David Miner Silver Valley Potholes
David Miner’s third album is proof positive that one doesn’t have to hail from the USA’s Deep South to make good country music. Traditional country themes of relationships (good and bad), rural stories and social concerns, and closeness to nature are explored in thirteen original songs on this expertly self produced record. Originally from Seattle, Miner has put down roots in Colorado state, from where he has pursued his early love of traditional country music combined with admiration for songwriters such as John Prine and Guy Clarke.
Too Fast starkly recounts the decay of small towns that is all too common right across rural America - ‘now this town is just a gift shop and a place to pump your gas’- the mournful atmosphere appropriately evoked by Miner’s acoustic and electric guitar, and little else is needed along with his clear tenor vocal. The title track is a story song along the same theme - the dichotomy of the initial prosperity of mining towns and the legacy of irreversible damage to both the workers and the environment, that remain long after the mining companies have rolled out.
The classic line-up of drums, bass and guitars are the basis for many of the well-constructed songs, be that honky tonk tales of outlaws (Virginia Dale, Hanging Me In Abilene) or the traditional country ballads Dreaming of Montana and Silver Valley. Special mention must be made of young Colorado fiddle player, Jackson Earles, whose prowess on his instrument belies his youth (he’s not yet 20 years old). From a bluegrass background, his playing here is reminiscent of Scarlet Rivera on Dylan’s DESIRE - a great choice for these songs, and I reckon that’s not the last we will hear of this fiddle prodigy.
Review by Eilís Boland
J. Tex Neon Signs & Little White Lines Heptown
The veritable J Tex (Jens Einer Sorensen) has a good number of albums under his belt going back to 2006, released under the name of J. Tex & The Volunteers. Though he was born in Detroit he grew up in Denmark and spent time touring and playing around Europe and in the USA, including time in Nashville and other towns and cities, seeking his musical roots while all the time playing and writing songs along the way.
This album was recorded in Sweden’s End Studios in a raw and old-time fashion. The players included Tex, bassist Frank Borgaad and Thyme Van Dassen on fiddle. They were joined for some tracks by drummer Julian Guedj and Benny Pedersen on steel guitars. Tex gives these rerecording of tunes from his back catalogue a stripped back delivery, that suggests earlier times but with something of a contemporary edge. There is also some newer material included in the twelve selections. Tex has been a nominee on numerous occasions in the DMA Folk Awards and has garbed respect for his work through the years.
His name and music (in the press release) are linked with a number of the distinguished and influential songwriters in country/folk territory, as well as some of those currently inheriting that mantle. However, while his music here is not as forceful or immediately memorable as some of these other artists it is deeply rooted in that enquiring spirit and has much to keep the listener involved. There are lyrics, such as those in the opening song Broken Rose, which deal with the inevitable relationship dilemma. Sometimes I Fell Like An Angel equally looks at the human failings and losses. While Way Down In The Country has a darker tone, with its opening lines offering that the protagonist considers his options after some unexplained adventures, “Woke up this morning / With a pistol in my hand / It had fired 3 rounds / It didn’t make any sense / I found myself quite amazed by the fact that I was still alive.” The title song deals with travel, gigging and the restlessness of the troubadour. His voice, like his features, have been ingrained with the patina of living and surviving. The songs document that experience with an authenticity that is only gained in time. Waiting For A Train is a song that would fit alongside any number of acknowledged fine worded train songs.
The band and Tex work in harmony to give these songs a simplicity that enhances the substance of the material in a way that feels like a live concert in a small intimate venue. Naturally, given these times, Tex has been playing in Denmark recently and is more likely to be known there than he may be in other parts of Europe, the UK and Ireland. This is my first encounter with his music although I am aware that there is a long tradition of roots/country in Scandinavia and around that whole region. Artists who have been gaining ground, recognition and followers around the world. J. Tex can be added to that list and offer a balance to some of the more concurrent and broader ranging musical acts from that region. Yet his music is equally a part of that rich seam that is ready to be dug.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Heath Cullen Springtime In My Heart 5by9
I have to admit that Heath Cullen was not an artist who had previously featured on my radar. But after a first listen I was captivated by his music. That the album was produced by Joe Henry was an added incentive to give it some listening time. Cullen hails from Australia and has previously released three albums, the most recent in 2015 OUTSIDERS which was recorded with Elvis Costello’s band The Imposters. Cullen produced that album, which was recorded in Australia, but on this occasion, he has made the choice, a pretty good one, to hand those duties over to Henry. This time they worked at a studio in Los Angeles. Again, as with the last album, the musicians are a tight knit unit of Adam Levy on guitars (with Cullen), the rhythm section of Jay Bellerose and Jennifer Condos and Levon Henry adding reeds alongside Patrick Warren’s keyboards as required. They recorded essentially live over three days. Pete Min handled that process along with the mixing. These are players who do not need to show off, on the contrary their role is to add (or subtract) in the context of each songs’ requirements, that in the end adds much to the song and its story.
