Clinton Gregory 'Too Much Ain't Enough' - Melody Roundup

This is recent album finds Gregory playing some stone country. It's his first album in some time and has been followed up by a bluegrass album. Always an indie artist he released a number of albums on One Step back in 1990 as well as one album on Polydor. This, his first album in awhile, continues where he left off with good time, hard core down home country that in the main deals with break-ups and break downs but also throws some humour in the mix.

Too Country For Nashville's title pretty much sums how he feels Music Row views him. The Tommy Barnes/ Will Bill Emerson song sums up how a lot of artists playing country music feel now in the heart of Music City. You Play Like Chet is a amusing song about on audience members enthusiasm for the subjects playing skills. If It Ain't Jones is about writing and recording a song that sounds like the late and much loved iconic country singer. It includes the lines "if that ain't Jones I'll kiss your possum".  Gregory's ballad Has Love Taken It's Toll is a sad heartbreak ballad about two hearts turning cold. It Took Every Tear follows a similar well-trodden path of regret. The title track is another that sees the singer hit rock bottom and tries to wipe the memories away in a glass but finds too much ain't enough. Craig Martin's song She Did is a fine vocal performance on another song of regret that would also be ideal for Vince Gill. You Smile deals with loss and can be taken on a number of levels but it has resonance. Crucifixion is another Gregory song that takes the central theme of Christ's crucifixion in a song of faith and redemption and is also featured on his new bluegrass album. 

Gregory is an excellent fiddler as well as a believable and solid singer and he is joined on these tracks by some fine players like Troy Lancaster on guitar, Eddie Bayers on drums and Steve Hinson on steel. Steel and fiddle are well to the fore in Gregory and Jamie Creasy's production. One that lacks any of the recent trends in Nashville towards bad pop and southern rock. Which means this album is unlikely to gain any radio play in the mainstream. But that don't matter for those looking for something that sounds like country and rings true. There are still some great hardcore country albums out there but they need to be tracked down.

Reviews by Paul McGee

 

The Dustbowl Revival ‘Carry Me Home’ Self-Release

It is a brave move to open up your second official CD release with a cover version of the traditional Swing Low. However, the instinct is well rewarded, with a very appealing arrangement that carries into a further four songs of traditional origin. All considered fair game by this collective of ten talented musicians.

The key inspiration seems to be one Zach Lupetin, who writes and arranges all ten songs here with a real creative gusto. We are given the sound of the Deep South; New Orleans voodoo, swamp groove, jug band swing, mixed with jazz tinged arrangements.. It is all here folks! So roll up and start the party. The only thing missing from John the Revelator is Tom Waits on lead vocal while the merry stomp of New River Train is a pure joy that would have the God fearing folk of the Mississippi delta dancing in the pews.

We get a musical banquet with the serving of mandolin, fiddle, washboard, Wurlitzer, clarinet, trombones, saxophone and tuba thrown into the giddy mix. A feast for the senses; this collection is a real blast and a recommended purchase.

Dave McPherson ‘Dreamoirs’ Graphite

This is a solo recording from one of the key members of the metal band InMe. The ten tracks are very impressive with great production and versatile playing. Following on from his 2011 release, The Hardship Diaries, this collection shows off the acoustic, softer side of McPherson’s music which is delivered with his distinctive voice and imploring, yearning tone. Dave McPherson has delivered all instrumentation himself on this release and there is a tour planned with a full band to flesh out the layers of sound and rich orchestration. The concept of the album is based around a series of dreams that are explored through titles such as Her Majesty’s Prism, Relics of Don Quixote, Ambivert Melanconnoisseur…  

All this material is very understandable in the gentle, colourful world painted by this interesting composer/musician. He is also embarking on a challenge to write and record a song for every day of the current year; a project worth keeping an eye on. Check him out at www.dave-mcpherson.co.uk

John Smith ‘Great Lakes’ Barp Ltd.

