The Sweet Sorrows The Australian Sessions Self Release
This husband and wife duo have been releasing superb music for many years now and this latest project sees them taking Australia, Kylie’s homeland, as a theme for the eleven tracks included. They use their base in Co. Wexford, Ireland as the centre of their activities and tour on a regular basis, spreading their excellent Folk/Roots/Traditional sound to audiences far and wide.
Sammy plays guitar, mandolin, bodhran and bass on this record and Kylie delivers on accordion, whistles and lead/backing vocals. The sound is very bright and full of texture with producer Brian Baker having done the honours at The Bakery, Victoria. Other musicians involved include multi-instrumentalist/producer Brian Baker (guitars, dobro, mandolin, piano, organ, strings, bass and drums), KJ McEvoy (guitar, 4 tracks), Tim Cotterell (fiddle, mandolin and pipes) and Rich Davies (background vocals).
It kicks off with the hard-edged rocking sound of Coober Pedy Opal Mine, a track that references the mining town that is known as the opal capital of the world, with a message to look below the surface before judging people in life. The next track arrives with a bluesy groove and Wiradjuri is a song about this Aboriginal tribe and their heroic role in saving people during Australia’s worst natural disaster when the Murrumbidgee River rose, causing widespread flooding in 1892. Adelady is a song about the joys of Southern Australia, depicted as a beautiful woman, and the arrival of an Irish emigrant to the beauty and the heat of a new land. There are some superb guitar lines delivered by KJ McEvoy (The Remedy Club) on the track. Thirty Hours is a song that celebrates how Kylie and Samuel first met; you travel half a World away and find your one true love – the flying time between Ireland and Australia being … 30 hours!
Orphan Girl, sung so sweetly by Kylie, is another tale of emigration from Ireland, this time due to the Famine of 1845 and sailing for Australia in order to survive and build a new life. The violin playing of Tim Cotterell is beautifully restrained and dovetails nicely with the acoustic guitar of KJ McEvoy. Don’t Weep My Bonnie Lassie has a traditional feel to the arrangement and the gentle melody, with pipes from Tim Cotterell and whistle from Kylie, add to the solemn tale of a soldier awaiting the gallows and thinking of his Scottish homeland and his sweetheart.
Sydney Harbour is a love song, written by Samuel for Kylie, beautifully created and features acoustic guitar and accordion, a slow melody, with the song arrangement augmented by some fine fiddle playing. The final song, Hand Of The Almighty, is a hope for unity and acceptance across the globe and a feeling of being part of a greater plan. Four of the songs were written by Samuel, with a further two songs co-written with Kylie. The remaining five songs are by other writers, with Willingly (Brian Baker), Don’t Weep My Bonnie Lassie (Rich J. Davies), Grace (Ralston Bowles) and Orphan Girl (Brendan Graham) taking their place seamlessly alongside Wilderness, a song co-written by Samuel and Alex Legg.
This is another excellent record, diverse and full of hidden treasures with the superb vocals of Kylie and Samuel warming these tuneful songs that gel together into a very satisfying listening experience.
Review by Paul McGee
Hope In High Water Bonfire and Pine Fish
This is the second release from this musical duo, Josh Chandler Morris and Carly Slade, following on from their 2017 debut, NEVER SETTLE. They are based in Milton Keyes, England and both have had colourful journeys through younger years on their way to finding each other. Josh plays guitar and sings while Carly plays banjo, u-bass and harmonises beautifully with Josh across the twelve tracks featured. They are joined by Luke Yates on violin and percussion, who also recorded and mixed the album. Darren Capp provided drums and all songs are written by Hope In High Water.
The website states that their sound is “Mountain Music from the Flatlands of Milton Keynes” but I must admit to finding their creative muse falling more into the arena of contemporary Folk sound with a strong Blues delivery in the vocals. The album starts with Healed and a message of overcoming adversity, opening up to others and leaving behind the nightmares of the past. It’s Over Now follows and this has a similar theme, with new beginnings, embracing the positive and moving away from bad times and depression, the key message.
