Neal Casal Highway Butterfly Neal Casal Music Foundation/ Royal Potato Family
The opening track on this voluminous tribute to the enduring memory of Neal Casal, Traveling After Dark, captures this entire undertaking in the lines; ‘Traveling After Dark, Guided By the Stars, Just Dream Another Dream, And May It Take You Far.’ Neal was a free spirit who lived to play music and to immerse himself in every aspect of the creative process. He was a wonderful songwriter, a gifted singer, a talented producer, and an artist who also displayed a real flair for photography.
He led a nomadic life; always on the move to the next gig, the next recording session. Living in the nether world of hotels, backstage dressing rooms, meet and greet sessions, after-show burnout, and all that travel – airports, tour buses, taxis – all the time just looking for a place to call home, a search for something real. Something didn’t fit for Neal in this scheme of things. Somewhere the meaning just got lost and the direction that a musician’s life demands got turned around. Neal spoke of ‘Running Wide Awake Too Long’ in the song, Need Shelter, and it resonates with me, just two years after his decision to leave it all behind.
This tribute album is quite a feat and getting the entire project over the line has been a real labour of love to all who were involved. It has forty-one songs, taken from Neal’s prodigious output, over the years of being active in a number of bands, multiple collaborations, and his solo work. The scale of getting all these artists to commit to studio time and select a particular track to cover; the logistics of recording constraints and prior commitments – it’s so impressive that this was able to come to fruition in such a relatively short timeframe since Neal died.
The different performances were captured by co-producers, Jim Scott and Dave Schools, both of whom worked closely with Neal over previous years. They deserve great respect for pulling it together with such cohesion and style and many of the sessions were recorded at Jim Scott’s studio, PLYRZ, in Valencia, California. Recording commenced in February 2020 and by using this one location, there was a sonic continuity to the entire challenge. This comes through in the feel of the entire project, with bright production, lots of separation on the instruments, and space for the music to elevate.
John Ginty also produced two tracks and he was ever-present over the years with Neal, both in touring and playing on all his solo albums. There are a number of other producer credits, as some contributions were recorded remotely, once the Covid crisis shut everything down after March 2020. The extensive liner notes explain the roles played by all participants and there is so much to enjoy in the music - real quality that just has to be admired.
Of course, some songs are more successful than others, and indeed, artist preference will colour the listening experience for everyone who purchases this box set. Listening to all these songs confirms that Neal should have been given much greater recognition and media exposure for his song-writing abilities. True, there is a wistful sense of longing that runs through, and a sense of regret and rueful observation, but there is also great warmth and compassion, and understanding for the path that we all must, ultimately, walk alone.
Songs that jump out, after a few listens, are – No One Above You (Marcus King/Eric Krasno), All the Luck In the World ( Billy Strings/ Circles Around the Sun), Day In the Sun (Susan Tedeschi/Derek Trucks), and Maybe California (Shooter Jennings). As you dive deeper into the tracks, more gems are revealed, with Willow Jane (Britton Buchanan), Free To Go (Warren Haynes), Lost Satellite (Lauren Barth), Fell On Hard Times (Angie McKenna), Raining Straight Down (Allman Betts Band) and Soul Gets Lost (Hazy Malaze/Jena Kraus), hitting the high spots.
All tracks are performed with both caring commitment and passion, and there are many other worthy performances. White Fence Round House (Vetiver), Feathers For Bakersfield (Fruit Bats), Traveling After Dark (Aaron Lee Tasjan), and Time Down The Wind (Hiss Golden Messenger), are worthy inclusions also.
There are ten songs with leading female vocals and they all colour the arrangements in their own unique ways. There was something about Neal’s vocal tone that aligned beautifully with the female vocal register and highlights like Feel No Pain (Leslie Mendelson), These Days With You (Puss n’ Boots), and a few others mentioned above, sit nicely alongside Detroit Or Buffalo (Jonathan Wilson w/ Hannah Cohen), Sweeten The Distance (Dori Freeman w/ Teddy Thompson), and Too Much To Ask (Kenny Roby w/ Amy Helm).
