Missy Werner 'Turn This Heart Around' - Self Release

I first heard of Missy Werner when I signed up to present my radio show (Lonesome Highway: www.worldwidebluegrass.com) a few years back and have been a big fan of hers ever since. Turn This Heart Around is the third Missy album in my collection and it’s fully loaded and chock full of bluegrass beauties. Not the hard driving banjo driven barnstormers that the big boys get up to, but more your gentle easy listening kind that you reach for when you just want to listen and chill out. 

The CD includes songs from some of the best writers out there starting with Ashby Frank and drifting through a few of my favourite writers like Paula Breedlove, Eric Gibson, Larry Cordle before finishing with Carter Stanley. There’s a very  distinctive Randall Hylton song and producer Jon Weisberger gets a few mentions. In fact all the writers are top class and Missy manages to do them all more than justice.

Gretchen Peters’ Main Street is a perfect track to showcase Missy’s fine voice and Hylton’s Rough Edges is a great tribute to the late lamented songwriting superstar, Eric Gibsons Rocks In The River and Carter Stanley’s I Got Wise set the bluegrass bar as high as it needs to go.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West 'I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands' - Self Release

Holding the familiar woodcut artwork of this album in my hands immediately let me know I was listening to the follow up to their excellent 2012 release Our Lady Of The Tall Trees and the also familiar clawhammer banjo opening on Fiddlehead Fern again welcomed me into one of the classier releases of the year to date. Fourteen tracks that weave a musical journey through old time, bluegrass, mountain, and pure country are a joy to listen to and to regularly reach for on my radio shows.

The first five tracks are clawhammer driven and set the pace until Natural Thing to Do at number six drags you straight in to the honky-tonk with as good a country song as I’ve ever heard. After that the styles twist and turn including Lorene by The Louvin Brothers, a gospel Green Pastures and Voices of the Evening by Alice Gerrard before  finishing with a fine fiddle reprise of Fiddlehead Fern.

Most of the rest of the songs are written by Morrison. Eli West and Cahalen Morrison are very accomplished musicians and singers capable of commanding the respect of the likes of Dirk Powell, Bruce Molsky and Tim O’Brien who produced this fine album, so who am I to argue. And I’ll keep this one close to the front of my record drawer for easy access.

Betty and The Boy 'The Wreckage' - Self Release

The strangely named Betty and The Boy are a quirky Eugene, Oregon based five piece that put me to the pin of my collar trying to define them. In the end, after a few listens to the album,  I saw them as a mountainy band that got lost in the corridors of a long-closed theatre and reopened with a sort of Bertolt Brecht/Marat Sade feel to all the tunes;  strange but gripping. All songs are written by original band members Bettreena Jaeger and Josh Harvey,  with the other three in the gang providing the arrangements.

The songs and melodies are deep and sometimes dark but always telling stories while the instrumentation is strongly classical strings with just enough of an old timey edge to keep you hooked. The songs are a little samey in their delivery but somehow The Waltz and September Eight reached out to me and dragged me back for the necessary few listens that this album needs to really understand it.

Their imagery and style will appeal to the edgier side of the new acoustic fans and could well see them sitting in the same seats as The Handsome Family or the Be Good Tanyas. I’ve grown to like it and I think it’s worth the effort of a few listens to make an informed decision.

True North 'Elsebound' - Self Release

Simple statement: I really like this album. It caught me totally by surprise. There are 13 tracks, each of which draws you back to listen again to their simplicity and melody. Each little gem seems to be hand picked and polished to perfection. The instrumentation supports and lifts the songs from their already high vocal standard to a place that just snuggles in your ear and dishes out crystal clear lyrics in a style seldom heard these days.

Eight of the thirteen songs are written by Kristen Grainger, who delivers most of the vocals, and the rest of the singing duties are shared equally by her partner Dan Wetzel and the other  couple making up the Salem, Oregon based quartet, Dale and Suzanne Pearse Adkins.

All of the songs have a rhyming simplicity that would have done Harlan Howard proud and their strong storytelling nails your foot to the floor till each one lets you loose. They are true to bluegrass when needed but drift into old timey or swing or even a tinge of Celticy folk. It’s hard to pick out a winner from all of Kristen’s songs but The Poet and the Carpenter and Shiny Black Shoes for me really show her ability to blend words and suitable melody to suit the mood and style. But the the life-story in Be Here Now is a real lump in the throat masterpiece. The addition of Ruth Moody’s One Voice and Rattlin’ Bones from Shane Nicholson and Kasey Chambers shows just how easily Kristen’s songwriting sits with the best of the best.