This artist came across my radar some years ago with the release of his debut The Fox and the Monk.  A second collection appeared in 2009, titled Map or Direction and we are now treated to a third release. All eleven songs feature a beautiful vocal delivery by this gentle, Devon based, English troubadour and the guitar playing is of a consistently high standard. Very much steeped in the folk tradition, John Smith delivers a collection of songs that charm and engage the listener. He sounds somewhat similar to the great John Martyn in his vocal phrasing and songs such as Freezing Winds of Change and Perfect Storm sing of loss and love while the final track Lungs takes the wistful stance that a failed relationship ‘gave me everything, until you gave me away’. Introspective and reflective, Great Lakes is indeed a collection that challenges the listener and one that rewards more often than not.

Tim McGraw ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’ Big Machine

I have always admired the talents of Tim McGraw, but had thought the artist lost his way in the traffic of commercial country success, over recent releases. Being feted as one of the biggest stars on the Nashville circuit, together with his marriage to fellow country star, Faith Hill, had painted a media image that carried an inevitable overhyped momentum. So, credit to the man for coming back from media cynicism to deliver a set of songs that stands proudly alongside his best ever work. 

From aspiring singer/songwriter to country music royalty cannot be an easy journey and the potential fall from grace can be a real crash landing. However, talent will always rise to the top and Tim McGraw does know how to pick a song.  I do wish that he would put his hand to writing some self- penned material as, at this stage in his career, he knows what makes a killer song work...  

The choices here are consistently strong with Number 37405, Friend of a Friend, One of Those Nights and Truck Yeah all delivering in classic country style. The production is very expansive with lots of variety across horns and strings, with a happy dance between violins, violas and cello and the traditional mix of lap steel, banjo, fiddle and accordion. This is an impressive return to form; heady stuff indeed. 

Father Einstein ‘A Magic Fantasy’ Self-Release

Father Einstein; the name alone conjures up images of some higher paternal intelligence. With that vision in my mind, I hoped that such an impression would translate to these nine piano based songs. On investigation, Father Fantasy is one Mr Tom Conroy, a pianist with a drive to succeed in his native Ireland. Since this CD, he has released a further two collections; The Moon is Within Reach in late 2012, followed by Content to Serve in March 2013. He is already working on a fourth release for later in the year and an aspiration to perform on the live circuit.

So, what do we find here? His voice has a pleasant delivery with shades of Dean Friedman in his tone. However, the songs tend to run into each other with no real outstanding highlight. The lack of a sophisticated production may have something to do with this impression, as all we have is solo piano and voice. I would expect the sound to have developed over the successive releases and do not know if this has actually been the case? Some viola, cello or acoustic guitar colouring, would bring a brighter tone to these personal musings. 

Dave Armo ‘Poets on the Wall’ Self-Release

This singer/songwriter hails from California and Poets on the Wall is his third release. While writing all the words and music across the twelve tracks, Dave Armo shares production credits with his ally and fellow musician Jeff Rolka. 

The songs are heartfelt and the arrangements/melodies reminiscent of a young Paul Simon. His understated approach to the song-writing craft is certainly appealing and the reflective tone of the lyrics carries the songs on a slow groove. A change in the tempo of some songs would be a welcome intrusion however, as the whole set gets to be a little too predictable. I did find myself waiting for the inclusion of some guitar colourings that could lift the overall song dynamic to a new level.

That said, Not Too Old is a standout song, along with The Vista View that closes the CD – a classic country feel of isolation and lost connections.     

Cheap Wine ‘Based On Lies’ Self- Release

Imagine a cross between Tom Petty and the Psychedelic Furs and you have an idea of what to expect from this Italian rock band. Eight releases since 1998 places Cheap Wine at the top of the tree in terms of the Italian rock sound and their experience certainly comes across in the excellent playing and arrangements on this set of eleven songs.

The guitar work of Michele Diamantini is always inventive and complimented by the expansive playing of Alessio Raffaelli on piano, keyboards and accordion. The singer, Marco Diamantini, handles his delivery in English with great aplomb; no mean feat given the challenges to a foreign accent. In fact, he reminds me of that great Dutch band The Nits in the vocal phrasing and the band reflect a similar dynamic, if just a little more mainstream.