This is the equivalent of four albums worth of material and the total running time of three hours and thirteen minutes is such a generous span of music. Of the ten solo albums that Neal released, the greater share of songs included here is taken from the latter four releases that spanned 2000 to 2012. There is a total of twenty-six songs selected from these four recordings, with a generous eight songs taken from SWEETEN THE DISTANCE (2012). As a long-time admirer of Neal’s early albums, which drew me to him in the first place; I’m happy that his debut, FADE AWAY DIAMOND TIME (1995) is represented with six tracks.
However, RAIN, WIND and SPEED (1996); FIELD RECORDINGS (1997); THE SUN RISES HERE (1997); BASEMENT DREAMS (1998) are represented by only a further seven songs. Somewhat disappointing, but my personal opinion is no reflection on the difficulty involved in deciding what gets included and what gets left off this sprawling tribute...
Great credit is also due to Gary Waldman, a life-long friend to Neal – his manager and producer, plus, the founder and executive director of the Neal Casal Music Foundation. This wonderful charity has been created in Neal’s memory and out of all this love has blossomed an organization created to inspire future musicians and to bring support for existing artists who are experiencing mental health difficulties, bad health, and personal issues. The Foundation is non-profit, donating musical instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools, where Neal was born and raised, as well as making donations to other mental health organizations that support musicians in need.
There were numerous others involved on the team that brought all this together, far too many to mention here, but they all know who they are and the valued contribution they have given. Neal never sold a lot of albums or sought a big media profile, however, he was the glue in so much of what happened around his orbit. He was an enabler and he bonded with fellow musicians, bridging the gaps between different musical genres and reaching out to enrich those who knew him.
He spoke openly about the human condition, his sense of sadness with the ways of the world, and ultimately, the inner demons that would not let him find peace. This is an essential purchase and it will continue to bring the music of Neal Casal to generations of music lovers who are not familiar with his body of work. All proceeds from album box set sales and streams will benefit the Foundation directly and you won’t buy a more worthwhile album this year.
I will finish this review with the opening lyrics from one of Neal’s songs that reaches out and speaks to me of the separation he must have felt – the longing for connection and the pain that he could not endure, in trying to keep some perspective. The song is, Time Down the Wind, and the opening lines;
‘Everywhere I go, they say where have you been,
We ain't seen you around since we don't know when
It seems like only yesterday
we thought we'd never see you again.
You tell me that there's no such place as far away
Things ain't changed too much around here anyway
As far as we go back together
You think there'd be so much more to say
But it's all over now, it's all over now
You can't go back again
It's all over now,
It's all over now my friend.’
Rest in Peace … Neal Casal 1968 -2019
Review by Paul McGee
Abby Posner Kisbee Ring Self Release
Los Angeles is home to multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner and this release is her debut as a solo artist. She has always immersed herself in music, starting with piano at a very young age and her current skillset sees her extend her range to guitar, banjo, mandolin, drums, bass, keys, and excellent song-writing talents. She has also scored for films, written music for SYNC placements, and played regularly with her four-piece band, Abby & The Myth.
Abby has a very distinct sound and the songs here are firmly planted at the Folk/Roots end of the spectrum. Her vocals are strong and clear, possessing a confidence that also extends to her playing on these very enjoyable ten tracks. Abby plays every instrument on the album and also mixed and produced everything in an impressive demonstration of the DIY ethic in full flow.
A Kisbee Ring is also known as a life buoy or an apparatus to save those who are lost at sea. This is a strong metaphor for the themes that run through the album; supporting each other, enduring dark days and looking for the light. Written during lockdown, it’s not surprising that the feeling and emotions are very bare and laid out for therapeutic healing. The title track opens the album and speaks about a failed relationship and trying to repair what can be salvaged, ‘We gathered all the pieces that we broke, It seems that life is one bad joke.’
