Moot Davis Seven Cities Of Gold Self Release
From the opening moments of this album it seems that Moot Davis will again divide opinion about his musical direction. Those of us who were able to easily accommodate, and indeed love, the mix of rock, rockabilly and country on his last album HIERACHY OF CROWS are happy to get aquainted with this new set of songs, which takes the template of that album and improves on it. Again it is co-produced by Blake Oswald and Jody Sappington, alongside Davis. They give Davis an upfront and centre platform to deliver these songs, which feature perhaps his best vocal performances to date. Here he has a confidence and swagger that has its antecedents in Dwight Yoakam, with a touch of Jagger swagger on the side.
Having listened to the album several times now, it feels like something special and for those who connect all the reference points from the past it points a way to a future. Now I may sound somewhat hypocritical here, as in the past I have not been overly enamoured by acts who, in their live performances, veer towards overblown metal overtures rather than tapping into something slightly more primal and rockin’. That all three producers are also here as players may have something to do with the cohesive sound that easily slips from one mode to the next.
Joining them are guitarist Bill Corvino, Gary Morse on steel, electric sitar and guitar as well as dobro and banjo, additional guitarist and vocalists Al Backstrom and Dean Edwards, as well as LA scene stalwart Skip Edwards on B3. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and draws form that city’s deep musical roots and branches.
While Davis is the main songwriter, here he is joined on some of the material by co-writers Ted Russell Kamp and Katie Garnett, as well as Oswald. The one cover of a well know song is a vibrant and very different take on Willie Nelson’s Crazy, built around a prominent 12 string guitar sound that takes you right back to the 80s while sounding anything but a simple retread. There is not a song out of place here and all add up to very engaging listen from start to finish even, though there may be some who will find the darker sentiment of the final break-up song Annunaki War Bride not exactly to their taste. However, its mix of Theremin electronics and electric guitars is hard to ignore and a makes it a memorable way to close the album.
Hey Hey opens the proceedings with B3 and a song that has an innate catchiness (as do many of the songs) and a 60s sense of adventure. Lassoed And Lost follows, its pedal steel driving the song into Palamino territory. The pace is slowed down for the ballad Turn In The Wind And Burn, which has banjo prominent, to set the tone for a tale of a drifting lover that marks a perfect counterpoint to the more forceful material. The title track sounds like would easily fit as a theme for a quirky adventure movie. Lonely Road details just that - a man trying to find his place and his direction in life. California is a plea to a friend for a return from that perhaps not so golden State to something more grounded. Travel is central to Interstate Girl, a love song to long distance romance. Again the B3 and guitar are familiar but intertwine to give the track its focus. Lone Radio Star leans towards a harder edged sound that sounds like it should have been a big hit a few years ago, and should be again.
This new album from Davis reinforces his talent as both writer and singer. He is making the music that he hears in his head, and that it is not simply the solid traditional sounding country of his early albums shows that he is happy to broaden out his sonic template, and to bring those who have followed him from those first steps along with him. Those who don’t want to keep pace with Moot Davis will miss out on these nuggets of gold that mine a rich seam of his individual take on vision and its virtuosity.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Katie Mae & The Lubrication Yellow Medicine Hills Self Release
Arizona native and a high school maths teacher by day, YELLOW MEDICINE HILLS is a five track EP by Katie Mae and her band, The Lubrication. Katie’s music journey follows a similar path to many others that eventually find themselves in the alt-country/Americana genre. Describing her sound as ‘interpretive country and alt-western’, her ‘go to’ music in her younger years was punk, but her early attempts to start a punk band were thwarted when she failed to attract any other musicians to join her. She gravitated towards open mic sessions, which kicked off her career as a solo artist. She now fronts both The Lubrication and psychedelic punk band Chzbrgr Panic.
This album follows their 2020 EP HAZY ANGEL and in a similar, but possibly more forceful vein, it delivers a suite of raw and dark songs presented by Katie’s gritty vocals, that twang and crack in all the right places. She’s not holding back lyrically either, the bluesy breakup track Ain’t Tryin’ echoes Lucinda Williams’ Changed The Locks in both the lyrics and its delivery. The title track finds her layered drawled vocals in front of some aching pedal steel. It’s laden with catchy hooks and equally striking is the laid back and gloriously loose Say When.
