Latest Album Reviews

Hannah White About Time Self Release

The opening track You Don’t Want Me Anymore, from Londoner Hannah White’s latest recording sets the scene starkly for what follows across the album’s ten tracks. A brutal commentary on past quandaries, it’s a powerfully emotive storybook delivered stylishly by the newly liberated spirit and follows on from her 2020 album HANNAH WHITE AND THE NORDIC CONNECTION, which was nominated for album of the year at the UK Americana Awards Festival. 

White’s history includes surviving domestic abuse, homelessness, and brushes with the law. These episodes are recalled and no more so than on the unfeigned Car Crash, which communicates in some detail the anxiety and dread dealing with the prospect of having her child taken from her.  It’s not all cruel reflection and tracks such as the gentle country ballad Broken Bird, with its echoes of Margo Price, and I Will Be Alright suggest rebirth and hopefulness.  Similarly, the catchy and melodic The Good Stuff is more glass half full than half empty.

Self-produced by White, she is joined by Kieron Marshall who adds delightful splashes of guitar throughout. Other contributors include her Nordic Connection friends Lars Hammers-land on piano and Hammond organ, Svein Henning Bersta on bass, and Luca Wade on drums. However, the real winner is White’s vocals which succeed in drawing the listener into a hugely admirable treasure chest of soulful country tunes.

Life’s complexities and the unforeseen may have been the catalyst that presented White with the ammunition for ABOUT TIME. Still, those events have successfully resulted in a suite of songs that is a worthy companion to her last studio album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Chris Guenther American Outlaw Vol.1 Bakersfieldnorth

Washingtonian multi-instrumentalist and committed honky tonk artist Chris Guenther has been releasing albums for over twenty years and AMERICAN OUTLAW Vol.1 is his seventh studio recording. A stalwart of the Washington country music scene, Guenther divides his time between playing dancehalls with his backing band The Honky Tonk Drifters and weekly solo acoustic residencies.

You need to dig deep to source background information on Guenther, which is surprising given the quality of his recordings. He is heart and soul classic country and a trawl through his back catalogue reveals some quality records that somehow passed me by. THE CROSSING from 2010 and THE 5th, released three years later, are both packed with tear-stained country ballads, all presented with vocals that recall the stylings of George Jones and Buck Owens.

Guenther’s latest offering plays out like a soundtrack to a classic spaghetti western movie of the 60s. Featuring ten self-penned tracks, two of which are instrumentals, it’s very much a country and western project with emphasis on the ‘western’. The ‘Outlaw’ reference in the title relates more to the characters in the songs rather than Guenther paying tribute to Waylon and Willie. We hear of three amigos on the rampage on Sam Bass (Sam, Joe, and, I), robbing and looting and drawn to the desperado lifestyle, more inspired by the buzz of the challenge than the monetary gains. The predatory bank and train robbers The Dalton Brothers, of the late 19th century are recalled in The Dalton Raid, while the track Hangman’s Pole, not surprisingly, is a reminder of the inevitable consequences of the outlaw way of life. Trail Rage, complete with whistling intro, tells the tale of the folk icon and gunfighter John Wesley Harding and the final days of lawman ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok is recalled in Dime Novel Hero.

This is a hugely impressive album that will be lapped up by lovers of the classic country and western sound of yesteryear. More than that, the results are spectacular in places, no more so than on the Morricone-styled instrumentals Five Joaquins and The Shootist.  Typifying an artist steeped in the sound of the celebrated country singers of the 60s, AMERICAN OUTLAW Vol.1 opens a door to a musical feast from start to finish.  Here’s hoping there are more volumes to follow.

Review by Declan Culliton

Laney Jones Stories Up High AHPO

‘When I write, it’s like I step inside of a dream,’ explains Maryland-born Laney Jones, commenting on STORIES UP HIGH, the latest and sixth album from the deft and individualistic singer songwriter.

Far from conventional, Laney Jones’ calling to a musical career was rather alternative. Raised on a ten-acre farm in Florida, where her parents bred kangaroos, wallabies and various exotic animals, her initial chosen career path was in business. However, on reflection, Jones decided to abandon her business studies, instead pursuing a formal education in songwriting. What had previously been a means of expression and escapism for her as a teenager became her chosen vocation. She was subsequently awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.

A gifted lyricist and the possessor of a quite distinctive voice, Jones’ output has drawn comparisons, quite justifiably, with both Angel Olson and Adrianne Lenker of Brooklyn -based band Big Thief. Two of the songs that appear on her latest album, One Fine Morning and Not Alone, were the subject matter of an EP she released earlier this year, offering a snapshot of what to expect from STORIES UP HIGH. Showcasing the diversity of her musical prowess, the two songs could hardly be more dissimilar, the former a melancholy acoustic lead dreamy ballad, the latter a fierce and dark grungy anthem. Landing somewhere in between both is the intense title track. It’s a powerful narrative of longing and apprehension, topics that reoccur elsewhere on the album. She pours her heart out on the acoustic Daniel, considering the fragility of existence. On a similar theme, she reminds herself of the importance of living in the present in Remember.

Currently residing in Nashville, Jones recorded the album at The Bomb Shelter under the watchful eye of Andrija Tokic, whose name regularly appears on quality albums arriving at Lonesome Highway recently for review. He places Jones’ vocal perfectly in the mix, while succeeding in drawing the listener into material that navigates the emotional compass from melancholy to optimism. With Jones playing a range of instruments including banjo, keyboards, ukulele and guitars, STORIES UP HIGH is a further instalment in the journey of a maturing artist and one that offers a gateway into the inner thoughts of a highly creative intellect.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Various Artists Americana Railroad Renew/BMG

There is a deep-rooted relationship between railway travel and American roots music and this splendid compilation album is a reminder of some of the classic travel songs that celebrate both the inherent romanticism and history of that particular mode of transport.

The project was the brainchild of Carla Olson and Saul Davis who co-produced the album. The stimulus for the album, which was originally broached by Davis over ten years ago, was Gene Clark’s fascination with trains and railways and in particular his songs Train Leaves Here This Morning and I Remember The Railroad, both of which are included on the album. Olson and Davis initially approached Stephen McCarthy (Dream Syndicate, The Jayhawks, Long Ryders) to gauge his interest and given his positivity, they began to create a menu of suitable songs and a wish list of artists to perform them. 

The end product is a nineteen-track album featuring a ‘who’s who’ of notable artists and many memorable versions of classic train songs.  Also included is an original song Southwest Chief, specifically written for the album and performed by Dave Alvin.

Two duets from Stephen McCarthy and Carla Olson are included. The rootsy opener Here Comes That Train Again was borrowed from The Long Ryders songbook and Gene Clark’s aforementioned I Remember The Railroad bookends the album. The latter does bring to mind the ageless album SO REBELLIOUS A LOVER that Olson recorded with Gene Clark back in 1987. Representative of a variety of roots genres, both Steel Pony Blues by Dom Flemons and the Jimmie Rogers written Waiting For A Train, performed by Paul Birch and Fats Kaplin, are acoustic blues delights. Graham Nash’s Marrakesh Express from Dustbowl Revival and Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready from Deborah Poppink are uplifting, joyous and soulful. John Fogerty, accompanied by Mickey Raphael on harmonica, reconstructs the Steve Goodman penned City Of New Orleans and the melodic Southwest Chief is delivered stylishly by Dave Alvin. Gene Clark’s son Kai Clark, with Byron Berline on fiddle, fittingly performs his father’s classic Train Leaves Here This Morning.  The remaining tracks are credited to Robert Rex Waller Jnr from I See Hawks In L.A., Rocky Burnette, Peter Case, Gary Myrick, Alice Howe, ex-Byrd John York, A.J. Haynes and James Intveld.

Released as a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day in November 2021, the album is now available in CD and digital format. Not only a cracking listen from start to finish, the judiciously selected songs for AMERICANA RAILROAD cover substantial historical ground, both of the railroad and American roots music. Without a doubt, this is an ‘every serious music lover should have’ album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Fellow Pynins Lady Mondegreen Self Release

Ian George and Dani Aubert, make up this talented duo, FELLOW PYNINS, highlighting all that is good in Folk music and delivering an album of quiet charm. This is a follow up to their debut release, Hunter and the Hunted, which dats back to 2016. Apparently, the term “mondegreen,” was coined in 1954 by the writer Sylvia Wright, and means a creative mishearing of a line in a song or a poem.

Recorded at their home, which sits off the grid on Buckhorn Land, Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon, on this occasion they have delved back into the traditional history of Folk music and looked for inspiration among the songs that inspired their love of the genre in the first place. With vocal harmonies that are a real delight, both Aubert and George deliver some superb renditions of old songs learned from English, Irish and Scottish traditions.

The playing throughout is quietly contemplative, both seamless and organic, with some glorious moments to lift the spirit, such as the interplay on Pretty Polly, a song with various renditions and titles down the years, and one that sits firmly in the murder ballad canon. Silver Dagger is the opening song and again, a ballad with a number of variations over the years. Equally, Streets Of Derry, another song with many versions, has lovely vocals that glide above the superb musicianship.

Aubert plays claw-hammer banjo, and bouzouki, while George contributes on guitars, piano and mandolin. There are some beautiful violin parts on the tracks, played by Eugene Feygelson and Maura Shawn Scanlin. Eladio Rojas (drums/percussion) and Ted Olsen (bass) add sublime parts also, with Strohviol violin played by Danny Diamond - an ancient instrument that is also known as a violumpet.

She’s Like the Swallow, a song from Newfoundland, is performed with the creative playing of Tree Palmedo (trumpet), John Cushing (trombone) and bassist Ted Olson. Another traditional favourite is Son, David, an old English hymn, given a contemplative, flowing jazz feel, the players highlighting their skills across the beautiful arrangement and sublime interplay. It’s a real highlight among the other gems collected here.

Irish traditional air, The Galway Shawl, is given due reverence with an introductory part performed by Kitty O’ Mahony from Balleydehob, County Cork. It is a field recording and highlights the authenticity of the entire project, Aubert and George having learned the song from her in a visit to her rural home. When they join the song, it is with a seamless beauty, highlighting the wistful nature of the lyric.

A Scottish ballad, The Road and the Miles To Dundee, and another air, Bonny At Morn, from 1882, are both given a beautiful treatment, gently reflective and superbly delivered. It is entirely appropriate that Fellow Pynins visit these musical influences and keep the Folk tradition alive with these sublime interpretations.

The album art is the famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, and an entirely appropriate choice given the rich pickings that await all who enter this joyous project. Timeless music for the spirit and the soul. Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Josie Bello Resilience Self Release

This third album arrives with Bello questioning the place we occupy on this spinning globe. Perhaps the constraints of lockdown have played their part, but the musings across these nine songs are very much made from introspective searching and righteous anger at the things she has found.

Rising opens the project with a message about overcoming adversity and standing up for what you believe to be true. The next song, Resilience, speaks about racial inequality and the bigotry contained within what we term ‘respectable society.’ This message is carried into the song, The Sound Of Guitars, which looks to music as a means to unite our fractured division and to banish hate.

I Am Empty is a slow song that references religion as a once abiding strength in coping with life. Feelings of hope in these challenging times have fallen away and Bello questions where to search for a better solution. Killing Time is a look back at younger years and juxtaposed with current responsibilities into adulthood. Time makes a mockery of innocent dreams and we settle for a reality that is not always of our making. Another observational song is Coffee Shop Open Mic and a look at the wannabees and frustrated creatives who still aspire to making it into the big leagues. It lightens the mood with a nice mid-tempo arrangement.

Bello writes all the songs, sings lead vocals and plays both accordion and keyboards. She is joined by Mike Nugent on guitars, bass, dobro and vocals; Shawn Murphy on drums and percussion; and Jim Small on harmonica. Mike Nugent produced and there are cameo appearances from Richie Guerrero and Shawn Dolan on percussion also. Calling Card is a fun look at dating and trying to chase down ‘the one.’ Love That’s Real has a nice Country swing to it and it celebrates the search to find the right heart. Too Many Changes closes things out with a reflection that trying your best does not always bring the desired result. Still, it’s important to keep believing and to keep trying. Certainly, a message that we have all held close during the past two years of living with the Covid virus. This is an album with some excellent musicianship and something for everyone to enjoy contained within the tracks.

Review by Paul McGee

Kris Gruen Welcome Farewell Mother West

This is the fifth album from a singer-songwriter who draws his inspiration from the beautiful countryside of Vermont, New England. This release appeared towards the end of 2021 and slipped past this reviewer at the time; no doubt caught up in the plethora of new releases that were given wings during the Covid lockdown period. Well, better late than never, as the nine songs included here weave a magic spell that lingers for quite a while after the thirty-three minutes of sweet music has elapsed.

Listening in headphones creates quite an intimate experience as the gentle melodies and understated playing find both resonance and refuge. Gruen has a fine vocal tone and the assembled musicians do these self-penned songs justice in their restrained approach to colouring the melodies and arrangements. Producer, Charles Newman, applies a light touch and also contributes on piano, keyboards and percussion. Other players include the superb pedal steel and lap steel of Jack McLoughlin; the beautifully balanced rhythm section of Randy Schrager (drums, percussion) and Rob Morse (upright bass); the electric guitar subtleties of Paul Casanova, and the French horn and trumpet of Probyn Gregory.

There are additional cameos on individual tracks, with Charlie Rauh (acoustic guitars), Michael Flynn (piano, backing vocals), JJ Beck (piano and banjo), Gerald Menke (pedal steel) and Colin McCaffrey (mandolin), all taking turns to enhance the final results on this quiet gem.

Water Into Wine is a song about recovery and belief in yourself. Banishing self-doubt and coming into the light. The band groove is superb with pedal steel and guitars chiming in unison. When She Says is a sweet song about working in the fields and sowing seeds for the summer season; ‘Climb your rig, you ride so cool, like a singer in a club on a bar stool.’  The easy melody on Skyline Drive recalls younger days with his grandmother and Gruen sings, ‘I called your old number just to hear you one last time, Then I hung up on that old machine like an addiction hot line.’

A standout track is When I’m Down, a slow-burn number about addiction and just getting to the next day’ ‘You’re an angel sorry girl, how your sadness pours, From your heart to the broken world.’ Again, pedal steel sets the tone and the playing is just sublime. The horns on Pictures Of, set an atmosphere of looking into the past, delving back to see what was left behind, ‘Take a picture of your childhood, And the ones you love from the neighbourhood, Then rise above, ‘cause you know you should, I think we done the best we could.’

Apple Tree is another memory of Gruen’s grandmother and the slow melody captures the mood, ‘Lay me in the ground just like a seed, I’ll shelter over family, In the leaves of your apple tree.’ The album ends with a stripped-down version of the Johnny Thunders song, You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory. The ensemble playing is beautiful, even if the lyric sings of frustrations and breakdown in communication – something that the message on the rest of the album is not focused on. A very enjoyable listen and one that should raise quite a few new admirers for this talented artist.   

Review by Paul McGee

Lia Ices Family Album Natural

On this fourth release, Ices has embraced the joys of motherhood, coupled with a move away from Connecticut to California. Her writing is framed around the quiet calm of her new surroundings, at Moon Mountain in Sonoma, and the nine tracks have a sweet reverie that runs through them. Call it Folk, or modern ambient musing; either way, these reflections offer an easy choice to spend time away from the hectic flow of modern living.

Young On the Mountain sings of this exact mindful state and feeling the quiet power of nature all around. Similarly, both Hymn and Earthy contain elements of 60s hippie-dream contemplations and the wash of electronic sounds are augmented by the flute of Colin Kupka and the viola of Ari Balouzian. John Anderson, provides guitar sounds and the presence of the Isuara String Quartet is a welcome addition on the track, I’m Gone.   Bass duties are shared by Max Whipple, John Anderson and Eva Gardner across six tracks and the subtle drums of Derek James always support the song arrangements.

Beauty Blue is one of the few up-tempo numbers that breaks ranks, with the overall lush treatment still part of the other song moods – is that uncredited pedal steel the I hear also? At the front of everything is the expressive piano playing of Ices, always setting the tone and in harmony with her wistful vocal delivery. Our Time closes the album and it’s sweep of strings, with electric guitar layering, is a standout. A very interesting project, brought to life out of new beginnings and certainly music that will grow on the listener.

Review by Paul McGee

Ali Sperry In Front Of Us Self Release

Ali Sperry has released a number of albums since her 2012 debut and she gathers quite a coterie of friends and players from Nashville on this new release. Included in the main group of players are, Jen Gunderman and Kai Welch (assorted and varied keyboards); Owen Biddle (bass, moog); Kristen Weber (strings, backing vocals); Audley Freed, Sadler Vaden and Joe Pisapia (acoustic and electric guitars); Rich Hinman (pedal steel), Sarah Dugas and Allison Russell (backing vocals on three tracks).   

The opening song, Climber, has a big production but to my ears the string arrangement is somewhat superfluous and unnecessary in the mix. As a song about notching up love conquests however, it hits the mark. The commercial sound of, Lucy, is similar, with a poppy arrangement, whereas I Know You’re Scared is a slow song about looking out for a child who is facing the challenges of the outside world, ‘And in the end we all fall back into the space from where we came.’

Excuses has a bright sound and asks why we cannot just take responsibility for our own actions and failings. It’s all very radio-friendly, up-tempo and breezes along at a pace. Hope introduces a slower reflective sound, with Rich Hinman on sweet pedal steel and producer Jamie Dick on soft drums and percussion, a song that reflects the sentiment of the album; look forward to the future and don’t get upset about past regrets.

Cool Under Pressure is danceable and catchy, a statement for the women of today taking control and not putting up with misogyny any longer. Safe is another thoughtful song and asks about how to protect a vulnerable child against outside predators and pressures that are ever-present. The strings work well here, with some

Peace By Moonlight is a mid-tempo song with some sweet backing vocals from Birds Of Chicago duo, JT Nero and Allison Russell. The aspirational sentiment in the lyric for a better tomorrow is captured well; ‘where the doves are not afraid of the hawks.’ In Your Dreams has a message about not being sorry and saying yes to what life offers… The final song, and the album title, In Front Of Us, is a memory of young love that has grown into something more over time. Trusting in the days ahead.

Many other guests appear on individual tracks, either as players or backing vocalists. The list includes Adam Meisterhans, Sam Howard, JT Nero, Andrew Combs, Carey Ott, Ruth Moody and Kyshona Armstrong. In addition to production duties, Jamie Dick plays drums and percussion on all the tracks and his ability to balance the rich instrumentation and the collaborative efforts of all involved, across a number of different studios, and a period of some months during lockdown, has to be admired. This is an album that is both engaging and enjoyable.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

Molly Tuttle Crooked Tree Nonesuch

There’s a contagious warmth emanating from the latest and third album from Californian Molly Tuttle, the guitarist extraordinaire who is now also proving her chops as a songwriter to be reckoned with. This reviewer welcomes her return to her bluegrass roots after her experimentation with a more Americana sound for her first two records. Co-produced by her and recorded in Nashville’s Oceanway studio with dobro legend Jerry Douglas, it is worth remembering that he also played on some of those seminal 70s & 80s bluegrass records with Californian guitarist Tony Rice, who was a huge influence on Tuttle’s flatpicking style.

Taking up guitar at nine years of age, Molly Tuttle was encouraged to play in the family band, but her fate was sealed when her father took her to her first bluegrass festival, Grass Valley, at aged eleven. She reminisces fondly on this in Grass Valley, ‘I didn’t know it then, but my life had turned a page’. Always being the ‘only girl guitarist’ amongst the boys and wanting to be taken seriously was a struggle, as she explains in Side Saddle, where she is joined on co-vocals by fellow Californian and Berklee College alumnus, Gillian Welch. Dan Tyminski joins her on the plaintive San Francisco Blues, where she laments the fact that most locals are unable to afford to live there any longer, ‘and most of all she misses the California dreamin’. She’ll Change, a bluegrass song about a strong woman by a woman, is an homage to those similar but scarce songs from her female heroes like Hazel Dickens and Laurie Lewis, who beat the path for her a few decades ago.

Co-writing most of the songs here, many along with Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show), Tuttle demonstrates that she is becoming a skilled songwriter, one who can push out the boundaries of bluegrass while still embracing its roots. It’s not surprising that she cites people like Gillian Welch, Peter Rowan and John Hartford as influences.

Some of Nashville’s best musicians joined her for the recording: Ron Block (banjo), Mike Bub (bass), Jason Carter (fiddle), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), as well as the aforementioned Jerry Douglas on dobro. Melody Walker (Front Country), Tina Adair (Sister Sadie) and Lindsay Lou complete the illustrious line up on backing vocals.

Former housemate and fellow IBMA Guitar Player of the Year recipient, Billy Strings, guests on the eerie tale of Dooley’s Farm, where the mysterious farmer, Old Dooley, is farming more than just standard crops - ‘he’s smilin’ at you from an IH tractor …. he’s got a strain that will punch your lights out’. The musical arrangements of Tuttle’s and Strings’ guitar interplay, along with Jerry Douglas’s dobro contributions and Jason Carter’s fiddle combine to evoke a lasting chill. Friend Margo Price adds her backing vocals to the banjo driven more traditional Flatland Girl and the catchy title track Crooked Tree eloquently expresses the satisfaction she has gained by not taking the easy route, by being herself.

Highly recommended and hopefully this is a signpost towards further boundary pushing from this talented young woman in the future.

Review by Eilís Boland

Susan Cattaneo All Is Quiet Continental Song City

Boston singer-songwriter Susan Catteneo’s fusion of folk, blues, and rock has earned her numerous plaudits in her home city. She was nominated for Best Americana Artist in the Boston Music Awards in 2018 and was a winner in the Connecticut Folk Festival the same year. Her last recording THE HAMMER AND THE HEART charted at No.1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in 2017 and she follows it with her latest recording ALL IS QUIET. The album’s title is a fair reflection of the social environment in existence when the material was recorded, with the circumstances dictating that the recordings were carried out remotely at a number of studios. Catteneo’s hushed and disciplined vocals throughout also mirror the album’s title, as she deliberates on uncharted times and uncertainty.

A professor at the Berklee School of Music, Catteneo’s livelihood, like so many of her peers, was thrown entirely off-kilter by the onset of the pandemic. She overcame a writing block by accepting her predicament and channelling her energies into composing songs that are very much of their time.  Co-produced by Cattaneo and Lorne Entress (Lori McKenna, Mark Erelli), ALL IS QUIET is very much a folk album. While the musicianship is of the highest standard (Kevin Barry plays acoustic guitar and Duke Levine is on guitars and mandolin), the vocals are out in front and crystal clear, drawing the listener to the messages within the songs.

She’s in fine voice from the opening title track. Setting the scene for the album’s theme she sings ‘wondering if I’ll be myself still when all is done.’  That uncertainty and restriction are beautifully articulated on Blackbirds. The arrangements on the track are suitably understated, with Catteneo’s crystal clear vocals accompanied by acoustic guitar and mandolin. That relaxed and unhurried feel dominates throughout the album’s nine tracks.  Positivity and hopefulness in uncertain times are awash on both Diamond Days and Hold Onto Hope and she bookends the album with the prayer-like Follow.

An album that provides the listener with compassionate thoughts and messages, ALL IS QUIET is an uplifting listen from start to finish, from a hugely talented songwriter.

Review by Declan Culliton

Cristina Vane Make Myself Me Again Red Parlor

‘For now, Nashville is home, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ve gotten so used to moving that I need to do it. Either way, I plan to be in Nashville for the foreseeable future,’ explained the somewhat nomadic Cristina Vane, when Lonesome Highway spoke with her in March of 2021.  

A skilled clawhammer banjo and fingerpicking acoustic guitar player, Vane’s 2021 debut album NOWHERE SOUNDS LOVELY was inspired by the Italian-born singer -songwriter’s five-month solo road trip across America, where she studied local musical traditions of oldtime and bluegrass music. If that debut recording was a reflection of that road trip, MAKE MYSELF ME AGAIN finds her in a more introspective frame of mind, having laid down her roots in Nashville and lived through the pandemic. A sense of contentment and feeling very much at home both with herself and in her newfound home is central to much of what’s on offer here.

Vane’s debut album crisscrossed from delta and country blues to traditional roots and rock, as she processed the many musical genres that stimulated and excited her. This time around her album is more cohesive and focused, suggesting a maturing artist growing in confidence both musically and lyrically.

She kicks off in a defiant mood with the raw and bluesy title track (‘Sometimes I lose sometimes I win, I’m gonna make myself me again’). What follows are twelve solid tracks that find Vane in splendid voice throughout and with slick guitar and banjo picking that form the backbone of the album. The album was co-produced by Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers) and Brook Sutton (Blackberry Smoke) and the players alongside Vane include Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Molly Tuttle) and Billy Contreras (Bela Fleck). There’s so much to savour on an album, Vane and her crew don’t put a foot wrong. Standouts are the Allison Krauss sounding River Roll and the rocky and aptly titled closer Strange Times. Equally easy on the ear are Little Black Cloud with its Slim Harpo vibe and the cheekily titled Small Town Nashville Blues. 

'It is the sound of growing up,' explains Vane in the press release that accompanied the album. True words indeed, this album is a momentous step forward from her highly impressive debut album and one that’s worthy of establishing Vane as the premier breakthrough artist in country blues. Watch this space.

Review by Declan Culliton

49 Winchester Fortune Favors The Bold New West

Taking their name from a street in their small mountain hometown of Castlewood, Virginia, FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD is the fourth album from the five-piece band and their first on the New West label. 49 Winchester is Isaac Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, cowbell), Bus Shelton (electric guitar, baritone guitar), Chase Chafin (bass guitar), Noah Patrick (steel guitar), and Don Eanes (piano, Hammond B3).

What started as a group of friends hanging out and playing together has, through hard work and dedication, earned them a recent appearance at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, shows at SXSW, and a booking to support Whiskey Myers on their upcoming summer tour. 

Their sound lands somewhere between outlaw and southern rock. Laidback and delightfully loose across its ten tracks, they open the album with the punchy Annabel and bookend the collection with the knees up barroom honky tonker Last Call. For my ears, both tracks echo the sound of the Texan band Mike and The Moonpies which, for this writer, is a major compliment. Elsewhere the album is packed with memorable moments. All I Need (‘I ain’t in no debt, I got a real good woman and a pretty good dog that don’t shit in the house’) and the title track had me hitting the repeat button. Neon is classic southern rock, sounding like it was borrowed from the Lynyrd Skynyrd songbook. It's not all blood and thunder either, they’re equally at home with their feet easy on the pedal on the hook-filled ballads Damn Darlin’ and Second Chance

Make no mistake, these boys can write and deliver classic groove-driven Americana. Isaac Gibson showcases his full gritty vocal range throughout FAVOURS THE BOLD and the players, a well-honed machine from numerous live shows, are firing on all cylinders from the get-go. An album that no doubt captures the mood of 49 Winchester’s fun-filled and carefree live shows, with the support of New West, this recording could very well be the launching pad for an accelerated career progression.

Review by Declan Culliton

Aaron Raitiere Single White Dreamer Dinner Time / Thirty Tigers

Currently one of Nashville’s revered songwriters, Kentucky born Aaron Raitiere has penned songs in recent years for Miranda Lambert, Anderson East, Maren Morris, Midland and many more. His co-write I’ll Never Love Again, from the 2018 film A Star Is Born, written with Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey, earned him a Grammy.

The blueprint for this album kicked off four years ago when Raitiere presented Miranda Lambert and Anderson East with a collection of songs and sought their input and support. Fast forward three years and Lambert and Anderson produced and arranged the twelve songs on an album that Raitiere describes as ‘just a bunch of friends getting together trying to help me create something, because they thought I needed a record.’

The album features a host of guest appearances from his neighbours Ashley Munroe, Natalie Hemby, Foy Vance, Waylon Payne, David Cobb and Bob Weir, to name a few. The recordings took place at Nashville’s RCA Studio A and The Casino in East Nashville. As you might expect the players that contributed were all regular top drawer session players. Guitarists Frank Rische, Scott Murray and Jake Mitchell came on board. Bass was by Brian Allen, drums by Darren Dodd. Phillip Downs played piano and organ and Ben Clark contributed trumpet. Kristen Rogers provided background vocals.

Rairiere’s diverse songwriting styles surface across the twelve tracks on the album. You’re left with the impression that he could write any form or genre on demand. He flirts between casual and slapstick tracks At Least We Didn’t Have Any Kids and You’re Crazy to the darker and brooding Dear Darlin’ and Your Daddy Hates Me - the latter sounding like a Patterson Hood creation on a Drive By Truckers album. The title track may or may not be marginally autobiographical and Everybody Else has a deep-rooted melody that’s likely to remain firmly in your subconscious long after it spins out.

It remains to be seen if SINGLE WHITE DREAMER becomes a one-off recording by Raitiere, while he continues to concentrate on his calling as a writer of songs for others. For The Byrds, which features on the album, was included by Miranda Lambert on her 2016 release THE WEIGHT of THESE WINGS and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more of the inclusions on this album get a recondition by some of the artists that he provides ammunition for. Packed with wicked humour, lots of groove and razor-sharp lyrics, there’s so much to savour here.

Review by Declan Culliton

Garrett Heath The Losing End Self Release

On last year’s album, KINGDOM COME, Heath sang of acceptance, and in opening up to the universal love that heals us all, if we let it in. This time around, and a very quick follow-up, sees Heath in pensive mood and reflecting on the deep wounds suffered by the Rust Belt American populations. Living in economic decline in rural towns with low employment opportunities is a stark reality and Heath tries to capture, not only the quiet desperation, but also the ingrained fortitude and resilience of the people who strive to make ends meet on a daily basis.

There is guarded optimism, coupled with the pain of coming up on the losing end – both the title of the album and the theme that runs through these nine songs. Heath has an authenticity that convinces; he writes from the heart and his vocal is both arresting and memorable in a quietly dignified manner. He plays guitar in a laid-back style and his harmonica skills are very resonant throughout, giving a plaintive mood to these songs of beaten down dreams and haunted memories.

With the song, In Tall Buildings, Heath contemplates leaving the countryside behind, his sense of place - to work indoors, in a suit, taking the subway into tall building imprisonment. It’s like he’s going overseas to war. The harmonica gives an external sense of his inner pain as it weaves through the melody.

