Nick Hornbuckle 13 Or So Ruby’s Slipper
Instrumental records in the bluegrass/stringband realm don’t come along very often, and this one seems to have slipped under many a radar since its quiet release into the world in late 2019. This is indeed a shame because it is a brilliant labour of love by the Canadian banjo player, Nick Hornbuckle.
Unlike his first solo recording, 12 X 2 (+/- 1) released in 2015, this one is composed entirely of original tunes. It is inspired mainly by a celebration of family, ranging from Nick’s emigrant ancestors in Oklahoma, Oregon and Idaho in the 19th century, right up his family in the present day.
There’s a distinctively Celtic feel to the lively opener, Wellesley Station, written in memory of his mother’s birthplace. It introduces the listener to Nick’s unique two finger banjo picking style - which lies somewhere between clawhammer and Scruggs-style. The track also introduces us to several of the many talented Canadian guests that Nick has called upon to help realise his tunes- fiddle player Trent Freeman duets with Nick’s lead banjo, then the tune is picked up by mandolin maestro John Reischman (The Jaybirds) and then by Darryl Poulsen (Slocan Ramblers) on guitar, all the while Patrick Metzger (Pharis & Jason Romero) adds his magic on upright bass. Nick calls in Chris Coole (Lonesome Ace Stringband) to contribute frailing banjo for The South Road, which remembers his ancestors who joined a wagon train travelling across the US in 1846, the rollicking journey evoked by the interplay between bass and both banjos, and some superb dobro playing from Ivan Rosenberg. Another Lonesome Ace guest, John Showman, plays some great fiddle on The Crooked Man, while Ivan Rosenberg impresses on dobro on this tune and several others. Cleo Belle is a delightful song inspired by Nick’s daughter’s love of swimming in a swimming hole near their Vancouver Island home.
It’s not all upbeat tunes, the contemplative title track and A Farewell (to the Cowgirl with the Pigtails) written in tribute to his late mother, slow things down for a welcome breather.
The whole project was arranged, engineered and mixed by Nick in his Ruby’s Slipper Studio at home and there are extensive notes on the origins of the tunes on his website. Seek out and enjoy.
Review by Eilís Boland
Steve Earle & The Dukes Ghosts Of West Virginia New West
On April 3rd 2010 a coal dust explosion at a coal mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, claimed the lives of twenty-nine miners, only two miners survived the blast. An investigation into the tragedy found that glaring omissions in safety procedures contributed greatly to the fatalities.
Steve Earle was approached by documentary playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen to compose a collection of songs for the documentary they were developing on the occurrence, having visited West Virginia to speak with the few survivors and the families of those that lost their lives.
Traditionally well renowned for his left-wing opinions, the album is written for and about working-class Trump supporters (‘’written for and about for the people who didn’t vote the way I did’’ to quote Earle).Earle approached the subject matter with outright passion and no little anger. His backing band in the studio featured Chris Masterson (guitar), Eleanor Whitmore (fiddle & strings), Ricky Ray Jackson (pedal steel & dobro), Jeff Hill (bass) and Brad Pemberson (drums & percussion). They all also contribute backing vocals and Whitemore takes the lead vocal, representing a widow of one of the deceased, on the hugely moving If I Could See Your Face Again. The musical styles range from old timey bluegrass to muscular country tinged rock.
The album kicks off fittingly with Heaven Ain’t Going Nowhere, with an a capella lead by Earle who is then joined by the full band. Earle’s vocal is cracked, bordering on choking, as if his air waves were filled with the lethal coal dust that contaminated many of the miners he sympathises with on the song Black Lung.
The jaunty upbeat Union, God & Country pays homage to the generations whose simple lives evolved around hard work, sweat and survival (‘‘You shifted coal til Friday, drew your pay and then walked down to the company store and gave it back again’’). Fiddles and guitars dance in the background as Earle tells the tale. The album’s climax is It’s About Blood, delivered spitting fire, Earle calls out the company authorities (‘‘Tell yourself it was an accident, isolated incident, part of the job. Yeah? Well, tell that to the families, kids without Daddies. Tell it to God’’), before naming the twenty-nine minors that perished.
