The Pleasures The Beginning of The End Self Release
Between them Catherine Britt and Lachlan Bryan have won several Golden Guitars (the Australian equivalents of CMA awards) and have well established careers in their native Australia in the country/Americana field, but they had never recorded together before. Enter their new joint venture, The Pleasures, with their debut album THE BEGINNING OF THE END which is somewhat of a concept album, based loosely around infidelity and breakup. Britt freely admits that the breakup of her marriage just before lockdown influenced the writing, and between them they both have had their fair share of relationships, which provided ample raw material. The songs are clearly fuelled by real life experiences, such is the passion and intensity laid bare across this sparkling eleven song collection.
Starting off quite explosively with the title track, the heavy rock vibe is a backdrop for a relationship that was doomed from the start but still proved irresistible for the two protagonists, ‘we let that fire burn freely/like sparks on turpentine’, sung by both Lachlan and Britt in harmony. Homewreckers, also sung in harmony but with a more funky bluesy groove, came from Britt’s personal experience. Whether sung in harmony, or back and forth in a conversational style, their voices are perfect together, both powerful but capable of nuance when necessary. Every Story Has Two Sides introduces that conversational device, conveying the pain and depth of feeling during the worst throes of a breakup, complete with a dirty blues backdrop. More country duet in style and sound is the sublime You Made Another Woman (Out of Me) and Mutual Friends, which explores the wider repercussions of a divorce. The band’s full sound is completed by drummer Brad Bergen and bassist Damian Cafarello, who come into their own on the early rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack of Paranoid and even more so on the electric guitar and drum led Howlin’ For My Darlin’, one of Howlin’ Wolf’s classics. Three Star Hotel wraps a country sound around the tale of a couple who meet occasionally for a casual relationship, with neither party looking for commitment.
There’s an obvious Leon Russell influence on the tale of falling for a bluffer, complete with Southern rock piano and guitar, in I Fell For It and then the record wraps up with a sparsely beautiful (acoustic guitar and two voices) version of the tragic love song Seven Spanish Angels. This record seems to have slipped under the radar on this side of the world, so do yourself a favour and check it out. It’s one of my favourites of 2023.
Review by Eilís Boland
Ian M Bailey We Live In Strange Times Kool Kat
Two standout albums released this year by American artists - Marty Stuart & His Fabolous Superlatives’ ALTITUDE and Chris Stamey’s THE GREAT ESCAPE - were to a large extent influenced by the classic 60s sound of The Byrds. Lancashire-born singer-songwriter Ian M Bailey’s latest album, WE LIVE IN STRANGE TIMES, can be added to that list.
It’s no surprise that Bailey has released this album and his last two on the USA Kool Kat Musik label. They are market leaders in supporting lesser-known artists recording melodic and hook-driven country and power pop, and this album hits the bullseye in that genre. Bailey doesn’t stray from the musical template of his last two albums, YOU PAINT THE PICTURES (2022) and SONGS TO DREAM ALONG TO (2021), with the emphasis once more on hook-laden songs, twelve in total, that tip their hat in the direction of the classic mid-60s sound from both sides of the Atlantic.
The aptly titled opener, The Last Chime, kicks the album off in fine style with jangly Rickenbacker and layered vocals the order of the day. Mother Nature (Giving Out Signs) and The Clock Is Ticking enter more cosmic country territory, and the instrumental She Waltzes With The Devil would have qualified as the theme tune to a Secret Agent TV series back in the day. The instantly absorbing Pray For Me recalls early Jayhawks with a melody that’s likely to remain with the listener for some time. Other instantly catchy tunes include the title track and California Desert Sundown, and the album closes with the more acoustic but not less impressive, The Moon Floats On A Cloud.
Bailey is credited for lead and harmony vocals, six and twelve-string Rickenbacker, bass, drums and keyboards. Not quite a one-person band, he employed the services of Alan Gregson on strings, Hammond, Rhodes piano and lap steel. The writing credits are shared between Bailey and Glaswegian Daniel Wylie of Cosmic Rough Riders fame.
