Sam Doores Self-Titled New West
A former member of Hurray For The Riff Raff and current player with The Deslondes, Sam Doores' self-titled solo album was recorded at three locations. Berlin, his current home Nashville and his previous residence, New Orleans were all visited during the recording process. Both bands previously noted are outstanding providers of experimental folk music incorporating elements of jazz, rhythm & blues together with traditional American music to stunning effect. Those musical components are seldom far from the surface here, the contrast being that the material is drawn from more intimate and personal life experiences and is therefore more appropriate to a solo album.
The Berlin connection came about when producer Anders Ormen Christopherson discovered the New Orleans band Sundown Songs, of which Doores was a member, alongside Alynda Segarra and Pat Reedy. Christopherson was opening a studio in Berlin and invited Doores to drop by the next time he was in Europe. At the tail end of a tour in Europe with The Deslondes, Doores arranged to spend a week in Berlin and spent time in the studio recording songs for this album. Future visits to Berlin in the following few years, while on tour in Europe, led to further recordings at the studio. Doores brought the bones of the album back from Berlin to both Nashville - under the watchful eye of producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Phosphorescent, Hurrah For The Riff Raff) and New Orleans, to apply the finishing touches. Two particular occurrences were significant in triggering the completion of the album: a long-term relationship had run its course, and The Delondes were taking time out, giving Doores both the ingredients and the space to work with.
Self-examination is the overriding theme throughout. Violins, piano and organ feature on the plaintive instrumental opener Tempehofer. Doores waves farewell to his former lover on Wish You Well and a similar sense of loss and isolation raises its head on Other Side Of Town, his former bandmate in HFTRR Aylnda Segarra sharing lead vocal on the latter. This Ain’t A Sad Song, as the name implies, is more about looking forward than backwards. An immediately catchy song, it features a host of background vocalists including Margo Price. Equally striking are the spectral Nothing Like A Suburb and the funky and razor-sharp Solid Road.
The New Orleans trade mark concoction of blues, country, doo-wop and jazz is conspicuous across much of the album, emphasised by the wide range of instrumentation that feature. All manner of brass instruments are used alongside vibraphones, marimbas, organs and strings.
Hurray For The Riff Raff and The Deslondes both deliver a quite unique and bohemian sound, a breath of fresh air in most cases. Thankfully, Doores hasn’t strayed too far from that delightful musical template with his own excursions into doo wop, country and jazz tinted swampy blues, on this avant-garde and broody delight.
Review by Declan Culliton
Letitia Van Sant Circadian LVR
The 2018 debut recording GUT IT TO THE STUDS from Baltimore’s Letitia Van Sant left quite an impression on us at Lonesome Highway. She shares the honour, with Lucinda Williams and Nanci Griffith, of winning the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition, which is some achievement given the calibre of artist competing for that coveted distinction. It’s not difficult to appreciate how her writing could merit such an award on the basis of her lyrics on CIRCADIAN. The album is a continuation of the musical path explored by Van Sant on her debut release, though with a somewhat fuller sound. Best described as folk - but with the boundaries pushed out to the fullest extent - the album offers unhurried and patient songs that tackle heavy topics full on.
As the title suggests the album explores everyday occurrences in the real world. Her vocals feature a to-die-for accented drawl, as she fearlessly narrates tales of broken relationships, child abuse, mental illness and defiance. The listener is left in little doubt about her mood from the word go. She’s spitting fire on the album's opener You Can’t Put My Fire Out as she declares ‘I taste your words inside my mouth, like broken glass I spit them out, I’m the one who’s speaking now, you can’t put my fire out.’ The lyrics are directed at Brett Kavanaugh, accused of sexual misconduct during a Senate hearing to appoint him as a Supreme Court Judge. The song could equally and justifiably be aimed at a controlling ex-partner. Mental illness and its knock-on effects are highlighted on Tin Man, which addresses a partner’s struggle with the abuse acted on him by his father while growing up. A similar topic of despondency is presented in Most Of Our Dreams Don’t Come True as the central character struggles in the aftermath of the loss of a stillborn baby. Spilt Milk speaks of unappreciated love in a relationship, regrettably not returned.
