Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir Show Me The Light We Believers
This album nearly slipped under the Lonesome Highway radar, arriving a few months back when our inbox was brimming with new releases for consideration. Fortunately, having previously reviewed Brown’s 2019 debut album, LONG WAY HOME, we got a timely reminder to check it out, and its guitar-driven alt-country sound drew me in on the first spin.
Firstly, a bit of background on Blake Brown. He is currently based in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his wife Tiffany and their daughter; Brown resided for fifteen years in Denver, Colorado, before moving back to his home state, Texas, having spent a short spell in Nashville. His early career found him playing in a number of bands before focussing on his current venture, Blake Brown and The American Dust Choir. This project is a moveable scheme, allowing him to perform solo, in a duo with his wife Tiffany, or with musician friends in a full band format.
Recorded at Bubble Studios in Austin, SHOW ME THE LIGHT is a ten-track album, following his 2022 EP DON’T LOOK BACK. Alongside Brown on vocals and guitars was Tiffany on keys and backing vocals, Jordan Espinoza on drums, Jason Legler on bass, and Grammy-nominated Chris ‘Frenchie’ Smith (Meat Puppets, The Toadies), who produced the album, also adding his guitar skills.
Cut from a similar cloth to the sound of early Son Volt (any coincidence in the similarity of his band’s name and the Son Volt album, AMERICAN CENTRAL DUST?) or Bottle Rockets, the album opens in fine style with Runner, Brown’s vocal drawl underscored by piercing guitar breaks. Groove-driven Americana is the order of the day on White Rose and The Lucky Ones, and the stripped-back moments on tracks Darkest Hollows and Gone Too Soon showcase Brown’s capacity to create tender and intimate songs alongside the more rock-tinged ones. The smouldering and gloriously loose North Star generates the most profound impression of the ten tracks, fusing edgy vocals and swirling guitars to perfection.
An album laden with razor-sharp guitar licks and simple yet memorable hooks, it’s Brown’s bravest effort to date and one well worth your attention.
Declan Culliton
Kirsten Adamson Paint With Colours Self-Release
The trend of releasing EPs before full album releases is becoming more commonplace in recent times. The logic may be financial or a reflection of people’s attention span when presented with, say, a ten-track album recording instead of four or five tracks that may be more likely to get the required attention. Either way, it’s the direction Scottish singer/songwriter Kirsten Adamson took with this four-track album. It’s the first of three EPs that Adamson, the daughter of Big Country and Skids frontman Stuart Adamson, is releasing digitally before all three are made available on CD in May of 2025. Adamson’s second solo album, the Dean Owens produced LANDING PLACE, was released in 2023 to excellent reviews, and she is presently working on a follow-up album, with producer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Harvey Whyte, titled DREAMVIEWER, due for release in the Autumn of 2025.
The four songs from PAINT WITH COLOURS came to life during the writing process for the new album and were felt to be more suited to a stripped-back acoustic treatment. Self-produced by Adamson and her long-time collaborator Bobby Heatlie, the songs are drawn from both personal experiences and the more observational. Grandfather’s Accordion was inspired by Adamson inheriting her grandfather’s instrument and considers the passing of time and the importance of living in the moment. Disintegrating relationships against the quest for love and comfort are grappled with in both In Your Arms and the title track. On a similar theme, the piano-led final and tear-jerker closing track Halfway To Buffalo was inspired by the Barbara Keith song Detroit Or Buffalo from 1973.
Not afraid to broaden her horizons, the silver-voiced Adamson has taken a step back from the typically fuller sound of previous recordings with this collection. By doing so and with the skill set to express anguish expertly in her vocal delivery, she has passed the test with flying colours.
Declan Culliton
Merce Lemon Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild Darling
In a similar vein to East Nashville, Pittsburgh can boast a healthy and burgeoning underground music community, where artists who will never dent the Billboard Charts are creating art driven by passion rather than commercial ambition. A leading light in that neighbourhood is Pittsburgh native Merce Lemon, who signposted her arrival as a young emerging singer/songwriter with her two previous releases, IDEAL FOR A LIGHT FLOW WITH YOUR BODY (2017) and MOONTH (2020).
