Justin Wells The United State Self Release
It’s a familiar path of many musicians - listening to a very different type of music as an adult, before drifting back to elements of the music they heard growing up. Wells was a member of the band Fifth On The Floor, who played their take on Southern rock. They recorded three albums with some success and their final release ASHES & ANGELS, produced by Shooter Jennings, made the Billboard Country charts. But then, as often happens with a band who have worked hard to achieve something together, they decide to split up after a number of notable final shows.
After a sense of uncertainty, Wells decoded to record a well received solo album DAWN IN THE DISTANCE. This album gained a lot of welcome critical praise that allowed him to move forward and he has now returned with his second solo album, a set of new self-composed songs and a single co-write. He worked as co-producer with Duane Lundy to forge these songs into a convincing album. This was done accompanied by a set of sympathetic musicians such as Laur James (formerly of Sturgill Simpson’s band), Alex Munoz, and the brothers Daxx and Miles Nielsen (who also do duty with Cheap Trick and the Rusted Hearts, respectively) who contribute here alongside a number of other fine players.
However, it is the quality of Wells' voice and writing that stand out. He also took a different approach to recording the album by setting out a trail guide of what the journey might take. Uppermost in his mind was the consideration of the meaning of love, of loss, of caring about others with an open mind while allowing the contradictions, the mistakes and the positive nature that accompanies life in these times.
So that means going from the positive outlook of It’ll All Work Out to the more considered After The Fall. The sound has elements of soulfulness, southernness and a little roots country to sweeten the flavour. The guitars are front and centre, with keyboards also taking an important and textured part in the overall sound. Wells in the past has toured with Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton and Blackberry Smoke. Fans of all those acts will likely find something here to please them too.
The album opens with a short ambient instrumental You’ll Never Know How Much I Love You signalling a broader take than the normal, before laying out its musical passage in a further eleven songs. A consistent number of the songs that have an immediate impact. Songs like The Screaming Song, No Time For A Broken Heart, After The Fall and Temporary Blue all have the benefit of being led by Wells’ vocal prowess and a likeable and effective musical accompaniment that mixes a solid rhythm section, driving guitars and a layer of textural keyboards which bring these soul roots songs to fruition. This is a united state you can believe in.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Steve Scott No Love For the Common Man Self Release
Here is a musician who stands up for what he believes in. His website claims a roots music influence and his stated colours are those of Rust Belt Country, a term that was created to describe the urban decline in American cities, impacted by the loss of jobs in a variety of manufacturing industries and beyond.
His music is also in the space of contemporary folk as his social message hits against the corporate and political greed that impacts upon the lives of so many working-class families. Based in Detroit, he has witnessed first-hand the protracted decline in the city, caused by many factors, chief among which was the fall of the auto industry as a major employer in what was famously called the ‘Motor City.’
Scott is not a Trump supporter to put it mildly. We Know They Lied is an angry song on this EP and it hits out at the lack of care or interest shown in the plight of the citizens of Detroit. Indeed, in 2013, Detroit became the largest U.S. city to be declared bankrupt with $18.5 billion debt and the mayor sentenced to hard time for corruption and racketeering charges. Since then, efforts have been made to tackle the issues caused by thousands of empty buildings around the city.
Songs like Livin’ On Love and Time Waits For No One ask questions about the reality of daily survival and whether love itself is enough to sustain. Final song, I Think About You, is aimed towards one who perhaps got out and went elsewhere to create a new reality.
The musicians on this EP are quite superb in bringing these tunes into full technicolour. Scott plays acoustic guitar and mandolin, in addition to contributing lead vocals. The superb playing of David Mosher on fiddle and mandolin is a highlight on a number of tracks, as is the impassioned backing vocals of Kristin VonBernthal. Todd Glass on drums, together with John Barron on both electric and upright bass run the engine room with great authority and verve, while the guitars of both Garret Bielaniec and Tiziano Scott add plenty of nuance to the arrangements. Add in some fine accordion from Mark Iannace and banjo from Dave Feeny to brighten the mix and you have a very enjoyable six tracks of artistic endeavour.
Produced and written by Steve Scott, with studios in both Detroit and Ireland utilised, this third release sees an artist fully focused on delivering quality – even down to the excellent packaging that includes a yellow ‘police line do not cross’ ribbon and cover art that superimposes riot police imagery on the soldiers arresting the principal figures in the painting, The Taking of Christ, by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – presumably for public order violations! A true reflection of the times we now find ourselves surrounded by!