The boys provide stunning flat-picked guitar and a host of appropriate mountainy stringed instruments that are slipped in almost unnoticed, yet tick the box every time. This is a band that I would pay to sit front row and still holler for more at the end. ‘Nuff Said.

Red Herring 'Live at Volver' - Self Release

Arthur Deighton, Joram Peeters and Loes Van Schaijk are a Dutch band that tip their combined hats at bluegrass and trad in a way the only European string bands can. Unrestricted by the genre police they drift through all our favourite acoustic styles on this 13 track studio-recorded ‘live’ album. It’s a worthy addition to their previous album Mountain Valley Sessions.

The sets starts with a surprising Siul A Run and then continues in Irish mode with The Kinsale Set and Pretty Fair Maid. Then we get Dolly’s Jolene, The Band’s The Weight, Tim O’Brien’s When There’s No One Else Around and Paul Brady’s Marriage Made In Heaven. And the rest of the album is equally live and lively and a real hint at what a great evening would be spent, pint in hand, at a festival or intimate pub venue with these guys.

Vocals are shared across the trio,  as are their instrumental duties. But the solo vocals from Van Schaijk are just a little bit special; she has a sparkling voice that suggests that maybe our trad unaccompanied solo singing may have been imported from points a little north of here. To wrap up, get this live recording and then reach for the previous CD and you will be well rewarded with a few hours of most pleasurable European string band listening.

Doug Ingoldsby 'I’ve Got a Picture' - Self Release

The rather naff cover hides a little treasure trove of well written, pleasantly sung and played singe- songwriter tracks that reminded me of my transition from folk club Irish trad through country rock and hard core country to my present resting place in bluegrass.

Hints of the band America or Batdorf & Rodney and a host of easy listening west coast sounds are neatly packed in this nine track self release from the man who is also known as The Vitamin Professor. To call this a vanity publication would be an injustice to a really quite enjoyable visit to a lost decade of simple guitar driven harmonies that soothe the ear and relax the mind. Again I enjoyed the listen ... but the cover !!! Ouch, it will probably lose a few sales along the way.

The Hillbenders 'Can You Hear Me' - Compass Records

This 2012 release came my way as a reminder of the fact that this very edgy bluegrass band is heading our way in 2015. They first came to my attention with their first album, Down To My Last Dollar, a few years back and they have featured regularly on my Lonesome Highway radio shows since then.

The Hillbenders are young, energetic band from Springfield, MO, and for me, were one of the first of the recent group of highly talented tradition-bending bluegrass bands to give me faith in the future of Mr Monroe’s chosen musical brand. Keeping one and a half feet firmly planted in bluegrass tradition they dip their toes in the very risky tent emptying waters of modern acoustic music. With a strong backbone of dobro and banjo they take each track to a different level of their idea of what today’s young people expect from today’s young bands. Guitar, mandolin and bass all played to a ridiculously high standard make this a stand-out album for me. 

Ten vocal tracks and two instrumentals  and a new version for Mick Hanly to add to his brimming collection of Past The Point Rescue more than fits the bill for me. They have also developed a very catch graphic style which again lifts them above the most of new bands treading the tour circuit these days. Finally having written eight of the twelve tracks I reckon The Hillbenders’ album deserves support while you prepare yourself for an interesting visit in 2015.

West of Eden 'Songs from Twisting River' - West of Music

Wow, nostalgia bomb! Straight back to my days in Dublin’s smoky folk clubs in the sixties and the eagerly sought vinyl of John Renbourn, The Watersons, Ewan McColl and Fairport’s Basket Of Light. This amazing six piece from Gothenberg,  Sweden have it all down pat. Most songs are written by Jenny and Martin Schaub and between themselves and the rest of the band they play all the required instruments to an enviably high standard.

This is the bands eighth album since their formation in 1995, and maybe that’s the reason for my only negative comment. I found all the tracks to be stunning, vocally, lyrically and instrumentally but all at almost the same tempo. I’m sure this band is capable of a far greater range of musical adventures then they explore on this outing. The package is graphically a treat and the band photography is way above average with the snapper in me being very jealous of the wooded autumn backdrop.

Producer Damien O’Kane jumps in occasionally on tenor guitar and banjo with some very tasty inputs from Kate Rusby, Mike McGoldrick and some unexpected 5-string banjo from Union Station’s Ron Block. All in all,  a classic folk album that is well worth a listen.

