The Foreign Landers Travelers Rest Tinfoil
The seeds were sown for this duo when Tabitha Agnew from Co Armagh in Northern Ireland met David Benedict from S Carolina at the IBMA 2017 Conference in Raleigh. Both were already establishing themselves as bluegrass musicians to be watched, Benedict as mandolinist with the progressive Mile Twelve and Agnew as banjoist with her family band, Cup O’ Joe, and soon to be a member of the all female British bluegrass ensemble, Midnight Skyracer. Love and marriage soon followed, but then so did the pandemic, and the couple were thrown into two years of strife while Tabitha waited for her Green Card and they tried to conduct a transatlantic relationship. TRAVELERS REST is the chronicle of that difficult time, a concept album if you like. Their first full length album is a delight, produced by them both in their new home in the quaintly named South Carolina town which gave the album its name. Traveler introduces Tabitha’s sweet vocals against delicately picked acoustic guitar, but soon we hear her inventive banjo playing, interplaying with her husband’s backing vocals and glorious mandolin runs. The song quotes her parents, who reassure her in her trepidation about the move to the US that ‘whether near or far/you’ll always have a place to stay’, and isn’t that what we all wish for our family? In Waves, the ferociousness of the sea reflects the fear of the unknown for Tabitha, but she again finds reassurance, this time from her Christian faith. In fact there are many references throughout the lyrics to a faith that is clearly paramount to the two artists.
While Tabitha’s vocals are inherently soft, the production here is superbly suited to her vocal style and brings out her sweetest best. Unfortunately, we only hear backing vocals from David, and one hopes that he will right this wrong on future projects! His brother-in-law, Reuben Agnew, guests on vocals on David’s song Flying Back to You. Should I Go is a melodramatic cry for help from Tabitha’s viewpoint, and is suitably soundtracked by her progressive banjo contributions here, discordant and tumbling fast, all the while supported by David’s octave mandolin and acoustic guitar playing. It’s refreshing to hear new acoustic music that is fresh and original, while still rooted in the bluegrass tradition.
There’s an instrumental interlude, two new tunes with a distinctly Irish flavour, Johnny’s Peacock/The Red Tailed Hawk, where they are joined by the Irish guitar maestro John Doyle and Armagh’s finest tin whistle player, Brian Finnegan.
Boxes finds Tabitha unpacking after moving house, and she again follows her father’s advice, this time to ‘keep your door open wide/Warm the welcome, young and old’. Things start to look up, and another guest, Karl Smakula, plays pedal steel on the country love song We’ll Be Fine, while well known fiddler Brittany Haas enhances the reassuring Garden - ‘though the world may be broken/I’ll be in the ground planting seeds’. The Last Song closes this first chapter of their story, the gentle instrumentation reflecting contentment at last, ‘a land I can call my home’. The album design is also aesthetically pleasing with a woodcut by Dealey Dansby and artful graphics and photography. Roll on the next instalment.
Review by Eilís Boland
Sunny War Anarchist Gospel New West
‘Everyone I loved died before they reached twenty-five. They OD’ed or killed themselves. We were just kids who didn’t have anyone looking out for us,’ confesses Nashville-based singer songwriter Sunny War, reflecting on a troubled and brutal early life that she has thankfully left behind. War’s early music career found her playing in punk bands, including Los Angeles based the Anal Kings, drinking heavily, dropping out of school and out of control. Moving to California did little to improve her predicament, on the contrary, the relocation lead to heroin and meth addiction and near death.
Clean and sober for over a decade, heartache and tragedy revisited War. A relationship breakup and contracting Covid led to a further period of depression and contemplations of suicide. Fortunately, she overcame these emotions and instead wrote the soul searching I Got No Fight, the first song to be written for what became ANARCHIST GOSPEL. War continued to address her personal journey of adversity and distress across a number of demos and presented them to the Nashville resident and producer Andrija Tokic (The Deslondes, Hurrah For The Riff Raff, Alabama Shakes, Caitlin Rose, Jeremy Ivey). Studio time was booked at Tokic’s Bomb Shelter, where the fourteen tracks were recorded. The resulting album is one that doesn’t slot easily into one particular genre, instead it sees saws from folk to gospel and soulful blues to raw rock and roll.