She gathered together a most impressive line-up for the recording, which was completed over a few days at Neilson Hubbard’s home-made Skinny Elephant Studios in Nashville. Hubbard is very much the ‘go to’ guy these days for Americana acts, having worked in recent years with artists such Mary Gauthier, Ben Glover, Ryan Culwell, Kim Richey and Caroline Spence. She also engaged some of the finest players in Nashville including Will Kimbrough on guitar and mandolin, and Michael Rinne on bass guitar. As you would expect from those contributors, the playing throughout is superb, complementing Van Sant’s vocals. For the most part the tracks are slow burning and disciplined, though she and her players let rip on the album's closing and possibly strongest track Rising Tide. That song is an attack on the vile treatment of servicemen and ex-military.
A hugely impressive album that literally stopped me in my tracks and one well worth checking out.
Review by Declan Culliton
Cup O’Joe In The Parting Self Release
At long last, the Agnew family trio from Co Armagh have released their first full length album. It feels like the siblings have been gigging around their native Northern Ireland and further afield for years, but in actual fact they are still only in their mid-20s. They play a progressive blend of bluegrass, folk and jazz as a trio, and more recently they have been branching out and collaborating with equally accomplished contemporaries in various side projects, also worth checking out.
This collection comprises eight original songs, along with one original instrumental tune, and one cover. Til I Met You, a touching sweet love song allows Tabitha to showcase her delicate vocals at their best. Along with her outstanding banjo playing, they are joined here by David Benedict (now Tabitha’s husband!) on mandolin, and by fellow Armagh native Niall Murphy on fiddle. The ensemble playing here is superb - the unhurried pace gives space to let the various instruments breathe. One is left in no doubt as to why David Benedict (Missy Raines, Mile Twelve) is recognised as a rising star among mandolin players in the US. The talented Niall Murphy (Cara Dilllon, Breaking Trad, etc) has won numerous awards including All Ireland fiddle championships and is a BBC Young Folk awardee. His sparkling fiddle contributions on four tracks here elevate them to a higher level.
Benjamin Agnew (upright bass) shows that he is no mean singer on his modern gospel song Why, enhanced by harmonies from brother Reuben, and by more scintillating mandolin from David. Reuben (guitar) gets to apply his ‘go faster’ stripes on the up tempo instrumental Pinley Green. Co-producer Dave Molloy (Cellar Club Studios) adds some inspiring electric guitar to Run Run which leads it up a jazzy funky side lane, and gypsy jazz fans will enjoy the closer, Can’t Sleep Without Caffeine. For the benefit of the non-Americans among us, the band’s name is slang for a ‘cup of coffee’ - no, I didn’t know that either!
A promising taste of what I hope is yet to come from this talented crew.
Review by Eilís Boland
Bianca De Leon Dangerous Endeavor Lonesome Highway
This is my first introduction to the music of singer-songwriter Bianca De Leon. She is based in Austin, Texas and this is her fifth release over a career that has been building steadily since her debut album, back in 2001. Her songs are influenced by growing up in the south Texas borderlands, a region where, as a young girl, her aunt taught her to smuggle tequila across the border under her petticoats.
There is a Tejano flavour in the song arrangements and the playing is superbly underpinned by the violin, which plays a prominent role on a number of songs. Three different musicians are credited with violin contributions across the different tracks, with Fulvio Renzi (violin/viola on White Freightliner and Thorn Of A Different Rose), Javier Chaparro (violin on Has It Really Come To This, If You Just Had A Mirror, I’m Waitin’ For A Miracle) and Richard Bowden (violin on Let’s Put The Dirty Back In Dancin’) all excelling.
De Leon co-produced with John Inmon, a very experienced and talented producer who provides most of the backing instrumentation. He has appeared on recordings by Townes van Zandt, Jimmy LaFave, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, Delbert Mcclinton and many others over a distinguished career. What he brings to these songs is his passion for letting the music breathe and his fluid playing is a joy across many of the tracks selected here – the title track being a prime example and also, the up-tempo sound of That Vintage ’67 Cadillac. There is also some fine piano from David Webb on Sad Corners Of Her Eyes, a song about the impact of the ‘other woman’ in a relationship.
Many of the songs are steeped in a Country sound and deliver a slow tempo in these tales of broken love (Has It Really Come To This), a legacy of hurt (Hollow Victory), empathy and fellowship (I’m Waiting For A Miracle), or just going out and remembering how to have fun (Let’s Put The Dirty Back In Dancin’). Terrific tunes, played with great heart and no little talent.
De Leon wrote all but three of the songs and these are cover versions of (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle (Hank Williams), Rose of a Different Thorn (Will Dudley) and White Freightliner (Townes Van Zandt); all delivered with some conviction and perfectly slotted into the overall project. Worth your time and money and a real keeper.