The rewards for the lifetime down the mine are articulated on the aforementioned Black Lung. A semi breathless grandfather reminiscing on his life underground, weakened to the extent that he’s unable to lift his grandchildren on to his knee. A similar sentiment surfaces on Time Is Never On Our Side, which also reflects on the perilous daily grind faced by the miners, with little or no other work opportunities available to them except that daily descent down the mine shaft. He also takes the opportunity to remind the listener of the toils faced by all working men in West Virginia with his tribute to African American folk hero John Henry on the lively John Henry Was A Steel Drivin’ Man.
Never one to shirk a challenge, Earle has done his subject due justice with GHOSTS OF WEST VIRGINIA. He’s also pieced together his finest album since 2004’s THE REVOLUTION STARTS NOW.
Review by Declan Culliton
Gretchen Peters The Night You Wrote That Song Thirty Tigers
Although considered by his peers to be one of the all-time finest American singer songwriters, Mickey Newbury is best known for the string of classic singles written by him but recorded by household names such as Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers and Andy Williams. His songs have been covered by others on over 1500 occasions. His talent as a songwriter, and indeed a vocalist, found him covering a wide range of genres throughout his career. Country, blues, jazz, western swing, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll all feature in his expansive body of work that presented on over twenty albums.
Whereas his albums were seldom more than moderate sellers, his genius was recognised and regaled by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Russell, Steve Earle, Waylon Jennings and John Prine who described him ‘as probably the best songwriter ever.’ He is also much loved by fellow Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Gretchen Peters, who sums up her regard for him on her website where she notes “Of all the songwriters of his era, he was the one I really listened to, he was a definite hero of mine. And I didn’t feel he was given his due as much as some of the others’’.
Gretchen was exposed to Newbury’s music from a young age. Her mother was a huge lover of his music and became equally enthusiastic about her daughter recording a tribute album, when they teased out the idea fifteen years ago.
She was also the ideal candidate to record a selection of his songs given that her own writing is similarly textured. To this extent, the listener unfamiliar with Newbury’s work could be forgiven for assuming that the material that makes up the album was composed by Peters.
Many of the original songs were recorded by Newbury at Cinderella Studios, Nashville’s oldest surviving independent studios. Peters and her co-producer and husband Barry Walsh visited that studio three years ago and were struck by both the sound and nostalgia of the room. Digging deeply into Newbury’s songbook they returned to the studio every few months and without any pressure or deadline, finalised the twelve tracks that made the album, often ignoring Newbury’s more well-known compositions.
Being in a position to knock on the doors of Nashville neighbours to join her and Walsh on the recording also was a winner. Newbury was renowned for his eagle eyed attention to detail in the studio and that level of perfection is duplicated here with the assistance of Will Kimbrough, Dave Roe, Eamon McLoughlin, Dan Dugmore, Charlie McCoy, Neilson Hubbard, Bryan Owings, Kim Richey and Buddy Miller.
Despite that collection of some of Nashville’s finest players on board, the majority of the songs are delivered in a low key style, Peters’ pristine vocals being the focal point, as she beautifully emphasises the emotion and spirit within the selected songs.
Collectively she and her accomplices only break sweat on the lively Why You Been Gone So Long and to a lesser degree Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In). The latter is a relaxed bluesy delight, bringing the song to life and a welcome addition to the treatment of Newbury’s original cut and Kenny Rogers’ remodelled version. The former was previously recorded by both Johnny Darrell and Jessi Coulter, but this latest reworking surpasses both of those efforts.
The title track The Night You Wrote That Song is the closing song from Newbury’s 1979 recording THE SAILOR – AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. Like the majority of his studio albums it made little or no commercial impact when released. The Sailor from that recording, is also the opening track selected by Peters. A short piano intro opens the track, before Peters’ crystal-clear vocals connect. It’s both a stunning and mournful performance and a taster for much of what follows, with Peters consistently breathing new life into songs that can boast truly touching and imaginative lyrics. The icing on the cake is the flawless production and playing throughout.