War’s ageless vocal style and distinctive fingerpicking guitar work unconditionally capture the mood of the songs and their content. The inclusion of backing vocalists on a number of the tracks further intensifies the message within the tracks. In fact, the vocal input of the three times Grammy nominated Allison Russell on the Dionne Farris cover Hopeless and Loves Death appears to intensify War’s performance, resulting in two standout efforts. Jim James of My Morning Jacket fame also features on Earth. War’s partner in the band War and Pierce, Chris Pierce, is also credited as adding vocals. Banjo and guitar contributions by Dave Rawlings on tracks Shelter and Storm, Swear To Gawd and Higher further intensify those songs. The second cover included is Ween’s Baby Bitch, which sticks true to the original version and is directed towards War’s ex-partner with the parting dispatch, ‘I’m better now, please fuck off.’
Despite its origins and the matters of the heart that dominate the album, a sense of rebirth and pushing ahead does emerge. Tracks such as the aforementioned Hopeless and New Day, although not entirely suggesting healing, do suggest a degree of stoicism and resoluteness from their author. If War’s previous recordings, SIMPLE SYRUP (2021) and WITH THE SUN (2018), marked the emergence of an artist with unlimited potential, ANARCHIST GOSPEL with the support of New West, is most likely to raise her profile immeasurably. Let’s hope that is the case, as it’s fully merited on the strength of this marvellous project.
Review by Declan Culliton
Mark Erelli Lay Your Darkness Down Soundly
“My impending blindness opened my eyes, and I was able to write from that new viewpoint,” explains Mark Erelli on the motivation behind the ten songs on his latest recording LAY YOUR DARKNESS DOWN.
Erelli was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa in the midst of the pandemic in 2020. Notwithstanding the possibility that the condition could lead to a total loss of sight, he tackled his condition head-on, using his predicament as ammunition for his eighteenth studio album.
Ironically, Erelli’s last recording was titled BLINDSIDED and was released prior to his diagnosis in the spring of 2020. An exceptionally talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - he was part of Josh Ritter’s touring band in 2009 - Erelli can also boast production duties on Lori McKenna’s 2013 album MASSACHUSETTS.
Somewhat surprisingly, given the author’s frame of mind at the time of writing, the album’s subject matter is one of hope, appreciation and love. In particular, the opening track Break In The Clouds and the closer Love Wins In The Long Run, are both buoyant, free-flowing and strong opening and closing statements.
Self-produced and recorded at his home, Erelli played the majority of the instruments that feature. Lending a hand was Dave Brophy on drums and Zachariah Hickman on bass, Mellotron and Omnichord. Anthony Da Costa plays electric guitar on Fuel For The Fire and Lori McKenna adds vocals on the thoughtful ballad and co-write with Erelli, Lay Your Darkness Down. The slow-paced soulful ballad The Man I Am pays homage to Erelli’s wife Polly and Is It Enough follows a similar inspiration by advancing that when everything else is falling apart, human love is the redeeming factor. That power of human attraction is also reinforced on You. A raw and powerful ballad, beautifully articulated and enhanced by hazy and almost primitive guitar work, it’s up there with the finest that Erelli has penned and is the album’s standout track. Having said that, there isn’t a weak track on the album and the Dylan-esque Sense Of Wonder, and the aforementioned opening and closing tracks, are outstanding.
There has been an indisputable consistency in Mark Erelli’s albums over the years and he certainly maintains that quality on LAY YOUR DARKNESS DOWN. Equal parts rootsy Americana and old-school rock, it’s a record loaded with raw emotion and steadfast truthfulness.
Review by Declan Culliton
Diane Patterson Satchel Of Songs Self Release
Based in Oregon, this talented artist has released seven albums in a career that started with her debut back in 1991. She is described as a folk goddess and her music falls into the realm of mystic acoustic americana. It is quietly pointed towards roots music for the soul and is filled with tunes that celebrate nature, the healing powers of the earth, the ancient ways, lives devoted to simple crafts and a sense of belonging within a community.