(PS. The label it should be noted has no affiliation with this publication - good name though)
Review by Paul McGee
Bright Falls Logging Self Release
This 5-track EP arrives from Eddie McCormack, a Thurles, Co Tipperary based singer songwriter who has been performing as Bright Falls since 2014, either solo or in a band format. He recorded these songs at JAM Studios with Martin Quinn, multi-instrumentalist and producer with over 25 years’ experience in the music business. It’s a pairing made in heaven and between them, plus Andrew Quinn on drums, they deliver a very impressive sound that is authentic Americana with some stellar playing.
At almost 22 minutes, the music never overstays its welcome and the superb skills of McCormack (acoustic, electric, 12-string guitars, bass and vocals) and Quinn (pedal steel, banjo, dobro, acoustic guitar, vibrato vibes and keyboards) take hold of these songs and deliver a strong statement.
Bad Habits rocks hard with a great riff and a big keyboard sound while Monroe Logging Company is a more stripped back Country arrangement with pedal steel drifting on the laid-back beat and a song about logging drivers and dead-end jobs. Photo Frame fits in a similar vein with a story of family woes, fathers who leave and unfulfilled lives – a real stand out track.
Juniper is another excellent song with an acoustic arrangement and a rueful look at carrying a torch for another, even when the attraction is not returned. Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy (Harry Stone, Jack Stapp) appears in the guise of Jesop Creek Tent Revival in a short ditty that entertains, before the Waterboys influenced big sound of Preacher Casey comes whooping in to lift the soul and the spirit as it thunders towards a very satisfactory conclusion.
Great to know that such talent is bubbling under the surface in rural Ireland and I recommend that you get behind this promising artist and support the cause.
Review by Paul McGee
Fallon Cush Stranger Things Have Happened LTR
This band has been a favourite act down under for many years now and this is their fifth album since they first appeared on the local Sydney scene back in 2011. With creative source Steve Smith at the controls, the high standard of their previous work is maintained and the consistently high-quality shines through.
Steve Smith wrote all the songs and produced, in addition to leading from the front on vocals and guitar. There is a hint of Neil Finn in the vocal delivery, which is no bad thing, while the superbly melodic arrangements are filled with great hooks and choruses. The players form a very tight unit with Casey Atkins on guitar/vocals, Tim Byron on keyboards and Suzy Goodwin on backing vocals. Peter Marley plays bass and is joined by Russell Crawford on drums – together they deliver a steady backbeat for the other musicians to build upon. Josh Schuberth recorded and mixed the tracks at Endomusia Studios, Blue Mountains, NSW and he also contributes on lap steel and percussion.
Clocking in at 36 minutes, the tunes are really catchy and radio friendly, with a nod towards Tom Petty or the Jayhawks in the song structures. Burn is a track about Karma and payback for actions taken and deeds done. Sleep Her Away follows with a song about frustrated desire while Benny and The Key instantly grab the attention with their up-tempo arrangements and bright sound
This is commercial rock with a twist, perhaps more akin to Alt Country and maybe we can call it Australiana, as a defining sound from their part of the world. I Don’t Care What You Wear is a relationship song and has a slow groove, with warm keys playing behind a piano melody and strummed guitars.
Yarraman and Sit With Me are more acoustic based songs and both deliver pleasant melodies and a change in rhythm and tempo. Tighter Than A Drum closes the album and builds to a great climax as Smith sings of the anxiety caused by a relationship breakdown.
Another strong statement from a band that continue to evolve and deliver music that is entertaining and inventive.
Review by Paul McGee
Mapache From Liberty Street Yep Roc
There is a retro feel to the opening track, Life On Fire, which transports me right back to California in the 1960’s. Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci appear as musical brothers, with tight harmony vocals and clean acoustic guitar sounds that create images of bright sunny days and lounging on a porch swing. Their performing name, Mapache, is Spanish for Raccoon apparently and while not conjuring up the most positive of images, it does sit with the idea that omnivores are prepared to try anything.
In this case, the Spanish tracks, Me Voy Pa’l Pueblo, Me Da Muerte and Igual, are somewhat distant as their meaning can only be guessed at, even if they all sound pleasant and pass along like a light breeze. The violin by Sara Watkins on Cactus Flower is very interesting and adds another layer to the song arrangement before we return to the easy melody and guitar strum of See Through. There is just not enough diversity to lift or separate the songs and the harmony vocals are not sufficient to carry everything across the fourteen tracks here.
