Greenshine New Moon On Friday Tigerdog
Noel Shine and Mary Greene have been creating great music in their base in West Cork for quite a while, both emerging from families in Counties Clare and Waterford, respectively, who were steeped in Irish traditional and folk music, and American country, roots and folk. Thankfully, being dragged to festivals all over Ireland as a child didn’t put off their daughter, Ellie Shine, who has joined them in recent years and the trio have produced another enchanting album. Their influences are obvious, but they have developed their very own distinctive folk/Americana sound, evident on this collection of eight originals and four cover songs, all recorded in their home studio.
Mary has honed her craft as an impressive songwriter over the years and has written or cowritten all except one of the original songs here. There’s an unhurried, reassuring, ambiance emanating from the recording that is hard to resist.
Big Black Bag speaks to anyone who lies awake at night worrying - over the jazz influenced musical backdrop of dobro, electric guitar and bass, Mary’s soothing lyrics encouraging the afflicted (and who among us hasn’t been through this at some time in life?) to tie that worry up in the metaphorical big black bin bag ‘and throw it out!’. She also takes the lead vocals on the gentle love song, Bend like A Willow, and the old adage that ‘if you love them, set them free’ is her message on the title track, New Moon On Friday. As well as being the lead songwriter in the band, Mary also plays guitars, keys and concertina, while her husband Noel is even more versatile, contributing guitars, bass, mandolin, bouzouki, whistle, Theramin, keys, banjo and harmonica. He takes the lead vocal on a cover of Springsteen’s The Mansion On The Hill, bestowing on it a very Irish feel, with his natural Irish accent and a combination of tin whistle, mandolin and pedal steel that really works, though it shouldn’t.
Ellie has a very distinctive and attractive vocal tone, with much depth but also a quiver, and she harmonises to great effect with her mother on many of the tracks. However, it is on their outstanding version of Jimmy Webb’s classic Wichita Lineman that Ellie really comes into her own. Accompanying herself on ukulele, and with delicious pedal steel from guest David Murphy, subtle percussion from drummer Martin Leahy, and backing vocals from Mary, this version is truly sublime. And I have it on good authority that Jimmy Webb approves. The other standout song for this reviewer is Mary’s Charmed Life, wherein she inhabits the thoughts of a ghost who roams nocturnally forever after a life full of regret, the haunted gothic atmosphere suggested by Noel’s eerie whistle, acoustic guitar and mandolin, and their own ‘Birds of the Garden’ who herald the dawn, and the retreat of the ill-fated tortured soul.
Review by Eilís Boland
Paul Cowley Stroll Out West Self Release
Most surprisingly, considering his current mastery of acoustic country blues as evidenced here, Birmingham’s Paul Cowley was a latecomer to the genre, only discovering this style of music when he reached his 40’s. Clearly influenced by the likes of Lightning Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Blind Willie McTell, Cowley’s fifth album features seven new original songs, as well as five covers.
It’s refreshing to hear a blues album where the playing is in service of the song, and well written songs at that, without the all too common clichéd subject matter and lyrics. Here, Paul Cowley shows himself to be a superb steel guitar and slide player, who thankfully doesn’t feel the need to show off. He expresses his life philosophy in songs like Whatever It Takes and World Gone Crazy, most of which are taken at a gentle walking pace. The latter is a right-up-to-date, seven minute long, plea to all of humanity to wake up to the plight of our world, where we all just ‘take, take, take’, but now ‘we need to come together/east or west/we’re all facing our biggest test’. Amen to that. Cover songs include his interpretation of Robert Johnson’s Preachin’ Blues, and a laidback and sensitive rendition of the much covered Staggerlee, mainly influenced by Mississippi John Hurt’s version. The standout cover, most unexpected, is a very different interpretation of Smokey Robinson’s classic, Tracks Of My Tears, into which Cowley breathes new life, taking it at a much slower pace and with a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment, with complementary and subtle drums, bass & electric guitar added by Pascal Ferrari.
Recorded in Cowley’s home studio in a stone barn in rural Brittany, France, the album was self produced, along with his longtime collaborator Ferrari, who also contributes bass, drums and electric guitar on some tracks. Stand out song for this reviewer is Life Is Short, an exhortation to make the most of one’s time here on earth, written in the aftermath of the passing of his father two years ago, and accompanied by simply beautiful, finger picked acoustic guitar. ‘Pass you by/Blink of an eye/And leave you wonderin’ how and why’, so you have to ‘jump right in … don’t hesitate’. I second that.
Review by Eilís Boland
Larry Sparks It’s Just Me Rebel
At 75 years of age and with his track record in music, Larry Sparks has nothing left to prove. Playing bluegrass since he was 15, joining Ralph Stanley as a Clinch Mountain Boy after Carter died tragically in 1966, going on to form his own band, The Lonesome Ramblers, and winning several IBMA awards for both his singing and his guitar playing, he has finally answered his fans requests by recording a stripped back solo album.
