind that James has built a career based on observation. His gift in holding up many mirrors to the people from which he draws inspiration, is truly inspiring, and it continues to shine on this latest release. Of course, taking a character-based approach does not mean that his songs are exclusively about others, and despite his protestations, there is a hint of personal perspective that is bound to form part of the writing. Just how much of the former, or the latter, is the chalk line that will be drawn by the listener, but don’t take the opinions expressed in the lyrics on a too literal basis.

On this, his tenth studio album, James has taken a look at more of the cross section of life that passes by his finely tuned intelligence and wit. Again, taking his fictional approach and injecting it with truisms and keenly observed insight. James can often come across as pretty stoic but he has a dry sense of humour that reveals his sense of fun.

Vaquero is a song that James has written in dedication to the memory of Bill Witliff, a screenwriter, author and photographer who was a close friend of his father, renowned writer Larry McMurtry (R.I.P.). Witliff worked on the Lonesome Dove mini-series for tv in 1989, which was an interpretation of the great novel, written by Larry McMurtry and published in 1985. 

Decent Man is a tale about a small rancher, on his last legs, who takes his frustrations out on a close friend and spends the rest of his days confronting his moment of madness. The travails of a long-distance relationship is tackled in What’s The Matter, with a touring musician trying to keep the lid on his challenges back home with a disaffected wife, ‘we’re nearly twenty years older, and it’s not like we thought it’d be, we never talked this over, you can’t lay it all on me.’ The twin guitar attack of Charlie Sexton and Dave Grissom driving the rhythm on a wave of high tempo energy.

Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call, is a cleverly worded tale of disillusioned honeymooners suffering the hotel blues and trying to get out of Florida during lockdown. It’s such a witty song with the frustrations manifest in the lines, ‘she’s camped in the shower and she won’t come out, and I don’t have a clue what that’s about.’ 

Canola Fields visits the past, reflected through memories of an old crush and how it’s never too late to try and relive an old dream. Lines like, ‘we all drifted away with the days getting shorter, seeking our place in the greater scheme, kids and careers and a vague sense of order, busting apart at the seams,’ capture the wonderful imagery in picturing the lost years of adolescence and growing up into adulthood.

Operation Never Mind is a scathing attack on foreign policy and modern military warfare as a PR exercise, with the KBR at the hub of spinning the whole policy of divide and conquer. They provide logistical support to the U.S. military and lines such as, ‘we just go on about our business, drop the kids off at the mall, play the Black Ops on the laptop, and don’t make too big a fuss about it all’ really nail the apathy and the ignorance of the American general public to the real truth behind the covert warmongering. 

If It Don’t Bleed highlights the differences between the values of today with those of years gone by; when nobody got very upset about the ‘small stuff’ and had a philosophy of live and let live. The song character also muses, I’m near enough to Jesus as I ever want to get, seeking salvation isn’t part of my general plan.’ No self-righteous hypocrisy going on with this older generation dude! The title track is a co-write with guitarist Dave Grissom and looks at a man on the run, a runaway who is running out of options, in his life choices and his relationships. 

The final track, Blackberry Winter, references Virginia Wolfe with images of both rocks and rivers, which is the way that she took her life. It mirrors a modern couple who are having relationship difficulties. The impact of progress on rural communities is tackled on the song, Jackie, where the female farmer/trucker does whatever she can to keep up with her financial commitments and constraints. Her worn-down attempts to keep everything together leading to a cruel end.

There are three co-writes on the album, something of a departure, as James tends to write alone. The remaining seven songs are self-penned and the album was recorded with producer Ross Hogarth at Jackson Browne’s Groovemaster studio in Santa Monica, California. Using a stellar cast of musicians, the album is testament to the prodigious talent that continues to set the bar very high for any aspiring songwriter who seeks to learn how this wizard continues to conjure up the magic.

Review by Paul McGee      

New Album Reviews

Chris J Norwood I Am Not Cool State Fair

 In the opening prologue Norwood tells us quite why he is not cool. “I am not cool, I don’t play rock ’n’ roll / I am just a man trying to sing what I know / I am just a man trying to sing what I know / there’s only two kinds of music what’s true and what ain’t.” Well, he does sings about what he knows and what’s true, but as for not playing rock ’n’ roll, that may depend on your definition of the up-tempo guitar-driven song The Final Girl that follows it. Norwood is one of the two electric guitar players listed in the credits, the other being co-producer (with Norwood) Guillermo Murillo. The rhythm section of Steve Moore and Randall Marsow, aptly deliver the bass and drums respectively. His wife Carrie Norwood completes the line-up on background vocals - a contribution that is notable on many tracks. Listening to the album there also appears to be some other instruments (steel and dobro) in the mix too.

There is a poignancy to the story of Good Guy With A Gun, one of the albums obvious highlights. It tells of a father doing the best he could with his lot but who liked to keep and fire some rounds from his gun. Then, giving in to the pressures of his existence, turns it on himself. In Norwood’s case it is based on personal experience and therefore all the more tragic and layered with realism. The title track in its full song take elaborates on the prologue version both lyrically and musically. There is sense of vulnerability and openness to Norwood’s reading of this statement of his being in which he opts for truth and honesty in a sometimes cruel and often cynical world. There is a range of self-effacement in Norwood’s writing revealing that his “uncoolness” is, in fact, something to savour in his outlook and identity.

There is restraint to Creature of Bad Habits, which has steel guitar under the acoustic guitar voice, allowing the words and mood the space to float freely. In a similar vein but from a very different perspective is the closing track I Wrote You A Song, which is an unashamed declaration of love for his wife Carrie. Leaving Louisiana Behind has a full sound with a determined rhythm under pinning its road travel theme and of returning home.  

Another song that seems more personal insight and that has a nice jaunty country feel with its dobro and handclaps is Grandpa Was a Farmer. There is a John v Jane interplay in I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart) between the Norwood’s (Chris and Carrie) - or their later egos - to declare their need for each other but also the notion that that need is also tearing them apart. A relationship is central to Love And Mercy and it allows that ‘home is home’ wherever they are at a particular time. It relates to the nomadic touring lifestyle that this Dallas native and partner had in the past.

I had never previously come across Norwood but enjoyed this album. It may be a little difficult to pin down with its influences but, in this case, Americana seems an appropriate shelf to put it on, though a seasoned listener might detect several different influences that go into creating Norwood’s serious but often smile inducing songcraft. If you let the album speak for itself, I think you will find it pretty cool, if not, being uncool has its own merits.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Summer Dean Bad Romantic Self Release

The old adage of ‘following your dream’ comes to mind with this debut full album from rural Texan Summer Dean. Abandoning a ten-year career as an elementary teacher she bravely packed away the school books, dusted down her guitar and, togged out head to toe in denim, headed out on her musical adventure.

BAD ROMANTIC - the title says it all – tells her tale in her own forthright words from the opener Picket Fence. Unashamedly free of commitments and a free spirit, she announces on that song, ‘I’m all alone, a woman on her own, writing songs with no baby and no vows’. Further confirmation of her current status comes across on her signature song Blue Jean Country Queen and the Glenn Barber written Yes Ma’am He Found Me In A Honky Tonk, which is delivered in unapologetic style.

Dean put down a marker of where she was coming from with her six track 2016 EP UNLADYLIKE. An impressive suite of country songs, it earmarked her as ‘one to watch’. She followed that recording by booking herself shows at bars and dancehall and honing her act, sharing stages with Marty Stuart, Mike & The Moonpies, Asleep at the Wheel and Colter Wall.  Fast forward five years from that debut EP to BAD ROMANTIC and her hard work has paid dividends. Dean here comes across as hugely more confident and rebellious with an entirely more muscular sound and the songs to match. She pours her heart and soul into each and every track and is complemented by a bunch of players that appear to be having every bit as much fun as she herself is.  

Sharing the mic with Colter Wall was inspired, their duet You’re Lucky She’s Lonely is a delight. Other familiar names that lent a hand are Whitney Rose and Bonnie Montgomery, who both added harmony vocals and Robert Ellis, who plays piano on Dear Caroline. Elsewhere the atmospheric title track is a classic country ballad, bringing to mind the many equally moving border songs from her fellow Texan, Joe Ely. Her plea for ‘real’ country music Hey Mister, could be directed towards the lords on Music Row and she slips in the obligatory lovin’ and leavin’ song with the upbeat Three Timin’ Game.

Aside from Dean’s raw and natural vocalising and the wonderful players that support her, the greatest compliment I can pay the album is that it’s a fun listen that had me smiling from start to finish. I can’t think of any other female artist currently as outlaw as Summer Dean. With the swagger of Waylon and the attitude of Hag, this lady is the business. A late comer to her newly chosen career, let’s hope the fire she’s ignited continues to rage going forward.

Review by Declan Culliton

Leah Blevins First Time Feeling Crabtree

 Kentucky born chanteuse Leah Blevins is blessed with a voice that lands somewhere between the quintessential country vocals of Dolly Parton and the soulful trilling of Dusty Springfield.  With a childhood upbringing surrounded by gospel music at church and classic country at home, she incorporates both in FIRST TIME FEELING but on her own terms, pouring her heart and soul into each and every one of the ten tracks. 

