We Banjo Three 'Gather the Good' - Self Release

With their debut release in 2012, this Irish quartet of two sets of brothers laid down a strong statement for the future direction of Irish Traditional music. Never afraid to take risks, We Banjo Three incorporate the new with the old in their wonderful, intoxicating music. Tipping a hat to tradition with old airs, we have American folk music mixing with Irish jigs and even the inclusion of an Eric Bibb composition.

The brothers Howley and Scahill play a combination of banjos, mandolin, bodhrans and have special guest James Blennerhassett on double bass. The media have made much of Mumford & Sons in recent years and the revival of English folk music. Irish traditions are equally energised here by We Banjo Three and their giddy romp through old tunes from Carolina, Dakota, Georgia and the French Canadian territories, en route to Roscommon.

Highlights include The Bunch of Green Rushes/ Salt Creek and Puncheon Floor/Late for the Dance/ Sean Reid’s, but it would be a real shame to omit any of these excellent tracks. The entire listening experience, twelve tracks and some forty five minutes, is a real joy.

Lee Palmer '60 Clicks' - On the Fly Music

Following on from his debut release in 2013, Canada’s Lee Palmer delivers ten tracks that sit comfortably in the acoustic blues genre. Recorded in a live setting, the songs are personal in nature and reflect the deaths of a younger sister and an old friend from high school. The playing is laid-back with the use of electric harmonica by Rory Platt particularly effective.

Some nice ensemble playing on acoustic guitars from Elmer Ferrer, Roly Platt and Lee himself, adds to the tempo set by upright bass and percussion. Songs like Sometimes and Changed Man point to a Jim Croce style of delivery and the use of slide guitar (Burke Carroll) on the track Things Are Too Good to Be Blue compliments the overall feel.

An unchallenging, but pleasant listen

Cahalen Morrison & Country Hammer 'The Flower OF Muscle Shoals' - Free Diet

Morrison’s name may be familiar to some through his acoustic roots albums with Eli West, but here Morrison is exploring his love of traditional country with his band who are drawn from the Seattle country scene. Country Hammer includes Dave Harmonson who played with Zoe Muth, Mary Maass on fiddle and Jim Miller from Donna the Buffalo (and a solo artist in his own right) on guitar and harmony vocals. Miller also takes the lead vocal on two songs Sorrow Lines the Highway Of Regret (now that couldn’t be anything but a country song!) and the duet San Luis. Morrison is the songwriter here and he writes all the song himself, bar one co-write with band member Robert Adesso.

Those songs are all strong story songs, well crafted tales as evinced by the lyrics on the sleeve. Morrison has the voice to deliver these songs with power and feeling. Over and Over and Over Again is a song which takes the pain and heartache and the eventual seeking of solace in the bottle as a continuum. The stripped down guitar and voice song I’ve Won Every Battle, But I’ve Lost Every War is a similar tale of a relationship that has died and could again only be a blues or country song and highlights again Morrison vocal and writing prowess.

A stormy relationship is detailed in Our Love is Like a Hurricane is a lively fiddle-led stomp that shows that the best country songs are trailered by their titles. The title track may suggest some latent soul influences, but is actually a song written for Morrison’s wife, who comes from that legendary area of music making. That’s not to say that this music has no soul. It has both soul and heart and that is amply demonstrated throughout, especially on a song like Through Your Window, a slow song with lamenting fiddle and steel motifs. The album ends with two uptempo songs that will have your toe tapping and your heart lifted. Hobbled and Grazing and A Daisy in Tennessee round off what is an album that should bring solorecognition to Morrison. Apart from his work with West, Morrison is a more than worthy addition to the ranks of contemporary country music.

The Cahalen Morrison exhibited here is singer, songwriter, acoustic guitarist, drummer and producer. He performs each task with the verve of a true believer and an excellence which is something that should be both applauded and lauded.

Girls, Guns and Glory 'Good Luck' - Lonesome Day

This Boston based band, with their tongue in cheek name, will raise a smile with their mix of classic country influences and concise rock roots. Citing a mix of such inspirational icons as Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, they use these influences to further their musical aspirations. Album four finds them achieving a working blend under the watchful eye of producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, himself a veteran player and producer with a lot of miles behind him. He gives these songs an edge and tightness that makes them solid nuggets of powerful persuasion.

The ten songs are written by front man Ward Hayden, either solo or as co-writes. The only outside song here is Rockin’ Chair Money by Bill Carlisle and Lonnie Glosson. One of the album standouts is the four minute plus Centralia, PA a heartfelt tale of the demise of small town USA due to, amongst other things, the greed of corporate and governmental capitalism. But lest you think this is a band that dwells on the negative there are several songs that take a more basic urge, such as C’Mon Honey and Built For Speed, the latter making reference to the aerodynamics of the singer’s lady friend. Rockin’ Chair Money is a slow brooding tale of a veteran solider seeking the good times funded by the “big cheque” that is due. 