With the Americana genre shifting colours and becoming virtually all-inclusive, it’s a shame that this roots/power pop genre is practically overlooked by the industry currently. But with albums of this quality still being recorded, it just takes a small amount of rummaging to track them down. If The Byrds, Gene Clark, and classic 60s pop rock your boat, you will lap this up. It’s that good.
Review by Declan Culliton
Dori Freeman Do You Recall Blue Hens
Dori Freeman's music's beauty has consistently been its simplicity, possibly reflecting her way of life. Not attracted by Nashville's bright lights, Freeman has instead remained in rural Galax, Virginia, where she lives with her husband and fellow musician, Nicolas Falk, and their daughter. Her albums have incorporated three essential ingredients: angelic vocals, sharp melodies and uncomplicated lyrics. Her fifth studio album, DO YOU RECALL, embodies all three in every respect and finds Freeman, lyrically and musically, staying faithful to her tried and tested template.
Rather than record in New York, where she cut her first three Teddy Thompsom-produced albums, Freeman recorded and co-produced this album with her husband Nick in their timber-framed home studio in their backyard. That 'close to home' aura comes across strongly in the material with tales of everyday life, parenting, relationships, injustices and the environmental beauty of Appalachia. Particular examples are Soup Beans Milk and Bread, They Do It's True and River Run, which collectively harbours thoughts of both survival and wrath.
Freeman's capacity to pen no-nonsense love songs has rung true on her previous records, and the title track here is as polished and catchy as any she's written. Her long-time pal Teddy Thompson sings harmony vocals on Good Enough, and her father, Scott Freeman, is credited as a co-writer on the light-hearted tear-jerker Laundromat. An element of self-effacement, whether first-hand or notional, raises its head on the punchy Why Do I Do This To Myself?
DO YOU RECALL is an impeccable exercise in modern folk and country, without ever crisscrossing into the bland pop-country market, a path that Freeman could easily have taken throughout her career. That she hasn't is to her credit, and hopefully, she will continue to create organic and beautifully crafted music and tender, intimate songs, as she has with this gem.
Review by Declan Culliton
Jessi Colter Edge of Forever Appalachia Record Co.
Recent years have found octogenarian country artists delivering quite an amount of quality music. Willie Nelson continues to be prolific, as does Bob Dylan. Connie Smith sounded as good as ever on THE CRY OF THE HEART in 2021, and Loretta Lynn, who sadly left us in 2022, was recording up to a year before her passing. Jessi Colter, who was eighty years old in May of this year, joined that exalted club with her latest album, EDGE OF FOREVER, her first release since PSALMS in 2017. Christened ‘The Queen of Outlaw Country’ back in the 1970s, Colter sticks to the fusion of country, rock and soul that cemented her reputation as one of the standout female artists of that time.
Colter joined forces with Margo Price for this ten-track album and availed of the services of Price’s backing band, The Price Tags, for the recording. Price’s involvement included producer and backing vocalist, and it’s fair to say that she proved to be the perfect consort, having been a lover of Colter’s music for many years. The completion of the project was not without complications and was a possible reminder of how little has changed since Colter’s early career as a female ‘outlaw’ artist. Margo Price has suggested that sexism and possibly ageism led to difficulties in sourcing a record label to support the album. Fortunately, the Nashville label Appalachia Record Co came on board, resulting in a highly listenable and enjoyable album.
Price shares vocals with Colter on three tracks: country rockers, I Wanna Be With You, and Maybe You Should and the upbeat ballad, Lost Love Song. The gospel writer James Cleveland’s song, Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus, gets a groovy and soulful reworking.