An inspired move by Blevins was calling on outlaw country artist Paul Cauthen to produce the album. With a similar upbringing to her own, Cauthen’s career, both as a recording artist and producer, has found him pushing out the boundaries with his bespoke amalgam of country, soul and blues. Blevins follows a similar musical path on her debut album, with the bones of the material and much of the album’s thread finding her lifting the veil on past personal troubles. Currently residing in Nashville, she describes the album as “a timestamp of my twenties”, recalling individuals encountered and situations lived through.

Those familiar with Cauthen’s work will recognise his stamp firmly planted on both the raucous opening track Afraid and the funky soulful stomp Magnolias.  Blevin revisits her gospel influenced childhood on both Believe and Mountain and showcases her vocal versatility on the classic countrypolitan Beautiful Disaster. The super catchy power poppy First Time Feeling recalls Aimee Mann and Clutter is unadulterated country soul, both emphasising how difficult it is to shoehorn Blevins into any particular genre. 

Notwithstanding her exceptional vocal talents, Blevins displays the flair to create songs that draw the listener in with their candour. With a family tree that includes grandparents, aunts and uncles performing in a touring gospel group, Leah Blevins is proudly following that family tradition. It will be interesting to note what musical direction she pursues going forward, but it’s fair to say that with her incredible voice, her musical horizons are limitless.

Review by Declan Culliton

Karen Jonas Summer Songs EP/Gumballs (Poetry Collection) Self-Release

It only seems like yesterday when we reviewed and loved Karen Jonas’s last album THE SOUTHWEST SKY AND OTHER DREAMS, which was followed earlier this year by her streamed standout performance at Americanafest UK. That album, released in 2020, and her remote performance at the festival, copper fastened our opinion of an artist that continues to improve with her subsequent recordings and has the stage presence to do her music justice in the live setting.  Her kinship with long time guitarist Tim Bray, both on stage and in the studio, brings to mind a similar dynamic that exists between another Lonesome Highway favourite Eilen Jewell and her axeman Jerry Miller.

Jonas’ latest project is a four track EP titled SUMMER SONGS, which combines three self-written songs accompanied by a reworking of Don Henley’s The Boys of Summer. In addition to the EP, she is also launching a deeply personal collection of poems titled GUMBALLS. Incredibly, the poetry - thirty poems of sixty written by her are included - emerged from a week’s feverish writing in January of this year. The subject matter often marks difficult life chapters, with prose as painful as a wound not quite healed as yet. An embarrassing scolding from her father (Sit Up and Act Like a Lady), religious guilt (A Terrible Catholic, Swallow It), divorce (Marriage Counselling Dropout), and infidelity (Two Men At Once) are a sample of her confessions, which give the reader an insight into the minor detail as well as the big picture.

During the writing process Karen was reminded of songs previously semi composed by her, which she reconnected with and updated. Given her frame of mind, not surprisingly a somewhat melancholic mood prevails. She opens with the Don Henley classic, remaining true to the original but it’s on her three self-penned songs that her light shines brightest. They take place at a somewhat slower pace than that opening track, highlighting her sultry vocal styling on both the soulful Summer’s Hard For Love and the bluesy Thunder On The Batter. The final track, Summer Moon, is melancholic and stripped back to the bone, a solo performance of vocal and acoustic guitar.

Another tantalising flavour of what Kelly Jonas is capable of, SUMMER SONGS suggests an artist who is every bit as comfortable crooning soulful ballads as she is launching country and roots numbers.  GUMBALLS is also well worth the purchase, it’s simply wonderful and an indication of a fearless and reborn artist with so much to offer and lots to say.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kayla Ray Songs of Extreme Isolation, Economic Crisis and Other Funny Things Self-Release

One of the most prolific performers during lockdown, the honeyed vocalist and astute songwriter Kayla Ray’s remote streams were a breath of fresh air, feeding punters starved of live events. Juggling between shows that featured cover songs, self writes, gospel and other selected themes, her confident and humour filled presentations put her splendid voice and skilled guitar playing on display.

A favourite album of 2018 at Lonesome Highway, YESTERDAY & ME was a compilation of strikingly evocative songs that ranged from country ballads to full-on honky tonkers. Understandably, given the resources available to her, this latest recording is an altogether different affair. Like many others, she found herself in uncharted territory during the past twelve months. By way of a reaction to the positive feedback of her live streams, she has recorded a selection of her songs on the aptly titled SONGS OF EXTREME ISOLATION, ECONOMIC CRISIS AND OTHER FUNNY THINGS. Armed with her ‘made for country’ voice, an acoustic guitar, a dobro and little else, she recreates the ambience of those live streams across eight tracks.

The songs touch on isolation (Brand New Way), optimism (Tree Of Life), nostalgia (May The Iron Horse Get Fed) and sly humour (Quarantine Can Bong). She raises the tempo on the upbeat protest song If Freedom Is What We’re After and sweet melancholic pedal steel enlivens both The Losing End and Good Enough For Me. An old head on young shoulders, the common denominator across the songs is Kayla’s capacity to timelessly trigger the sound of country music from bygone eras, while also sounding as fresh as morning dew.

It remains a mystery to me, and indeed a travesty, that Kayla Ray is not yet a household name in the country/Americana genre. This addition to her catalogue is further confirmation of her skill as a songwriter and also that she is the possessor of a voice that weaves, dips and twangs in all the right places. If you’re familiar with her music, this album is probably already on your radar. If she’s a new name to you, do track this album down and check out her outstanding back catalogue.

Review by Declan Culliton

Clint Morgan Troublemaker Lost Cause

Coming in just short of the hour, this album is a chocolate box of different flavours and hidden treats. Starting with the great band dynamic on Hangman Woman, with funky groove, guitar and piano excelling; we are then given the soulful Go Down, Moses, a traditional song given a fresh new take with the McCrary sisters (Ann and Regina) excelling on harmony vocals. The blues kick in with a vengeance on Ain’t That the Blues, with jazzy New Orleans piano from Kevin McKendree and mean harmonica from Bob Corritore. Wonderful, vibrant production from Morgan and McKendree helps of course, as this album delivers on all fronts. 

There are the wonderful skills of Doug Lancio (baritone and slide guitar), David Santos and Tom Pell (various bass), Kevin McKendree (acoustic and electric guitar, piano, Hammond organ, Rhodes electric piano and percussion). Jim Hoke contributes on saxophones, with Kenneth Blevind on drums and Jimmy Stewart on fiddle. Wendy Moten sings background vocals and John Del Toro Richardson guests on guitar and vocals (Hurricane Harvey), plus there are star appearances from Watermelon Slim and Bob Margolin (The Cover Of the Living Blues) and Kinky Freedman (Somebody Put A Walmart On the Farm).

There is a great cover version of the Johnny Cash classic, Big River, with a nod to the Ray Charles hit, ‘What I’d Say’ included in the chorus lines. There is a Mark Knopfler guitar sound on Echoes, with atmospheric cello (Austin Hoke) and oboe (Robby Shankle), that pays tribute to the ties that bind family together and to ageing with dignity. 

It’s Rough Out Here has a driving beat with spoken vocals and a mean groove laid down by twin guitar and keyboard attack. A song borne of frustration, with even a plea from God falling on deaf ears, ‘I gave you a book, Have you read it lately?’ There is a great Chuck Berry feel to the song ‘She Take My Money’ with more barrelhouse piano and horns dishing out the drama, ‘My honey take my money, She think that I’m a cash machine.’ Superbly delivered and a stand out track.

Too Rich To Sing the Blues is a tongue-in-cheek song about wealth not being the root to happiness in life, ‘I can sing like Lightnin’ Hopkins, But I spend like Howard Hughes.’ There are also name checks to Wille Dixon, Little Walter, Pinetop Perkins, Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, as the guitar solo mirrors the best BB King groove you will hear, apart from the man himself. Such a clever song, followed by the equally impressive Hurricane Harvey that slows everything down to an atmospheric slow glide, with swapped vocals between Morgan and Richardson. 

The Kinky Freedman cameo on Somebody Put A Walmart On the Farm is another highlight with lines such as ‘There’s a self-service express mart in what used to be the barn’ and ‘The front porch is right around aisle number three.’ Again, the band excelling on a Dr John styled groove and backing vocals to wrap around the beat. Stirring stuff. Freedman also does a nice bonus track version of The Cover Of the Living Blues, a send up of the ‘Cover Of the Rolling Stone’ classic written by Shel Silverstein. This is an album that celebrates life, having a good time and just letting your feet do the dancing. A joy from start to finish.

Review by Paul McGee

Craig Cardiff All This Time Running True North

This Canadian artist has proven himself to be both talented and versatile across a career that has seen multiple releases in his home country. He is not well known on European shores and more is the pity. Kicking off with the title track, All This Time Running, you are immediately struck by his sense of melody and easy way with words, ‘The head is a light, The heart is a compass.’. 