Ward Hayden has fronted this band through several changes of personnel, and he has generally kept the band on track via his writing and developing singing skill. Working with a producer, who is also a live player in his own right, has given the songs here an added definition that makes them built for speed and ready to please. Hayden and his three bandmates have honed their music into something focused and in fine fettle. They have reached for a blend of rock with roots and country overtones that plays to their strengths. There are girls here aplenty; the firepower is in the music, so now it’s a question of waiting for the glory to come their way as it should do, given a little luck. 

Michael-Ann 'Heavy Load' - Self Release

This appears to be the debut album from the LA based singer/songwriter who has been involved with the music scene for quite awhile. There is a mix of acoustic and electric throughout and Michael-Ann has co-produced with Randy Ray Mitchell. They both contribute on guitar with a selection of fine LA based players who include Phil Parlapiano on keyboards, Taras Prodaniuk on bass and Denis Caplinger pedal steel, banjo and resonator guitar among other string things. The drum chair is ably manned by Erik Eldenius.

However, topping all this is the mature and emotive voice of Michael-Ann, who can add the required grit and texture as the song needs. The songs, which are mostly uptempo and rockin’, go from the straight up country of Trail of My Tears, with pedal steel mirroring the flow of emotion, to the more bluegrass orientated I Would, a song that seeks a place of solace and love - it is easy to believe it’s an offer of salvation. And Day which opens the album is a song that speaks to the travails of the mundane aspects of daily survival. The music is brighter and more hopeful than the song’s lyrics might suggest. The title track looks for ways to share the load for those also “traveling down a winding road”. The reality of the blues is at the heart of some of the songs and that is underscored by the likes of Mama’s Sleepin’ a song with some sinister lyrical overtones. Never Mind is a plea for keeping your heart open and to follow it while you can. All of these attest to Michael-Ann’s ability with these songs, both as writer and singer. Bring It on Home, written by Eric Nelson, is the only song not written by Michael-Ann, yet it easily fits with the other songs as it emphasises the need to return to that place called “home” where you can find a little r ’n’r.

Overall this is a solid, accomplished, enjoyable album from a singer and writer who knows how to express her inner feelings in a way that uplifts and endures. It is Americana that is conscious of its roots but seeks to be as vital as possible in a world when much is fabricated just for fame. The production and playing is totally at one with the songs and so as the final song says What Don’t Kill Ya … well you know the rest. This album may well indeed make you that little bit stronger and as such Michael-Ann is helping to lighten a little that heavy load.

Heather Stewart 'What It Is' - Self Release

This is the second time out for Stewart, a California singer/songwriter who has also been an actress and television producer and whose musical endeavours have been likened to Sheryl Crow. Working with producer Greg Critchley and recording in the famed Sunset Sound Studio, she has delivered eleven songs of strident roots tinged rock. The players include veteran LA sessionier Marty Rifkin and guitarist Joshua Grange. Stewart has had a hand in writing the bulk of these songs, written following the death of her father. They are reflective in mood. The majority of the songs are largely drawn from Stewart’s look at her own and the lives of those around her.

Given that premise, the music is largely upfront with Stewart’s voice front and centre. With no lyric sheet to refer to, the songs largely register around the choruses. Black and Blue features both pedal steel and banjo, but is not a song that you would categorise as in any way traditional. It should however appeal to those who might have enjoy Sheryl Crow’s music, including her most recent album or some of the current crop of Nashville artists. I Lied is a slow song which features some atmospheric slide guitar from Blake Mills. Another songs that broods is the regretful A Little More that deals sadness, memory and loss over the full-on sound that features some fine guitar and a dominant rhythm section. The beat is again the power behind We’ll Learn, another song that is driven by the solid performance of the players and a chorus of “all you need is love, love, love” underpinning the nature of the learning experience.

Love as redemption would seem to be an enduring part of Stewart’s outlook, even if the songs often take a more realistic approach. Evelyn is a song about someone who did her best for others while Had it All is about making a difference when you had it all at one time. This is taken at a slightly less full on sound and works well. The album closes with Underneath, a song about being stronger that many see on the surface and is again delivered with a strong voice and full backing that is the hallmark of the sound throughout. 