Growing up with parents who both played in bands, Lemon's songwriting calling kicked off when she was ten years old, writing songs for an a capella group with her sisters. Ten years later, she fronted a band with her father and his friends backing her, a combo that lasted four years. The fruit of those ventures ring through in her solo work, with her latest recording, WATCH ME DRIVE THEM DOGS WILD, a pointer to a talent that continues to mature.
Lemon knocked on Alex Farrar's (Hurray For The Riff Raff, MJ Lenderman, Snail Mail) door to assist with the album's production, working alongside herself and Colin Miller. The recording and mixing took place at Farrar's Drop of Sun Studio in West Ashville, North Carolina.
Having temporarily fallen out of love with her art after the release of MOONTH in 2020, Lemon took time out to reassess her relationship with music. She confesses that getting closer to nature ('I got dirty and slept outside most of the summer. I learned a lot about plants and farming, just writing for myself, and in that time, I just slowly accumulated songs') whetted her appetite and rekindled her love of art, and fuelled the introspective direction that created both the songwriting and musical flavour of this nine-track collection.
With layered vocals that ebb and flow on top of frenzied fiddle and pedal steel, that sense of escapism and rebirth surfaces on the stunning opening track Birdseed ('I've been eating like the birds, so maybe I'll grow wings, wouldn't that be something'). It's followed by most probably the standout song of the year for this writer, Backyard Lover. Descending from the peaks of romantic recollection to the uncontrolled rage of rejection, Lemon pours her heart out with naked honesty. Those recollections of regret and self-reproach also raise their head in Foolish and Fast, and the more unhurriedly delivered Rain. The former's reflection on the craziness of youth is bolstered by quivering lead guitar breaks by Reid Magette, who also adds backing vocals. It's not all personal torment and contrition; Lemon's sense of playfulness surfaces in the title track, drawn from an old man howling at a pack of dogs through his living room window.
WATCH ME DRIVE THEM DOGS WILD (excellent title) is gothic folk/country crème de la crème that screams 'career finest' for Lemon. My only regret is that it landed for review after I had submitted my 'Best of 2024' listings. Otherwise, it would most certainly have been credited as one of my favourite albums of this year.
Declan Culliton
Ray Cerbone Nobody’s Hero Self Release
This album is the second release from Florida based singer songwriter Ray Cerbone and it is a journey through a tapestry of different colours across the twelve songs included here. There are four cover versions on the album and this can sometimes deflect from the original creations by the artist, however in this case the selected songs blend seamlessly into the original songs written by Cerbone.
The central theme of the album strikes me as one of celebration; not only of the milestones in our individual journeys but also in the minutiae that mark turning points along the road towards self- understanding. There are love songs to the enduring power of our ability to rise above constraints, songs that recognise both growth and loss, and songs that reflect upon the fragile nature of all that we embrace in our quest for contentment and peace of mind.
Another Town Going Down and The Big Top capture the disappearance of old traditions as local townships get bypassed by motorways, and the magic of youthful circus memories get washed away by the tides of change. As reflections on the relentless march of time, both songs stand as statements of what it meant to witness the joys of a more innocent time when the wheel of life turned more slowly.
Little Red Top and A Simple Love Song are expressions of true devotion and to the bond created by a personal commitment to another, in this case, Gia, the wife of Cerbone and clearly his creative muse. The songs are heartfelt and come from a place of pure loving awareness. Both Happy Blues and Blue Cross display the fingerpicking guitar prowess of Cerbone as he creates a feeling of easy calm across two songs that highlight the joy of living in the moment, capturing the essence, and the sense that all is well with the world.
The studio musicians excel throughout and the understated playing adds a great dynamic and atmosphere to the overall feel of the album. On other songs we get a sense of the other side of the coin where life doesn’t always play out in the way we would want, and on The Moon And the Bottle we have a tale of lost chances and frustration with opportunity spurned, and The Other Side Of Nashville captures the yearning of trying to make it as a success in an unforgiving town where artist talent is commonplace ‘He’s as old as she is young and they both know where they came from, right across the street where the tip jar feeds on a dollar bill, and a hungry dream something you can’t kill.’ It is a standout moment on an album that has much to recommend it.