Still armed with his faithful 1954 Martin D28 (that he actually bought in 1967- strictly of interest to the guitar nerds!), this is a delightful collection of classic country and contemporary bluegrass songs. Kicking off with Marshal Warwick’s lonesome country ballad Long Way To Denver, it’s obvious from the start that though his voice is inevitably a little careworn, he still can imbue these songs with emotion born of sincerity. His guitar playing is also still impressive - a ‘less is more’ approach works perfectly here, allowing the songs to speak for themselves. Don’t Neglect The Rose and Great High Mountain (a gospel song written by Keith Whitley) were previously recorded by Sparks on full band albums, but they also work very well here. Harking back to earlier and simpler times is a predominant theme of the project, none more so than on the quite moving Lefty Frizzell number, Mom and Dad’s Waltz. Sweetheart is another deceptively simple country love song, but this time written specifically for Larry Sparks by a young up-and-coming Nashville-based songwriter called Wyatt McCubbin. The classic George Jones number, She Thinks I Still Care, is given a welcome outing, while another Marshal Warwick composition, Bring ‘Em On Back, is again a wistful wish for a return to earlier eras, ‘that ole stage down at The Ryman/how that stage went clacketty clack’. Closing with a recent Daniel Crabtree gospel song, we are reminded that his Christian faith continues to sustain Sparks. Self produced in his home studio, Larry is accompanied on some of the tracks by his son, Larry D, on upright bass.
Mention must also be made of the outstanding photographs and album design, yet again, by the longstanding Rebel Records label - a few of the current bluegrass labels could do with taking a leaf from their book.
My only complaint is that, at ten songs and 29 minutes, this album is too short!
Review by Eilís Boland
The Handsome Family Hollow Loose
A new album from the duo (and friends) is always a welcome event for long-time fans. So what’s changed this time out? Well, superficially not a lot in truth, in terms of the overall methodology. Yet there is a sophistication in the recording process that allows Brett to explore the sonics of their particular soundscape. It still sounds like the unique output we have come to know and love. Rennie’s still writing lyrics that only she could, while Brett brings his baritone voice and melodic arrangements into focus. There is, however, a noticeable sense of ease and an embracement of a certain mellowness within the music, that comes with age.
Brett, again, takes the helm handling the lead vocals in his, by now, distinctive baritone delivery, as well as recording and playing the bulk of the instruments featured. They are again joined by touring companions Alex McMahon on guitar and steel and Jason Toth on percussion. Both make valuable contributions to the overall fabric of the album, while Dave Gutierrez plays mandolin on The Oldest Water. Rennie adds vocal and banjo in the required places.
The album opens with Joseph, a song that takes its title and chorus line “Come into the circle, Joseph! There’s no moon tonight” from something that Rennie screamed in her sleep one night. It may have been pretty startling at the time, but Brett thought that is was a good line, so they decided to use it as the lynchpin of the song. I can think of few acts that could make that origin story so fitting but it is, though, symptomatic of their working (asleep or awake) process. The song itself has a more dreamlike quality with an overdriven guitar sound, piano and drums adding to this sense, the latter grounding the songs to an earthly base. Two Black Shows is next up and it takes in the sometimes disturbing vision of their divided post pandemic country and the sense that nature may well be waiting to take over those often people-less locations. The keyboards are upfront for the start ofThe King Of Everything, a song that repeats its title effectively, then the guitar makes its presence over Toth’s percussion which provides a solid rhythm platform. It epitomises how, while using to their usual template, they continue to process and develop it.
“Squirrels in the basement / raccoons in the walls / centipedes with stingers” are lines that again hint at the way the natural world is re-staking its claim on civilisation, in the track Skunks. There is an earthy (or perhaps liquid) sound on the The Oldest Water, wherein the mandolin hints at an earlier folk tradition of storytelling. There is an esoteric link to the oddness of Mothballs and it is another example of Rennie’s instinctive and individual lyrical vision. It has, perhaps, a hint of Tom Waits in its voice and piano setting.
