The Hanging Stars On A Golden Shore Loose
The past decade has found The Hanging Stars' profile consistently rising with each step they take. Their distinctive sound, a fusion of indie-flavoured cosmic country, has remained relatively unchanged since their 2016 debut album, OVER THE SILVERY LAKE. ON A GOLDEN SHORE maintains their 'album every two years' output.
For their latest project, four of the band, Richard Olson, Paulie Cobra, Patrick Ralla and Paul Milne, travelled to Edwyn Collins' Clashnarrow Studios at Helmsdale on the northeast coast of Scotland, where they recorded their 2022 record HOLLOW HEART. Over eight days, they recorded live, putting down 'first takes' in the main. The pedal steel components, completing their signature sound, were added by Joe Harvey-Whyte at his Karma Studios in London. Final overdubs were completed at the album's producer, Sean Read's Famous Time studio in London.
Very much a democracy and the sum of their parts, the band members merge their varied individual musical sensibilities of cosmic and psychedelic folk, 60s West Coast, 60s country rock, and Brit-pop
on this eleven-track album. The first three inclusions were released as singles and encapsulate those influences. The sunny and radio-friendly Sweet Light follows the opener, Let Me Dream Of You, which takes a leaf out of The Stones' early 70s songbook. Happiness Is A Bird is a loose and spacey psychedelic creation, a trademark of what they do so well. The banjo-led No Way Spell is a Burrito Brothers-styled tour de force, and they are equally at home with their feet off the gas pedal on the slowed-down country rockers Disbelieving and Washing Line. Raindrops In A Hurricane and Golden Shore have roots in quintessential UK folk
Very much a companion to its predecessor, HOLLOW HEART, and staying within their usual template, ON A GOLDEN SHORE casts its spell far and wide and is easy to get engrossed in after a few spins.
Review by Declan Culliton
Wonder Women of Country: Willis Carper Leigh Self-Release
What kicked off a casual get-together by three country singers and players to perform their individual songs live in a songwriter-in-the-round arrangement has taken a step further with the release of this six-track mini-album.
Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper, and Brennen Leigh’s pedigrees in country music are first-rate. Kelly has been one of the standout vocalists in country music from her 1990 debut album WELL TRAVELLED LOVE and her dozen albums that followed. Brennen has been and continues to be a diehard champion of traditional country and Western swing, her sublime 2023 album AIN’T THROUGH HONKY TONKIN’ YET was one of Lonesome Highway’s favourites of the year. Melissa can boast comfortably balancing numerous balls in the air. She is an exceptional upright bass player and a member of the foursome Sad Daddy and the roots duo Buffalo Gals; her distinctive vocals tick the old-time country and jazz boxes.
Each member is credited with two songs, the lead vocal on both, and harmony vocals. Alongside lead guitar and mandolin, Brennen sings on her co-write with Melissa, Fly Ya To Hawaii and Hanging On To You. Kelly plays rhythm guitar and takes lead vocal on a tearjerker she wrote with Bruce Robison and Monte Warden, Another Broken Heart and her own A Thousand Ways. Melissa’s vocal is out in front on her co-write with Brennen Won’t Be Worried Long and a reconstruction of the John Prine/ Roger Cook song, I Have Met My Love Today, together with her upright bass contributions. The other players that joined the three women at Austin’s Bismeaux on The Hill Studios were Ginny Mac (accordion), Timmy Campbell (drums), Geoff Queen (Dobro, Steel guitar) and Chris Scruggs (Steel guitar).
Having witnessed the three artists perform together on stage in Nashville, given the collective dynamic of their show, it’s little surprise that they took the relationship and friendship into the studio. With three vocalists that shift between twang-laced and earthy country, the result is a joyful listen that shimmers and shines from start to finish. More of the same again going forward, please.