Reviews by Paul McGee

 

True North 'Self-Titled' – Self Release

The opening track on this 5-song CD sounds like something from a recent Civil Wars outtakes release. New Way Round highlights the close vocal harmonies of trio Eva Hillered, Janni Littlepage and Patrick Rydman.  Both Eva and Patrick are based in Sweden while Janni resides in California. They performed for the first time as a trio ensemble at the Copenhagen Songwriters Festival in Denmark in August 2012, Their sound is a mix of genres from Folk and Americana, to Country Roots and their songs, co-written together, are accompanied by guitars, dulcimer and percussion.

Barrelhouse 'Feels Like Home'- Self Release

After 30 years of playing electric guitar and writing songs for a full band, Kevin "Barrelhouse" Burke was inspired by a trip to Mississippi to explore finger-style acoustic guitar techniques. Feels Like Home is the result of four years of playing and writing in this style.

The songs on this album give the listener the feeling of old-time, rural America, with its dirt roads, farms, pickup trucks, roadhouses, and the trials of everyday life. This is acoustic blues played in a refreshing and simple style and many of the arrangements are reminiscent of JJ Cale.

The vocals are confident and gritty while the instrumentals show off the great slide playing on Dobro and various guitars.

Barry Ollman 'What’ll It Be?' - Blue Colorado

As debut CD’s go, this one is a real treat. The record includes fine performances by musical greats Graham Nash, Gary Tallent of the E-Street Band, David Amram, Nick and Helen Forster, Rad Lorkovic, Dave Beegle, Christian Teele, among others. The production is very clean and there is a feeling of plenty of space in the fine song arrangements. I am reminded of James Taylor in the song stories that are unfurled by Bill Ollman as he sings of an old photographer’s life (Imogen’s Lament) and life on the road as a painter (Painting the West). There are strong hints of Al Stewart also in the guitar playing and the addition of trumpet, accordion, mandolin and lap steel across the ten songs lends a diverse feel to the whole. Recommended.

Jonathan Segel 'Shine Out' - BMI

Jonathan Segel is a composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, violin, computer, keyboards, electric bass and this CD was recorded entirely in a little cabin somewhere in the middle of Sweden. He has made several guitar-centric rock music CDs and resides in a world of improvisation and electronic music. A very interesting listen but one thing for sure; this is a long way from Country Music.

Deena 'Rock River' - Life Force

A blend of alt country and indie pop, Rock River is the second CD from Deena. Produced by Deena and Bob Friedman, who plays an array of instruments, the sound is upbeat and full of personality. Plenty of good vocal harmony and melodic hooks are evident in songs like Find the Love and Bring It All. When I Fall has a nice country swing to it, plus some nice pedal steel playing. The twelve tracks run along at a pace and the overall experience is one of interest, if not a compelling listen.

Robinson Treacher 'Porches' - Sojourn

Starting with a gospel infused call and response song, Hopali, the tone of this release is set and the following ten songs do not disappoint. The band playing is really tight and the vocals are delivered in a passionate and soulful performance that is reminiscent of Chris Robinson and the Black Crowes. There are also hints of Ray Lamontagne in the singing but it is most definitely the voice of Robinson Treacher that carries the tracks along and lifts the arrangements. Titles like If I Need a Woman; Gone Baby Gone; Blind Man’s Blues and Can’t Call You Again give the overall vibe of the music here. Soulful, bluesy with a little bit of rock, all combine to elevate this artist from the many others who are active in this market.

Buford Pope 'Sticks in the Throat' - Unchained

Born on the Swedish island of Gotland, Buford Pope plays a mean guitar and his band of musicians really kick up a storm on the eleven songs featured on this latest release. This is straight down the middle rock music with plenty of hooks and driving beats. Think of Tom Petty locking horns with the Bob Seger Band and you get an idea of the arrangements here. Great production and a compelling, energetic groove. Worth a listen but it sure is a long way from traditional country music.

Esther Rose Parkes 'The Other Country' - Self Release

Recorded and produced in Stockholm, Sweden by Brian Kramer, this release is a collection of twelve gentle tunes played in an acoustic and intimate setting. Esther Rose sings in a voice that exudes a plaintive quality and her songs speak of loneliness and shadows; of earthiness; of unrequited love. The playing is sensitive and sparse with upright bass, cello and a variety of guitars, national slide, acoustic and 12 string, interweaving across the songs. A late night listen with a mood all of its own. Folk music for the insomniacs and melancholic dreamers.