On the song, Low Low Low, Abby is feeling demotivated, something that so many experienced during the early months of lockdown, and she sings, ‘ When life as we know is on hold, And all that we have is time’ - and of not wanting to ‘Get right with God, I don’t even know who that is.’ Yes, we all grapple with the big issues as we grasp for answers to the big questions in times of uncertainty. Joshua Tree is about feeling at ease in the quiet of the desert and letting all anxieties settle, while The Trilogy tackles the issue of being a prisoner of your own thoughts and doubts.
Blind Spots is a song about racial injustice and the way that many in society choose to turn away and tune out from the reality of daily bigotry. Is It Wrong is a gentle love song that admits to simple needs and pleasures from being with your lover. Wishing Well looks at wanting to break away from yourself and nagging doubts; to feel hope in the future. Digging Corners has simple acoustic guitar with a sweet vocal; a childhood memory of feeling safe in the past, but now looking for a similar refuge with new optimism as an adult. Trying to let somebody in and fearing all that vulnerability. It’s an honest song and speaks to the doubts we all feel when trying for connection with others.
With all the uncertainty in the world right now, it’s towards the healing balm of music that we all turn. Abby Posner has channelled all her emotions and talents into creating something of substance and her efforts have borne rich rewards. This is a really well delivered album with plenty to engage the senses and to lift the spirit.
Review by Paul McGee
Suzie Ungerleider My Name Is Stella
Having used the performance moniker of Oh Susanna for such a long time; she first played under this name as far back as 1995 – Suzie Ungerleider has decided to ditch her stage persona and step into the light of being herself in the public eye.
Suzie has been celebrated as a talented singer and a songwriter of some gravitas for a number of years now, especially in her career as a member of the extended Toronto music family. She launched her debut EP in 1997 and has more recently returned to her original base in Vancouver, where she lives with her husband and daughter. This album is her tenth release and includes songs of gentle delivery, expressive vocals and a sense of being haunted by memories that linger. Susie writes from both a personal perspective but also reflects upon situations through the eyes of others as she delivers these sweetly sad, uplifting songs of wistful reflection.
The great Jim Bryson produces and also plays guitar, keyboards and percussion. Basil Donovan of Blue Rodeo plays subtle bass on six songs, with Keri Latimer providing harmony arrangements, harmony vocals and theremin. There are drums on five songs with both Peter Von Althen (four tracks) and Cam Giroux (one track) supporting the arrangements in an understated way. Philippe Charbonneau also plays bass (one track), Kinley Dowling on violin and viola (one track), Kevin Fox on cello and Samantha Parton (harmony vocal on one track).
The songs are stripped back, and whether reflecting own experience or channelling the emotions of others, the imagery is very strong and enduring. Opening song, Mount Royal, looks back at youthful memories and attending college in Montreal. Suzie remembers a friend with a girl crush who ended up dropping out and trading his skateboard for a guitar. She namechecks places where they hung out, like the Blue Angel bar, Mount Royal (a small mountain in the city), Saint-Laurent (a suburb in the city) and St. Joseph’s Oratory. All memories caught in the amber glow of looking back at a past long gone.
There are darker moments where Suzie examines post-natal depression on Baby Blues, ‘please don’t leave us alone, please don’t break up our home.’ Again, on the song, Disappear, we are shown an insight into family strife, a father leaving and a daughter trying to hide from the pain. Pumpkins deals with a friend who is going through difficult times and who dwells in the dark corners, with a wish for him to focus on the joy in the days, ‘the light morning raindrops that shine in your hair.’
Suzie sings a loving song to her daughter about her premature birth on, Summerbaby, and also addresses the teenage challenges she is currently experiencing on, Hearts, where just giving love and care in living through testing times are enough. North Star Sneakers is a great song about the rebelliousness of youth and the way we settle into life as we get older and gain perspective. She wonders if her friend is now happy with ‘two kids and a yard.’ Final song, Ships, is a look at overcoming fear that can linger from childhood and impact on the present, ‘Let it sail or let it stay, Just don’t keep it locked away.’
Suzie writes in different layers of meaning and throughout we are treated to her peerless vocal and guitar skills. Her talent continues to shine brightly and this album is a worthy addition to her body of work.