If you like your country left of centre, plaintively sad vocals and slick playing, track this album down and give it a spin. You won’t be disappointed.
Review by Declan Culliton
Noel McKay Blue, Blue, Blue Self Release
Texan singer songwriter Noel Mc Kay should be known to readers of Lonesome Highway from his work with musical partner and an artist much loved by us, Brennen Leigh, together with his solo back catalogue. Originally a member of the duo The McKay Brothers, they came to the attention of Guy Clark back in 1993, which resulted in a number of co-writes by Noel and that legendary songsmith.
Clark’s Grammy winning album MY FAVOURITE PICTURE OF YOU, included the song El Coyote, one of those co-writes, and another, Flying And Falling, features among the twelve tracks on BLUE, BLUE, BLUE. This song came about following an actual accident which resulted in a stay in a hospital emergency room for Clark and it typifies the pair’s ability to turn near tragedy into a light-hearted song. Equally humorous is the closing track You Outta Write A Song About That. The idea for this song emerged from the numerous approaches McKay has encountered by punters after a show suggesting ideas for songs he should write.
Sleeping In My Car recalls sleeping in car parks, washing in gas stations and often been moved on by the police, when at a low point in his career. When This Town Was Cool is delivered with a semi-spoken intro, telling the tale of old timers, with purple tinted glasses, recounting how much better things were back in the good old days. A co-write with Brennen Leigh, who adds backing vocals, Real Cowboy takes a light hearted poke at the plastic cowboy that moved into his hometown of Bandera, Texas (‘a real cowboy lost his ranch to the banker, a fake cowboy owns them big oil tanker). Lurlene is a toe tapping rocker, written with another Lonesome Highway favourite, Becky Warren. Its inspiration came from McKay’s grandmother, who worked in a women’s Texas apparel store back in the day, despite the protestations of her husband, who felt he had sufficient means to support them both.
The 50 Loneliest Places In The Nation could have been plucked from the Glen Campbell songbook. The bones of the song came to McKay in a dream, where he imagined encountering Roger Miller singing the chorus. Upon waking, he reached for his guitar and recorded the song onto his phone.
There is a noticeable tenderness embedded in many of the tracks on BLUE, BLUE, BLUE but particularly on the tear jerker title track of lost love and break up. In essence, the album recalls the work of the classic singer songwriters that have prompted McKay’s three-decade career. Guy Clark and Dave Olney, both pals of his and sadly departed, come to mind while listening to this polished set of songs.
Review by Declan Culliton
Tony Kamel Back Down Home The Next Waltz
The latest album produced by Bruce Robison and released on his The Next Waltz label is a debut solo recording from Tony Kamel. A member of the Grammy nominated four-piece bluegrass outfit Wood and Wire, Kamel was a late comer as a career musician, having not performed professionally until 2012, when he joined that Austin based quartet.
With an eagle eye for talent in the country music genre and particularly supportive of local Texan emerging acts, Robison had been encouraging Kamel to write and record a solo album for a number of years. That finally came to pass when BACK DOWN HOME was recorded over a few days at The Bunker Studio in Lockhart Studios. The result is a laid-back suite of songs that sounds like a collection of talented players having a lot of fun in the studio. Those players that sat in with Kamel were Noah Jeffries on fiddle and mandolin, Bill Whitbeck on bass and Geoff Queen who added pedal steel, slide guitar, dobro and mandolin. Backing vocals were provided by Kelley Mickwee, Alice Spencer and Kevin Russell, all members of Austin band Shinyribs. Bruce Robison and Dominic Fisher also added their vocals to the mix.