Her marriage to Waylon Jennings is represented by a song she used to share vocals with him, With Or Without You, and she opens the album with Standing On The Edge of Forever, a co-write with Waylon. Their son, Shooter Jennings, was responsible for the album’s final mix, and the standout track is also a family affair. Secret Place, a duet with her daughter Jenni Eddy Jennings, runs short of six minutes and bookends the album in fine style.
Recently married, spiritually in a good place and recording great music, eighty is really the new sixty. Just ask Jessi Colter.
Review by Declan Culliton
Cory Grinder & The Playboy Scouts Snacks Self-Release
A late review here at Lonesome Highway HQ of an album released earlier in the year but one that nonetheless deserves to be heard. Cory Grinder's latest release with his band The Playboy Scouts (Anthony Papaleo - guitar, Tebbs Karney - pedal steel, Alex Buchanan - Bass and Bee Roberts - drums) has delivered an album of well-chosen covers that have formed part of their live set over the years. It was tracked and mixed by Jon Chips and proves to be a very enjoyable mix of songs with a cohesive style that aligns them with the overall sound that Grinder and the band have been delivering in the past. In this writer's humble opinion, it is not the only album drawn on past songs released last year but one of the best.
It opens with their deeply twangy take on Working Girl, a Conway Twitty song on the love of a person that parallels the theme of the film of the same name to some degree. Twitty also was behind If You Were Mine To Lose. Another song directly related to actual events is "travelling on the road is such a drag" Willie Nelson penned Devil In Sleeping Bag. A couple of critters show up more than once and are a noticeable influence on the band. Commander Cody, or Billy C. Farlow (as he's credited on three choices), wrote What's The Matter Now, with its loose swing affiliations, something that the other of his songs also have and show off Karney and Papaleo's interaction well. While Cravin' Your Love and Daddy's Gonna Treat You Right are, in some ways, different sides of the relationship coin in terms of approaching the subject.
The third and again prominent artist in the band's mindset is Merle Haggard, with Seeing Eye Dog, All Of Me Belongs To You, and Silver Wings (an iconic song that rarely sounds less welcome) are all drawn from his canon. And again, as with everything else here, it sounds not so much as simply tribute but a core influence. There are other songs here that were mainly recorded by a female artist, such as Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad, best known by Tammy Wynette and written by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton, which is delivered without irony as a cautionary message rather than a direct statement of intent.
The Sons Of Pioneers recorded the Fred Rose song Home In San Antone in 1943, again alluding to Grinder's appreciation of western swing. Grinder, who is central to this music, gives it an emotional vocal delivery in a way that appreciates the original recordings but gives them a respect and resonance that is as current as it is considered.
The next outing will likely return to original material, and that is, as it was in the past, something to look forward to. But, in the here and now, SNACKS is a tasty addition to those bands of artists who are making traditional country, honky tonk and swing with the kind of spirit that has largely been lost or overlooked in the search for cross-over opportunities and commercial possibilities. These boys are gonna treat you right.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Drunken Hearts Reckless Ways Of Living Self Release
This band is centred around the talents of Andrew McConathy and a series of players that he invites to join him on studio projects and as members of his touring band. On the website McConathy lists the current band as himself (acoustic guitar, vocals), James Dumm (electric Guitars, vocals), Drew Packard (bass, vocals), Tyler Adams (Piano, organ, vocals) and Eric Low (drums, percussion).
However, this album was created using a different cast of musicians and the quality of the players is testament to the ability of McConathy to attract some serious hitters to share his musical vision. For many years he has been trying to shape his career as a musician to make financial sense, working day jobs and putting all his savings into trying to maintain himself and produce music that matters. His sound is that of the country heartland, with his deeply rich vocal imbuing his roots rock tales with a strong sense of grit and realism.