What It Is is an album that will not really appeal to those who prefer something more traditional or subtle, but those who like their music to rock in a raw way with hints of roots rock may enjoy. There is a certain groove to Stewart’s vocals that has also seen her compared to Bonnie Raitt,  perhaps more as an artist who is continuing the direction of artists like Crow and Raitt before her, without emulating either. In the end What it Is is what it is.

Stan Martin ‘Whiskey Morning’ - Twangtone

Alongside such notables as Dave Gleason and Kenny Vaughan, Stan Martin is a singer, songwriter and notable guitarist. All three are Telecaster exponents of the highest order. They understand the nature and truth of twang. Martin follows up his last album Distilled Influences with this latest alcohol flavoured collection of eleven original songs. On this occasion he took the advice of bassist Dave Roe and recorded in Nashville. Roe co-produced with Martin and they have delivered a fresh sounding album that is steeped in the classic country sounds of Merle, Buck, Dwight through to contemporary Americana at its rootiest edge.

Roe has gather some notable players such as Dave Dunseath on drums, Pat Severs on steel guitar and John Deadrick on accordion, to mention but three. They are taught, focused support group who know how to make this music work the way it needs to. The opening Champagne Wishes is a steel infused riff that has a power twang that is built around some tight melodic phases and choruses. Like some of the great 80’s to early 90s albums that blended, among a number of influences, some British invasion tautness with a trademark Bakersfield twang. A blend that finds much favour, as it has in the past, with these particular set of ears. Come On Trouble and Little Bit Right also follow this template. There is however a lot of variety on the album with the solid love song If taking a more acoustic route with dobro and accordion. Damn This Town express the frustration of a man living far from home trying to make his way against the odds. A troubadour unable to make achieve his ambition or find a foothold to build a living from. A feeling many have had in trying to follow a that particular dream. As with a lot of country songs these song will seem familiar and are easy too make friend with. Singer Of Songs is about a man who has used up his favours in trying to be true to his hopes and to follow in the footsteps of his idols.

Martin has never been one to stray too far from what is a perennial theme in traditional country music for the subject matter for some of his songs -that is drinkimg. The title track and the self explanatory Reasons For Drinking You Gone, The Note and the aforementioned Champagne Wishes are ones that deal with issues related to the powers of booze. Love and life are the other regular stalwarts of country music and music in general. The closing song Wrapped Around Your Finger talks of a relationship that provides solace of sorts. It that has the rhythm feel of a Paul Kennerley song and close the album with upbeat confidence.

Stan Martin has been perfecting his craft and this, his fifth, album is his best. His vocal are more assured and his playing and integration with the pedal steel and with the rhythm section assures that all flows along with ease. This is something for those who like their country straight up but not restrained to any one strand. Rather this album is an amalgamation of on number of influences delivered as a satisfying whole.

Fingerpistol ‘Stepped In It Again’ - Avery International

From the opening bars of the title song you know exactly what’s on offer here. The following 15 songs simply confirm that opinion. The collective musicians of Fingerpistol play with a love and largesse for the traditionally Texas focused country music that they play.

The eight players involved are skilled players who make singer Dan Hardick’s songs come alive. He has written all the material on the album that range from the humorous  - Country Music Made A Drinker Out Of Me, Truck Nutz and the title track. To songs that deal with typical mismatched relationships  - Desperate Woman, Man About Town and Take Back This Heartache. But amid the tongue in cheek tactics there are some socially aware aspirations like in the closing track Queer For The Rodeo. A song that’s has a punch line of “it ain’t nothing but my own damn business how I orientate”. It’s a song that ask us not to make judgements. Other songs deal with that perennial staple of the genre - drink. Bottle Of Whiskey is about sharing some good times with that particular beverage and praises it in its many forms. Another title is Songs About Hank Williams which considers the many songs that takes Ol’ Hank as their topic and decides that if he were that legendary person then “I’d write songs about me too”. It ends with the line that he feels that he’s pretty sure that what’s Williams did! Cherokee Shuffle is the shortest track here, a fiddle interlude of some 28 seconds. The rest of the songs though average above the three minute mark over the generous 16 song included.

Hardick’s partner on the vocal front is Suzee Brooks, she is an equally adept singer alongside delivering these songs with personality and some passion. Taking the lead vocal on a number of songs or duetting with Hardick on others. Their ‘life’s a bitch’ duet Never will raise a smile on many a face. Of the musicians who form an important part of Fingerpistol perhaps the most recognisable name of the players involved is pedal steel player Neill Flanz who played with Gram Parsons’ Fallen Angels band. 