Trying to make sense of the world we currently live in, Amen is a ‘call to arms’ to stay positive despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. It’s an upbeat opener with tingling piano, lap steel and horns breathing life into a song that brings to mind Kamel’s fellow Texan, Hayes Carl. From that opening track to the equally hopeful old timey closer Change, you’re treated to a treasure chest of songs that flow seamlessly from each to the next. That final track features Kamel’s vocals supported only by a single haunting fiddle and harmony vocals. More up-tempo and easy on the ear are the J.J.Cale sounding Slow On The Gulf and Let It Slide, the latter finds him showcasing his bluegrass roots. He’s equally comfortable working an old-time country tune with Johnny Law and the horn drenched Heat is a swampy and bluesy romp.
BACK DOWN HOME is simply a fun listen from start to end. Kamel’s expressive vocals, the stellar playing and slick vocal harmonies point towards a group of people having a fine time. The album title suggests comfortable and familiar surroundings, Kamel and his cohorts appear to have precisely found that spot at The Bunker Studios.
Review by Declan Culliton
Danny George Wilson Another Place Loose
The title of Danny George Wilson’s second solo album could refer to the changed world as we now know it or simply to the town of Lewes in Sussex which entered his universe pre- Covid. The front man with Danny and The Champions of The World, and the now disbanded Grand Drive, and a member of Bennett, Wilson, Poole, became the co-owner of Union Music Store in Lewes along with his fellow partner in crime and music critic Del Day, whose previous life in the industry included PR and promotional work. The store has earned a lofty reputation as an invaluable source for a range of diverse and specialist albums, shifting from jazz to folk and Americana to Indie, fuelled by its owners’ eclectic musical tastes and interests.
It also resulted in Wilson’s introduction to local studio wizard Hamish Benjamin, a young man obsessed with the challenge of experimentation and blending lo-fi and hi-fi with traditional electric guitar, often couched behind harmonised vocals. What kicked off as idle chat in the shop soon developed into a lot more. Their discussions led to Wilson providing Benjamin and his multi-instrumentalist friend Henry Garratt with a number of songs, many of which were conceived during his commute between London and Lewes. Following on, Wilson found himself in Hamish’s Somewhere Studio where, alongside Garratt, the album started to take shape. Others that guested on the recording were Wynntown Marshals pedal steel player Iain Sloan, East Nashville via Australia chanteuse Emma Swift, Gerry Love from Teenage Fanclub and none other than Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fame.
What is instantly striking about the album is how far removed the sound is from Wilson’s usual comfort zone. His trademark soulful roots sound has been replaced by an altogether more gritty and liberating one, which, for some reason, brought Neil Young’s SLEEPS WITH ANGELS to mind. If you’re expecting crystal clear lyrics in front of a silky-smooth production, you’re in for a surprise. This is gloriously muddy, often crowded and grungy - just check out the track I Wanna Tell You - and the perfect result of a combination of inputs coming from different directions.
Other tracks that populate a similar universe are Can You Feel Me and the driving Giving Away Too Much, the latter which would not have been out of place on a late 70’s album from the post punk band Magazine. Not surprisingly and no doubt at Wilson’s insistence, he sought room for a more typical Danny and The Champs number and the title track occupies that space with a melody laden track that’s most likely going to feature on his setlists going forward. He also draws breath on the gorgeously melodic ballad I Would Be In Love (Anyway), sharing the vocals with the aforementioned and sweet voiced Emma Swift and he remains in the same lilting space with Inbetween The Love, which swiftly follows.
No doubt Danny will return to his trusted and well-loved smooth soulful sound with his Champions of The World in the future. In the meantime, this wonderfully experimental album connects a fine vocalist and songwriter with a pair, in Benjamin and Garratt, that recognised a duskier side to Wilson’s songs and thrived in the task of intensifying them. Unlike previous albums from Wilson, you won’t be dancing around to this on a Saturday night. However, pop the headphones on, pour yourself a glass of what you fancy and you’re in for a treat.