Review by Paul McGee
Jaron Reid Raven^sky I Can’t Take the Darkness Anymore Self Release
This is quite a project and equally, quite a listening experience. With twenty-five songs spread across two discs and a total running time of over ninety minutes, a review is not to be taken on lightly!
The packaging is top class with an expansive gate fold sleeve and art work, plus liner notes and booklet that contain colour images, lyrics to a selection of tracks and quotes from many different world figures, like Maya Angelou, Leonard Cohen, Buddha, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Paolo Coelho, Leonardo da Vinci, Townes Van Zandt and a medicine song from Geronimo.
It is this last influence that gives a hint to the inspiration that gripped Jaron Rovensky in conceiving this artistic endeavour. His childhood was part of the family of first nation indigenous peoples in Canada and the track, Broken Down, addresses some of the issues experienced in being a minority group on a land that was once their entire domain. There are many different styles on the album, from the Irish melody of I Do Believe, to the country sounds of Further Down The Road. The bar-room blues of A Very Dangerous Stash and the Folk influenced message of extinction in our natural habitat on The Hologram Zoo, all the way to the Bossa nova swing of A Henry Miller Romance. There are love songs, For You, My Love, Just For You and In It For Love, plus the R&B leanings of Name Of the Game and Ruby Heart Stealer & Ricky Love Dealer.
It’ all very impressive, beautifully performed and delivered by the variety of musicians involved over different time frames. There were recordings in 2016 at MCC in Calgary; then in 2017 at Prairie Sun studios in California and separately in Edmonton. Mastering was carried out in 2019 in California and the production duties were all overseen by Rovensky himself. The core band were Andrew Borger (drums), Adam Levy (guitar), David Piltch (bass) and Jake Peters (banjo, mandolin, ukulele). Rovensky plays guitar and takes all lead vocals, plus spirit and medicine drums on different tracks.
Other musicians were given input on a remote basis and credit for their parts would be a long list. Suffice to say that a further four musicians played a role via the internet and were joined by another nine players at the Calgary sessions AND a further six participants at the Edmonton recordings! That’s a total that stretches into the teens, with only Jake Peters involved at all three locations, along with Rovensky.
There is a tent show feel to the message of excess and hedonism on Crick Crack Crickity Crack and the deep groove of Old Uncle Louis is right out of the Tom Waits songbook, all angular rhythm and offbeat melody lines. Rovensky sounds like Waits on a few tracks but can also channel Dr John or Roger Chapman at other times; quite a varied voice, especially as he can also deliver a fine ballad with no vocal intonation, such as The Most Beautiful Swans In the World or Fading Away.
The soulful funky sound of Back To Jungo is very cool and insists on active participation while the tempo of Big Black Hole is a light jazz mambo with brass section adding heightened passion. The slow country sound of When You Can’t Let Go, Let Go is a standout among so many strong songs, with violin and pedal steel drifting along on the melody. So much to admire here and a real testament to both the bravery and artistic vision of this talented young musician.
Review by Paul McGee
Ross Newell Live From Eddie Owen Presents Self Release
This is a very welcome return to the table for a talented singer-songwriter who has many gifts to share. As the original creative source and founding member of the Mulligan Brothers, a superb band from Mobile, Alabama, Newell has been honing his song craft over many years now. The three studio albums released by that band are all highly recommended, full of great melodies and songs that reflect the daily push and pull of everyman, in trying to make real connection and looking for enduring meaning.
Ross Newell sings with a voice that is both quietly hypnotic and sweetly warm in tone. He is also a very fine guitar player, as this live album highlights. It is something of a brave move to record a solo record in a live setting with nothing but the naked spotlight of stripped-down guitar and vocals. The fact that there are no mishaps during the performance or song delivery is true testament to an artist who really should be playing to a much bigger demographic.
With the band on a prolonged hiatus (never say never), Newell has decided to put out an album that really shines a light on his winning ways, not only in the writing but also in the confident, relaxed manner in which he delivers these nine songs. Recorded at the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth, Georgia, a venue that hosts songwriter nights under the banner of ‘Eddie Owen Presents’ - his set ran for 40-plus minutes and included 6 songs from the previous Mulligan Brothers albums, plus 3 new songs that were given an airing in front of a very enthusiastic audience.
