Michael McDermott What In The World Pauper Sky
There is a sense of purpose and perception to this new album from Michael McDermott. An album for these times as evidenced by the title track and opening song (a bonus acoustic version closes the album). It is a powerful statement about and indictment of America in its current divided and uneven status quo that lists any number of problems that have become apparent to most in recent years … “walls along the border, kids in cages, executive orders, welfare for billionaires, people hungry everywhere.” It is a powerhouse rock song with an insistent chorus that that belies its lyrical content, which with a different lyrical message, could have been as easily be construed as an anthem for something more upbeat. In many ways its downbeat message also affirms that there is going to be a positive turnaround at some point as people relalise that what they have now is not what they need or in any way the best for all.
However McDermott manages to look a little closer to home with some of these songs and the ways that that bigger picture has an underlying effect that can be seen in the way people deal with their individual issues of living their lives. The couple in New York, Texas have to have a belief that if they stay true, despite everything, to what they believe that then God would bless them, at least that’s what Mama said. There is an uncertainty though that tries to find some truth in each other. Blue Eyed Barmaid is a conversation between a PTSD suffering vet and the woman in the bar serving him. With the latter opening up rather than the other way round. It is however something of a deeper assessment of both parties that again highlights McDermott’s lyrical skill in the telling of these details as well as showing his assured and assertive vocal ability which he has developed over any number live shows as well as in the studio.
Equally engaging are the religious assertions of Mother Emanuel. The declaration of love in a true sense in Until I Found You is heartfelt and honest. While Contender is a hard realisation in that while the subject had the potential to achieve more he had “hurt the ones I loved the most, I burned bridges from coast to coast, I just didn’t fit, I was an idiot” - something that only can be realised by a certain distance and understanding. This is the work on a writer who has known failure and desperation but also love and can turn those experiences into songs that have resonance and a sense of reality that has been hard fought but, ultimately, won. The piano-based Die With Me is about standing up to adversity and facing it with courage. There is much to hear on many levels in these eleven songs. All are deeply rooted in the now and how that effects anyone who shares some of McDemott’s views and sensitivity.
This is also an album where McDermott achieves a sound that is as robust as it is righteous. There is a solid enhancement of the often rockin’ feel here with such added elements in the recording such as saxophone and banjo added to the overall soundscape. The team involved are hand picked and go back to his days fronting The Westies. This time out McDermott is again working with a set of musicians he has know and played with over the last number of years including bassist Lex Price (who also mixed this and previous albums), keyboard player John Deaderick, drummer Fred Eltringham, guitarist Will Kimbrough alongside Heather Lynne Horton, his wife, on fiddle and vocals. This brings a steadfast continuity to the recording as these are musicians who are both familiar with McDermott as well as with his music and the ways to develop it. It is a confident and capable statement given the chaos and, sometimes, heartbreak that surrounds it.
What in the world would we do without music of this calibre to balance all of the ongoing negativity that surrounds us? That is a question that we don’t need, at this point, to answer when there are so many musicians who are heeding that call. Times may be tough but that’s exactly when we need an artist like this.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Wookalily Everything Is Normal Roxy
On this their second album, Northern Ireland’s long established all female band has opted for a major change of direction. Initially known for their bluegrass-influenced sounds, they have veered headlong into psychedelic folk noir territory and they truly sound like no one else. The full title of the record is EVERYTHING IS NORMAL EXCEPT THE LITTLE THINGS INSIDE MY HEAD and this gives a hint as to what’s in store. Still, nothing can truly prepare one for the melange of sounds and influences that make this such a fun and enjoyable album.