Review by Paul McGee
Annie Gallup Oh Everything Self Release
This is the thirteenth solo album from an artist who always challenges, as much as she soothes. Her voice is a beautiful mix of sweet emotion but with a strong sense of hidden depths in the delivery., The tone of Annie Gallup is both seductive and menacing in the same breath; sometimes reminiscent of Canadian avant-garde artist Jane Siberry. The thirteen songs also mark this album of unsettling opposites – there is the opening light touch of Magic Saved Me, counterbalanced by the following song, Rockabye. The former, all soft arrangements and believing in an unknown force when all else fails; the latter, a dissonant jazz arrangement that uses a baby expanding in size beyond the universe, as a metaphor, perhaps, for the damage we are inflicting upon our Earth?
Equally, Sleeplessness, is dripping in sweet string sounds, breathy vocals, and a tale of unrequited love; balanced against the somewhat duplicitous friend in Who Hurt You, a song that reveals the depths to which a person will go for some deluded outer approval from others. The drinking Mother of Little Theatre, clouding childhood memories of feeling special; or the frustrated suitor in Everybody Wants, all tongue-tied at the crucial moment of taking action.
It can be something of a challenge to interpret these songs, as they are written with an oblique leaning towards something ‘other.’ Tallahassee appears to be a song about abuse and physical violence that ends in a hospital ward. Nothing/Everything speaks about a broken relationship and looking for reasons to leave behind the wasted years; while the song, I Dreamed, is a series of images that link together water, air, survival, and comfort. A Long Way To Go is a challenge to keep a relationship fresh and in the present, despite the weight of the past and the expectations of the future.
Make No Mistake is all jazz-beat dissonance with a spoken word vocal that reminds of Laurie Andersen; another touchstone in this exploration of Folk, dressed in a modern outfit of new, groundbreaking dynamic. The final song, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Punk, examines the place of self-expression in the search for truth – whatever that may be and wherever you may look to discover it for yourself.
These are not easy songs; they are multi-layered and the meanings can be interpreted in different ways. As always, the playing is superbly restrained and atmospheric, with Annie playing an array of different guitars, lap-steel, dobro, foot percussion, rhythm loops, and whistling. Her partner, Peter Gallway adds different guitars, a few types of bass, synthesizer, loops, drum programming, percussion, and triangle. They are joined by Henry Jones on synthesizer, piano, clavinet, beatbox, cello parts, saw, triangle, and a school band arrangement. Such a rich bounty of musical talent all wrapped up in these three musicians.
Annie Gallup uses her muse to create these paintings of blurred lines; in relationships, expectations, hopes, dreams, and disappointments. Her vocal delivery is always compelling and her power to deliver music of real substance is as strong as ever.
Review by Paul McGee
Tip Jar One Lifetime Shine A Light
This Dutch duo is comprised of Bart de Win and Arianne Knegt, who have come together to share their complimentary vocals on this debut collaboration. Arienne sings with a real vibrancy on all the eleven songs included here and she dovetails beautifully with the more grounded vocal style of her partner, Bart.
The opening song is a catchy work out called Go On and Get Lucky, reminiscent of a New Orleans groove, with Wurlitzer, accordion and piano from Bart laying down a nice melody, anchored by Eric van de Lest on drums and Bill Small on bass. Something I Said is another light rhythmic walk along the bright side with Bart on melodica and Harry Hendriks on atmospheric guitar, ukulele and bass. All the studio players are excellent musicians, with Walt Wilkins guesting on vocals and sharing lead parts with Arianne on the bluesy, Best Year Of Your Life, and de Win adding soothing B3 in the melody lines. Kiss Me is a very radio-friendly arrangement with a light jazzy feel to the violin playing of Joost van Es, the guitar and 8-string ukulele of Hendriks, and rhythmic double bass of Tonnie Ector.
