Whitehorse Strike Me Down Six Shooter
Fans of the Canadian Americana duo may be surprised by the direction taken in this latest offering, their second album within a year. However, there were always of hints of this in the past, particularly on Luke Doucet’s solo material, released before he formed Whitehorse with his wife Melissa McClelland in 2011. Miles away from their folky origins and even their recent lock down live shows, this album is a kaleidoscopic collection of indie pop rock, a fusion of spacey vocals, synths, fuzzy guitars and disco.
Why So Cruel, one of the catchier songs, shamelessly steals Blondie’s bass riff from Heart of Glass in this 80s pop song of heartbreak, powerful lead vocals courtesy of Melissa, and Luke’s White Falcon guitar makes its presence felt. More shades of Blondie in Play it Safe, heavy with electric organ (played by Melissa), pounding drums, layered vocals, and sounding like the 90s. Please, Maria gives Luke the chance to do a Marc Bolan vocal and guitar tribute, while Sometimes Amy is straight 80s indie pop.
Mazzy Star fans may (or may not) like the only cover on the album - a very different interpretation of Fade Into You. The title track, which closes the album, shows just how good the two harmonise together, on top of a maelstrom of electric organ, drum machine, thumping bass and echoey sustained guitars.
Check it out and make your own mind up!
Review by Eilís Boland
Few Miles South Wiregrass Self Release
Californian, classically trained singer and musician, Tori Lund met songwriter, producer and engineer Blake English in LA when she had become disillusioned with a potential opera career. She had already taken a few tentative steps into singing with a country band for fun. The two began to write songs together for other people, but soon realised that they could perform them themselves and so, Few Miles South began just five years ago. They eventually packed up and moved to Blake’s home state of Georgia, where he now has his recording studio, and where they co-produced WIREGRASS. Their previous two recordings were more classic country orientated, infused with blues and southern rock, whereas this EP comprises five original progressive bluegrass/country tracks.
The lyricist of the pair, Lund definitely has the country ‘twang’ in her powerhouse vocals and she knows how to use it. English is a multi instrumentalist, playing mainly guitar and mandolin here, as well as harmonising with Lund throughout. The barnstorming opener Grand Ole Time hits one like a hurricane thanks to English’s hugely impressive guitar and mandolin picking, but also due to the phenomenal fiddling of none other than Michael Cleveland, arguably the best bluegrass fiddle player alive today. Cleveland, ten times voted IBMA Fiddle Player of the year, plays on four of the five tracks here, sometimes harmonising, other times weaving under and over and through the melody like a whirling dervish. The only downbeat number, the bluesy atmospheric Wiregrass (a type of grass that grows all through the Southern states) is a song of hopelessness, the deft instrumentation evoking the sultry humid heat of their Georgia home base. Test Of Time is a celebration of steadfastness in love, with the masterful lyrics ‘I’ve loved you long enough to know that hearts will rust, but what’s inside my heart will stand the test of time’. The trial of finding affordable and safe accommodation for a band on the road is immortalised in $40 Room, featuring drug pushers and bed bugs among other delights. The mandolin-led Let Me Come Back Home finds the protagonist begging their partner to take them back after a breakup. And then it’s all over, far too soon. I’m off to check out their back catalogue and will be eagerly awaiting what emerges next. Highly recommended.
Review by Eilís Boland
Paul Sherry Let It Flow Self Release
Fans of Ireland’s über talented blues rock singer/songwriter and guitarist Grainne Duffy will immediately recognise the name of her band member and husband, Paul Sherry, who has finally decided to step forward into the spotlight with the release of his first solo album. There’s clearly more to Sherry than guitar duties, as he has penned and sings lead on all ten songs in this collection.
There are two well defined styles on the album, with ‘the A Side’ consisting of heavy rock numbers, while ‘Side B’ comprises quieter, more acoustic songs.
Title track Let It Flow kicks off the album deceptively quietly with acoustic guitar strumming and Sherry’s husky voice, and then suddenly the listener is transported into heavy roots rock stylings with drum kit, electric guitars, bass, keys and backing vocals. This Springsteenesque sound accompanies the subsequent four rockers, with Circles, Truth and Why exploring the theme of searching for truth and meaning in life. Accompanied throughout by producer Ronan Morgan on drums, guitar, piano and bass, they are also bolstered by the presence of bassists Ronnie O’Flynn and Paul McCabe, and guest Nicky Scott (Van Morrison) on upright bass. Grainne, of course, contributes backing vocals, most notably on the rockier numbers.