Eryn Shewell 'Self-Titled' – Rewbie Music

Eryn Shewell is developing a reputation as one of the finest new singing talents to emerge in recent years. She has a wonderful voice and sings with a unique blend of blues and soulful, jazz based emotion. In 2012 Eryn folded The Eryn Shewell Band, after many years of touring back and forth, from the Jersey shore to Nashville, to New Orleans.  In 2013 she signed with Blue Raven Entertainment and started a new band called Eryn Shewell and the Whiskey Devils. 

She has just released this, her fourth album and Eryn's incredible vocals lift the song arrangements to great heights, never more so than on the standout Relax to Sleep, which soars and swoops in a breath-taking performance. Pat Ruth plays some very fine guitar, in addition to dobro, bass and piano and also shares production credits. Saxophones mix with trumpet and trombone; clarinet duels with harmonica in the up-tempo arrangements like I Wish I Was in New Orleans. A class act and worth checking out.

 

The Corn Potato String Band 'Self-Titled' - Agilest Music.

Fourteen tracks played on an assortment of fiddles, banjos and guitars make for a real down home, barn dance stomp. The playing is very alive and vibrant and these three musicians really do bounce off each other. We are treated to traditional old time music and string band swing but there is a lack of variety across the arrangements, leaving a number of these tunes to run into each other. Vocals on a few tracks do help to change the colour of things, but overall the impression is one of specialist music for a select audience.

Dan Cohen 'Bluebird' - Self Release

Living in Nashville, Dan Cohen states that his music is not country; so much so, that he has stopped going on the road with Country acts. Can I call him a folk singer perhaps? Songs of personal relationships are the key driver across the ten tracks produced here by Dan himself.

He continues to tour and write with Jace Everitt whilem previously, among many others, played guitar with Tracy Byrd. Given his country background and roots, it seems strange to pull away to such an extent but the artist must follow his muse and set his own path for his solo work. A nice voice and strong acoustic arrangements make this a pleasing listen.

Gregory Hoskins/ Gary Craig 'The Map of Above, The Map of Below' - Self Release

This is the fourth release from Gregory Hoskins and Gary Craig who have been playing and recording together since 2001. This disc has a raw and sparse sound and boasts guest appearances from Colin Linden, Hawksley Workman and the Beggars Virtual Choir; fans who sang their parts into handheld communication devices and e-mailed their efforts. The crowd-sourced choir is just one of the album’s charms. Come Over Me evokes a Paul Simon vibe and Feel Like a King is an atmospheric acoustic blues workout. I Will Find a Way to Let You Down is a slow lament to a relationship with one partner not able to fulfil their end of the bargain.  

Bumper Jacksons 'Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In' - Self Release

Deeply rooted in their love for early swing, blues, and old time country, Bumper Jacksons reach back to a time when music was a spontaneous expression of street music in America.

With a Ragtime vibe and fine singing, in the best traditions of American troubadours, this ensemble of six musicians produce a sound that is full of attitude and infectious groove. Led by Jess Eliot Myhre (vocals, clarinet, washboard) and Chris Ousley (vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele), the group paints America's story from New Orleans' brothels to the Appalachian hills. Pedal steel mixes with fiddles and trombone dances with clarinet, as we step back in time.

Their interpretation of the Tom Waits song Clap Hands is certainly arresting and channels a simple arrangement that is very different from the original. This is the third release from Bumper Jacksons, if you don’t count a few live radio sessions and the thirteen songs here are as diverse as they are interesting.

Ultan Conlon 'Songs of Love So Cruel' - DarkSideOut

This is the second release from Galway based musician Ultan Conlon. The songs are self-penned and recorded across Ireland and England, using a number of musicians, with Eoin McCann and Colin Elliott assisting on production. The sound is excellent across the various arrangements, with pleasant melodies that weave around stories of love and personal relationships; how to endure and survive the giddy ride of it all.

A Place of Sanctuary is a track that jumps out and Lonely Avenue also jumps out at the listener. The rest of the recording is played at a more laid back pace with nice guitar layering and pleasant vocals. Penultimate song The River Flows & the Woods Creep is particularly interesting with a fine vocal duet between Ultan and Sabrina Dinan. 