Musically there are bits of Bakersfield, dance floor shuffles and honky tonk toe-tappers among the hardcore country sounds, however they manage to bring some freshness to these hard worn themes. If you were ever a fan of the likes of the Cornell Hurd Band then you will have an idea what to expect. The mix of humour, heart and hot playing is infectious and enjoyable. It is what it is and doesn’t try to be something it’s not and is all the better for it. Enjoy, but be careful where you put your feet.   

Mark Sinnis 'It’s Been a Long Cold Hard Lonely Winter' - 9th Recordings

Sinnis is a  New York musician who started out as a member of punk band Apostates and who has now turned his direction towards a blend of dark country and roots rock; something he has termed “cemetery and western”. He has a sonorous voice that is well suited to the term and indeed the title track, and the song Six Feet From Eternit,y aren’t exactly the cheerful stuff of country radio. Yet it would be wrong to label the music dour and there is a lot of variation over the album’s sixteen tracks.

With co-producer George Grant they have brought a broad range of players into the studio to help them realise these songs, which are a mix of originals with a trio of covers that fit the overall mood. The covers are Hank Williams Sr’s The Angel of Death, Jerry Irby’s Driving Nails in My Coffin and th George Jones classic He Stopped Loving Her Today. Brave choices indeed, considering that there are already versions considered definitive. But Sinnis handles them well and he also assimilates other classic sounds into songs like Sunday Morning Train, with it’s Cash rhythm and Ring of Fire brass.

At this point you might legitimately ask; is there anything new here? Given that the Americana genre is based on music of the ages, then Sinnis is doing his own take on that, making music that, taken on it’s own terms is entertaining and engrossing.

That is, if you want to be reminded that ‘death is always near’ and accept the premise that many of these songs have a dark heart, a heart that finds solace in walking around midnight graveyards. Gothic country is something that has been touched on before but Sinnis has taken the darkness as his abiding light. In pure musical terms there is plenty to admire, with a wide range of instruments adding to the musical textures including fiddle, steel, banjo, trumpet and keyboards sitting behind Sinis’ acoustic guitar and voice.

It’s Been a Long Cold Hard Lonely Winter is the latest in a series of releases that continue this theme, so this is clearly the path that Sinnis is following. Possibly it is a thorny and overgrown path, but one that will always find those in tune with that spirit. There may be an air of ‘Washington Irving sings country death songs’ to it, but that in itself is not without its attractions.

While it may often be a long cold hard lonely winter we have to endure, here is some music that, like any good ghost story, has you captivated by it’s telling of the darker side of life. And death.

Red Molly 'The Red Album' - Self Release

Red Molly are the talented trio of Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Molly Venter. All three are strong singers who take turns on both lead and harmony vocals. It is this blend of voices that gives them their uniqueness. They are ably help to achieve this by producer Ken Coomer (formally percussionist for Uncle Tupelo and Wilco) who makes sure those voices are accompanied by some fine playing. Coomer is the right drummer to give these songs a strong rhythmic pulse that makes them stand out from other, more acoustic-based, female combos.

They all started out as individual singers/songwriters who got together at a festival in 2004. Molly Venter joined the band following the departure of original member Carolann Solebello and has been with them now for three previous albums, this being their fifth album.

The material is a mix of original songs from Venter and Gardner along with well chosen songs such as Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound, Darrell and Wayne Scott’s With A Memory Like Mine and Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightening - the song from which they derived their band name after the ‘Red Molly’ featured in the song. 

Red Molly prove themselves to be able players as well as excellent vocalists. Gardner adds some effective electric dobro to the opening song Clinch River Blues. She plays dobro on several tracks and piano, as does McAllister, along with acoustic guitar. The different writers and lead vocalist add variety, but there is still an easily identifiable group sound. The pedal steel on You Don’t Have the Heart For It, is as country as they get, but the instrumentation means they never stray too far from a folk or folk rock setting, and the occasional bluegrass overtone, throughout. 

Red Molly have delivered an album they can justifiably feel proud of, and the listener is bound to find their own favourites as there is much here to enjoy. For this writer With a Memory Like Mine, You Don’t Have the Heart For It and 1952 Vincent Black Lightening and the unaccompanied closer Copper Ponies are all tracks I will happily return to.

Madison Violet 'Self-Titled' - Passenger Sounds

This four track primer from a forthcoming new release shows Madison Violet in a new light. Firmly established as a duo in country/folk circles, this release sees the two stretch out into new territory. The opening song Under Fire, sounds like a Scissors Sisters track with the up-tempo beat and a celebratory, sing-along chorus.

We get a similar feel with These Ships which rocks out in a style that shows a new commercial leaning, complete with brass and string arrangement. Operator is a hit single, if ever I heard one, driving along with a song structure that hints of dance-floor mayhem.

