D. Edward 'Love Is' - 10th & Clay

Californian singer-songwriter D. Edward releases his second recording which includes eleven songs in a sweet soul groove. The opening Waiting is followed by Show Me, featuring Jenna Lavoie and the influences of old school r&b, soul and pop is clearly evident.  Love Is was two years in the making and features bright production by Dale Chung. The use of brass is very effective on tracks like Hold On, I Love the Way, Mighty Love and the title track.

There are plenty of catchy hooks and grooves with a familiar yet unique modern pop and retro soul sound. D. Edward has the ability to sound different on different songs yet keep his own style. His first solo CD Little Red Box was a favourite on radio around the USA and this release certainly builds upon that success.

Ryan Boldt 'Broadside Ballads' - Dahl Street

This is an album of rustic, melancholic (mostly) traditional ballads from The Deep, Dark Woods singer/songwriter Ryan Boldt. It has an immediate understated attractivness than centers around Boldt’s voice which is totally suited to delivering nine songs that deal with love, life and death. The album title might refer to Broadside magazine which began in 1962 to discuss and comment on all things folk and often included the lyrics to contemporary and traditional songs. Or, it may just be a suitable title. Either way, this collection of songs has a lasting appeal that belies the historic context. Many of the songs will be familiar to those with a passing interest in the repertoire of folk singers since the sixties and even earlier. The opening song Love is Pleasin’ and the following Just as the Tide was Flowing are just two examples of songs with melody and lyrics that will be well know to many in one form or another. The closing song Lazy John has a new melody from Boldt.

Some may find it odd that The Auld Triangle is not credited to Brendan Behan, but is listed as a traditional song. However that curious detail doesn’t detract from the quiet beauty of Boldt’s version which is stripped back to guitar, voice and slow beat and is highly effective. Boldt is accompanied here by Kacy Anderson on vocals and Clayton Linthicum on a number of instruments, both from the Boldt produced duo of Kacy & Clayton, as well as Jody Weger, Sara Froese and Kelly Wallraff on mandolin, violin and cello respectively. They take an unobtrusive role in the background, with the ambient weather and bird sounds often seeming more prominent in the mix.

There is a mood created throughout that is both pleasing and rewarding and makes the whole album seem like a peaceful place to visit even if the songs themselves come from a darker, deeper wood. As a sidestep from his work with the band and from his own writing, this makes for a interesting diversion and one that will either be a one-off or possibly a different road to pursue a wealth of often rarely heard songs. 

Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar 'Send the Nightingale' - Self Release

This is an interesting concept in that it is essentially a combination of Martin’s soulful voice and backing singers Sherie Marshall and Stacie Tabb accompanied only by Martin’s own acoustic and resonator guitar playing, the organ playing of Jimmy Hill and the electric guitar of Mickey McCallum. This makes for a greater focus on the vocals and it’s fair to say that they stand up to the test. This album blends soul, blues and gospel elements that may not be unique, but make for a compelling listen. Martin’s voice touches a similar path to that of, say, a Bonnie Tyler in that it is front and centre and full on. Mavis Staple may be another more soulful comparison. Either way it is Martin’s  voice that is the clear focus of attention, though the backing vocalists are right behind her and an important part of the overall sound.

There are songs where her voice is less strident and works closer with the backing vocals and When You Walk Away is one such song. The percussion of hand claps and foot stomps create the rhythm bed over which the vocals range free on songs like Addicted and on the guitar fronted Don’t Shoot. On occasion the deliver has a more jaunty approach, as with One More Day which has the feel of a revival meeting. My Crown with the organ and vocal backing makes Martin sound like an older soul from an earlier time than she, in reality, is. There is a similarity of sound overall that some may feel that a drummer, bassist and horn section might have added much to the sound. That may be true but it also might  have made it less distinctive. In the end it’s all a matter of taste.

Samantha Martin has previously released material with another band The Haggard that takes a different approach, as shown by the bass heavy dub reggae style version of Tom Paxton’s The Last Thing On My Mind and other songs on a 2012 album which has a more roots feel than the current album. Martin writes some songs on that previous album and has written the majority of the songs on Send the Nightingale. The album is dedicated to her late mother and that may be something that has inspired some of the writing here. As writer, guitarist and vocalist Martin has an undoubted talent that can only develop as she follows her career path and this album suggests that the Canadian may well come to wider attention as time goes on but right now this nightingale is singing, if not sweetly, then soulfully and in a way that commands attention

Hat Check Girl 'At 2 In The Morning' - Gallway Bay

Hat Check Girl is in reality a duo of singers and players who write the majority of their own songs. Peter Gallway and Annie Gallup deliver a set of sparse, quietly intimate duets. This is their fifth album and it shows the interplay between the two is drawn from respect and the refinement of their talents. Gallup adds lap steel, dobro and 6 string banjo to the duo’s staple of acoustic and electric guitars. Both have an individual vocal presence that both work together and in their own right.