You win on the double by picking up a copy of this album. It’s another stunning album for fans of Gretchen Peters. It also gives those unfamiliar with the work of Newbury the opportunity to delve into his extensive body of work.
As was the case with Newbury, Gretchen Peters is also very much a songwriters’ songwriter. No doubt, future generations will also revisit and be influenced by her own personal songbook and this delight is a welcome addition to that stockpile.
Review by Declan Culliton
Prinz Grizzley To My Green Mountains Home Self Release
Chris Comper, aka Prinz Grizzley, released his debut album COME ON IN in 2017. Its core sound was very much Americana, an impressive blend of country, blues and folk. It established him as one of the premier acts emerging from Europe in the genre and earned him bookings at numerous festivals in Europe, including Kilkenny Roots in Ireland and Static Roots in Oberhausen, Germany. An invitation followed in 2018 to perform at AmericanaFest in Nashville, giving him and his band the opportunity to showcase their skills on that side of the Atlantic. Residing in the Bregenz Forest area of Voralberg in Austria, Comper and his bandmates have also toured relentlessly in Europe, establishing a solid following with their spirited live shows.
Having self-produced that debut album, he turned to Beau Bedford to oversee this time around. Bedford had worked with the country outlaw extrovert Paul Cauthen on his highly acclaimed 2018 album HAVE MERCY, an artist cut from the same musical cloth as Comper. With over sixty songs written for the album, he selected twenty to bring to the studio, eventually selecting the twelve that fitted the consistency he and Bedford strived for. In a reverse of the norm, rather than travel to Texas or Tennessee to work with Bedford, he invited the producer to Austria where they worked on the album for ten days at Nautilus Studios in Dornbirn, which is close to Comper’s hometown. The benefits of that decision were essentially two-fold: it gave Bedford the scope to get a feel for the writer's background and environment and also allowed Comper to have his band The Beargaroos in the studio for the recordings. Those band members comprise his long-time musical friend Johannes Bischof on pedal steel, together with two musicians from Switzerland with backgrounds in jazz, Claude Meier on bass and Andy Wettstein on drums.
The twelve songs selected cover a range of topics and emotions, from the sanctuary that his own home environment affords, to the drifting soul searching for a similar refuge. The musical styles shift from country rockers Cutting Wood and Nothing Left But Scars to dreamy pedal steel laced ballads Green Mountains, Drifting and Rush Little Man. The lattermost considers the colourless, mundane and repetitive existence often borne by the average working man.
You Don’t Know Love is bluesy, soul soaked and expansive and the equally chipper Shovel offers a groovy country soul vibe. It tells the tale of his great grandfather, who emigrated from Italy to Austria and the toils he encountered being accepted in his newly chosen homeland. Bookending the album is a sea shanty The Salty Life Of The Ocean, a further reminder of that safe haven of home.
Rather than a variation on the direction of his debut album, TO MY GREEN MOUNTAINS HOME finds Comper continuing on his musical travels from rock to roots. In a previous musical life, he had recorded four indie rock albums with his band Golden Reef. He’s challenging himself and expanding his musical war chest to store some soul infused nuggets alongside his trademark country rock offerings. In doing so he has also recorded an album that you’re well advised to check out.
Review by Declan Culliton
Hannah White & The Nordic Connections Self-Titled Paper Blue
Combining the silky vocals of Londoner Hannah White and the skilled Norwegian honky tonkers The Nordic Connection, this album follows hot on the heels of the well-received single City Beats from last year.White’s 2018 release ELEPHANT EYE earned her invitations to perform at Black Deer, Larmor Tree and The British Music Festival in 2019, where she played with The Nordic Connection as her backing band.
The Nordic collaboration shouldn’t come as a major surprise given the increasing amount of Americana - more appropriately Nordicana - emerging from that part of the world. White travelled to Bergen in Norway to record the album live in the studio with musician/producer HP Gundersen at the controls.