The more I listen to this CD, the more I am impressed by the overall self- production and the musicality of all players. The songs bounce along with a joyous feel and the dynamic of interplay between the band members is very infectious. As they sing on the excellent track Give me Tom Waits - “I feel wild inside and I won’t settle down”. I am drawn to the dynamic of Based on Lies and On the Way Back Home – two numbers with superb guitar breaks that really elevate the song structure. These guys really rock and although it may be too costly to check them out by flying to Italy, their back catalogue is available from the excellent CD Baby website – need I say more? 

The Kennedys ‘Closer Than You Know’ Self-Release

This marks the tenth studio release from husband and wife duo, Pete and Maura Kennedy. Performing artists since the mid 1990’s when their debut River of Falling Stars created an initial stir, the Kennedys display a very sophisticated talent across this eclectic mix of songs, which range from celebratory to reflective, with a very human element running through the music.

Call it contemporary folk or call it Americana, the genre doesn’t really matter as the chances are that the Kennedys will jump the fences in any event. The guitar playing of Pete Kennedy is consistently strong across their body of work and the latest release is no different with ample support from the rhythm guitar of Maura. They play all instruments on the twelve songs featured here with Maura taking credit for lyrics and melodies.

Pete mixed and mastered the songs and only a cover version of U2’s Wild Honey breaks away from this self penned creation. The song I’ll Come Over is very arresting in a message to a friend in trouble, to pick up the phone and in just being there to lend support.  

‘Winter’has a dream pop quality to the arrangement while ‘Cradle to a Boat’ sings of maintaining a strong sense of self worth when your spirit is threatened by external forces. Maura Kennedy has a fine voice and delivers these songs in a manner that hides the deeper meaning and message running through her words.

Home is an interesting spin on sleepless nights and a yearning for closure with an old memory. Big Star Song is a tribute to Alex Chilton who passed away in 2010. Happy Again is a song to lend reassurance to a friend that troubled times can be overcome and the closing track Winter Lies brings this fine set of songs to a close with a reflective arrangement and a haunting vocal delivery.

This is an engaging listen and comes highly recommended.    

 

Paul Kelly 'Spring & Fall' - Dramatico

Those of us who are privy to the talents of this Australian legend approach any new release primed with expectation. Paul Kelly is a prolific songwriter, as his vast back catalogue of superb releases can confirm. His ability to convert universal themes into personal insight has also marked him as a truly gifted poet.

This CD is a song cycle that charts a relationship from the blossoming of new love to the sad remains of broken trust and a doomed future. The gentle touch of the opening track New Found Love turns into the wanderlust of Someone New on track five and the desire for a new, open relationship, experience. The pain of the isolation this causes in the relationship is captured strongly in the wistful delivery of Sometimes My Baby.  Perhaps the sense of something lost in this song could have preceded the sense of longing in the earlier track Someone New, which might have given some justification for the need to seek a different experience in pastures new? By song eight the woman has left home, in the early hours, seeking a fresh start. Spurning attempts at reconciliation, she maintains a distance, leaving our cheating male cursing his actions and nursing his little aches and pains with a new found wisdom.

This is a salutary tale of forbidden fruit tasting sweeter and the misguided need to search for something more. A Paul Kelly release is always worth the wait and this song cycle does not disappoint with a mix of insight, reflection, regret and bruised experience running through the song arrangements that are subtly played and delicate in their delivery.

There is a hidden track Mistress Mine which sums up the sad reality of this human failing with the refrain “Mistress Mine, where are you roaming?” Indeed…

The Wagon Tales 'Introducing...' - Self-Release

This is a Bluegrass sound in the best traditions of America, from a collective who hail from England. What gives the secret away is the inclusion of saxophones and trumpet into the mix of banjo, mandolin and fiddle that defines the Bluegrass brand of music.All five musicians have impressive pedigrees with plenty of experience playing for other artists in different genres among them Dizee Rascal, Seal, Tori Amos, Nitin Sawney, Madness and Dr John to name just a few.