Pray Away speaks of loneliness, longing for another and memories that linger, while Bonfire and Pine deals with leaving the city noise behind and reverting to stillness and nature. Stronger Than You Know is a song about domestic violence and breaking the chains of fear until you learn how to say ‘No.’ Again, the banjo of Carly creates an eerie atmosphere before the band join in to build the dynamic.
Alone is about sharing troubles together and opening up to others, with the simple acoustic arrangement featuring the stark sound of Carly’s banjo plus some superb violin lines from Luke Yates. Here Lies is about redemption found through the love of another and the strength to open up to a new beginning; this is the common theme that is laced through most of these tracks, of overcoming personal pain and adversity in order to get to a better place.
Grenfell is a social commentary concerning the dreadful disaster that struck the tower block in London in 2017 and the lack of support from the authorities for the survivors and the victims. Pull Apart The Pieces looks at how our experiences leave their scars and that wanting to feel valued can be hard if you feel invisible. Banjo and acoustic guitar blend well together to deliver a stripped back arrangement.
It’s almost a therapy session in itself and there is no doubt that the songs are all quite personal in their composition. With all these bare bones on display, there is a tendency to think that this duo dwells in too much introspection but then along comes Taken Too Much Pride and the lines “Stay true, stay hopeful, They can’t take the peace that’s in your heart.”
The final song, Something Unnamed, looks to the possibility of some greater force and states “All is unfolding in its very own way, When I come to believe in something unnamed.” This is an interesting release and the harmony singing is very appealing with a great edge to it. The playing is very strong, whether it’s the full band in flight, or just the gentler acoustic songs that give cause for reflection. A lyric sheet would have been nice as the words are not always easy to make out in the mix but they are all available on the website.
Review by Paul McGee
Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby The Cooley and Mourne Cabritunes
Brian Willoughby has worked with many musicians, including Dave Cousins and The Strawbs, Mary Hopkin and Nanci Griffith, as well as releasing solo work, BLACK AND WHITE (1998) and FINGERS CROSSED (2004). This recent recording with his wife, Cathryn Craig, features 15 tracks, including four guitar instrumentals and the couple were joined by Dermot McQuaid (bass, banjo, whistle and harmonica), Paul French (piano), Fergal Hughes (drums) and Colum Sands (double bass).
Willoughby contributes on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, ukulele and E-bow, while Craig plays acoustic guitar, in addition to providing lead vocals. She also has quite a pedigree in the music business, having worked with Shel Silverstein and the Righteous Brothers, among others. Her back catalogue includes three solo recordings and together with her husband, they have released a further seven albums, including a live concert from Saint Pancras Old Church in London (2016).
So, quite a creative output and a duo who complement each other perfectly when it comes to performing and writing together. For this project, they co-produced with Steve Fearnley at the Narrow Water Recording Studio, Newry, Northern Ireland. They have made their home in County Down over recent years and the love for the region comes through in songs like the title track, The Cooley and Mourne, both mountain ranges within a short distance of their place of residence. Also, the song, County Down, speaks of the beauty they have found in the region as their lives have unfolded and their activities have seen them use this base planning tours and returning home.
Such contentment comes through in the songs, most of which are written by Craig/Willoughby. There are two co-writes, with You Don’t Care At All, a collaboration with Charlie McGettigan and Do It For Love, a positive massage on the power of love, with the assistance of Colum Sands. The four instrumentals (Narrow Water; Castle/Blue/Keep) highlight the wonderful guitar prowess of Brian Willoughby and his gentle touch and melodic lines are full of fluency and lyrical phrasing. He leaves plenty of space between the notes also and it is a genuine treat to hear the pure craft involved, delivered with such mastery. On the sleeve, he lists the guitars used during the making of this record - ten in total, plus a ukulele!