That punchy single City Beats offered a rootsy beat, sounded as if was plucked out of the mid 1960’s and showcased precisely how White’s polished vocal tones and the band's smooth groove fitted hand in glove. It’s one of a number of musical themes that the album visits, from the tearful country ballads Never Get Along, Start Again, Like We’ve Always Done and Man Without Men to the up-tempo soulful rocking power of Gotta Work Harder. The heartfelt My Father embraces the finer elements of folk and pop. Pay Me a Compliment, due for release as the next single from the album, is a ‘tug at the heartstrings’ ballad that could have been plucked from Elvis Costello’s late 70’s songbook.
There’s a recurring retro feel to the material that brings the listener back to eras when artists with this degree of talent would be hoovered up by record labels and given a generous budget to further develop their careers. Unfortunately, such luxuries do not exist in the current musical market. Hopefully with this release, White and her talented players will get the recognition that this most impressive and radio friendly album merits.
Review by Declan Culliton
Courtney Marie Andrews Old Flowers Loose
It’s generally accepted that relationship breakdowns are one of the paramount motivations and inspirations for artists to pour their hearts out and translate those sensibilities into songs. Heart rending for the writer at the time, dealing with loneliness and rejection, but the stimulant for classic recordings from Patsy Cline to Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to Bruce Springsteen.
Developing and maintaining a relationship for the average artist is difficult enough. Attempting to juggle the balancing act of gruelling touring schedules, an often unstructured career and a caring relationship is like walking a tightrope.
Courtney Marie Andrews has spent the best part of her musical career on the road. Her early career, while still in her teens, found her performing on stage with both Jimmy Eat World and Damien Jurado, before launching her own solo career with her breakthrough album HONEST LIFE in 2016, having recorded two previous albums which slipped under the radar at that time. As its title implies, that album offered a bird’s eye view of a young woman drawn to a particular lifestyle, while often yearning for a more uncomplicated existence. Given her uplifting vocal delivery and charming persona, it is easy to overlook the hurt and self-examination on that album. ‘‘All I've ever wanted was an honest life, to be the person that I really am inside’’ she admits on the title track, while Table For One and Rookie Dreamin’ spoke of the less desirable and unglamorous aspects of living out of a suitcase on tour.
OLD FLOWERS finds Courtney pouring her heart out once more, on this occasion after the dissolution of a nine-year relationship. The album is minimalistic by comparison to HONEST LIFE and LET YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN which followed two years later. The emphasis is on her striking vocal and the stories that vocal delivers. It wills the listener to concentrate on her words with minimum distraction. Andrews was discerning in the choice of company for the recording, seeking out allies that both understood where the material was coming from and the importance of ensuring that the production did not smother her sentiments. In this regard she engaged Andrew Sarlo as producer, and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Davidson who had toured with her both in Europe as her support act and as bass player on her American tour. Davidson (aka Twain and former member of The Low Anthem) plays pedal steel, bass, mellotron, piano, pump organ, celeste and Wurlitzer. The only other musician that features is James Krivchenia (Big Thief) who adds drums and percussion.
Rather than anger or heartbreak, the ten songs on the album are laced with reflection and sensitivity, more akin to a series of recollections of a romance from its arousing commencement on the beautiful If I Told You (‘‘what would you say if I told you you’re my last thought at the end of each night’’), to its dissolution on Guilty (‘‘I cannot give my love to you when I am guilty’’). The opening track Burlap String acts as a prologue for what follows as she ponders on the relationship with compassion rather than anger, her vulnerability and loneliness on public display. The vocals are precise, crystal clear as if ensuring no word or phrase are lost to the listener, the weeping pedal steel in the background is as sorrowful as her delivery. The equally moving Someone Else’s Fault feature her vocals double tracked, a technique that is repeated on a number of other tracks.
The unhurried piano intro on How You Get Hurt sets the scene perfectly on a song that would be heart breaking even if written fictionally. It’s simply beautiful with Andrew’s wonderfully paced vocals carrying a song that is laced with both emotion and tenderness.