The arrangements are full of texture and astuteness, that add much to the overall sense of the song. The Song That I Know is enhanced by slightly discordant reeds and percussive embellishments. The words here were written by Henry, the remaining songs are Cullen’s alone, bar the inclusion of T-Bone Burnett’s Kill Switch which closes the album. It acknowledges the differences that lead to decisions in life and whether they involve the need for money, fame or just love of the game. They offer a vision that is full of intrigue and introspection. Cowboy Truths (dedicated to Sam Shepard), takes the unwritten cowboy code and gives it a new plain to roam. “A cowboy must / always be kind / kind of word / and kind of deed.” Sturdy sentiments that may not have been adhered to as often as one would have liked, but a true path to follow nonetheless. The Song Always Remembers, to these ears, has a certain Irish quality. A philosophical keynote that reasons that “Every saint and every liar / will lead a verse at the final fire,” implying that we all lead the lives we are given in different circumstances. These lyrics indicate that Cullen is an engaging wordsmith who, while having something to say, doesn’t need to overstate (or overwrite) to make his point. This is something that Henry’s production understand and underscores with his characteristic diligence and dedication.
Cullen has a commanding vocal stance that is solid and adaptable to the needs of the songs. It is the central to what’s on offer here, without needing to be self-indulgent, in many ways in the same frame of fellow singer/songwriter such as Henry himself or others like Jeffery Foucault. Artists who are about better their craft and leaving a lasting mark, that is not dependent of sales or media fame to thrive. Something that is echoed in that T-Bone Burnett lyric.
The album was recorded in a number of first and second takes to keep the spontaneity that occurs when the recording is not overthought or multi-layered. Likening the process to having an unscripted conversation, rather than one that has lost much of the first take energies. That energy flows through the album and the pairing of the producer artist and player are a perfect match for all concerned. That includes the listener who can’t fail to take in the artistry and humanity involved. Kudos to all involved in an album we can all take to heart.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Melissa Carper Daddy’s Country Gold Self -Release
It’s hardly surprising that Melissa Carper’s music lands somewhere between the country trilling of Kitty Wells and the jazz crooning of Billie Holiday. DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD has the hallmark of a childhood exposed to her parents’ record collection of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash albums, followed by delving into the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole while on a music scholarship at the University of Nebraska.
Carper is a vocalist and upright bass player with a number of strings to her bow. The album takes its title from her nickname ‘Daddy’, acquired from her bandmates in her early career, earned by her history of taking care of business on their behalf. Those bandmates include Beth Chrisman and Jenn Miori, who together with Carper, are members of The Carper Family, the Austin acoustic trio that have been performing old country and jazz, bluegrass and Western swing for over a decade. She’s also a member of Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy and a founding member of the roots duo Buffalo Gals, alongside Sad Daddy bandmate Rebecca Patek.
This album was recorded at The Bomb Shelter Studio in Nashville, where Carper surrounded herself with the cream of local session players. Household names such as Chris Scruggs (guitar and pedal steel), Jeff Taylor (keys), Matty Meyer (drums) and Billy Contreras (fiddle), were all selected by Dennis Crouch of The Time Jumpers, who alongside Andrija Tokic (Hurrah For The Riff Raff, Alabama Shakes) produced and engineered the album. Other notables that guest on the album are Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell and Lloyd Green. Although she is an outstanding upright bass player, Carper delegated bass duties to Crouch to allow her to concentrate entirely on perfecting her vocal delivery.
Smouldering tracks Almost Forgot About You, I’m Musing You, Many Moons Ago and The Stars Are Aligned recall smoke filled rooms back in the 1940’s and candle lit tables occupied by couples in dinner jackets and evening dresses. On the opposite side of the spectrum the high-spirited Back When, You’re Still My Love, My Old Chevy Van and It’s Better That You Never Know offer widescreen panoramic scenes of dusty small-town honky tonks in the 1950’s.
The sweet voiced creator of all twelve tracks on the album, Carper manages to shift effortlessly between musical modes and genres on this timeless gem.
Review by Declan Culliton
William The Conqueror Maverick Thinker Chrysalis
Newquay U.K. based three-piece William The Conqueror’s 2019 release BLEEDING ON THE SOUNDTRACK managed to replicate the dynamic sound, in the studio, of a band hailed for their live shows. That album was recorded in the U.K. and produced by the renowned Ethan Johns.