The album has eleven tracks and they play out across thirty-five minutes, with six bonus tracks that deliver a further twenty-plus minutes of quality music (two tracks from the main album are given alternate takes). Of those six bonus tracks, a cover version of Peter Gabriel’s Don’t Give Up is included but lacks some of the emotion that carried the original to such media acclaim and is perhaps just a bit too ‘clean’ in the production. Both Ymir, BC and Dirty Old Town are further proof of the honeyed vocal prowess of Cardiff and the confidence with which he leads these songs home.

Cardiff writes all the songs and gives production duties over to Steven Ryan and David Campbell, both of whom play on the album. Indeed, there are quite a number of contributors in the studio and a count of seventeen different players gives some idea of the scale and scope included here. Horn arrangements are muted and introduced for the first time on Yellowknife, Equally the string parts (arranged by David Campbell) are subtle in the mix and introduced on Wyoming.  The acoustic sound of songs like Fire, Fire, Fire and Greyhound, SK are fine examples of the interplay between musicians with banjo, acoustic guitar, double bass and mandolin bringing great colour to the songs. 

Another track, Wrong Place, Wrong Time, follows a similar path and the inclusion of clarinet and soft strings add greatly to the melodic swing and the wistful vocal delivery. Flugelhorn and trumpet, piano and keyboards/synths all find room in the arrangements, never sounding cluttered, even on bigger production numbers such as Moon and the celebratory Bryant Park. 

Nick Roy contributes quite an impressive array of wind instruments (eight in total), in addition to working on all horn arrangements with Cardiff. The easy sway of The American is a change of direction with violin, viola and cello providing a sweet counterbalance to the rhythm, that echoes Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) in the vocal delivery. These are gentle songs that make for a very enjoyable listen. Certainly, an album that hits all the right targets and comes highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Danny and The Champions of the World Los Campeones en Vivo Loose

Danny and the Champions of the World were formed in London in 2007 by Danny George Wilson. He started his musical journey in the band, Grand Drive, who released a number of critically acclaimed albums around the turn of the millennium, before borrowing the name from a novel by Roald Dahl and forming his current band. He has also released two solo albums (one this year), in addition to his work with the Champs. They now have a back catalogue of six studio albums, all of which have been released on Loose Music in England. They also released a live album, Live Champs! (2014) and now follow it up this year with another live offering, Los Campeones en Vivo, recorded in Northern Spain during a tour in March, 2018 last. The title translates as ‘Live Champions’ and that is just what they are.

Their line up on this record is Danny George Wilson (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitar), Chris Clarke (bass guitar, vocals & percussion), Steve Brookes (drums and percussion), Paul Lush (electric guitar), Henry Senior (pedal steel) and Thomas Collison (keyboards and vocals) and it is a stirring, vibrant glimpse at the power they possess when playing together in this tightest of units. 

It’s seventeen tracks with a running time of one hundred minutes plus – quite an experience on headphones with air guitars regularly accompanied by frenzied dancing around my desk. Their sound is right out of the Americana songbook, hook-laden arrangements, exciting guitar riffing and full of dramatic peaks as the music rises and falls in tandem with the energy levels expended on the night. Danny has enough soulful gravel in his vocal to add a layer of lived-in smoky tones to these songs. Springsteen meets Son Volt and the collective power is quite addictive.

The Brilliant Light album from 2017 is the most represented here, as would be expected, with ten of the tracks taken from it. A further two tracks are played from each of the albums What Kind Of Love (2015), Hearts and Arrows (2011), Stay True (2013) and one track is from Streets Of Our Time (2009). There are extended band workouts and the longest tracks, Let the Water Wash Over You, Brothers In the Night, Gotta Get Things Right In My Life and That Old Space Rocket all carry an exuberant energy and swagger, with a great band dynamic at play.

The production mix and separation are top drawer and the spirit of the Allman Brothers was walking tall with these impressive musicians as they displayed their collective talents across the stages of Europe. It is a document of the pre-Covid times and hopefully it will not be too long before Danny and the Champs return to the boards and are kicking up a lot of dust again. One of the best live albums you will ever hear!

Review by Paul McGee

Luke LeBlanc Only Human Self Release

This is the first full album release by Luke, using his actual name, with his two previous releases appearing under the performance name of Little Diamonds. There was an EP back in 2018, Time On My Hands, leading up to these ten songs that have been written over recent times.

All the tracks have a great band sound, with, Driving, setting it all off; a song for the road and getting lost in new experiences, pulling into different towns and the enjoyment of being anonymous. The Way It Goes has a really catchy melody and lovely violin runs from Kerri Joy. The acoustic, stripped back sound on Same Blues acts as the perfect vehicle to grandstand the subtle touch on guitar and the wry lyrics that LeBlanc conjures up, ‘Driving at midnight gets me lonesome, I didn’t know love until I had some, She didn’t like my occupation, It was a drive-away situation.’

Lowry Avenue is about owning a record store that no-one frequents anymore and wondering about selling up, with a nice Steve Miller vibe to the vocal and song arrangement. Too Early Gone has some subtle interplay and a gentle look at the death of a close friend and trying to make sense of a senseless situation. Water has LeBlanc promising to ‘take the dark away’ and ‘making promises I can’t keep’ in trying to express his love for a sweetheart. All very nicely wrapped up in a mid-tempo rhythm that dovetails around pedal steel and keyboard sounds. The title track, Only Human, is a slow ballad, considered and heart-felt, as LeBlanc wrestles with his inability to make the world feel the love and positivity that he wishes for all. Some atmospheric piano and harmonica set against organ swells and a dreamy arrangement. Good Time Gone and Oh My Lordy both continue the high standards with the first, a gentle lilting melody and a song about pending heartbreak, the latter, a bluesy workout about focusing too much on material success and not being able to negotiate matters of the heart. 

These ten songs are all written by the very talented LeBlanc (with two co-writes) and it’s a really enjoyable experience across thirty -plus minutes of sweetly sounding melodies. LeBlanc plays guitar, organ, piano, harmonica and sings in a really engaging vocal style that colours the songs very nicely. He is joined by co-producer Erik Koskinen on electric and pedal steel guitar, plus bass. John Cleve Richardson adds piano, organ and vocals with Kerri Joy playing violin and singing, together with Erin Bekkers on drums.

Everything comes to a satisfactory conclusion on Nothing To Lose and the central message of this album, keep moving on and learning from life, leave the heartache and the pain in search for fair weather and happier times to come. ‘Think I’m gonna drive to the river tonight, see if I can make my tired mind right, watch that river flow, listen to the wind blow, try to learn something new.’ 

Amen to all of that, move on and stay positive. Luke LeBlanc is well on his journey to becoming a very well-known singer-songwriter of some talent, positive proof of his continued maturity as he takes his next steps. A real keeper.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Amanda Cook Narrowing The Gap Mountain Fever

Amanda Cook up and moved herself and her family from their native Florida to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia a couple of years ago, in order to be better geographically placed to survive as a touring bluegrass band. That courage and determination seems to have paid off as she releases her excellent fourth solo album, recorded with her stellar touring band in her record label’s Virginia studio. Co-produced by Cook herself along with Aaron Ramsey, the album is a collection of ten hard driving bluegrass songs, all relatively new compositions but recorded with a healthy reverence for the tradition.

Kicking off with a high tempo train song, Get On Board, from the pen of Vida Wakeman (Jeff & Vida) and Darrell Hayes, the joyful energy expressed here is carried though the whole project. As well as singing lead in her standout vocal, Cook has co-written (with Thomm Jutz) another train song Lonesome Leaving Train, which tells the tragic tale of a bride who is stood up on the train platform. Fiddler George Mason, who spent many years in Nashville with some of the top country  bands, demonstrates his chops everywhere but particularly here, where he expresses the acute  heartache through his sensitive playing. Banjoist Carolyne Van Lierop-Boone has been with Amanda since the band’s inception and her banjo playing is as good as it gets. However, she is also a talented songwriter, contributing three songs including West Virginia Coal, a co-write with her husband and now fellow band member, Troy Boone. She also wrote the one gospel number, Light In This World and co-wrote, with her band leader, the nostalgic My Used To Be Blue Ridge Mountain Home. Thomm Jutz gets another cut with the tear jerker It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over, whose gentle pace is a welcome contrast on this mostly high energy record. There’s a strong interpretation of Tim O’Brien’s When You Come Back Down, which will be very familiar to Nickel Creek fans. Another standout song is Brink Brinkman’s barnstormer, Burning Down The Mountain, a dramatically recounted tale of revenge which rises to a crescendo with the help of George Mason’s soaring fiddle and Carolyne Van Lierop-Boone’s driving banjo.

Recommended.