Touché, with it’s concertina intro, slow jazzy strut and Lyndsay Crowther’s sultry vocals puts a strong French stamp on proceedings from early on. Adele Ingram leads on her own composition Welcome to The Fold - a wry and affectionate look inside the mind of a dementia patient, frustrated with the constraints and confusion of living in assisted accommodation. Appropriately there’s a distinct feeling of dystopia and psychedelia, wrought by the talents in particular of multi-instrumentalist Clair McGreevy, who plays at least 8 different instruments. Sonic dissonance is used here and indeed throughout the album, successfully contributing to the feeling of surreal otherworldliness. Clair sings lead and plays electric lead guitar on her only writing contribution Vampyre, a standout track which also showcases Louise Potter’s strong drum/percussion skills. More darkness, albeit mostly tongue in cheek, abounds in Ghost, Forever Folly and The Old Hag.
Ten of the songs are written by the talented songwriter and founder member Adele Ingram, who also plays guitars and mandolin. The other long-standing band member Sharon Morgan has expanded her repertoire to include double bass as well as her 5-string banjo playing. Lyndsay Crowthers also contributes a strong love song, Whiskey and Wine, which features a gorgeous hook on electric guitar from Clair and is underpinned by Sharon Morgan’s insistent banjo.
The record was produced by Julie McClarnon (Alasdair Roberts, Yorkston/Thorne/Khan, Jeffrey Lewis) in her Rathfriland Analogue Catalogue studios on vintage analogue equipment. There’s also some great artwork from Sharon Morgan and a (rather difficult to follow) detailed lyrics/info booklet. Definitely worth seeking out.
Review by Eilís Boland
Jennis The Mirror Self Release
Context is everything. Jennis’s opening song on THE MIRROR now has a very different effect on me from when I first listened to it a few weeks ago, pre-pandemic. Dennis Gaumond’s lyrics in You Never Know now seem scarily prescient - ‘Nothing is for certain. This could be the final curtain’! Equally, the second track Go Viral has a similar theme - ‘Everything is changing in the universe, it’s just another chapter’.
Canadians from Ontario, Dennis Gaumond and his band mate Jennifer Gillmor together make up the band Jennis. Multiinstrumentalists both, on this second album they offer a truly mesmeric selection of musical styles as vehicles for Dennis’s songwriting. From the reggae (with harmonica) of the opener, through the heavy rock of Run with the Wolves, the bossa nova of Mountain Top, the bluesy funk of Too much Stuff, one is left with the distinct message that Jennis are not at all happy with the current state of the world. Over the 13 songs (all original except for a cover of Bob Marley’s Get Up, Stand Up) they call out corrupt politicians, environmental damage and capitalism. There are several songs that reference ageing, and the aforementioned Too much Stuff left this reviewer to feel a little bit uncomfortable, I must admit!
Self produced, Jennifer plays a range of instruments from cello to didgeridoo to jaw’s harp, Dennis plays a selection of mainly stringed instruments, and they call in several friends to help out, notably Tom Wolf on percussion.
The cover art is a clever pop art design incorporating head shots of the duo.
This record may not be for everyone, given that its political credentials are worn so clearly on its sleeve but worth checking out by the alternative hippy types out there.
Review by Eilís Boland
Lynne Hanson Just Words Continental Song City
This Canadian singer-songwriter is based in Ottawa, Ontario and has released eight previous albums, including a collaboration with her fellow Canadian artist and good friend, Lynn Miles (The LYNNeS). Hanson has been categorised as a Folk singer but her creative muse goes much further than just defining her craft in such straight jacketed terms. Her songs tend to focus on matters of the heart and the fragilities of relationships, both imagined and lived through. She is a true wordsmith and her eclectic tastes in music are evidenced by forays into Blues and light Jazz grooves to some of the songs included here. Also, Hanson is not averse to cranking up the electric guitars in addition to delivering in the Folk/Pop arena with one eye on the populist vote.
This album was produced by Jim Bryson at Fixed Hinge Recording in Ottawa and the sublime studio band includes Canadian icon Kevin Breit on electric guitar, Marshall Bureau on drums, MJ Dandeneau on bass and Jim Bryson on guitar, keyboards and piano. There are also guest appearances from singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan on four tracks, Tara Holloway (co-write on the title track), Anders Drerup and Justin Rutledge.