There is some fine pedal steel playing on Face Is Blue and To Play For All Of You but my review copy has no information regarding studio musicians, so I cannot credit the players here. The album was recorded at a house on Liberty Street (hence the title) where the two friends lived and it is located in a Mexican-American part of Los Angeles, which influenced the writing and the overall lo-fi feel to proceedings. Producer was Dan Horne (Allah-Las, Cass McCombs) and he captures this groove very well. The instrumental, Liberty Street Blues, is a standout track with some inventive ensemble playing and pedal steel jousting with keyboards.
They released a debut album back in 2017 and their light sound is certainly something that has nothing offensive in the listening experience, just not enough to really fire the senses.
Review by Paul McGee
George St Clair Do You Feel Strange? Self Release
A Texas born singer/songwriter who now works in London where he did a PhD in Anthropology - a subject that would seem a useful tool for a songwriter. This album follows up to his last release BALLADS OF CAPTIVITY AND FREEDOM (2018) with a new set of self-written songs. They largely consider the human conditions of love and of finding it. The album was recorded Texas and in London and was produced, engineered and mixed by Pat Manske. A musician and producer who has worked with a range of artists like Alejandro Escovedo as an engineers as well as a percussionist with Joe Ely to name just two of his clients.
Here he fulfils duties both sides of the desk. He is joined by the renowned Scrappy Judge Newcomb on guitars and the UK’s (and Lonesome Highway featured) Joe Harvey-Whyte on pedal steel. But it is St.Clair who is the central character here with his engaging voice which has a gentle quality that suits this writing which deal with the ups and downs associated with the vagaries of a lasting relationship.
Never-the-less St.Clair can also up the tempo as required such as with the vibrant Bad Billy. There are some the solid vocal harmonies in Without Him and the questioning of the title track which wonders “do you feel strange, if you still hear my name?” Here St.Clair sings of making a decision to move on and make a new life. As with the album overall there is a delicacy that rewards and reveals not only the structure of the lyrics themselves but the details of the music which at all times sits together comfortably with those words. Courage To Be Kind focuses on the kind nature of a woman who continues do so in the middle of the cruelty that surrounds her. The King not only mentions pedal steel guitar but also features it in an enticing and illuminating way on this tale of a former majesty of the honky-tonks and has search for the high life.
George St Clair has traveled in his career and absorbed both the people and places that he has encountered along the way. These experiences are translated into a set of honest songs that seems to be unassumingly modest but soon reveal their depth with crafted melody and mellifluousness.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Lee Sims A Few More Miles To Go Self Release
Making it clear that music keeps you young Sims opens the self explanatory Live Myself To Death Before I Die. Without looking at the cover image it might be difficult to pinpoint Sims’ actual age. However that picture encapsulates a man in love with country music - the old school variety. It kinda goes without saying that the 12 songs here are not going to change your perception of country music to any large degree. Sims and his band players draw from traditional sources with a 80s /90s ethos and they play the hell out of the songs. It’s not life changing but it is likely to be life enhancing when you are in a venue and Lee Sims is onstage.
The album was recorded in Tennessee and produced by Greg Cole who has brought in a selection of players who’s name as would have be familiar to anyone checking the credits on many a mainstream Hat Act release back in the 90s. Brent Mason on guitars, Mike Johnson on steel guitar, Gordon Mote on piano and Joe Spivey on fiddle alongs side others. Cole himself adds the drums and background vocals. All bring these songs to life with an understanding and penchant for the genre as it was back then. For his part Sims is an interpreter for these songs as most would appear to be written by a number of outside writers. They have been well chosen to evoke that era. Names like David Stewart, Galen Griffen and Byron Hill turn up more than once so they may have come from a song search that are largely unknown but ideally suited to the voice and musical direction that Sims wants to deliver.
There is some measure of humour and pathos in the song Alcohol Of Fame. When checked it is not the Wayne Kemp song of the same name or the Molly Thomas one recorded by the likes of Stonewall Jackson. Rather this is a pun that works in country music and this version by Masters, Hill and Griffen is no less amusing in its tale of barroom belligerence. It is one of a number of storytelling tales of a time and life style like the interracial love of Colourblind. Again this is a theme that has been written about previously but one that still has some resonance today. Taking that into account Sims brings his big baritone to bear on these songs which in truth I don’t think Simms would be unhappy to have compared to some of those breakthrough acts of the 90s. It is a targeted style that both he and his home-state audience (and perhaps further afield) would be very comfortable listening to.
Review by Stephen Rapid