So, this is an eclectic band of gypsies who enjoy the simple pleasure of playing together and this overriding vibe comes through strongly in the arrangements and the playing. The quality of musicianship is really top drawer and the vocal harmonies are excellent throughout. The opening track the walker is anything but, as it races along with dextrous playing and similarly carry that load carries an infectious groove that mixes the best Cajun swing with elements of a light, jazzy, early summer evening lilt. We get a Gospel tinged beginning on Another cup of coffee that quickly swerves into a back porch swing of fiddle and banjo.

All twelve tracks display a collective riding along the top of the waves and having fun at every turn. Whoop & Holler at all stages; this makes for the perfect party CD, so move back the chairs and let’s get dancing.  

The Stone Hill All-Stars 'Live' - Self-Release

This is a live recording from a 2012 gig in Baltimore, Maryland and features a coterie of eight musicians who paint impressive colours in and around the fifteen original songs on display here. Paul Margolis is the song-writing inspiration on all tracks, with shared credits on seven songs from other band members. The guitar playing of Tim Pruitt and Paul Margolis is full of interesting fills and twists, while John Shock on piano and accordion, contributes plenty of counter-balance in the arrangements.

The songs are well arranged and played with an enthusiasm that comes across in the crystal clear recording of the concert. Mixed and produced by the band, the ease of playing and the comfortable slide of the individual songs channel everything that is attractive in folk, rhythm & blues and loose jazz.

The fine saxophone playing by Dan Naiman on a selection of tracks is given an added groove by the excellent trombone of Craig Considine. This is never more evident than on the superb He’s the Weatherman which swings with a reggae/salsa feel and leaves you wanting more. Hoppy Hopkins on drums grounds the entire set with a light touch and serves the song arrangements in an understated and impressive display throughout.

The Match Shaking is a fine song with a stream of consciousness vocal delivery that adds to the atmospheric interplay of the guitar and piano parts, not unlike the famous, but forgotten, Stan Ridgeway. An interesting listen and a swamp groove feel that leaves an overall happy glow. Recommended.

Blue Canyon Boys 'Next Go ‘Round' - Self-Release

This four piece band from Colorado keep their Bluegrass sound very clean and tight in the best traditions of the genre. The vocal harmonies are impressive and the production across fifteen tracks is both bouncy and bright.The band released their debut CD Just an Ol’ Dirt Road in 2005 and this release makes it number five in the last eight years, all adding to their growing reputation as one of the finest Bluegrass acts currently on the American circuit.

Winners of the 2008 Telluride Bluegrass festival band contest, the Blue Canyon Boys were selected to represent the United States (and bluegrass music) at the 14th annual Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia. This Festival has consistently featured in the top 25 International Festivals and is quite a window of opportunity for any aspiring band. Not content then to play within the constraints of home markets, this band stretch themselves into new territories in seeking to spread the good news.

The original songs on this CD are written by band members Jason Hicks and Gary Dark but there is also plenty of channelling the old mentors of days long past – Carter Stanley (twice); Buck Owens; Bill Monroe and Vern Gosdin, all receive a new coat of paint and we are also treated to a few traditional tunes, ending with I Bid You Goodnight originating in the Bahamas and sung at local funerals.

A fine selection of songs, for all who enjoy the purity of a traditional music, performed in an enthusiastic and professional manner.  

Eric Brace & Peter Cooper 'The Comeback Album' Red Beet

The duo return with another album that again delivers quality songs and performances. It opens with Ancient History, a list of the real names and occupations of some famous or semi-famous people and the idea that "every passing moment is ancient history". Ponzi Scheme deals with the nature of ‘ buyer beware’ and be careful to check the details. It is among several songs written by the duo together. There is an obvious ease in the way these two guys harmonise and sing together which gives the overall album a warmth central to the album's attraction.That, and the fine players they have gathered around them, not least veteran steelie Lloyd Green who adds a lot to the songs as do the likes of Fats Kaplin, Thomm Jutz, Richard Bennett, Jen Gundermann and Roy Hoffman. The latter's clarinet adds an extra dimension to Thompson City.