The mood changes somewhat on Reflections, which runs into the very interesting instrumental track, Reflection part 2, which acts as a bridge into the B side. On the evidence of this beautiful evocation of tranquillity, Sherry would have a future in ambient relaxation music if he ever gives up the day job! The peaceful atmosphere continues with Sail On, the boat on the serene sea after the storm introducing the theme of redemption, which fuels the remaining tracks. ‘This storm will pass, as this boat and I sail on’. Seasons expresses faith and hope in the cyclical nature of the elements, while Love and Light continues in this optimistic vein. The country flavoured Better Days is a wish for hope and moving on after the bad times.
You can catch Paul on the road in Ireland currently as he tours this new album. Check him out.
Review by Eilís Boland
Carson McHone Still Life Loose
The 2018 album CAROUSEL, from Austin, Texas, singer songwriter Carson McHone, gained many plaudits, not just from ourselves at Lonesome Highway, but on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone, Wide Open Country and Uncut all heaped praise on both McHone’s fine vocals and the depth of her songwriting. That album was produced by Mike McCarthy (Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram, Lee Ann Womack), who had initially invited McHone to his studio to record all the songs she had written up to that time, stripped back to vocals and acoustic guitar. Over the following twelve-month period they considered which songs from that collection would make the album and subsequently re-recorded them at Quad Studios in Nashville. The result was a fusion of sorrowful ballads and more up-tempo honky tonkers.
For STILL LIFE, McHone has turned the heat up a number of notches. This time around she hooked up with the multi-talented and hugely experimental artist and producer, Daniel Romano. The resulting eleven tracks were recorded with the input of only two other players, the multi-instrumentalist Mark Lalama, who plays piano, accordion and organ, and David Nardi, who contributes saxophone. The impact of both players, and particularly the wizardry of Nardi, is standout throughout.
The album explodes into life with the opener Hawks Don’t Share, evoking the sound of mid-80s Maria McKee at her raunchiest. Tracks of a similar rocky persuasion include both the title track and Someone Else, the former complete with swirling keys and crunching guitars, and the latter featuring splashes of piano and timely handclaps. Despite the full blown and intricate arrangements on both tracks, McHone’s sweeping vocals remain out front and crystal clear. Also leaving a deep impression is the mid-tempo Fingernail Moon, boosted by a 12-string jangly guitar break and soaring layered backing vocals. There are also contrasting moments of calm on offer, with tenderness embedded on both the unhurried and intimate Sweet Magnolias and Trim The Rose. The hushed quality of the closing and shortest track Tried is conveyed with only vocal and acoustic guitar and is a fitting finale to an ambitious and powerfully emotive record.
If CAROUSEL was a gateway album for McHone, she’s simply knocked it out of the park with STILL LIFE, forging a thrilling dynamic with Romano and generating a lusher and bolder musical direction than on her previous albums. If there’s any justice, it will open the doors to an altogether more widespread audience and transport her from ‘one to watch’ to ‘one that has arrived.’
Review by Declan Culliton
Massy Ferguson Joe’s Meat & Grocery North & Left
Seattle based roots rockers Massy Ferguson stick with their tried and trusted musical template on JOE’S MEAT & GROCERY, their sixth full length album. Frontman and bassist Ethan Anderson once more shares the songwriting duties with guitarist Adam Monda, the other two band members being Tony Mann (keyboards) and Dave Goedde (drums). The album’s title references the family store run by Monda’s grandfather in Wenatchee, Washington State, back in the early 1900s. With one foot in the past and one foot in the present, the twelve tracks that feature have a timeless quality to them, ignoring any populist political comment, and instead, simply addressing everyday issues facing the blue-collar man in the street and the girl next door. Very much in that vein of hopelessness and anguish are the hook-laden Save What Couldn’t Be Saved and the raging Leave If You Want To.
In customary Massy Ferguson fashion, the songs crackle with energy and no more so than on I Don’t Know Why and Miles Away, which, like the less beefy Off To See Rose, had me hitting the repeat button.
Flag carriers for the classic alt-country genre of the 1990s, this is uncomplicated high energy rock and roll from a tight and well-oiled machine, who are fully aware of what they do particularly well and seldom stray too far from there.
Recorded at MARS Studios, Bothell, Washington and produced and mixed by Ken Stringfellow, JOE’S MEAT & GROCERY will capture your attention and hold it from start to finish. Another impressive album from a band that seldom disappoints.
Review by Declan Culliton
Dean Owens Sinner’s Shrine Eel Pie/Continental Record Services
Five thousand miles may separate Edinburgh, Scotland, and Tucson, Arizona, but the desert cries and Tex Mex melodies are captured to perfection by Scottish singer songwriter and the occasionally nomadic Dean Owens, on his latest album. A passionate and prolific writer, Owens’ fascination with the New Mexico desert and its history of displacement and immigration previously surfaced on the album BUFFALO BLOOD. That project was recorded by the band of the same name, Buffalo Blood, a collaboration between Owens, husband and wife team Neilson Hubbard and Aubrey Spillman, and Joshua Britt.
Readers who are familiar with Owens’ work will, no doubt, have savoured his three DESERT TRILOGY EPs, released during 2020 as a prelude to SINNER’S SHRINE. Following two unprecedented years of setbacks, cancellations and uncertainty, this album, recorded at WaveLab Studios in Tucson prior to lockdown, finally sees the light of day. The production duties were overseen by Owens, with the exception of one track, La Lomita, which was co-produced with Joey Burns. Thirteen musicians contributed to the eleven tracks that feature, including the aforementioned Joey Burns - who plays multiple instruments - and his Calexico musical partner John Convertino, on drums and percussion. Paul Niehaus (Lambchop, Justin Townes Earle, Laura Cantrell. Iron & Wine) adds his magic on pedal steel and Grant-Lee Phillips, an occasional touring partner of Owens, adds harmony vocals. Various trumpet inclusions come courtesy of Jacob Valenzuela.
From the minimalist Companera to the more fully blown The Hopeless Ghosts, the album captures both the beauty and peril of scorching deserts and border crossings, where many have perished seeking fortune or freedom. New Mexico, previously included on Owens’ debut album, THE DROMA TAPES, gets a dramatic makeover and the final and uplifting track After The Rain, is a remake of a previously unrecorded song written some years back. The silky voiced Gaby Moreno adds vocals on one of the standout tracks, Land Of The Humming Bird and the Ennio Morricone inspired Here Comes Paul Newman pays homage to the low-budget Spaghetti Westerns, so popular in the 1960’s.
Notwithstanding the musical quality on offer, and as was the case with his DESERT TRILOGY EPs, plaudits are due to Owens and his team once more for the stunning artwork and packaging. SINNER’S SHRINE is an album that is loaded with positive energy and one to put on the headphones, sit back, and be transported to sun kissed sands, burning skies and spacious landscapes, courtesy of one of the finest Americana artists this side of the pond.
Review by Declan Culliton
Red Sammy Vultures Self Release
This band name serves as the performing platform for Adam Trice, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. His debut album surfaced in 2007 and with this new release he marks up another milestone in his consistently strong output over nine previous albums.
The band name, Red Sammy, was taken from a character in a Flannery O’Connor short story (Red Sammy Butts) and Trice has also been creative as a bard; releasing a book of poetry, together with an EP of five songs, some years back. Another previous release saw Trice recording with a string ensemble called, Some Charming Trespassers.
So, with a literate background in the arts, it’s fair to say that his tenth album has been keenly anticipated by his fan base. Trice doesn’t disappoint across the eight tracks included here, and the relatively short playing time, just shy of twenty-eight minutes, certainly leaves the listener wanting more.
Red Sammy is comprised of Bruce Elliott (electric/slide guitars), Greg Humphries (bass/backing vocals), David Pearl (drums, percussion/backing vocals), with Trice leading proceedings on acoustic/electric guitar and main vocals. He recorded the album over the recent Covid lockdown and the mood is both reflective and studied. The opening song, Kerouac Revisions, is a mid-tempo rumination on isolation during the pandemic and looking back on the days of socialising with friends before everything became turned around.
Heart is more acoustic-based with a melody that tickles the senses as Trice looks back over old memories and the passion of heart-felt emotion. The quiet calm of Gonna Be Alright is a song to soothe the anxieties of those who feel vulnerability in uncertain times, ‘Don’t feel ok, but it’s gonna be alright.’ The ensemble playing is understated and tastefully in sync with these songs, while Trice sings in a vocal style that reminds me, at times, of Jesse Malin.
The Weight the Kids Must Carry is one of the highlights here with a slow groove, atmospheric guitar lines and a reflection on the pressures of living in times that are filled with uncertainty, job losses and concern for the future. Equally, Lyin‘ Low, has a sense of what gets lost and sometimes feeling like things are in slow motion. Far from being weighty songs however, there is a light touch to the production and the vocal sway of Trice is comforting as he spins out these vignettes of everyman cares and concerns.
In Balance is another fine song, repeating the lines, ‘We hold ourselves in balance, We hold ourselves,’ almost like a prayer, looking at trying to centre ourselves and walk a straight path through the changes. I Can’t Put You Down looks to a relationship and the need for communication, with lovely guitar melody complimented by subtle bass and drum rhythms. The band really brings these gentle observation songs to life and the colour displayed is very easy on the senses.
Final song, God Is Good and So Are His People, is just Trice and an acoustic guitar reflecting on the plight of the dispossessed and the down at heel. It is a wry commentary on the fractures in society that continue to go untended, despite these times of seemingly reaching out to each other for solace and support. This is a fine album and one that will have you eagerly exploring the back catalogue of Red Sammy releases. Enjoy the journey.
Review by Paul McGee
Pete Kavanagh Join Up the Dots Self Release
The opening track, To Hold the Red Rose, is a perfect barometer for this very enjoyable and very accomplished debut album. It’s a song about unwavering love, with the line ‘ we walk together down destiny’s road,’ perfectly capturing the sentiment. It’s equally a song about family and belonging, with the reflection that ‘we stand together through all that life throws.’
The second track, Hold On, references the album title in the lyric and it captures the quiet desperation that grief can bring. Pete lost his Father in 2019, and his original recording of this album was put on hold while he took stock and grappled with the reality of bereavement. The words, ‘travelling through time, lost in a dream’ and equally, ‘Gone to ground, Feels like I’m losing the plot,’ sum up the sense of unreality that life can sometimes deliver while we are busy making other plans.
Returning last year to complete the album during lockdown, Pete recorded at Arthouse Studios, Naas, Co. Kildare. He co-produced the project with Hally (Ronan O'Halloran), who mixed and mastered the nine songs, in addition to providing some guitar and vocal parts. All songs were written by Pete and he leads proceedings from the front with stellar performances throughout, on a selection of acoustic guitar, bass, piano, synthesiser and main vocals.
He called upon a fine array of musicians to assist in the grand design, with featured players like Lenny Cahill contributing on five tracks, playing a selection of piano, bass, drums, mandola, hammond organ, and adding some backing vocals. In addition to Barry Mulrennan, (bass on three songs) and Patrick Hopkins, (percussion on three songs), another seven musicians added rich playing on a variety of electric guitar, mandola, banjo, dobro, drums, bass and backing vocals.
Just prior to the album launch, the song Mercy was released as a single and the public reaction was uniformly positive for an important song that highlights much of what took place at the Golden Bridge orphanage, ‘Children do the work and the nuns get the money, Mercy. Little fingers bleed on your sacred rosary beads, Mercy.’ It deals with the harrowing issues of institutional abuse of innocent children over many years in Ireland and it really scores in terms of focusing upon the key moral hypocrisies.
Another fine song, Can You See Me, deals with more personal challenges with the lines, ‘It’s said that everything comes in threes, This second blow has got me on my knees,’ hinting at the inner storms that were raging. The haunting harmony vocals of Pam Kavanagh add great nuance and the beautiful arrangement has an atmospheric melody that lingers.
Getting Things Done is clever and includes a number of business cliches and corporate-speak; ‘Keep a tight ship -Don’t show your cards too soon, Take one for the team-Push out the envelope.’ It ends with the observation that a price has to be paid when you, ‘Manage expectations and channel that rage.’ The sweet sentiment of love-song, Say You Will, is wrapped in a superb arrangement with fluid guitar, gentle keyboards and an easy back beat. Have the joys of love ever been reflected more eloquently? Sweet Friend is a song about loss, and a family that has to endure, ‘You have to take hold of the reins, Learn to live with the pain.’ Pete is a very astute lyricist, and in looking at the grief of living with bereavement he ruminates, ‘Hold your head high and believe, In all you give and receive.’
