Michael Shaw He Rode On Wolfhard
There’s a lot to like on this debut traditional country album from Michael Shaw. Firstly, there’s his interesting back story. Raised in the Appalachian mountains, after finishing college Shaw forsake a conventional career and followed his love of wild places by working for a decade in the Western Montana Rockies. He spent the summers as a wilderness ranger and the harsh winters looking after horses, usually in isolation. That isolation and wildness inspired his songwriting, and also afforded him the time to indulge his creative drive.
Next, there’s his inspired choice of Grant Siemens (Corb Lund’s guitarist) as co-producer (also contributing lead guitar), who helped Shaw to achieve the sound he was looking for, ‘the feel and warmth of my favourite albums from the ‘60s and ‘70s’. Recorded live to tape in Manitoba, Siemens called some of the best country musicians into the studio and they achieved exactly what Shaw wanted.
Then there’s Shaw’s great ear for a tune - I found myself humming along after only a few listens.
Kicking off with Bad Honky Tonker, a ‘full on’ uptempo blast of swaggering honky tonk that sets the tone for the album, Siemens’ guitar playing is matched by outstanding fiddle playing of Jeremy Pinner (The Wailin’ Jennys, The Duhks). The protagonist tells us that he ‘likes his women fast.. it takes more than one to satisfy me, two’s more like it but I’d rather have three’. Clichés abound here and in the next song, Outlaw’s Refuge, a hard drinking song about whiskey and shotguns, and we learn that the outlaw ‘got back on the bottle and every whore in town’. Cowboy Boots And A Little Country Dress continues in the same vein, and even though Shaw’s vocal range is limited, he yodels here very well indeed. Notwithstanding the crude sentiments, this is another superb piece of music, with manic rock ‘n roll meeting classic country in a frenzied raucous celebration. Shot Down is another rip roarin’ honky tonkin’ classic, a tour de force from all the players, especially steel player Robbie Turner (Waylon Jennings). In Stick A Fork In It, a tale of walking away from a ten year relationship, there’s more superb guitar work from Siemens, and the immortal lines from Shaw that ‘after ten long years of tryin’ to please her, I’d get more love from a walk in freezer’. In true country fashion, there’s much hankering after the past in Like They Used To, with more delicious pedal steel. The true story of the infamous Tennessee moonshiner, the late ‘Popcorn’ Sutton who took his own life in 2009 rather than go to jail, inspired Light Of The Moon, rounded out by the impressive Marc Arnold on organ. This segues into the closing title track, a beautiful slow contemplation of running from the past, running from something, ‘never turnin’ back’, the mood evoked effectively particularly by drummer John McTigue III (Emmylou, Rodney Crowell). Shaw dedicates this to his close friend, Colin Patrick McKnight, who died tragically.
So, clichés or not? Shaw claims that everything in his ten original songs is rooted in truth, so who am I to argue? And, like the Bad Honky Tonker that he is, he probably ‘don’t give a damn’!
Review by Eilís Boland
The Odd Birds Tremolo Heart Self Release
Following on from their six-track EP (Better Days), released just last year, Ron Grigsby and Jennifer Moraca return with an album that both engages the listener and delivers plenty of nice moments. Recorded during the Covid pandemic, the album is focused around the message of connection, both lost and found. The sense of having let something go and the hope that the future may hold renewed optimism for new beginnings.
This project sees the same line up of musicians used on last year’s release, and they return to pick up from where they left off. Grigsby shines on a variety of guitars, both acoustic and electric, plus vocals; while his partner, Moraca, contributes on additional guitars and shares vocals. Matt Froehlich (drums), Bobbo Byrnes (lead guitar and bass guitar), also add their skills in service to the songs. There are three cover versions included this time around; Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb), A Song For You (Gram Parsons) and Today I Started Loving You Again (Merle Haggard). All are performed to a high standard and the remaining seven songs are written by Grigsby/Moraca. Production duties are ably handled by Bobo Byrnes and there are additional appearances from Matt Tonge (upright bass), Tracy Byrnes (bass guitar) and Georgina Hennessy (violin) on selected tracks.
Opening songs, Alright Now and Another One Like You, reflect on lost romance and the need to fill the space with both reflection on lessons learned while looking forward with the perspective gained. The harmony vocals are very engaging, with both Grigsby and Moraca complimenting each other’s range. Moraca in particular delivers with her soaring power and mezzo-soprano vocal. Better At War is a stand-out track with a sombre message; ‘Why are we getting better at war, And losing everything we’re fighting for.’ The angry lead guitar break summing up the frustration as the message hits home. The final song, The Water’s Edge, has the duo playing in unison on acoustic guitars and delivering a message of quiet calm and encouragement. A fine album and one that comes recommended to those who enjoy their roots/folk music performed with both conviction and proficiency.