Much of their writing is rooted in historical fact and in location and that grounds the songs in a reality that gives them an added depth. They also take on some covers, in this case there's Tom T. Hall's Mad which features Mac Wiseman, Duane Eddy and Marty Stuart. This is a spirited mix of twang, mandolin and shared vocals. Carolina is a song written by their friend Karl Straub and the final song, Rain Just Falls, is a take on David Halley's poignant paean to leaving which is a theme that permeates much of the album to such a degree that the album could have easily been titled The Goodbye album. Brace and Cooper tend to fly somewhat under the radar,  but the quality and feel-good factor of their music should see them better known than they are. This is literate, lasting and heart warming music that should make this comeback a hit.

Kacey Musgraves 'Same Trailer, Different Park' Mercury

Musgraves is another young songwriter who shows why women are leading the way to something more heartfelt and also balancing the increasingly pop-orientated output of Taylor Swift and the like. Texas born Kasey’s  songs tend to have a similar edge those of Loretta Lynn. Merry Go Round is built around prominent banjo riff and tells of life for so many young people who seem trapped in a life that goes round and round going nowhere,  much like the merry go round of the title. It has received a lot of attention in the U.S. Elsewhere the album looks at the attitudes and alienations that modern life tends to throw up.  Blowin' Smoke, Keep It to Yourself and Step Off all consider the morals, moves and motivations of people Musgraves observes around her,  yet she can also look at herself and express what she feels in song.

Kacey has co-produced the album with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally and it is a contemporary mix of acoustic and electric instruments in a polished combination which should appeal to the more open of radio programmers. On occasion, as with Stupid, the beat is kicked up a notch in an anthem-like refrain to acting stupid. Follow Your Arrow shoots at the hypocritical confines that all too often society levels at those in its midst. It has a fairly hippie-esque philosophy of "say what you think… you only live once", a plea to live and let live. Throughout Musgraves is a convincing vocalist who delivers these songs with a believability that marks her out as an all rounder with something honest to say.

It may be the same trailer and a different park but there is something here that makes a whole lot of sense no matter where the location is. 

The Katmen 'The Katmen Cometh' - Decca

This trio of Darrel Higham, Slim Jim Phantom and Al Gare offer up their take on rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. Higham takes a break from fronting Imelda May's band to join his two comrades on a rock-fuelled take on music that means a lot to them. Higham's stint playing with Jeff Beck may have inspired the opening choice of the Yardbirds' Over Under Sideways Down as the opening track. An unlikely choice maybe, but they pull it off well. Next up they’re on familiar territory with Higham's tribute to the King that fairly flies along and references some of the King's titles on We Need Elvis Back. Higham contributes the majority of the original songs here and he clearly understands the music that inspired him. There are also a trio of songs written by Stray Cat’s pair Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker. 

Every Time I See You It Makes Me Smile has a nice retro feel that is taken at a less frantic pace and uses the backing vocals of Maria O'Reilly and Imelda May to good effect. The Johnny Horton, Tillman Franks and Johnny Mathis co-write I'll Do It Every Time has a classic feel and feels good. This Time It's Real, written by Colin Evans, has an Elvis attitude that is fun and features, as does most of the album, Higham's high class picking. His singing is petty damn good too.

There may be a lot of neo-rockabilly band out there but these guys have the chops and the pedigree to deliver some solid and sonically sound music. It's not going to change your mind if you are not a fan, but it's an enjoyable and energising slice of an era given awell- crafted and cogent workout that does justice to a music that these guys so obviously love. It should be an absolute blast live too. 

Woody Pines 'Rabbits Motel' - Self-Release

This isn’t a band,  but a person who makes music that is drawing from a rich and varied musical heritage, a blend of blues, jazz, rockabilly, country and old-time. Pines is something of a one man band playing the majority of the instruments as well as writing a bunch of the songs and co-producing the album with Bernie Nau. Railroad Vine is a striking mix of acoustic and electric guitar and voice. The traditional song Train That Carryed My Gal from Town has a definite old time feel with snare and upright bass and harmonica giving the song a toe-tapping train-rhythm shuffle. 