Review by Declan Culliton
Addison Johnson Dangerous Men Self-Release
‘I prefer stories a bit darker; about guys running moonshine or a guy running from the police and things like that,’ explained Greensboro, North Carolina native Addison Johnson when we chatted with him back in 2021, shortly after the release of his most impressive debut album DARK SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. That album was our introduction to Johnson and his expertise in creating meaningful tales, many based on lousy life choices and questionable company, most of which came from first-hand experiences.
Whether the content of DANGEROUS MEN is equally personal, the eleven-track album finds Addison taking account of the events and factors that lead to individuals going ‘off the rails’ and, in his mind, rendering them as ‘dangerous.’
A heavily accented baritone country voice, lashings of pedal steel, and twangy guitars are the order of the day on the album that plays out like chapters in a hardboiled modern Western novel. There aren’t too many happy endings for the featured characters, either. Before introducing those characters, Johnson starts the album with his ‘State of the Nation’ address, the less-than-optimistic Waiting For The World To End.
We hear of the hopeless barfly drowning his sorrows in Out Of Control and sordid goings-on at a cheap motel in Country Inn. The unfortunate and innocent protagonist in I Did Nothing Wrong gets nailed for a crime he didn’t commit. There’s little to cheer about either in End of a Rope and Damaged Goods, which follows; both bring to mind the pedal steel-drenched sound of Hank III on his 2002 LOVESICK, BROKE & DRIFTIN’ album. High Way finds Johnson joined by fellow Outlaw honky tonker Alex Williams to trade vocals and bemoan their nomadic ways.
Co-produced by Johnson and David Flint, DANGEROUS MEN could herald a well-deserved breakthrough for Johson. If DARK SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN was an exciting gateway into Johnson’s music, he has raised the bar several notches this time around. The writing is gifted, insightful and laced with left-of-centre dark humour, and the playing on this album is also top-drawer. That same formula has been a triumph for his namesake, Jamey Johnson, who is cut from a similar cloth. So, let’s hope this record excites the industry ‘movers and shakers’ as much as it does me.
Review by Declan Culliton
Victoria Liedtke & Jason Ringenberg More Than Words Can Tell Judee Bop
There have been a number of recreations of the much loved country music duet genre in recent times, the Jenni Muldaur & Teddy Thompson album ONCE MORE being a prime example of one executed with a care and style that pays homage and yet updates the format for a new era. Now comes another album that pays its respects to the format but in a way that makes it very special in its own right.
The pairing is the much loved (in these quarters at very least) Jason Ringenberg and the genre crossing talent of Victoria Liedtke, an artist who has performed solo and alongside other established artists. Born in Oklahoma and, after being located in several cities in the USA, she now resides in the UK, which is where they recorded this album in Worcester during 2022. A studio band was set up who first recorded the basic tracks, before additional musicians added their important contributions remotely. Those musicians included Tim Prottey-Jones on the drums and piano, on double bass John Parker and guitarist Lewis “Burner” Pugh, while Liedtke with engineer Elliot Vaughan handled the production duties. However it didn’t stop there, with contributions from many more being added, for the most part, remotely. Acoustic and electric guitarist, mandolin, dobro and pedal steel player CJ Hillman proved to be an essential part of the process, alongside several additional guitarists, violinists, keyboards and backing vocalists. Something of a labour of love for all it would seem, certainly from the end result.
Although Ringenberg has a clear love for traditional country music he has always made it just one element of what he performs, with his punk, blues, folk and rock influences equally present (all delivered with an abundant energy). Likewise Liedtke has an equally varied and celebrated repertoire, which might not make them the first names you would think of for an album of classic country duets, but the results make this a successful album on every level. Both have a distinctive vocal presence that manages to make the combined pairing more than the sum of its parts.
All of these songs come with in-depth and interesting arrangements that reference the hey-day of many of the countrypolitan recordings. The source of these songs in the main have the writing credits of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, either individually or together. The one exception is the cover of Tom Paxton’s The Last Thing On My Mind.