Other songs touch on homelessness (For Martha), past memories that linger (To The Past), loss (Goodbye Old Friend and Take Me With You), blinkered property developers (On This Ground) and the final track, Bless Your Way, a prayer for everyman and the love that is there to be shared. This is music to be celebrated and enjoyed by all.
Review by Paul McGee
Jordi Baizan Free and Fine Berkalin
This Texan songwriter releases his second album and with Walt Wilkins as producer, together with Ron Flynt as co-producer and engineer, they recorded these eleven songs at Jumping Dog Studios in Austin.
They gathered quite an array of talent to help bring these story songs to life and the impressive list of studio musicians includes Baizan (vocals, acoustic guitar), Ray Rodriguez (drums, percussion), Bill Small (bass), Chip Dolan (piano, wurlitzer piano, B3 organ), Walt Wilkins (acoustic guitar, percussion), Heather Stalling (fiddle), Geoff Queen (steel guitar), Dick Gimble (upright bass, fretless bass), Corby Schaub (lap steel), Rich Brotherton (mandolin on Pictures on the Wall, acoustic lead guitar on Tears and Mascara), Bart DeWin (accordion), Ron Flynt (bass, piano, and B3 organ on Footsteps on the Ceiling, keyboards, synthesizers), Libby Koch (harmony vocals on Pictures on the Wall, Tears and Mascara, and Could Have Been Us), Jaimee Harris ( harmony vocals on Between the Sun and the Moon), Walt and Tina Wilkins (harmony vocals on Desert Line and Winter’s Come).
Between The Sun and the Moon is a tale of first sight attraction and connection as guests at a wedding while Could Have Been Us imagines such an attraction leading to something more substantial and a wish for dreams to become reality. Pictures On The Wall is a reflection on the vagaries of relationships and the question of permanence. Desert Line speaks of the freedom of the road and living light and unencumbered. Footsteps On The Ceiling is a fine example of this artist’s gifts, with a gently reflective song about the noisy neighbours who have their own story to tell when you look below the surface. Baizan is certainly someone who writes from a unique perspective and his way with words is suitably different. Whiskey And Water is a fine example of this with a salutary tale of a father who intends to take revenge on a drug dealer, only to fall at the hands of the law and a routine vehicle check point.
Let’s Have Seconds is a light melody that traces the life (and lust) of an artist who looks for self-expression in more ways than one! Time To Leave The Neighbourhood is a look at what binds and what separates in the way we live our lives. Closing track, Heroes All Around Us, deals with the reality of hurricane threats and the fellowship of friends and neighbours with the fortitude to reach out and offer a helping hand to others.
This artist is worth the admission fee and his gentle songs are insightful and observational, all that you look for in a song-writer who reflects on life, love and everything after.
Review by Paul McGee
Hollow Hearts Peter Westergaard
Totally new to me, the impressive Hollow Hearts are a four piece from the far north of Norway, who clearly have been steeped in Americana as well as in their native Nordic folk music. Fans of First Aid Kit will detect some similarities but Hollow Hearts have their own distinct signature sound, marked by lushly layered vocals, skilfully wrought catchy melodies and gothic undertones.
The last in a trilogy of albums based on the concept of a relationship between two protagonists, Peter and Annabelle, it is not necessary to understand this to enjoy the songs here, which chart the emotional rollercoaster of the dissolution of a relationship, a universal theme after all.
Childhood memories are recalled in A Sailor’s Warning, the melody led by Mikael Pedersen Jacobsen on mandolin who switches effortlessly between drums, mandolin and also piano. The dual themes of water and weather are always to the forefront, never more so than in the outstanding Cold River, a truly beautiful song led by Ida Lovheim on vocals and accordion, with a slow build up, lush echoey harmonies and a haunting electric reverb-heavy guitar riff, courtesy of Christoffer Mathisen. I’ve Got Hope features an uplifting chorus that recalls Fleetwood Mac in its swelling multilayered chorus. Home For Him is a wistful country ballad, both in theme and in sound, dominated by Christoffer’s pedal steel playing.