The title track is a story song that captures the reflections of a public service responder who yearns for closure on a life that has borne great challenge in the resolve to give selflessly. Another highlight and a song that reflects maybe the losses suffered outweigh the sense of service given. There is a lovely instrumental interlude on The Lake which gives a sense of reflection, and we are given a perspective into the joys of nature on Feel So Near and the realisation on how quickly our assumptions can be changed ‘So we build our tower of construction, and to mark our place in time, we justify our great destruction, as on we climb.’
The album ends with the classic Smile, composed by Charlie Chaplin and the lyric ‘ Smile, what's the use of crying, You'll find that life is still worthwhile, If you just smile.’ It is the sentiment that runs through this album, the thought that no matter what obstacles that are put in your way there is always the promise of what tomorrow may bring. If Ray Cerbone continues to produce music of this quality then the future is very much one of continued growth and success.
Paul McGee
Ron Houston Real Outlaw Americana Music Self Release
The abiding impression on this album from San Diego musician Ron Houston is one of self reflection and atonement for past mistakes made. Houston usually plays with his band The Berry Pickers but on this solo outing he collaborates with a number of musicians to create the ten songs that form such a cohesive whole.
Opener Whiskey Train looks back at his years of excessive drinking and Houston’s attraction to the bottle is further covered in titles such as Drinkin’ Got the Best Of Me and Lines On My Face illustrating the tone of the album. On other tracks like People Lookin’ the Other Way and Gun Sale At the Church Houston looks at the hypocrisy of ignoring the problems of others and taking the easier route of self-absorption in our own lives.
Waiting On A Miracle is a prayer of hope that darkness can be replaced by sunnier days and that the anxiety of self-doubt can be banished. Another song that reflects upon lifestyle choices is Life On the Edge Of A Knife and the powerful thrust of Raise A Lotta Hell gives insight into the kind of crazy times that are often reality for a travelling musician. The standout song is The Rain and a personal purging of the ghosts that followed Houston around for many years ‘I wish the rain could wash away all the pain I feel inside.’ Houston delivers these heartfelt songs in a deep and richly resonant vocal and the impressive line-up of studio musicians do great justice to the material. Roots music from the heart and the heartland.
Paul McGee
Dean Mueller Wishes Never Gone Ripping Glass
Bend, Oregon is currently home to Dean Mueller and his activities in the local community include event promotion and production. He is also a musician and song writer of understated talent, and this new release catches him in reflective mood across the twelve tracks included here. He co-wrote seven of these songs with Alan Jones, a musical friend and collaborator, and the entire project was recorded the Rock House Studio in Franklin, Tennessee with Kevin McKendree at the production board.
Mueller released a debut album titled Life Ain’t All Roses back in 2023 and this new release includes some of the same musicians that featured on the previous recording. Both David Jaques (bass) and Kenneth Blevins (drums, percussion) lend their talents to the songs and they are joined by Jason Wilber (acoustic, electric guitars), all of whom are known from their days of playing with the great John Prine, among others. We also have a guest slot from the McCrary Sisters on one track and the superb Nalani Rothrock on two others. The revered Jim Hoke plays clarinet and harmonica on two songs , with producer Kevin McKendree on keyboards and Mueller contributing on lead vocals and acoustic guitar.
The individuality of Mueller is highlighted on I Don’t Live There Anymore and a song about standing alone and facing the illusion of the American Dream ‘Saying goodbye to the past, too bad it didn’t last.’ The light jazz feel on Fireflies is a chance for the studio musicians to show off their impressive chops, before the more serious content of Hold On and Don’t Let Go and the lessons handed down from father to son.
Bulleit Train is a song about drinking, with Kentucky whiskey laying down the law ‘on a one-way ticket past the point of pain.’ The message on Change is one of learning to get out of a rut and try to move in a forward direction ‘Sometimes you just need a change, shake the old cobwebs out of your brain.’ The confessional Believe is a song that reflects upon the dreams of youth and whether they carry forward into later years, and the blues groove of Teach No Lies delivers a message of caution to the ways in which we educate our children.