True Blue Moon debunks the notion that there is a special one out there, waiting for us to align our galaxies, while the realism of Hearts Fade and the realisation that you can never go back is a more sobering message. Feeling vulnerable over someone left behind is also a strong emotion and Long Way Home takes a rueful glance at just such a relationship with the lines “I wore the soles right off my boots, Running from the ghost of you” summing up the urge to move beyond.
The title track has an angry grunge feel with electric guitars snarling out the message that words can hurt as much as anything physical, whether through family or social media pressures; “Stay safe in the crowd, Cause whispered words can be so loud.” The Blues/Gospel groove of Higher Ground brings a message of turning the other cheek and rising above and the duelling acoustic guitars on Such A Random Thing are a joy to behold while Hanson sings of fate and circumstance and the road not taken.
Lollipops and Roses has a mean electric sound to highlight the bitter experience of hard life lessons and dreams of a better day beyond this world. The slow melody of Every Minute In Between is a glimpse at a broken heart, aching for an old flame and haunted by a past that is long gone. Hemingway’s Songbird channels the frustration of a creative artist who tries to keep that spark, both in terms of the writing process and also, looking to keep a grip on reasons to stay in a barren relationship. Final track, Would You Still, is a bluesy shuffle that asks questions of commitment to another, something of a theme on this collection of songs that pose more questions than providing answers to the vagaries of love.
Throughout, the rhythm and tempo of these songs are perfectly augmented by the sensitive playing of these stellar musicians, making the listening process one of absolute pleasure from start to finish. A terrific addition to the body of work that has been carefully crafted by Lynne Hanson and one which raises the bar quite a few rungs.
Review by Paul McGee
Billy Roberts and the Rough Rider The Southern Sessions Self Release
This singer songwriter was born in the small town of Moree, located in a northerly part of New South Wales, Australia. Despite my efforts to track him down, there appears to be no official website and precious little information available regarding his career in music. There is the occasional review of one of the three albums he has released prior to this current project. His debut, The Last of the Originals, appeared in 2014 and was quickly followed by Go By Myself, a second helping of tunes that arrived in 2015. The last release was Greenbah, named after a local community in NSW and which appeared in 2017
He has recorded in Nashville I believe, but again, I have no details and with no liner notes, his band members or studio players will continue to remain a mystery. Indeed, neither is there anything regarding interviews with Roberts himself. Quite refreshing in one sense, to be a virtual recluse in this media crazy day and age. Can’t help his bank balance however, unless he is yet another musician who is holding down a day job in order to keep body and soul together.
Of the ten tracks featured here, eight have appeared on previous releases; four each taken from The Last of the Originals and Go By Myself. The two new songs are the opener, Hillbilly Blues, a guitar driven Rock sound complete with horn section; plus, Special, a slow tempo Country song with lap steel and nice guitar lines. Overall, the sound is one of laid-back Americana/Country influenced arrangements and the easy groove of My Baby Gone Cold (nice piano), I Was Young (sweet violin), Gone To the Dogs and Driving make for very pleasant listening.
With You is another Country flavoured song with nice interplay between lap steel, guitar and piano while the harmonica playing on No More Mr Nice Guy is worth questioning why the instrument does not feature more often on other tracks. Seen It All Before is an up-tempo number with a warm organ sound and the abiding feeling is one of well delivered songs, played with an easy flow, melody and timbre.
Review by Paul McGee
Emily Keener I Do Not Have To Be Good Self Release
This singer songwriter has been playing music from a very young age and took part in a series of the Voice on American TV, in addition to releasing a debut album back in 2013. Given that she is now in her early 20’s this points to quite a musical pedigree already in her fledgling career and Keener also released an EP in 2015, followed by her next album, Breakfast, in 2016. I think it fair to say that she was learning her craft during this development stage and that her own true voice has gradually been emerging, almost as if the butterfly has realised that the time has come to emerge from the chrysalis.