An added bonus is the presence of The Krickets, a female trio from the gulf coast who deliver the most captivating harmony singing, with a blend of Folk and Americana influences in their music. Here, they join Newell for the last 2 songs of his set and bring plenty of colour and nuance to the versions of Red Dress Lady and Sensible Shoes.
There is real quality to the whole production, with a crystal-clear sound and an easy atmosphere to the proceedings that makes you feel like you were actually in the venue yourself. The new songs are, Hold The Door, which espouses good manners and that proper habits mark the man “just be somebody who says sorry when you’re wrong.” I Miss You Already is a song of wanting to freeze the moment to capture a special feeling towards his wife and of gratitude for the life they have. That Stagger Lee Song is a salutary tale of defending one’s rights in the face of intimidation and is a story song that spins a timeless message.
Elsewhere, another story song, I Know That Man, tells a tale of domestic abuse and sweet revenge. Kaleidoscope is a tale of life on the road and filled with lonely feelings of self-doubt and aimless drifting. So Are You is a song about making a stand and striking out for independence and identity in following your dreams, while Roseanne is an old favourite and tells the secrets of the archetypical tour bus that hauls musicians all over the highways of America. Great puns in the lyrics and double entendres to the fore! Newell breaks out his harmonica on this one to add great dynamic to the performance.
Sensible Shoes is a highlight with its caustic look at the downtown nightlife in Mobile and the pretty girls who stumble around in high heels looking for storybook romance or some tenuous connection. Newell observes that ‘everybody here’s a stranger we just know each other’s names’ and captures the hedonistic need to escape the daily routine in the lines “all our sunrise reverends are sunset sinners too.” Excellent stuff throughout and a highly recommended album.
Review by Paul McGee
Lynn Miles We’ll Look For Stars CRS
Yet another in a long line of superbly crafted albums from a true artist of the highest calibre. Miles has been putting meaning into the often-senseless foibles of love and longing for so long that she has pretty much covered the entire book of tangled romances and the questions that plague us in our quests to make some sense of anything that may endure. Not that she ever gives us the answers, for there are none, more often than not. Yet there is a sense of knowing that the journey taken was all the more worthwhile because Lynn Miles has your back and winks with a knowing smile that says - just keep on going…
There are 11 songs here and not a weak one among them. Opening in reflective mood (We’ll Look For Stars) and asking to face the long road together, hold on to each other, have strength to endure as we are ‘at the mercy of the undertow.’ It’s wrapped around simple piano melody, like a lullaby that soothes and observes ‘we think we’re made of steel; we’re made of tin.’
Next up is time captured in a moment, self comfort, taking solace and a cautionary fairy tale with a sweet vocal (The Saddest Song I Ever Wrote), and followed by a song (A Heart Can Only Take So Much) that has questions around why we do what we do. Weary from trying, having a rough patch. Change happens anyway. There is always a sense of longing in these songs and words that never quite reconciles.
There is a tribute to Merle Haggard (Merle), who was clearly an artist that Miles revered in her youth when learning from the song-writing bible; she sings of his ‘heartbreak voice and a twinkling eye.’ We are then asked about being frozen inside and feeling disconnected from both life and from the self (Restless) - bored with the repetition. “Nothing’s quite as empty as a dreamless world.” Plus, the lines - “I’ve got a billion questions with answers I’m never gonna know.”
Onwards to a song that reflects life experiences and knowledge gained(Old Soul), lessons learned along the rocky road; independence and self- belief. “She’s got a smile that never shows up too soon.” And “on every dark road she’s paid her toll.”
The aftermath of a breakup, feeling out of control, relationship woes (The World Is Spinning) is never easy, “another day older, another new scar.” Life changes us and points us down strange paths (She Drinks), self destructive thoughts and giving up - regret is not always a kind option to select.
The disappearing small towns (Main Street) all across rural USA is a bitter pill for local communities; memories tainted by time and old values crushed by supposed progress. Then there is the freedom of youth (In the Wilderness), all that energy and innocence, perhaps taking place in the same small town of the previous song?
Finally, the risks of loving are brought full circle (Because We Love) and the abiding message that life must be lived and not feared. As always there is quiet comfort in these songs of loss and pain. As if sharing these insights brings a resolve and the will to keep living through it all. Essential.