The past permeates Pines' vision, something that Who Told Ya? highlights. It is a Pines original inspired by the Rum-Dum Ramblers and with a few additional crackles it could have come from an old 78. Pines balances that with songs like Heartbreaker which has a more contemporary feel in it's tight arrangement. There is a variety here which some reviewers feel detracts from the album. However I've also seen the same reviewers have a go at an album for being too samey. I feel the balance here is right. Pines knows what he set out to achieve and he has a voice and vision that pulls the different strands together in an entertaining and satisfying way.

Every album will mean something different to each listener, who will have his own favourites, and that's the way it should be. Rabbits Motel jumps around a bit, OK,  but it always lands on its feet and manages to makes you tap yours along with its energy. Woody Pines is to be applauded for making this album, it is true and can be trusted to deliver the goods

Melissa Greener 'Transistor Corazón' - Gumptionsong

The androgynous, cowboy-shirted lady on the cover may talk of transistorised hearts but her music shows her real heart. Produced in Nashville by Brad Jones, this is an album that is more contemporary singer-songwriter than roots/country. The sound employs a wide range of instruments which mixes mandolin and banjo with loops and synth sounds alongside brass and strings. 

Greener has a clear and concise voice that delivers her poetic songs with verve. She draws you into a world that is sensitive to the vibrations that surround her. Ghost in the Van talks of a lover who is ethereal yet real. Greener has written many of the songs, either solo or with a writing partner, and also includes her versions of If I Fel, l the Lennon/McCartney song - which she gives a delicate pure reading of - and Jesse Winchester's That's What Makes You Strong which sit alongside her own songs with ease. The music is understated and gives her voice its place as the focus of the music which is folk–tinged,  melodic and lyrical. The album closes with Inisheer, co-written with Kyra Shaughnessy which has a love for the west coast of Ireland and that feeling permeates the song. 

Transistor Corazón has the potential for wide appeal and musically is somewhat at odds with the title and cover image, yet that may well be the thing that draws a potential listener to its real heart. 

Cam Penner 'To Build A Fire' - Rawlco

A sombre brass and piano opening sets the tone for this new album from Penner, which delivers his sonic expressions of the basic needs that are required to live our lives. Building a fire would be central to that need and this album sets out ten songs that are built around something fundamental and focused. The music is played by Penner and co-producer and instrumentalist Jon Wood. The pair play a variety of instruments that run from the voice and guitar of This Could Be Your Anthem or Rivers Forgotten both of which are embellished by additional textures which underline the raw emotionalism which comes from Penner's honest rough hewn voice. Elsewhere there are blues riffs and wind-torn vocals that are earthy and full of hard won experience.

Penner has taken his music all over America and beyond. His travels have seen him strive to understand life's underbelly and the outsider, much in the way of a modern Woody Guthrie. This album though, comes from a time when Penner moved with his family from the city to a more open setting,  not that this has changed his passion for his music and delivering his songs in as direct a fashion as possible. Memphis has solid rhythm and guitar and banjo motifs that emphasise the vocal refrain of travel and the message that "I miss Texas more than it misses me". 

There's a lighter touch to the vocals on Curiosity which is a contemplation on open space and open mindedness. Gasoline Summers, House Of Liars and Whiskey Lips finish the album with equal veracity and vulnerability. Penner is a modern day troubadour looking at sin, sorrow and whatever means of salvation are necessary to find ways to salve his soul and to touch the souls of those who encounter his music. A torch lit from other fires has been used to build a new fire and Cam Penner welcomes you to sit round and feel its warmth. 