In the song, Ashes, there is the sense of trying to relate with someone who suffers from autism, or perhaps, locked-in syndrome; ‘I reach out to know her, To unlock the doors-To let in the light and shut out the night.’ So beautifully observed and a sentiment captured superbly.
Final song, Tonic For A Troop, is everything that anti-war emotions should highlight, with the lines, ‘You never forget the taste of sand, Or the stench of burning flesh caused by your hand.’ Such a succinct summary of the senseless waste – ‘Out in the dark with your hate and your gun, You’ve got to be sure you get the job done.’
This debut album ranks right up there beside the best of new Irish talent over recent decades. Pete lives in Co. Kildare and can be found on the local circuit now that music has returned to our venues once again. Do yourself a favour and catch him in a live setting – once you have familiarised yourself with the great gifts that this album has to offer. A real keeper.
Review by Paul McGee
Marla and David Celia Indistinct Chatter Elite
The album, Daydreamers, appeared back in 2018 and marked a striking debut for this talented duo who are based in Toronto, Canada. David Celia met Marlene Winkler (Marla) while sharing some gigs as solo artists in Germany and out of their collaborations blossomed not only a romance but also a sweet synergy in singing and writing together. Marla was based in Berlin, where her developing career led to David producing her debut album in 2015. He had already pursued a successful music career as a solo artist with four previous releases. Their union has led to plenty of media praise for the sweetly delivered harmony vocals and song writing talent. The main direction of the songs featured here leans very much towards a wish for utopian dreams and peace among humankind. Yes, it may sail close to those naïve ideals of 1960s hippy culture, but when was it ever considered bad to have aspirations and dreams? I recall a certain songwriter who once sang about ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace.’ Hmmm…
All twelve songs were written and produced by Marla and David, and they recorded at both Organica (Toronto) & Czernyhood Studio (Heidelberg), quite a feat during lockdown to access different studios on different continents. David plays guitars, bass, keyboards, drums and sings, while Marla plays acoustic guitar, cello and sings. Their vocal harmonies are really enjoyable and the song arrangements are light, bright and sprinkled with interesting little twists and turns along the way. Clowns Everywhere, kicks things off with a gentle melody, dreamy Folk improvisations and a message about the rampant materialism of our societies, where over-production of goods is choking the planet. What If? poses the question about our need to fight with each other and dreams of ‘No war, no hunger, No killing, no slaughter.’
Paranoia vs Miracles carries a message of care, that we value each other and get away from placing ‘quantity over quality.’ The equally apposite, Mama Nature, looks at the price paid for our self-serving indulgences and the way in which nature is reacting through weather extremes and global warming. Goodbye is a song that reflects on the high cost of automation with the words, ‘Goodbye to small businesses, you’re cut off at the hand, These machines are faster and deliver on demand.’ The song also laments at the replacement of manual skills with the lines, ‘Goodbye fixing anything, no one’s got the time, It’s quicker to replace it for a dollar and a dime,’ particularly ringing true.
There is a lovely Spanish love song, Cuenta Conmigo (Count On Me), which highlights the beautiful vocals of Marla and the lines, ‘Count on me, Along the way, I am part of you.’ The message in Struggling With the Yin-Yang is how conflicted we can be in trying to reconcile opposite forces in our lives and the song arrangement shakes things up with some interesting rhythm and jazzy tones. Another song, This Train, is a peek through the window at the monotony of daily routine and being on auto pilot while following prescribed rules.
Both Colours Of the Rainbow and Little Bird highlight the natural paradise in nature that surrounds us and how it’s taken for granted. The simple joys of living in the moment having been lost over time. Also, on Childhood Dream there is a prayer to the past and to those hopes we had when the world was new to our eyes – the sense of wonder that fuelled youthful dreams.
Final song, Love Of Life, is the badge that David and Marla proudly wear – to experience the world and not be fearful. Making a joyful sound is the preferred path and having compassion is the way to break down the barriers that we have erected between ourselves and our nations. As contemporary Folk artists, this duo have released an album that is thought provoking without coming across as lecturing; more a gentle prod in the direction of best choices when it comes to relating and thinking.
Review by Paul McGee