Find Your Way is another taste of Folky Blues and guitar, banjo and dobro support the laid-back vocal from Arienne, while the Wurlitzer and organ of Bart de Win weave a quiet magic. Tell Me Something has Walt Watkins on vocals with both Arienne and Bart, in a soulful groove around the guitars of Hendriks and the bass of Ron Flynt in harmony with the easy drumming of de Lest and the B3, Wurlitzer and piano parts. Bart wrote all the songs, with six co-write credits among the other band members, and Arienne contributed on four others. They recorded in Eindhoven, with a number of musician parts sent remotely and captured at other locations, including studios in both Austin, Texas and Athens, Greece.
The title track, One Lifetime, is a love song with just the vocals of Bart and Arienne, augmented by guitar from Harry Hendriks. Fallen Angel is a song about keeping focus on the real things that matter in life and always letting love in. Final song, The Right Word, is pure vaudeville swing with both tuba, ( Harold Spaan), and clarinet (Gilad Atzmon), adding great atmospherics. This is a very enjoyable set of songs and their engaging delivery highlights the undoubted talents of this interesting duo.
Review by Paul McGee
Clara Rose Band Live Live Love Self Release
My abiding memory of a performance from Clara Rose was when she guested on The Lonesome Highway Radio Show on 103.2 Dublin City FM a few years back. Accompanied only by her acoustic guitar, within a minute of her first song the sound room was crowded with staff members from the station who left their desks to witness her powerful vocal performance.
LIVE, LIVE, LOVE (pronounce LIVE-LYVE-LOVE) is a twelve-track album that captures the dynamism and range of her voice. She is supported by a list of crack players, many of whom are household names in the Irish blues and roots scene. The album was recorded live in Spring of 2020 at two venues, Arthur’s Blues And Jazz Club in Dublin and The Garage Theatre in Clara Rose’s hometown of Monaghan.
Included are four of her own songs, alongside some well-chosen and carefully prepared covers, all of which are given terrific makeovers. Dolly Parton’s signature tune Jolene is deconstructed and rearranged into a blues infused treat that nearly hits the seven-minute mark, complete with a raging guitar break mid-song by Daragh Stacke. Other players that impress and feature in both gigs include Darragh O’Kelly on keys, Tony Mc Manus on bass, and Gavin Taylor on drums. The horn section comprises Colm O’Hara on trombone, Bill Blackmore on trumpet, and Cathal Roche on saxophone.
Etta James’ classic anthem I’d Rather Go Blind, the perfect vehicle for Clara Rose to showcase her vocal reach, also gets a splendid makeover that tips the eight-minute mark. She recalls the great John Prine on Angel From Montgomery and Bob Dylan on Like a Rolling Stone, inviting her mother, Elizabeth Monahan, to join her on vocals. And while other covers such as Chris Smither’s Love Me Like A Man and Hit or Miss from the pen of Odetta also impress, her own compositions blend seamlessly into the setlist. Throw The Dice, the first single from the album is a full-force blast, and the slightly less robust Sex And Music display her ability to write and execute controlled ballads.
Hats off to First Music Contact for providing the funding for the completion of the album and, once more, highlighting the immense local talent that Ireland can boast. Clara Rose stands side by side with Mary Coughlan and Mary Stokes, representing the finest female vocalists on our shores, markedly interpreting and creating wonderful blues and roots music.
Review by Declan Culliton
Ian M Bailey Songs To Dream Along To Kool Kat
This eleven-track album of countrified jangle laden power pop follows hot on the heels of Ian M Bailey’s EP SHOTS OF SUN, released earlier this year. That recording was a collaboration with ex-Cosmic Rough Riders member Daniel Wylie, and following the positive response to that album, the pair started working on SONGS TO DREAM ALONG TO. No stranger to collaboration, Bailey is also a member of The Lost Doves, alongside Charlotte Newman, whose 2020 album SET YOUR SIGHT TOWARDS THE SUN was packed with easy on the ear pop infused ballads.
With nods to The Byrds - and closer to his home, Teenage Fanclub - his latest album recalls the laid-back West Coast sound of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The album was recorded at Bailey’s home studio, Small Space Studios and its rich vocals and harmonies are complemented by twelve-string Rickenbacker, bass, keys, and drums, all combining on an album that is coherent from start to finish.