This release is a very impressive set of nine songs that come in just shy of 40 minutes and which frame a push/pull dance between desires and fears in the emotions, feelings and thoughts of a young artist who is maturing into adulthood. Keener grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and had a Christian upbringing which has shaped a lot of her contemplations and perspective on life. She is not afraid to show her uncertainty and vulnerability in these songs and there is a sense of fragile isolation that runs through the imagery and words that are bathed in the most atmospheric and melodic ‘less-is-more’ playing.
Keener handles vocals, guitar and bass with a deft quality and a confidence that centres the entire project in terms of emotional feel. She is joined by the superb playing of Eli Hanley on keyboards, who adds subtle dynamics on a number of tracks and also featured is the gently restrained and quite compelling playing of both Dan Fernandez on muted drums and percussion, plus Seth Bain on bass, to anchor the songs.
Ace producer Dalton Brand engineered everything at his WaveBurner recording studio in Port Clinton, Ohio and he also contributes bass on one song, the recent single, Do You Love Me Lately. There is an appearance from Curtis Leonard who plays gentle acoustic guitar on the song, Static, while Cathalyn provides harmony vocals on the stand-out song for me, I Know - all breathy layers of ethereal sounds.
Themes of self-analysis and doubt run through the sparse and stripped back arrangements, from the understated religious referencing on Nap, as an almost saving element in wanting to emotionally consume another; to the sense of self criticism and feeling of not coping on I Don’t Know Anything – “There's got to be a number we can call.”
The question of therapy seems to inhabit the song Static and the comfort in late night radio prevails - music as a release from old ghosts – “What were we doing on that couch, No one in that room was gonna figure anybody out.”
Her sense of mother nature is a part of Mary, I Love Her and the self-examination of trying to live outside our thoughts - almost like a witness to her place in the world. Her own dark angel is confronted in Elbow and the abiding message to keep on learning and loving is addressed in the song, I Know, with the line, “How could a love like this be wrong?”
This is delicate, reflective music that demands to be heard.
Review by Paul McGee
Dave Simonett Red Tail Thirty Tigers
A first solo album from Dave Simonett, the frontman of alt-bluegrass/country band Trampled By Turtles and indie band Dean Man Winter. The album is testament to his capacity to deliver emotional and calming pieces of music, delivered with his trademark vocals. Much of the material is sparse and all the better for it, the temptation to beef the songs up thankfully set aside. Pisces, Queen of Hearts is delivered with only acoustic and pedal steel guitar alongside Simonett’s vocals, which are cleverly layered, the backing vocal at a slightly different pitch. By The Light Of The Moon, the shortest track and under two and a half minutes, is equally dreamlike and atmospheric and It Comes And Goes follows a matching thread. The country-ish Silhouette recalls his work with Trampled By Turtles. The stand out track is In The Western Wind And The Sunrise. A piano intro merges into fuzzy echoed vocals and morphs in to an instrumental mid track.
Half of the album was recorded at his own studio in Minneapolis and the balance at Pachyderm Studios in the woods of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, where acts such as The Jayhawks, P.J.Harvey and Nirvana have also worked. Simonett was joined by a number of friends at Pachyderm and the tracks cut there were recorded live. The album’s closer There’s A Lifeline Deep In The Night Sky includes a false start and ends with a healthy vocal celebration by all the players, having managed to deliver the song in one take - all good fun.
In many ways RED TAIL reminded me of Jay Farrar’s solo work, perfectly understated songs that could have been dressed up but work even better semi naked. They come across as songs that that were conceived without any pressure or deadlines and are all the better for that. This is an album that should appeal to a wider audience than lovers of Trampled By Turtles and Dead Man Winter and is well worth your attention.