The quiet strum of West Front St. contains the story of a working man who loses his job in an industrial accident, turns to the bottle, sacrifices his marriage, and finally finds redemption through prayer and  a decision to leave everything behind – quite literally. It’s quite bleak in the message of circumstance and fate taking their toll.

Live For the Moment has echoes of Springsteen’s Nebraska with naked harmonica cutting through the easy melody. Trying to put down the past is never as simple as it seems, even when the promise of tomorrow is calling.

The title track is about taking the hits that life throws, be it a local store closure, a school football team losing out to childhood dreams and wealthier opponents, or children born into straitened circumstances with little opportunity. It’s almost as if certain strata’s of society are born to fail…

Darker Still reminds me of a Leonard Cohen song with its topic of hiding from real relationships and not being completely open with one-another. We essentially live lonely lives, trapped within our secrets and the stories that we tell ourselves.

Same Old Story channels the need to work, balanced against personal dreams of living differently and feeling free. “Am I the man I’m meant to be? There’s nothing left inside of me, An empty smile and these worn-out jeans, A broken heart, and these tattered dreams.”

Morning Light brings some hope and optimism on the horizon, as a love story that declares the need to persevere, no matter what the challenges. “Let’s take our time dear, and live this life, We’ll build our home here, we’ll stand and fight, Maybe find some peace here, in the morning light.”

Camero recounts a tale of a banker who loses his job in the economic downturn and moves out of NYC to work in a local Walmart.  Downsize or pay the price… The final track, Vanity, is a look at ego as a divisive influence and the realisation that, “Life is but a vapor, Just a whisper in the wind,” coupled with the thoughts that we can take it all too seriously.

A very chilled album, played with restrained skill and plenty of real quality. The songs take hold and deliver a very encompassing experience for the listener. Heath self-produced at his recording studio (Okiejoke Sound), based in Knox,  Pennsylvania. He wrote all the songs with the exception of In Tall Buildings, a cover of the John Hartford song from 1976. A worthy follow-up to last year’s impressive album and yet another confirmation of the superb talent on display here.

Review by Paul McGee

Lynne Hanson Ice Cream In November Self Release

Back in early 2020, Lynne Hanson released her seventh solo album, JUST WORDS, and in my review at the time, I mentioned her superb songcraft and her ability to deliver genre fluid influences in her arrangements. It was an album that impressed greatly and the good news is that Lynne is back, two years wiser, and with the Covid pandemic in the interim, to deliver a set of twelve songs that are every bit as compelling and interesting.

Never one to rest on previous success, Lynne has decided to engage the multi-layered talents of co-producer and musician Blair Michael Hogan for this album, together with a new group of musicians and a different emphasis on song arrangements and sound.

Yes, the relationship musings are still firmly in place, coupled with the inevitable feelings of isolation and loneliness that the Covid pandemic raised. And yes, the dynamic playing is still as sharp as ever, with new soundscapes that wrap a lot of these songs, featuring rich synthesiser, mellotron, and organ, together with drum and percussion programming. The arrangements add to the dynamic, always challenging the listener to stay with the subtle nuances of shifting melody.

There is an old adage that says we must either evolve or die, and while music could never be said to cause a fatal blow, in a career that can see musicians stagnant for periods of time, it’s refreshing when an artist grows from album to album, always challenging herself and painting on new palettes. Lynne Hanson has been doing this since her debut album arrived back in 2006 and has certainly earned her reputation as one of Canada’s premier Roots/ Americana songwriters.

Here, she contributes on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mellotron, piano, drums/percussion, programming. Her partner in production, Blair Michael Hogan, brings his multi-instrumentalist talents on electric bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, 12-string guitar, mandolin, banjo, piano, synth, mellotron, organ, drum/percussion programming.

The impressive array of musical talent in the studio is augmented by Phil Shaw Bova (drums, percussion, vibraphone); Peter Klassen (upright bass); Raphael Weinroth Browne (cello); Steve Marriner (harmonica); Caroline Marie Brooks (backing vocals), Tara Holloway (backing vocals), Mikhail Laxton (backing vocals).

Lynne also shares the creative process with nine of the songs co-written with Blair Michael Hogan, two songs with MJ Dandeneau and one song written with Jessica Pearson. So, what do we get this time around? There is the opening rockabilly/surf rock groove of Shadowland, with lots of reverb on the stratocaster and a walking bass line. It carries a message about hiding in plain sight and looking out for number one; ‘Tell me all your dirty secrets, I promise I won’t tell.’

Hip Like Cohen is a look back at youthful doubts and fears and learning to ignore the pressure from others and the expectations for success. Be yourself and enjoy the moment; ‘A path is just a road I walk, I’m not looking for any signs.’

The title track is a realisation that time forgets, but that we always remember. Old memories, the fragility of faded dreams and longing for days past; ‘ Beauty queens, That no one remembers, Dancing across the screen, A plastic dream machine, Screaming look at me, Won’t you look at me, I am so lonely.’    

On 100-Mile Wind, escaping the flames of passion is captured in a song about addictive love, survival and avoiding self-destruction. It’s a big guitar sound and one that drives the rhythm, ‘Living high on coke, Coming down on wine, You said it was love, But I knew you were lying.’   

Orion’s Gate has a sweet melody and the sound of lovely cello, in a reflection on our place in the universe and in trying to make sense of an old relationship… ‘Though the world keeps turning round, My world came crashing down, The moment that I found out, You weren’t coming back around.’

Birds Without A Feather is a gritty, bluesy tune that delivers a punch about the hypocrisy of organised religion and a message to find your own path. ‘Fox is in the hen house, Been living there for years, Talking ‘bout sorrow through crocodile tears, Ain’t no  saviour to be found.’

Dominoes has a sultry tango beat, and the fatal attraction that passion holds  - pleasure and pain providing a dangerous cocktail, ‘ Your note said “I love you” and you signed it goodbye, There’s a little bit of truth in every big lie, Turns out lovers and leavers look the same in the dark.’

In On A Wing is a social butterfly, flitting through the superficialities of the day, synth and guitar sounds to the fore in a poppy groove that is radio-friendly with a hint of Sheryl Crow. One Of These Days is another synth-driven, bright poppy sound, with a look at modern life, job and love compromises and everything playing out like a bad movie.

Puzzle Pieces is a reflective song that perhaps was inspired by the isolation of Covid days and a look back at time passed, ‘It’s been eleven months, And the snow’s piled high, I’m waiting on Spring, Yeah I’m just staying inside.’ Le Bon Moment is a beautifully delivered love song, sung in French, and referencing the tragic story of Romeo and Juliette, while waiting in the midnight garden for your lover to appear. The final song, This Heart Of Mine, comes full circle on the journey taken and speaks of the regrets that unrequited love can conjure up. ‘So I drink to remember, That its time I forget, That we were ever lovers, That we ever met.’

Yet, throughout the heartache, the urge to keep on trying is ever-present in the music of Lynne Hanson. It’s a statement of intent from an artist who continues to grow and explore her creative muse. Luckily, we are all the better for it.

Review by Paul McGee

Barton Stanley David Cicada Kenshire

With a debut EP released back in 2011, BLUE FOR EAST BROADWAY, this singer-songwriter decided to leave NYC and relocate back to Texas, three years ago. In the time that has since passed, David has been writing and performing, launching his own record label and also getting married. His music falls in a Folky direction, with leanings toward a more commercial Rock sound. The experience gained in NYC (including meeting his wife), has resulted in these seven songs that play out across twenty-plus minutes of very enjoyable listening.

It is such a big advantage when you can sing with a honeyed vocal tone and phrasing that is both impressive and engaging. Some of these songs started life as far back as 2016, and the title track, Cicada, speaks of returning to the source of childhood memories and the urge to rediscover the influences of the past. The guitar and pedal steel interplay gives the song a winsome feel and it’s a fine opener to the album.

All Ways follows, a love song with a big production and string sounds, reflecting on a strong bond between two people who want to make their relationship work. Great drumming and piano lifting the arrangement and delivering with some conviction.

If I Didn’t Tell You First, starts with a slow acoustic tempo and builds nicely as it takes a look at deciding to leave a situation where there is no real communication. Crest, follows and is a song about building something real with another, with keyboards creating a sweet string melody over the restrained guitar parts.

Evelyn, is a song about a close friend that reflects upon youthful dreams and the need to have someone who understands the process of loving and letting go. Beautiful violin and piano colour the melody and David’s vocal elevates the experience. Things change with the up-tempo, How We Live In Love, with the band really expressing the tight ensemble playing; great rhythm section pushing the arrangement and a soaring guitar break.

The final track, And the Crowd Goes Wild Again, looks at self-belief and keeping a path that allows you to maintain both dreams and daily acceptance.  David plays a number of different instruments (guitars, piano, synth, programming), and is joined by the talents of Matt Young (drums), Chris Anderson bass) and Ben Fisher (piano), with Burton Lee providing atmospheric pedal steel. He was able to call on Douglas Edward (violin/viola), Scarlett Deering (violin/viola), Walker Adams (additional drums), Tom Hopke, Tyler Martin and Steven Cooper (additional guitar parts) on various tracks. String arrangements were also part of the recording mix and overall, the production is very crisp and clean in lifting the arrangements.         

One terrible tragedy that occurred during the recording of the album, was an accident that befell producer Jeff Saenz. He lost both of his hands in a domestic incident with fallen power lines on his property and this led to a fundamental shift in the entire process. David turned to the talents of Scarlett Deering, after a few months sabbatical, in order to rethink everything. Deering has played with Don Henley and the Eagles and she brought her energy to the project to assist in getting things finished. The recent news is that Jeff Saenz has returned to his studio at Modern Electric in Dallas and is trying to continue his career. I wish him every success in his difficult journey and the music on this album stands as a great testament to his abilities.

Review by Paul McGee

Katie Spencer The Edge Of the Land Lightship

It’s that moment, when you put a new album into the player, and the music just hits like a sweet summer breeze on a sunny day. Like stepping out and being filled with a sense that everything will be ok, today. This is meditative music, created in a space where the atmosphere and the mood are almost a musical instrument in themselves. And the overriding sentiment of this special album is captured in the song, Silence On the Hillside, when Katie sings; ‘We are tiny people, full of love bigger than our hearts, When the sun rises, it reminds me, We are never truly apart.’

The sense of both acceptance and forgiveness, of ourselves and others, permeates this record and offers up a healing balm to sagging shoulders and troubled minds. Right from the starting chords of opener, Take Your Time, you are invited into an immersive experience where both the musicians and the listener are joined in the moment; nothing more, just the sublime playing and the beautiful, unhurried vocal tone of Katie making the pace and tempo of things as easy as a sweet smile.

Yes, it’s really that good. The lines in the song, Road, capture a piece of the past; ‘And it all comes rolling back, Some of these memories have been kept hidden, Far off the beaten track, On the roads of my mind.’ A beautiful expression of holding dear what we cherish most.

With a debut album in 2019, and a number of EP releases, including a tribute to the great John Martyn, which includes his old band mates, Spencer Cousins and Alan Thomson; Katie Spencer delivers a series of diary entries, snippets of thoughts and emotions felt, and recollections of other days. It’s as if we are given insight into a time spent in some seaside town with all the charm of an old postcard found in a parent’s drawer from years back, when you were a child in their care. The title track, The Edge Of the Land, looks at the years of living on the coast and the changing vista of life renewing and unfolding, ‘New wavelengths, ocean sensations, The tide spins round and around once more.’

There is sadness here too, with the loss of a lover in Go Your Way. Another song, Wormhole, speaks of coming out of the darkness and into the light of a new morning. There is also the realisation in the song, Forevermore, that a relationship is at an end point; ‘It’s the fourth time we’ve been here before, And I’m so close to closing the door.’

Shannon Road is a look at that very same imagined town on a Saturday night, after the pubs have closed, and the locals making their way home with streetlights flickering and Katie’s recall of living those days also flickering in her memory.

On the soft whisper of Sweet and Gentle, she sings; ‘All my answers come to me, In the night time, so softly.’ And you can imagine her burning the midnight oil, poring over these vignettes of memory and dreams – putting the pieces of the puzzle into place and shaping her process.

She describes herself as a “UK Progressive Folk Singer-Songwriter and guitarist” on her website.  However, this does not fully give justice to the open,  jazz-like feel, that the music creates; the space in the delivery and the timeless nature of the interplay between these gifted musicians. To my mind, this looks forward but also is a way of paying tribute to the past, and the wonderful legacy of Folk music that has developed over the centuries on the islands of both Great Britain and Ireland. It is beautiful in its construct and execution. Hats off to the richly talented players who deliver such gems – Katie Spencer (guitars, vocals), Tom Mason (double bass), Arran Ahmun (drums), Spencer Cousins (Steinway  piano and keyboards), and Nathan Bay (flugelhorn).

All songs were written by Katie, with the one cover song by Annie Briggs (Go Your Way), being the exception. Both Katie and Spencer Cousins co-produced and the album was recorded live over two days at Steinway Recording, Fulbeck, on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border. You can just sense the magic that was certainly in the room.

It’s captured here for all to enjoy and the intimacy of the music makes it feel like you are in the local pub, in that seaside town, on a night these musicians played in front of that warm fire with the rain pelting it down outside. Album of the year for me so far … The bar has been set high.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

Landon Lloyd Miller Light Shines Through Twin Mesa

On his debut solo album, Landon Lloyd Miller (former lead singer/songwriter in the Shreveport, Louisiana band, The Fast Chargers) has amalgamated his hotchpotch of influences to produce an eclectic collection of songs, with predominantly folk rock leanings. Growing up with musical and religious parents, the young Landon began to learn piano at the age of 13, and progressed to  drums, harmonica and guitar, all of which he plays here. Justifiably proud that this is a home studio recording, also co-produced by him alongside Josiah Rambin, he wisely employed a ‘less is more’ ethos on the production, but called on a bunch of friends to flesh out the instrumentation at appropriate places.

In styles ranging wildly from a stark piano and voice ballad to whimsical pop, the eleven short songs are held together by his undoubted song craft and his unusual falsetto, which is always to the fore in the musical blend.

The opener Light is Growing and the similarly themed closer and title track, Light Shines Through,  are bookends of positivity in a collection of partly autobiographical and confessional vignettes.

Starkest and most personal of all is Bluebonnet, where the intense lasting pain of the abandonment of him and his mother by his preacher father is palpable - ‘you were only lying when you said why you’d never go, that’s alright, only love lied so I’d never have to know …. It’s not alright, I’m not alright’. Feel It Again is decidedly Marc Bolan-esque musically, but the meaning of the lyrics is open to conjecture. At the risk of being accused of lazy journalism with further comparisons, the gentle harmonica and acoustic guitar accompanied love song Landslide is very close to Jeff Buckley territory, with Miller’s falsetto soaring to a crescendo. 

Definitely worth checking out.

Review by Eilís Boland

Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire Fresh Pickles Self Release

The genius of this album from Chris Castino is that, although none of his eleven songs here were originally written for the bluegrass genre, the casual listener would be hard pressed to realise that this was actually the case. Castino is better known in the US as the mainstay behind the Minnesota rock’n’roll jamband, The Big Wu. He came together (during lockdown) with his friends in Milwaukee bluegrass band Chicken Wire Empire to re-record and re-imagine these well established songs from the back catalogue of the Big Wu and the result is a highly entertaining record, produced with the glorious psychedelic looseness of a top drawer bluegrass jamband.

Castino admits that he had to ‘up’ his acoustic guitar playing to reach the standard expected in bluegrass picking, and he certainly hasn’t been found wanting. And to top it all, he convinced quite a few of his bluegrass heroes to join him on many of the tracks. Sam Bush adds his blazing fiddle playing to an extended break in the raging Red Sky, and two members of Hot Rize, Tim O’Brien and Nick Forster, help out on the wistful meandering road song, Bound For the South. Co-producer Adam Greuel supplies the lead vocals on Minnesota Moon and Jackson County, but elsewhere Castino is well up to the job on lead vocals throughout. 

Then there’s the always standout contribution from ‘Flux’ himself, Jerry Douglas, playing dobro on both Jackson County and The Ballad of Dan Toe. The latter is a delicious six and a half minute Tex Mex flavoured saga about a Native American character, and somehow Castino managed to persuade the apparently reluctant veteran Peter Rowan into a studio to record his vocals on several verses! Another dobro player, Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters, absolutely burns it up on the high speed Texas Fireball, the vocals being taken by his band mate Keller Williams.

The icing on the cake is the fun artwork and design from Beth VanDe Walker. 

Thankfully, Castino has hinted that there will be more to follow. I urge you to seek out and enjoy!

Review by Eilís Boland 

Awkward Family Portraits Dear Old West Holy Smokes

I have to admit to being quite surprised after the first listen to this album to learn that Awkward Family Portraits (great name) are, in fact, a Glaswegian roots and ragtime combo and not a Texan retro Western Swing band, as I had initially suspected. With limited information on their socials, I’m unaware of the names of the band members but, based on the photo with the press release that came with the album, the three members of the band are quite young in years. I’m equally uninformed of ‘who plays what’ on the album, which features a multitude of instruments from slick guitar breaks, slapping upright bass, and raging horns.

The eleven-track recording - all original songs - covers a wide range of bases, from Doo-wop to Mariachi, Western Swing to Ragtime, and Rockabilly to Old Timey, all presented skilfully and with no shortage of humour on the side. It follows on from their 2018 recording EVERYTHING WE’VE DONE UP UNTIL NOW EXCEPT WHAT WE’VE DONE SINCE, which earned them appearances at both Celtic Connections and C2C.

Particular highlights for me were the border sound of Ojos Rojos, which plays out like a soundtrack to a spaghetti western, the old-timey La La Bodega, and the Marty Robbins sounding Little Diamond (Dead, Gold & Still)

It's refreshing to come across a young band promoting a conglomeration of a number of classic old time dance inducing genres, and I can only imagine how powerfully emotive these guys would be on stage. Playing out like a history lesson in American music from the 1920s to the 1950s, if the swinging sound of the Cab Calloway era or, indeed, more recent times with the retro musical outpourings of Pokey Lafarge rock your boat, you’ll enjoy this album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Miranda Lambert Palomino Sony

The holder of the most awards in the history of the ACM, Miranda Lambert’s albums have covered a range of sonic landscapes from the traditional country direction of 2016’s THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS to the more pop crossover WILDCARD, her last solo release from 2019.  A prolific and skilled songwriter and blessed with the vocal cords to equal the classic country vocalists from any generation, her last album release THE MARFA TAPES from 2021 was an acoustic collaboration with John Randall and Jack Ingram. It was recorded outdoors in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in West Texas, and found Lambert in splendid form both vocally and emotionally.

The album cover from her latest recording PALOMINO depicts Lambert in full western regalia with a desert background. This, alongside the album’s first single If I Was A Cowboy and its accompanying video, suggests that her ninth studio album may be more country than crossover. So, what is the verdict?

For this writer, it’s a thumbs up. Both laid back and gloriously loose, with lots of twang in all the right places, it embraces elements of both modern and retro country.  Lambert revisits THE MARFA TAPES with the inclusion of three beefed-up tracks from that collection. The funky southern rock direction of Geraldine is splendid, complete with an astute vocal stutter in the chorus, and equally stirring is the hook-laden Waxahachie. The third inclusion from THE MARFA TAPES is the refined country ballad In His Arms.

The first of the fifteen tracks on the album, Actin’ Up calls to mind what Bobby Gentry might sound like in today’s market. Lambert is joined by Sarah Buxton and The McCrary Sisters on her bluesy and raucous cover of Mick Jagger’s Wandering Spirit and she takes a trip down the Cumberland River with the B-52’s onboard on the gloriously funky Music City Queen.

As you’d expect, the production and playing are top drawer. Lambert co-produced the album with her songwriting collaborators Luke Dick and Jon Randall and the players included Rob McNelley on guitars, Ian Fitchuk on bass and keyboards, and Fred Eltringham on drums. 

“The making of this record has been one of the most fun and creative experiences of my career,” reflects Lambert. That merriment and autonomy shine brightly on PALOMINO, giving a lasting impression of an artist very much in a good place at present.

Review by Declan Culliton

May Erlewine Tiny Beautiful Things Self Release

My introduction to Michigan singer-songwriter May Erlewine was courtesy of Los Angeles-based artist Anna Ash, who recommended I check out her good friend’s music. Coincidentally, Erlewine’s latest recording arrived at Lonesome Highway HQ  from her press agent, a short time later.

An artist held in the highest regard in the rural northern part of Michigan, her latest recording is named after the Cheryl Strayed book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar. Written under the pseudonym ‘Sugar’, the book includes a collection of personal and intimate letters between strangers. Given that the songs on TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS were written during quarantine, the album’s theme is very much about the significance and power of friendship, love, and connectivity.

Born into a musical family and home-schooled, Erlewine was surrounded by music during her childhood. Her father was a member of the blues band The Prime Movers and her uncle was a luthier. She can boast over twenty recordings since her debut album SLEEPLESS in 2003, having served her apprenticeship hitchhiking across Northern America playing street corners, bars, and clubs.

Described by Erlewine as ‘an invitation to connect with the many ways love appears in our lives’, TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS finds her in great voice across ten lyrically arresting tracks. Of note, in particular, are the Nanci Griffith sounding Changing, the uplifting and sweetly melodic Lion Heart, the soulful piano-led Could Have Been, and the soul-searching opener Easy.

Co-produced by Erlewine and multi-instrumentalist Joe Hettinga (Megadeth, Liquid Soul, Max Lockwood), and recorded remotely during Covid with the input of fifteen musician confidantes of hers, it’s a charming fusion of soulful folk and relaxed country tunes. It will also have the writer delving into the extensive back catalogue of May Erlewine.

Review by Declan Culliton

Grant Lee Phillips All That You Can Dream Yep Roc   

“In some ways, that freed me up to write and record the kind of song that was personal and executed as though it were for an audience of myself alone. That's freeing," confesses Grant Lee Phillips on the circumstances that led to the writing of his eleventh solo studio album.

Whereas he previously wrote while on the road touring, ALL THAT YOU CAN DREAM was conceived during the enforced lockdown of 2021. Focusing on both global events and life’s complexities, the inspiration for the album came from family drives in the countryside, admiring and appreciating the surrounding environment, and ironically, making the best of the restrictions imposed on him by the pandemic.

A Sudden Place, the first single from the album, was written in response to the burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral. ‘The world’s a sudden place, it turns on a dime,’ he sings, considering life-changing events out of our control. Written in 2019, the enormity of that reflection and those lyrics took on an altogether greater meaning when the reality of Covid hit home. It’s a striking opener to the album, with Phillips’ considered vocals caressed by timely cello splashes by Richard Dodd.

Bemoaning a world of ongoing challenges and provocations, the track Rats In A Barrel calls to mind the treacherous invasion of Capitol Hill by Trump supporters in January 2021 and My Eyes Have Seen points to the slanderous campaign of hatred directed at immigrants by the same administration. He recalls losing his home to an earthquake in Los Angeles almost thirty years ago in Cannot Trust the Ground and both Peace is a Delicate Thing and Cut to the Ending question the violent and unequal world we currently live in and how history continues to repeat itself.   

The album was self-produced and recorded by Phillips at his Nashville home, working long distance with a number of players. Jennifer Condos (Ray LaMontagne, Sam Phillips, Bruce Springsteen) added bass guitar, Jay Bellerose (Joe Henry, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss) played drums, Jamie Edwards (Aimee Mann, Ron Sexsmith, David Byrne) was on keyboards, Eric Heywood (Gretchen Peters, The Jayhawks, Hayes Carl) played pedal steel and the aforementioned Richard Dodd (Sturgill Simpson, Loretta Lynn, James McMurtry) contributed cello.  Vocals, guitars, piano, Mellotron, pump organ and keys were provided by Phillips.

Summing up his mindset when composing the songs that contribute to this thought-provoking album, Phillips confesses on the track Cut To The End, ‘I’ve seen some ugliness, some terror in my days. I’d love to think we’ve seen the end but when you think you’ve got the lid on, here it comes. The same old ghosts are back again.’

Phillips once more proves to be a masterly songwriter with ALL THAT YOU CAN DREAM, gifting the listener with a bank of songs that sit most comfortably alongside each other.

Review by Declan Culliton

Left Arm Tan Undefeated Self-Release

Fans of the Chicago based group Wilco will spot that the name of this Fort Worth, Texas band has a familiar ring to it. Taken from the song Monday (‘a world record players on a tour of Japan, Charlie fixing his van with the left arm tan’), which featured on Wilco’s 1996 album BEING THERE, the connection with that band and its predecessor Uncle Tupelo does not end there. Left Arm Tan engaged Ken Coomer, who played drums in both those bands, to produce UNDEFEATED, which is their sixth studio recording.

Left Arm Tan is Brian Lee (vocals, guitar), Daniel Hines (guitar, vocals), Shawn Light (guitar, vocals), Joseph Lopez (bass), Tim Manders (drums, vocals), and Mark Belding (steel guitar). Coomer is also credited with drum parts on the album which was recorded at Cartoon Moon Recording Studios in Nashville. Eight tracks are included, seven of which are self-writes, the title track being a co-write with John Teague of The Teague Brothers. Awarded the accolade of Song of The Year by Saving Country Music for the opening track Wish from their debut album JIM in 2010, they stuck with their template of alt-country albums up until and including their self-titled release in 2020. UNDEFEATED finds them in a more experimental mood, resulting in an album that is inspired by multiple genres.

The Tex-Mex border sound of Pamplona opens the album and that Mexican influence repeats on Born To Break Your Heart, complete with mariachi styled horns and silky Spanish guitar. The title track could have been plucked from the Jason Isbell songbook and the funky Cocaine Skinny tells of a wayward kid that gets drawn into drug dealing. The band cites the writings of Ernest Hemingway as the inspiration for much of the material and they visit a calmer space on the ballad The Old Man and The Sea, which is a worthy tribute to the acclaimed novelist.

Although a slight departure from their previous recordings, this album showcases a musical chemistry from players who are very much on the same page. Simply a lovely listening experience.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Good Looks Bummer Year Keeled Scales

Four-piece Austin, band Good Looks’ debut album, BUMMER YEAR, is a seven-track introduction to the Texas guitar-driven combo. The band is Tyler Jordan (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Jake Ames (lead guitar), Robert Cherry (bass) and Phillip Dunne (drums), and this striking suite of songs points toward a band with unlimited potential.

Life’s complexities and disorders feature solidly in Jordan’s songwriting. His snarling vocals reign on the opener Almost Automatic as he broods over a failed relationship and the Cure sounding 21, which follows, targets corporate greed. Leaving behind his homestead in South Texas and, in his own words, ‘his father’s cult-like church’, Jordan moved to Austin in his late teens. Plying his trade initially by busking on street corners, he hooked up with Jake Ames, having met him at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Sharing their small-town Texas spoilings they then formed the band.

The frustrations of surviving in the music industry are vented on the raw and brooding Vision Boards. Described by Jordan as ‘a love song for America, written from a place of frustration’, the title track also questions equality and equal opportunity in the modern world. Sonically quite muted, it echoes the vibe of Jeremy Ivey, its lyrical content and mood bring to mind that his 2020 album WAITING OUT THE STORM. 

BUMMER YEAR is an album that resonates as an artist doing exactly as he pleases. A treasure chest of heartfelt songs brimful of texture, if the early work of John McCauley’s band Deertick rocks your boat, you’ll love this.

Review by Declan Culliton

Silver Lining Go Out Nowhere Die With Your Boots On

Regular visitors to the Lonesome Highway website will be aware of our appreciation of much of the roots music coming out of Scandinavia in recent years.  Long before the genre Nordicana was christened, Stockholm sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, better known as First Aid Kit, were already out of the blocks and gaining international recognition. With foundations in both folk and country, their sun-kissed harmonies and melodic songs provided confirmation that roots music of that standard was not emanating solely from the Americas. Since then, we have been blessed with a stream of exciting recordings from a host of similarly inspired artists and bands from that part of the world. Malin Pettersen, Signe Marie Rustad, The Northern Belle, Louien, and Darling West have all recorded albums well received by us at Lonesome Highway.

The latest addition to that growing club is Silver Lining, a four-piece supergroup of sorts that features Stine Andreassen of The Northern Belle, his labelmate Louien (a.k.a. Live Miranda Solberg), Halvor Falck Johansen and Bjørnar Ekse Brandseth. Andreassen and Louien have previously been nominated for, and have won, numerous Spellman Awards, which are the Norwegian ‘Grammys.’

GO OUT NOWHERE, the band’s sophomore release is a ten-track album loaded with dazzling harmonies, haunting pedal steel guitar and well-crafted songs.  Particularly easy on the ear are the stunning opener Your Everything, Days Like These, and the closing and standout track Silver Lining.

Silver Lining do dip into crossover radio-friendly pop at times, the title track and Time being examples. However, making music that blends elements of folk, country and pop together is the trademark of much of the music coming from Scandinavia. Drenched in summer sounds and combining themes of both sadness and joy in their songs, GO OUT NOWHERE could justifiably find the band a lot more followers outside of their native Norway. Have a listen and make your own mind up.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Latest Album Reviews

Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites Palookaville

This might constitute Lee’s lockdown album, one he recorded in collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist David West who had been a part of Lee’s previous album recorded with the band Crazy Horse. In his teens, Lee played his first gig on drums with Homer A. Briarhopper and the Daybreak Gang on a morning TV show. Briarhopper was a big personality performing country music in North Carolina. He was a formative influence on Lee who later moved to New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. This latest album was recorded in Santa Barbara, California over a period of Wednesday sessions for a few weeks.

The opening track on this collection Did You Ever Miss Someone? was co-written by Lee and John Sieger and comes in at a timely one minute and fifty-seven seconds. It has an acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin, and string bass accompaniment that was to be the template for the whole record. But things didn’t quite work out that way and other moods, instruments, and enthusiasms crept in along the way. For the next track, Lee added drums and West played electric guitar and bass that bringing an added dimension to the process. I Like Women continues in the same vein, it’s from the bloodline of Chuck Berry and is another co-write for Lee. Might As Well Be is a summation of the musician’s life on the road.