Highlights range from the jangly opener This Is Not A Feeling, the unhurried breezy Everything Will Be Alright and I’m Not The Enemy, the latter recalling early career R.E.M. Also included are the catchy instrumental Midday At Hope Lodge and the cracking Take It Or Leave It, which is classic retro West Coast fare.
The album’s title says it all. Packed with easy on the ear consoling and mellow songs, it invites the listener to sit back and lose themselves for forty-five relaxing minutes. There are quite a few bands on both sides of the pond that remain flag flyers for this sub-genre of music which brings to mind hazy days, sand, sunshine, and carefree times of yesteryear. Ian M Bailey can boast life membership of that expanding club.
Review by Declan Culliton
Wolf Willow Old Guitars And Shooting Stars Grey
Lovers Lane, the instrumental opening track on OLD GUITARS AND SHOOTING STARS, sounds like it was plucked from a Tarantino soundtrack. With its early ‘60’s Tornados vibe it signposts the retro feel that inhabits this charming album from Saskatchewan, Canada band Wolf Willow.
The band’s sound is unapologetically vintage, drawing on classic countrypolitan, Western swing and honky tonk. Mitsy Mueller’s relaxed and unhurried vocals hark back to yesteryear on the swinging Heaven Didn’t Seem Too Far, complete with a slick saxophone break. However, the real winners here are the Countrypolitan treats Does The Sun Know, In A World Of Our Own and All I Can Say, all of which have Billy Sherill’s late 60’s sound stamped all over them. The lead vocals on all three are enveloped by flawlessly arranged strings, with harmonies credited to The Garryaires (Lenore, Erica, and Julie of The Garrys).
The title track is pure country and western with delicate upright bass, stinging pedal steel, and ‘light as a snowflake’ sweet vocals from Mueller. Love Letters Left Unsent is typical of what charted handsomely for Nancy Sinatra in her heyday.
Wolf Willow have poured their hearts and souls into this album. The spectacularly lush arrangements - produced and recorded by Dana Rempel at a remote location in the Qu’Appelle River Valley in the south-eastern part of Saskatchewan - are matched by the quality of the vocals and musicianship throughout. Albums such as this may or may not be the future for country music but OLD GUITARS AND SHOOTING STARS is meticulously executed on all fronts and a further reminder that the majority of albums celebrating quality country music is emanating far away from Music City.
Review by Declan Culliton
Ken Pomeroy Christmas Lights In April Horton
Listening to Joan, the stunning opening track on Ken Pomeroy’s third album, it’s difficult to grasp that the Cherokee singer songwriter is only nineteen years of age. It is every bit as impressive to learn that she wrote the songs on the album between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.
Those ten songs on the album are quite skeletal, with the focus very much on the her voice and the stories that unfold. Many only feature Pomeroy on vocal and acoustic guitar, elsewhere pedal steel, bass, and keys form the backdrop to her crystal-clear voice.
There’s a certain charm in one so young declaring ‘the love of my life, I am yours and you are mine, ‘til the end of time’ on the fetching ballad Magnolia. A similar sentiment emerges on Flannel Cowboy, where she announces ‘put your hand in mine I get lost for days in your green eyes’. That stripped back delivery also surfaces on Cowboy Song and Grey Skies. Mournful pedal steel embellishes and adds to the achingly beautiful ‘coming of age’ song Truth.
I like the idea of closing an album with the title track, as if saving the best until last. Pomeroy does just that on the album, closing with a heartfelt song that suggests wounds not yet fully healed (‘Do you ever want to fall asleep and not wake up. Christmas lights in April are a dim reminder of what we used to be’).
Optimism may seldom be on the agenda on the album, but there is a noticeable tenderness embedded in the songs, which embody pain and confusion in equal measures. Recorded over a weekend at Fellowship Hall, Little Rock, Arkansas, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN APRIL is an introduction to an artist that is blessed with the ability to craft dreamlike songs that dance in and out of lucidness. A hugely impressive album from an artist that has the world at her feet.
Review by Declan Culliton