Review by Paul McGee
Caleb Caudle Better Hurry Up Self Release
He may be a new name to many, but BETTER HURRY UP is the eight studio album from Caleb Caudle. He was raised in the foothills of the Appalachians in North Carolina and his early passion for music was fuelled by regularly singing in church with his family. His conversion from casual singer to creative writer was inspired by his introduction to the work of Bob Dylan by his art teacher in high school.
Caudle and his wife and manager Lauren moved from North Carolina to Nashville in 2019, joining the bourgeoning community of singer songwriters that have been relocating to that city in recent years. Three days after arriving, he headed to the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville outside Nashville to put down the tracks for this album. The small structure was built by Cash in 1979 as his private shelter, a sanctuary to chill out at when he returned from touring.
John Jackson of Jayhawks fame came on board as producer and an impressive line up of backing vocalists contributed, including fellow Jayhawk Gary Louris, Elizabeth Cook, Courtney Marie Andrews and John Paul White. Those voices feature on eight of the eleven tracks, with both Cook and White adding backing vocals on the swampy opener Better Hurry Up.
Caudle also called on a stellar bunch of players to back him including Laur Joamets on guitar (Drivin’N’Cryin), Dennis Crouch on bass (Elton John, Leon Russell), Sturgill Simpson, Russ Pahl on pedal steel (Dan Auerbach, Kacey Musgraves). Both Pat Sansone (Wilco) and Rhett Huffman (American Aquarium) add keyboards.
The album’s groove developed from Caudle cramming on the roots and bluesy sounds of Leon Russell, The Band, Little Feat and J.J. Cale and all these influences clearly emerge across the eleven tracks.
Regular Riot is a breezy Jayhawks sounding track, enhanced courtesy of some dreamy pedal steel and slick guitar licks. It’s also a co-write with Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen and interestingly it is the first time Caudle has written with anyone.
Monte Carlo is pacey and rocks along, with Elizabeth Cook sharing the mic and adding backing vocals. The bouncy Feelin’ Free nods in the direction of The Band, it’s relaxed and rootsy and you can almost picture Levon Helm leaning into the mic while directing the show with his drum beat.
Caudle is as capable as doing quiet as he is delivering more funky upbeat songs. A point in case is the gorgeously laid-back Bigger Oceans, which closes the album. It’s a laid back and gloriously loose inclusion. His parents arrived at Cash Cabin for the last day’s recording and were invited to join in the backing vocals on this track, turning back the clock to when they sang side by side with him at church in his childhood days.
Review by Declan Culliton
Samantha Crain A Small Death Real Kind
“With this album, I just wanted to have some fun. I’ve spent the majority of my young adulthood taking myself and my music very seriously.” So said Samantha Crain on the release of her 2017 album YOU HAD ME AT GOODBYE, which was yet another outstanding recording to add to the impressive back catalogue of the Oklahoma resident.
Little did she know at that time of the traumatic life changing events that were to follow, and which became the platform and stimulus to record A SMALL DEATH. The Choctaw singer, songwriter and poet, was involved in a number of car crashes, suffering serious injury which limited the use of both of her hands. The uncertainty of a full recovery and being unable to play guitar left her scarred both mentally and physically, with the prospect of continuing her music career in doubt. This scenario was all the more distressing for an artist that freely admits to working double shifts in the catering industry between tours, to finance her next album and tour.
Despite the devastation and unpredictability which she faced, her fighting spirit prevailed and she turned the tables on those dark times to create her most personal album to date. She also self-produced this time around, which gave her absolute freedom to record on her own terms and in her own time scale. She was signed to the newly formed Real King Record label, which was created by the talented U.K. artist Lucy Rose, whom Samantha had toured with in recent years.
I have to admit that on first listen I put the opening track An Echo on repeat before moving on to the rest of the album, such was its impact on me. It was the first song she wrote when her health improved and was the motivator to complete the project. It’s one of a number of standout tracks alongside Reunion, Pastime and Constructive Eviction, all of which head in an indie direction, pedal steel, brass and guitars all connecting impeccably beside Crain’s striking vocals. There are also some dreamy relaxed ballads on offer. Longing for an old acquaintance surfaces on Joey, and Tough For You speaks of resilience and fortitude, a recurring topic on the album.
“When we remain, we will be the flowers and the trees and the vines that overcome the forgotten city” she announces on When We Remain. It’s a positive and defiant statement from an artist whose character and inner strength has transported her from despair to regeneration with this hugely impressive album.