The sentiment of the original template is back for The Devil And The Farmer’s Wife with the acoustic instrumentation on Lee’s arrangement of a public domain ballad which he heard on a field recording by Hamper McBee. Forever After All continues in the same style and is a reflective ballad of the approaching sunset of life. Daddy’s Jail originally appeared on a Bloodshot Records compilation. Lee notes that his father, who was in charge of the Durham Country Jail, was taken with that version but Lee also feels this time out that his father would also have approved. Also close to home is Where Is The Family Today?, which deals with the song title’s question of a true tale of his close (and not so close) relations.

A song he recorded with Crazy Horse, Wake Up Crying gets reimagined here in a bluegrass setting and is well suited to both arrangements, the sign of a good song. The closing choice is another public domain gospel song Just A Closer Walk With Thee which was recorded in the past by Elvis but for Lee, the version sung by Harry Dean Stanton in Cool Hand Luke was the inspiration. Its strength is in the simplicity and sincerity of their reading as it finishes the album with Lee’s distinctive voice echoing as it does throughout with his immediately recognisable timbre. 

All Lee’s releases have been worthy of praise and this is no exception. The interaction between Lee and West is a perfect meeting of minds and offers more than enough variety which encompasses his personal vision of bluegrass, as well as venturing into the Bakersfield sound and beyond. However, it is Lee’s songwriting and song choices that make this a good addition to his work cannon and also something of a perfect introduction to find out if you are of the same persuasion as Lee in terms of his oeuvre. So fun for all the family and one to add to your favourite albums of the year.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Ben Jarrell Band Up And Headed West Self Release

This album was originally released last year but only recently came to our attention. It has a debt to Waylon Jennings and to Southern Rock but stands up for itself and heads west to some strong country territory. In 2019 Jarrell released TROUBLED TIMES, an album that was well received by those who encountered it by all accounts and this new album will doubtless get a similar response. 

It is produced by Brett Robinson, who also holds down the pedal steel role with Whitey Morgan’s band the 78’s, and as such would seem ideally placed to take charge here. He joins the band here on three tracks, sharing the pedal steel duties with Jordan Harazin (a performer in his own right). The guitarist laying down some sweet twang is Jimmy Teardrop, he is joined by a number of additional players who vary to some degree depending on the track. The consistent voice throughout is that of Jarrell and is perfectly suited to this particular potent blend of hard-core country and Southern swagger and attitude. This is something that is currently not uncommon with a lot of bands around at the moment, but Jarrell gets the balance right in terms of tempo, tone, and delivery.

The album consists of ten tracks all written by Jarrell either solo or with like-minded contributors. First to gain attention is the tenderness of Chevrolets And Angels. It’s a song that starts with Spanish guitar and a superbly seasoned vocal that builds its tale with pedal steel guitar to emote the sadness of the song’s story of a car/racing lover who takes one ride too many. While it stands in contrast to the more uptempo songs that abound on the album, it shows Jarrell’s affinity with disparate lifestyles. Many of the songs relate strongly to life on the road, either just cruising around or making a living covering asphalt, witnessed by titles like Bald Tires and Wheels.  Also included is a cover of a song by Ken Munds’ Trucker And The UFO, that details an alien encounter on the highway. Maybe we have a likely contender for a modern-day Red Simpson to contend with here?

While other material such as the opening Irish Goodbye through to Jack Of Clubs, Coming Down and Alabama Rose all tell of lifestyle, love, and moving on. They all do so with an obvious intent to get the delivery exactly right. Given this is a self-funded independent release that makes it all the more praise worthy. Like many similar acts, the Ben Jarrell Band can very easily escape the attention they deserve. This album was released last year but still warrants your consideration. 

The final track A Fish Named Revelation is given to darker apocalyptic images that are revelations from the end of the line and all that may then occur - “won’t you lend me a dime to pay the toll.” This is delivered with some hard guitar and sturdy vocals as is appropriate to its message.

Jarrell is an Alabama native and recorded the album in his home State. His own background story has not been an easy one, but he and his band can be justly proud of this album and they are certainly up and heading in the right direction.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Peter Rogan Broken Down Love Melt Shop

Kicking off with the title track, Peter Rogan sets a high standard for his new album, one that he impressively matches on all twelve tracks here. Using the metaphor of fixing an old car, he likens the challenge to his broken relationship and the fact that it’s probably going to be easier to bring the automobile back to some kind of working order.

The blues rhythm of Short Shifter Blues spins out the sorry tales of folks who have to work so hard to make ends meet and to rise above the cards that life has dealt them. Back To Natchez is a song about a trucker who lives on the road with the pain of a broken romance his constant companion. Never able to revisit where they first met and never able to rekindle old flames that have gone out.

All That’s Left Is the Blues is a slow song that is laced with regret and thoughts of where things went wrong with a relationship. The theme of loss certainly kicks off this follow up to his 2019 debut,  Still Tryin' to Believe. There is a cover of the Rolling Stones song, It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, and Rogan gives it a funky workout with a great horn arrangement and backing vocals. The fun of Dancin’ Naked is a novel way to decompress from the daily grind and to shake it all loose in the night. 

Butter Lane is a gentle song with pedal steel and restrained guitar setting the tempo.  There is a great harmonica and keyboard groove in the arrangement and a tight feel to the song dynamic. The song channels a youthful memory of growing up and the recollections of innocent times. My Kinda Strange rocks out with a rootsy swing and attitude. Great band dynamic in the playing and a flirtatious lyric about what is good about a sense of lustful attraction. Don’t Be Afraid Of the Rain is a superb song about living free and not letting fear dictate how to experience the good times. 

Ship’s A Burnin’ is another song about leaving the past behind and being ready to move on. Not relying on the attachments that can bind, shedding skin and embracing the future. Thank You Girl is a John Hiatt song and Rogan does it justice, as the second cover song on the album. The ensemble are right in the groove and the musicians are Will Kimbrough (electric, acoustic, slide guitars, harmonica), Phil Madera (keyboards and lap steel), Dennis Holt (drums and percussion), Chris Donohue (electric and acoustic bass) and Rogan himself on electric, acoustic guitars and vocals.

Final song, I Wish, arrives all too early in the proceedings and it’s a sad reflection on regrets over the way in which a relationship can end. Almost as if by holding back in the middle of a difficult moment, somehow things might just not escalate out of control… The playing is wonderful, with Rogan using all the easy charm of the same troupe he used on the debut release. With the great playing talent on offer it’s a warm album that sucks you in at every turn and I recommend it to you as a fine example of the hidden gems that await those who are happy to dig below the surface.

Review by Paul McGee  

Brian Straw Baby Stars/Dead Languages Land Lover

Brian Straw has been a stalwart of the Cleveland, Ohio music scene for the past 20 years, after having moved there as a young man, from his native Indiana. Known for pushing the boat out in rock circles with his experimental approach, he fell into addiction and his last album was released in 2005. Thankfully he survived, still keeping in touch with the music industry, and he had his last drink in 2017.

These songs on his new album have been germinating since then and he has finally committed them to the recording process in his very own studio, Survival Kit. Openly acknowledging that he has lived the cliche of moving from rock bottom to sobriety and now to peace, the songs on this double album chronicle that journey in real time. Variously described as experimental-folk, indie folk and rock, the overall sound is a curious amalgam of all of these. Opening with the moody, broody, bass drum heavy Sleep Study - ‘your eyes lead me to this place where we begin’, through I Have Not Wandered and I Still Dream of You, Straw evokes a dreamlike landscape of shadows and murk. Addiction to heroin and other hard drugs are the inspiration for Needle in the Creek and Keys To My Room, the former detailing a time with a female friend who was also a heroin addict, and who sadly died not along after the song was written.

The songs are relatively long (hence a double vinyl consisting of 12 songs in total) and lyrically obscure. Shades of his past experimental work pop up through out, with a sonic palette that varies from voice and piano to full blown orchestration. Recommended for those who like to be challenged in their music listening.

Review by Eilís Boland

The Wilder Blue Self-Titled Self-Release

Formed in 2019, this is the second album release from the Texas five-piece band, The Wilder Blue. Previously known as Hill Country, the five members are frontman and songwriter Zane Williams, lead guitarist Paul Eason, bass player Sean Rodriguez, drummer Lyndon Hughes, and multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers. With an emphasis on five-part harmonies and songs that range from ‘busted hearts’ to ‘killer road songs’, the album travels from the classic country rock of the early 70s to the breezy Americana sound of more recent times.

They recorded this self-titled album at Echo Studios in Denton Texas under the watchful eye of producer and studio owner Matt Pence, whose previous life included drumming with the revered alt-country band Centro-matic. Without a recording deadline, the band completed the album over a nine-month period, spending a number of three day recording sessions in the studio.

Crisscrossing from bluegrass to gospel and country funk, the standout tracks of the twelve are Wave Dancer, Picket Fence and the bluesy six-minute track, The Ol’ Guitar Picker. Steeped in jaunty melodies and killer harmonies, both of which are particularly impressive on The Conversation, this is solid and uncomplicated Texan country rock of the highest order.

Review by Declan Culliton

Charley Crockett Lil’ G.L. Presents: Jukebox Charley Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers

Continuing his prolific recording output - this is his twelfth album in seven years - Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett’s latest offering is his fourth recording under the Lil’ G.L. Presents series. Using his side name ‘Lil’ G.L.’, the recordings are all reconstructions of classic country and roots songs by Crockett, delivered in his distinctive Texan baritone drawl.  A dedicated student of traditional country music, what makes these albums all the more interesting is Crockett’s capacity to unearth songs unfamiliar to all but the most erudite followers of country music. The benefit of this is twofold, giving the listener the benefit of listening to an album of originals from Crockett and also the impetus to seek out the original versions and their authors.

As you might expect, all the standard topics that inspire country songs get an airing. We’re introduced to cheating women (Porter Wagoner’s Heartbreak Affair, Wayne Kemp & Bill McDonald’s Same Old Situation), busted hearts (Jerry Reed’s I Feel For You, Willie Nelson’s Motel Home), drinking (George Jones’ Out Of Control, Joe Avants Jr & John Koonse’s Battle With The Bottle), and heartfelt regret (Tom T Hall’s I Hope It Rains at My Funeral and Lonely in Person).  The title track was written by Johnny Paycheck and Aubrey Mayhew and, alongside the other thirteen songs, it’s a reminder of the golden years of country songwriting during the 1960s. With his ‘go-to’ producer Billy Horton at the controls and a team of talented players contributing, JUKEBOX CHARLEY is yet another gem by one of the most sincere and gifted torch carriers of authentic country music today.

‘’They better watch out in country music because I’m just getting started in country music, brother,’’ were the parting words from Crockett when we last interviewed him in the summer of 2020. He’s more than living up to that declaration on another outstanding collection of fourteen songs worthy of gracing any country music jukebox.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Cowboy Junkies Songs of the Recollection Proper

“Long before we were musicians, we were music fans. We didn't grow up sitting around the kitchen table playing instruments and harmonizing. We grew up sitting around the record player listening to each other's record collections and having our minds blown,’’ confesses Michael Timmins, which explains the conception and material sources for Cowboy Junkies’ nine-track covers album SONGS OF THE RECOLLECTION. Included on the album are songs and artists that have featured in the bands’ setlists over their thirty-five-year life span. On occasions, these reworkings stick close to the originals and on others, they reconstruct the songs with their characteristic low-fi sound.

Formed in 1985, Cowboy Junkies’ line up remains today as it was on day one. The four -piece includes siblings Michael, Peter and Margo Timmins alongside lifelong friend, Alan Anton.  With an eagle eye for identifying songs that suit their distinctive style, their version of Lou Reed’s Sweet Jane, which featured in the 1994 film Natural Born Killers, signalled a major breakthrough in both the U.S. and Europe. Throughout the band’s career span, they have seldom strayed from their particular style, surrounding Margo’s ambient and evocative vocals with atmospheric sonics. They remain true to that tried and tested application here.

Included on the album are David Bowie’s Five Years and Neil Young’s Don’t Let It Bring You Down, both of which have previously been included in their live shows, and they don’t stray too far from the originals with these studio recordings. Why try and improve on perfection? In fact, Five Years is identical to Bowie’s version and Neil Young’s classic is energised by screeching fuzzy guitar, rendering it more like a Crazy Horse version than the maiden recording. Likewise, No Expectations, borrowed from The Rolling Stones 1968 album BEGGARS BANQUET, replicates the Stones’ version, albeit with Margo’s purring vocals replacing Jagger’s more bluesy drawl.  In contrast, Gram Parsons’ classic Ooh Las Vegas is given a dark, wistful and somewhat unrecognisable makeover, with a sound very much in keeping with the song’s miserable backstory. Equally experimental is their rocked-up version of the Gordon Lightfoot ballad The Way I Feel. The other songs re-worked on the album are Seventeen Seconds by The Cure, a second Neil Young selection Love In Mind, and Bob Dylan’s I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You.

With all the previously mentioned tracks being recordings by major artists, they also include a song by a lesser-known artist and close friend. Vic Chestnutt, who passed away in 2009, was held in such esteem by Cowboy Junkies that they recorded DEMONS, an entire album of Chestnutt songs, after his passing. Fittingly, he is remembered here with the inclusion of a stunningly haunting rendition of Marathon, which featured on his 2007 album NORTH STAR DESERTER.

Cover albums can be hit and miss affairs, often recorded by way of a contractual obligation or filling a gap between recordings of original material. That’s certainly not the case with SONGS OF THE RECOLLECTION, which is a proud and sincere celebration by Cowboy Junkies of where their influences have been drawn from. It really is a compelling listen from start to finish, by a creative band that seldom puts a foot wrong.

Review by Declan Culliton

Erika Lewis A Walk Around The Sun Self Release

The Delondes’ John James Tourville takes the credit for the production on this debut solo recording from Erika Lewis. A member of the renowned New Orleans jazz and roots street band Tuba Skinny, Lewis spent her early years in New Orleans’ French Quarter, in the main busking with jazz player Meschiva Lake. They subsequently formed the band The Magnolia Beacon and travelled to Europe, living and performing in both Berlin and Latvia, before returning to Louisiana.

While temporarily living in Nashville, it’s no surprise that she recorded this album at Andrija Tokic’s analog studio, The Bomb Shelter. So many albums arriving at Lonesome Highway in recent times credit this location and the common denominator among them is their consistent quality. A WALK AROUND THE SUN is certainly no exception.

With the laid-back and graceful arrangements that complement Lewis’ delicate vocal deliveries, previous albums from occasional New Orleans residents Alynda Segarra and Esther Rose come to mind. In fact, the album follows a similar pattern to the gorgeous HOW MANY TIMES, released by Rose last year, and also has echoes of the early Hurrah For The Riff Raff recordings.

It offers eleven self-written tracks with themes that run the emotional gauntlet from survival to loss and rebirth. With splashes of mournful pedal steel and nimble fiddles arriving in all the right places, tracks such as If You Were Mine, First Love, Running Wild and the particularly beautiful Love Song stand out. Lewis turns the tempo up on the bluesy Unsatisfied and she’s in fine form vocally on the instantly arresting title track.

Faced with the trauma of a diagnosis that required surgery on her vocal nerves, the album could have been Lewis’ final recording. Following the diagnosis, a successful fund-raising campaign was launched by her Tuba Skinny bandmate Shaye Cohn to finance the recording and, thankfully, the surgery proved successful. Fortunately, we can now look forward to further installments from the honeyed voiced artist with a keen eye for well-crafted and melancholic ballads.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Pete Gow Leo Clubhouse

The title of Pete Gow’s third solo record is taken from the album’s central track Leonard’s Bar. It’s a seven-and-a-half-minute tale of a hopeless and desperate ex-criminal, planning his final raid and payoff. It reads like a tale from the pen of Richmond Fontaine’s Willy Vlautin and, although not the opening track, very much sets the atmosphere and colour for much of the accompanying songs.

That mood and darkness was very much a feature of Case Hardin, the U.K. roots combo fronted by Gow, although the musical direction of his solo albums is entirely more adventurous and ambitious.

HERE THERE’S NO SIRENS, released by Gow in 2019 and nominated for the AMA-UK’s ‘Album of the Year’, was the initial departure by Gow from the traditional roots sound of Case Hardin. Awash with symphonic strings and crowning brass, it chronicled painful tales of heartache and loss. No less dramatic was THE FRAGILE LINE which followed in 2020. Completing the trilogy, LEO, in many ways surpasses both those recordings.

Reuniting with producer Joe Bennett, the recording took place at Farm Music Studios. Vocals and guitar parts were performed by Gow, drums by Fin Kenny, and just about everything else by Bennett. The final mix is credited to Tony Poole of Starry Eyed and Laughing and Bennett Wilson Poole fame. It opens with the swashbuckling Where Else Would We Be Going and closes with a gentle reprise of that same song. I was immediately reminded of the soulful sounds of Graham Parker and The Rumour on that opener and the glorious echoes of Van Morrison backed by the Caledonia Soul Orchestra come to mind on Both Sides Are Down. Equally impressive are the aforementioned Leonard’s Bar and the dazzling Eight Long Hours.

An album that crosses from the relaxed to the frenetic and with arrangements that compliment Gow’s vocals, it completes a hat track of stunning albums from its author and his trusted team.

Review by Declan Culliton

Doug Adkins A Cowboy’s Life Self Release

This appears to be Adkins tenth album of down-home country music, music that is not troubled by the ambitions or allure of mainstream country radio. Rather, this is music that plays well in the honky-tonks and festivals in Europe where, judging from the dates listed on his website, he is predominantly playing this summer in Europe (this includes shows in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, alongside other countries). Doubtless he would equally be welcomed in Ireland, especially up in the North, as his sound is eminently suited for dancing and having a good time. It won’t confuse the listener as to what genre it is supposed to be. He had success appearing on The Voice of Germany in 2020 and subsequently charted with the title song from his then album, WHISKEY SALESMAN. So the concentration on playing Europe makes a lot of sense.

However it is this album, his eleventh, that we are focusing on. It was produced by Montana native Adkins himself, and features some solid playing from the assembled band which sits comfortably behind Adkins’ comforting vocal and makes the most of his songwriting. Such notable players as Brent Mason, Bruce Bouton and Lonnie Wilson have appeared on previous recordings, which gives an indication of the standard involved. He has writing numerous songs during his career but notes that the final track here is the first time he has recorded a cover version. He has chosen Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, a song best known from its version by Willie Nelson. It was written by Ed Bruce and his wife and Adkins chose it in tribute to him after he passed away recently. Adkins’ arrangement fits his overall style and sounds different enough to comfortably sit alongside his own songs, some of which allude to the theme of the album title in relating to the ups and downs of the life of a cowboy, both in work and dealing with different relationships. In Jesse James there is an association between the famous outlaw and a modern day proponent that juxtaposes the pair’s lives. Adkins also references some earlier western songs in his story of a ranch hand loyal to his lifestyle and brand in Country Certified. Many of the other songs detail the high and low roads of romance and of lust, topics that fit easily the bar-rooms, festivals and CD players for this solid no frills country.

So songs such as Stand For Something, Too Much Worry, Billy Wants To Dance and Tail Lights In The Mirror all tell their own tales, the latter about the constant movement required of a working musician looking into his rear view mirror as he moves on. One Kiss details an instant bar room romance. The perennial tale of Saturday night versus a regretful Sunday morning is at the heart of Amen. So it goes through the album, the work of a man in love with the more traditional aspects of the country music of the 90s. Adkins may not be doing anything that is radically different than any number of hard-working musicians. Equally he has the balance right on his own terms and that counts for a lot with those who have already embraced Adkins in whatever form they have encountered him - and this album is as good a place as any.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dave Goddess Group Back In Business Self Release

New York based Dave Goddess makes his music for one of the most valid reasons of all, which is to satisfy his desire to make honest truthful music for himself. He fills his songs with aspects of rebirth, religion, time, freedom, and gratitude but also allows for a little fun to be part of the mix. It is solid roots-rock that has the influence of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, to name but three, in its DNA. For this album Goddess was deep in pandemic times, so was largely working from his imagination and experience. That inward look produced eleven songs, all of which are delivered with heart despite have been recorded under Covid conditions. His long term rhythm section of bassist Mark Buschi and Chris Cummings on drums provided the base to build the songs on. Goddess add vocals and guitars while the additional instruments including steel guitars, keyboards and violin were overdubbed under the watchful eye of Goddess and co-producer/engineer Konrad Carelli. A half-dozen singers added background vocals to complete the business of making this new album.

Much of the material has a strong sense of structure and melody that rewards the listener. While the template used here has been around for some time now, these players bring a good sense of commitment that gives the whole album its sense of life and love of life, something that exists in spite of the many vicissitudes being faced in recent times, though the overall feel is largely positive and potent. Perhaps best summed up in the lyrics of Better Days - “forgive yourself, go on forgive the world / unshoulder that burden, seize the day.”

Standout tracks include Back In Business, Blessing In Disguise,You Can’t Get There From Here, I’d Do It Again, One-Way Ticket. These songs often highlight the skills of each of the musicians with keyboards, accordion, pedal steel and guitar riffs making their presence felt throughout. The vocals are also crucial to the process with Goddess’ lead leading the way, and the background vocals also being used effectively. There is light and shade and everything is not taken at the same tempo, which gives it a stronger listening experience.

The truth is, as Goddess has outlined, he makes this music for himself and his team essentially and indeed they should be satisfied. There is nothing stopping it reaching a wider audience other than the fact that it is so hard for an independent act to make itself heard amid the many distractions, and the many levels of media that clutter the consciousness. The Dave Goddess Group are not the new Tom Petty Band, but they are what they are and that puts them back in business to build on what they have already achieved previously, with this solid, satisfying album.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Harley Kimbro Lewis Harley Kimbro Lewis Midnight Mango

‘All songs written and played by Harley Kimbro Lewis’ it states on the cover, which pretty much sums up this self contained trio of English guitarist Martin Harley, and Americans, the double bassist Daniel Kimbro and singer/songwriter Sam Lewis. Each has their own individual history; Harley is an award winning acoustic blues guitarist with several albums to his credit; Kimbro, as well has being an integral part of this combination, also tours with John Hiatt, the Jerry Douglas Band, the Earls of Leicester; Nashville-based singer/songwriter Sam Lewis has worked with such diverse artist as Leon Russell and Chris Stapleton and has also released albums under his own name. However even though Harley and Kimbro have worked together previously, this trio should be considered separately and this as their debut release.

The first song that gained my attention was the humorous contemplation of those who share a logistic closeness, that is Neighbors. Set against a simple subtle bass and guitar backing, it reveals the peculiarities of those next door or living on the same street. This line can perhaps sum up the joys and jeopardy of such relationships “I got neighbors who don’t realise that they got neighbors who like to sleep at night.” Throughout the remaining eleven tracks, there is an engaging mix of expert musicianship combined with observation and insight. Who’s Hungry asks the question about what is at the heart of a break-in and the possibilities that might result from such an incursion. But for the most part the balance is towards the lightheartedness of humanity, in all its light and dark moments. I Gotta Chair with a helping of banjo to the fore again “Well I gotta chair at home that kinda squeaks / I got a rug at home that stinks / a hardwood floor that kinda dips / a kitchen tap that always drips.” The song is a list of all the things that are wrong with a home but are those very things that make a home what it is, for better or for worse. 

The song Cowboys In Hawaii is a loving tribute, both to the source of the slide guitar sound that became a staple in country music, and to a character who might swap his pony for a life on the island paradise and white horses in the waves. The guitars which sum up the mood perfectly are by Kimbro and Christian Sedelmyer. Indeed most of the songs are full of such individual thoughts and actions that relate to the oddities that pass for normal behaviour in some individual cases.  

This continues throughout the album which seems to also include a couple of uncredited guest spots. It’s easy to see why this trio fit together so well, and make these songs that make you smile, as well as appreciating the seeming simplicity of the execution of the material. The interaction of the three have definitely created a sound that is both the sum of its parts and more. The previous Harley Kimbro releases were all worth listening to for many reasons, but the addition of Lewis has added a dimension that offers a whole bunch of new possibilities while marking out a territory that is both fruitful in musical terms, while also being a load of fun.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Joshua Hedley Neon Blue New West

Four years after the release of his debut album MR. JUKEBOX, Joshua Hedley returns with another suite of songs that pay tribute to his beloved classic country. If that debut album, in the main, admirably replicated the country ballads of the 50s and 60s, his latest offering moves on a few decades to the country stylings of the late 80s and early 90s. Hedley describes that era as ‘the last bastion of country music,’ before the more cannibalised pop crossover sound became the music of choice thanks to the movers and shakers on Music Row.

Hedley has been the kingpin for classic country music in Nashville for nearly two decades. From the age of twelve, he had been playing fiddle every weekend in bars in his native southwest Florida, before relocating to Nashville seven years later.  By now he’s been playing at Robert’s Western World for seventeen years. His residency at that famed honky tonk on Lower Broadway consists of four-hour shifts belting out country covers and self-written tunes, earning him the title ‘Mr. Jukebox’, in recognition of his encyclopaedia-like knowledge of country songs. He’s also a regular performer at Acme and Seed and AJ’s bar on Broadway, together with appearances at the hippest out of town honky tonk, Dee’s Cocktail Lounge, at Palestine Avenue in Madison.

As was the case with his debut album, each of the twelve tracks on NEON BLUE have a familiar ring to them.  Although all original songs, they sound like resurrected classic country treasures from three decades ago. All the familiar country themes are covered here, from sad-eyed ballads (Old Heartbroke Blues), love found (Found In A Bar, Let’s Make a Memory), cheating (Down To My Last Lie), and first-night dating (Wonder If You Wonder). It’s as danceable as hell also, in particular the opener Broke Again and the title track.

With a collection of Nashville’s best session players and with the production duties shared by Jordan Lehning (Rodney Crowell) and Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle), the end result is flawless. The final mix was by Kyle Lehning, whose previous employers include Randy Travis, George Strait, George Jones and Bobby Bare. Unlike his debut album, Hedley teamed up with other writers this time around. Carson Chamberlain, who was pedal steel player with the late Keith Whitley, and two other writers, Wayne McCubbin and Zach Top, penned the songs with Hedley. One cover was also recorded, the Roger Miller written River In The Rain. Hedley invited Jenee Fleenor, the first woman to be crowned the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year, to take the fiddle parts, allowing him to focus entirely on the vocals.

‘I studied all the legends and learned from what they done,’ announces Hedley in the autobiographical song Country and Western.  You’re left wondering just how successful he might have been had he been born thirty years earlier. I expect that most likely he’d have his own name over the door of a Nashville honky tonk by now. In the meantime, tune in to NEON LIGHT and open a door to some musical delights from a torchbearer for real country music.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Waymores The Stone Sessions Chicken Ranch

Career musicians Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise hooked up in Georgia a decade and a half ago, when they were both performing in a covers band and side project called No Count Palookas. That encounter led to them combining their talents to play locally as a duo initially, prior to spreading their wings, touring and recording as The Waymores.

Now husband and wife, the self-managed duo are back on the road and as things get back to normal, they expect to return to their two hundred plus annual shows of pre-pandemic times. Their individual backgrounds are like something plucked from a film script.  Neal’s mother was an occasional country singer. Her son’s checkered upbringing included regular exposure to the music of Patsy, Elvis and Hank, together with spells in foster care. Unsurprisingly, he was a rebellious teenager and his saving grace was a career decision to join the Navy. Unlike others, rather than pursuing a dynamic and nautical related career in the Navy, Neal formed a band and played gigs when docked at every available port. On leaving the Navy he played in a number of punk and country groups, before launching his own outlaw country band, Willie Heath Neal and The Damned Ol’ Opry. That venture resulted in five albums but was disbanded for a new, and less hectic, adventure as The Waymores in 2013.

Annalise’s background was somewhat less volatile. She sang in her brother’s band for a couple of years before meeting her future partner in the No Count Palookas. What was initially a professional liaison eventually became romantic and they decided to follow their dreams by spending as much time together on the road, doing what they love best.

With nods in the direction of Loretta and Conway’s lush harmonies, THE STONE SESSIONS is a ten-track album packed with catchy hooks and wicked humour. Bat Shit Crazy follows a similar sentiment to Loretta, marking her man’s cards, but with lyrics that wouldn’t go down too well at The Grand Ole Opry. Sharing the lead vocals, Neal takes the honours on the similarly bawdy and Johnny Cash sounding Roll That Chain. I Don’t Like The Liquor is a Hank influenced romp and Annalise is at her twangiest on the lively Even When. Dale Watson and Katie Shore of Asleep At The Wheel guest on the album’s standout track, Caught.

Although THE STONE SESSIONS is laced with and humour innuendo, it’s much more than a novelty record. The combination of twang and raspy baritone vocals, combined with fine playing, is really engaging. The musicians that feature are Steve Stone who plays pedal steel and produced the album, Cody Jung on electric guitar, Eddie Martin on bass and drummer Shawn Thacker.

Review by Declan Culliton

Rain Perry A White Album Precipitous

The somewhat undistinguished album cover on Rain Perry’s seventh recording does little to highlight the treasures contained within.

Hollywood-born artist and activist, Perry’s whirlwind childhood included spending her early years in a fundamentalist hippie cult with her mother, who died at a young age from Toxic Shock Syndrome. She was then raised by her actor/writer father, residing in over twenty houses in both California and Colorado. Surrounded by musicians and artists during her childhood, it’s hardly surprising that Perry gravitated towards the arts and in particular towards songwriting and performing. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of twenty-two and losing the ability to play guitar, she formed her own record label Precipitous Records and outsourced various musicians to feature on her recordings. One of those musicians, Mark Hallman, has appeared on the majority of those recordings and produced this album, together with playing most of the instruments. Others who guest on the album include BettySoo, Akina Adderley, and Wilko’s Mikael Jorgensen

The multi-talented Perry has collaborated in the past with a host of household names including Chuck Prophet, Eliza Gilkyson, John Dee Graham, and Victoria Williams. She also produced and directed the documentary The Shopkeeper in 2016, which highlighted the detrimental effect that the streaming economy was having on artists attempting to survive in the music industry.  