Postscript: On a sad note, the band’s guitar player Aaron ‘Frosty’ Foster, who also played on this recording, passed away suddenly earlier this year.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Christina Alden & Alex Patterson Hunter Self Release

Another happy result of pandemic lockdown, the enforced ‘rest’ allowed English duo Christina Alden and Alex Patterson to concentrate on a long planned first duo album, which they ably recorded in the basement of their home in Norwich city. The singer-songwriter couple are better known as part of the folk trio Alden Patterson & Dashwood, who have toured extensively in Britain and Europe. While not strictly an Americana sound, there is enough of a similarity with American old time and folk music, including Christina’s 5 string banjo playing, that it affords me an excuse to review this excellent record.

Securely rooted in the natural world, the title track Hunter recounts the touching relationship between the usually solitary Brown Bear and Grey Wolf, which was discovered by a Finnish photographer. Christina is the lead singer and her rich clear vocals are harmonised intuitively and sensitively by Alex. It’s an intuition that develops through much time spent together - the two have been creating music together for seven years. Alex, as well as recording and production duties, plays fiddle, viola, cello, guitar and shruti box. Christina contributes guitar and sometimes banjo.

The link between humans and nature is a strong theme on this collection - check out The Fox Song, The Greenland Shark and Reed Cutting. Land Corridors is an appeal to human beings to protect and restore the essential passageways used by wildlife to traverse between woodland and field - they have been obliterated by our relentless drive towards industrialisation and suburban development. An Irish/American connection arises with the song Brooklyn, inspired by Colm Toibin’s novel, wherein the conflicting feelings of homesickness and hopeful anticipation accompany all emigrants on their journey - a universal experience, undoubtedly. 

Recording at home at their leisure has lent an intimacy and simplicity to the album’s sound. This is carried through to the striking linocut artwork,created by Christina, presented on suitably ecofriendly recycled cardboard, and accompanied by detailed liner notes.

Review by Eilís Boland 

Jackson Browne Downhill From Everywhere Inside 

Over five decades of creative output, Jackson Browne has always been able to articulate the hopes and dreams, fears and vulnerabilities across the generations. Indeed, back in 1972 when he sung about ‘Waiting here for Everyman, Make it on your own if you think you can, If you see somewhere to go, I understand’ – he was reflecting the need for each individual to find their own way and their own answers to life’s mystery. Whether looking into personal matters of the heart or political issues of the head, Browne always speaks with an openness and an honesty that reflects his own doubts and uncertainties. Taking the universal and making it personal is a singular talent and a gift that he has shared from the outset. Whether campaigning for political reform, environmental change, justice for the disadvantaged or the end to conflict in third world countries; Browne has always tried to be true to himself and to mirror what he sees around him.

This new album, his eighteenth official release and his first in six years, is perfectly timed to deliver music of the highest quality and some potent messages for those of us who are open to listen. The young songwriter who wrote Running On Empty and stated, ‘I don't even know what I'm hoping to find, Running into the sun but I'm running behind’ - is still seeking out meaning in all of the good and bad that we create upon this earth. He is still open, reflecting, never judging, asking key questions and looking for some source of solace for the soul.

Opening track, Still Looking For Something, says it right from heart in the lines ‘Gonna keep my options open – even though I’m hoping, For something I can hold up to the light.’  Another track, A Human Touch, is a co-write, used in a documentary film about Aids (‘5B’), where Browne is joined by Leslie Mendelson on co-vocal to beautifully capture the essence of reaching out to others and to community with lines such as ‘Everybody gets lonely, Feel like it’s all too much, Reaching out for some connection.’ Still the traveller on a path to self-awareness but not forgetting to bring ‘everyman’ along for the journey.

The joy of living, coupled with social injustice, is captured on the song, Love Is Love, inspired by the people on the island of Haiti. Sadly, the issues touched upon are reflected in the news recently and the assassination of their president, Jovenel Moise. 

The title track, Downhill From Everywhere, is a plea to look at the continued damage that our materialism is causing to the oceans of the world. We are surrounded by water on this planet, with approximately seventy-one percent of the Earth's surface covered by water. In listing any number of images from our modern cities (the mall, the hospital, the church), Browne cleverly then turns the focus on news media and politicians, together with some of the agencies that control the flow of wealth (‘Downhill from the Russian doll’), all while posing the ultimate question, ‘Do you think of the ocean as yours? Do you think about it at all?

The Dreamer is a protest against the strict immigration laws in the United States that would deport a section of society who helped build and support the very infrastructure that is now turning on them. ‘We don’t see half the people around us, But we see enemies who surround us, And the walls that we’ve built between us, Keep us prisoners of our fear.’ This theme of waking up to the real issues of the day is followed on the superbly crafted track, Until Justice Is Real, and the thought that, ‘Ain’t on your TV, Ain’t on your phone, You want the truth, you got to find it on your own.’ 

This track also revisits the theme of “time” and our use of the allotted number of days we are given. On the album, The Pretender, Browne looked at “time” as a fuse burning down. On the album, Time the Conqueror, he looked again and mused that, ‘Time may heal all wounds, But time will steal you blind, Time the wheel, time the conqueror.’ On this new song, Browne reflects on ‘Time rolling away, time like a river, time like a train, Time like a fuse burning shorter every day.’ Again, his core message is aimed at ‘everyman’ in all these songs and summed up with the lines, ‘Look to each other and you’ll find it in yourself.’

In the song, A Little Too Soon To Say, Browne still holds out a light for mankind in our search for enlightened actions and when, perhaps, his youthful dreaming can finally find a place of rest. The search is what brings meaning after all and the journey is best not travelled alone, ‘Searching the horizon for what we can’t quite see, When all we ever needed, Has been there all along inside of you and me.’

Did I mention the music? Produced by Browne himself and calling on many of the elite players who have graced his music over the decades, there are many key contributions to the arrangements that reflect the beautiful melodies and harmony singing. The album is just shy of fifty minutes and the ten songs are all superbly crafted, with ensemble playing this is quite simply top of the scale in the delivery.

Using the talents of Mauricio Lewak (drums), Bob Glaub (bass), Jeff Young (Hammond organ), Val McCallum (guitars) and Greg Leisz (guitar, pedal steel) as the core musicians on most of the ten songs, Browne also calls upon old friends like Russ Kunkel (drums), Mark Goldenberg (electric guitar) and Waddy Wachtel (electric guitar), among many others, for cameo appearances. 

However, it is always the engagingly warm vocal tone of Browne himself that wins the day, sounding as resonant as ever. His singing both touches and inspires. Along with the seductively beautiful vocals of both Alethia Mills and Chavonne Stewart, Greg Leisz shines as the player to lift an arrangement to new heights, almost a look back down the path to those contributions from David Lindley all those years ago. The lyrical interplay and the potent words are fashioned for our times and the calypso sound and samba beat of tracks like A Song For Barcelona and the island sunshine of Love Is Love are a real joy.

Browne sums up a career in music on Song For Barcelona, a tribute to the city and its zest for life, where he often visits and which he credits with recharging his batteries and reviving his appetite. He looks at connection and people who gather there to celebrate life, love and adventure. The dreamer in Browne is still out there, looking for answers and just over the next turn in the road, ever vigilant and ever aware of the need to keep searching. He remains a beacon of light among songwriters and this album is yet another testament to his enduring influence and vision.

Review by Paul McGee

Sean McConnell A Horrible Beautiful Dream Self Release

For those who are new to the music of Sean McConnell, then a real treat lies in store. Ever since his debut album appeared in 2000, he has been releasing music of real quality and this seventh album is no exception. Following on from the critically acclaimed, Secondhand Smoke, from 2019, McConnell continues to ask questions of the world that surrounds him. Observations about relationships, the ideals of truth and justice and the way we increasingly look to material success for some kind of temporary acknowledgement.

He has written songs for other artists over many years, mainly while involved with publishing company Warner-Chappell, where a diverse list of names like Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Meat Loaf, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and the hit TV shoe Nashville were just some that benefited from his talents. 

The new album was produced by McConnell in his studio, Silent Desert, which sits on his farm just outside of Nashville. Having moved to the city for college, he subsequently married and stayed there in order to focus more on his career. During the Covid lockdown he also turned his talents to production and worked with some local artists on albums that reached completion over the last year. 

On the cover of this latest release, A HORRIBLE BEAUTIFUL DREAM, there is a light aircraft sitting in the middle of a field, about to take off and staring down the eye of an approaching hurricane. It is an appropriate image for the song content that awaits the listener with many reflecting the past eighteen months of fear and uncertainty that we have all lived through.

McConnell found himself reflecting on everything during the Covid lockdown, from the big questions of our mortality to the smaller issues that surround community and caring for our neighbour in times of uncertainty. The black and white view of the world that so 

many espouse as the singular way they stay in control of their lives has suddenly plunged into many different shades of grey, including the daily decisions we make in bringing meaning to our routines and rituals.

Family clearly is at the centre of his concerns and songs like Price Of Love has McConnell seeking advice and solace from his mother as he grapples with the issues of keeping his wife and daughter safe. The Wonder Years is a song that questions the tired old image of liberty and justice for all, as reflected in the Statue of Liberty, asking where the sense of equality disappeared to in our race towards the mighty dollar. Another song, I Built You Up, looks at the price of fantasising about celebrity and looking to fame as a dubious solution to all our personal issues. The McCrary Sisters lend their talents to the backing harmonies and deliver a deeply soulful Gospel sound. 