Review by Declan Culliton
David Starr Beauty & Ruin Cedaredge
The ninth album from David Starr was inspired by the novel Of What Was, Nothing Is Left, written by his grandfather Fred Starr in 1972. The themes of love, tragedy, family dysfunction and jealousy in rural southwest Arkansas, so eloquently characterised in the book, are adapted to song on the eleven tracks on this album.
Alongside his career as a singer songwriter, Starr is the proprietor of the music store Starr’s Guitars in his home town of Cedaredge in Colorado. Starr engaged an impressive line up to both co-write and contribute to the project. John Oates shares the writing credits on six of the tracks. Doug & Telisha Williams (The Wild Ponies) wrote Bury The Young and Jim Lauderdale, Dana Cooper, Shelley Rae Korntved, Wood Newton and Irene Kelley all lend a hand in the compositions.
Rather than simply repeat the books story, the songs are drawn from characters and locations described in the novel. Laurel Creek, the name of the family farm, tells of the son leaving home for the army. The bastard son tells his tale of disgrace in the standout track My Mother’s Shame and the title track is an impressive ballad of love won and lost. Starr’s vocals are calm and relaxed as he articulates the struggle between darkness and light on a grouping of songs that work well as a unit, notwithstanding the number of writers involved. The album is delightfully packaged with photography courtesy of Dana Cooper and a lyric booklet.
“It’s not your time, it’s just one more storm. We are like leaves scattered in the wind. You will rise up, rise up again.” Starr sings on Rise Up Again. Informed words indeed, that particularly ring true in these difficult times.
Review by Declan Culliton
James Steinle What I Came Here For Shotgun House
SOUTH TEXAS HOMECOMING, the 2018 debut recording by James Steinle, was his entry card into that collective of young artists most likely to become veterans of the Texas music scene in the years ahead. His latest offering WHAT I CAME HERE FOR is steeped in a similar groove. With his free and easy delivery style, he follows a similar template to the one that worked so well on that debut recording. His approach is simple - capture the uncomplicated everyday life occurrences in East Texas, translate them into song and deliver them in his classic drawl.
The album was overseen by fellow Texan singer songwriter and producer Bruce Robison, with accompanying Austin musicians Geoff Queen (pedal steel, guitar), Scott Davis (bass, banjo, percussion, B3 organ), and Richie Millsap (drums, percussion). Juliet McConkey is credited as a co-writer on In Love Again (Two Different Languages) and also adds shared spoken word with Steinle on What I Came Here For – Prelude. Jamie Lin Wilson, Caitlin Palmer and Rich Brotherton also contribute backing vocals.
Steinle's father was a dentist in an oil company, which led to a nomadic childhood for Steinle. He spent the best part of a decade living in the Middle East and a further year in Germany. The experience gave him ample ammunition for his writing but, as this album title implies, Texas is home and the Lone Star State has fuelled him with both the ammunition and the inspiration to put pen to paper.
Black & White Blues kicks off proceedings in fine style. It’s a boisterous tale of a character down on his luck, on the run from both the cops and a gang, for speeding and murder. A thumping bass line drives the rhythm alongside crisp guitar breaks. Other high-spirited inclusions are the raunchy and bluesy Blue Collar Martyr, which bemoans the shrinking job market for the blue collar worker, and the funky Sentimental Bridge with its Stones-like Exile on Main Street era chorus.
Steinle can also tread a quieter path with equal effect. A point in case is the title track. It features the previously mentioned spoken prelude, before morphing into a brooding ballad that reminisces and contemplates. He’s no slouch when navigating love won and lost either. In The Garden is a ‘paint by numbers’ country charmer. It includes customary teary lyrics, weeping pedal steel and a divine melody. Without You also visits the 'love lost and unlikely to be reborn' theme. Steinle’s vocals are delivered semi-spoken and he’s joined by Jamie Lin Wilson to beef up the chorus. Impressive as those two tracks are, completing the trilogy of tear streaked weepies and the stand out of the three is the sad country duet In Love Again (Two Different Languages). The vocal exchanges between Steinle and Juliet McConkey could sit comfortably on any Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn album.
Steinle signs off with Well, So Long, a reflection on a previous relationship whether fictional or actual. It’s a fitting finale to an album that’s a must have for patrons of textbook Texan song writing.
Review by Declan Culliton