This album - as the title suggests - visits issues of race across the nine tracks, seven of which are originals, the two covers being Stevie Wonder’s Visions and None of Us Are Free from the pen of Barry Mann. The gorgeously funky The Money, complete with rap vocals, considers the less than equal opportunities between white and black Americans. In the song she recalls advice given to her by her grandfather (‘If you’re smart and put your money away you can be part of the American dream someday’), but articulates how that principle hardly applies to all races. Two tracks particularly stand out, Yarddogs/Morning Dew and the epic Lady of The Harbour. Awash with strings and choral harmonies, the latter is simply a delightful listen. The former,  equally impressive, finds the author revisiting her family history of bygone times.

 It’s little surprise to learn that Perry is working with director Kim Maxwell on a stage version of this album. The material is topical and intelligently written, laced with passion and impeccably articulated with truly touching lyrics.  Reflecting on and questioning the social and racial issues at large in modern America, it’s a body of work with zero misfires. Hugely impressive.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jefferson Ross Southern Currency Self Release  

Eleven songs, all based around the southern states of America and produced by the fine talents of Tomm Jutz. Having worked in the past with Jutz, notably on ISLE OF HOPE (2013) and STABLE SUITE (2015), Ross asked his old friend to produce this new project. All songs are played beautifully by a group of musicians that includes Jutz (guitars, harmonies), Timmy Rogers-King (fiddle, harmonies), Mark Fain (upright bass), Lynn Williams (drums, percussion), Mike Compton (mandolin), and led by Ross himself on guitars and lead vocals. 

The organic interplay is so fluid and natural, with the songs lifting the collective spirit and warming the soul. It’s reminiscent of a campfire get-together, where everybody contributes, and the overall feeling of being in the moment is everything. The songs are spread out across eleven different states and they give a sense of the magic that exists in these regions and the rootsy sounds that arise. It’s a joyful listen and songs like, Baptise the Gumbo (Louisiana), The Nashville Neon Waltz (Tennessee), Turquoise and Tangerine (Florida) and the title track, in tribute to Virginia; highlight this impressive collection, fuelled with acoustic blues, cool country and a celebration of the varied cultures that co-exist in the deep south.

Now on his seventh album, Ross sings with authenticity and his take on life in southern USA is not all candy coated for the folks; rather a genuine tribute to those who have influenced the rich tapestry of life there, the joy and the pain, the celebrations and the struggles. An impressive album and one that has much to recommend it.

Review by Paul McGee  

Mark Joseph Vegas Motel Self Release

The title track kicks off this eight-song new release from Minesota-born Mark Joseph. It’s a fine example of classic Honky Tonk, with the pedal steel of Jeff Waldeland prominent in the mix. It reflects on a lonesome guy, drinking off the memory of a lover, and soaking his self-pity with yet another shot. The traditional country sound of Hard Workin’ Man has the fluent fiddle playing of Ryan Young (Trampled By Turtles), leading the melody and a tale about doing what is necessary to make ends meet in raising a family. 

Joseph plays acoustic and electric guitar, in addition to taking all lead vocals. Nate’s Garage is a fast tempo work-out for the musicians and is reminiscent of early-Eagles in the country-rock feel and the driving beat, pedal steel and fiddle joining with the guitars to deliver impressively. The Life Of A Pipe Welder is another tribute to blue collar workers and takes things down a notch in an easy acoustic arrangement that includes some nice alto flute, courtesy of Stanley Behrens.   

Early Riser is an instrumental that highlights the superb talents of Ryan Young, as he solos with gay abandon, perfectly in synch with the fine acoustic guitar playing of Joseph, as they interweave across the melody. I Love You ‘Till I Die has some sweet Hammond organ playing by Toby Lee Marshall, together with the soft trumpet of Jake Baldwin, and the soulful vocals of Joseph. On a number of songs, we are lifted by the harmony vocals of Steph Devine and Jill Mikelson; all tastefully engineered by Alex Proctor (Grace Potter) and steered in a creative fashion by co-producer, JT Bates (Hiss Golden Messenger), who also contributes on drums and percussion. Cody McKinney anchors the sound on bass and plays in the pocket at all times with Bates. 

Little Lucy is clearly a song written for his daughter and is filled with heartfelt love for her presence on the earth, ‘You are my sunshine, you are a rainbow, Always smiling in the light.’ Such a gentle song, with bass trumpet from Baldwin and guitar from Jeremy Ylvisaker, complimented by understated keyboard melody from Proctor. The final song, My Friend, Stella Blue is a fitting way to end the album and it clocks in as the longest track included here. It looks back at an old friendship and contemplates the passing of someone who left a real mark in Joseph’s life. This third album really impresses over thirty-seven minutes of quality and refined musicianship. 

Review by Paul McGee    

Kate Klim Something Green Self Release

This is the fourth album release from a singer-songwriter who debuted back in 2006, after qualifying from the Berklee School Of Music in Boston. Klim has lived through  lot of life experiences since those younger days and now finds herself at something of a crossroads. Her youthful dreams have been put to the test and examined forensically by the in-between years. Having moved to Nashville in order to follow her muse, Klim found herself getting married, having two children and taking a step away from the music machine. Ever thus, the conundrum faced by many females when trying to prioritise family over career.

After seven years of balancing motherhood and the need to find a creative outlet again, Klim started to record some of the songs she had been writing; her world changed dramatically with the news of the tornado that caused havoc in East Nashville in early 2000. Returning from her Dallas base at the time, Klim found herself caught up in the wave of Covid-19 that effectively shut everything down for the music industry and led to her questioning the fragility of all that she held as providing stability. Add to this a gradual decline in her marriage that led to a break-up with her husband, and the need to display fortitude and resilience in the face of the gathering storms was never more apparent. 

The good news is that Klim is not only fighting back against these odds, but in the process has delivered an album of great depth and resonance, across these ten songs and forty-three minutes of superbly crafted music. But You Can’t talks about how fleeting all this living seems, trying to hold onto things that we can never fully keep, all the while growing older and taking on new interests, new experiences and searching for something to ground us, ‘All our books have torn up pages, all our pants have torn up knees, Doesn’t matter you’ll outgrow them in another couple weeks. It’s like we’re racing down a hillside and we’re only gaining speed and then we’re done.’

Head To Toe channels a river as a metaphor for life and the decisions that sometimes seem forced upon us, ‘I don’t know what’s wiser, or what ends up better, Oh to wait out the weather or to grab my things and go, Neither way is what I wanted, either way I'm getting soaked head to toe.’

Nobody Told You is a true song about a Japanese soldier who was discovered on a pacific island, not aware that WW2 had ended and, some thirty years later, still clinging to the belief that he is under attack. It stands as an example of the intransigent beliefs we often hold to be unshakable and it is, sadly, a truism. God and Magic, questions a relationship and how it develops, or dies, over time, while the sublime, Lines, couples the image of a halting teenager, trying to remember her part in the school play, with the sense of devastation felt in the aftermath of that Nashville tornado, ‘Piles of what used to be, the thing about storms like these, Is you’re still feeling them for years after they’ve passed.’

Having successfully navigated a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for this new project, Klim took stock of her new reality and decided to press forward with using these songs as a way to reconcile the past while moving forward into her new life. Andrew Delaney produced in his Texas studio, while Michael Briggs engineered and mixed the tracks. A fine job they made of it too, with a warm sound and lots of space in the arrangements to enjoy the understated musicianship. Kate Klim plays piano and sings beautifully, her soft vocal tones calling to mind Sarah McLachlan in part. Josh Blue (drums, percussion), Scott Davis (guitar, bass, synths), Alyssa Cortez (trumpet), Mia Rose Lynne (harmonies, backing vocals) and Emerald Rae (string arrangements) make up the team of players who contribute to what is a look back at a life lived, lessons learned and a hope towards a brighter future. This is both an engaging and impressive album.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

Errol Walsh Through Your Eyes Self-Release

 Northern Ireland singer songwriter Errol Walsh’s latest album is a collection of a whopping fifteen songs, mostly self penned and with a few cowrites. Co-produced by Errol with Joe Murray, in whose Sessions in the House studio the project was also recorded, he called in many of Ireland’s best studio musicians to help achieve his signature laid back country sound. The house band consisted of Ted Ponsonby (dobro and electric guitars and Hammond organ), Gordon Murray (guitars), Rod McVey (piano and Hammond), Dave Luke (mandolin, lap steel), Colin Henry (dobro) and Stephen Quinn (percussion), along with Joe Murray and Errol on guitars. The sound is enhanced on various tracks by Jonathan Milligan on pedal steel and fiddle player Niall Murphy.

Blessed with a wonderfully rich resonant vocal tone, the production amply allows Errol’s vocals to be upfront and centre.

‘There’s a ghost train tonight, leaving for the past’, Errol sings in Childhood Years. Judging by the theme of many of the songs here, he’s at a stage in life where he’s reminiscing about his past - songs like Old Man, Childhood Years, Looking Back and The Mortal Coil Shuffle make that abundantly clear. Like one of his acknowledged influences, the great Guy Clark, Errol is a master of the ‘talking bit in the middle’ as he demonstrates most notably in the aforementioned Childhood Years and in the story song Teardrops in the Happy Cup Cafe. There are three heartbreak songs and four love songs, although I Wish I Didn’t Love You But I Do tends towards the begrudging, intentionally tongue-in cheek. The tempo rarely strays from walking pace and the sound generally sticks to all of the full band instruments mentioned above, with backing vocals from several of the musicians. There’s some deviation from that formula in the blues/jazz number Just Around the Corner from the Blues and the closing track It’s All Good is a slow Western Swing affair. Stand out track is Let’s Go Round Again, a cowrite with Joe Murray and Pandy Walshe, who also guests on the song on acoustic guitar and duets with Errol. It’s a fun upbeat classic country song, referencing Merle and Willie, with some wonderful banjo from James Henry.

Let down somewhat by difficult to read sleeve notes and photos on a black digipak, there should be however, plenty here to musically satisfy Errol’s many fans around the country and further afield.

Review by Eilís Boland

Alexander’s Tin Star Enjoy the Ride Self Release

Alexander Mills is from Dundee, Scotland and he recorded this album with his son, Alex Mills (the 11), at the production controls. The album takes on an added poignancy when you learn that it was originally to be recorded with Alexander’s long-time friend and partner, Joe Ogilvie, who sadly died during the year. This makes the album project all the more meaningful. Some of Joe’s lyrics are included on the twelve tracks and the opening, title song, sums it all up with the words, ‘Let’s take our chances and ride while we still can.’

Alexander has plenty of experience on the local music circuit, playing in a number of different bands over the years and now collaborating with his musician/producer son on a project that is clearly dear to their hearts. Times Like These asks that we all come together and work for the common good and it’s such a relevant message for the reality of lockdown and community challenges that we have all been living through recently.

A Better Man, skips along on an easy groove and speaks of growing into an improved version of yourself when things don’t work out as planned in life. The Bottle, tells of regret over a failed relationship and an ongoing struggle with alcohol as a poor substitute. A Short Time, has a bright arrangement and some nice interplay between fiddle and guitar, with the message of having a good time while we’re here, ringing clear. 

Hypnotised is another love song about falling for the girl and trying to get into that feeling of being swept away. My Thunder is a highlight, with some great collaboration between the musicians and a celebratory sound; piano, fiddle and guitars coming together to reach a satisfying climax. It’s a fitting tribute to the memory of Joe Ogilvie and an enjoyable listen, with some fine musicianship and production to recommend it. 

Review by Paul McGee

Rhyan Sinclair Letters To Aliens LHG

The enforced lockdown courtesy of Covid was preceded by a period of recovery following a car accident for Kentucky-born singer songwriter Rhyan Sinclair. Rather than initially using that time to create a catalogue of songs, the anguish resulted in a period of writer’s block for her. Taking stock, Sinclair sought help by way of therapy, addressing both her predicament at that time together with previous trauma she had encountered. Eventually, the floodgates re-opened, the result being this collection of twelve songs, many of which deals with emotional issues Sinclair confronts.

LETTERS TO ALIENS is her second full album, following BARNSTORMER from 2018 and her EP MARSHMALLOW WORLD from the same year. Blessed with a delightful crystal-clear voice, Sinclair recorded the album supported by her band The South 65. The recording took place at Sneak Attack Recording in Lexington, Kentucky, with the production duties credited to Sinclair and Jason Groves. Her band is Danny Flanagan (guitar), Jeff Binder (bass), Cary Shields (drums) and her mother Toni Karpanski on backing vocals. Guesting on the album is Fats Kaplin, who contributes fiddle, pedal steel and theremin.

Performing, fronting bands and writing since her early teens, Sinclair’s core sound is a throwback to the country rock of the early 70s, with a comparison to Linda Ronstadt being the most obvious.  She opens the album in fine style with the explosive Dragon Spirit.  Her vocals sail gloriously above some fine bass and organ on the soulful Should’ve Been Prepared and echoes of Emmylou surface on the sublime ballad Gathering Dust. Other highlights include the radio-friendly Where I’ll Be Found and album closer With Every Goodbye.

“This album is a documentation of my human experience, my time capsule, my letter on a balloon, my story thus far.’’ explains Sinclair. It’s also a celebration of recovery, rebirth and regeneration from the possessor of a killer vocal and a skilled songwriter.  An extremely easy on the ear listen both vocally and musically from a collection of players firing on all cylinders. 

Review by Declan Culliton

David Quinn Country Fresh Self-Release

A shabby and very old glass ashtray in a recording studio in Nashville, where David Quinn was working on his second album LETTING GO, provided the impetus for the title of his third album. The COUNTRY FRESH logo, printed on the ashtray, pretty well summed up Quinn’s lifestyle changes in recent years, which found him moving in 2020 from the hectic city life of Chicago to a tranquil lake house in rural Indiana, where he penned the twelve tracks on his latest recording.

He returned to that same studio, Nashville’s Sound Emporium, to record this self-produced album, working once more with a host of top-drawer players, many of whom had also contributed to his last album. Returning players included Micah Hulscher and Jamie T. Davis from Margo Price’s band, who played piano and guitars respectively. Laur Joamets of Drivin N Cryin on slide guitar and solos, and Kacey Musgraves’ pedal steel player Brett Resnick also featured once more. In addition to these musicians, Fats Kaplin added fiddle, Andy Holcomb played bass, and Sturgill Simpson’s drummer Miles Miller also performed. Mike Stankiewicz (Willie Nelson, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell), who produced Quinn’s last album, was allocated engineering duties on this occasion.  

My initial introduction to Quinn was his inclusion on the Bloodshot Records compilation album TOO LATE TO PRAY, DEFIANT CHICAGO ROOTS from 2019. Featuring twenty-two artists, Quinn’s Long Time Gone was the stand out track for me and directed me towards the previously mentioned LETTING GO (2019) and its predecessor WANDERIN’ FOOL from the previous year, both of which were hugely impressive.

Describing his music as Black Dirt Country, he cites fellow Illinois-born John Prine as his primary influence.  Re-energised by his rural setting, the title of many of the album’s tracks (Grassy Trails, Cornbread and Chili, Hummingbird’s Song) express a nostalgic calling to mind and, in a world of ongoing challenges, an appreciation of the simple things in life. The expansive mid-Western landscape, its beauty and tales of both rejection and celebration, are central to the song’s sensibilities. He's in splendid voice throughout and the accompanying arrangements more than complement his gritty vocals. Setting his stall out from the get-go, the opener and title track is a salute to his new found lifestyle, sounding like a distant relation of the similarly upbeat Country Squire from Tyler Childers. Twangy guitars, perfectly placed in the mix, kick start the autobiographical Boy From Illinois, which also includes some slick pedal steel and moody bass lines.  The piano-led love ballad I Came Back To You (To Say Goodbye) echoes Merle Haggard at his most melancholy and the up-tempo honky tonker Easy Like The Breeze recalls carefree touring days.

Wearing his heart on his sleeve, COUNTRY FRESH finds its author proudly celebrating all that’s central to the music and way of life in his home state. In doing so, Quinn has once more revealed himself as a maturing artist and, alongside Ian Noe, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Charley Crockett, and Jaime Wyatt, part of a team of immensely gifted artists who are keeping modern classic country alive and kicking. If David Quinn is an artist unknown to you, I highly recommend that you check this album out. Believe me, this is truly worth your investigation.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Andrew Ryan A Tiny Death Delete Yourself

The title of Missouri singer songwriter Andrew Ryan’s latest album is taken from the French phrase ‘la petite mort’, which translates as ‘the brief loss or weakening of consciousness’. It signposts the lyrical direction of an album that finds Ryan in a contemplative mood and looking over his shoulder at past experiences, both memorable and lamentable. His reminiscences of being on the road as a welder in his previous life and more recently as a travelling musician, presented him with the time space and subject sources to create his healthy war chest of songs that appear on this album and his two previous recordings, ACROSS CURRENTS (2017) and WILD TERRAIN, YOU CANNOT DELETE YOURSELF! (2020). Whereas those two previous albums were more indie folk in musical direction, A TINY DEATH is slower paced, more acoustic, and likely to be filed in the groove driven Americana section of your record collection. Unlike many other similar recordings of recent times, the material was not written during Covid isolation, in fact Ryan was performing much of the material while touring prior to lockdown.

With unhurried vocals, Ryan’s husky deliveries are supported by warm and unobtrusive arrangements. What raises a number of the songs to another level are beautifully placed wispy backing vocals, in particular on the stand out tracks Janet and Midwest Kids. The latter is a statement about the life changes as we travel through the various stages of maturity and the former recognises the resulting mental pressure that accompanies them. Accepting and dealing with those inner pressures also surfaces on the free-flowing Fighting Loneliness and the acoustic Wilted Lover could have been plucked from the Leonard Cohen songbook.

Very much a DIY project, the album was recorded at home by Ryan, with contributions - also from their homes - from Jay Burgess (The Pollies), Danial Wolff (Dead Horses), Alan Hedges (American Aquarium), and Will Walden (STaG).  It’s a further reminder of the standard of somewhat under the radar artists out there recording quality music and an album that deserves to be heard by many.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kaitlin Butts What Else Can She Do Self-Release

Oklahoma-born country singer songwriter Kaitlin Butts has been a ‘work in progress’ for the past number of years, honing her skills as a performer, singer and songwriter. I witnessed her perform solo on a bill with fellow Oklahoma native Carter Sampson in Nashville a number of years ago and she oozed talent both in her stage presence and her knockout voice.

Currently residing in Nashville, her debut album SAME HELL DIFFERENT DEVIL, released in 2015, was an introduction to an artist with the capacity to write and construct credible songs, far from the formulaic material masquerading as country music and currently dominating country music radio stations. Seven years later - she has released a number of singles in the interim - she returns with an album that builds solidly on that impressive debut recording.

First things first, as previously mentioned, Butts is blessed with an incredible voice and the capability to be vocally powerful or hushed, whether belting out a honky tonk song or whispering a soothing country ballad.  She applies those vocals to some seriously impressive songs on WHAT ELSE CAN SHE DO. A recurring theme of choices (or indeed the lack of choices) facing women both in relationships and careers features strongly on the album. Her writing style brings to mind that of Brandy Clark, another artist with an eagle eye for detail. I suspect that much of the material is semi-autobiographical, as she confesses that the opening track It Won’t Always Be This Way, was a reflection of tough times that both her mother and herself were working through at the same time. Each of the other songs tells of resilient women in difficult predicaments, some confused, others outraged or struggling.  

Recorded at the Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, the production duties were overseen by Oran Thornton (Angeleena Presley, Eric Church). He gets the sound spot on with the emphasis on placing Butt’s vocal drawl out in front, backed by a fine bunch of musicians. Those players were Fred Eltringham (drums), Justin Schiper (pedal steel), Joshua Grange (electric guitar), and Lex Price (bass). Her husband and Flatland Cavalry frontman Cleto Cordero adds harmony vocals on the classic title track What Else Can She Do.

The crutches used for short-term relief to blank out broken dreams fuel the track She’s Using. With a driving melody, it’s a powerful yet non-judgemental statement and is matched by the equally forceful Blood.  The latter, a co-write with Angeleena Presley, tackles emotional abuse and ‘gaslighting’ head on, decrying the controlling practice of portraying the victim as the abuser. While namechecking June and Johnny on Jackson, as you may expect from the album’s direction, the tale is one of unfulfilled dreams and rejection.  In The Pines, the album’s swan song, is old school country noir at its finest. Butt’s crystalline vocals simply soar above screeching guitars and pedal steel, providing a fitting end to a compelling suite of songs.

 Make no mistake, this is quality modern country music with a capital C. It’s been a long wait for Butts’ sophomore album but she has delivered with flying colours.

Review by Declan Culliton

Alma Russ Fool’s Gold Self-Release

A multi-instrumentalist and gifted with a voice as clear as a mountain stream, FOOL’S GOLD is Alma Russ’s second full-length album. Temporarily leaving her home state of North Carolina with producer Bill Palmer, she set up home in the Chihuahuan Desert for the recording. The location was the ghost town of Terlingua, Texas, where she recorded the album in the St. Inez Church, a rural chapel that has been standing in Terlingua for over a century. Joining her for the recording, alongside Palmer, who also played bass, were Lee Martin (pedal steel), and Moses Martinez (drums). Russ played acoustic guitar, fiddle and banjo and was joined on backing vocals by Mary Brett Stringer.

There’s very much a homegrown feel throughout the album, the ambience of a group of players jamming on a front porch comes to mind. With vocals that quiver, dip and soar in all the right places, and supported by some fine playing, Russ doesn’t put a foot wrong on the album’s nine tracks. The sound that she and her players collectively produce appears organic, unhurried and uncontaminated by any modern music trends.

Rural landscapes, and characters who dwell in them, are painted in vivid detail across many of the tracks. We hear of the neglected child Maggie May on the track In Another State and her dreams of leaving her hapless existence behind, (‘Jameson, baby girl you knew the smell ‘fore you could spell your name, mama’ d leave the empty bottles covered in her lipstick stains’). Escapism and leaving a toxic relationship behind also surface on Oklahoma Freight, (‘Old man put needles in his veins, I was the object of his shame, so I made my getaway, I hopped that Oklahoma freight’). Awash with uplifting pedal steel and weeping fiddle, it’s a simply divine tale of rebirth and passion. Notions of escape and fulfilment also loom large on the title track and elsewhere Bad Mammajamma features a carefree and fearless nomadic rodeo bull rider.

Not only the possessor of a golden voice, Russ is equally skilled as a songwriter. Eight of the tracks here are self-written, the ninth is her take on the traditional song Hills Of Mexico.  Born and raised on a farm in Florida, Russ is country through and through and that sentiment looms large in her writing. The material could not be further removed from the often lifeless and predictable songwriting manufactured in the sweatshops of Music Row. Instead, we’re presented with a suite of songs where the writer appears to have lived through every line.

FOOL’S GOLD, for me, is what authentic country music is all about. No frills, songs written from the heart, understated playing, laid back and gloriously loose, and as country a voice as I’ve encountered in quite a long time. A treasure of a find for me, it’s an album that I’ll be spending a lot of time with in the coming weeks and months.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Lied To’s The Worst Kind Of New Hollow Body

The third album from New England duo The Lied To’s, is a further examination by band members Doug Kwartler and Susan Levine of relationships, both failed and blossoming. The passing of loved ones, cherished and unwelcome memories also influenced their songwriting on the album. The songwriting and lead and harmony vocals, and acoustic guitar playing are shared on the album, which offers ten self-written songs and covers of Tom Waits’ Long Way Home and Clay Pigeons, written by Blaze Foley.

The band’s title - taken from The Everly Brothers’ When Will I Be Loved - points in the direction of a less than rosy backstory for both band members and the track Time, written by Levine, was triggered by recollections of difficult times, culminating in her divorce. However, many of the inclusions on the album also celebrate the present and more joyful times. Missing You was written by Levine during a pandemic enforced separation. Kwartler returned the compliment of that time apart with the love ode Brokedown Jamboree. Loved ones no longer with us also influenced the songwriting. The country-tinged Long Lonesome Road recalls the passing of Kwartler’s father and mother, and the importance of cherishing each day is echoed on the song. On a similar theme is the closing track It’s Only Love. The perky It’s Not Who You Love is a tribute to two musicians dear to Kwartler, who both departed this life around the same time.

THE WORST KIND OF NEW is an impressive exercise in keeping songwriting simple and to the point. Digging deeply into their memory vaults, The Lied To’s have delivered an album packed with a great deal of fervid soul searching. It plays out essentially as an album that they have written for each other, fueled by recollections of the past and optimistic about the future. Thankfully, they’ve shared those memories on this very listenable recording.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Jamie McDell Self-Titled Self-Release

Signed to EMI at the tender age of sixteen, New Zealand singer songwriter Jamie McDell’s debut album SIX STRINGS AND A SAIL BOAT achieved gold album sales in her native country. She subsequently recorded two further albums, ASK ME ANYTHING (2017) and EXTRADORDINARY GIRL (2018) prior to this self-titled album.

McDell experienced a somewhat unconventional childhood, when she was seven her father abandoned a thriving career in an Auckland law firm, purchased a yacht, and transported his wife and family on an exploration of the Mediterranean islands. It was during that adventurous period, thunderstruck by her parents’ John Denver, James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett tapes that were played constantly on rotation, that McDell was inspired to start songwriting.

Family is very much the central theme in much of the album’s lyrical direction. An ode to her father, she recalls her eccentric upbringing on Poor Boy. It’s a perfect country ballad, sung from the heart and masterfully presented, both vocally and musically. A further thumbs up to her parenting emerges on the chunky Daddy Come Pick Me Up and the acoustic ballad Mother’s Daughter. Dream Team, awash with dreamy pedal steel, is a Kathleen Edwards-style tune and a classic tale of dare and devastation.  She’s joined by the equally sweet-voiced Erin Rae on Where Are You Now and The McCrary Sisters lend a hand on the gospel tune Sailor. Female insecurity is addressed on Botox, which was the title track of her 2019 EP and she’s joined by Robert Ellis on backing vocals on the breakup song Worst Crime.

Blessed with a stunningly crystal-clear voice, perfectly suited to her contemporary country tunes, this album finds McDell in a particularly confessional mood on songs that are directed towards self-examination. She’s supported by some stellar playing with slick guitar breaks and pedal steel in all the right places. Releasing a self-titled album mid-career is often a reflection of an artist’s most honest and forthright outpourings. This is most certainly the case here and those outpourings amount to an extremely listenable and enjoyable album.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Latest Album Reviews

Michael Weston King The Struggle Cherry Red

I first encountered Michael Weston King as a member of Gary Hall and The Stormkeepers and later when he became a founder member of the band The Good Sons. I continued to follow his career but he really came into his own with his career as a solo artist. This started proper in 1999 with the release of GOD SHAPED HOLE which was followed by the release of a live album recorded in Europe and America (LIVE IN DINKY TOWN). Since then a further six albums were released (either recorded in the studio or live) and these additionally enhanced his reputation as a singer/songwriter who is the equal of many of his contemporaries in both the UK and USA. 

His career took a diversion in 2011 with the release of the debut album HOW DO YOU PLEAD? from My Darling Clementine, a more directly country orientated album that was essentially a vehicle for King and his wife and partner in song, Lou Dalgleish. Now he has released his first solo album in a number of years in THE STRUGGLE. It is in keeping with his worldview, an album whose themes are connected with the struggle that is simply a part of living today, of trying to make ends meet and when they do, to survive. It is political in that it is personal.

The opening track, Weight Of The World, reasons that it’s not the big but often the small that can be the straw that breaks the back of many. It assumes the mantle of a beat cop and the notion that force rather than favour can achieve facilitation. It appears also at the end of the album in a “ghostwriter” mix, that the seeming fiction of the song became a reality with the storming of the Capitol Building last year. There is a more late night feel to the second version with subtle wah-wah guitar and electric piano to the fore.

Weston King has handled the production of the album and Clovis Phillips recorded it and played on much of the material in a small studio in Wales. A selection of fine players were brought in to help him achieve the best results for each song, including the nostalgia of The Old Soft Shoe, which features some fitting trombone from the celebrated Barnaby Dickinson. Fellow singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols adds vocals, as does Lou Dalgleish and, keeping it in the family, Mabel Dalgleish-King adds vocals and descant recorder on another track. Steve Nieve played piano for one song and strings were added effectively on a number of other selections. Overall it is testament to all involved with its vision realised successfully.

The title refers to a difficult climb in the Cumbria district but can also refer equally to the hard struggle that many, including Weston King, have faced since the start of this pandemic, perhaps as evidenced by the song The Hardest Thing Of All (which may well be just getting out of bed).

There is a certain melancholy and sadness that pervades these tales, yet that is tempered with the hope and underlying strength that is brought to the delivery by King’s distinctive and thoroughly recognisable vocals, that are both restrained and passionate. The majority of the songs are from King with two having additional credits. Theory Of Truthmakers has lyrics by his late friend Jackie Leven (for whom he has recently also produced a tribute album) while Sugar is a co-write with Peter Case and Sean Bruce. 

While listening to this album I also delved back in the MWK catalogue and it is a sterling body of work that is peaked by THE STRUGGLE but one that should be explored for its integrity, creativity and humanity.  

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ian Noe River Fools and Mountain Saints Thirty Tigers

 Numerous singer songwriters of recent years have attempted to follow in the footsteps, both musically and more particularly lyrically, of the legendary John Prine.  Few, if any, have succeeded to the same extent as Eastern Kentucky born and raised Ian Noe. His 2019 release BETWEEN THE COUNTRY signalled the arrival of a young singer songwriter with the skillset to create genuine country songs and with a correspondingly authentic vocal drawl to deliver his tunes. His inspiration comes simply from his life experiences growing up in the Eastern Coal Region of Kentucky, its striking landscapes, and the people that populate it. The songs and tales that flow from his pen are a throwback to the classic singer songwriters of previous decades, who wrote from the heart and not from hours spent in songwriting classes under the supervision of a record label hack.

 With RIVER FOOLS AND MOUNTAIN SAINTS, Noe has more than overcome the ‘difficult second album syndrome’, and instead has recorded a suite of twelve tracks that, if anything, surpasses that fine debut album. The recordings took place over a two-year period at Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the home of ‘go to’ producer Andrija Tokic, whose previous clients include Alabama Shakes, The Deslondes, Jeremy Ivey, and Phosphorescent.