Self-doubt surfaces on songs, Used To Think I Knew and Nothing Anymore, with his confidence knocked in the face of Covid and fear of the unknown. On the lighter side, The Thirteenth Apostle is a fun look at what might have been the real support behind the disciples as they followed Jesus (‘I get the water, I wash the clothes… and I make my own bathtub gin’).

I Still Believe In You is a song that reflects upon the love for his wife and when all else is subject to question and review, there is comfort in family, ‘Nothing is easy now, not like it was bеfore, I built my world around something not there anymore, And when it all fell down I found it was never true, Don’t know what I believe but I still believe in you.’

Getting Somewhere examines his relationship with his father and the advice given over the years. As The Curtain Came Down considers the final gig before Covid lockdown and how much he would have embraced and savoured the moment if the future was known then. What The Hell Is Wrong With Me is a song that tackles youthful issues of fear and self-doubt, summed up in the lines ‘Guess I’ve always had a monster underneath my bed, Every house is haunted when the ghost is in your head.’

Remember You’re Here stands as a testament to the one strength that we can all draw upon and that is the constancy of hope. Belief that we can endure in this world and calm the doubts, ‘Oh, you’ve gotta laugh at it, Oh, you’ve gotta scream, What a horrible, beautiful dream.’

The standout track, Leave A Light On, sums up for the care that McConnell feels for another, and indeed a promise that we could all use in our daily lives; ‘I’ll leave the light on to find your way home, And when your battle is over and done, I’ll be right here, yeah, my love’s like the sun, Hard to see from where you are, but never gone.’

The production on the album is flawless with McConnell playing a number of the instruments and singing in his sweetly soulful and warm vocal tenor. There are a number of guest musicians, including Garrison Starr, who sings on four tracks, plus vocal contributions from The Wood Brothers, Audra Mae, Natalie Hemby, Fancy Hagood and the great Dan Tyminski. His musical friend, Ben Alleman, plays keyboards and organ on almost every track and there are other fine appearances from Billy Justineau on piano (two songs), Caleb Elliott on cello (two songs) and Kimi Samson on violin.

This is a richly rewarding album and a very generous fifty minutes of great song-writing and sensitively delivered musicianship. Definitely one of the highlights for me this year.

Review by Paul McGee

Georgia English Pain and Power Self Release

This is the third full album release from a singer-songwriter who grew up in San Francisco and who now lives in Nashville. She has built a strong reputation as an artist of some talent on the concert circuit and also from her two prior albums and now finds her creative muse in the launch of an illustrated album. Both book of illustrations and fourteen tracks of music are meant to be experienced together to properly immerse yourself in the listening process and to fully appreciate the project in its completed form. A brave venture and one that is potentially fraught with problems, running the gauntlet of misinterpretation, to lack of proper regard for the innovative steps taken.

I’m pleased to say that the vision which conjured up this interesting fusion of two worlds; that of books and music, has been more than justified. The overall impression on completing the journey with Georgia across forty-five minutes is one of due respect and not a little wonder at the talent on display. In addition to being a very gifted illustrative artist, her song-writing prowess is right up there with the best that I have heard this year.

Opening track, Starring In A Play, is a self-reflective look at how fragile we all can be and how we are all actors on this stage of life. Her sweet vocal perfectly wrapped around the slow groove and the delicate melody. The next song, Houseplant, could not be further removed and shows the quirkier, off-beat nature of Georgia as she carries on a stilted conversation with a newly acquired house plant.  It’s a placebo against the brutal reality of the daily tv news and something that she can control by watering and keeping it alive.

America follows and it has a resigned slow melody as a lament to all that is wrong with aspects of American society and some of her skewed values. There is an air of sad acceptance in the vocal delivery, a yearning, with so much wrong when you look behind the curtain.

One Of the People is a song that looks to forgive others, to let go of self-doubt, wanting acceptance and to embrace self-belief. Opening lines, ‘If I could do anything, I’d learn how to forgive,’ gives the feeling of a young innocent who has suffered trauma. This is continued on the next song, Fourteen, with the sense of being socially awkward and self-conscious, a certain vulnerability in the words, ‘And I am so afraid that I don’t have what it takes, To be somebody with something to give.’ Searingly honest emotions and all the more laudable for baring her soul.

Messed You Up is a song about communing with the vastness of Nature and shifting focus by seeing your place in the universe and just how small and insignificant it all seems in the face of such beauty. Choices In Hell is about going through feelings of darkness and just persevering until you come out the other side. ‘Tried meditation and ketamine, Yeah I’ll try anything once, To watch something dissolve in me.’ Such a great lyric and musical accompaniment here as the self-realisation that we can heal ourselves becomes clear.

The next track,Who, lightens the load with a poppy vibe and a bouncy arrangement that aims some well-directed blows at the hypocrisy and racism of the former president of the USA.  The track, Where Are You Now? examines trauma and shame, breaking it down into bite-size chunks, looking to spit it out and come out of a cycle of self-blame and negative thinking. ‘Do you know your voice, Can you hear your grief, Can you smell the flowers bloom, On your childhood street.’ 

Whatever It Takes is such a naked song, opening up the wounds of a younger self and seeking to heal and move beyond, living in the moment and hoping for a sense of acceptance. ‘Protection’s not protection, when it’s from the truth, You don’t owe redemption when we’re talking about abuse.’ Powerful honesty and the gentle melody belies the feelings of anger and frustration.

Maybe Me is about feeling your worth, learning how to breathe and move forward into a new beginning. ‘Finding faith in our shared humanity’ sings Georgia, as this phase of redemption begins to take hold. It is followed by Springtime In the Suburbs which takes a wry swipe at middle America in all its conservative lack of empathy. Statue Of Jesus is a really clever piece of writing that dissects similar issues and the need to deny and hide from the racism that permeates their safe little enclaves. Barricaded in their privilege and victim to suspicion and fear.

Power You Possess brings the song cycle to full circle and surrenders the past to the future. The scars that heal and the strength that is gained from self-empowerment. It’s quite a ride, rollercoaster twists and turns, some respite in gentler waters and a way to rise above all the waves that tossed you on the storms of life. The music is played by Josh Preston (of Me and the Machine Records), who also co-produced with Georgia and his gentle touch on the arrangements is a key component to the success of this project.

The booklet is very attractive and engaging, with the lyrics woven into the colourful artwork. The design and layout are by Lisa Preston and the entire visual experience is both stimulating and worthy of your full attention.

The whole journey is based upon the ancient, Hero’s Journey tradition, also known as the mono myth. Typically, the story tells of a hero who embarks on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis and comes home transformed by the experience. The album song cycle follows this in three sections; Departure, Initiation and Return. It’s the archetypical tale of redemption. I cannot praise this creative work of real substance any more than urging you to purchase it from Georgia on her website at;  https://www.georgiaenglishmusic.com/shop. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Paul McGee

Mike And The Moonpies One To Grow Prairie Rose 

Hailed in many quarters as one of the premier live acts currently in country music, Mike and The Moonpies’ talents were never simply limited to their blistering live shows. Their studio output has been equally impressive and despite their heavy touring schedule, has yielded eight album releases since 2010.

 Frontman Mike Harmeier’s devotion to the country music genre has resulted in a series of experimental recordings since the somewhat autobiographical Steak Night at the Prairie Rose in 2018. They crossed the pond to the famous Abbey Road Studio in London the following year to record, in the company of The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold. That project paid homage to the rich Countrypolitan/Nashville Sound of the 1960’s. Twelve months later saw the release of Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart, which offered a tribute to the artist christened ‘the king of honky tonk’ by Rolling Stone magazine in the mid-70’s.

Harmeier fronts the band, playing guitar together with lead vocals and The Moonpies are Zach Moulton on steel guitar, Omar Oyoque on bass, Caitlin Rutherford plays lead guitar and drums are by Kyle Ponder. Individually these guys are top players and collectively, as anyone that has witnessed their live shows, they are telepathic, no doubt sharpened by years of playing together. Guest on their latest album, ONE TO GROW, are Shooter Jennings, John Carbone, Nate Coon and David Percefull.

This latest album features a collection of co-writes by Harmeier and Adam Odor, who also handled the production duties. With a sound that’s robust and bulletproof from start to finish, Odor’s production once more captures precisely what the band are all about. It’s a concept album which details the plight and ambitions, often unfulfilled, of an average working man approaching mid-life and attempting to balance a life of ‘living in the moment’ alongside his family duties. It may or may not mirror a path that Harmeier could very well have travelled, with songs that depict a disappearing American dream.

Johnny Paycheck is an artist that has been hugely inspirational to Harmeier and his band and the bustling and cleverly titled Paycheck to Paycheck, the first single from the album, opens the album in fine style and sets the stall for what follows. More muscular than their previous two recordings, the album grabs your attention from that first track and doesn’t let go. Harmeier’s songwriting has long since moved on from the ‘someone did someone wrong’ type of country song and he invests genuine feelings in the sensibilities of these songs, which read like chapters from a Steinbeck novel.