Bassist and keyboard player Ida Karoline Norgard and Mikel Pedersen were members of a now defunct band, The Northern Lies. In fact, Ida also played bass with Linda Gail Lewis during her Nordic tours. They are joined by Ida Lovheim (accordion) and Christoffer Matthiessen on guitars, with two Idas being the main songwriters and vocalists. I certainly hope this band get the wider recognition that they deserve, beyond their current stomping grounds of Norway, Germany and Switzerland.
Review by Eilís Boland
Jeffrey Foucault Blood Brothers Blue Blade
This album bleeds integrity. Another top-notch songwriter who has a brought together a selection of songs, some important players and a voice tinged with the patina of life. It manages to find its place in what is, often, an over-subscribed category with skill and talent. It is full of stories that one can be related to on a number of levels, whilst having a sound that is both comfortable and rewarding, even without absorbing yourself in the detail of these crafted tales. There is some level of observation at play from the seeming domesticity and straight forwardness of the opening track Dishes. The laid-back setting of that set of simple tasks is followed by the more effervescent guitar and pedal steel of War On The Radio. Foucault is joined by Tift Merritt for the intimate duet that is Blown. It features cello and Eric Haywood’s steel guitar to underline its sense of isolation. These are not straight stories but rather something more poetic that allows individual interpretation. Foucault is the author of these songs but on three occasions he has written the music with his drummer Billy Conway.
There is a sterling set of musicians and singers involved on the album including Jeremy Moses Curtis on bass, Bo Ramsey on guitars, as well some other notable guests like Pieta Brown, Kate Lorenz, Laurie Sargent alongside Merritt on additional vocals and Barbara Jean Meyers on violin and Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids) on acoustic guitar. These musicians are never intrusive or uneconomic with their contributions. Outside of the core players most feature on a single track but add to the overall context. It was recorded live back in 2017 over a three day period straight to tape in a studio in Minnesota, but the sound very much of the here and now.
Cheap Suits, Rio and I Know You are all imbedded with a simplicity and language that makes them worthy of individual attention though, in truth, everything here fits and is deserving to be heard. The components of love, loss, loneliness mingle with moments where a more intrusive world and its unforgiving political attutidues intertwine. Jeffery Foucault has, through the years, given us a number of albums that are literate and likeable and have explored different sound palates. Blood Brothers is a fine addition to that catalogue.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Ry Cavanaugh Time For This Self Release
A tribute to a late, beloved father. This album has a back story in that Cavanaugh’s father George was a working musician who lead that life with all its uncertainty and chaos. In the late 70’s he played in a country band under the name of Bobby Pedd and played dates in the New York venue The Lone Star Cafe. However, in the 1980s the band and his life fell apart. He has been struggling with addiction and depression, which undoubtably framed some of Cavanaugh’s feelings about their relationship. This album is Ry’s take on nine of his father’s songs.
They are played in an almost demo fashion with Cavanaugh being joined by Duke Levine on guitar and his wife Jennifer Kimball on vocals. It would seem that these songs document aspects of his father’s life with titles like Cold Wind, Too Tired For Drinking, Sink Or Swim, Gypsy Dad and Help Me Doctor. Seemingly recorded around a single microphone, they have a sparseness that is at odds with Cavanaugh’s recordings with his band Session Americana, but perfect to bring these songs back to the basic context. Given the underlying story, it adds a poignancy to one’s perception of these songs.