The commercial lilt of No Matter What It Is delivers a nice relationship promise to try harder, the jangling guitars echoing a Tom Petty feeling. A memory of early dating days is framed on Get Lost and the easy beat is a playful lift to the melody before the fun, sing-along I’ll Be There hints at radio-friendly success. On I Suppose Mueller reflects on a failed relationship and the lines resonate ‘I kissed my lady on the neck one sunny day, I felt a chill as she just turned away.’ The final song is Lonesome Sky and we are left with a restrained melody that delivers a sweetly sad song about missing someone close who has passed on.
This is a very well-produced album and at just thirty six minutes in playing time, delivers a confident and discriminating slice of quality Americana.
Paul McGee
Todd Partridge Desert Fox Blues Self Release
Iowa native Todd Partridge stared out with his local band King Of Tramps and after a run of successful albums he decided to turn his focus to recording solo. The first album was a very melodic country-tinged release back in 2023, but this is a completely different beast and reveals a deep bluesy music with real edge to it. Partridge also delivers a very different vocal, using distortion effects, and the fuzz tone of the electric guitars blend with cool harmonica and a laid back blues beat on opening track Depression captured in the words ‘when all you do is worry, fuss and fret, about trouble that ain’t even got here yet.’
Gotta Do is another blues stomp that states ‘Don’t look up, keep your head down, there’s a million different ways to kill in this town.’ The slow burn on Gentleman’s Blues is dripping with atmosphere on a song that warns us to treat everybody in the way that we would expect to be treated ourselves. Interstellar Planetary is another blues workout with a bull horn vocal treatment and fuzz guitar highlighting the breakdown in our abilities to communicate properly as a society.
Lost Your Shoe Blues is just what it says on the tin – walking slow through a great guitar romp of distorted angst where ‘music lights the fuse.’ On Goin’ Home Empty we are invited to ‘dance in the garden, chase those the blues away, I ain’t lookin’ for trouble, trouble always finds me, I got here full but I'm going home empty .’ Harmonica wails in the background and the loose groove is very much like a Stones workout circa Sticky Fingers era. The memory of Chris Whitley comes to mind when I’m listening to the deep blues sonics on Keep On Keepin' On - a song that rocks out with the words ‘I gotta keep on keepin' on, even if it’s all goin' wrong, Moral of the story, there ain’t one, Don’t need money to have any fun.’
Old Picker is a song about an instrument that is handed down the working generations ‘Work all you want you won’t get far, Get the monkey off your back with a mojo guitar.’ The track Jimmy Carter is a tribute to the former US president and his love of the Dylan Thomas poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” with the blues message ‘Dylan Thomas wrote the president’s favourite poem, And he lived his life accordingly, He said I will not go gently, Said I will not go gently, Into the good, good night.’ The final song After the Work Is Done reflects upon a life spent toiling and it brings the blues of manual work and hard labour full circle. A big leap away from the last album in terms of sound but one that brings its own rewards.
Paul McGee
Taylor Kopp The Movin’ On Self Release
This 5-song EP is a follow up to the debut album Found which appeared in 2020 and featured in the “best of” lists from Lonesome Highway staff back then. The talented Taylor Kopp dwells in Portland, Oregon and proves once again to be a songwriter who can hold his own in any company. On the opening song November Sunrise there is superb pedal steel to accompany acoustic guitar and the gentle sound is reflective and sensitive in looking towards home and matters of the heart.
Folded Paper has gentle piano joining acoustic guitar strum on a song that again looks at relationships with producer Raymond Richards, who plays sublime pedal steel, joined by Ezza Rose on harmony vocals. Richards also plays upright bass, pump organ, piano, and guitars across these songs and The Orchard is another sweet slice of roots reverie that soothes and flows with an easy charm.
The song Fresno takes things up a notch as it considers the reasons why you would not like to live there. Is it a dead-end town or just a place where hearts get broken by the local girls? Put Up A Fight ends the short song cycle and it looks at love through the eyes of someone who is trying to turn his life around. The interplay is superb on all the songs between Kopp and Richards, leading me to suggest that further collaboration is in the air. Nineteen minutes of late night relaxing music, tinged with a knowing sadness, and a resolve to take strength into the future.
Paul McGee