The opening track (and recent single) Life Rides The Train sets the tone, with both parties trading verses and choruses. But it is also the overall musical contributions that hit the highs, the guitars are edgy but highly effective. There is a passion to More Than Words Can Tell that is soulful and sincere, with the pedal steel adding much to the overall feel. The string section is very present in the folkish song Sound Of Nature that also uses the backing vocals to evoke the title’s bucolic atmosphere and Liedtke’s sweet-toned vocal. By way of contrast there is a different sense of location and lifestyle in Carolina Moonshine. Again the two vocals intertwine and overlap with an undeniable energy.
As with many of the songs from that time they either detail a harmonious (in every way) relationship (The Fire That Keeps You Warm) or they layout the pitfalls of such a decorating relationship (The Pain Of Loving You), though, it has to be said, the majority fall more into the realm of sweet love than that of oncoming disaster. The latter has something of an ominous drumbeat that filters that sense of pain musically as much as it does lyrically.
And so it is throughout the album, one that seems to engage in the past and a certain sensibility that was evoked by the Dolly and Porter classic duets and of a particular lyrical approach that seems, largely, to have been lost since that era. Yet there is little doubt that, for many, this album will sit alongside those earlier recordings, giving the format a new lease of life that has been delivered to such a fine standard that it achieves what it set out to do. It also makes you wonder where an album of new original songs might take Victoria & Jason?
Review By Stephen Rapid
Jim Jones Tales Fom The West Berkalin
With what seems to be a growing interest in songs that have their origin in the myths and reality of the West and the cowboy life it is good to know that Jim Jones as a man with a deep interest in the subject has continued to turn that into music and words. Aside from eight associated albums, he has also published three novels set in that era. He is also the recipient of several awards associated with the genre.
Overall Jones is delivering a gentler, less upbeat format (certainly compared to some of his more recent contemporaries), perhaps closer to the likes of Don Williams than Merle Haggard in country terms. The album was ably produced by Merel Bregante and it features some fine players including Pete Warner on keyboards, Dave Pearlman on pedal steel and guests such as Cody Braun on fiddle and mandolin, Michale Dorrien and John Inman on electric guitar as well as Bregante himself on drums and harmony vocals.
There is a sense of age in Jones’ vocal that is as you might expect from a man who has devoted his talent to this format for many years. It is warm and clear throughout. Jones wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks here that overall create a relaxed ambience, allowing the words to conjure the images of that particular lifestyle. There are open hearted love songs like They Dance alongside those songs rooted in the life of a man in the saddle, such as Mustanger, Cowboy Heart which is co-written by Deanna McCall and tells her story. Another such story song, co-written with Doug Figgs, is Manassa Mauler about the renowned boxing champion Jack Dempsey who was a working cowboy before fighting his way to the top in the boxing world.
Ride For The Brand, a co-write with RG Yoho, is about dedication to a way of life and commitment to a particular ‘ranch brand’ in a very changing world. It started life as a poem that Jones set to music. Wild animals that are associated with the landscape are the subject of The Queen Is Dead, concerning a regal bear that was killed in 1979 in circumstances that remain unclear, but with the result that since then there are no more grizzly bears in Colorado. It is played with a poignant fiddle at its heart.
These and the other songs on the album come from an artist with an obvious love of this particular lifestyle who has delivered them with consummate ease. They may lack a certain energy that a younger audience might prefer but that shouldn’t take away your attention from a devotee of Western culture who may, as he outlines in the last song, be happy to sit and muse on life from a rocking chair rather from a saddle. But the dreams are there to continue; to ride that range and see the open skies, at the very least in the mind of such men (and women) as Jim Jones.
Review By Stephen Rapid
Oisín Leech Cold Sea Tremone
The journey continues for Oisín Leech. One that began in Navan, moved to Liverpool with The 747s and onto the Americana/Folk of the Lost Brothers, through to this his debut solo release (though both parties of that duo have released individual solo projects, they will doubtless regroup at a later stage). It is one that is set in landscapes, both internal and external, that have a certain poetic melancholy that pervades the songs, but in a way that, not unlike a walk in the kind of environment, is both reflective and restorative and one that is ultimately positive.