In this setting the voices blend with a closeness that is intimate and the guitars are also understated with enough dexterity to make take them to something beyond a simple strum. There is thought given here to the best way to present this legacy. Some have an immediate connectability (Lost Woman Song and the confessional Gypsy Dad) while others need a little more time to have their stories unfurl. This may be a sidestep from Cavanaugh’s main musical output but undoubtably an important one for him.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Stephen Fearing The Unconquerable Past Fish
In the opening lines of the first song Break Our Mother’s Heart Fearing sings of “leaving his hometown for salvation.’’ It is interesting to ponder if that refers to his birth town of Vancouver or the town he grew up in (Dublin), before he then left to return to Canada. Either way the song allows that his chosen lifestyle was going to break his mother’s heart. That lifestyle finds Fearing pursuing the route of a musician, a songwriter and travelling storyteller. In that light he succeeds admirably. He returns to the theme of leaving one’s homeland again in a song co-written with Andy White that considers the effect and the reasons why it is sometimes imperative to leave, to find oneself. There is a strong Celtic influence on the particular song that suits its mood well and emphasises its point in a musical context. The album itself, was recorded in Winnipeg and was produced by Fearing and Scott Nolan and a core band that also included such notable as Jim Hoke and Nolan himself on a myriad of instruments.
From the opening songs that are more folk oriented, we suddenly hit Stay With Me, an up-tempo rocker that reveal Fearing’s and the band’s scope and vision. The title song and later No Country return again to the theme of the traveller finding himself in less known territories. The latter song is played in a very stripped back way and is all the more effective for that. Marie, a tender ballad, also includes mention of the infamous brownshirts and the growing presence of those who now hold the high ground, and power and the glory that comes with that position. Sunny brings you inside the world of a transgender person and their search for love.
Fearing’s themes are based on his own observations, seen and heard on his travels. His journey is one of empathy and engagement, which is best given light through his crafted songwriting and reflected vocals. With a number of noted troubadours leaving us, it is time to perhaps consider those that are still with us, still moving their abilities forward and trying to make sense of an increasingly crazy world. Fearing can be counted among them and this is one his best missives to date.
Review by Stephen Rapid
The Adobe Collective All The Space That There Is Love Sands
This Joshua Tree based quintet play what is referred to a high desert sound and on this, their third album, have succeeded in living up to that cosmic Americana concoction of rock, roots and twang filled country and psychedelia. The Adobe Collective comprise of Tim and Faith Chinnock, the husband and wife duo who founded the band along with Caleb Winn, Chris Unci and Tyler Saraca. Their sound is one of layered textures, pinned by a solid rhythm section and flourishes of hard edge guitar and keyboards, all topped by strong vocal harmonies. It’s a sound that reflects the diverse nature of its influences and creation.
The album was self-produced and recorded in Unck’s studio High Lonesome Sound, which underlines the richness and variety of the location that is the Joshua Tree National Park. A location that is both unworldly and has an ageless deeply grounded sense of place. The album opens with the catchy dreamscape Carousel with its airy sound that, like the title suggests, reflects the movement and reacted light of such a fairground attraction. The next song Blind has a pop feel that brings to mind some of the West Coast bands of the mid-60s. By way of contrast the next few songs expand on this feel of exploration and harmonic possibility, allowing for different elements to be revealed on each play. The instrumentation manages to highlight different aspects of particular songs allowing, synth, organ, steel guitar sit alongside the slide and electric guitars to build up an overall sonic landscape, that allows the tight harmonies to give a human focus that is both effective and affecting.
But just as the more ethereal nature of the sound is established, they throw a curveball with the straight country sound of All I Know. This allows another aspect of the band’s influences to step forward and underline the fact that there are a number of different directions that the band are equally adept with. Shine On has a heavier sound that features the vocals of Tim and Faith and their combined harmonies and lead vocalists are the centrepiece to the sound of The Adobe Collective. There are songs included such as the closing Happy That It Hurts, that assume a slightly more unsettling ambience that creates a balance and contrast to the brighter moments that abound.
Overall this is a transportive album, that falls outside any number of strict classifications, yet is never at odds with itself. It may seek a specific type of listener to fully appreciate its charms, but they are revealed to those who wish to take the time to reach into the sun enriched heart of its collective space.
Review by Stephen Rapid