A number of albums and Eps arrived over the years as McConathy sought to define his sound and all the hard yards have now culminated in the release of this latest album. Dave Pahanish produced the new project and also contributed acoustic guitar, bass mellotron and percussion. He also co-wrote all the songs with McConathy with other artists contributing on two of the tracks. Some of the included musicians were Kyle Tuttle (banjo), Neil Jones (pedal steel), Jason Carter (fiddle), Lindsay Lou (vocals), Silas Herman (mandolin), Vince Herman (guitar), and Adrian Engfer (bass). McConathy also invited Dumm, Packard and Adams from his current band to join the recordings and the entire troupe of players do great justice to the songs.
Kicking off proceedings is the country swing of Never Say Goodbye, an unapologetic love song with soaring pedal steel from Neil Jones to heighten the emotion, the musicians perform with great invention throughout, never more so than on Good Graces where everything comes together in a heady mix of instrumentation and great rhythm.
Falling Stars, 100 Proof and Dark Times stand out with some great ensemble playing and tales of relationships intertwined, troubled family history, lost lovers and friends that have passed on but not forgotten. Hard living remedies offer temporary respite on Popcornin’ Percocets while Fall From Grace is a look back at youthful dreams and a romance that didn’t go the distance. The final song Eventually covers similar ground and asks ‘ did we kneel when we should have charged’ - the core message being that everything that lives and dies becomes one, flowing together at the end of it all. This is a very enjoyable album, well-produced and filled with great songs that linger and demand repeated plays.
Review by Paul McGee
Anders Jornesten Train To Montreal Self Release
Living in Stockholm during the Covid pandemic and working from home was all the motivation that Anders needed to finally start recording his songs and taking the step to expose them to the world outside his apartment window. He has been playing guitar since teenage years inspired him to learn the instrument and try to follow in the footsteps of his musical influences that include John Prine and Blaze Foley.
The nine songs featured are all performed by Anders on acoustic guitar in his home surroundings and the inspiration to follow through on his dream is justified in the simple approach to the recording. Anders sings in a voice that has both character and a lived-in quality in the plaintive delivery. The songs are personal and observational in theme covering issues and topics that were no doubt highlighted by the sense of isolation and lack of community during the Covid lockdown. Doubts and dreams, regrets and revelations, are addressed in songs like Train To Montreal, Bruises and Scars, The Last Call and A Heart Split In Two.
There is a longing in the quiet solitude of home recordings where the artist is left alone with his reflections and wishful thinking. The intimacy of such a setting can be heard in the excellent guitar technique of Anders and the way in which we are invited into his creative process. This is what the spirit of independent music is all about, an urge to create and to communicate. A worthy effort and hopefully not the last time we will hear from this singer songwriter.
Review by Paul McGee
Brooks Dixon Rhododendron Highway Self Release
This musician has been treading the boards since 2012 when he started playing in local venues around his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, and further afield. A number of EP releases followed over the years since then and a debut album appeared in 2019, titled Pocketful Of Dreams. Dixon now releases his follow-up album of songs, both old and new, enlisting the services of musician friends to assist in the recording process at Omnisound studios in Nashville.
Existing band members Shane Byler (drums), Jake Watson (bass) and Sara Middleton (vocals) appear on selected songs across the eleven tracks included here. They are joined by others such as Taylor McClesky, David Flint, Nathan Angelo, Chris Nole, Wayne Killius, and Dale Francis on various instruments and both Anna Stine, and Libby Rhodenbough on backing vocals. Opening song Charleston has an old time western swing and a sweet melody with plaintive harmonica highlighting a yearning to return to that beautiful city by the ocean. Stranger’s Bed follows and speaks about a restlessness within and those inner voices that keep second guessing what is best. Midnight Shower is a song that examines choices and taking the right path; working to live or else following the dream to fulfill a passion. Needles is a reflection on addiction or illness and the time it takes for acceptance and recovery. Dixon’s vocal is rich and expressive and the backing harmonies of Sara Middleton are equally impressive. Hey Hey is a look at younger ideals and has a bluesy rhythm, with the lines ‘If there's one thing I can't understand, Why everybody talking about a promised land’ summing up the sentiment.