The album introduces us to a diverse range of characters in Noe’s homebrew of tales. A guitar player that plays his instrument in the middle of any water available to him features on River Fool and the native people that once populated his homelands are recalled on Burning Down The Prairie. The latter includes a screeching guitar lead from Noe, who admits that he has been carrying that guitar break around for over ten years, waiting for the correct home for it.  Other standout tracks on an album with absolutely no fillers are the dreamlike Appalachian Heights and his extraordinary reconstruction of the Ronnie Scott / Steve Wolf written and Bonnie Tyler hit single, It’s A Heartache.  Having said that, I could include any of the album’s remaining tracks, given the quality on offer here.

RIVER FOOLS AND MOUNTAIN SAINTS is a further glimpse of the unquestionable talent of Ian Noe, an artist that would, without doubt, earn a place at Guy Clark’s top table in the mid-70s documentary Heartworn Highways.  A fuller sound than its predecessor, it is an album that transports the listener to the Appalachian coalfields of Kentucky, with poignant stories about real people and real events brought to song.  It’s also, for me and I expect many others, one that will be up there with the finest recordings of this year. Essential listening.

Review by Declan Culliton

Owen Fitzgerald A Deep Clean You Can Count On! Sleepy Cat

Even before popping this album into the CD player, the titles of the first three tracks (Touching the Oven At Work, Dark Meat and Don’t Give Me A Pet) on Durham, North Carolina resident Owen Fitzgerald latest recording suggest a somewhat left of centre offering. That’s exactly what is presented here as Fitzgerald continues on a comparable musical and lyrical direction which emerged on his two 2015 digital recordings, TIGHT GYRE and POINTER, representing the inner thoughts of an introvert attempting to survive in a messed-up world.

 Speaking about this album, which follows his debut EP BODY, CHILD, LIGHT, CRIME for Sleepy Cat Records, Fitzgerald explains, “These nine songs are like school pictures. They are wallet-sized portraits taken between 2006 and 2016. Sometimes I can’t recognize myself in the songs.’’ Taken at face value they suggest ‘home truths aplenty.’ Fear, isolation, depression and confusion all emerge, often laced in irony. By way of categorisation, his style and songwriting are similar to the work of the late Vic Chestnut and his vocals match those of Bright Eyes. 

A mutant strain of what could loosely be defined as alt-country, Fitzgerald strays into chamber-folk territory on the aforementioned Touching the Oven At Work. He recalls his battles with alcoholism - now fortunately conquered - on Fear On Pine Street (“Katie, I’m sorry, I keep falling down.’’). Austin Holly kicks off as a traditional love lost ballad before morphing into freeform jazz mid-song.  ‘I wish to the Lord I’d never been born or died when I was young,’ he announces on the love lost acoustic ballad that bookends the album, All Good Times Are Past and Gone.

With lyrical content that unfolds like an exorcism of sorts on many of the tracks, A DEEP CLEAN YOU CAN COUNT ON! is most certainly not a party album. More appropriately it is one for the slow cooker and with repeat spins many treasures unfold and is well worth the time invested.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jeremy Ivey Invisible Pictures ANTI

The third solo recording from Jeremy Ivey finds his attention distracted from the political topics and concerns that surfaced on his 2020 album WAITING OUT THE STORM. His latest offering calls to mind matters closer to home, not surprisingly given what he has gone through since that last recording. Struck down with Covid and a diabetic, Ivey battled the illness for a number of months, often sleeping ten and twelve hours a day, while his wife Margo Price and their two children were quarantined for over two months. Thankfully, he made a full recovery, and that whole experience, coupled with an enforced break from touring, heavily influences his latest album.

Rather than repeat the format of his previous albums by recording with his band and calling on Margo Price to produce, Ivey went down a different road with this album. Repeated listens to the record START IT OVER by Riley Downing of The Deslondes, led Ivey to the door of old friend Andrija Topic (Yola, Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Ian Noe), who had produced that album at his Bomb Shelter Studio in Nashville. Ivey and Margo Price had previously recorded with Topic back in 2008 with their band Buffalo Clover. Impressed by the arrangements and in particular, the rhythm section that Topic put down on Downing’s album, Ivey asked the producer to gather the same musicians in the studio for his recording. As a result, the impressive line-up that features on the album includes Jack Lawrence from The Raconteurs and Dead Weather on bass, Megan Coleman, who plays in Yola’s band on drums, and Margo Price’s keyboard player Michael Hulsher. Contributions also came from Chris Scruggs on pedal steel, and jazz violinist and bluegrass fiddler Billy Contreras. The infusion of new blood to work with and handing over the control to Topic proved to be a masterstroke.

If many of the album titles suggest a somewhat dour and downbeat direction, the end product is, in fact, the opposite.  In a recent Lonesome Highway interview with Ivey, he explained, ‘What happens is that I naturally write from an upset and dark place and when I develop the songs, I find hope in there. That tends to be the theme.’

His listening choices which influenced much of the musical trajectory on the album were Elliot Smith, The Handsome Family, Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia, The Kinks and The Beatles. Tossing that lot into the melting pot had the potential to yield interesting results, and d0es exactly that. The autobiographical and bittersweet opening track Orphan Child plays out like a personal introduction by Ivey to the listener. Behind the soulful swinging melody - with echoes of Graham Parker & The Rumour’s Heat Treatment - lie some soul-bearing lyrics (‘my family tree’s on fire and I don’t belong here or any place near’). Fast forward to the present day and Ivey opens his heart on the loved-up and gloriously power poppy Keep Me High (‘I got a new love that lasts forever, she’s got what it takes to keep me high’).  A co-write with Price, it’s confirmation if that was ever required, of two survivors who are in a very good place. Those rays of hope and optimism also shine brightly on the title track, which is a duet with Price. ‘No nothing could bring me down today,’ they sing defiantly while recalling the horrors of the 2020 Christmas Day bombing in Downtown Nashville, together with ongoing crime and homelessness.

Trial By Fire and Empty Game are both tender ballads featuring Ivey on nylon string acoustic guitar, and the album closes with the piano led Beatle-esque Silence and Sorrow.

Given that Ivey’s main focus in the past number of years has been to support the burgeoning career of his wife, he has recorded three fine albums in as many years. For my money, INVISIBLE PICTURES, with its deeply melodic approach throughout, is the pick of the crop, and an album that I’ll most certainly be regularly returning to in the months ahead.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Hanging Stars Hollow Heart Loose

London five-piece The Hanging Stars headed north to Edwyn Collins' Clashnarrow Studios in North-Eastern Scotland, to record their fourth album HOLLOW HEART. Signed by Loose Records, it follows their fine release from 2020, A NEW KIND OF SKY.  A further expansion of their signature psychedelic cosmic country, their latest offering also signals a growing confidence from a band whose melodic intensity seems to improve with each of their recordings.

The Hanging Stars are songwriter Richard Olson (lead vocals, guitar), Sam Ferman (bass), Patrick Ralla (guitars, keyboards), Paulie Cobra (drums) and Joe Harvey-Whyte (pedal steel). Their core sound lands somewhere between the psychedelic probing of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd and West Coast country rockers The Flying Burrito Brothers.  With the prospect of touring put on hold during 2020, they put the downtime to good use, working online collectively on the album’s material, prior to heading to the studio to record. They called on Sean Read (Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Rockinbirds, Famous Times) to oversee the production duties and on the basis of the resulting ten tracks, that choice was more than rewarding.

Swaddled in sweeping arrangements and with Olson’s assured vocals supported by layered harmonies, trippy guitars and soaring pedal steel, the band draw on their influences to construct a suite of consistently impressive tracks. Loaded with show stoppers, it’s actually difficult to highlight the individual stand-out ones. The tracks that did have me hitting the repeat button on the first play were the sweeping Black Light Night and the jangly Ballad Of Whatever May Be Hollow Eyes. Equally striking is Hollow Eyes, Hollow Heart, which plays out like a bonus track from the soundtrack to the 1969 classic Easy Rider. The flowing harmonies on You’re So Free’s recall CSNY and Radio On, the first single from the album, is a sublimely crafted modern pop song.   

It's unfair to always compare an album with its predecessor. However, The Hanging Stars have raised the bar multiple notches with HOLLOW HEART and given adequate promotion, should attract many more devotees on both sides of the pond.  In simple terms, it’s a free and easy listen of harmony loaded cosmic country, with striking melodies more familiar in previous decades. If you want your senses soothed, check this one out. Believe me, it’s certainly worth your investigation.

Review by Declan Culliton

Samana All One Breath The Road

Samana is comprised of artist and poet, Rebecca Rose Harris and producer and multi -instrumentalist, Franklin Mockett. Their second album is a real treat and one that lulls you into a soporific state of drifting reverie. Harris possesses a vocal style that is both haunting and languid in her delivery. When you wrap her esoteric words around the lush melodies created by Mockett, then what you get is a restrained magic across these ten songs.

The album was recorded in 2020 in rural France, where the couple found themselves in lockdown as Covid struck the country. Deciding to stay at their rustic retreat and to explore what may arise out of their collaborations proved to be a wise choice. The results were a basket full of songs that echo the quiet calm of the countryside and an ethereal sense of the world slowing down. The lack of album credits leads me to believe that the entire project was delivered by the duo exclusively and, if this is the case, then I am in awe of the talent on display. 

Harris channels the spirit of these times, her feminine instincts in tune with the slow turn of nature and seducing all those who listen to these vignettes of reflective thoughts and realised emotions. Her tone is sometimes reminiscent of Nico as she sings on top of the beautiful melody lines that add great colours. Leaving is all strummed guitars, soaring cello and violin melodies with a stripped-down bass and drum rhythm; a song about wanting to travel and releasing a wistful yearning to feel free. The superb Patience builds to a dynamic conclusion and is about the most up-tempo track included here. Begin Again has a gentle acoustic guitar motif, subtle strings and a wish to start a life all over again. Patience speaks about living in the moment and returning to the present. There is not a weak track here and the superb guitar playing of Mockett is a joy throughout. An album to treasure and one that is both hauntingly beautiful and deeply moving. 

Review by Paul McGee

Eve Adams Metal Bird Basin Rock

This third album from Oklahoma born Adams reflects upon a time when she was commuting between her new base in Canada and California, where a family death had taken her. As such, there is an air of melancholy that hangs over the ten songs included and the restrained vocals of Adams are reminiscent of Judee Cruise, circa her work with David Lynch on Twin Peaks. The song arrangements are angular in part, somewhat reflecting a dissonance felt within. The is a muted saxophone, a harmonica and drone part, a jazz-tinged guitar, a piano part that seems out of step with a melody. 

The album title is a metaphor for the sense of risk and danger that we all feel at moments in our lives. Adams states that she “felt lost in time; like everything was up in the air.” It also references the fact that she felt “suspended on a journey that is no longer in our hands.” The regular flying between cities gave Adams the opportunity to reflect upon her life and questions of love, death, insecurity and loneliness. 

All songs were written by Adams and the project was produced by Military Genius (Bryce Cloghesy), who added saxophone on a couple of the tracks – on the closing song, My Only Dream, and You’re Not Wrong. The sparce sound is augmented by occasional orchestral arrangements, courtesy of Nicolas Dirksen and the sense of floating through space and time is very evident in the overall feel of the album. There is a hint of fragility and creeping darkness on tracks like The Dying Light, Blues Look the Same and Prisoner. If Mazzy Star had a secret sister, then I’m sure that Eve Adams would be that person. Her vocal is laced with a touch of regret and of something lost. It can make for meditative reflection or for a plea to end the inner turmoil, a choice that seems to rest with the listener. Sometimes compelling, and occasionally uncomfortable, the album is certainly an interesting addition to the growing reputation of a talented artist.

Review by Paul McGee

Jerry Leger Nothing Pressing Latent 

This Toronto-based artist has been releasing music since 2005 and his creative talent has seen thirteen albums surface to date. This new project was recorded with Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies fame at the controls. It helps that Latent Records is in fact the label that is owned by the Cowboy Junkies, and that Timmins has also produced the previous three Jerry Leger albums, including 2019 release, Time Out For Tomorrow. 

In 2020, Leger released a solo acoustic project, Songs From the Apartment. It was ten songs, recorded at home, and the sense of isolation during lockdown didn’t impact on the relaxed and quiet feel of the lo-fi recording. He has always moved across genres and is a prolific artist, gaining many new admirers for his side projects, like the Del Fi’s (rock n roll), and the Bop Fi’s (bebop/jazz). Leger also released a career retrospective album in 2019, titled Too Broke To Die, it included twenty-one tracks that spans his output between 2005 and 2019.

His vocal tone is quite high on the register and has a warm quality to it. The songs seem deceptively simple on initial digestion but on further analysis they contain plenty of layers and some rich interplay. The new album is very much an example of this, with Leger playing acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica and Wurlitzer. Tim Bovaconti adds some electric guitar and pedal steel on two tracks, while Dan Mock on bass and vocals anchors everything with Kyle Sullivan on drums and percussion. They are very locked in as a rhythm section and provide a great groove to the arrangements.  Angie Hilts sings on two tracks and producer Michael Timmons jumps in on ukulele also.

Songs like Protector and Nothing Pressing are acoustic based and swing along with an easy melody. On the title track he sings, ‘Try me again next summer, And I'll be so relaxed, Gone will be the burden, Of hiding all the cracks.’ Ah yes, the relative boredom of life in the country…

There is a touch of Neil Young on the atmospheric Recluse Revisions. It’s a song about looking back and reflecting, ‘I thought this bar was gone, Looks the same after so long, You're the one who's different, Making recluse revisions.’ It has some fine pedal steel and harmonica parts.

Underground Blues has some superb guitar interplay between Leger and Bovaconti with great atmospheric feel. The jangling guitar sound of Have You Ever Been Happy? is pure rock n roll dynamic and the harmony vocal of Angie Hilts adds an extra colour in the mix. A Page You’ve Turned talks about a broken relationship and Leger has stated that “this record is about survival, mental, physical and artistic survival.’ Well, based on the evidence here,  he is doing much more than merely surviving; Leger is thriving and this album hits a creative highpoint.    

Review by Paul McGee

Sarah McCulloch Sawmiller’s Daughter Self Release

This is a real pleasant surprise and I love when a new artist comes along to inject a ray of sunshine into the life of an old, tired music reviewer. Twelve songs over forty-seven minutes and not a bad track among them. The playing is really bright and vibrant throughout and the assembled musicians sound like they were really having a fun time. The whole  project was produced by Jim Bickerstaff at East Avalon Recorders in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The location and its history clearly rubbed off on the players, with such inspired surroundings leading to great interplay, both subtly restrained on the slower numbers, and generously layered on the more mid-paced and up-tempo ones.

McCulloch allows her southern roots to shine through in her vocals. They add a warmth in the delivery and her tone is not unlike Nanci Griffith at times. She grew up in Miami and her sound is very much traditional Country. A real breath of fresh air in these days of country crossover and genre blending.

All songs are written by McCulloch, except for a great cover version of I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal, written by Billy Joe Shaver. This track allows free reign to the musicians to take solo turns in elevating the arrangement and kicking it into a joyful jam. 

The featured musicians are Terry Feller (drums), Bob Wray (bass), Clayton Ivey (Hammond B3, pianos, Wurlitzer), John Willis (acoustic / electric guitar, banjo, mandolin), Kelvin Holley (electric guitar), Donny Carpenter (fiddle), Pat Severs (pedal steel), Stan Geberer (harmonica) and Savannah Bickerstaff, David Hester, Landis Yarovyy, Leslie Gardner, Simone Appleby, and Jim Bickerstaff on background vocals.

Sugartown is a song about young love and has a great guitar sound. Half Crazy is a cheating song with a slow arrangement and some fine pedal steel playing. Sawmiller’s Daughter is a tribute song to her father and the example that he set in the life that he led. Sun and the Moon is a message to love life, and the longing and dreaming of Sunkissed is matched by the optimism of Peace and Happiness, with the prospect of new beginnings. The banjo, pedal steel and fiddle on Free Spirit Love Song are another highlight, while the harmonica and banjo on Honey To A Bear reflect the light touch and easy groove on much of this impressive record. Well worth your time folks.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

The Whitmore Sisters Ghost Stories Red House 

Texas born sisters Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore were raised in a musical and liberal home, where their father taught them how to fly planes while still in their teens. Bassist Bonnie, the younger of the two by seven years, has four solo albums under her belt already. Having spent a few years in Nashville, she currently lives back in their home town of Austin, where she plays bass with people like James McMurtry. Eleanor (strings and piano player) moved to the other side of the continent to be with her husband, Chris Masterson in California, from where they tour as The Mastersons, collaborate with Steve Earle and Chris also produces other artists in their home studio.

This first duo album from the sisters became inevitable when Bonnie visited Eleanor and Chris in LA for a week during lockdown, and Chris insisted that they finally record that project that had been bubbling under for so long.

GHOSTS is permeated by the spirits of the many loved ones that they have lost along the way. Contrary to what one might expect, it is not a collection of dirges, rather a diverse series of recollections, reminiscences and tender tributes, which have been tempered by the gift of time. 

Bonnie was in a relationship with the late Justin Townes Earle during her time in Nashville, and Greek Tragedy expresses the intense pain of loss brought about by addiction, by it’s almost inevitability. Hattie Webb’s harp adds an appropriate ethereal atmosphere to a touching farewell, sung in harmony by the two sisters ‘carry on in our memories, goodbye, sweet dreams’.

Another ‘dead ex-boyfriend’ of Bonnie’s was Chris Porter, a musician who died tragically while on tour, is the inspiration for The Ballad of Sissy & Porter, which is given a distinctly Cajun flavour, helped by the presence of Dirk Powell on accordion and triangle. 

In addition to the two sisters on their usual instruments, they are accompanied throughout by the core band of Chris Masterson on guitars, Jamie Douglas on percussion and Tyler Chester on Melllotron, piano and organ.

Friends We Leave Behind is intensely moving, and in fact could be a difficult listen for the recently bereaved, ‘The friends we leave behind, is what defines us, how many will there be when we’re gone?’ Soaring strings express the rising pain of a break up in Superficial World of Love, and the title track is a beautiful tribute to all the people of colour killed by the police in the US, “I will remember you, I will say your names”. Renowned pedal steel player Jon Graboff adds his magic to the delicate subject of falling for someone who’s already taken in By Design.

The two covers - Aaron Lee Tasjan’s Big Heart Sick Mind and Paul McCartney’s On The Wings of a Nightingale - are less appealing to this reviewer. 

The album is visually appealing with its sepia photographs and detailed lyrics and information insert - take note, all you budding artists out there!

I must admit that it took quite a few listens before I really ‘got’ this album, but it’s one of those that is worth every minute spent in its company, and it reveals new riches with each play. Seek it out and enjoy.

Review by Eilís Boland

Old Salt Live in Room 13 Self Release

Describing themselves as an ‘international Americana band’, Belgian based string band Old Salt have released this 5 track EP as a sort of calling card for their return to live gigging, post the you-know-what. Recorded live in Ghent’s Room 13 Studios, they have raided the Great American Songbook to chose songs that express ‘the monotony, loneliness hope and loss’ felt by all of us over the last two difficult years, but recorded with their usual verve and enthusiasm.

Led by American Dan Wall (banjo), the band is completed by a trio of Belgian natives: Lotte Remmen on violin, Johannes Wannyn on guitar and Lara Rosseel on upright bass (although the touring bass player often changes). 

The much covered Woody Guthrie’s Pastures of Plenty is given an appropriately ominous and menacing feel (very different from the original recording), emphasising the trials of the many migrant workers who toiled in the US (and indeed still toil) to feed the country. ‘(We) cut grapes from your vines, to set on your table your light sparkling wine’. The song runs into an original lively, fiddle-led instrumental Charlie’s Dog, before reprising the original song, ‘we come with the dust and we go with the wind’.

Ry Cooder popularised Always Lift Him Up and Never Knock Him Down, originally from the pen of fiddler Blind Alfred Reed in 1928, and here it’s given a gentle soulful rendering, led by Dan on open backed banjo, with exquisite harmonies from the three band members. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, the blues standard originally popularised by Bessie Smith, is given a gloriously over the top jazz-blues rendition, and another jazz-folk standard, St James Infirmary Blues affords Old Salt the opportunity to show off their jazz chops, including a dramatic increase in tempo halfway through. They cement their versatility with a stunning a capella version of the sea shanty, Grey Funnel Line, written by Cyril Tawney in 1959 and now a standard in the English folk cannon.

On top of their existing three albums of mainly original tunes, Old Salt have demonstrated that they are equally adept at breathing new life into the time honoured covers that they sprinkle through their live set. Check it out, and catch them live if you can.

Review by Eilís Boland 

The Wooks Flying High Self Release

The third album from contemporary bluegrass band The Wooks was recorded live over two sessions in Nashville. Self-produced by the band, the recording took place in the home studio and under the watchful eye of bluegrass guitar player Jake Stargel, who engineered the album. Acclaimed in bluegrass circles, Stargel’s many awards include the IBMA  2014 Instrumentalist of The Year. The band’s objective was to recreate the authentic live sound attained by the late Tony Rice’s work with producer Bill Wolf at Arch Studios. Following the passing of Rice in 2020, the band made contact with Wolf, asking if he would master the album, which he agreed to do.

The current line-up of The Wooks includes three Nashville-based players, Harry Clark on mandolin and vocals, George Guthrie on banjo and vocals, Allen Cooke on Dobro, and Lexington, Kentucky resident CJ Cain on guitar and vocals. Additional guest musicians that lent a hand in the studio are Johnny Calamari and Mike Bub on bass, and Nate Leath and Jesse Wells on fiddle.

Of the twelve tracks on the album, ten are written by the band along with two covers. John Prine’s Iron Ore Betty gets an acoustic makeover and opener What The Rocks Don’t Know was written by Arkansas songwriter Willi Carlisle. One instrumental, Madison Chimes, also features, showcasing their individual and collective playing skills and, in particular, the banjo playing by Guthrie who composed the song.

Far from being ‘one trick ponies’, they stray from their traditional bluegrass origins on Tennessee Girl and the old-timey New Peace Of Mind. Both tracks tip their hat in the direction of Tyler Childers, no doubt influenced by partnering Childers on tour in recent years. They recall the country roots of The Band on the title track and Mudfish Mama, which sit comfortably alongside more conventional bluegrass tracks Virgil’s Prayer and Butler Hayes.

All in all, a refreshing suite of songs from a band whose appeal should travel much further than simply diehard bluegrass fans. FLYING HIGH captures the mood of free-flowing and fun-filled live music, in addition to delivering well written and spirited country tunes.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Nightroamer Thirty Tigers

“I didn’t want there to be a shocking, jarring difference, but I definitely wanted it to feel like things are opening up. It’s a bigger feeling experience,” explains North Carolinian artist Sarah Shook about her third full album with her band, The Disarmers.

Her previous two albums SIDELONG (2017) and YEARS (2018) were both released by the now defunct Chicago based independent label Bloodshot Records, who were the perfect fit for Shook’s marriage of raw country and indie rock. The demise of that label resulted in a delay in the recording of NIGHTROAMER, which thankfully received the support of the Thirty Tigers label and finally sees the light of day.

The album is somewhat broader in range than her previous releases, without abandoning her trademark ass-kicking insurgent country punk. The opening three tracks, Somebody Else, Been Lovin’ You Too Long and If It’s Poison, all super melodic, do signal a move from her core sound to a more indie driven power poppy direction. However, that all changes with the next three songs No Mistakes, the title track and It Doesn’t Change Anything, all of which find Shook and her comrades as spunky and twangy, both musically and vocally, as ever. Believer and Stranger both land somewhere in the mid-point between alt-country and power pop.

Shook has spoken openly about the many life challenges that she’s been dealt. Born into a fundamentalist Christian family, dealing with issues around sexual orientation, depression, addiction and relationship issues dominate her songwriting. The titles of the majority of the ten tracks leave the listener in little doubt as to the extent of Shook’s intense personal searching and allude to open wounds not yet entirely healed. Lyrics such as ‘God is dead and heaven’s silent’ on It Doesn’t Change Anything are a stark reminder of the people’s never-ending struggles with mental health and addiction issues.

With Eric Peterson on guitar, Aaron Oliva on bass, Phil Sullivan on pedal steel and Shook’s marked vocal deliveries, they collectively reproduce their rugged weather-beaten sound that works spectacularly well in the live setting.

Let’s hope that removing Bloodshot Records from the pitch does not signal the death knell for many alternative roots and insurgent country artists, it does seem fewer and fewer albums are coming from that genre. This recording, loaded with attitude and passion, opens new doors on every listen.  It’s also further testimony of Shook’s creative fire, one that deserves to continue burning brightly.

Review by Declan Culliton

Hailey Whitters Raised Pigasus/Songs & Daughters/Big Loud

The path to stardom for Iowa-born artist Hailey Whitters is the stuff of fairy tales. With a passion for country music since childhood, at the tender age of seventeen she abandoned her hometown of Shueyville (population 731), leaving her parents and five siblings, and headed for the bright lights of Nashville. Overnight success evaded her and she existed for over a decade working at various jobs while performing most evenings on any stage available to her.  Twelve years in Music City and without any prospect of a sustainable career in music, her final throw of the dice was the independent release of MY DREAM, an album, in the main, detailing her unfulfilled aspirations. Despite her upset that the recording was to be her Music City swansong, the album, and in particular the track Ten Year Town, finally got her critical industry attention.  It also won her a label signing and fast-tracked a deluxe and expanded recording of that album the following year.  Ironically titled LIVING THE DREAM, it included collaborations with Brent Cobb, Jordan Davis, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Little Big Town, and Trisha Yearwood. It also resulted in the accolade of  being ‘one of the most interesting voices in country music,’ from NPR. Her reputation was further enhanced when she was Grammy-nominated for the song A Beautiful Noise, co-written with Brandi Carlisle, Brandy Clark and Alicia Keys.

If THE DREAM and LIVING THE DREAM focused on the ups and downs of her adventures in Music City, RAISED finds her back home in Shueyville, recalling the events of her previous life. Co-produced with Jake Gear, Whitters has a lot to report about those times and does so across no fewer than seventeen tracks, sharing the writing duties with a host of big hitters including Lori McKenna, Craig Wiseman and Brandy Clark. Also featured - quite unexpectedly for me - is an out-and-out rocker titled Middle of America, which finds her working with B.J. Barham and his band American Aquarium.  It’s a killer track and possibly a hardcore sound that Whitters may explore in the future. Elsewhere, she sticks broadly with the sonic terrain that worked so well on LIVING THE DREAM, blending country ballads with more mainstream tunes loaded with irresistible hooks.

Whitters is blessed with a vocal purr with heaps of twang, that dips, soars and quivers on a host of impressive tracks which hit the spot instantly. Many of those tunes are memoirs from happy times growing up, with the album’s deepest cuts being the title track, Big Family, In A Field Somewhere, the piano ballad Pretty Boy, and complete with a Tom Petty sounding riff, College Town.

The album opens and closes fittingly with the operatic Ad Astra Per Alas Porci, i.e. ‘To the stars on the wings of a pig.’’ It was the defiant personal seal of John Steinbeck in response to being told by a teacher that he would succeed as an author ‘’when pigs fly.’’  It may or may not reflect comments made to Whitter as she set off on her journey to realise her dream, but it is a testament to her resoluteness and dogged hard work, notwithstanding her talent as a singer and songwriter.

‘’This record is where I'm from, this is me. It feels like the prequel to THE DREAM," explains Whitters. She has thankfully also remained ‘country’ - there’s plenty of pedal steel, fiddles and banjo on offer - without a total crossover to mainstream pop, striking the balance perfectly between both. Similar to Miranda Lambert, her chosen musical direction is likely to reward her handsomely in the years to come. Sometimes dreams do actually come true.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Amy Correia As We Are Self-Release

Singer songwriter Amy Correia grew up in Lakeville, Massachusetts prior to relocating to New York, where she graduated from the woman’s Liberal arts college Barnard College. Signed by Virgin, she recorded her debut album at Daniel Lanois’ Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, but issues with the label resulted in the album being shelved.  Titled CARNIVAL LOVE, it was eventually released by Capitol/EMI in 2000. Her output has been quite sparse since then, though consistently of very high quality. The outstanding LAKEVILLE was released in 2004 and YOU GO YOUR WAY followed six years later.

Her latest release is a five-track EP. Written before the pandemic, Correia revisited and refined the songs during the lockdown, eventually recording them at Woolly Mammoth Sound Studios in Waltham, Massachusetts. The production duties were carried out by bassist, singer songwriter and producer Kimon Kirk, who has recorded and toured with Aimee Mann, Alejandro Escovedo, Rufus Wainwright and many more. Kirk played bass on the album and was joined in the studio by Mike Castellana (The Blue Ribbons, Sarah Borges) on guitars and pedal steel, and Andy Plaisted (Pete Mulvey, The Radio Kings) on drums and percussion.

The album is one that doesn’t slot easily into any particular genre and covers a number of bases. Correia is quite at home being a little bit jazzy (Bow To The Fire), a little bit folky (Sweet Thing), and a little bit bewitching (The Beggar). Her vocals are out in front, gloriously edgy, sometimes sounding as soulful as Frazey Ford, other times as delicate as Melanie. There’s also a noticeable chemistry between her supporting musicians, whose understated intricate arrangements fully support her vocals.

An acclaimed lyricist, there’s mystery in Correia’s writing, with the outcome of tales that unfold often left open-ended. An abandoned pair of sneakers, observed by her following a rainstorm, sowed the seeds for the song The Beggar and we hear of a carefree driver heading for a possibly fatal crash on Sunday Driver. She signs off with an ode to the artists who have opened their minds and hearts and inspired Correia. Titled With All Of Us, it’s a fitting finale to a collection of most enjoyable, ambitious, and ambient songs.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bigdumbhick A Little Bit Weird Self Release

Jeff Wall grew up in Tennessee and he now resides in North Carolina, playing mostly on the local circuit, where he has developed a reputation based on a hard-work ethic and a natural talent for song writing.  He taught himself guitar during a 20-year career in the navy and was persuaded to record his songs for the first time in 2016. Since then, Wall has earned his stripes, playing in all kinds of venues, at all types of functions - a long path littered with plenty of stories to tell from gigs in all kinds of strange places. This is Wall’s fourth release and it’s a great listen. With a generous thirteen songs and over fifty-five minutes of listening time, the album boasts an engaging production with plenty of organic playing from Wall and his musician buddies that really bring his songs to life.