Review by Declan Culliton
Andy Brasher Myna Bird Self Release
Residing in Nashville currently, Andy Brasher is a Kentucky born artist who has been recording since 2007, when he released his debut solo album CROWS AND BUZZARDS. That album was recorded mostly acoustic and a remodelling of the title track appears on his latest release MYNA BIRD. The album was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and co-produced by Harry Lee Smith (Angeleena Presley, Martina Mc Bride) and Ross Hogarth (REM, Shawn Colvin, John Mellencamp). Hiring those big hitters to oversee the recording was money well spent as the mix is perfect, Brasher’s vocals are crystal clear and the guitar riffs and solos are stunning.
Whether it was his intention or not, the first three tracks could be perceived as a mini soap opera, based around the same characters. The opener 21 has shades of Jason Isbell about it, as the writer hungers for former years and the wild and abandon carefree times he enjoyed with his lover (‘looking back’s all you’ve got to look forward to’). What follows on the track Day Of The Trial is a rampant couple out of control, drinking, drugging and heading on an inevitable collision course. It’s a great full sound, more Drive By Truckers than Isbell this time around, guitar driven and with a killer mini solo. The final scene in the trilogy is the previously mentioned Crows and Buzzards. It’s a cold-eyed tale which features the writer standing over the corpse of his (former) lover, shovel in hand, presumably having slain her and about to leave her body for nature to take over.
It’s not all car crash material, however, Checkbook is a tongue in cheek country honky tonker and Close Your Eyes is an impressive Robert Earl Keen sounding country ballad. Drugs In the Tip Jar is a straight down the middle rocker that boasts some killer Stonesy guitar playing. The title track bookends the album in fine style. It’s a simple ballad with less of a rockier edge than most of the album’s material and lyrics that don’t attempt to be overly clever. It’s also a fitting closer to an album that rocks and soothes in large doses. Well worth checking out.
Review by Declan Culliton
Shelby Lynne Self-Titled Thirty Tigers
With fifteen albums under her belt across a career that has spanned three decades, Shelby Lynne’s output has ranged from pop to country and soul to blues. Her most commercial recording I AM SHELBY LYNNE (1999) won her a Grammy, but that pop/rock musical template was never really where Lynne was most comfortable. Country soul finds her at her most relaxed, best represented on her 2008 Dusty Springfield tribute album JUST A LITTLE LOVIN’, which also proved to be one of her most commercially successful releases. Her most recent recording, prior to this album, was a collaboration with her sister Allison Moorer in 2017 titled NOT DARK YET. That album was a collection of covers and re-works of material written by The Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard, Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan alongside two puzzling choices in both Kurt Cobain and Nick Cave.
This latest recording came about by way of a partnership with film director and screen writer Cynthia Mort. It’s essentially a soundtrack from the yet to be released film titled WHEN WE KILL THE CREATORS. The film’s subject matter examines the relationship between art and commerce. Lynne was the ideal candidate to deliver the soundtrack, given her unwillingness to allow record labels to dictate to her throughout her career.
It’s also her most stripped back recording, her dazzling vocals often accompanied only by background guitar and piano. Lynne performs most of the instrumentation herself, including some neat saxophone work on My Mind’s Riot. Although the material was co-written with Mort, it has Lynne’s stamp firmly embedded on the majority of the songs. Relationships won and lost are recurrent themes with titles such as I Got You, Love Is Coming, Lovefear and the two standout tracks Don’t Even Believe In Love and Revolving Broken Heart. The latter is hugely atmospheric with a vocal delivery that is delivered dreamlike and layered, with perfectly timed brushed acoustic guitar and tingling piano.
Given the album’s theme there is similarity across many of the tracks, but repeated listens uncover individual nuances and overtones. Lynne’s vocals are stunning throughout, unhurried and patient as one song tumbles effortlessly into the next. Like much of her work, this self-titled album is unlikely to reach an audience outside her followers which is shameful, given her talent.
Review by Declan Culliton