Warren G Hardings 'Get a Life' - Self Release

The Warren G. Hardings are a high-energy string-band from Seattle, Washington. Heavily influenced by America’s roots, folk and bluegrass heritage, they belong to a generation of young musicians that continues to evolve and adapt these acoustic traditions for the 21st century. Across eleven songs they display plenty of talent and a positive vibe in the music.

The market for this genre is overcrowded to say the least, but this band are prepared to push the boundaries and stick their collective heads above the barricades in an effort to stand out. The similarities between Irish traditional music and bluegrass are very evident and the fiddle playing of Lee Callender is particularly strong. Banjo and Mandolin also blend seamlessly and the band vocals add to the sound . There is plenty to recommend here and you will be pleasantly surprised by a fine ensemble of musicians ready to play your blues away.

Síomha Brock 'Self-Titled' - Self Release

Recorded by Matt Purcell at the Queens Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare, the three tunes delivered here carry a easy blues swing. This artist is new to me and Síomha produced and wrote all tracks with  impressive style. From the light jazzy swing of Can’t Stop Loving You to the torch song quality of Don’t Give Up On Me, we are treated to a confident vocal performance aided by some fine guitar playing from Eoghan Judge, which adds colour to the arrangements.

Reviews by Paul McGee

 

Brandon Isaak 'Her on Earth'- Self Release Produced by famous brother Chris, this collection of acoustic blues from Brandon Isaak is a very engaging listen. There are thirteen original songs that display an impressive talent and plenty of attitude, style and swing are evident as Brandon skips across different musical genres from Ragtime, Delta Blues, Gospel, and Country. Based in Vancouver, Canada this artist is redefining the tradition of blues music in an eclectic style that merits much praise. A very fine musician and a confident performer, Brandon Isaak comes highly recommended.

California Feetwarmers - Self Release This eight-piece jazz band play a New Orleans swing sound and have a party feel that you just might find  at your local corner bar. Joyous and full of energy, the thirteen tracks here are very much rooted in the 1920’s and 1930’s, with the impression of juke joints and prohibition times. Phil Alvin guests on a number of tracks, to add weight to their credentials as a good time band to be taken seriously. Like a soundtrack to an old Hollywood gangster movie, the music generates a colourful sound with a live feel to proceedings

Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys 'Here Between' - Self Release Hailing from Michigan, this is a band that swings in the best traditions of bluegrass/roots music. With two previous full releases to her name, Lindsay Lou brings an EP of four tracks to the table and her distinct vocal is a highlight, ably supported by the understated and bright playing of her band.

Jimi Cullen 'Life' - Self Release This Wexford based singer songwriter has been on the live circuit for ten years now, releasing three full recordings to date, plus two separate EP’s. The nine songs here are all well -arranged and the production is evenly paced across the different styles, from country, to blues and folk-tinged ballads. Great to see Irish artists developing their craft and the quality of playing on these songs is impressive. Jimi Cullen plays guitar with Rick Smith supporting on guitar, Mandolin, banjo and bass. The ensemble also includes Luke Cosgrove on violin, Karen Dunbar on piano and vocals, Paddy McLoughlin on drums and Sinead O’Byrne on backing vocals.  

Tia McGraff 'Break These Chains' - Self Release With five previous releases to her name, Tia McGriff brings to this latest recording an experience that is very evident in her song-writing skills. Produced by co-writer and husband, Tommy Parham, the twelve songs here are all touched with a mature perspective. Tia has a beautiful voice that is full of emotion and sensitivity and compliments the arrangements and melodies of these songs perfectly. Stranger to Paradise and Safer Place highlight Tia’s vocal in a way that leaves the listener fully engaged and wanting more. The track, Between the Bed and the Door , is a highlight and reflects; “I just don’t know what we’ve got anymore; maybe I’m just a heartbeat between the bed and the door”. Consider me a new member of this artist’s fan club.

Kat Danser 'Baptized by the Mud' - Self Release Gospel is alive and well in this delta blues stomp. All twelve tracks bear witness to the lasting genre that has inspired so many artists over time past. Produced by the impressive Steve Dawson, the songs crackle with an energy that is one part celebratory and the other, full of tense and taut restraint. This would be a perfect soundtrack for any of the American drama series, like True Detective, where the atmosphere drips with suggestion and a deep foreboding and strange passion. Heady stuff indeed and much here to recommend. This is a fourth release for the artist dubbed Queen of the Swamp Blues and this Edmonton-based  vocalist channels the spirit of roots, blues and gospel music pioneers to great effect.