The ten tracks are all very enjoyable and are delivered by an impressive cast of supporting musicians who recorded their parts either remotely or who joined producer Mike Napolitano ((Ani DiFranco, Squirrel Nut Zippers) to record in New Orleans. Two songs were produced separately by Pedro Vadhar and Roman Morykit, and the overall feel and groove to the album is very organic and rhythmic. From the reggae infused beat of Roots Heart Rhythm to the anti-war sentiment of Steady the Hand, these are songs that both move and reflect upon the ways in which we poison the earth as a race.
The title track addresses the abuse of native indigenous people and their traditions. This theme is also what lies within songs like One Part Corn (the healing hands of the medicine woman), Cookfire (the beauty found in simple acts and deeds), Where Are We (a poem by Coleman Barks, inspired by the ancient poet, Rumi).
Elsewhere, the plight of Indian tribes and the buffalo are highlighted on Turn Toward the Sun charting the history behind the Lakota treaty in North Dakota that impacted local water supply in the greed and rush for oil. However, the land always endures and the old ways are sustained by those who pass down the knowledge through the generations. Somewhere There’s A Song Still Singing speaks to these matters and the perpetual return to nature. The album is from the heart and delivered in impressive style.
Review by Paul McGee
Paul Gurney Blue Horizon Tailgator
This is the second solo album from New Zealand based musician and music tutor, Paul Gurney. He is a member of The DeSotos and is joined by two of his band members on this new project. Producer Bob Shepheard contributes on bass, electric guitar, piano and keyboards. He brings a light touch to the proceedings and the song arrangements are very well structured. Gurney plays acoustic guitar, electric guitars, mandolin and sings in a confident style across all eleven songs gathered here.
Stuart McIntyre plays bass on six songs while Michael Burrows (drums), Ron Stevens (Hammond organ), Richard Adams (violin), Craig Denham (piano accordion) and Neil Watson (pedal and lap steel) all contribute to the easy melodies and the atmosphere of the album. Fragile and Blue Horizon have superb pedal steel atmospherics to colour the tunes and the laid back feel continues on Meaning which has a nice flow and timbre. The slow blues of Misunderstood also has some nice touches on pedal steel while the brooding menace of Ricochet looks to the damage we have done as a race to our mother earth.
Perfect Space has an up-tempo groove and some fine interplay and the attraction of the album is perfectly mirrored in the superb Trouble, a highlight, with dynamic guitar riffs. Belong is a straight up tribute to the enduring Roy Orbison, both in vocal delivery and song dynamics, a country waltz through time. The final track Windows could have been on any number of albums produced in the 1970s out of California, with that sunny laid back sound of the era. The album closes with the sound of the Windows choir adding a soulful dynamic to the song. A very enjoyable album and one that bears repeated listening.
Review by Paul McGee
Suzie Vinnick Fall Back Home Self Release
Saskatoon native Suzie Vinnick has pulled out all the stops on this new album. It’s lucky seventh for her and employing the production talent of Danny Greenspoon was a very wise move. He had worked with Vinnick before on a few of her earlier releases and this time around he captured the essence of her sound, a perfect blend of blues and roots music. The songs are very strong and there is a hint of Bonnie Raitt in the air when she lifts her vocal performance on tracks like Raino and Secret.
The jazz infused blues of The Pie That My Baby Makes channels Rickie Lee Jones and the upright bass of Ross Boswell gives the vocals a nice bedrock from which to soar. Steve Dawson pops up on pedal steel on a couple of tracks and the various guitar sounds are brilliantly delivered by a combination of top players across the eleven songs, with Colin Linden( two tracks) and Kevin Breit (five tracks) taking the spotlight.
Other songs are tinged with a country blues, and It Doesn’t Feel Like Spring Anymore and Big Train (From Memphis) stand out with some excellent guitar courtesy of Paul Pigat on the latter. The album is full of interesting twists and turns and is certainly a welcome addition to the growing reputation of this very talented musician.
Review by Paul McGee
Courtney Hale Revia Growing Pains Self Release
This is the third release from a Texan artist who has described her lifestyle as consisting of being a mother, teacher, wife, daughter and a music promoter. The title track refers to the journey that Revia has been on since she lost her father to Covid in 2021. The songs reflect the different moods that have pulled and tugged at the process of grieving and the final track is a tribute to her father, James T Hale, with a live version of his song Bloom Where You Are.