Using a performing name of Bigdumbhick gives an early image of someone who is out to trip himself up, or worse still, to scare the kids away. Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing north of 25 stone, it’s understandable to have such an impression; but don’t get fooled by this sleight of hand. While there is no disputing that Wall cuts a serious presence, my feeling is that he comes over more like a big old wise grizzly bear. And the first song on the new album, Unicycle, gives testament to this, when he sings, ‘ I'm a bear riding a unicycle, wobbling around the ring, I'm old and I'm fat, I wear a dumb little hat, I'm just trying to do my thing.’ As a code for living the simple life, it sums up his down to earth, humble approach to it all. 

With his humorous, witty words, and ironic world view, Wall is an artist that will certainly turn a few heads. If you enjoy the keen observational eye of James McMurtry, with some of the old wisdom of perhaps, a Guy Clark influence, then you may well find yourself seeking out the company of Bigdumbhick. This performance moniker probably doesn’t serve him well if looking for new admirers, but I can assure you that it’s all very tongue in cheek, the self-mocking joke being more an inverted way to win friends and influence people. A testimonial from Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers fame, does no harm at all and underlies the talent that creates these songs. A perspective that is worthy of serious attention. 

When you look beyond the wicked sense of humour, you find plenty to pose some serious, heartfelt questions too. First Cup Of Coffee looks back at the values of older generations and is in tribute to his father, ‘My old man is gone but I wish I could ask him, If he ever felt the same in his day, You don't have to like it, you just have to do it, That's one of the things that my old man would say,’

Also, with the song, Help Me Mama, I Can’t Breathe, the shocking death of George Floyd is the subject for righteous anger and frustration at the way Black minorities are treated, ‘8 minutes, 46 seconds, The time it took for him to die, Another person executed, Being Black his only crime.’ The jagged, edgy electric guitar of producer Tom Troyer venting the rage in a really dynamic arrangement.

Equally, closing song, Choices, is a deeply personal regret that Wall holds over his inability to support his pregnant girlfriend, back in their teenage years. His decision to run from the reality of the situation haunts him ever since and this very honest apology is something that Wall clearly has thought long and hard about including on the album. It’s just a vocal and an acoustic guitar, bare bones, and reflecting, ‘Being young and scared that ain't no excuse, That won't justify the things that we choose, And every choice we make comes with a price, Some you pay right now, others take the rest of our life.’

The playing has an addictive, loose, almost ramshackle feel in places, but is filled with inspired interplay among the musicians. Recorded at Big Rabbit Audio in Greenboro, North Carolina, the talents of Mark Byerly are to the fore on a combination of lead electric guitar, resonator and slide guitar. He is joined by Mark Dillon on banjo and mandolin, with Evan Campbell on upright/electric bass and Aaron Cummings on drums. Jack Gorham plays accordion, Caleb Baer and Christen Mack both contribute on fiddle, and producer Tom Troyer also adds some key parts on electric guitar and calliope (a keyboard instrument, resembling an organ, but with the notes produced by steam whistles). Jeff Wall plays acoustic guitar, in addition to providing all lead vocals. His vocal tone is very engaging and bears a rugged quality that fits perfectly into the character of his songs. 

He wrote all thirteen tracks and included are memories of his childhood on the folky blues of 1968 Lebanon, TN; the country steel twang of I Don’t Know Where I’m Going,’ and the witty observations of a travelling musician on ‘Ain’t Nobody Listening To Me.’ Another great road song is Check Out Time and the race to check out of the motel each morning, ‘I played a club just up the street / I had them people on their feet, The party moved down to my room / Daylight came way too soon, I got to bed at half past 7 / Check-out time’s at 11.’  Wonderful stuff!

‘What We Ain’t Got’ is a heart-felt tribute to those old local hardware stores in rural America, ‘We got everything as you can see, What we ain’t got, brother you don’t need.’ The country cheating song, Every Bone In Her Body, is a hilarious look at two sisters who are having affairs with two best friends and the words speak for themselves, ‘I guess I ought to hate her but she's the mother of my kids, I love every bone in her body except for his.’ 

Bigdumbhick is a great discovery and his music will bring plenty of enjoyment to those who jump on their own unicycles and wobble down the road on this colourful journey. 

Review by Paul McGee

Michael LaneTake It Slow Greywood 

This artist released a debut album in 2014 called Sweet Notes, and he has spent the last seven years living up to that title, by providing music that both calms and soothes the spirit. He followed up his debut with two further releases in 2016 and 2017, before returning to the studio again in 2019 to produce his fourth album. Four albums in six years is quite an output and a strong statement for an artist who is a prolific songwriter. With a gentle vocal style, these folk tunes dance along on sweet melodies, all written and produced by Lane himself and his mellow sound will appeal to many. 

Lane was a soldier in the American army and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. No doubt the experiences of seeing conflict at first-hand has shaped his world view ever since and is certainly reflected in his  song-writing. His sweet vocal tone brings to mind the style of Sam Beam (Iron and Wine) or Michael Fitzsimmons. Lane is also a producer and operates out of Studio Waldblick, based in Bavaria. He was born in Nuremburg to a German mother and an American GI father, but spent much of his childhood and teenage years living in Wisconsin, USA, before moving back to Germany. 

This new album arrives with a very positive energy and a message of hope for all. The title track is about rebirth and starting to see the world through new eyes, ‘The prison of the mind is just a choice, Free your head and take a breath to quiet down the voices.’ The next track, Good Times is a song that reflects on a bad relationship experience and how placing too much focus on material trappings cannot take away inner doubts and pain. A bouncy melody hides the serious lyric.

Ladybug is a reflection on nature and the changing seasons, a wish to also be part of the circle of life, just letting it be. A gentle acoustic tune. Coming Home reflects upon home life as a ‘sanctuary for the soul’ and the joy of family. Fire In the Night looks again to nature as a soothing balm in our world. Lane’s tenor vocal high in an arrangement that uses electronic reverb to lay down a soothing path. This is folk music for the modern age. 

Moment is about just that – staying in the moment, enjoying the sense of just being present. Angelic voices soar as the message counsels,  ‘shine bright like a diamond, remember who you are. Life’s too short to be living in the past, stay close to the present moment.’ Open Road is a gentle acoustic song that reflects life as a continuous journey. Moon and Sun is another song about nature, stepping out into what surrounds us and enjoying its presence. 

The theme of enduring love and a trust in the natural world to always provide and survive, infuses these ten songs with a positivity throughout – Be Still says that ‘Love is all that we need,’ and to ‘spread your wings and you will fly.’ 

The final song is an acoustic version of the title track, Take It Slow, and the abiding message to, ‘Just take it slow, The sun will show you where to go, Trust your heart can help you see, I have seen the light, it settled me.’ No doubt about where Michael Lane’s sentiments lie and the future direction in which he is heading. Contemporary Folk music is still rooted in both personal and social reflections but the use of modern production techniques has increasingly taken it into the pop arena and towards a new psychedelic direction. While this album doesn’t stray quite that far, there are elements of this new sound emerging and Lane is certainly an artist worth further investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

Andy Irvine and Paul Brady Self-Titled Mulligan / Compass 

It was 1976 and the destination was Rockfield Studios in Wales. The decision taken by both Paul Brady and Andy Irvine to bring their talents together and decamp to a foreign location was both inspired and prophetic. With invites also accepted by Dónal Lunny (Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts) and Kevin Burke (The Bothy Band, Patrick Street), these four master-musicians travelled to this rural setting to record what has become an Irish Folk classic. 

This special edition has been remastered from the original analog tapes, using a combination of classic analog and state of the art digital equipment. Lunny and Burke's own group, The Bothy Band, had previously recorded at the same studios and while Brady and Irvine were galvanizing themselves after the break-up of Irish legendary band, Planxty, the scorching weather of a record-breaking summer was a distraction that they needed to ignore.

The combination of such special talents inevitably led to great results and the rewards are here on this remastered album for all to enjoy. Andy Irvine contributed vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica. Paul Brady contributed on vocals, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tin whistle, cittern, and harmonium. Their interplay is mesmerising throughout, both understated and laced with intricate finger-picking, and yet fully realised in both tempo and tone. The sessions were produced by Dónal Lunny, who also played on guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, plus backing vocals. Kevin Burke provided superb fiddle on five of the ten tracks, lifting the interplay with his lyrical touches.

Nine of the songs are traditional tunes that were adapted by the musicians and given fresh arrangements.  There are ballads, laments and love songs to be enjoyed and the ensemble knitted together so fluently that you can only applaud the nuance and subtlety of their playing. The production is crystal clear and you can revel in the separation of each instrument in the mix. 

Opening song, Plains of Kildare, is a song that recounts a horse race and is delivered with great elan. This is followed by Lough Erne Shore, a tale of unrequited love, and there could not be a better introduction to what follows…  Fred Finn's Reel / Sailing into Walpole's Marsh is an instrumental of the highest quality, before Bonny Woodhall tells the tale of young love being taken away by the killing fields of war. The famous tune, Arthur McBride, follows on, with its story about rebuking army recruiters on the road and ending with a beating. Brady sings it superbly, before The Jolly Soldier / Blarney Pilgrim gives flight to the players and another song about a soldier – this time returning from war to marry his young bride and entry into her wealthy household.

Irvine sings his reflective tune, Autumn Gold, and is followed by Mary and the Soldier, once more a history lesson borne of conflict and war. Equally, Streets of Derry, tells of a love story with the lady rescuing her love from the gallows with a king’s pardon. Martinmas Time / The Little Stack of Wheat brings everything to a superb conclusion with a tale about a young maiden who tricks a troop of soldiers by dressing up as a soldier boy herself and gaining her freedom. It concludes in a rousing hornpipe, The Little Stack Of Wheat, to deliver the perfect finale.

The album came together over a period of only ten days which is a remarkable achievement, given that studio technology at the time was not as enabling as it is today. It’s a glorious reworking of all that is creative and special in the Irish tradition of musicians coming together in celebration of both song and storytelling. This is an example of that very best tradition – perhaps the finest one ever, as it influenced such a wealth of music that has followed over the decades, from De Danann and Altan through to Kila and Lankum. A classic and a treasure.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

Surrender Hill Just Another Honky Tonk In A Quiet Western Town Blue Betty

Husband and wife partnerships are not uncommon in Americana, though there are not as many as in the more traditional areas of country. Surrender Hill are Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Salmon. They share lead vocals and harmonies and the songwriting, while Robin produces the songs and played keyboards and guitars. I have reviewed their albums previously and can say that this new outing surpasses them in scope and ambition. It was likely recorded over a longer period of time than usual, given the names of the several different studios and players listed on the sleeve. The main tracks were cut in Betty Blue Studio in Galveston and the guests players were added at various points. The finance appears to have come from the “100 Club” members also listed and thanked. Whatever the timescale and methods the end result is a fine compliment to the talents of all those involved.

The release is divided into two discs; the first being JUST ANOTHER HONKY TONK and the second, not surprisingly, IN A QUIET WESTERN TOWN. Twenty four tracks in total over the two discs. The differences overall are not that pronounced but both sets of tracks relate to the night life experience (Just Another Honky Tonk) and other songs are rooted in the outdoor life (Cowboy Campfire Song, Long Rider). Much of the material takes you to a quieter, more reflective place though both sides have uptempo elements - cuts like If This Ain’t My Rodeo, which is about finding one’s place and the notion of friendship is at the heart of Call Upon My Friends and using their help to get back in the saddle after some misadventure. There is acceptance leading to regret and resolution in Heartache Goodbye while Somedays has a longing for a lapsed relationship that encompasses love and leaving. Swallow takes the life of such a small bird and links it to compassion.

The opening track on the second CD Tumbleweed has some Bono/U2 moments in it that underline the broader range of influences that are an undeniable element of the duo’s make-up. However the predominant mood is country/roots and that thread clearly runs through both of the two discs with the use of fiddle, pedal steel, dobro, and B3 organ on different songs throughout. There are many songs that achieve recognition in the immediate sense such as Love Your Neighbour, with its strong message of reaching out. Boomtown is a much bigger sound powered by the rhythm section’s drive. It considers better times in the past and the hope that they be reconnected with. The title track follows similar thoughts and like other tracks has some predominate twang in the guitar tone from, I assume, lead guitarist Mike Waldron. Old Chair reminisces again about past times, while Nothing But The Skin sees the need to return a divided country back to simpler values and openness. That kind of wishing for such basic humanity is an overall theme over the tracks and is delivered with a sense of sincerity and integrity. 

Surrender Hill as a name was taken from a place in South Africa where the Boer War ended and is something of a  metaphor for being able to surrender to adversity and finding one’s place and some measure of peace together. It seems appropriate for these musical endeavours, wherein the duo more than prove themselves as songwriters, musicians and vocalists and this is something of a statement of what can be achieved as independent artists and truth seekers.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Geoffrey Miller Leavin’ 101 Self Release

This album is steeped in the sound and attitude that was, and still is, associated with the vibrant sounds that emanated from Bakersfield in California. It is the sound of the Telecaster twang and pedal steel and a propulsive rhythm section. It wasn’t one that paid a great deal of attention to the whims and wishes of the Nashville Music Row movers and shakers. However, many of the originators, such as Tommy Rollins, Buck Owens and Bakersfield native Merle Haggard, of that incisive sound were signed to Nashville based major labels, many to Capitol Records.

There were exponents who defined that Telecaster sound such as Buck himself, his friend and guitarist Don Rich, as well as Roy Nichols, Eugene Moles, Billy Mize and many others. These days there are a number of guitarists who regularly play in that style as a cornerstone of their music delivery, including Dave Gleason, Kenny Vaughan and Geoffrey Miller.

The latter has recently released his latest album LEAVIN’ 101 and it is steeped in that distinctive sound. Miller handles all the guitar duties and vocals as well as writing the material. He has a tight rhythm section with upright and electric bass from Zack Sapunor and the sound is completed by the worthwhile and adept pedal steel playing of four different contributors, with Max Hurt taking the majority of the songs. It was mixed and mastered by another guitar star in Deke Dickerson. On another track, California stalwart and Yoakam acolyte Scott Joss plays fiddle. But it is Miller who is front and centre, and his vocal delivery is perfect for the sound of his well thought-out compositions on the expressions of heartbreak and hopelessness, cheating and careless liaisons.

The title track references the US learning process as well as the highway of the same number - Route 101. The highway runs from California to Washington. It alludes to not learning life lessons and then having someone move on. These themes are fundamental to the Bakersfield  oeuvre, once given the very suitable title of “misery with a beat.” Akin to what was emerging in Liverpool, London and other cities, this was music that was played in clubs for dancers who simply understood its energy and rhythm.

The instrumental Grand Ville Mix is very Buckeroos with memories of Don Rich to the fore. Owens was such an icon of that particular sound that many songs here could easily have featured on a number of his albums. The aftermath of a broken relationship is observed in Cold Coffee, Warm Beer, a seemingly familiar title but succinct in its finality. There is a harsh reality to another kiss-off song in I Didn’t Know You Could Be So Cruel. The poor choices continue as our leading man moves from one bad affair to another. Good Morning Blues has a jauntiness that belies its gloomy discord. There is more evidence of the craft that Miller brings to his writing in the recognition of many of the artifacts that are found in the second-hand outlets in the town in Discount Memories, as there is in Population 3 which consists of “the blues, your memory and me.”

There is little doubt that anyone with an affection for the clear-cut sound that the Bakersfield Sound has come to mean, which never fails to please this listener, will recognise Miller as a front runner in delivering it as it should be delivered.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Elliah Heifetz First Generation American Self-Release

 Listening to FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN you could be forgiven for assuming that the album was the work of an artist steeped in American roots music, having most likely been exposed to country and folk music by parents or indeed grandparents. However, the backstory to the album and its creator Elliah Heifetz is an entirely different matter. Although there is a strong history of folk music in his lineage, that source was East European folk music, rather than the traditional folk music from Appalachia or the like. A first-generation American born to political refugees from the Soviet Union, Heifetz was raised in Philadelphia, where from a young age he became intrigued by the sound of fiddles and banjo playing.

His transition from a lover of roots music to an actual composer came about in his student days when he wrote a stage musical titled Dust Can’t Kill Me which won awards at both the New York Musical Festival and NYC Fringe Festival. That exposure led to his employment by music publisher The Brain Music, resulting in him writing songs for television soundtracks and stage plays. A further acknowledgment of his musical talent was being named in TIDEL’s Best of Rising Country/Folk artists following the release of his 2019 EP NEW FOLK SONGS.

 For his debut full length album FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN, he engaged the current ‘go-to’ producer for roots artists, Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Jeremy Ivey, Hurray For The Riff Raff). A name that appears regularly in album reviews at Lonesome Highway, Topic records at his home studio The Bomb Shelter in Nashville and more often than not has his band of ‘A list’ players on his recordings. Contributing to FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN alongside Heifetz - who played acoustic guitar - were John James Tourville (guitars, pedal steel, fiddle), Jeff Taylor (piano, organ, accordion), Jack Lawrence (electric bass), Dennis Crouch (upright bass) and Jimmy Lester (drums). Backing and harmony vocals were provided by Jane Bruce, Nickie Conley and Maureen Murphy.

 The album touches a range of roots related bases, from the fun filled upbeat rockabilly of Modern Man to the honky tonkin’ Country Harmony, which he sings with his partner Jane Bruce. He sets out his stall from the beginning with the autobiographical and somewhat tongue in cheek title track (‘I never seen that Swanee river, never fished in a mountain stream, didn’t make a pass at the pastor’s daughter, never worked in my daddy’s jeans…..I was born in the USA’) but also displays his ability to pen contemplative songs on Living Proof, which is a heartfelt ode to his mother and Denver, which reflects on the plight of a refugee living in fear of deportation.

 Notwithstanding the lighter moments on this album, of which there are many, the lasting impression I’m left with is one of defiance and ultimately survival, often against the odds. From what must have been a daunting experience arriving from Russia and attempting to integrate into an entirely different culture, Heifetz has established himself successfully in his chosen vocation.  He can be justifiability proud of that achievement and this album.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Matt Castillo How The River Flows Self-Release

Edinburg, Texas-born country singer songwriter Matt Castillo’s third album HOW THE RIVER FLOWS has been two and a half years in the making. Not one to rush into things and somewhat of a perfectionist, Castillo has certainly has put his heart and soul into this recording. Having written the bulk of the songs for the album, he tracked down fellow Texan and celebrated producer Roger Brown to oversee the recording of the album. Based in Nashville, Brown’s curriculum vitae includes writing songs recorded by Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith to name but a few, alongside producing albums by a host of country artists. The recording took place at The Moose Lodge Recording Studio in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.

Nine of the ten tracks are self-writes or co-writes, an impressive co-write with Karen Staley, Cause He’s A Cowboy, is included. That track celebrates a victory by his local community in Edinburg when they defeated a plan by The Texas Department of Transport to construct a toll highway across agricultural lands. The last song written for the album is the high-tempo opener Say It. Laced with stinging pedal steel and flashes of accordion, it introduces a Texan flavour, one which reappears on a number of the songs, not least the title track. A country album wouldn’t be complete with a few ‘love found/ love lost’ and cheating songs. Neon Red Neon Blue and No Easy Way To You both tick the former box and the honky tonkin’ Leaving Brownsville Tonight caters for the latter.

Castillo’s objective was to create an album similar to the classic country recordings from the tail end of the last century, prior to much of country music crossing over to straight rock or mainstream pop. He’s done that and more with HOW THE RIVER FLOWS, delivering a suite of easy on the ear tunes which never overwhelm the listener.  So, let’s hope he gets the recognition he deserves and can continue to keep the river flowing in the right direction.

Review by Declan Culliton

Elles Bailey Shining In The Half Light Outlaw Music

Recording an album in the middle of a pandemic and while six months pregnant would have been considered unthinkable a few years back, but that’s exactly how SHINING IN THE HALF LIGHT, the third album from Bristol-based Elles Bailey came about. When the initial plans to record the album in Nashville in May 2020 were prevented by the onset of Covid, Bailey relocated to Middle Farm in Devon in December of that year, where the album was recorded over a nine-day period. The production duties were carried out by Dan Weller and the final mixing took place in Nashville by Grammy nominated engineer Ryan Smith. The players that feature behind Bailey’s inimitable vocals are Joe Wilkins and Kris Donegan on guitars, Jonny Henderson on piano, Wurlitzer, Clavinova, and Hammond. Bass and drums are credited to Matthew Waer and Matthew Jones respectively.

Never one to reinvent herself, Bailey sticks with the template that has worked particularly well in her career to date. Her signature sound has always played out like a few genres melting together. Grungy blues, high octane rockers and soul flavored ballads all feature on the ten-song collection. The lively opener Cheats And Liars aims a blow at the faceless freeloaders that ignored the plight of artists, starved of a living, during the lockdown. The equally feisty rocker Sunshine City, is a co-write with Matt Owens (Noah and the Whale) and her Bristol neighbour Will Edmunds is credited with co-writes on The Game, Stones and Halfway House.

Things do become less explosive mid-album, with Bailey pouring her heart and soul into Colours Start To Run and the gorgeously soothing ballad Different Kind Of Love.  Saving the best until last, the album closes with the title track, co-written with the celebrated Nashville songwriter Craig Lackey. It bookends an album that is both defiant and bullish and one that has arrived when the industry is finally opening up.

That eventual return to normality has given Bailey the green light to recommence her relentless touring schedule. On the strength of this album, you’d be well advised to check that touring schedule and get booking.

Review by Declan Culliton

Jason Scott & The High Heat Castle Rock Self-Release

The backstory of Jason Scott provided a wealth of ammunition to create the eleven tracks on this debut album from Oklahoma City band Jason Scott & The High Heat. That past included a Pentecostal upbringing and singing in the choir at church as a child, then spending time as a pastor, and eventually abandoning that calling for that of a songwriter and bandleader. In 2017, Scott produced and recorded a solo EP titled LIVING ROOMS, before recruiting the band members that make up The High Heat. They are Gabriel Mor (guitar), Taylor Johnson (guitar, keys), Ryan Magnani (bass), and Alberto Roubert (drums). Their sound is firmly rooted in hook driven heartland rock, with particular nods in the direction of the 80s sound created by John Mellencamp and Steve Miller.

The album’s title, CASTLE ROCK, is drawn from the town of that name where Scott moved after he left the church. Much of the album’s content examines life’s direction and choices, and the resulting outcomes.

The songs grapple between darkness and light, with as many upbeat scenes as there are ones of desperation. The despairing plight of a hopeless breadline existence emerges on the guitar propelled Quittin Time, whereas Cleveland County Line offers a happier ending with the return of a prodigal son after some wasted years and travels. A much less triumphant homecoming develops on The Stone, which finds a soldier returning from war, tortured by post-traumatic stress disorder. A woman’s honour is defended in the tongue-in-cheek country-tinged song Me And Maryanne and they rock out in fine style on the gloriously loose In The Offing.

All in all, a laudable introduction to a band well worth checking out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kate MacLeod Uranium Maiden Self-Release

The winner of 'Best of the West 2019' award by the Far-West division of Folk Alliance International, Kate MacLeod is an artist whose style criss-crosses between contemporary folk and more traditional old-time country. A singer songwriter, fiddler, and music instructor at schools and summer camps, the Salt Lake City, Utah native’s themed album URANIUM MAIDEN packs a heavy punch.

Not having to look beyond her native Utah for inspiration, MacLeod explains ‘This recording includes historic characters of the Utah region, true stories by pioneer women, coal miners, explorers, and environmental issues.’’  Given that the album features seventeen tracks - four of which are instrumentals - it’s no surprise that the recording took six years to complete or that the songs span four decades of writing. Over twenty musicians contribute, many of which worked with MacLeod on previous recordings.

From the opening track Now Is The Time To Be Alive, based on the journals of a man who went missing in the Utah deserts in 1935, to the album closer Every Year Among The Pines, the album finds MacLeod on a creative and questioning quest. With lyrics that often augment the mystique behind the songs, wonderful vocal deliveries, and equally impressive playing, MacLeod admirably captures the essence of the America West on URANIUM MAIDEN. 

Very much a labour of love and a life project, this album should have widespread appeal far and beyond her beloved American West. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Tim Kelly Ride Through the Rain Self Release

This album is proof positive that it’s never too late to make a dream come true or to realise a long-held ambition. It’s quite a humbling notion to think that Tim Kelly has waited a full working life, raised a family and at sixty-six years old embarked on a personal journey in recording these self-written songs. And quite impressive they all prove to be – almost as if, in finally setting them free, the waiting world gets to join the celebration. Staying committed to a day job and placing family and loved ones ahead of personal hopes and wishes is, of course, a sacrifice that any caring parent would make. However, it feels like the moment has finally arrived to in the spotlight  and he grasps it with both hands.

Tim Kelly has an expressive vocal style, warm and clear, with just enough range to never stretch beyond the resonance needed for each song. Better Man is a song dedicated to the memory of his father and it is filled with warm memories in tribute to the example he set for living an engaged life. Tim has his own son at the helm for this production and talented Ruston Kelly really adds great colour to the project. The family bond shines through in the great empathy shown and in both the delivery and treatment of these melodies and song arrangements. A real labour of love. 

River Street is a song that captures old memories and the sense time doesn’t heal the wounds of lost opportunity, ‘ You’d think I’d know after all this time; I can’t really give you what never was mine.’ The playing is beautifully restrained and the harmony vocals of Hillary Lindsey are quite superb. Leave This Town talks about changing your focus and deciding to make some life changes in search of a dream – no doubt, channelling his wish to walk in other shoes towards a new adventure. And the following song, Dream, is just that very hope brought to fruition and enjoyed, ‘When I feel the world closing in on me, I close my eyes and dream.’ Natalie Hemby sings harmony and her vocal lifts the arrangement to a higher place where the electric guitar atmospherics of Juan Solorzano  provide the perfect compliment.

Home sees Lucie Silvas taking a turn at the microphone with Tim and surfing on top of a pulsing beat with the rhythm section of Will Sayles (drums, percussion) and Eli Beaird (bass) front and centre. The studio musicians are all superb and their talents shine on the various tracks; Jarrad K on keyboards and synthesizers, complimenting the guitars of Tim Kelly and Juan Solorzano.

Old Friends follows and the sentiment is captured in the lines, ‘Time has scattered them all about, Everybody had a plan, But I’m still shuffling cards around, Looking for that winning hand.’ Again, the ensemble nails the interplay and the subtle melodies interweave on a fine arrangement.

Grandma’s House is a happy jaunt that captures youthful joys and growing up with the influence of a wise lady that loved her family, ‘ At Grandma’s house, she was Socrates, she had a cure for everything.’  On the track, The Deep, Tim is joined by his daughter Abby on vocals, who together with Ruston, join in familial unison to elevate the arrangement. It’s a song about domestic abuse and breaking free from the pain in order to survive. 

The final song, Free, is an acoustic guitar and the vocals of Tim bringing everything to a conclusion with ruminations on love gone wrong and the loneliness of feeling lost. Maybe not the best placed parting message, but it in no way diminishes from what is a superbly crafted album. One that is worthy of your attention. 

Review by Paul McGee

Joan Osborne Radio Waves Womanly Hips

With a career spanning twenty-five years and twelve albums, this is a look back at the many radio performances Joan Osborne has given. She also includes two studio demos and I’m sure that revisiting these old recordings over Covid lockdown, gave plenty of time for reflection.

Feted for her incredible vocal talents across a fluid genre range of blues, soul and RnB albums, Osborne has always delivered quality albums and enjoyed great popularity across her large fanbase.  She has also visited rock, pop and country, in addition to releasing the obligatory Christmas songs project and a covers album. Indeed, it is her ability to not only interpret other songwriters work, but her aptitude to place a completely unique spin on the songs that have separated her out as something special. 

Across fifty minutes of live studio takes, Osborne puts her unique stamp on these thirteen selected tracks and her power has never been better illustrated. There is the stunning delivery on Shake Your Hips (Slim Harpo), best known for the version that the Rolling Stones included on their legendary Exile On Main Street album. There is the incredible take on How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) – the hit song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and made famous by Marvyn Gaye. Nobody ever sung it like this however… such a soulful laid-back rendition really bringing out the core of the meaning.

Bob Dylan never sounded as good as Osborne’s take on his classic, To Make You Feel My Love, and she also turns in a stellar performance of the Sly Stone song, Everybody Is a Star to close out the album. In between, Osborne gives us two excellent demo cuts, Dream a Little Dream (2005) and Real Love (2006), while also revisiting her classic hit, One Of Us, with a stripped-down soulful blues version.  There is a band presence on most of the tracks with the time span covering radio sessions between 1995 and 2012. Jack Petruzzelli plays guitar on seven tracks, with Andrew Carillo also contributing guitar on ten tracks. Between them the rich guitar sounds add greatly to the overall dynamic. There are a number of other players involved as would be expected over the time scale but it is always the vocals of Osborne that drive the song arrangements and her classic interpretations are a real joy throughout. An excellent album.

Review by Paul McGee

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Hank Topless Thank Your Dirty Stars Self Release

Hearing this I’m pretty sure that this particular Hank done it this way, his way. An engaging mix of edgy alt.countryeque sounds that go under the overall description of honky tonk country blues delivered, it has to be said, with no little sense of humour to alleviate the eternal themes of love, hate, lust and longing. From Tucson, Arizona he is backed here by his band The Dead Horseman who fairly gallop through these original Topless songs (bar one traditional song, the blues-based Another Man Done Gone). There can’t be that many writers whose subject matter includes a tribute to the late cult-writer Jim Carroll and his song People Who Died. But that is what Jim Carroll Blues is about - a song that got Topless himself thinking about those people close to him who died. Cut My Head Off bears a certain comparison with the likes of Junior Brown, in taking a thought to somewhere less well lit.