The liberation in true love is at the heart of both Would You Say Yes and Married In the Mountains, while the song Store Your Treasure asks about the emphasis that we place upon our values, be they in material possessions or investing in experiences that build lasting memories. Dixon also muses over our place in the world (After All) whether home is the optimal choice (Rolling Stone), before ending with some good council to slow down and enjoy the journey (Good Conversation). This is a very strong album, with some excellent songwriting and creative playing from all involved. It comes highly recommended.
Review by Paul McGee
Nathan Seeckts Something Rare and Beautiful Self Release
This Australian singer songwriter has been making music for a number of years and building his profile outside of his native Victoria. In 2019 he played a showcase in the Bluebird Café as part of the AmericanaFest in Nashville which gained him a whole new level of recognition. A debut album The Heart Of The City appeared in that same year and Seeckts now follows this with his second release.
We are given an authentic look into what represents country music from the land Down Under. These ten songs are recorded at Union Street Studios in Melbourne and producer Roger Bergodaz captures the essence of Seeckts sound with a very engaging and impressive album. There is a depth of talent on display and the musicians highlight the strong song arrangements in their playing. Seeckts wrote all the songs and provides lead vocal and guitar. The fact that he can sound like Chris Stapleton in his vocal delivery is no bad thing either and adds a resonance to the natural gravel in his tone. The other players on the album include Sean McDonnell (guitars, backing vocals), Matt Dietrich (bass), Mark McLeod (drums, percussion), Gretta Ziller (backing vocals), Tom Brooks (pedal steel), Luke Moller (violin), Cameron Jerabek (keyboards), Charlie Woods (trumpet) and Nathaniel Sametz (saxophone).
The Wildest Thing is a mid-tempo introduction to the album and a story song about a one-night experience with a colourful lady up for damage and a good time. King Of the Room follows with a more driving rhythm and a song about people who talk at music gigs and the lyrics resonate ‘I asked you once, I asked you twice, If I have to ask again, I won’t be so nice.’ Cassette In the Tape Deck tells the tale about an old car that was owned by Nathan’s father and how much it meant to a young adolescent growing up ‘My hand out the window, My head in the clouds, Cassette in the tape deck, The music up loud.’ Although the car was sold, the memory still lingers.
No Ifs, No Doubts, No Maybes is a love song to the woman who has stood by the side of an aging musician all his life and it is very mellow and laid-back in delivery. The title track highlights a stage performer who captivates audiences with her songs and the sweet violin intertwines with the acoustic guitars to great effect. Little Church pictures a wedding day that goes horribly wrong and the pedal steel inter-play with the electric guitar adds nicely to the rhythm. Goodnight Bluebird slows things down with a fine vocal from Seeckts and a great feel to a song about a girl in the crowd at the weekly gig who sings along to all the songs and captivates the singer ‘You’re wearing the hell out of that dress.’
Measured and Wanting sings about handling rejection and coming to realise that in the end we all have to run our own race. Believe in yourself is the key message in this gentle song. I Watched You Slip Away From Me is about the loss of a loved one and the grief that ensues, with some lovely guitar parts elevating the melody. The final song End Of the Rope is another acoustic based arrangement and speaks of never giving up, finding courage and hope to carry on ‘When you get to the end of the rope, Tie a knot and try to hang on.’ Some good council to end proceedings.
The first Australian Americana honours night was held in Melbourne in 2017 as a mark of the growing roots scene in the country and the Americana Music Association was involved. Things have progressed since then and there is a building momentum for quality artists such as Nathan Seeckts. Long may it continue to grow with his music and this album is a signpost in style and substance.
Review by Paul McGee
The Pleasures, Ian M Bailey, Dori Freeman, Jessi Colter, Cory Grinder & The Playboy Scouts, Drunken Hearts, Anders Jörnesten, Brooks Dixon Nathan Seeckts