Review by Declan Culliton
Jeremy Pinnell Goodbye L.A. SofaBurn Records
The third album from Jeremy Pinnell finds him instilling a more rocky edge to his country outpourings than have surfaced on his previous recordings. His confessional debut album OH/KY, struck a nerve with its personal tales of painful demons and hard living. Recorded in 2015 it was followed two years later by the somewhat more relaxed TIES OF BLOOD AND AFFECTION. With his weather-worn vocals, multiple tattoos, carefree demeanour and classic country tunes, Pinnell painted a portrait of an authentic modern-day outlaw artist. He also earned a reputation as one of the hardest working in the genre, constantly on the road and playing six nights most weeks with his trusted band. GOODBYE L.A. was written on the road by Pinnell and the tracks had already been recorded at Sam’s Place in Austin Texas, when Covid hit. With his financial lifeline severed, the completion of the album was put on hold until now.
Having been impressed by the production on Nikki Lane’s HIGHWAY QUEEN album, Pinnell called on Jonathan Tyler to oversee the recording for this album. Intending to draw Pinnell out of his comfort zone, Tyler succeeds in putting down a lusher sound, without entirely deserting the trademark rawness and ruggedness of the album’s predecessors.
With most of the songs written while touring, it’s no surprise that quite a few dwell on the strains that life on the road can put on relationships, particularly when the financial rewards very seldom equal the toils that the touring musician endures. Big Ol’ Good, Night Time Eagle and Doing My Best all fall into this category. Attempts to seek out an alternative career path surface on Wanna Do Something, the end result being a return to his artistic career and an acceptance of who he is. Those life choices taken by Pinnell and his band also come to bear on Fighting Man.
Having overcome substance abuse in the past and carved out a successful career as a working musician, the title track speaks volumes of the good place Pinnell presently inhabits. In the song he makes reference to the aspiration by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys that ‘I wish they all were California girls’ by replying ‘he ain’ t seen my woman with the long hair and curls. She might kill you in the night, she might love you in the day, but she’s a good woman who knows how to stay’.
The previously referenced Big Ol’ Good opens the album and signposts its direction from the word go. There’s less honky tonk and more muscle and bluster on offer here than on Pinnell’s previous albums. However, the country flavours remain, as does the confident swagger of a tunesmith of unlimited talent.
Review by Declan Culliton
Bob Bradshaw The Ghost Light Fluke
A most enjoyable album from Boston based singer, Bob Bradshaw. He was born in Ireland and went travelling at a young age before arriving in America and working his way to a Berklee College of Music graduation back in 2009. His recorded output has been very steady, gaining much praise for the assured song-writing and an observational style of reflecting the world around him. In the promotional notes received, Bradshaw says that “I write to create, to imagine, and every track on this album is its own little world.”
Bradshaw contributes on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, plus national resonator guitar across these eleven excellent tracks, joined by an array of talent that includes; James Rohr on Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards and vocals; both Dave Brophy and Mike Connors on drums and percussion; Andrew Stern on electric and slide guitar; Andy Santospago on electric guitar, pedal steel and vocals; Dave Shrewsbury on Hammond B-3 Organ; Zachariah Hickman, Joe McMahon, Ed Lucie, Dave Westner, John Sheeran and Scoop McGuire, all on bass (various songs); Annalise Emerick, Brit Connors and Mark Lipman on backing vocals; Mike De Niro on vibes; Chad Manning on fiddle and Francisco Martinez Herrera on bandoneon concertina.
I mention all of these musicians because, whether they contribute in a live studio setting, or remotely; whether on just one track or on multiple songs – they all add such great colour and nuance to the entire project. The playing is seamless throughout, with the production duties shared around the studio in what is a very collaborative effort. Dave Brophy does feature on a number of production credits and he also provided “additional instruments,” – left open to the imagination. Credit also to David Westner for recording and mixing on various tracks.
Bradshaw also comments that “I want to tell stories with room for exploration and interpretation. I want people to bring themselves into the songs as much as possible.“ He succeeds impressively well across an array of styles and the pacing of the album is quite perfect, always engaging and keeping the interest. Whether it’s the gypsy violin on Blue, very atmospheric and playful, or the flowing sound of the bandoneon concertina on Sideways, the overall atmosphere is one of sweetly addictive melodies. The bluesy, rockabilly sound of 21st Century Blues is a strong workout in rhythm and tempo with mentions of guns, media and storms, all reminding me of Rockpile at their height.