Topless’ connection to the darker side of country’s underbelly and the bluesier side is reflected in a trio of songs that end in the word “Blues.” So alongside the aforementioned Jim Carroll Blues there is Hard Time Blues and Skeleton’s Blues. However,  the understanding of dealing with the downside of life in as positive a way as possible is inherent in other songs too. Baby Go By finds him at a traffic light when he notices a past love and reflects on the possibilities that didn’t get to happen. As with much of the album there are sonic elements that add to the overall unsettling and downbeat nature of the writing. He uses some distorted vocal effects on certain tracks such as the public domain blues perennial Another Man Done Gone. The ghost of Waylon Jennings stands firmly behind Topless on the album’s final track Country Western Crackhead Hippy, which closes the album on something of a high - both in sound and spirit. Its long guitar fade out uses a faux radio broadcaster headline, “Georgia’s crack induced paranoia was at an all time high”, to add to its sense of dark reality over its seven minute plus length.

Topless co-produced the album with Jim Walters and they achieve an overall consistency that serves the material well and uses the rhythm section of Eric Baldoni and Dani Ponce effectively. The guitars are shared by Topless and J Clay K who is the main lead player, but with the former effectively using both baritone guitar and his talk box to give a degree of additional tones to the recordings. Pedal steel on I’m Just Too Tired was provided by Caleb Melo and Nick Coventry played fiddle on Skeleton’s Blues. Topless delivers a vocal throughout that is purposeful, if seemingly imbued with resignation and regret.

Topless is not an act that will please everyone, especially those attuned to the mainstream interpretation of country music or indeed those who like their honky-tonk straight up. However those attuned to his world view and outlook will appreciate a kindred spirit who is not bound by any conventional view of country music. Not that Topless doesn’t appreciated the past, as witnessed by his online covers of songs by Ernest Tubb and songs like Behind Closed Doors and Night Life. But his view is that what’s been done has been done and in his particular case he wants to take it some place a little different. He is also a renowned performer who works solo or with his band, and has doubtless built some notoriety and a solid following locally in his Loser’s Lounge gigs in Tucson and in the surrounding regions. 

Hank Topless is his own man and there are those who will thank their lucky stars that they have THANK YOUR DIRTY STARS to help that deal with their own blues - country or otherwise.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Cody Jinks Mercy Late August

With ten previous albums to his credit, it’s remarkable to consider that the Haltom City, Texas modern country outlaw Cody Jinks is still releasing his music as an independent artist, through his own label Late August Records. It’s most likely a testament to a maverick who likes to do things on his own terms and is knocking out a good living doing so.

There are no surprises on his latest album MERCY. Recorded at Sonic Ranch Adobe Studios, Tornillo, Texas with his core players, it shifts between classic outlaw country ballads and excursions into hard-nosed Southern Rock. The musicians that worked on the album are Jinks’ touring band of Chris Claridy (guitar), Joshua Thompson (bass), David Colvin (drums), David Harakal (keys), and Austin ‘Hot Rod’ Tripp (steel guitar and dobro). All but one of the twelve tracks are co-writes, the exception being How It Works. Celebrated artists in their own right, Kendall Marvel, Ward Davis and Josh Morningstar all lent a hand with the compositions.

With his hectic touring schedule, each of his albums are loaded with material that begs to be played live. MERCY is no exception with explosive rockers like Hurt You and the aforementioned How It Works being definite crowd pleasers. However, for me, it’s the more relaxed country ballads that excel on the album. The title track, Nobody Knows How To Read and particularly Dying Isn’t Cheap are out of the Merle Haggard school of songwriting, and perfectly suited to Jinks’ chiselled vocals. Equally memorable is the timeless I Don’t Trust My Memories Any More. Awash with aching pedal steel, it’s a perfectly tailored country song.

Cody Jinks continues to be one of, if not the, most successful independent country artists, regularly selling out arenas and headlining festivals. He has also released Certified Gold and Platinum singles without being played on country radio. With that profile, he must surely be under the radar of the major labels.  It remains to be seen whether he’ll continue to do his own thing independently. Either way, don’t expect any major change in musical direction. MERCY is typical of Jinks handiwork and if it rocks your boat check out ADOBE SESSIONS from 2015 and I’M NOT THE DEVIL from the following year. Both are stonewalled Outlaw Country classics.

Review by Declan Culliton

The HawtThorns Tarot Cards and Shooting Stars Mule Kick

Nashville based husband and wife team The HawtThorns’ second album is released on their own independent label Mule Kick Productions, the label that has also supported recordings by Lonesome Highway favourites Side Pony, Rosie Flores and Andrew Leahey and The Homestead.

The HawtThorns are Johnny Hawthorn and KP (Kirsten Proffit) and this record follows on from their 2019 release MORNING SUN. KP was formerly a member of the three-piece California band Calico, alongside Jaime Wyatt and Manda Mosher. Johnny’s background includes three solo albums, stints in bands Wet Sprocket, Toad and Everclear, as well as production duties on numerous recordings.

TAROT CARDS and SHOOTING STARS remains true to the musical template of their debut album, drawing on the West Coast influences of their previous life in California.  Their relocation to Nashville in 2020 also infiltrates the album’s direction, with splashes of southern soul and gospel evident.

Stand out track Let’s Get Together sounds like a song you’ve known all your life. Showcasing KP’s crystal clear soulful vocals, it reads and sounds like the definitive song to exit Covid, and moving on to more hopeful and positive times. A similar ray of hope emerges on Keep It Alive and the laid-back acoustic The One That Got Away features layered vocals by the duo, before they sign off with the similarly paced When Georgia Cries.  The ‘love lost’ catchy opener All The Right Reasons (not to be confused with The Jayhawks song of the same name) also impresses and the one cover included is Neil Young’s Lotta Love, which gets a funky makeover, entering Fleetwood Mac territory. 

Like so many other albums these days, TAROT CARDS and SHOOTING STARS has been placed in the ever-expanding Americana pool. For me, it is more of a mainstream radio friendly recording and a most impressive one at that. With a slick production, intricate arrangements, strong material and KP’s heavenly vocals, it’s another step in the right direction for a band that has all the attributes for a rapid rise up the industry ladder.

Review by Declan Culliton

Terry Klein Good Luck, Take Care Self Release

My introduction to the music of Texan Terry Klein was his 2019 album TEX. An album packed with memorable songs, it spent quite a lot of time in my cd player that year and featured in the best of year-end at Lonesome Highway. That album and its predecessor GREAT NORTHERN were produced by Texan troubadour Walt Wilkins in Austin. On this occasion, Klein hooked up with Nashville based songwriter, musician and producer Thomm Jutz at his home studio in Nashville, and together they recorded and mixed the album over a four-day period in October 2021. No stranger to classic singer-songwriters, in a previous life Jutz was a touring guitar player with Nanci Griffith, David Olney and Mary Gauthier.

In a similar vein to TEX and very much in the style of the celebrated Texan songwriters, GOOD LUCK, TAKE CARE is essentially a collection of ten stories, both from brutally honest personal experiences and episodes created by observations. 

The forthright and self-deprecating opener 60 in a 75 (Sixty In A Seventy Five) describes the aftermath of a panic attack experienced on stage by Klein during a live show and the subsequent long drive home after the gig.   (‘I try to listen to some music but it’s Twist and Shout, that’s a little too much and the sun’s in my eyes’). The track also signals a change in direction from his previous recordings. Gone is the polished production, replaced by a looser, rootsier, rawer sound. That high octane treatment also surfaces on Salinas, which was brainstormed following a road trip through the Salinas Valley while driving in California from Berkeley to Los Olivos.

Closer to the temper of TEX are the tracks What You Lose Along The Way and The Goldfinch. As much a poem put to music, the former is delivered as spoken word, recalling experiences and lost friends from previous decades. The latter, featuring Thomm on a mid-30s Epiphone guitar, was inspired by the novel of the same name by American author Donna Tartt. Elsewhere, very much a song of its time The Salt, a co-write with Allan Emmer, was written at the height of the pandemic in Spring 2021. The inescapable mental pressure that lands unannounced is the focus of the song.  (‘Some days you float some days you fall some days you can’t let go. It’s not so much the bitter tears as the salt they leave behind’).

The album’s title is also a reminder of the thin line we walk between darkness and daylight and the often-unexpected hurdles that life presents. It also offers a suite of unhurried and intimate songs that draw the listener in with their candour, from an artist at the top of his game.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sophie & The Broken Things Delusions Of Grandeur Petaluma

Growing up on a farm in rural mid-Atlantic Maryland, Sophie Gault’s ‘go to’ music was the more raw and seedy sounds of Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle. Fast forward to the present and Grammy award winning producer Ray Kennedy, who worked with both those artists, is singing the praises of Sophie Gault, having mixed and mastered DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR, the first full album from Sophie & The Broken Things.

Gault’s artistic journey kicked off strumming a guitar as an early teenager, eventually progressing into songwriting. A summer spent in Nashville during her college years led to her relocating to Music City in 2014. A chance encounter with Julie Miller, an artist much revered by Gault, at Americana venue Bobby’s Idle Hour, led to the band name The Broken Things, borrowed from the title of Miller’s 1999 album. Coincidentally, Steve Earle appears on the song Strange Love, from that album. A self-titled debut EP from Sophie & The Broken Things followed in January 2020.

The overall mood of their latest recording DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR is one of deep thinking and the musical sketches are decorated by Gault’s pristine vocals, supported by slick guitar riffs and breaks from Jules Belmont. Angling towards a mix of country and Americana, ballads such as Dashboard and the ‘bust up/make up’ Trouble - a duet with Logan Ledger - are finely honed. Echoes of Lucinda Williams are present on the opener Golden Rule, which features splashes of hazy guitar, all in the right places, and adding a melodic intensity. The location on the up-tempo ‘love lost’ track Churches and Bars is surprisingly not Nashville, but Oneonta, New York, which can also boast numerous churches and bars per square mile. She pumps it up on Heavy Metal, a co-write with Michael Davis Thomas and there’s a sense of torturous reflection and reconnection on Moving On.

A new name to me and one that I’m well impressed by, the album is packed with well-constructed songs presented by a genuine country voice and backing players to match. Lazy comparisons are often made to the early work of Lucinda Williams by reviewers, however, in this case, that comparison is spot-on. Highly recommended.

Review by Declan Culliton 

Eric Brace & Last Train Home Everything Will Be Red Beet 

Eleven songs and forty-six minutes of listening pleasure. Eric Brace and his merry band of musicians have been producing music of real quality ever since they first appeared with their debut album, back in 1997. Since then, a further ten albums have been released, including this gem. It’s been an interesting twenty-five-year career, with the band having stepped away from playing together for a period of time (ten years), while they settled into different lives in separate locations around America. 

Between 1997 and 2008, they released six albums, three EPs, and a live concert DVD, while touring steadily across the USA and throughout Europe. While they slowed the pace, and limited touring had continued, there were no further recordings until 2019. Brace had moved to Nashville in 2004 and was collaborating with songwriters Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz for a number of years. When he reached out to the old band members and expressed a wish to revisit the original spark from their Washington DC origins, the results were captured in the superb, DAYTIME HIGHS AND OVERNIGHT LOWS, their tenth album that was released in 2020.

Having gotten the old groove back, Last Train Home decided to keep the momentum going and here we have another lockdown gem. Produced by Eric Brace and Jared Barlett, the album features seven songs from the pen of Brace (including one co-write) and four cover versions. The eight musicians who feature, are Brace (acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals), Jared Bartlett (acoustic and electric guitar), Jim Gray (bass), Martin Lynds (drums), Scott McKnight (guitars and keyboards), Dave Van Allen (pedal steel and dobro),  Chris Watling (accordion and saxophones), Kevin Cordt (trumpet) and Bill Williams (acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica, ukulele and harmony vocals). And what a sweet sound they all make when they come together in celebration of their continuing journey and  success. 

Everything Will Be is a title that captures the essence of just letting things take their own course and seeing where the dice fall. After all these years to be back together making music that resonates with the times is more than I’m sure any of the band could have expected. And what of their eclectic mix? So many fine players, so many diverse instruments and a melting pot that is what Americana/Roots music is all about - defined in the joy of ensemble playing on these songs. 

Opening with the title track and a positive message about grasping life’s precious moments, the bright arrangement and superb guitar work of Bartlett drive the song to a fine conclusion. It sets a marker for the rest of the album with the warm vocals of Brace taking front and centre. The Country vibe on Lily Of the Day (Thomm Jutz & Craig Market) is framed by the considered pedal steel of Dave Van Allen and the piano of guest player, Kevin McKendree. Tomm Jutz adds some very tasty acoustic guitar licks on this song about the passing of time.

Language is a love song about communication and the easy way that words can be misconstrued. There are some subtle strings, courtesy of David Henry, and some restrained saxophone and trumpet parts. Better Days recounts the feeling of early lockdown and a return home from a cancelled Irish tour with Tomm Jutz. It captures the sense of community in the East Nashville neighbourhood where Brace lives. The easy interplay among the band is a real joy and the melody stays with you after the song has faded.  If I Had a Nickel is another great band workout, this time with a jazzy swing and the horn section swapping parts with piano on a jaunty trip  that looks at old father time, ‘We can’t make the moment stay, Just turn and watch it go.’

The Six O’Clock Train and the Girl With Green Eyes is a cover of the original John Hartford song. It captures that fleeting moment when you are waiting for a glimpse of a distant fantasy; the girl that you would like to have the courage to speak with and not feel nervous and self-conscious. Next Time looks at the lack of contact that many felt during Covid distancing and meeting up with old friends again, after the long separation. It’s thoughtful and restrained melody is perfect for the wistful sentiment, ‘The wonder of it all, will make me wonder if I’m dreaming.’   

East Nashville Highball is a giddy instrumental with the ensemble really displaying their adept skills on a range of instruments, pedal steel to the fore, coupled with electric guitar and harmonica, plus feel-good saxophone and trumpet solos.  In the Dark is a memory song for an old friend that highlights some fine harmony vocals and the sentiment, ‘ so much to say, I wish that  you would stay.’ Warm keyboards and an easy backbeat set the tempo.

I’m An Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande), is a cover of the great Johnny Mercer song which has been a popular favourite of many artists over the generations. This has a big band feel and some tasty jazz rhythms, merged with a superb guitar break. The plaintive sound of pedal steel, banjo and harmonica also makes its way into the mix and a time-honoured whistling part to honour the old image of cowboys on the silver screen.

The final song, When I’m Dead and Gone (Gallagher/Lyle) is perhaps a strange choice, given the large number of deaths in the USA during the Covid pandemic (fast approaching the one million mark). It was always an up-tempo song, despite the subject matter, and Brace does it justice by ending things with a band sing-along, brass playing free and the rhythm section driving everything along at a pace.

One thing that you can be certain of with a Last Train Home album, is that a good time will be had by all. The musicians are of the highest calibre and with years of playing together, their spontaneity is clearly evident in the way in which they complement each other. A very worthy project and filled with great moments.    

Review by Paul MCGee

Jason Baker Liberty Self Release

Written, performed, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by the artist himself, this is a fine example of the D.I.Y. ethic that has gained such a powerful momentum during the Covid pandemic experience of the last two years. 

Jason Baker is a songwriter & performer from Burlington, Vermont. Given that he only started recording in 2018, there is already an impressive output with three full length albums to choose from. He also plays as part of a folk trio named Folk Talk Trio, and they have two releases of their own, in the last two years.

He namechecks, among others, Dar Williams in his credits on this four-track EP. Whether he simply drew inspiration from her work or whether he attended her music workshops is not clear, but either way, it’s a good indication of what to expect here.

Baker writes with a clarity that balances serious content with almost humorous delivery in his strong vocals and guitar style. The title track speaks of living your dream and being true to yourself; something we would all aspire towards, even if the reality of attainment can be somewhat challenging at times.

River Of Truth draws from the book of positivity and speaks of making a difference in the planting of community seeds to watch them grow. Being constant and letting the ripples of the pond spread wide. Again, the message is one of being true to your beliefs.

The Game Is Over takes a view on the avarice and greed in the world. Where the few get richer and the many continue to endure daily hardship and struggle. Baker uses the game of Monopoly as his metaphor; with the mentality of ‘winner takes all’ an indication that perhaps all this will to win is perhaps a weakness.

Opening track, The Bigotry Blues, uses clever juxtaposition of words to aim some well-directed blows at the malaise of increasing bigotry that has crept into our views and our societies. No doubt, sparked by the Trump years in power, Baker warns of the threat imposed by mass-hypnosis and the dangers of a movement growing out of activities that nobody predicted, ‘They want war and they want it now, Hating everybody is their sacred cow, Guess we should have known from the war drums drumming, But I swear I did Nazi (sung as: not see) see it coming.’ Very clever, and the message is lightened by the use of kazoo and ukulele as Baker’s weapons of choice. An interesting new artist for me and I look forward to hearing more.

Review by Paul MCGee

Clever Hopes Artefact Self Release

This is a debut album from actor/director and songwriter, Andrew Shaver (acoustic guitar/vocals), and Eva Foote (acoustic guitar/vocals). They first met on the theatre production of the musical, Once, (Glen Hansard), after which they formed Clever Hopes. Their collaboration on this very rounded and impressive project, delivers ten tracks that play out over a very generous and engaging fifty minutes.

Recorded over a few days at Union Sound Company in Toronto, the musicians played live in the studio, something of a rarity in these times of remote recording and e-mailed music files. The organic feel of that experience is reflected in the flow of these songs and the interplay among the ensemble is beautifully captured. The album was produced and mixed by Matthew Barber, who also contributed on Farfisa organ and vocals. The other musicians involved were Noah Reid (keyboards/vocals), Justin Rutledge (guitars), Kev Foran (brass), Joe Glass (guitar/pedal steel/mandolin/vocals), Steve Zsirai (electric/upright bass) and Marshall Bureau (drums/tambo).

The opening song, Interference, is wrapped in a sweet pedal steel melody and sets the tone for the album theme, which examines a doomed relationship, and the realisation that there will always be a disconnect in communication when two people are pulling in different directions. The Other Side has an addictive beat and a nice melody, while capturing the feeling of being far apart from someone, both physically and emotionally. The inclusion of horn sounds on the arrangement is a nice touch and heightens the sense of confusion where distance leads to anxiety overload. Shaver spent time in Australia during the break-up of this relationship so, no doubt, this gets channelled.

Shadow Waltz has some great pedal steel parts from Joe Grass and a slow tempo that reflects upon events that are sometimes outside of our control, ‘All the scars that shift between us, Like the glass at our feet, I touch your hand and you’re drifting away from me, I’d take your hand but you’re already out of reach.’

Made You Mad is a standout track with a look into the details that dissect a relationship. The co-vocal of Eva and Andrew is perfectly aligned as they trade lines on what drove each other crazy, ‘For every time I made you dinner, For every time I made our bed, There were a hundred thousand little things, That I know I should have said.’ The song arrangement is very addictive and reminds me in some ways of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions at the height of their power as it builds and plays out.

Corner Hotel recounts an experience of ships passing in the night and missed opportunities to connect over time and place. It’s a great premise for a song and skilfully delivered, both in the subtle musical touches and the vocal restraint.  Now We Burn has such an atmospheric dynamic to the mood of resignation, ‘There’s a relief that comes, When something is broken, And all the hardest words, Are finally spoken.’ It reflects the nadir of the relationship journey as it winds its way towards inevitable breakdown. 

Gravel Rash Stare has a great RnB groove, the keyboard and horn sounds capture the sense of memory and regrets, ‘I’m old enough to remember what it was all for, But I’m young enough to remember wanting more.’  As debut albums go, this one is as good as I’ve heard in a long time. Full credit to Eva Foote for playing the role of break-up partner in these songs and sprinkling them with magic dust in her vocal delivery and guitar parts -  a perfect foil when the original protagonist has already left the ring.

Review by Paul MCGee

Steve Dawson Gone, Long Gone Black Hen

With a measure of humility, Steve Dawson intends to release three albums over the forthcoming year. Call it a result of Covid productivity while under lockdown. He has always been a busy guy, whether as a musician, a producer or a label owner. Steve is usually found with his hands on a new project and turning water into wine with his magic touch.

The ten tracks featured here are full of genre fluid treats, from the opener, Dimes, with its RnB feel and soulful backing vocals from Allison Russell; to the swing Blues of King Bennie Had His Shit Together, and that’s only the first two tracks! King Bennie Nawahi was a steel guitar player from Hawaii with a very colourful life story, captured here as a tribute to his exploits. Bad Omen follows and is a deeper blues workout with great atmospheric feel.  Steve on vocal, Weissenborn and electric guitars; Jay Bellerose on drums and percussion; Jeremy Holmes on bass and Kevin McKendree on atmospheric organ.

The title track has Steve on vocal, acoustic guitar and pedal steel, while the seemingly contra-sound of Ben Plotnick on violin and viola, together with Kaitlyn Raitz on cello, works perfectly as a harmonious whole. The mark of a creative mind who uses musical intuition to break new ground. I Just Get Lost has an acoustic intro that blends into something approaching a Little Feat workout, with multi-instrumentalist Dawson finding subtle rhythms inside shifting melody lines. Kulaniapia Waltz is an instrumental tune that channels all that is best in the sweet groove of a Hawaiian melody, played on a different range of instruments, including pump organ and ukulele.

Skeletons In A Car is a true story of some guys who thought that getting wasted on the prairie at night was a cool idea – until they flipped their car. The atmospherics are captured with taut playing; Weissenborn guitar and organ swells, complemented by the upright bass, and twin drum sound, all laced through with the vocal acrobatics of Allison Russell (always worth the entry fee on her own).

The inclusion of a cover of the Faces, Ooh La, seems a strange choice, but it is given a laid-back acoustic treatment that works really well. Almost like the way in which the original should have been recorded in the first place! The almost-Gospel delivery is reminiscent of a deep south revival experience with National slide guitar, organ and soulful vocals lifting the arrangement to a sweet spot.

Cicada Sanctuary is an instrumental with Steve on acoustic guitar, confirming that all those years of isolated practice do pay dividends in the long run. He is such a gifted musician and his dedication to the craft brings its own reward. Closing track, Time Has Made A Fool Out Of Me, is a perfect coda to all that has gone before; a reflective moment to understand that ‘time is not a circle, It’s a line.’ 

The interplay between these top-drawer players is just sublime. Hats off to Jay Bellerose and Gary Craig (drums, percussion), Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (Mellotron, pump organ), Kevin McKendree (organ, piano), Gerry Cook (baritone sax), Dominic Conway (tenor sax), Malcolm Aiken (trumpet) and Fats Kaplin (fiddle). Of course, all led by the vision of Steve Dawson. Roll on the next two scheduled releases.

Review by Paul MCGee

Latest Album Reviews

Whitehorse Strike Me Down Six Shooter

Fans of the Canadian Americana duo may be surprised by the direction taken in this latest offering, their second album within a year. However, there were always of hints of this in the past, particularly on Luke Doucet’s solo material, released before he formed Whitehorse with his wife Melissa McClelland in 2011. Miles away from their folky origins and even their recent lock down live shows, this album is a kaleidoscopic collection of indie pop rock, a fusion of spacey vocals, synths, fuzzy guitars and disco.

Why So Cruel, one of the catchier songs, shamelessly steals Blondie’s bass riff from Heart of Glass in this 80s pop song of heartbreak, powerful lead vocals courtesy of Melissa, and Luke’s White Falcon guitar makes its presence felt. More shades of Blondie in Play it Safe, heavy with electric organ (played by Melissa), pounding drums, layered vocals, and sounding like the 90s. Please, Maria gives Luke the chance to do a Marc Bolan vocal and guitar tribute, while Sometimes Amy is straight 80s indie pop.

Mazzy Star fans may (or may not) like the only cover on the album - a very different interpretation of Fade Into You. The title track, which closes the album, shows just how good the two harmonise together, on top of a maelstrom of electric organ, drum machine, thumping bass and echoey sustained guitars.

Check it out and make your own mind up!

Review by Eilís Boland

Few Miles South Wiregrass Self Release

Californian, classically trained singer and musician, Tori Lund met songwriter, producer and engineer Blake English in LA when she had become disillusioned with a potential opera career. She had already taken a few tentative steps into singing with a country band for fun. The two began to write songs together for other people, but soon realised that they could perform them themselves and so, Few Miles South began just five years ago. They eventually packed up and moved to Blake’s home state of Georgia, where he now has his recording studio, and where they co-produced WIREGRASS. Their previous two recordings were more classic country orientated, infused with blues and southern rock, whereas this EP comprises five original progressive bluegrass/country tracks.

The lyricist of the pair, Lund definitely has the country ‘twang’ in her powerhouse vocals and she knows how to use it. English is a multi instrumentalist, playing mainly guitar and mandolin here, as well as harmonising with Lund throughout. The barnstorming opener Grand Ole Time hits one like a hurricane thanks to English’s hugely impressive guitar and mandolin picking, but also due to the phenomenal fiddling of none other than Michael Cleveland, arguably the best bluegrass fiddle player alive today. Cleveland, ten times voted IBMA Fiddle Player of the year, plays on four of the five tracks here, sometimes harmonising, other times weaving under and over and through the melody like a whirling dervish. The only downbeat number, the bluesy atmospheric Wiregrass (a type of grass that grows all through the Southern states) is a song of hopelessness, the deft instrumentation evoking the sultry humid heat of their Georgia home base. Test Of Time is a celebration of steadfastness in love, with the masterful lyrics ‘I’ve loved you long enough to know that hearts will rust, but what’s inside my heart will stand the test of time’. The trial of finding affordable and safe accommodation for a band on the road is immortalised in $40 Room, featuring drug pushers and bed bugs among other delights. The mandolin-led Let Me Come Back Home finds the protagonist begging their partner to take them back after a breakup. And then it’s all over, far too soon. I’m off to check out their back catalogue and will be eagerly awaiting what emerges next. Highly recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

Paul Sherry Let It Flow Self Release

Fans of Ireland’s über talented blues rock singer/songwriter and guitarist Grainne Duffy will immediately recognise the name of her band member and husband, Paul Sherry, who has finally decided to step forward into the spotlight with the release of his first solo album. There’s clearly more to Sherry than guitar duties, as he has penned and sings lead on all ten songs in this collection.

There are two well defined styles on the album, with ‘the A Side’ consisting of heavy rock numbers, while ‘Side B’ comprises quieter, more acoustic songs. 

Title track Let It Flow kicks off the album deceptively quietly with acoustic guitar strumming and Sherry’s husky voice, and then suddenly the listener is transported into heavy roots rock stylings with drum kit, electric guitars, bass, keys and backing vocals. This Springsteenesque sound accompanies the subsequent four rockers, with Circles, Truth and Why exploring the theme of searching for truth and meaning in life. Accompanied throughout by producer Ronan Morgan on drums, guitar, piano and bass, they are also bolstered by the presence of bassists Ronnie O’Flynn and Paul McCabe, and guest Nicky Scott (Van Morrison) on upright bass. Grainne, of course, contributes backing vocals, most notably on the rockier numbers.

The mood changes somewhat on Reflections, which runs into the very interesting instrumental track, Reflection part 2, which acts as a bridge into the B side. On the evidence of this beautiful  evocation of tranquillity, Sherry would have a future in ambient relaxation music if he ever gives up the day job! The peaceful atmosphere continues with Sail On, the boat on the serene sea after the storm introducing the theme of redemption, which fuels the remaining tracks. ‘This storm will pass, as this boat and I sail on’. Seasons expresses faith and hope in the cyclical nature of the elements, while Love and Light continues in this optimistic vein. The country flavoured Better Days  is a wish for hope and moving on after the bad times.

You can catch Paul on the road in Ireland currently as he tours this new album. Check him out.

Review by Eilís Boland

Carson McHone Still Life Loose

The 2018 album CAROUSEL, from Austin, Texas, singer songwriter Carson McHone, gained many plaudits, not just from ourselves at Lonesome Highway, but on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone, Wide Open Country and Uncut all heaped praise on both McHone’s fine vocals and the depth of her songwriting. That album was produced by Mike McCarthy (Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram, Lee Ann Womack), who had initially invited McHone to his studio to record all the songs she had written up to that time, stripped back to vocals and acoustic guitar.  Over the following twelve-month period they considered which songs from that collection would make the album and subsequently re-recorded them at Quad Studios in Nashville. The result was a fusion of sorrowful ballads and more up-tempo honky tonkers.

For STILL LIFE, McHone has turned the heat up a number of notches. This time around she hooked up with the multi-talented and hugely experimental artist and producer, Daniel Romano.  The resulting eleven tracks were recorded with the input of only two other players, the multi-instrumentalist Mark Lalama, who plays piano, accordion and organ, and David Nardi, who contributes saxophone. The impact of both players, and particularly the wizardry of Nardi, is standout throughout.

The album explodes into life with the opener Hawks Don’t Share, evoking the sound of mid-80s Maria McKee at her raunchiest. Tracks of a similar rocky persuasion include both the title track and Someone Else, the former complete with swirling keys and crunching guitars, and the latter featuring splashes of piano and timely handclaps. Despite the full blown and intricate arrangements on both tracks, McHone’s sweeping vocals remain out front and crystal clear. Also leaving a deep impression is the mid-tempo Fingernail Moon, boosted by a 12-string jangly guitar break and soaring layered backing vocals. There are also contrasting moments of calm on offer, with tenderness embedded on both the unhurried and intimate Sweet Magnolias and Trim The Rose.  The hushed quality of the closing and shortest track Tried is conveyed with only vocal and acoustic guitar and is a fitting finale to an ambitious and powerfully emotive record.  

If CAROUSEL was a gateway album for McHone, she’s simply knocked it out of the park with STILL LIFE, forging a thrilling dynamic with Romano and generating a lusher and bolder musical direction than on her previous albums. If there’s any justice, it will open the doors to an altogether more widespread audience and transport her from ‘one to watch’ to ‘one that has arrived.’

Review by Declan Culliton

Massy Ferguson Joe’s Meat & Grocery North & Left

Seattle based roots rockers Massy Ferguson stick with their tried and trusted musical template on JOE’S MEAT & GROCERY, their sixth full length album. Frontman and bassist Ethan Anderson once more shares the songwriting duties with guitarist Adam Monda, the other two band members being Tony Mann (keyboards) and Dave Goedde (drums). The album’s title references the family store run by Monda’s grandfather in Wenatchee, Washington State, back in the early 1900s. With one foot in the past and one foot in the present, the twelve tracks that feature have a timeless quality to them, ignoring any populist political comment, and instead, simply addressing everyday issues facing the blue-collar man in the street and the girl next door. Very much in that vein of hopelessness and anguish are the hook-laden Save What Couldn’t Be Saved and the raging Leave If You Want To.