Yvette Landry 'No Man's Land' Self-release

This Louisiana native is adept at delivering straight up country and honky tonk. Landry has an enticing, believable and seductive voice that echoes the great country ladies of the past while still retaining her own identity. She is also a great writer in the spirit of pure country; while some may need three chords and the truth, she prefers three chords and a bottle, but there is also truth there. Witness this in the cutting couplet from the song Three Chords and a Bottle "I heard you tell the story that your good in bed, come on honey, let me tell you that's all in your head". There are many fine lines in her songs that will get the message across that this is a real woman looking at the real world.

Throughout the playing is top notch and Landry's co-production with Joel Savoy makes the music sound fresh and alive. This is about keeping a tradition alive and not changing it almost beyond recognition. Special mention must go to Richard Comeaux's fluid steel guitar playing. Other notables here include Cindy Cashdollar, Bill Kirchen, and Dirk Powell and the ensemble playing is always there to serve the song,  all of which are memorable and stand repeat listens. There is one outside song and that is Matt Kline's Lord, I Get High which is a slow paced lament on late night drinking and extolling the spirit. Heartbreak, loss and separation are all topics here, as they should on any real country album. This House is Not a Home, Little Gold Band, My Next Mr.Ex are all songs that deal with the diverse nature of the human condition, especially one that has the bar as the centre of attraction and solicitation. Landry's songs would doubtless find approval form the likes of Loretta Lynn as much as they do from anyone who listens to No Man's Land.

This is yet another album that shows that when it comes to honest-to-god country music it is the ladies who are largely leading the way. Yvette Landry is right up there at the forefront and this album has a lot of different ways of reminding me why I love this music. It may be a case of no man's land but this music is for everyone who likes it old school and real; a subject that Landry raises in What in the Hell They did Back Then, a song that asks how the great stars of the past did it without aid of reality shows and such to get their music across. They did it by making great music like this.

Stephen Rapid

Tift Merritt/ Simone Dinnerstein 'Night' Sony

Tift Merritt has been a wonderful talent on the country music circuit for many years now. With six superb CD releases to her name already, many see her as the natural successor to the great Emmylou Harris in the years to come. Her voice is a revelation to enjoy, so steeped in emotion and inflection and her last release, Travelling Alone, was a standout collection of songs, accompanied by a virtuoso group of coveted musicians.

Simone Dinnerstein is a classically trained pianist of the highest calibre, Juilliard trained and with an impressive international career. The pairing of two such unassociated talents is a strange one to consider and I have no idea as to how the creative muse visited both of these ladies to pair together for this unique project.

The aptly named NIGHT is a perfect title for the reflective, meditative music that ensues with the torch song quality of Merritt’s delivery blending beautifully, with the stream of consciousness playing of Dinnerstein, across the 14 tracks on offer. Indeed it is hard to define where one track ends and another begins, such is the seamlessness of the arrangements and the mood of the entire recording.

As one listens to the CD, there is a sense of bearing witness to a very special piece of work and both talents unite in a spectral vision of a place that few get to visit.

Commencing with the beautiful ‘Only in Songs’, the mood is set for a journey through the darker side of human emotions that includes interpretations of songs by Billie Holiday, Leonard Cohen, Patty Griffin and ending with the Johnny Nash song ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ which brings the conclusion of this song cycle out into the light.

We also get to visit both Schubert and Bach along the way and a fine arrangement of a new Brad Mehldau track, ‘I Shall Weep at Night’. Tift Merritt contributes four original songs of her own, all of which stand tall with the other song selections.

The overall production is one of bare, stripped emotion in both the playing and the soul reflected in these beautiful songs. Never is this more obvious than on the traditional ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ where Tift sings as if it were her last call for understanding in a cold world.

If we were voting on Top 10 favourites for 2013 at this early stage, then this in right there in the top slot. Highly recommended.

Paul McGee

The Revelers 'Self Titled' Self-release

The cover of this album suggests an earlier, though I'm not sure if it was exactly a more innocent, time. The band hail from Louisiana, as does Yvette Landry,  and in fact both albums share band members. While Landry's album is rooted in county,  The Revelers play a mix of cajun music with dollops of swing, zydeco, Tex-Mex, and r'n'b thrown for good measure. The recipe is for dancing, but the album is aimed at the head and heart as well as the feet and is just as suitable for the honky-tonk floor.