The simple lifestyle, once available to the blue-collar worker, but becoming increasingly unattainable to many, is expressed on Rainy Day. Those dreams have all but disappeared by the time we get to Social Drinker, where memories of good times and live music with fellow drinkers are replaced by solitary drinking and destitution. Broken families and siblings separated by divorce surface on Brother, where the protagonist searches for his long lost and wayward brother. Matters close to home also surface on the deeply melodic One To Grow On and the equally catchy and funky The Vain.

The stories end with Burn Out, a rollicking track that, like many of the preceding tracks, features two lead guitars and pedal steel gloriously combining rather than competing. It’s a fitting finale to a cracking album that gifts Mike and The Moonpies with some more worthy ammunition for their live shows.

Make no mistake, these guys are the real deal and have been robust pillars of the Texas country music scene for a decade.  This gem could very well be the one that gains them considerably more international acclaim. In a year that continues to produce a stream of excellent albums in the country genre, ONE TO GROW  is most certainly up there with the cream of the crop.

Review by Declan Culliton

Connie Smith Cry Of The Heart Fat Possum

‘There’s really only three real female singers: Streisand, Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. The rest of us are only pretending.’

A big statement indeed from Dolly Parton and one that emphasises the regard in which country singer extraordinaire Connie Smith is held.

CRY OF THE HEART is Smith’s first studio recording in a decade since LONG LINE OF HEARTACHES back in 2011 and is produced by Smith alongside her husband and country legend in his own right, Marty Stuart. With a performing career that spans five decades and almost forty albums in her back catalogue, the eleven tracks that feature find her in splendid form, with her distinguished vocal styling defying her advancing years. It’s remarkable to consider that she made her chart debut with Once A Day, which topped the charts as far back as 1964.

The album features two of the husband and wife co-writes (Spare Me No Truth Tonight and Here Comes My Baby Back Again), a song composed on a tour bus by Stuart and Harry Stinson (Look Out Heart) and eight carefully chosen covers.

The common denominators, notwithstanding her splendid vocal deliveries, are the fine musicianship and the sympathetic production. Fifteen players contributed including Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives partners in crime, Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson, Paul Martin and Chris Scruggs.

Smith’s back catalogue includes over seventy songs written by Dallas Frazier over the years and he is featured here with I Just Don’t Believe Me Anymore. Sung with a confident swagger, it’s the type of song that she has the capacity to make her own, an ageless country tale of lovin’ and leavin,’ laced with twangy vocals and guitars on top of perfectly placed harmonies. Every bit as much a tear jerker is the heartbreaker and album opener A Million And One. It’s classic mid-60’s countrypolitan laced with strings and is confirmation of Smith’s accolade as the Queen of Broken Hearts. The Kitty Wells classic recording All The Time, written by Pam Tillis, sounds as fresh as ever and gets a similarly lush treatment and I’m Not Over You is another classic heartbreaker.

Merle Haggard’s Jesus Take A Hold is the closing track on the album. Previously recorded by Smith fifty years ago, its message is as significant today as ever. Her latest rendition is more stripped back and pleading, a cry for empathy and compassion in these topsy turvy times. It’s also a fitting final statement in a suite of uplifting and fine songs from one of the finest country voices of our times.

Review by Declan Culliton

Ward Hayden and The Outliers Free Country Self-Release

As I listened to this album, I was reminded of some of the bands I heard in the 2000’s, so it was unsurprising when I read that Ward Hayden and The Outliers had previously been known as Girls, Guns and Glory. I have several of the band’s albums of in my collection, from 2008’s INVERTED VALENTINE and others, including GOOD LUCK released in 2014, which was also produced by the man at the helm of this album, the hard-working Eric “Roscoe” Ambel. Throughout their work to date the mainstay and only continuous member is Ward Hayden, who was the main writer and lead singer. So, it makes sense that when it was decided to ditch the previous moniker (for fairly obvious reasons), that he should have his name out front. This is their second release under that name, with the previous album being CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK. Only drummer Josh Kiggans appears to have survived from those previous G, G and G line-ups. The remaining members are now completed by bassist Greg Hall and Cody Nilsen on guitars and pedal steel.

With Ambel’s production this is a potent team who play catchy rock infused country roots. The opening song Nothin’ To Do powers along with energy that sets the tone for the album. The baritone guitar that opens has a Shelly Johnson disturbing Twin Peaks pretext, which delves into a man and the town he lives in and some darker consequences. Both these songs and those that follow show that there is a depth and deftness to Hayden’s writing. His lyrics deal with commitment, as in I’d Die For You a song that reminds me? vocally, to some degree, of Dwight Yoakam’s delivery. Yet Hayden’s voice is his own and one that has gained confidence and emotion since he started out. There is a pragmatism in Sometimes You Gotta Leave and the need to make a difficult decision. There is a spoken intro (and outro) to the twang and steel of the country stylings of Middle Man, which understands what it takes to admit mistakes. There is a wider outlook of the world in All Gone Mad, while Bad Time To Quit Drinking takes the perennial theme of excess and alcohol and the reasons why it becomes a crutch and a hard one to throw away. Irregardless has a bounce that belies its message of remembering when ‘country was country’, among other changing scenarios. The final two songs round off a very satisfying album. Indiana has another vibrant vocal performance which perfectly reflects the edge of restlessness his wish to never again to return to that particular while listing many of the other town, cities and States which he would gladly revisit.  It is an understated performance all round and all the more effective for it. There as is intended heaviness and aggressive edge to When The Hammer Falls, a warning to be prepared for what may be coming around the bend. It also addresses what life should teach us and helps us to avoid making the same, sometime inevitable, mistakes.

The band from Boston, Massachusetts have gained respect locally and in 2011, under their previous guise, won that area’s Americana Artist of the Year award. This album proves that they have continued to make music that has a relevance and a future, without compromising its core sound. The previous album contained covers like The Ballad Of Ira Hayes and (What’s So Funny “Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding, but this time out they have featured original songs that reflect these times, morals and choices. A simple pleasure that is open to anyone who wants to listen as, after all, it’s a free country (well as regards this music at least).

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ross Adams Escaping Southern Heat Self Release

North Carolina artist Ross Adams ups his game on this his third album by bringing in the 400 Unit to act as his backing band. An admirer of the work of Jason Isbell, he met the band backstage at a concert. After starting a friendship with the band’s bassist Jimbo Hart, they decided to record this new album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama at the East Avalon Recorders studio. Hart brought in his band mates: Chad Gamble on drums, Derry Deborja on keyboards and Sadler Vaden on guitar, alongside Adams, to round out the team, along with Whit Wright on pedal steel guitar and Joshua Hedley on fiddle and backing vocals, a role he shared with Tesha Hill. Dana Bee played and also did string arrangements. Those acquainted with Isbell’s work will know how proficient a team these players are. Ross brought in some new songs he’d written and the band ran through them in the studio, allowing a small number of takes to capture the essence of each song and then selecting the best.

This will largely be tagged as Americana with touches of roots rock, folk-pop, roadhouse country and Southern soulful influences, all delivered with verve. Ross is a writer who takes on the role of the songs subject that offers a viewpoint which tells their individual story. The lyrics deal with hard scrabble relationships, small town locations, big city divisions and those who are often left behind as the world around them moves on. The title track visits the assassination of Martin Luther King and many subsequent incidents of systemic racism. He considers the continuation of those issues today from those days of civil right marches and the often unrealised possibilities that were considered then. Teach Me How To Mourn is another song that looks at the plight of a forgotten veteran, who has been trying to deal with unresolved issues, brought about by the plight of a thin forgotten solider (and many others) . The relationship in Wilted Roses has been strained for some time but the writer still wonders if it is possible to save it. 30 Days brings some country twang and pedal steel to a song of a guy looking to find a June to his Johnny. Even when realising that his habits and consumption are not? in the way of making this a possibility, he remains hopeful it can be achieved. In fact, there isn’t a song that feels out of place or not worth being a part of the overall concept of the album.

To all these songs Ross brings an effective and emotional vocal delivery that is full of compassion, as well as some anger, which is the focal point of the humanity in the songs. He has thought about the best way to tell these stories and to bring the characters into focus. For that Ross shows himself to be an artist of intent and intuition. The end result is an album that does what it should do. Musically it sounds good and feels right and the songs have depth and deliberation; so, it should not escape your attention.

Review by Stephen Rapid 

New Album Reviews

Michelle and Jason Hannan Cheater’s Waltz Waiting For Lester

This husband and wife duo have released a number of records under the band name of Michelle Hannan & One Blue Night, as well as a couple of solo releases. Their previous collection, released last year, was titled YOU CAN GO HOME: The Quarantine Sessions and that speaks for itself. They are back now with this new album that has band mate and pedal steel guitar player Howard Parker’s name on the cover alongside theirs. He does sterling work here, adding additional emotion and fluidity to the album’s fairly straight country direction.