Review by Paul McGee
The Wardens Sold Out At the Ironwood Self Release
Opening with the Tex Mex swing of The Code, an ode to the cowboy legends of the open prairies, with guitars, bass and accordion merging into the sweet harmony vocals, you just know that this album is going to deliver…
The Wardens are the real deal, a trio comprised of Scott Ward (fingerstyle guitar), Bradley Bischoff (guitar, bass) and Ray Schmidt (bass, mandolin, guitar), who had day-jobs as environmental custodians, patrolling Banff national park in Alberta, Canada on horseback, staying in remote cabins and also curating the music of the area. The song, Shining Mountains, captures the essence of their love for what they do, highlighting the natural beauty that surrounds them in nature.
There are songs about the return of wolves to the parkland ( Timber Wolf Reprise), a mountain rescue legend, Tim Auger (Thousand Rescues), celebrated mountain man, Bill Peyto (The Legend Of Wild Bill), and the natural, snowbound wonder that is the Rogers Pass, in Glacier National Park, on the sublime instrumental (Selkirk Snow).
On the title track, Sold Out At the Ironwood, there is a terrific tribute to the song-writing legend of Tom Russell, with the band in full flow as they dove-tail around the melody and the lyrics that name- check so many of his songs in such a clever fashion. The legendary Ironwood venue in Calgary was suffering financial challenges during the pandemic before an online fundraiser and a mini-festival raised much needed funds to keep it from having to close.
There are key contributions on various tracks from both Mike Little on accordion and Scott Duncan on fiddle, both of whom add great nuance to the ensemble playing. In addition, producer Russell Broom contributes on selected guitars, banjo and percussion…
It’s fitting that the last two songs on the album are in a live setting and that they celebrate the organic sound of these musicians. The first is a tribute to the memory of Neil Colgan, (a fellow warden), who died in 1979 and wrote a touching letter to his parents from a remote region of Banff Park. Final song, Supper On the Trail, is a great way to end the album, with a light-hearted look at the food fare available on the trail, as the wardens try to keep themselves fed in creative style. Scott Duncan on fiddle showcasing his talents again.
The song-writing is very democratic with each of the main band members, Scott, Bradley and Ray, penning four songs each. A perfect example of sharing the spotlight on this most enjoyable album of superbly delivered country songs.
Review by Paul McGee
Stephen Doster Over the Red Sea Faw
This self-produced fourth solo album from Austin-based songwriter and guitarist, Stephen Doster, was recorded at his studio base, EAR Studio (East Austin Recording). He is an accomplished musician and producer who has worked with numerous other artists and has credits on over sixty records. In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame.
He is joined by Chris Searles (drums/percussion), Sam Pankey (upright and electric bass), Jon Grossman (organ, piano, vibraphone), Rich Brotherton (guitar, cittern, vocals), Brian Standefer (cello), Sam Jeffrey (flugelhorn), Andrea Magee (penny whistle, bodhran, vocals), Seela (vocals) and JM Stevens (vocals). All eleven songs are written by Doster, who takes the lead on both guitar and vocals.
Highlights include, A Better World, written in memory of Heather Hyer, a Charlottesville woman who was killed in 2017 at a protest rally for "Unite the Right" in the city. The Sweet Life and We’ll Still Have Today both look at living for the moment and having an appreciation for the happy times and the growing realisation that paradise is all around us. There are songs about visiting London (When I Cross the Divide) and travelling in Ireland (The Singing Bus Driver). The Rooster Crows has some nice twin-acoustic guitar harmonising and final track, Black Cat’s Stroll, highlights the dextrous playing of Doster as he brings matters to a sweet conclusion with an instrumental that is both reflective and relaxing. Certainly, an artist that is worth further investigation.
Review by Paul McGee
Scott Martin Corner Of the World Self Release
Austin-based singer-songwriter Scott Martin releases his second solo album and it proves to be a very enjoyable and worthy project. Co-produced by Martin and the multi-instrumental talents of Michael Henchman (guitars, keyboards, bass, bass, drums, percussion), who resides in Vancouver, Washington; lockdown proved no barrier to the rich talent displayed by this creative duo.