Very different in its arrangement is Shady Lake, a gentle evocation of a idyllic location. The guitars are cranked up, well in the context of this title at least, for To The Oaks. There is a ballad-like delivery for Strawberry Moon, with wistful keyboards and guitar. The next track is another highlight, with steel guitar and pleasing harmony vocals. Invisible Man reminds me of earlier albums, in some ways, and it is striking with its mid-song narration and uplifting feel. The closing track is Good Night, where again the steel is prominent over the solid drumbeat and some effective xylophone embellishments. While it is a soothing it has also something of a menacing quality, as it not only embraces a good night but also reminds that it is a time for skinwalkers, time for Santa to sharpen his claws. Sleep then peacefully, but leave one eye open. It is the duo’s openness to both light and dark that gives them room to manoeuvre, to entertain and to remind us of how far they have come and how to continue to mine a rich seam of uniqueness. There is nothing hollow about their music, but they have also created a hollow that allows us to crawl through into their world.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Zach Aaron This Lovely War Self Release
Cleveland, Texas, resident Zach Aaron’s songwriting is very much in the style of the classic singer songwriters from the Lone Star State. My first awakening to his music was his 2020 and third album, FILL DIRT WANTED, and he continues down a similar path with THIS LOVELY WAR, combining tales of tragedy, hopelessness and misfortune, often tinged with a slice of dry humour on the side. Dividing his time between his music career and a side project as a rodeo rider, Aaron’s observational skills are very much to the fore in his writing.
He kicks off proceedings with May The Iron Horse get Fed. A co-write with Kayla Ray - an excellent singer songwriter in her own right whose record, YESTERDAY AND ME, was my album of the year in 2018 - they target the steady demise of the railway network as a metaphor for the slowly declining simpler times of yesteryear and the increasing advancement of fake news.
There are barroom blues and much regret in FALL DOWN DRUNK (‘Jesus is gonna save me, if I could only get him on the phone’) and Songbird. The former brings to mind the work of Hayes Carll, while the latter is a weepy two-stepper all the more atmospheric for some doleful pedal steel. Aaron’s rodeo exploits no doubt pointed him in the direction of the Marty Robbins tale of an unlikely rider in Cowboy In A Continental Suit. He puts his foot firmly of the gas pedal and turns the heat up with Truth Is A Mirror. It’s not all whiskey and road dust either, as he opens up his heart on the tender love song, It’s You.
He closes the eight-track album with the semi-spoken Latigo Joe. It tells the tale of a roughneck convict cowboy serving life in prison, who perishes while on temporary freedom riding in a prison inmates rodeo show. Recounted in semi-spoken style, it brings to mind the classic Guy Clark song, Let Him Roll.
There are an increasing number of songwriters gaining inspiration from the Western and cowboy lifestyle of both yesteryear and today, Canadian Colter Wall being the most commercially successful. Others, less well known, like Andy Hedges and Chris Guenther, have recently released quality similarly themed albums. Although already four albums into his career, I’m adding Zach Aaron to that list of writers and performers, impressively embracing and saluting the rural American life of earlier times.
Review by Declan Cullion
Erin Rae Lighten Up & Try: Live From The Heart Thirty Tigers
Lonesome Highway’s introduction to the world of Erin Rae dates back to 2015 when she performed as a backing vocalist at Americana Fest in Nashville. We’ve followed her career closely since then, marvelling at her solo albums, SOON ENOUGH (2015), PUTTING ON AIRS (2018) and LIGHTEN UP (2022). We’ve also enjoyed her headline shows in Nashville and Germany and her performances as a backing vocalist for artists like Margo Price and Courtney Marie Andrews.
Erin’s latest recording is an altogether novel affair. The live songs on the album were recorded in the summer of 2022, after she and her band had completed a six-week tour opening for Lord Huron. They were recorded by Erin’s mother, Christie Bates, on a 1990s Panasonic cassette recorder that Erin’s dad had previously used to tape rough demos of his music. The result is a live recording in the true sense, with song introductions, background noises, and audience chatter, all left untampered. What rings true is Erin’s beautiful vocals and her road-hardened band. Featured are the majority of the songs from her then-most recent album, LIGHTEN UP, alongside a number of songs from PUTTING ON AIRS. Also included in the set is As We Go Along, from Erin’s 2019 EP LAGNIAPPE SESSION.
Particular highlights, among many, are Putting On Airs, Cosmic Sigh, Candy and Curry, which opened the set, and Bad Mind. The latter is introduced by Erin as a song about growing up in the South, surrounded by inequity and bias (‘Maybe it was just the South or the influence of my brothers, or the harsh words I heard the others throw around’).
In an era of often overproduced and gadget-enhanced playing and vocalising, this simple recording, blips and all, captures in every respect the true allure of live music, and the satisfaction and enjoyment that the live setting offers to both artists and audience alike. It’s also a reminder of why, alongside her own notable recordings, Erin Rae is in such demand as a backing vocalist both in the studio, and in the live setting.
Review by Declan Cullion
Nathan Mongol Wells From A Dark Corner State Fair
Texan Nathan Mongol Wells is the frontman of Ottoman Turks, alongside Billy Law, Paul Hinojo and Joshua Ray Walker. The latter is credited as co-producer alongside John Pedigo on FROM A DARK CORNER, Wells’ debut solo record. If getting issues off his chest, and in particular matters of the heart, was the driving force behind Wells’ solo writing, he has nailed it with these ten tracks.