Revia has been hosting live concerts since 2018 at her listening room known as, 7 Oaks Event Garden in Beaumont, Texas. The core players on the album are Walter Cross (drums on nine songs), Zachary Edd (bass), Cody Eldridge (lead guitar), Southpaw Smitty (mandolin on eight songs), and Ellen Melissa Story (violin on nine songs). Revia provides rhythm guitar across all twelve tracks and sings with real confidence and style. Her vocal range is impressive and she handles all the different demands of production and writing with ease.
Blood and Water has a sassy style that delivers with a fine chorus and the contrast with simpler ballads like Who Are You shows the different aspects of Revia and her ability to deliver with real conviction. Other songs such as Lavender Cowgirl, They’ve Poisoned the Well and One Way Out are quite superb in the interplay between the musicians, with the violin of Story a real highlight throughout.
There is a great bluegrass feel to Coffee Beans (The Logon Café Song) with violin, mandolin and guitar swapping phrases across the melody lines. The title track is a standout with words like ‘rain drops fall upon these walls that I built around my soul,’ suggesting the need for healing and new beginnings. This is a really fine album and it certainly would not have been out of place in my best releases listing for the year just passed.
Review by Paul McGee
Tim Hill Giant Innovative Leisure
Kicking off with the bluegrass sound of The Clock’s Never Wrong, more than lays down a marker for an album that is brimming with personality. Tim Hill is also a touring member of Allah-Las, the Los Angeles band. However, there are many different influences at play on this album including French Sweet No. 3 in B Minor - J.S. Bach. There are also two bonus tracks on the digital release that are not on the physical version of the album, including a cover of the Townes Van Zandt classic, No Place To Fall.
The harmonica and pedal steel lines on Calico channel that classic Neil Young sound and indeed Hill namechecks the Canadian legend as one of his main influences. The album takes its name from the James Dean movie (a cult classic) and Hill also cites Paris Texas and Harry Dean Stanton as another jumping off point.
In 2019 Tim Hill released a debut album that was recorded on his four-track recorder at home. This follow up has a much more professional approach with Hill using a Long Beach studio where he played quite a range of instruments including piano, guitar, vibraphone, drums, bass and synthesizer. He is joined on the recording by a small group of players Corey Adams (banjo, harmonica, lead guitar), Philip Glenn (violin), Brady Henrie (pedal steel), George Madrid (pedal steel) and Ray Welch (lyrics).
Candlestick is another really excellent song and is followed by the equally impressive Good As Gone. Both tracks have a nice laid back groove with strummed guitars and reflective vocals. The beautiful piano and pedal steel on The Irish Sea is another highlight and the fact that Hill has been living the life of a rancher for the past two years in Silverado has clearly influenced his sense of space and time – both of which are woven through the melodies of these songs like a fine silk thread.
Review by Paul McGee
Tip Jar Songs About Love and Life On the Hippie Side Of Country Shine A Light
This album appeared last year as a follow up to the previous 20201 release, One Lifetime, which was a fine example of the high quality output of this Dutch duo. Bart de Win and his wife Arianne Knegt formed Tip Jar back in 2013 and the music they create spans different musical genres. At the centre of the writing is the close harmony of Bart and Arianne and their focus on a solid sense of musicality, build over years of hard earned experience and inspiration.
The bright up-tempo sounds of early tracks, Never Saw It Coming and White Sands are balanced by the poignant folk sound of Creaking Of the Stairs and a look back at memories formed in younger years. The jazz tinged arrangement of Plough has a honky tonk element that is infectious and highlights a great dual vocal from Bart and Arianne, plus some fine boogie woogie piano from Bart.
The same core band of musicians appear across these two recent releases with Harry Hendricks (guitars, banjo, ukelele), Bill Small (bass), Eric van de Lest (drums), Joost van Es (violin), Tonnie Ector (double bass), and Walt Watkins (guitar, vocals) all turning in quality performances.
The blues swing of Wondering Why is balanced against the simple melodic ruminations of Colours. Equally, on Strong Enough, Arianne delivers a subtly wistful performance in looking back at past relationships. The creative flow of the arrangements certainly draws upon a wide palette of different hues and tints. Big Family sums everything up with the message that we are all in this together and we need to rely upon each other in the sense of being inspired by music and the creative arts. Another worthy release and worth your time investing in the creative vision of Tip Jar.
Review by Paul McGee