Martin shines on acoustic guitar and piano, in addition to overseeing drum programming and orchestration. However, it is his silky vocal tone that really captures the day and delivers a very subtle trick of the light, in bringing these ten songs to full bloom. His warm and comforting voice is front and centre in the production, along with his impressive fingerstyle guitar technique. In a time when that old term, singer-songwriter, has become somewhat passe, Martin is here to regain some of that higher ground and to shake the dust off that faded canvas.
His songs are reflective and heartfelt. One More Beautiful Day is a perfect example, a love song that emerges from sharing a moment on a walk with his partner and a memory that lingers. We Dance Together, is similarly a statement that we are stronger when we share our love and communicate across the distances that often separate us – the superb Rose Winters on vocal duet. Martin is also joined by Ed Berghoff (guitar, dobro, mandolin), and a coterie of additional players on specific tracks; Bart de Win ( electric piano), Joao Martins (hurdy gurdy), Pete Damore (banjo), Scott Laningham (drums), T. Scott Martin (pedal steel), David Swartz (upright bass).
The Absence Of Angels showcases the talents of Martin, Swartz, Berghoff, Damone and Henchman as they intertwine around the melody in a display of bluegrass-influenced creativity. Can’t Stop This Train, one of four co-writes, is a slower, bluesy arrangement with acoustic guitar and dobro playing off each other and creating an atmospheric groove. This is a very enjoyable album and well worth your listening time.
Review by Paul McGee
S.G. Goodman Teeth Marks Verve Forecast/UMG
OLD TIME FEELING, the 2020 debut album from S.G. Goodman, was cultivated in the potent country music state of Western Kentucky where she was raised, kicking off her love of music by singing in church choirs from an early age. The love of her homeland flowed through much of that album, despite its history of rejecting Goodman’s LGBTQ community.
The songs on TEETH MARKS, there are eleven in total, touch on that rejection but also cast a wider net over affairs of the heart, social inequality, and opioid abuse. With Goodman’s capacity to fuse raw indie-folk with punked-up rockers, TEETH MARKS is a kaleidoscope of both. She opens with the title track, a tale of ‘love at first sight’ ending in rejection and reduced to a one-night stand. Connecting tracks, You Were Someone I Loved and its predecessor If You Were Someone a Loved, feature a mourning mother burying her son following a drug overdose. The mood changes with the upbeat and cheerful Heart Of It and then rocks out on the fiercely intensive and Patti Smith sounding All My Love Is Coming Back To Me.
The album’s tour de force is the six-and-a-half-minute anthem, Work Until I Die (‘you make me more rich, no, it won’t be you, pennies for your time and crumbs to chew’). A discourse on the plight of working classes, it’s a monster of a song with nods towards The B52’s at their most raucous.
Recorded at Chase Park Transduction Studio in Athens, Georgia, the album was co-produced by Goodman, Drew Vandenberg, Matthew Rowan, and Kate Haldrup.
Goodman has the unique ability to set your pulse racing one minute and stop you in your tracks the next minute. That is the recurring theme on TEETH MARKS, an album that encompasses Appalachian folk and garage rock flawlessly, from an artist not afraid to broaden her horizons.
Review by Declan Culliton
The Early Mays Prettiest Blue Self Release
A five-track EP, PRETTIEST BLUE is an introduction to the stripped-back traditional music created and delivered by Pittsburgh-based Appalachian duo Emily Pinkerton and Ellen Gozion. Their career backgrounds might not be an obvious pointer to the recording of ancient traditional music. Ellen is a pianist with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Emily various enterprises include performing in a chamber piece Rounder Songs, teaching songwriting, and performing Chilean folk music both in the U.S. and in Chile.
The five songs on the album include the murder ballad The Ballad of Johnny Fall, where an abused wife is saved from the intended murder of her husband when he is killed by a train while walking on railway tracks. Beautifully atmospheric it features banjo, cello and vocals, as the tale unfolds of young infatuation and love, leading to abuse and eventual death. Their version of Carter Family’s Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow brings to mind The Louvin Brothers’ classic harmony vocals and A.P. Carter’s is also represented on the closing track My Home Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. Also included are the traditional instrumental Shakin’ Down The Acorns and the self-write banjo-led On A Dying’ Day. A haunting song of redemption and rebirth, the latter features Ellen on harmonium and Emily on cello.
Carefully measured and refined, PRETTIEST BLUE is deep-rooted in ancient folk music, and with sparse instrumentation and fitting vocals, is a most calming and meditative listen.
Review by Declan Culliton
Lera Lynn Something More Than Love Icons Creating Evil Art
Never one to remain rooted in one particular genre, Lera Lynn’s back catalogue is like a coat of many colours. A career that kick-started in the indie rock scene of Athens, Georgia, was followed by her debut recording HAVE YOU MET LERA LYNN? in 2012, which suggested that she would travel down the ‘country queen’ musical path. Subsequent diversions led to Lynn working with Rosanne Cash and T-Bone Burnett, creating music for the second season of True Detective, the TV drama where she also made her acting debut. Her 2016 release RESISTOR took a more indie rock direction and she followed that album two years later with PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS, which featured a number of her Nashville neighbours, both co-writing and contributing. ON MY OWN from 2020, was written, performed, produced and recorded entirely by Lynn.
The common denominator across her seven albums has been her ability to pen fine songs and deliver them with her distinctive smoky vocals. Commenting on her latest project, SOMETHING MORE THAN LOVE, Lynn observes, ‘My fans have come to expect a new experience with each new album. I think people are ready for this sound and this energy. I certainly am.”
Written during the pandemic and shortly after the birth of Lynn and her partner Todd Lombardo’s (Kathleen Edwards, Kacey Musgraves) first child, the interconnected songs lay bare Lynn’s coming to terms with postpartum depression, as she adjusted to the early stages of motherhood. The resulting ten tracks navigate the full range of emotions, from insecurity and trepidation to recovery and renewal.
Produced by Lombardo, the vast majority of the instrumentation was performed by Lynn and him, the only additions being Ian Fitchuk on drums, Robby Handley on bass and cello parts by Nat Smith.
The lush power-poppy opener Illusion sets the scene with Lynn asking ‘Love, is this love, is this illusion taking over me?’ The title track oozes love and connectivity from early self-questioning, (‘how could I, how could I deny you?’), to adoration (‘formula of stardust, you’re a perfect figure, a golden lion’). Synths and echoed layered vocals are awash on the You Are Not On Your Own and I’m Your Kamikaze, the third single from the album, is pop toying with indie. The more hushed Cog In The Machine explores the inevitability of being drawn into a somewhat humdrum routine by personal circumstances. Other high points are the soulful Black River and the art-pop closer Eye In The Sky.
Though in essence an album addressing the emotional baggage of early motherhood, SOMETHING MORE THAN LOVE is also Lynn’s most modern pop-oriented recording to date. It’s strikingly good in that regard and is likely to attract a wider listening audience, given the deserved exposure. Have a listen yourself and make your own mind up.
Review by Declan Culliton
The Barlow New Year, Old Me Self Release
HORSESHOE LOUNGE, released last year by four-piece band The Barlow, was a no-frills action-packed album of, what they describe as, Colorado country. Blending outlaw and Southern rock, it introduced me to a working band that would be the perfect Saturday night live act for a lively knees-up.
They haven’t wasted any time following up on that album and their third studio recording, NEW YEAR, OLD ME, doesn’t stray too far from their tried and trusted musical template. 2021 found them on the road touring HORSESHOE LOUNGE and supporting like-minded country acts such as Mike and the Moonpies, Jaime Wyatt, Cody Canada and the Departed, and Micky and The Motor Cars. The material for this latest album was written while on that tour and recorded at Evergroove Studio, E Square Studio, and Brogly Studio between December 2021 and March 2022. Like its predecessor, the songs are drawn from the band’s personal experiences, so tales of love found and lost, and road life, dominate.
The band is made up of Shea Boynton on guitar and lead vocals, Brad Johnson on guitar and vocals, Troy Scoope on bass and vocals, and Ben Richter on drums and vocals. Guesting on the album are Ben Waligoske on pedal steel, Andy Schneider on keyboards, and Dan Hochhalter on fiddle.
Mile Marker Blues signposts the album’s direction from the word go. It’s a rootsy affair with some great pedal steel and guitar breaks in the right places, behind Boynton’s grained vocals. Bad Ol’ Days, with hints of Jason Isbell, is a highlight, as is the chunky guitar riff driven Without Emotion. The title track, as the name implies, is the band doing what they do best, delivering no nonsense country rock ‘n’ roll.
A more than fitting heir to its two predecessors, NEW YEAR, OLD ME is a groove-driven affair and a splendid fusion of outlaw country and Southern rock. Laced with catchy hooks and toe-tappers, compliments of a bunch of like-minded players, this is a prime example of music without a hint of ego.
Review by Declan Culliton