An inkling of what lies in the writer’s head emerges on Taken For A Ride (‘I’m a coward, I’m a loser, I’m a serial abuser, of the thoughts and of the feelings that you try so hard to hide’) and In Years (‘We set out with it all intact, a frayed knot here and there. No knowledge of the things we lacked, each challenge like a dare’). Both are memorable efforts, drenched in pedal steel courtesy of Hank Early, alongside Wells’ broody vocals. The same disintegrating relationship raises its head on Two Heads (‘You know we’re at our best when we’re sleeping together. It’s when we awake that our problems arise’) though things do take a more light-hearted direction on the drinking (lots), Honest Drinking, and working (little), Rather Go To Hell. Echoes of John Prine surface on the acoustic album closer First Day It’s Warm, which welcomes the end of winter in Texas.
Whether FROM A DARK CORNER represents the onset of a solo career by Wells in parallel with his commitments with Ottoman Turks remains to be seen. Either way, this is a no-holds-barred album, combining country and punk sensibilities, by an artist quite prepared to lay bare his own vulnerabilities. All in all, it’s a stylistically impressive venture and well worth your investigation.
Review by Declan Culliton
Maia Sharp Reckless Thoughts Self Release
“I always want to write in a way where people will plug their own lives into the song,” says Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maia Sharp in the press release that accompanied this, her ninth, solo album.
That quality in Sharp’s writing over the past two decades is evidenced by the number of household names that have raided her treasure chest to record her songs. The Chicks, Terri Clark, Cher, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, and Art Garfunkel are just a snapshot of artists that have recorded Sharp’s songs.
In general, Sharp’s albums have often opened the door to reveal her personal thoughts and emotions. If her last album, 2021’s MERCY RISING, reflected on the break up of her marriage and leaving California for Nashville, this latest record plays out like an update of her present state of mind. Sharp admits that this collection of songs was challenging to write, given that she was not working her way through emotional upheaval, but the end result is every bit as satisfying and thought-provoking as any of her previous albums.
A sense of letting go of the past and taking charge unfolds in a number of songs. The bouncy opener, She’ll Let Herself Out, sets that stall out from the get-go and the mid-tempo Old Dreams, co-written with Garrison Starr, follows a similar approach of exorcising unattainable aspirations. That sense of being yourself and not attempting to live vicariously in someone else’s skin is at large in Fallen Angel. Whereas the majority of the songs live in the present, Sharp does acknowledge happier past times in California but the track that captures her present frame of mind and her wishes is Kind. A co-write with Mindy Smith and Dean Fields, it’s very much a song of its time with a simple message promoting empathy and understanding.
RECKLESS THOUGHTS will be very much on the radar of Maia Sharp’s dedicated followers, but if she’s a new name to you and you’re a lover of classic singer songwriters, you’ll lap this up.
Review by Declan Culliton
Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay Self-Titled Topic
The old traditions of English Folk are alive and well in the wonderful music created by this duo. This is their second collaborative record, following on from The Hawksworth Grove Sessions - Duets for 6 & 12 String Guitar, released in 2018. The sound created on this new release captures both space and time in restrained emotion, without a word spoken, and the results leave the listener entranced.
With Ghedi on 6-string and Hay on 12-string guitars, their combined artistry is just a joy and is reminiscent of Ghedi’s previous work, often instrumental, that explores the natural world and our relationship to it. He released A Hymn For Ancient Land (2018) and In The Furrows Of Common Place (2022) to great acclaim. Both musicians are custodians of the Folk music flame and stand beside the likes of John Martyn, Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson as masters of their craft.
The twelve tracks here are all inspired by different sources, from the poetry of Seamus Heaney to Irish harp tunes and traditional Welsh lullabies. The interplay between the two musicians is quite breathtaking and the music is always engaging, moving and magical in the delivery. Song titles such as With The Morning Hills Behind You, A Year And A Day, When The Blackthorn Blooms, Moss Flower, Bog Cotton Jig and Seasoned By The Storm, give some insight into a sense of the natural world in quiet repose.
The production is crystal clear and recording took place last year in Giant Wafer Studios in rural mid Wales. The album was recorded live over three days and contains no edits or overdubs, just the two musicians in deep connection and complimenting each other on guitars across these timeless instrumental tunes. This is a must purchase album for anyone who respects the deep traditions of Folk music and the Roots tradition.
Review by Paul McGee
Greenshine, Paul Cowley, Larry Sparks, The Handsome Family, Zach Aaron, Erin Rae, Nathan Mongol Wells, Maia Sharp, Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay