Matt Woosey Band 'On the Waggon' - Self release

This is a blues release from an English singer/songwriter who has been gigging live for many years. Matt Woosey is a talented guitar player and sings with sufficient gravel in his voice to keep the listener engaged throughout the twelve songs on offer.

There is a temptation to refer to American Delta Blues in the opening songs that sing of freight trains and mean lovin’ women. However, I hear sufficient influence of the great John Martyn in the music to stay on this side of the Atlantic and to enjoy the groove that Matt Woosey is delivering. Don’t Need Money is a particularly fine example of this inspiration

Some of the lyrics could do with a little flavouring but the playing is enjoyable, with the  trio being completed by Jim ‘E’ Williams on drums & percussion and Adji Shuib on bass.

She Just Called is a slow blues that winds towards a pleasing destination and the loose jam feel to That’s My Baby is the standout track here and a live favourite, I am sure.

There is some fine slide guitar playing on the track Woke Up This Morning which echoes the spirit of  Elmore James. The album finishes with a blues burn on Dopey Mick that starts with plenty of straining guitar but quickly transforms into  a five minute  drum solo;  some would call this excessive but I just think that it is a poor way to finish what is otherwise an enjoyable listen.

Paul McGee

The Avett Brothers 'The Carpenter' - American

As stated in our live review,  the Avetts are a different beast, of late, on record, discounting of course the live albums they have released during their career. This second album on American is again produced by Rick Rubin, who has broadened their sound beyond the stripped down acoustic music of the original trio of Seth and Scott Avett and Robert Crawford. For The Carpenter they are joined by additional players,  including touring members Joe Kwon and Jacob Edwards;  another thirteen musicians are credited , including Benmont Tench, Lenny Castro and Chad Smith.

The Avett’s  songs are built around the voices of Seth and Scott and they have taken that core trio sound and added a range of instruments which give the music a wider appeal. However it is the songs of the trio which are the stars here as they have been on previous albums and on this record they feature less banjo though it is still a dominant element live. Equally, there is less piano than previously. The folk vision and melodies now sit beside full-blown rock sounds.  I Never Knew You has a sunnier disposition than the title and lyrics might suggest. Many of these songs look inward to try and understand the reasons that relationships can fail as much as they can survive hardship. Winter In My Heart is a theme that has been explored in the past and will be in the future. The loss of faith and love is timeless.

I suspect that those who have grown up listening to the Avett Brothers will have mostly grown with the music. Some however,  may yearn for the simpler and more direct take on bluegrass that the band previously represented. While this album may not top I and Love and You, there is much here to enjoy and it certainly reveals more on repeated play. It is the sound of a band exploring possibilities with a degree of subtlety and success that can only see their audience grow. In the wake of the outright success of the far more mainstream Mumford & Sons, that's an interesting prospect.

Son Volt 'Honky Tonk' - Rounder

It's perhaps no surprise that the more stringent of country consumers would not totally approve of what is on offer on an album entitled Honky Tonk. Those with a broader mind will find this far more appetising that some of the more Nashville players on stage today. Me, I think Jay Farrar has always loved this music, even when he moved away from it. These  tracks are full of fiddle, pedal steel and tales of heartbreak and heart fixing. 

Farrar’s mournful voice is up front and centre and he brings out these songs which,  while they may not have you on the dance floor, will have you at the bar or picking the sad songs on the jukebox. You might even pick some of these to play like Wild Side or Tears of Change. "There's a world of wisdom in a fiddle tune" says Down The Highway and indeed the fiddle and steel underscore that sentiment with the song’s Celtic echoes,  while Bakersfield pays tribute to all hell breaking loose on a Saturday night in that famed California honky-tonk town.

This is a solid band effort with no producer listed,  rather band member Mark Spencer is credited with recording the album and one feels that all seven players credited felt a part of the process of putting it together. The overall mood heads down the darker side of the highway  yet the music still heads for the bright lights and the California country music that never relied on the approval of Music Row for its existence which it found that in the fans, in the bars and in the fan’s raised glasses.

Son Volt has been heading in this direction,  but this is a fully fledged left turn that finds them electrified and committed. It may be a little too downbeat for some,  but as it asks in Seawall "do honky-tonk angels still walk this ground?" and the answer may be that they are certainly flying close to the ground at the very least. Son Volt have made the album they wanted to and as it happens its one that many others will want to hear too.

Skip Gorman 'A Herder's Call' - Old West

This seasoned multi-instrumentalist and vocalist is a true believer in the western way and this collection of mainly traditional songs includes such classic cowboy songs as Git Along, Little Dogies, Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie and Home On The Range along with some lesser know but equally rich songs. Gorman is joined by Connie Dover, Mary Burdette, Matt Levine and Angus Gorman on guitar, acoustic bass, slide guitar and harmony vocals. It is a campfire-warm sound that will please any fans of the genre and other artists like Don Edwards or those who started the genre like Rex Griffin, the Cartwright brothers and Carl T Sprague.

Some of the songs are stripped down to voice and banjo as on A Cowboy's Life while others use bass, guitar, fiddle and more for a fuller sound. All have an authenticity that comes from an understanding of a traditional folk form that draws from a romanticised vision of the cowboy's life. But beyond the celluloid vision there was a harsh reality for those who lived that life and these songs also reflect that truth as much as the myth.

Gorman has also a love for the roots of these songs, many of which relate to Irish songs and tunes and in his extensive and informative sleeve notes he details the history of these songs. It shows again that the lost art of the informed sleeve note which can add so much to the enjoyment of the songs and their deep roots. While I'm not an aficionado of the genre,  I have several albums that draw on that tradition and enjoy the tales they tell.

The hour plus running time of this CD is well spent and Skip Gorman is undoubtedly one of the best exponents of the genre who has several albums in his catalogue. This recent collection is a very good place to start listening to a storyteller who weaves his blanket of heartache, loneliness and death with passion, skill and heart.

Christa Couture 'The Living Record' - Self-Release

This is the third release from Christa Couture, a Canadian singer/songwriter who is largely unknown in Europe but whose talent is undoubtedly rich and vibrant. The twelve songs included here display great insight and perspective. There is a wisdom and yearning in these creations that makes the listening experience both challenging and uplifting in equal measure.

Her last release was in 2008 and since that time Christa has endured great personal loss in her life with the passing of her son. To say that she has bravely tackled the myriad of emotions and questions that such a life defining event has upon a young mother, is to understate the beauty and grace contained in the songs on display here.

Her acceptance and understanding that bad things happen to good people is interlaced through the lyrics, to such an extent that it is hard to listen without being greatly moved with the bare honesty running through these songs.

The renowned  Canadian  producer, Steve Dawson, musician and songwriter, is at the control panel and creates both flawless and sensitive arrangements that are beautifully delivered by a group of musicians who serve the songs with impeccable talent and taste.

We have songs with memories of time spent in Michigan, Louisiana and London; of people who brought something special to her life experience along the difficult path that was taken. Somewhere in between, we get the chance to reflect upon the journey that we all take towards an uncertain tomorrow.

An Invitation in Three Parts is a quite stunning creation and one that tears at the heart of this artist. It is a truly beautiful piece of writing that everybody should get the chance to hear.

Elsewhere, tracks like Parasite and Lucky or Lost display great musicianship that colour the song melodies and elsewhere, the giddy tease of Pussycat Pussycat is a joy to explore. Sing for Me is yet another beautifully realised piece of writing where the writer sings “I don’t need a destination I just need to walk”.

The Way of the Dodo looks to the hope that everybody can endure and grow from having survived a life changing experience; ‘I am the living record, I am the work of art that was made by your presence – the shape you made of my heart’. 

This CD ranks as my favourite listen of the year so far and comes highly recommended.

Angela Perley and the Howlin Moons 'Nowhere Is Now Her" - Vital Music

A five song E.P. from this interesting songwriter that brings to full circle, a four E.P. cycle that she commenced in 2010. The playing is very assured throughout and the arrangements crackle with slow reflective ballads like Brooklyn Girls to a Honky Tonk groove of Country Fair. The guitar playing is exciting on the title track and the vocal delivery is sweet and seductive. We have a little bit of Lucinda Williams mixed into Over the Rhine and sounding really fine on the bright production of Fred Blitzer. 18 Feet Under is pure adrenalin rush and a stand out live number, I have no doubt. We are treated to a very affecting Saw solo on the closing song Tangled on the Kitchen Floor, which echoes Patsy Cline meeting Norman Bates with very little chance of a romantic ending. Full marks for effort and leaves me wanting to hear more. 

Milagro Saints 'Chance & Circumstance' - Moon Caravan

This is the sixth release from a band whose history dates back to the late 1990’s. The two original members, Lee Kirby and S.D. Ineson, met in NYC before deciding to form the band.

Milagro means miracle in Spanish, or so the story goes. The key sound is very reminiscent of a number of iconic bands from the past; take your pick from the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws of the Eagles.

There are past influences throughout the songs and the closest modern band that comes to mind is Widespread Panic, who share the same leanings towards extended band workouts with intertwining guitar solos and warm organ sounds, wrapping the music up into a fine blend of melody and rhythm.

A very enjoyable listening experience and recommended to all country roots collectors who like a little rock & soul added to the mix. 

Blue Rodeo are also channelled when listening to the vocal delivery and use of a range of instruments, from Lap Steel & Dobro to Harmonica & Accordion, Melodica & Mandolin. The music moves across roots rock, soul and country, with effortless ease and the backing vocals of Joyce Bowden are a welcome addition in filling out the sound on many songs; including the stand out Don’t Give It Up which is a plea to all eco- friendly folk to reach out a humanist hand and share the love across the planet.

Pennsylvania Rose trips along nicely with an infectious groove and chorus. Golden Day is a fine song of reflection and a wish that ‘we don’t say no to love’. The final song Other Side of the River is a terrific ensemble piece with a gentle opening to the arrangement that develops into a fine workout with all musicians getting the opportunity to colour the production with gentle vignettes.

A very enjoyable listening experience and recommended to all country roots collectors who like a little rock & soul added to the mix. 

Melinda Ortner 'I Wanna Be OK" - Self-Release

This collection of up-tempo pop songs is arranged and produced by Asaf Rodeh and written by Melinda Ortner.  A debut release of some merit, the twelve cuts give a variety of big production sonic structures and mood textures. The overall groove is very bright with the fine Bass playing of producer Rodeh very prominent in the mix.

Ortner has a pleasant voice and the background vocals fill out the arrangements in an impressive manner. No thoughts of holding back in the quest for glory here; Melinda Ortner is going for gold and taking no prisoners along her path.

 Caught in the Middle has a funky groove coupled with a cry to be understood in the lyrics. Jezebella has hit single written all over it with a slight nod to the iconic Footloose guitar riff.  Another Chance channels Evanescence in the big production dynamic, but no less an enjoyable experience for it.

The closing track Maybe is a fine song, played on simple acoustic guitar and points to a direction that this talented songwriter might aspire towards in the years that lie ahead.  

Susie Glaze & the Hi-Lonesome Band "White Swan' - Self-Release

White Swan is a beautifully made folk album that  is a memory jolt back to the best of the ‘60s. Susie Glaze has a clear accurate and silky voice which can handle all the variety of material the album features. Mandolin/bouzouki/guitar player Steve Rankin takes lead vocal on Steve Earle’s Me and the Eagle while my favourite song on the album is Fred Sanders’ lead on his own Rockin’ in Your Grandaddy’s Chair, a song you can imagine Merle Haggard or George Strait covering  if they heard it.

The album opens with James Taylor’s Mill Worker in a version not a million miles from Emmylou Harris’ cover of the song on her Evangeline album (an album not available on CD) except this starts with a well played version of Si Bheag, Si Mhor. I’m not quite sure why this was done as for me it just doesn’t work – two great tunes which each deserve their own separate version.

Guitarist Rob Carlson contributes 4 songs, three of which are co-writes with other band members and the best of which is the charming Little Rabbit. Ernest Troost contributes two, Evangeline and Harlan County Boys a subject already mined by Darrell Scott. Fair Ellender is a version of Child Ballad #73 which seems to be a favourite in California folk/roots/bluegrass as it has been widely covered, by Jerry Garcia amongst others. It also has, for me the only production mistake with a ludicrous amount of reverb on Glaze’s lovely acapella opening vocal.

The only other real criticism is the title song, an overlong cod Child ballad that did nothing for me and I am a lover of tragic songs. Otherwise the album is well made, beautifully played and sung and has a most handsome cover from one of my heroes from the Arts and Crafts movement, children’s book illustrator Walter Crane.

As an aside, I bet these guys are dynamite live so let us hope they tour over here.

The Bean Pickers Union 'Better the Devil' - Inseam

I’ve been trying to write a positive review of this album for 2 months – with our editor gently bugging me – and it just won’t happen. Especially after the stunningly good Eilen Jewell gig Easter weekend which throws up Boston-area music comparisons which reflect darkly on the Bean Pickers.

OK, positives: it is very well produced except for a few aberrant moments in Down when Steve Mayone’s lap steel sounds perilously like a musical saw.  Most of the playing is exemplary, especially Jess Fox’s fiddle. The melodies are pretty good, although I’m somewhat curious about what seems to be a developing trend; putting a long instrumental intro (one minute plus) in front of a song which has no relation to the song whatsoever, as in Ditch. I’ve found this on a couple of albums by other artists, it doesn’t seem to make much sense. If the music is good enough to be there, let it stand on its own as an instrumental, which is what Chuck Melchin  aka The Bean Pickers Union, does with his first track, the gorgeous Proem.

I’m well aware that the album has been well reviewed with adjectives galore – ‘dark’, ‘haunting’ and ‘evocative’ are just a few – but it seems more petulant, pissed off rather than angst ridden. Some of the lyrics hit home; ‘I don’t want you to love me, I just want you to drive’ from Ditch, but most just didn’t engage me. Particularly when the rhymes were forced  (‘feet’ & ‘curiosity’ just don’t rhyme) or the phrasing was messed up to hit the rhythm of words which do rhyme (‘years’ and ‘tears’), all from Down.

Maybe it is too many amazingly good Richmond Fontaine albums which seem to me to lay out the highway the Bean Pickers want to travel, but Better the Devil just don’t make it for me.  I hate to say that as a lot of work and care has gone into the album and Melchin’s heart is in the right place but it is an album I wouldn’t have minded not hearing.

Bluegrass Gospel Project ‘Shine' - Vital

This is the Bluegrass Gospel Projects 6th album. The BGP is 6 musicians, including mandolin player Taylor Amerding from one of my longtime favourite bluegrass bands, the late and thoroughly lamented Northern Lights. BGP was founded by fiddler/engineer/singer Gene White and features Colby Crehan on vocals, Kirk Lord on upright bass, Paul Miller on guitar/vocals and Steve Light on banjo, resophonic guitar and vocals. 

The band name is somewhat of a misnomer in that not all of their music is gospel, nor is all of it strictly bluegrass; what it is, is actually delightful.Colby Crehan has a clear and supple voice and she sings lead on 6 of the 12 tracks and is a strong presence in the band’s exact harmonies on the rest. Kirk Lord plays a strong and steady, and on Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep and I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free, very funky bass.

I don’t know which of the lads takes leads on the other songs, but all the singing is top-notch, tight and clean as bluegrass should  be, yet expressive, as is all the playing.

 The only song which didn’t work for me was by a songwriter I really admire; Bruce Cockburn’s One Day I Walk – which didn’t appeal to me either musically or lyrically. Other than a vaguely New Age-ish cover, which doesn’t reflect the strong and moving music on the album, Shine, indeed the whole Bluegrass Gospel Project is a real keeper.

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell 'Old Yellow Moon' - Nonesuch

When the original Hot Band came together, country music was in a pretty sorry state and country rock had become a watered-down entity.  However,  Emmylou Harris always flew the flag for Gram Parsons' ideal of a cosmic American. Rodney Crowell, the  young Texan singer songwriter who had joined the Hot Band early in it's career  has always stayed in close contact with Emmylou ever since. This is their first joint album and it is a welcome return to the ethos that was at the heart of the Hot Band. Both are at ease and in fine voice and playing what is undeniably country music -  that is to everyone but the overseers of country music radio -  who probably wouldn't recognise real country anyway. 

The dozen songs are a wide ranging selection that come from writers such as Crowell himself, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller and Matraca Berg,  as well as three from original Hot band member Hank DeVito. Other Hot Band alumni on board as players are James Burton, Glen D. Hardin and John Ware who all make cameo appearances among a cast of 26 musicians. Featured are such fine players as Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Steuart Smith and Micky Raphael. The production is handled by Brian Ahern,  which is both appropriate and timely. These are veterans whok now how to best serve a song at every level.

The songs include a fine version of the Roger Miller-written Ray Price classic Invitation To The Blues, Spanish Dancer by Patti Scialfa, Crowell's songs Bluebird Wine, Bull Rider and Here We Are, the Allen Reynolds classic Dreaming My Dreams and Berg's reflection on ageing Back When We Were Beautiful. There is no doubt that age plays its part here, but Emmylou brings experience that that shows. Their voices have aged, but have taken on a lovely patina that serves as a recognition that time moves on, even as the origin of these songs and this music has. Old Yellow Moon still shines down and illuminates the timelessness of a form of music that has strong, deep roots that will help it to survive the harsh pruning that it faces right now. This album is a fine example of what needs to be preserved, nourished and grown.

Josh Ritter 'The Beast In Its Tracks' - Pytheas

The title of this album is not dissimilar to Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks and this has been noted . Both are post divorce albums which may explain the similarity. For this new album Ritter has written songs that are delivered in a stripped down format, with voice and acoustic guitar well to the fore. It is this setting which gives the album some of its intimacy and feeling of inherent tragedy. However, on face value and without careful attention to the lyrics,  the album has at its centre a bunch of listenable songs that serve Ritter's legacy well.

It's not easy to distance oneself from the content when you’re at the heart of the storm; there may be quiet but there is a lot of tension too. Sam Kassirer's production surrounds the songs with what they need, subtle, simple textures flowing beneath the surface. These songs may come from a place of heartbreak but they end up somewhere a lot more positive and less painful. Josh Ritter uses these words and music to face a pain that many deal with in less functional ways. He’s been given space to express his views and has used it well.

The experience of a failed relationship is universal and these songs take that into account. New Lover starts the healing process and finds the writer moved on and hoping that his former lover has equally found a new space of their own. The music has a sparseness but is not bleak or lightweight, rather it expresses the emotions in a way that does not linger  trying to second guess those feelings, but lets them flow from a wounded soul.

The end result is an album that manages to make the listener feel a part of a healing process, a process summed up on the penultimate song Joy to You Baby, a song of acceptance and absolution. From a hard place the beast has been soothed and the tracks lead to a new horizon. Josh Ritter has made an album that will sit well both with longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Annie Keating 'For Keeps' - Self Release

This is this New York singer songwriter’s fifth album and as such highlights a veteran to the game who has honed her talents. Keating co-produced the album with Jason Mercer, who also plays bass on the album along with a cast of fourteen other credited players. The music runs across several areas which utilise the assembled ensemble to good effect. The opening song Storm Warning is an up-tempo rocking song with harmonica to the fore. Right by You employs some subtle pedal steel from Jon Graboff on a country-tinged slow ballad. The overall feel is roots and robust, delivering a well-arranged set of diverse songs.

 

Keating is the sole writer of eleven of the twelve songs, the outside track being a stark version of Neil Young's Cowgirl In The Sand. Between that final track and the opening couple the songs show that Keating's versatile voice is one that at times recalls others, but never in a way that detracts from the own delivery. She hits all the right notes with a song that rejects a unwanted lover - All Gone, which again has pedal steel to underline the sense of heartbreak -  sung in a, somewhat vulnerable voice that has more than a hint of regret in it's tone and the song builds tension until its end. 

The next song rings the changes and shows the scope of the album with wah-wah guitar, funky horns and a rap style vocal. Let It Come is another side of Keating's approach to getting her songs across in the best musical setting. The slow pace of River Clyde is a nice contrast and is about being in a strange place and assessing which way the wind blows in that particular town, city or mind-space. For Keeps is an assured album that will reaffirm her talent with those who have been previously acquainted with Keatings previous albums or live shows. For those new to Annie Keating ,this album celebrates a talented performer who is in this for keeps.

Gary Hall 'Winning Ways on Losing Streaks' - Northern Sun

It's been a good while since I listened to Gary Hall,  either solo or with the Stormkeepers. He was at the forefront of what became alt.country/Americana along with The Good Sons.  This is his tenth album and from the first song you realise that Hall is a distinctive singer who is immediately recognisable.  He is also a compelling songwriter who has written ten of the songs on the album with two co-writes and a cover of the Bob Dylan/Ketch Secor Wagon Wheel which is rapidly becoming a classic. The album features a full band with a bass and drum basis topped by acoustic instruments including banjo, mandolin and Dobro with various strings added to give the album  mood and merit.

 This produces a  sinuous sound that has electric guitar intertwined with acoustic and topped by Hall's voice and strong backing vocals. This creates an effective directness that keeps the listener's attention throughout. Aside from the immediate recognition of Wagon Wheel the remaining songs tackle loss with I Can't Believe She's Gone and longing with One Step Ahead Of The Blues. The latter is a six minute plus song that has a slide guitar over a robust rhythm and a most convincing vocal. Stick Around Bojangles features a violin motif on a song that wants the good times to roll but warns that the things we think we may want are seldom the things we actually need. A Small Price to Pay is stripped back to voice and guitar and delivers a love song that posits that sacrifice is a necessary part of the process. Red Dirt Roads is a tale of a troubadour's travels. 

These songs are about place, people and the pursuit of dreams. Gary Hall has a voice tinged with soul, Celtic passion and a down-to-earth attitude that gives his songs their heart. Anyone who remembers him from his earlier albums will be happy to hear him again and those who are unacquainted with his previous work will find this is full of reasons that underscore Hall's place in the annals of rewarding UK roots music.