Finishing with Trouble, this  new direction could hint at exactly that, with loyal fans disappointed and the risk of losing supporters along the way. However, I applaud Madison Violet for exploring a new direction and even if this sounds somewhat over-produced in parts, there is no doubting the two fine talents at play here.

The Dandy Horses 'Self-Titled' - Self Release

What a joy to discover such vibrant and exciting new music. This Belfast based band is five musicians with multi-talented skills across a variety of acoustic instruments.  Initially comprised of Joanne Cassidy (vocals, guitar, tin whistle, flute, banjo, harp) Noeleen Cosgrove (vocals, guitar,  fiddle, banjo) and  Sean Quinn (vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, banjo) the Dandy Horses took the decision to expand in late 2013.

With the addition of Rodney McKinney on double bass and Marty Malone on drums and percussion, their melodic, acoustic sound was given greater colour and the song arrangements on this five track EP benefit greatly. Comparisons to bands such as The Dixie Chicks and The Corrs are inevitable with the strong vocals of Noeleen Cosgrove standing out on four of the songs.

The final song, My Heart Goes Boom, sung by Sean Quinn is a merry, up-tempo workout and Driving Towards Blue Skies is a fine track with a positive uplifting message to look forward with optimism. Fighting Fires is a gentle song that cautions against living with fear and frustration and reflects that "you can’t fight every little fire". The production is very strong with fiddle, flute, harp and whistle being mixed into an appealing blend of Irish folk and American country influences. Highly recommended.

Bruce Joseph 'Look Out' - Self Release

Bruce Joseph, the Belfast based singer songwriter, has been unknown to me until recently.  I was given his debut release, which dates back to 2011, with a view to expanding his listening audience and awareness factor. There has been a subsequent EP in 2012 and a more recent single, which features the talents of Ruth Trimble.

Joseph channels the feelings of everyman in his gentle songs. There are themes of commitment, regret, wistful longing and knowing remorse. The song arrangements are beautifully played by a small group of musicians who adopt an acoustic flavoured ‘less is more’ approach. The sensitive playing complements the songs perfectly and the overall feeling is one of sweet vignettes, sung with warmth and highlighting some lovely harmony singing from Una MCann.

There is a new release due later this year and the recent single Fallen Sun features a fine video on You Tube which is well worth checking out.

Whether singing about leaving or remaining in a relationship, there is no doubt that Bruce Joseph is a very talented song-writer and the title of the debut release, Look Out is very apt. He is certainly a rising talent to watch.

Hidden Highways 'Old Hearts Reborn' - Out On A Limb Records

Defined as a quiet, Americana influenced folk duo; this Dublin-based pairing of Carol Anne McGowan and Tim V Smyth make understated, gentle music. The song arrangements are reflective and hint of times gone by when the revivalist influences of porch songs were passed down from one rural generation to the next.

There is plenty to admire here and the sweet sound across all ten tracks is a very pleasant listening experience. Pedal steel, violin and double bass merge with various guitar strums to create an atmosphere that soothes and reassures the listener that all is OK in the world after all. Lullaby songs for the lost and the lonely

Paul Tully 'Lyric for the Lost' - Self Release

This debut EP from Strabane singer-songwriter Paul Tully highlights the fine talent that is alive and well in Northern Ireland these days.  Holding the torch for past greats is never easy but there is a rich well of talent recently springing forth, with the likes of Ruth Trimble, Bruce Joseph and The Dandy Horses.

Paul Tully is perhaps the best example of this new talent with a collection of mature, fully realised songs that are produced by Peter Doherty in a style that shows both insight and sensitivity to the artist. Whether writing about optimism for the future (Go Your Way) or penning a lullaby for adults (Ways of the World), Paul Tully hits it just right with fine arrangements and a sensitive sound.

Stop is a track that pleads for understanding in a relationship and highlights the fine vocals of Paul along with beautiful cello and harmony vocals from Bridgeen MacManus.I Will Wait For You speaks of a parting couple who try to secure their fragile relationship and contains the lines “Shouldn’t fall apart so easily; shouldn’t fall in love so easily.”

Paul Tully is truly fine stuff and a real talent to celebrate. 

Sara Crockett 'Better Be Gone' - Self Release

A very fine new singer song-writer from Belfast, Sara Crockett comes jumping out of the speakers with a Nashville groove in Better Be Gone and the warning of trouble ahead to a cheating lover.

This five track release is very impressive and the production by Tre Sheppard is right on the money. Some fine playing across a driving drum beat, pedal steel and fiddle; all topped off by a confident vocal performance from Sara who sings with attitude and power. With this promising debut Sara certainly deserves a seat at the table and is someone to look out for.