For this album Leech went to Donegal, a place which had, for both Leech and his producer Steve Gunn, family connections and proved an inspiring influence on how the album would develop and be recorded. In this rural location, over a week, the material took shape. It was kept sparse, simple and spacious, though a number of notable guests added their talents in an understated way; something that none-the-less added to the overall presence of the recordings. These guests included Tony Garner on upright bass, Donal Lunny on bouzouki, some strings from Roisín McGrory and M Ward on electric guitar. Gunn himself added guitars, synths and vocals. This provides an overall feeling of understated ambient folk that coalesces in the muted tones of the album. The end result is meditative and melodious, something that is perhaps mirrored in the two paintings that grace the cover.
It is Leech’s nine selected songs that are the centre of the album’s ambiance. The opening October Sun shows how his vocal tone is now a vital instrument in itself and has an immediate ability to draw you closer, to listen as the album unfolds. The songs, while they have a sense of darkness, leave the listener largely to interpret the songs themselves. Throughout there are mentions of loss, longing and sorrow that are as poetic as they are plaintive. They are also, given the titles, rooted in place, in weather and in a particular time. Yet they are also deep in personal exploration of inner thoughts and outward feelings. These songs, with titles that expand that theme such as One Hill Further, Colour Of The Rain, Trawbreaga Bay, Malin Gales and Daylight, all elucidate this sense of exploration - both musical and meditative.
This solo outing may be a sidestep before returning to the career of the much respected Lost Brothers. Equally, it may indeed be the first part of a new parallel journey that will see Leech explore this path further or indeed some different musical avenues in tandem with that of the duo’s ongoing body of work. Either way COLD SEA is an undoubted success on many levels and is a landscape that should be explored.
Review By Stephen Rapid
Gracie Lane Doing My Time Self Release
This debut album from Gracie Lane boasts twelve songs that linger in the memory long after the music has come to an end. It is a very accomplished recording and one that highlights the combined talents of Gracie Lane (vocals, rhythm guitar), Stacey Ann Glasgow (drums, harmony vocals), Mick Glasgow (bass), John James Tourville (pedal steel, guitar, banjo, percussion), Liliana Hudgens (harmony vocals), Phil Alley (guitar), and Evan Martin (keyboards). The musicians combine in a very complimentary and understated fashion that brings great nuance to these songs, all of which look at love and relationships in various guises.
There is a classic country sound woven through the tracks and standouts such as Fallin Now and To Know Me highlight a very interesting new talent on the music scene. All the songs are written by Lane and she has been working on this debut album for a number of years, stretching back to pre-Covid times. Originally from North Carolina, she has spent plenty of time ensuring that the song arrangements present themselves in their best versions and honour the creative spirit that clearly drives the entire project.
Watch It Fall Apart is a breakup song with a plea to act before it’s too late. Begging Kind visits similar territory with a strained relationship in need of some real communication and a reset button. Livin This Lie is a song that hopes a lover is not straying while away from home and wanting to deny the telltale signs. Move brings a cool seductive performance and a challenge to work for the prize of having fun with the girl in the song. Baby Look At Us Now sees a broken relationship sinking down into a toxic state where it’s time to quit.
The title track is yet another look at matters of the heart with the girl missing that special one we all seek, but who has moved on. The pedal steel playing is very atmospheric throughout and no more so than on this track. Short Lived Love is exactly as the song title suggests, the loss of a lover and the questions that turn into self-doubt. Final song Why Baby Why showcases the heartbreak of being the one left wondering, although later in the lyric the song flips into ‘ I ain't gonna sit up on my ass, Crying to my beer, Gonna pick myself up and walk, Anywhere but here.