MAVERICK THINKER, their third studio album, found vocalist and guitarist Ruarri Joseph, bassist Naomi Holmes and drummer Harry Harding heading Stateside to Sound City Studios in Los Angeles for the recording. Following in the footsteps of Johnny Cash, Neil Young and Nirvana, who all recorded in the legendary studio, the end product continues the band’s upward spiral and will most likely further their reputation, not just at home in the U.K., but also further afield. Joseph Lorge (Bob Dylan, Dawes, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief) was at the controls and has also successfully recreated their live sound with a powerful production.
The formula that worked so well on BOTS has not been abandoned, but here comes across as more concise and clinical than its predecessor, while retaining the band’s customary groove.
Shades of Chuck Prophet emerge on the perky Wake Up, thumping drums and bass lines are nestled alongside Joseph’s piercing guitar. The Deep End conjures up memories of Dr.Feelgood at their raunchiest. Move On opens the album in the band’s trademark mid-tempo grungy style. At the other end the album closes with the title track. Weighing in at just under seven minutes, it showcases Joseph’s capacity to pen introspective and considered narratives and the band’s capacity to bring those lyrics to life. A slow burner at the onset, it grows mid song instrumentally with sweeping accordion and piano joining in to dramatic effect.
Call it roots, blues, alt-rock or whatever label you want to paste on it, the album’s essence is its ability to embrace the best elements of all of those genres. The bottom line is a killer album and one that you really need to seek out.
Review by Declan Culliton
Loretta Lynn Still Woman Enough Legacy
Fifty years since the release of COALMINER’S DAUGHTER, country royalty Loretta Lynn has released her 50th studio recording, which excludes her numerous duet albums with Conway Twitty. Like her two previous recordings WHITE CHRISTMAS BLUE (2016) and WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT (2018) the album was, in the main, recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with the production overseen by John Carter Cash and Loretta’s daughter Patsy Lynn Russell.
The album offers thirteen tracks and includes a number of reworked landmark songs from Loretta’s seventy year plus career. Also included are Hank Williams’ I Saw The Light and A.P. Carter’s Keep On The Sunny Side, both tracks being by artists that inspired her and opened her heart to country music. Guests that joined her in the studio include Margo Price, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Tanya Tucker.
Remarkably for an artist approaching eighty-nine years old, her voice is still imposing, disciplined and instantly recognisable. She does get some help from Reba Mc Entire and Carrie Underwood on the title track, which is a new song co-written by Loretta and Patsy Lynn Russell and enjoys the same title as her autobiography, written nearly twenty years ago. Elsewhere Margo Price plays a blinder, joining in on One’s On The Way, the Shel Silverstein song immortalised by Loretta back in 1971.
Her very first single I’m A Honky Tonk Girl gets a makeover and another survivor of decades in the industry, Tanya Tucker, fittingly contributes to another Loretta standard, You Ain’t Woman Enough. Coalminer’s Daughter is simply recited in the spoken word with nothing but Matt Combs’ banjo picking in the background.
As you would expect the accompanying playing on the album is of the highest standard. Numerous contributors are credited including Pat McLaughlin, Randy Scruggs, Robby Turner and Matt Combs, to name but a few. However, the real winner is the delivery of the songs by Loretta, who graces the album’s cover in full regalia, looking every bit the undisputed Queen of Country, which she has been for decades.
Review by Declan Culliton
Cristina Vane Nowhere Sounds Lovely Self Release
Currently based in Nashville, NOWHERE SOUNDS LOVELY is a most impressive debut album from singer songwriter, slide guitar and clawhammer banjo player Cristina Vane.
Born in Italy, Vane arrived in America to attend Princeton University having lived in Italy, England and France. Growing up in Europe, her childhood and teen years were spent studying classical vocals, music theory, piano and flute. Her relocation to America found her also developing the skills of fingerpicking acoustic and slide guitar, alongside clawhammer banjo. Enthralled by country blues picking and old folk guitar styles, she moved to Los Angeles after college, where she worked at the noted Mc Cabe’s Guitar Shop. During her time there she became increasingly absorbed by old style guitar styles and country blues and perfected her own fingerstyle guitar style under the tutorship of acclaimed guitar teacher Pete Steinberg.
Having gained experience and confidence playing small venues in L.A., Vane decided to take her act on the road and headed on a five-month solo tour across America. In the main she booked gigs anywhere she could, often with the help of contacts she had made from her Instagram page. That experience and the opportunity to study local musical traditions and customs first hand was a game changer for Vane, who confesses to have known very little about country, old time and bluegrass music prior to her travels in the American South. Having previously been motivated to write songs from emotional and relationship perspectives, the whole experience opened up a treasure chest of writing opportunities for her. Out of her encounters and observations came the inspiration for NOWHERE SOUNDS LOVELY.