‘’I hope one day we’ll be laughing together or alone’’ she considers on the mournful Together Or Alone, flanked by moody piano she wonders ‘’In some other lifetime would you pick me out again’’.
The number of aspiring American singer songwriters who have been both casually and lazily compared to Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt are numerous. Very few approach anything near Mitchell’s writing skills and Ronstadt’s honeyed vocals. Andrews is the exception and as her career continues to develop, comparisons to both become increasingly plausible and merited.
‘’You can’t water old flowers’’ she declares on the title track, accepting the finality of lost love and appraising it unambiguously in those five words. OLD FLOWERS is an album that equals anything she’s recorded before and will unquestionably feature in many ‘Best of 2020’ listings. It certainly will be at the business end of mine.
Review by Declan Culliton
Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts Ohbahoy Self Release
Rockford, Illinois is the home for this singer songwriter who has a lot to offer in terms of superbly crafted Americana songs and sounds. Over a career that has seen seven previous releases, Nielsen has displayed a keen eye for spotting a potent song arrangement and wrapping it up with strong imagery in the lyrics.
His band are a really tight unit and play together with a comfort and ease that really comes across on this new release. The production is shared by the band members and Duane Lundy and the impression is of a group who know exactly what they are looking for. The playing is full of colour and the melodies allow for plenty of input from each musician, whether it’s Miles Nielsen (guitar, vocals), Daniel James McMahon (guitar, vocals), Adam Plamann (keys, piano, horns, vocals), Dave McClellan (bass, vocals) or Jeff Werckle (drums, percussion).
The harmonies are really bright in the mix as is the terrific guitar lines of both Nielsen and McMahon. The rhythm section of Werckle and McClellan deliver a rich groove throughout and they anchor the arrangements with some impressive playing. The added textures of keyboards and horns are provided by Plamann and together it all makes for a very dynamic release. They are supported by Kelly Steward on vocals (a talented singer songwriter in her own right), Darren Garvey on drums and percussion (but no credits as to how many tracks) and Sadler Vaden who contributes additional guitar on Old Enough.
Being the son of the great Nick Nielsen can be a blessing or a curse and whereas the sound of this band has to acknowledge some of the influence of Cheap Trick, it by no means defines them in any way. There are also elements of Tom Petty along the way but the overall sound is very much in the americana/rock space with Miles more than capable of penning some killer songs of his own.
Starting out with two really strong numbers, Hands Up and Howl at the Moon, the band come out of the traps with everything in the mix – a great ensemble groove and a dynamic that only comes from playing together on a regular basis.
Old Enough channels some Beatles influence to my ears and the slower, nuanced tunes, like Ghosts and Big 3, sit nicely into the running order and don’t fight against the more up-tempo numbers. Life Is Hard Enough has a nice soulful delivery on vocals and the more commercial sounds of Heaven Only Knows and Hannah are attractive tunes that balance the overall flow of the album.
Review by Paul McGee
Kelly Steward Tales and Tributes of the Deserving and the Not So Self Release
This talented artist started out life in Rockford, Illinois before moving to Los Angeles in search of her dreams and making a mark in the music industry. After a few years, Steward subsequently decided to return home and to focus on developing a career on the local music circuit, together with raising her son. She released her first EP in 2000 and it was another eight years before her second EP arrived. Exactly what slowed her career progress is not very clear but suffice to say that any momentum was lost again with another three years passing before the appearance of a third EP in 2011.
These songs seemed to be rooted in personal perspective with a sense of chasing some lost horizon, undertones of isolation, feelings of unhappiness and wanting to reach out. Equally the sense of feeling lost and vulnerable in those songs was balanced by nods towards exploring new love, offering fellowship and more. The soulful, yearning quality in her voice always a compelling influence.
Now, seven years on from the last EP, we are given a fresh look at the talents of this interesting songwriter. The ten songs are all written by Steward and the running time of less than 30 minutes leaves you wanting more, which is always a good sign. Her approach here is more band-centric and the overall feel is one of more up-tempo tunes and less self- reflection.