The head will appreciate the excellent playing while the heart will respond to songs like If You ain’t Got Love. The songs are a mix of traditional given the band make-over and a smattering of original songs sung in English and French as appropriate. Chas Justus, one of the five singers, gives his Blues Take a Holiday a hillbilly twist that will make you smile and the sentiment is universal. He is joined in The Revelers by Daniel Coolik, Glenn Fields, Blake Miller and Eric Prey plus a trio of guests who add to the fiddle and accordion led sound. 

The five members of The Revelers have wide resumes that include playing with the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys amongst others. Theyare seasoned players who add much spice to their playing. This is an album made with a sense of joy that is apparent in the end result with thirteen songs that are full of life and an energy which bursts out in a contagious fashion. The closing song, enhanced by sax, expresses a sentiment that many will endorse on certain occasions; I Don't wanna Go Home. It brings to an end an album that has nothing to do with chart placing or radio play (but it deserves both), no this is about having a good time on both sides of the stage. 

Stephen Rapid

The Stray Birds 'Self -Titled' Self-Release

Bluegrass played in the finest traditions of the genre, the Stray Birds come armed with fiddles, banjos, guitars, upright bass and little else. The production is very much a stripped down sound with plenty of sweet harmonies and spacious playing from this trio of very talented musicians.

This is their debut release and the eleven songs are filled with salutary tales of prison and regret, sweet love remembered and dreams of the times to come. There is a particularly arresting fiddle workout on the trio of songs, Give That Wildman a Knife/ Bellows Falls/ Waitin’ on a Hannah. Earth music by another name, the traditions of folk/roots music run through these songs like a beacon of light.

The arrangements are tight and filled with a complementary playing dynamic that is developed over a fine understanding of each other and a sense of where the tune is in need of enhancement. This is never more obvious than on the beautiful Harlem which is a perfect slow tribute to the memory of a time perhaps now passed.Just Sayin’ skips along with a jazzy rhythm and a happy melody to celebrate good times.

Stray Birds is joy to listen to from start to finish and already a contender for those top 10 releases at the end of the year. Feel free to explore.

Paul McGee

Mike Aiken 'Captains & Cowboys' Northwind

This is a fulsome roots album that rocks and with Dan Baird on board as co-producer and guitarist that should't be much of a surprise. Most of the songs are by Aiken,  either solo or co-writes with sundry others. Coal Train deplores the fact that coal from the Appalachians is being shipped to China. Your Memory Wins is a bar-room ballad of regret - "when the whiskey wears off you’re still gone" and is embellished by Dan Dugmore's pedal steel. While from the other end of the glass comes Bring out The Bourbon, a bar-room buddies song with a solid beat behind the bleary eyes of beer and bourbonites solving the world's problems.

 Get Down Rive, r written by The Bottle Rockets Brian Henneman, has a nice loose feel with accordion playing a part in getting the right mood for the song. That theme is continued in Put a Sail On It, a gentle metaphor for moving on. As is Save The Whale, s which considers how things were and where they are now in the process of whaling. Tammy Rogers add some zest with her fiddle playing and the chorus includes a traditional "hooray up she rises, early in the morning". Take the Boy Fishin' has us back down beside the water but this time a tale of a young man's fancy for the captain's daughter.

Throughout, Aiken has a voice that is adaptable enough to taken control of the gentler songs as well as the more uptempo numbers. He is joined on background vocals by Amy Aiken and the balance works well between the two. Night Rider's Lament, written by Michael Burton is a tale of those who spend their time looking after cattle but living their life in the way they wish to. It is a more acoustic songs with again fiddle and Mike Webb's accordion giving the song its texture. The title songs closes the album in tribute to two sets of people that Aiken attributes a lifestyle to that he admires and is truthful to their individual needs, something he holds dear and something he espouses throughout the album.

Mike Aiken has made a solid and satisfying album that is diverse enough to please a wide range of roots-orientated listeners looking for something to tasty to savour.

Stephen Rapid