It is a concept album largely written by Jason, Michelle and some other co-writers. Jason also produced, mixed and mastered the undertaking. Not only that but as a multi-instrumentalist he played everything other than the accordion on one track and fiddle on another, not forgetting his vocal contribution sharing the lead and harmony vocals with Michelle. The primary acknowledged inspiration was Willie Nelson’s REDHEADED STRANGER. It tells the story of a luckless woman who, after previous failed relationships, encounters a stranger in a bar. In the end the tale follows from infatuation, to heartache and then to something much darker.

So let’s join our protagonist as she takes stock of her life of broken one night stands and a surfeit of alcohol fulled dreams. Nothing Left To Lose just about sums up her thinking as she enters yet another bar room and sees the possibility in another equally lonely person. Michelle takes the lead vocal and sings in a clear voice that conveys the dilemma. Before I Met You switches focus to the smooth talking of the man in question. It is full of promises and a false sense of “right man, right time”. It is an older song, one of the few songs not written by the team, previously recorded by Carl Smith among others. Here Jason takes the lead, backed vocally by Michelle and Parker. What follows is a thoughtful instrumental Loren’s Lament (written by Parker) that sums up a nagging sense of doubt that this may not be all it seems once again.

By track four the rot is setting in and in Here We Are In December “everything is cold and grey.” The title track follows and again Jason takes the lead to enunciate this male’s propensity for philandering, something he can’t seem to shake “ …the old cheater’s waltz / It’s the only song I’ve ever know.” However, on the other side there is a swift realisation that this is going downhill fast, even when its hard to admit, as is expressed in If You Won’t Say It’s Over. But old habits die hard and it’s not long before he’s back in the game for Livin’ On Barroom Time.

Everything I’ve Got’s In Tennessee takes things to the point of murder and a shallow grave. The murderess then hits the road, as the traditional song Leaning On The Everlasting Arms marks a point in time and purpose, before an awareness of what has occurred and the reasons play on her mind, much too late to change what has happened. Eddie Adcock’s song The Sentence is an appropriate choice where she is sentenced and will be setting out on “… a voyage that I’ll never return.” The title track is reprised before the song cycle closes with a (mainly) vocal rendition of the traditional song Feel My Time Ain’t Long. 

Throughout, the performances are strongly centred and evocative of traditional country to the degree that if you were told that this was a release from several decades ago it wouldn’t be too surprising. The sound however is both fresh and fulfilled and deserving of compliments for the accomplishment of putting it together as an enjoyable body of music.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Bean Pickers Union Greatest Picks Self Release

The name here to remember is Chuck Melchin, who is the head honcho of the Bean Pickers Union and this album, as its title suggests, is Melchin’s pick of tracks he has recorded under the band name through 15 years of music making. That includes choices from three albums, an EP and an additional four songs produced for this collection. As well as coming from a diverse set of time periods, it also covers a wide range of roots rock from acoustic picking, meaningful ballads through to full on alt-country rock and a lot in between. All of which makes for a varied listen from which its very diversity will both appeal or perhaps confuse, as the playing time for these eighteen songs clocks in at over an hour. 

The opening song 16 Pounds Of Mary is a guitar-driven song about getting away with a certain amount of drugs to help on the journey. Next up, there is a very different feel to the desert Tucson-style arrangement and Spanish guitar of Burning Sky. Reaper opens with the crackle of a needle on vinyl for an acoustic blues tale of friendship and fate. Move along to I’m So Sorry and we have a lively apology, delivered with Telecaster twang and cowpunk energy. Another song, Tranquility, has brushed drums and banjo as its core in a song of seeking calmness, that picks up its pace as it progresses. Philemon is a atmospheric song with lap steel adding a highly effective ache to the story, searching for something to survive the end of a world that never happened after all. Grittier in tone, with organ and guitar distortion, is Independence Day. Another of Melchin’s tales of blue collar, small towns and hard scrabble existence,songs that balance hope and hopelessness, redemption and regret. Perhaps one of the most effective is the song of a returning veteran and the ongoing problems he encounters, and its effects on those around him. The words in Warrior are matched by the hard-edged telling guitar riffs that underline the subject’s loss and despair, and so it is through one strong song after another.

These are all held together by the power in Melchin’s voice and his lyrical awareness. The overall umbrella of Americana may well cover the different aspects of what exists in this collection. But there is throughout an intimacy that indicates the humanity at the heart of his words and arrangements. Not that one should undermine the various contributions of the other 22 players involved with these recordings. Different hands have also helped with the production duties, yet there is a consistency of vision throughout, something that marks out a performer more focused on the music than on fame. It may also explain why I have not encountered The Bean Pickers Union previously.

Greatest Picks is then something of a worthy primer for the released work under that collective banner. Much to admire. The four recently home studio recorded bonus tracks indicate that Melchin is far from finished in his endeavours and collaborations. A good time to join the Union.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Bard Edrington V Two Days In Terlingua Self Release

The title of this album pretty much gives you the basis of the recordings. Edrington V assembled five like-minded players in a church in Terlingua, Texas on March 1st and 2nd in 2020 to lay these songs down in an acoustically interesting live setting. One of those players was Bill Palmer, who had played bass on a track on the last Hoth Brothers album and on Edrington V’s last solo outing, ESPADÍN. His brother Jim here joins him on drums to provide a solid and inventive rhythm section. Add Karina Wilson on vocals, viola and violin (she also played on the last solo album) and Alex McMahon’s pedal steel, guitar and banjo, as well as Zoe Wilcox, another associate, on vocals and you have a team who are intuitive and inspired. It is however Edrington’s vocal presence that is central to the songs, all of which he had a hand in writing either solo or with others, bar one written by Mabel Edrington (Dog Tags 1942).

There was also a pretty open policy here to allow the material to find its place. The players worked without headphones or any obstructions to seeing each other in real time. That means the music can be acoustically based or it can utilise something closer to an electric guitar fulled ambient soundscape across twelve songs and a running time of just over 55 minutes. However, I never felt it outstayed its welcome and engaged throughout. This is essentially down to the group of players and their commitment to capturing something special in a unique location and timeframe that doesn’t allow the participators to overthink the process, but rather to capture the music in the moment.

From the opening Ramblin’ Kind Edrington’s voice has the necessary emotional resonance to draw you into the lyrics and to feel embedded within the music. Many are story songs that lay out a tale of hardship and high jinks. One of the best of these is Property Lines, where the electric guitar sets a tone that mixes with the violin to create a tension that brings the story to life. From then on the material covers as much ground as it can from the strangeness of Strange Ballon through to the folky old time backdrop of Dog Tags 1942. There are many moments were you are taken with the interaction of the musicians to bring the song to a slightly unexpected place, although from very early on that particular place seems natural and fundamental. The lineage of old time traditions and Appalachian narratives are the starting point, but Edrington allows the songs the be as relevant to today as they may be to the past. The ups and downs that life brings get equal prominence and consideration. There seems to be little judgement of the people who inhabit these songs, rather Edrington allows the song to reveal this as the account unfolds.

Bill Palmer also engineered and mixed the album and suggested the hundred year old church as a location. The end result adds to Edrington’s cannon of his solo and Hoth Brothers recordings and may be easily considered something special that celebrates the collective spirit and contributions of all involved, for whom the music is the message. It also marks Edrington as a musician who can celebrate life in all its ragged glory, as well as the nature which surrounds it. These songs are as much about place as they are about people and so it may be high time you spent some time in Terlingua, or someplace similar, as well as with this particular album.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Our Band Bright As You Wavy Glass

A husband-and-wife duo, New York based Our Band features first generation Russian - American and classically trained pianist Sasha Papernik and North Carolina born multi-instrumentalist Justin Poindexter. Their debut album BRIGHT AS YOU showcases their musical prowess together with their striking harmony vocals, across thirteen tracks that explore the roots of American music, with nods towards country, folk and contemporary. Their comprehensive skills both vocally and instrumentally rewarded them an extensive tour of Europe pre-pandemic, where they performed in Germany, Poland and Estonia as ambassadors of American music, at the behest of the U.S. State Department.

Lazy comparisons have been made with The Civil Wars, mostly fuelled by the couple’s physical appearance somewhat matching that of Joy Williams and John Paul White, who broke up back in 2014. Musically the duo cover quite a number of bases and, with a host of guest musicians, do so with aplomb. They drift effortlessly from the breezy poppy opener Priscilla to their take on the traditional song Wildwood Flower/ Wildflowers.  Painting, inspired by the French artist Toulouse Lautrec, recalls Simon and Garfunkel and the tender love ballad More Than A Feeling features harmony vocals that both caress and soothe. The country ballad Roads That Rise (Gayle’s Song) sounds like a long-lost song from the past that has re-entered your horizon.  The joy of parenthood inspired the catchy Hazel, written after the birth of their first child and they close the album with the prayer like I Find My Peace.