The album was recorded in Nashville, where Vane worked alongside Grammy award winning drummer and producer Cactus Moser. The album was engineered by Rodney Dawson and also features Dow Tomlin on bass, Nate Leath on fiddle and Tommy Hannum on pedal steel.
Describing herself as ‘a rock kid who is obsessed with old music’, Vane is undoubtedly a fast learner as she sounds like a veteran on an album that delivers twelve impressive tracks, traversing between traditional roots, delta and country blues and also rocks out on occasion. Badlands, the first single from the album, showcases Vane’s bottleneck slide guitar skills, behind her equally impressive layered vocals. She switches to clawhammer banjo and sounds every bit as dramatic on the acoustic Will I Ever Be Satisfied? The melodic Blueberry Hill is a catchy blues driven folk romp and she lets her hair down on the rocky Dreamboy.
A technically gifted musician and blessed with a striking voice, this album finds Cristina Vane combining those skills with a hugely accomplished portfolio of songs, forged from both traditional and modern country roots. A highly recommended listen.
Review by Declan Culliton
Kaurna Cronin Aloft In Blue Self Release
Album number six for this Australian artist with a strong work ethic and a sense for steering his own career along increasingly successful lines. All the songs here were written by Cronin and recorded last year with a small group of musicians. Cronin is concerned with the internal and external on this collection of songs, the state of our mental health and the way in which we navigate through the world around us.
The fragile nature of everything is the key message on tracks, Glass Road and Sucker For That, with concern for the future and how we are living. A theme that is visited on All the Years To Come and our tendency to live on autopilot, with a look at city life versus the quiet calm of nature. Embracing life and trying to live in the moment is something that we all aspire towards and songs, Sweet Chardonnay and Roses Can Be Blue, capture this sentiment. The urge to hide feelings and our true selves in an uncaring world is tackled on The Part Of Me I l Let You See and the abstract reality of time and the passing days is tackled on Wishing On Forever. The contemporary Folk sound is mixed with some interesting departures, such as synthesiser sounds as part of the overall mix but the playing of Kiah Gossner (bass), Tom Kneebone (electric guitars), Matt Morison (piano, organ, synths) is rooted in a tight ensemble approach that anchors the arrangements.
Cronin displays his talents on guitars, synthesisers, drums, percussion, piano and harmonica, plus all vocal parts. He is joined by Lauren Henderson on backing vocals and hopefully the somewhat pessimistic message in tracks like, The Dead Things Grow, Aloft (How Far Will This Grow) and Give Your Love To A Stranger, where destructive behaviour leads to its own life lessons, is something that we can all rise above as we move forwards in these uncertain times.
Review by Paul McGee
The Mystix Can’t Change It Self Release
This band formed in 2002 and has five prior releases. They walk a line that separates Americana, Blues and Gospel leanings with a raw, pared down sound and a vocal delivery that is very reminiscent of Roger Chapman, once lead singer in Family, a band from way back when. Not such a bad thing, as the passion that is present in the voice of Jo Lily is very impressive when coupled with the guitar histrionics of dual players, Duke Levine and Bobby B Keyes. They share a great dynamic on these tracks across an array of six-string instruments, driving the arrangements and regularly colouring the melody with understated touches.
It’s full-frontal attack on Jumper On the Line (RL Burnside) and Wouldn’t Mind Dyin’ (traditional) with the band firing on all cylinders. Marty Ballou on upright bass and producer Marco Giovino on drums and percussion, sit nicely in the pocket and provide the perfect accompaniment on all song styles with Tom West lifting the arrangements on B3, Hammond and piano.
Bottle Of Whiskey and I Can’t Change It (Frankie Miller), Backstreet Girl (Jagger/Richards) and Ain’t Gonna Cry (Byers/Yuro) all display a more stripped back sound with originals included, such as the Gospel groove of That’s All, That’s All, or the gentle Country melody of Let’s Get Started, showing a rich talent at play. Carrie is another original that has an acoustic feel to the laid-back arrangement, with accordion and restrained guitar parts a highlight.
The slow Blues of Going To the River (Jimmy Reed) is a real joy with Kathleen Parks guesting on fiddle and Dreamers Holiday (Wayne/Gannon) showing the ability to cover a traditional pop standard in the style of Willie Nelson, who also recorded the tune previously. The production by Giovanni is flawless, given his reputation with stellar artists such as Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Nora Jones, the North Mississippi All Stars, Charlie McCoy and B.J.Cole.
A very enjoyable collection and superbly delivered. Perhaps a few more original compositions next time out and not so many cover songs? These guys can really play and don’t need to be seen as a covers band as opposed to building their own signature sound.
Review by Paul McGee