In customary Massy Ferguson fashion, the songs crackle with energy and no more so than on I Don’t Know Why and Miles Away, which, like the less beefy Off To See Rose, had me hitting the repeat button.

Flag carriers for the classic alt-country genre of the 1990s, this is uncomplicated high energy rock and roll from a tight and well-oiled machine, who are fully aware of what they do particularly well and seldom stray too far from there.  

Recorded at MARS Studios, Bothell, Washington and produced and mixed by Ken Stringfellow, JOE’S MEAT & GROCERY will capture your attention and hold it from start to finish. Another impressive album from a band that seldom disappoints.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dean Owens Sinner’s Shrine Eel Pie/Continental Record Services

Five thousand miles may separate Edinburgh, Scotland, and Tucson, Arizona, but the desert cries and Tex Mex melodies are captured to perfection by Scottish singer songwriter and the occasionally nomadic Dean Owens, on his latest album.  A passionate and prolific writer, Owens’ fascination with the New Mexico desert and its history of displacement and immigration previously surfaced on the album BUFFALO BLOOD. That project was recorded by the band of the same name, Buffalo Blood, a collaboration between Owens, husband and wife team Neilson Hubbard and Aubrey Spillman, and Joshua Britt.

Readers who are familiar with Owens’ work will, no doubt, have savoured his three DESERT TRILOGY EPs, released during 2020 as a prelude to SINNER’S SHRINE. Following two unprecedented years of setbacks, cancellations and uncertainty, this album, recorded at WaveLab Studios in Tucson prior to lockdown, finally sees the light of day. The production duties were overseen by Owens, with the exception of one track, La Lomita, which was co-produced with Joey Burns. Thirteen musicians contributed to the eleven tracks that feature, including the aforementioned Joey Burns - who plays multiple instruments - and his Calexico musical partner John Convertino, on drums and percussion. Paul Niehaus (Lambchop, Justin Townes Earle, Laura Cantrell. Iron & Wine) adds his magic on pedal steel and Grant-Lee Phillips, an occasional touring partner of Owens, adds harmony vocals. Various trumpet inclusions come courtesy of Jacob Valenzuela.

From the minimalist Companera to the more fully blown The Hopeless Ghosts, the album captures both the beauty and peril of scorching deserts and border crossings, where many have perished seeking fortune or freedom. New Mexico, previously included on Owens’ debut album, THE DROMA TAPES, gets a dramatic makeover and the final and uplifting track After The Rain, is a remake of a previously unrecorded song written some years back. The silky voiced Gaby Moreno adds vocals on one of the standout tracks, Land Of The Humming Bird and the Ennio Morricone inspired Here Comes Paul Newman pays homage to the low-budget Spaghetti Westerns, so popular in the 1960’s.

Notwithstanding the musical quality on offer, and as was the case with his DESERT TRILOGY EPs, plaudits are due to Owens and his team once more for the stunning artwork and packaging.  SINNER’S SHRINE is an album that is loaded with positive energy and one to put on the headphones, sit back, and be transported to sun kissed sands, burning skies and spacious landscapes, courtesy of one of the finest Americana artists this side of the pond. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Red Sammy Vultures Self Release

This band name serves as the performing platform for Adam Trice, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. His debut album surfaced in 2007 and with this new release he marks up another milestone in his consistently strong output over nine previous albums.

The band name, Red Sammy, was taken from a character in a Flannery O’Connor short story (Red Sammy Butts) and Trice has also been creative as a bard; releasing a book of poetry, together with an EP of five songs, some years back. Another previous release saw Trice recording with a string ensemble called, Some Charming Trespassers.

So, with a literate background in the arts, it’s fair to say that his tenth album has been keenly anticipated by his fan base. Trice doesn’t disappoint across the eight tracks included here, and the relatively short playing time, just shy of twenty-eight minutes, certainly leaves the listener wanting more.

Red Sammy is comprised of Bruce Elliott (electric/slide guitars), Greg Humphries (bass/backing vocals), David Pearl (drums, percussion/backing vocals), with Trice leading proceedings on acoustic/electric guitar and main vocals. He recorded the album over the recent Covid lockdown and the mood is both reflective and studied. The opening song, Kerouac Revisions,  is a mid-tempo rumination on isolation during the pandemic and looking back on the days of socialising with friends before everything became turned around.  

Heart is more acoustic-based with a melody that tickles the senses as Trice looks back over old memories and the passion of heart-felt emotion. The quiet calm of Gonna Be Alright is a song to soothe the anxieties of those who feel vulnerability in uncertain times, ‘Don’t feel ok, but it’s gonna be alright.’ The ensemble playing is understated and tastefully in sync with these songs, while Trice sings in a vocal style that reminds me, at times, of Jesse Malin.  

The Weight the Kids Must Carry is one of the highlights here with a slow groove, atmospheric guitar lines and a reflection on the pressures of living in times that are filled with uncertainty, job losses and concern for the future. Equally, Lyin‘ Low, has a sense of what gets lost and sometimes feeling like things are in slow motion. Far from being weighty songs however, there is a light touch to the production and the vocal sway of Trice is comforting as he spins out these vignettes of everyman cares and concerns.

In Balance is another fine song, repeating the lines, ‘We hold ourselves in balance, We hold ourselves,’ almost like a prayer, looking at trying to centre ourselves and walk a straight path through the changes.  I Can’t Put You Down looks to a relationship and the need for communication, with lovely guitar melody complimented by subtle bass and drum rhythms. The band really brings these gentle observation songs to life and the colour displayed is very easy on the senses. 

Final song, God Is Good and So Are His People, is just Trice and an acoustic guitar reflecting on the plight of the dispossessed and the down at heel. It is a wry commentary on the fractures in society that continue to go untended, despite these times of seemingly reaching out to each other for solace and support. This is a fine album and one that will have you eagerly exploring the back catalogue of  Red Sammy releases. Enjoy the journey.

Review by Paul McGee

Pete Kavanagh Join Up the Dots Self Release

The opening track, To Hold the Red Rose, is a perfect barometer for this very enjoyable and very accomplished debut album. It’s a song about unwavering love, with the line ‘ we walk together down destiny’s road,’ perfectly capturing the sentiment. It’s equally a song about family and belonging, with the reflection that ‘we stand together through all that life throws.’

The second track, Hold On, references the album title in the lyric and it captures the quiet desperation that grief can bring. Pete lost his Father in 2019, and his original recording of this album was put on hold while he took stock and grappled with the reality of bereavement. The words, ‘travelling through time, lost in a dream’ and equally, ‘Gone to ground, Feels like I’m losing the plot,’ sum up the sense of unreality that life can sometimes deliver while we are busy making other plans. 

Returning last year to complete the album during lockdown, Pete recorded at Arthouse Studios, Naas, Co. Kildare. He co-produced the project with Hally (Ronan O'Halloran), who mixed and mastered the nine songs, in addition to providing some guitar and vocal parts. All songs were written by Pete and he leads proceedings from the front with stellar performances throughout, on a selection of acoustic guitar, bass, piano, synthesiser and main vocals. 

He called upon a fine array of musicians to assist in the grand design, with featured players like Lenny Cahill contributing on five tracks, playing a selection of piano, bass, drums, mandola, hammond organ, and adding some backing vocals. In addition to Barry Mulrennan, (bass on three songs) and Patrick Hopkins, (percussion on three songs), another seven musicians added rich playing on a variety of electric guitar, mandola, banjo, dobro, drums, bass and backing vocals.

Just prior to the album launch, the song Mercy was released as a single and the public reaction was uniformly positive for an important song that highlights much of what took place at the Golden Bridge orphanage, ‘Children do the work and the nuns get the money, Mercy. Little fingers bleed on your sacred rosary beads, Mercy.’ It deals with the harrowing issues of institutional abuse of innocent children over many years in Ireland and it really scores in terms of focusing upon the key moral hypocrisies. 

Another fine song, Can You See Me, deals with more personal challenges with the lines, ‘It’s said that everything comes in threes, This second blow has got me on my knees,’ hinting at the inner storms that were raging. The haunting harmony vocals of Pam Kavanagh add great nuance and the beautiful arrangement has an atmospheric melody that lingers.

Getting Things Done is clever and includes a number of business cliches and corporate-speak;  ‘Keep a tight ship -Don’t show your cards too soon, Take one for the team-Push out the envelope.’ It ends with the observation that a price has to be paid when you, ‘Manage expectations and channel that rage.’ The sweet sentiment of love-song, Say You Will, is  wrapped in a superb arrangement with fluid guitar, gentle keyboards and an easy back beat. Have the joys of love ever been reflected more eloquently? Sweet Friend is a song about loss, and a family that has to endure, ‘You have to take hold of the reins, Learn to live with the pain.’ Pete is a very astute lyricist, and in looking at the grief of living with bereavement he ruminates, ‘Hold your head high and believe, In all you give and receive.’ 

In the song, Ashes, there is the sense of trying to relate with someone who suffers from autism, or perhaps, locked-in syndrome; ‘I reach out to know her, To unlock the doors-To let in the light and shut out the night.’ So beautifully observed and a sentiment captured superbly.

Final song, Tonic For A Troop, is everything that anti-war emotions should highlight, with the lines, ‘You never forget the taste of sand, Or the stench of burning flesh caused by your hand.’ Such a succinct summary of the senseless waste – ‘Out in the dark with your hate and your gun, You’ve got to be sure you get the job done.’ 

This debut album ranks right up there beside the best of new Irish talent over recent decades. Pete lives in Co. Kildare and can be found on the local circuit now that music has returned to our venues once again. Do yourself a favour and catch him in a live setting – once you have familiarised yourself with the great gifts that this album has to offer. A real keeper.

Review by Paul McGee

Marla and David Celia Indistinct Chatter Elite

The album, Daydreamers, appeared back in 2018 and marked a striking debut for this talented duo who are based in Toronto, Canada. David Celia met Marlene Winkler (Marla) while sharing some gigs as solo artists in Germany and out of their collaborations blossomed not only a romance but also a sweet synergy in singing and writing together. Marla was based in Berlin, where her developing career led to David producing her debut album in 2015. He had already pursued a successful music career as a solo artist with four previous releases. Their union has led to plenty of media praise for the sweetly delivered harmony vocals and song writing talent. The main direction of the songs featured here leans very much towards a wish for utopian dreams and peace among humankind. Yes, it may sail close to those naïve ideals of 1960s hippy culture, but when was it ever considered bad to have aspirations and dreams? I recall a certain songwriter who once sang about ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace.’ Hmmm…

All twelve songs were written and produced by Marla and David, and they recorded at both Organica (Toronto) & Czernyhood Studio (Heidelberg), quite a feat during lockdown to access different studios on different continents. David plays guitars, bass, keyboards, drums and sings, while Marla plays acoustic guitar, cello and sings. Their vocal harmonies are really enjoyable and the song arrangements are light, bright and sprinkled with interesting little twists and turns along the way. Clowns Everywhere, kicks things off with a gentle melody, dreamy Folk improvisations and a message about the rampant materialism of our societies, where over-production of goods is choking the planet. What If? poses the question about our need to fight with each other and dreams of ‘No war, no hunger, No killing, no slaughter.’ 

Paranoia vs Miracles carries a message of care, that we value each other and get away from placing ‘quantity over quality.’ The equally apposite, Mama Nature, looks at the price paid for our self-serving indulgences and the way in which nature is reacting through weather extremes and global warming. Goodbye is a song that reflects on the high cost of automation with the words, ‘Goodbye to small businesses, you’re cut off at the hand, These machines are faster and deliver on demand.’ The song also laments at the replacement of manual skills with the lines, ‘Goodbye fixing anything, no one’s got the time, It’s quicker to replace it for a dollar and a dime,’ particularly ringing true.

There is a lovely Spanish love song, Cuenta Conmigo (Count On Me), which highlights the beautiful vocals of Marla and the lines, ‘Count on me, Along the way, I am part of you.’ The message in Struggling With the Yin-Yang is how conflicted we can be in trying to reconcile opposite forces in our lives and the song arrangement shakes things up with some interesting rhythm and jazzy tones. Another song, This Train, is a peek through the window at the monotony of daily routine and being on auto pilot while following prescribed rules. 

Both Colours Of the Rainbow and Little Bird highlight the natural paradise in nature that surrounds us and how it’s taken for granted. The simple joys of living in the moment having been lost over time. Also, on Childhood Dream there is a prayer to the past and to those hopes we had when the world was new to our eyes – the sense of wonder that fuelled youthful dreams. 

Final song, Love Of Life, is the badge that David and Marla proudly wear – to experience the world and not be fearful. Making a joyful sound is the preferred path and having compassion is the way to break down the barriers that we have erected between ourselves and our nations. As contemporary Folk artists, this duo have released an album that is thought provoking without coming across as lecturing; more a gentle prod in the direction of best choices when it comes to relating and thinking.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Album Reviews

Erin Rae Lighten Up Thirty Tigers

Jackson, Mississippi, born Erin Rae has been an integral part of the East Nashville music community for several years, and LIGHTEN UP is her second solo recording following her fine debut album PUTTING ON AIRS from 2018. In a previous life, she fronted the indie-folk band Erin Rae and The Meanwhiles, whose studio album SOON ENOUGH was released in 2015, having been recorded live over a two-day period.  Its core sound was very much Laurel Canyon country folk of the purest kind, introducing a singer possessing a striking vocal range.  PUTTING ON AIRS followed suit, while also further reinforcing her reputation as a songwriter of note.

Her somewhat more experimental latest album was recorded at California’s Topanga Canyon. Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Roy Harper, Conor Oberst), who oversaw the production, invited Rae to his Wilson's Five Star Studios to record in February 2021. Cramming on the music of a diverse range of artists, including Kevin Ayers, Scott Walker, Judee Sill, Feist, Gene Clark, and Jesse Winchester, drew Rae out of her comfort zone, the result being this twelve-track album that embodies a range of styles from baroque pop to indie rock, together with some country folk inclusions. It’s also a change in her songwriting direction, abandoning the self-analysis of her previous work and replacing it with more positivity and an endorsement of simply accepting the hand that one is dealt.

Awash with silky strings, the Scott Walker influence is unmistakable on the quite beautiful Cosmic Sigh. The radio friendly True Love’s Face, flirts with the U.K. glam rock sound of the early ‘70s. That decade is also brought to mind on the vibrant Candy and Curry. Written at the onset of the pandemic, Rae’s unhurried layered vocals on this song reflect the slowing down process of that time and the scope for personal reflection. From a likewise similar comes the contemplative Drift Away. The self-explanatorily titled Lighten Up and Try was co-written with close friend and neighbour Andrew Combs.  Modern Woman, the first single from the album, celebrates the advancement in what is considered ‘gender normal.’  

Like so many others, the pandemic presented Rae with the opportunity to wind down and reflect. She put that period to good use, resulting in an album of musical styles from different times and locations, lyrically impressive, beautifully arranged, and presented by the possessor of a unique voice.  Lovers of Rae’s previous work may not have seen this coming, I certainly did not. But rest assured, with one song tumbling effortlessly into the next, this is a standout album, very much of its time.

Review by Declan Culliton

Rob Aldridge & The Proponents Mind Over Manners Self-Release 

The second album from Muscle Shoals, Alabama rock band Rob Aldridge and The Proponents is a fusion of southern rock, riotous blues and hook-filled soul. Uplifting and charged as the album may be, the release of the twelve-track collection follows a challenging period for the band. The album was recorded in Green Hill, Alabama, with Aldridge co-producing with Jay Burgess (The Pollis).  Following that, tragedy struck the band in April 2021 with the sudden death of bass player Stone Anderson from an accidental drug overdose. A long time and close friend of Aldridge, his passing was a major shock to his bandmates and the Alabama music community.

 The band line-up that featured on this recording is Aldridge (vocals, guitars), Rob Malone (guitars), Nick Recio (drums), and the late Stone Anderson (bass). Guests included The Pollis keyboard player Clint Chandler, cellist Caleb Elliott and violinist Kimi Samson.

 While many recent albums were fuelled by the pandemic and Presidential matters in the U.S., the album’s title and the opening track were derived from the Black Lives Matters Movement. Rather than jump on the bandwagon and decry the movement based on the riots that occurred, Aldridge addresses the issue by asking ‘If you’re being honest with yourself about the history of racism in this country, how can you blame them for rioting?’ It’s a less muscular and more minimalist track than many of the fully blown rockers which follow. Twangy guitar riffs and smooth country grooves impress on Twisted Blanket, alongside the more classic rockers Explaining To Do and Loneliest Of Company.  It’s not all blood and thunder and also noteworthy are the more chilled and gentle shuffles that surface on Mean Grass and Devil On Sunday.

 If fellow Southern Rockers Drive By Truckers and the more polished sound of Tom Petty rock your boat, this will be right up your street. Maximum volume advised.

Review by Declan Culliton

TK & The Holy Know-Nothings The Incredible Heat Machine Mama Bird

Another album released in late 2021 which we are only now getting around to review comes courtesy of this expansive hard-edged country album from TK & The Holy Know Nothings. In describing their sound as “psychedelic doom boogie,” frontman Taylor Kingman has created yet another sub-genre in the rock and roll field. It may be simpler to brand their sound as simply ‘good time rock and roll,’ and this eleven-track album is certainly packed to the gills with down to earth rockers and some smouldering and less rugged ballads.

The five-piece band consist of Portland locals and working musicians Jay Cobb Anderson (lead guitar, harmonica), Tyler Thompson (drums), Sydney Nash (keys, bass, slide guitar, cornet), Lewi Longmire (bass, guitar, pedal steel), and bandleader Kingman. THE INCREDIBLE HEAT MACHINE more than lives up to its title, by dishing up a potent serving of high energy tunes. Given that the album was recorded live, with zero overdubs, over a two-day period in the cowboy town of Enterprise, Oregon, it’s safe to say that their sound is especially suited to a live setting.

Their weather-beaten vibe never sounded better than on the opening bluesy stomp Frankenstein or the toe tapping barroom romp and ‘morning after the night before’ Bottom Of The Bottle. Laid Down and Cried and Serenity Prayer both breeze along with a slow rolling country groove and the free-flowing John Prine sounding Hell Of Time showcases Kingman’s ability to pen an aching ballad alongside the more high-spirited inclusions.

This is blue-collar raw country rock of the highest level by a group of players that sound like they were having a blast in the studio. No nonsense lyrics, and hook packed songs played with maximum verve and gusto are the perfect combination for a late night show in a packed barroom. This is precisely what we can expect when these boys play Kilkenny Roots Festival in May of this year. 

Review by Declan Culliton

The Delines The Sea Drift Décor

 The fourth album from Portland, Oregon band The Delines continues where they left off in 2019 with their U.K. AMA chart topping album, THE IMPERIAL. That record explored loneliness and isolation in an urban environment, whereas on this occasion the stories that unfold from the pen of Willy Vlautin take place along the Gulf Coast states of America.  The twelve songs, which read like chapters from a hardboiled noir novel, once more optimise the cinematic story writing of Vlautin and are brought to life by the soulful vocals of Amy Boone.

 The Delines are Amy Boone (vocals), Willy Vlautin (guitar, vocals), former Richmond Fontaine bandmates Sean Oldham (percussion, vocals) and Freddy Trujillo (bass, vocals), and Cory Gray (trumpet, keys). The string arrangements were performed by Kyleen King, Patti King and Collin Oldham. Another essential cog in the well-oiled Delines wheel is John Morgan Askew, who, having previously produced their earlier albums, was once more at the controls.

 The challenge Boone presented to Vlautin for this album was to recreate the combination of naturalism and charm so central in the songwriting of Tony Joe White, an artist much loved by them both. Vlautin has achieved that goal and more, adding his customary dark undertones to the tales. On the opening track Little Earl, we hear of a younger brother, bleeding and crying in the back seat of a car following an abortive robbery at a mini-market. Later on, and equally unsettling, is the image of an abused woman retrieving her belongings from her former partner’s house in This Ain’t No Getaway. She may or may not be the ‘loved up’ party in gentler times on a previous heartfelt track Hold Me Slow or even might feature in the brooding All Along The Ride, where a couple’s relationship comes undone during a car ride.

 The trumpet and the string arrangements lend an emotional warmth to a number of the tracks and also included are two trumpet-led instrumentals, Lynott’s Lament and The Gulf Drift Lament, written and performed by Corey Gray. The former is positioned mid-album, akin to an intermission and a pause for reflection. The latter is an atmospheric curtain closer, creating an image of rolling credits as it bookends the album.

 Thankfully Amy Boone has returned to better health following the horrific injuries she sustained when she was struck by a car back in 2016. She is simply glowing on this suite of songs, pouring her heart and soul into each and every track and bringing to mind, alongside her masterly bandmates, the celebrated country soul of her beloved Dusty Springfield and Bobby Gentry.  

Essential listening and one that will be playing in the listener’s subconscious long after the final track.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Heather Sarona Head Above Water Self-Release

Hailing from the Uwharrie Mountains in North Carolina, a part of the world steeped in the culture of folk music and bluegrass, Heather Sarona has been playing guitar and singing ever since she chanced upon an old guitar of her dad’s in their attic. However, despite her early calling, she only began performing live in 2016. A pointer towards the progress she has made since then was her selection as a showcase performer at the World of Bluegrass Music Festival in both 2020 and 2021. HEAD ABOVE WATER is her debut album and follows on from the release of WALTZ, her three-track EP in 2017.

The recording was the first time that Sarona collaborated with other musicians in a studio setting. She assembled a group of like-minded players for the recording which included Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange, Watchhouse), Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), Sarah McCombie (Chatham Rabbits) and Lizzy Ross (Violet Bell). They collectively contribute to some perfectly tailored songs including the Nanci Griffith sounding I’ll Be Lost and the deeply melodic title track.

To simply classify Sarona as a bluegrass artist hardly does her justice, her talent reaches well beyond that. The nine self-written songs on this album, which visit topics such as vulnerability (Window To Break), fulfillment (All I Need), and re-birth (For Me), are expressed by vocals that combine pain, confusion and regeneration in equal measures. 

Sarona modestly describes the project in simple terms ‘I just wanted to have some music out there if people ever looked up my name.’  I expect that she will be well pleased by the positive feedback this ‘easy on the ear’ album will undoubtedly generate. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Sterling Drake Roll The Dice Self-Release

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of artists recording classic country-styled albums in recent times. It’s hardly an avalanche, more like a steady trickle, but most encouraging, even at that, for lovers of that genre.

One such artist is country crooner Sterling Drake. He was born and reared in Florida, but lived a large portion of his life in the Mission Mount of Montana. His seven track EP/mini album ROLL THE DICE, released late last year, is the perfect fusion of western swing, honky tonk heartache, and dance hall treasures.

Like many of his generation, for the recording process, Drake sought out a number of Nashville stalwart players to feature on the album. Tommy White of The Opry Band plays pedal steel. His previous employers include Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Alison Krauss and Jamey Johnson, to name a few, and his playing on the album is a delight. Another high-profile contributor is Grammy winning session player Charlie Mc Coy, who plays harmonica. 

The toe tapper opener and title track is classic Western Swing. Dreamy pedal steel, and uplifting upright bass kick in, followed by Drake’s slick vocals, with backing vocals from his girlfriend and member of The Meyerband, Mary Meyer. Come Stay With Me which follows, is a duet with Meyer and is simply gorgeous, an album highpoint for me.  The bittersweet Best Of Tennessee echoes Glen Campbell at his most country and Until I Forget recalls Willie Nelson at his most laid back. The love lost closer Honest Summers Wage transports us back to the classic country and western sound of former times.

 Drake’s songs, performed by others, have previously featured on a of number occasions on the Billboard charts. An artist fiercely devoted to vintage country music, ROLL THE DICE should establish him as another name bringing classic country to a younger and wider audience. Watch this space.

Review by Declan Culliton

The Remittance Men Scoundrels, Dreamers & Second Sons Blonde On The Tracks

This is essentially a project fronted by the album’s producer Andy Santospago, and guitarist and singer/songwriter Tom Robertson. It came to life over a two-year period when they recorded the tracks at Woolly Mammoth Studios in Massachusetts with engineer Dave Westner. A number of talented artists in their own right were brought in, including Eilen Jewell, Kris Delmhorst, Mark Erelli and Danielle Miragila, all adding their vocals to certain songs. Zachariah Hickman, Joe Kessler, James Rohr, Shady Hartshorne among others also bring their individual skills to the recordings.

 The band/project name interestingly was a term once widely used, around the turn of the last century for “an immigrant living in Canada on funds remitted by his family in England, usually to ensure that he would not return home and become a source of embarrassment.” Fair enough, as it sets the tone for these Americana character tales implied by the title. Robertson has a suitably ragged and roughhewn voice to give these songs a sense of place, time and personality, to suit the intent.

 Often the titles give a clue to the content as in A Room In Birmingham England, 1919, Lonely & Silent, Hacienda Santa Rosa or 1973 (Life On The High Seas). The latter is about a much-travelled ship’s cook in the merchant marine, whose life was one of constant change. All Robertson’s lyrics are convincing word pictures that are bolstered by the arrangements and instrumentation to deliver a rounded picture. He also possesses the kind of voice required to pull off this sort of vividly portrayed country/roots influenced sound.

The album contains two covers in Down South written by Tom Petty, which stands up well against the original, and the album’s closing track Nobody which was written by Tim Gearan, another noted Boston area singer/songwriter. Both songs fit in well with the overall scheme of things both in sound and content.

 As this was a debut album, I had no expectations but was pleasantly surprised by The Remittance Men and their joint project. I believe the two key members here have worked together previously on a Santospago project and this collaboration sets the scene for further work. From the picture on the website, it looks like Robertson might well sailed with Captain Ahab in another life. But it is a look that fits with the mood of this seductive music. These Remittance Men are no source of embarrassment and should be widely welcomed.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Cactus Blossoms One Day Walkie Talkie

 This latest release from the Cactus Blossoms is a further progression from their last album, 2019’s EASY WAY, and further broadens their musical vision without moving away from the key elements of sibling harmonies and melodic song arrangements that have been an essential element of their sound. It was recorded by Alex Hall, using his mobile studio in a basement in Minneapolis. That space was owned by Page Burkam, one of the two brothers who make up the Cactus Blossoms. The other brother is Jack Torrey, who has professionally used that surname since he first played solo gigs.

The first single and opening track from the new album is Hey Baby and you immediately find yourself in familiar territory which anyone who has appreciated the band’s forte in the past will recognise. However, one immediate difference to the sound is the additional use of keyboards throughout the album, which have been there in the past but are more prominent and considered this time out. There are 60s and 70s references that are melded with the raw live sound captured in that basement using a consistent assembly of players that had the solid and muscular rhythm section of drummer Jeremy Hanson and Phillip Hicks on bass. Another long-time contributor was brother Tyler on electric and baritone guitars. Keyboards duties were handled by Hall and Torrey. The most recent single Everybody features the vocals of Jenny Lewis who adds an effective duality to the song. It has a slow soulful-sounding sadness that ultimately acknowledges that despite everything that is going on, everyone is trying to do what’s right. Having been fortunate to be able to listen over a period of time, I can say that this is a satisfying progression from their previous work. It maybe isn’t a true capture of their onstage presence, but it gains by keeping that essential spark while adding a certain subtletly to the sound. There is a sense of assuredness that is balanced, on occasion, with some darker seams. Ballad Of The Unknown paints a picture of harsh loneliness and cruelty. The baritone guitar manages to echo that feeling. On many of the songs the steel guitar effortlessly blends with the keyboards to create a mood of reflection and possibility.

There is a temptation to mention all eleven tracks, as the album has a depth and continuity that should be heard in context. Of course, there are tracks (mentioned above) that have an immediate likeability that on initial hearing makes them stand out, but further listens allow each track to standout in its own space. But it is the fundamental element of the two leads vocals that provides them with their recognisable sound.

As with previous albums, it is Torrey who writes the majority of the songs with Burkam co-writing three of the titles as well as one solo composition. All show that in the time since the last album, given the degree of uncertainty both at home in Minneapolis and in a broader context of the pandemic, the duo took time out, and took stock of the options. Once they felt that their creativity was returning, they began to meet and share ideas which became the songs here on the album. Another decision was to work with the touring players and record in a way that was reflective of their live shows. ONE DAY can last a lifetime.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Police Dog Hogan Overground Self-Release

 For those not acquainted with this band, they are a seven member UK group formed in 2009, who are releasing their fifth studio album. It was co-produced by the band and George Murphy (who also engineered and mixed). The songs were all written by the band with one co-write and with such a wide range of players they cover all the required bases. Guitar, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, banjo, electric, acoustic and steel guitars all sit over the solid bass and drum base, and there are also guest cello and violin parts. That range of instruments allows them to turn their hand to folk, roots, and Americana influences. There are moments throughout that have you thinking “that’s a little like,” but I will allow those comparisons to be made by the individual listener. They range from the more poppy cuts like Might As Well Be Love to the folkier Disappear. The lead singer is James Studholme but several others also join in by adding backing vocals to the recordings.

Two other songs are titled as per two previous albums and may have been around the time when those albums were recorded. They are Westward Ho! and From The Land Of Miracles. Barcelona has a feel that befits the title and like some other tracks has an uplifting outlook. Love’s many vicissitudes are contemplated in the different perspectives of such material as I Need Your Love, Funfair On Shepherd’s Bush Green and Kathleen O’ Hare. Here Comes The Crow sounds like a nightmarish lockdown encounter with that symbolic bird, yet delivered with a quiet restraint. Room In That Bottle has a message of love and hope and to “try to find comfort where you can,” possibly the overall message of the music here. It is something that is echoed in the thought given to the music and also to the cover presentation.

 Police Dog Hogan has delivered an accomplished, faceted and varied fifth album that marks progress, confidence and capability. In many ways, it seems a very UK approach to the context that Americana has in terms of gathering together disparate elements. There are obviously the inclusion of elements of American music, but there is also a strong undercurrent of the music from the British Isles that was part of the foundation for some Stateside’s musical roots. Yet they have put these together with their own vision which looks forward rather than backward. Overground, in terms of media recognition, may well be a place where Police Dog Hogan hope find themselves in the very near future.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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