Intricately arranged and beautifully produced, BRIGHT AS YOU offers a polished set of songs, all delivered by inimitable vocalising and most impressive musicianship. It’s also very radio friendly and will appeal to a broad range of listeners. So, don’t be surprised if a number of these tunes are streaming from your favourite radio station in the near future.

Review by Declan Culliton

Nobody’s Girl Self-Titled Lucky Hound Music

An eleven-track album of melody laden songs that lands somewhere between folk and power pop, NOBODY’s GIRL is the debut full - length album from the three-piece band of the same name.

The members are accomplished recording artists in their own right. Austin singer songwriters BettySoo, Grace Pettis and Rebecca Loebe formed the band as a side project and recorded their EP WATERLINE in 2018. They toured extensively for almost two years both in America and Europe, before recording this album at Lucky Hound Studios in Texas Hill County in September 2019.

As was the case with WATERLINE, they engaged Grammy winning producer Michael Ramos (Kris Kristofferson, Patty Griffin, Paul Simon, John Mellencamp) to oversee the recording and also contribute keyboards and percussion. Other players on the album read like a who’s who of talented Austin session players including bassist Glenn Fukunaga and drummers J.J.Johnson and Conrad Choucroun. Celebrated guitarist Charlie Sexton, David Grissom and David Pulkingham all contribute.

Without ever attempting to reinvent the wheel, the trio have recorded a collection of intricately arranged, easy on the ear and hook laden songs with the emphasis on their honeyed harmonies. Standouts include The Promised Land, which totally captures their gorgeous vocal talents, the crunchy opener Kansas and the dreamy pop ballad The Morning After.

A slick affair from start to finish, NOBODY’S GIRL will no doubt further enhance the reputation of this gifted three piece.

Review by Declan Culliton

Robert Jon and The Wreck Shine A Light On Me Brother Robert Jon Music /CRS

Based in Orange County, California and ten years on the road, Robert Jon and The Wreck’s fifth album finds the five-piece band in fine form. Sticking with their core sound, SHINE A LIGHT ON ME BROTHER navigates its way around the key elements of classic Southern rock with rasping vocals, swirling keyboards, razor sharp guitar licks and a rhythm section that has Muscle Shoals stamped all over it.

The band members are Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (vocals, drums), Steve Maggiora (vocals, keys), Henry James Schneekluth (vocals, lead guitar), Warren Murrel (vocals, bass) and the self-produced album was recorded at Sonic Groove Studios, Burbank, California.

They burst into life with the opening and title track. A throwback to the early 1970’s, its groove recalls the sound perfected by The Stones on EXILE ON MAIN STREET. It signposts the sound of the album and is matched by similarly pulverising rockers Ain’t No Young Love Song, Movin’ and Radio. They do take a breather mid album with three less muscular brooding ballads. Slowing things down somewhat with Chicago, they follow with the mournful and gorgeous Hurricane and the laid back and gloriously loose Desert Sun.

These guys continue to produce music that begs to be performed live and with a tour of Europe scheduled for the autumn, you’re well advised to check out their dates.  If the sounds from The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers and Black Oak Arkansas float your board, strap on your life jacket and get on board SHINE A LIGHT ON ME BROTHER. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dallas Burrow Self-Titled Self-Release

SOUTHERN WIND, the 2019 release from Dallas Burrow, was my introduction to the Texan singer songwriter. That album articulated the somewhat nomadic and often traumatic lifestyle of a young man who appeared to be finding his way out of an emotional wilderness.  This self-titled album is a continuation of that journey. If that previous recording was a closing chapter on a potentially self-destructive existence, the new songs find Burrow nestled in a settled and contented life style, buoyed by sobriety, love and fatherhood.

The songs are mostly slower in pace than on his previous album, which is not surprising given their backstory. Burrow’s vocals are distinct, upfront and perfectly convey the messages within the songs. He’s got a story to tell and he wants you to listen intently. 

His new found devotion kicks the album off with the gorgeous country ballad Country Girl (‘I love my country girl in all four seasons, on different days for different reasons’). The autobiographical content continues with American Dream, which lauds the simple yet central constituents of personal contentment. Like the opening track it is catchy as hell, lyrically sharp and holds the listeners attention, also displaying some seriously impassioned personal soul searching.

The spirituality that accompanied his sobriety is articulated on both Holy Grail and  Easter Sunday. Both songs, in prayer like fashion, contemplate previous misdemeanours and the triumph of leaving the hell raising days behind for a more fulfilling existence. ‘Keep on Trying’, he advocates on the song of the same name. Complete with soaring guitar solo, it’s a kick back to the classic pop sound of the mid 60’s. He returns to his country roots with the swampy Born Down In Texas. It’s a reflection of the country blues Burrow has been dishing out in his side project El Saddle, a collection of friends from different bands that get together to perform.

Touring the southwest with Charley Crockett resulted in an introduction to Bruce Robison, who, impressed by the storytelling songs of his fellow Texan, offered his assistance in producing the album. Interestingly the last of the fifteen tracks on the album is a conversation with Bruce Robson. This bonus track tells the tale of their meeting and the analog recording process that followed, which was initially nerve - wracking for Burrow.  

Quite a departure from his previous recordings, it’s not surprising that Burrow opted to self-title the album. He pours his heart and soul into each and every track, on an album that is very much a personal homecoming and re-birth for the writer.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Outlaw Orchestra Powercut Voodoo Queen

A British band who mix a little bit of roots rock into a gumbo of cajun and country music. This is their fourth release and it has quite a vibrant sound across the eight tracks. In reality, it’s six tracks as the mini album (twenty-two minutes) is bookended by a simulated radio broadcast from imaginary American station 982.5 which experiences a power outage, just as the band are due to play live in the studio.

As all good DJ’s would do, the band are asked to play acoustic and over the six songs they demonstrate their serious chops with some dynamic arrangements. There is the reworked Send Some Whiskey Home and Chicken Fried Snake from their last release, Pantomime Villians (2020), with the joys of cooking placed against the relationship woes of a woman who cannot be predicted.

Back To Georgia, taken from an EP released in 2018 is a high tempo song that highlights the tight playing among the band members with David Roux (guitars and lead vocals), Ryan Smith (drums, percussion, vocals) and Pete Briley (banjo, lap steel and vocals) impressing at every turn. Got It Made is a slower melody and a love song to the girl that has changed the ways of the singer, while God Knows, was another track on that 2018 EP and speaks about the Lord coming down to a house party to ask that they keep the noise down.

Some great lap steel from Briley and a new song that opens the proceedings, Rattlesnake Sour is a drinking song about lining up a series of shots and just playing the music nice and loud. There are some additional vocals from Trish Burke Manser and the idea of the radio show is something different, with tuning fade in on the dial and fade out to the weather, after the band has saved the day with an unplugged tour de force. It’s all very engaging and fun to listen to – the American sound is definitely authentic and one would never guess that they hail from Southampton in the UK.

Review by Paul McGee

Graber Gryass Late Bloom Self Release

Having played music for most of his life in various combos and styles, Michael Graber decided to record his first solo album to mark his first half century on the planet. Even though he hails from Memphis, Tennessee (known as the home of blues and soul) he has chosen bluegrass - or more specifically a looser, jam band, new grass version of that genre - as his vehicle. He pulled in a total of fourteen local musicians to create a fun album comprised of twelve of his original songs. Despite the excellent musicianship here, these guys don’t take themselves too seriously and the result is an enjoyable run through the gamut of life experiences, with many an unexpected twist and turn!

Devil’s Got Your Name ‘tattooed on his arm, in the same damn place as mine’ recounts the sad tale of a man whose wife cheated not only on him, but also on the devil, which they both discovered when drinking in the same bar. In a similar vein, the hapless protagonist in Fool Living Wrong ‘stares in from the cold at the house that he built’, which she now shares with her new husband.

Graber uses a variety of non-bluegrass instruments, along with the expected guitars, banjo, mandolin etc to stretch the musical palette - when did you last hear a bouzouki, a harmonium, a jug or an erhu (a ‘Chinese fiddle’) on a bluegrass record? Equally, the attractive artwork would not suggest ‘bluegrass’ at first glance.

When The Water’s this Low is a rather disconcerting tale of four guys paddling a canoe who unfortunately stray into the breeding grounds of cottonmouth snakes, with dire consequences. I think this song actually gave me nightmares! Michael Graber claims that this is based on a true story, except for the fatal ending. Less frightening is the country blues Drinking 40s (very large bottles of beer, I believe) where much alcohol is consumed in response to a broken heart. The bawdy lyrics are suitably accompanied by off-kilter guitar, mandolin and dobro playing - one senses that much fun was had during the recording. Another hint at what might be to come on the next album is the trippy A Fable, opening with a 12-string guitar and progressing to an altogether psychedelic dream-like experience. Marijuana makes the case for the health benefits of that plant, especially now that it has been legalised in many US states. The traditional bluegrass/country theme of yearning for home, however, features in the two closing numbers Forgotten What I Call Home and Oaks & Pines, but listen out for the twist in the end. A most enjoyable album.

Review by Eilís Boland 

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