The soulful groove of She’s Gone For Good is probably the most commercial song included, reminiscent of Hall and Oates, with added ingredients. Gone captures a man on the run, staying ahead of trouble and formidable females. Dream is just that, a mellow slide into sweet melody and an afternoon of reverie and the accomplished playing is as impressive as the virtuosity displayed throughout. A really fine album.
Review by Paul McGee
John McDonough Second Chances Self Release
This album was completed during the moths of Covid lockdown and it is an acoustic reworking of songs from two previous releases, Surrounding Colours (2016) and Dreams and Imagination (2014). The ten tracks chosen all focus on the need for human connection and the basic urge that we all share in wanting to be loved.
McDonough co-produced the album with Kevin Butler, whom he has worked with before, and the simple, unplugged approach to the arrangements lends a refreshingly open feel to the project. Assisted by the talented Kris Farrow on acoustic lead guitar, the melodies are lifted by the playing of Steve Burna (cello) and Niamh Fahy (violin, viola) on a number of tracks. Cody Rathmell adds backing vocals and the sweetly clear delivery from McDonough, on both guitar and voice is a real treat.
Six songs from the 2016 release, Surrounding Colours, include the message to celebrate nature and all its gifts (The Place Where I Belong), a loving tribute to a partner (Your Love Sets Me Free) and a song that looks at the plight of refugees, forced to flee and looking for new beginnings (Nowhere Else To Run). This last song references the Rhine and appears to be focused on a Jewish family running from the Germany of the Second World War. However, it is just as relevant in the current crisis of immigrants who are forced to flee from countries further East, in search of safety and support.
The four songs taken from the Dreams and Imagination album include the beautiful testament of love to a new born baby, You Don’t Know This, with its message of undying devotion. The love song, I’m Home, is a look at returning from the road to a safe place of comfort, while the message in Planes Fly Too Low channels new beginnings, the chance to be reborn and a warning against getting stuck by ‘still trying to change the past.’
McDonough brings a very engaging presence to these reworked acoustic songs and the feeling around these stripped-down versions is one of insight and warmth.
Review by Paul McGee
Dylan Blackthorn Small Flames Self Release
This debut release from Austin musician Dylan Blackthorn is something of a unique listen. Playing both ukulele and accordion, his singular songs revolve around a sense of breaking out from the norms, living with a freedom and questioning what we are told at every turn. Blackthorn uses his accordion as a lead instrument which delivers interesting results. Often viewed as an instrument to provide rhythmic accompaniment, outside of specific genres, this approach highlights its versatility and it certainly delivers atmospheric melody to all of the tracks here. And there are plenty, with the album containing thirteen songs, playing out over sixty-two minutes.
The musicians embellish the arrangements with a combination of fiddle, flute, tin whistle, xylophone, guitar, musical saw, percussion and plenty of backing vocals. Adding to the splendid fiddle playing of Dr. $ick (Squirrel Nut Zippers), is the sweetly floating flute of Samantha Blackthorn and the excellent Tom Crail on bass and ever-present tuba. It is the tuba that grounds all of these songs, allowing the other musicians to play around the basic tempo and add different colours to the melodies. Many of the songs have a ramshackle feel to the arrangements, with a loose groove, yet working magically into a cohesive sound. Think New Orleans street-jazz, coupled with tango and waltz, as part of some vaudeville circus show.
There is mention of Morpheus, God of dreams and sleep (Silver Halo Blues), of Tarot as a way of ordering life decisions (Ten Of Wands), of maintaining a sense of wonder (Float) and the gothic imagery of songs like Starry Secrets and Rule Of Three. On the track, Folk Magick, Blackthorn speaks about “Mr. Money Devil” with the imagery of money as the evil ringmaster at life’s big top.
Blackthorn states that the album ‘is dedicated to that subtle spiritual experience of candlelight that sparks warmth, hearth, home, ritual, creativity and new growth from within us all.’ There is a lot to recommend this almost-punk approach to Folk music and the array of sounds lend a real sense of challenge and reward to the listener.
Review by Paul McGee