A very traditional country album with the vagaries of love and commitment spinning back and forth across emotions that visit both the bitter and the sweet. The musicians are superb in support of these mid-tempo song arrangements and Lane has a haunting voice that brings real character to the recording. A very self-assured debut that comes highly recommended.
Review By Paul McGee
The Coal Men Everett Vaskaleedez
There is a strut and a swagger to this new album from Nashville trio, The Coal Men. It is their first release in eight years and marks the sixth time that they have brought their superb performance dynamic into the formal surroundings of the studio. Produced by founding member Dave Coleman, the guitar sound is quite superb throughout and captures a vibrancy across the eleven tracks that is alive with an energy that crackles. Americana with real attitude.
Coleman plays inventive guitar and contributes lead vocals. The driving rhythm is delivered courtesy of Dave Ray (drums, vocals) and Paul Slivka (bass). Their playing is such a standout feature in bringing everything into full on throttle and their dramatic interplay is impressive. The title of the album refers to an upright Everett piano that was purchased by Coleman at a Downtown Presbyterian Church and it features on all eleven tracks with performance parts shared by guests Jen Gunderman, Lane Kiefling and Coleman himself.
The blues groove of opener Black Cat is infectious while the rockabilly vibe of Rather Be Right looks at the urge to be dogmatic in a relationship. Heart Exposed has a deep resonance and a great guitar sound while Come Back Joe is a strident tribute to the late, great Joe Strummer and all he stood for.
Johnny Sins takes no prisoners with its high energy drive and the slower tempo of I Like Trains is one of the standouts. The final song Hammer Like Bill delivers plenty of guitar histrionics and a locked-in, stripped-back sound that really engages. A very atmospheric return from a trio who really know how to highlight their collective skills and talents. A real keeper.
Review By Paul McGee
Scott Sean White Even Better On The Bad Days Self Release
This album is a real pleasure from start to finish and comes highly recommended. Discovering new talent is always something that never ceases to bring real pleasure and this singer songwriter certainly ticks a lot of boxes. His songs deliver a rich tapestry of emotions, reflecting on life through a number of different perspectives. White started out as a writer for other artists but picked up his guitar in 2021 for a very personal album release titled Call It Even. He writes from the heart and his considered approach to the big questions leaves plenty of room for others to interpret his homespun philosophy.
There is a strong faith running through the ten songs and a sense of trusting in the universe that everything will work out for the better. White has buried three of his family over the last eight years and the resolve to look for positive outcomes is a running theme on this album. Opening song Pulling Weeds is a look at what is important and a chance to carry out a self-audit and hit the reset button. Hope You Never Do gives a message of learning from the wisdom of others and not repeating the same mistakes of those who are now older and wiser.
God Is Good is a song that deals with the real pain of loss and resolving other challenging experiences in daily living. The song references some deep memories from White’s childhood and an abusive parent. People is a tribute to ‘everyman’ in honouring our individuality, coupled with that need to embrace that need for community that dwells within us all. Keeper is a love song written for White’s wife and has a very sweetly delivered vocal. Just Not Today is that knowledge that a family passing is imminent but wishing for just another day to enjoy the presence of the individual before the sad event occurs.
Both Small World and Same Street speak of our attitudes to life and whether the glass is half full or half empty. Despite our flaws and fears, attitude dictates everything. Not The Year is a song that imagines our death day, as if it could be known in advance, and it’s an interesting perspective on the fear of dying and our fallibility. The final song 12 notes and 26 letters is a very clever look at the magical trick of making music and words out of the ether, how we can pluck inspiration and turn it into something tangible.
Producer Dave Brainard (Brandy Clark, Jamey Johnson) contributed on guitars, dobro, bass, keyboards and percussion, with a variety of other musicians providing telling moments. The harmony vocals are very engaging with lots of different colours throughout. The superb production and very engaging song arrangements make this a really superb album and one that sets a high bar in quality.
Review By Paul McGee