Steward has a great band that has been backing her for the last number of years, including Greg Whitson, who co-produced this album with Steward. He also produced her 2011 EP, Out From Within, so his presence is an important factor, contributing on a variety of guitars (electric, acoustic, lap-steel, baritone), mandolin and banjo. Also in the band are Darren Garvey (drums), Scott Ford (bass) and Jon Rozman (violin). They are augmented in the studio by Miles Nielsen (rhodes, vocals), Dan Pitney (pedal steel), Jim Westin (keyboards) and Kristina Priceman (violin).
There is an easy swing to many of these songs as they fall into the traditional country arena, Generation, Restless Kind and Heartbreak Heart being prime examples. There are songs that seem to touch a more personal note and Earthquake tells of the anniversary of a death of someone who was close (family or friend)?
Travelin’ Ghost is another personal look at the journey taken and the illusions shattered along the path; feelings of wanting to make peace with the past. Golden Sun is a fine slice of down the road swagger and the strong vocal performance of Steward is always prominent in the production. No Time For Loving You brings everything to a very satisfactory conclusion and is a real rocker.
I am glad that Steward has returned to the recording studio and I can only hope that, this time around, the momentum is built upon and we get more from this rich voice and accomplished song-writer. Highly recommended.
Review by Paul McGee
American Aquarium Lamentations New West
An aquarium gives you a transparent view of life on the other side of the glass. It’s an appropriate metaphor for the divided state that exists in the American homeland of BJ Barham, founding band member and songwriter. Ever since 2006, his band has struggled to maintain an existence despite a growing fan-base and successive releases. It got to the point where splitting up seemed to be the only option. However, a turnaround in fortune happened in 2012 and the success of 2 albums released that year began a new chapter in the life of the band. There have been numerous line-up changes with musicians joining and leaving in a manner that would unsettle the best of artists, but through it all BJ Barham has kept the faith and his vision to endure. As he sings on final track, The Long Haul, ‘Ain’t never been the kind of guy to cut and run.’
While it is a laudable trait to have the courage of your convictions, the actual work has to be able to withstand the test of scrutiny and hard work is not always its’ own reward. The song, The Luckier You Get, tends to differ with this point of view but I do think that there is an element of tongue-in-cheek from Barham as he looks to dissect the illusion of the imaginary American dream; that assumption of equal rights for everyone and justice for all.
God has gone missing and greedy politicians turned up with lies and hidden agendas in the heartland. The downturn in tobacco production is the subject of Brightleaf and Burley, while the need to meet daily bills is tackled in Before the Dogwood Blooms and the tale of illegal trucking as a means to an end. Me and Mine (Lamentations) sums up the frustration, ‘They showed up, they shut us down; The same old story, the same old town.’ There are songs of hard-earned lessons and being wise after the event, where the personal failings of the character populate the songs. The drunk driver who lost his wife and child in Six Years Come September is similar to the sorry protagonist of How Wicked I Was, who realises that his past deeds have consequences and the reality of being without his daughter as she grows up. Again, the self-reflection and regret at love lost is the theme of The Day I Learned To Lie To You and you have to wonder if there is any light at the end of this tunnel. Well, help is at hand and the positive affirmation of Start With You brings a message of true love turning any negatives into positives. Hope for a better tomorrow and pride in identity is captured in A Better South and getting sober, staying the distance and being there is the final message in The Long Haul.
The ten tracks run to 40 minutes and the production from Shooter Jennings is big and bright with plenty of texture to bring colour to the melodies. The band is comprised of BJ Barham (acoustic guitar, vocals), Shane Boeker (electric guitar, vocals), Rhett Huffman (organ, piano), Neil Jones (pedal steel guitar), Ryan Van Fleet (drums, percussion) and Alden Hedges (bass guitar, vocals). The sound is very much Americana with some leaning towards Country influences, mainly in the understated playing of Neil Jones on pedal steel. The band are very strong throughout and add plenty to the arrangements, while the vocal tone of Barham conjures images of John Mellencamp and Bob Seger on occasion.
Review by Paul McGee