They are seasoned performers who both have a long history individually as well as together, and are making the kind of music that is free from outside direction. They are the producers of the album too, which means they have complete freedom with their music. However this means that there will be those for whom this stripped down folk music will not appeal. It is a niche without doubt and something that is a difficult sell unless you have encountered their music either live or on record. That shouldn’t take away from this, or their other albums; rather it means that they need to find their own audience, something that is both easier and harder these days.

Their albums can be heard on CD Baby and this new album is in a simpler setting than previous albums. It is perfectly suited to playing at the aforementioned hour of the title. Hat Check Girl will doubtless welcome your head space for their music whatever time your care to offer it.

Various Artists 'Country 2 Country' - Hump Head

This 20 track compilation has been released to coincide with the latest installment of this celebration of the current crop of mainstream Nashville hit makers  - with a couple of ringers thrown in. In truth I know the names and some of the songs but don’t particularly respond to the music itself. There are some names here that have made albums that I have listened to and enjoyed. These would include Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, the Zac Brown Band, Lee Ann Womack (though the track chosen, a big hit, I Hope You Dance, was never a firm favourite) and newcomer Doug Seegers, who is playing in London around that time but not as part of the main festival.

The vast majority of the songs here fit the over-riding themes of girls, beer, pick-up trucks and similar relatively light weight themes. There’s not a lot of drinking and cheating songs overall with titles like Girl Crush, Hey Pretty Girl, Homegrown Honey and Just One Kiss. These are songs designed to appeal to the younger demographic that is courted these days. Nothing particularly wrong with that as that is what the intention was. The party feeling is fairly constant and only the aforementioned Seegers sounds out of place in this company. I would hope, however foolishly that it might cause someone hearing it to investigate him further. Another songs that sound out-of-place is Vince Gill’s Don’t Let Our Love Start Slipping’ Away a song recorded back in 1992 when Gill was a regular visitor to the top end of the charts. Back then the sounds required to do that were different than today.

UK act The Shires have included their song Nashville Grey Skies, a song recorded in Music City that fits right in with the overall feel of the music though celebrating a place outside of Nashville.  Like the Shires both Raintown and Ward Thomas are duos from the UK who have tapped into the current county consciousness and sound right at home in this company. The final contribution is UK singer Alan West who delivers the most openly traditional country song here with Comeon Home and he too deserves further investigation.

Of the current Nashville crop Chris Young has the most obviously country voice and there are the definite sounds of pedal steel in the mix. Though that song was released a while back so that may have been lessened these days. The most prominent “country” instrument on many tracks is the sound of a banjo cutting through the heavy drums and rock-lite guitars. Carrie Underwood’s Jesus,Take The Wheel is one of those life story songs that fits with a song writing tradition even if this version is less country sounding overall.  

The Zac Brown Band entry is Chicken Fried, a jaunty song co-written by Brown that sounds contemporary and appealing. The album closes out with Martina McBride’s One Night. McBride is a veteran singer who has straddled the traditional and pop side of country at different times and has managed to stay in the frame against the newer acts. Overall C2C is a fairly representative sampling of country music as it exists today covering both those acts regularly hitting the charts and those on the fringes who are deserving to share some of the spotlight but likely won’t be let. No one is going to be completely satisfied with this album but it is what it is and as a souvenir of the festival it serves its purpose.

Wylie and the Wild West 'Song of the Horse' - Hi-Line

I immediately took to Wylie when he appeared on CMT (when it was available), as he was the only country singer I knew who wore glasses. He also made great traditionally inspired country music, from his first release back in 1992 to Song of the Horse which is his 21st. Wylie is a prolific writer and his songs have graced his albums since day one. He is also a distinctive and recognisable singer whose voice has matured and grown through the years and is an immediately comfortable presence.

Wylie’s band, the Wild West, have changed personnel through the years, but have always provided an appropriate backing for him. Wylie Gustafson balances his music with his ranch work and horses and it gives his songs an authenticity that few others can offer. He brings a genuine western feel to his music that manages to avoid the corniness that is sometimes inherent with some cowboy music. This album is a heartfelt tribute to the horse and its place in the life of the working cowboy and ranch hand. The 21 songs on the album all feature that noble animal as a central part of the songs. Yet that specific subject matter in no way distracts from the enjoyment of the album, the songs could easily have been love songs (they are in themselves - but you know what I mean), or any of the other staples of good country music.

Gustafson has had a hand in writing all but one of the songs on the album (though I thought that Goodbye Old Paint was an older song) and manages to make each sound unique by ringing the changes in the way they are played and the moods they evoke. Some have a south of the border feel, others are more acoustic in tone, while some are more fiddle and lap steel orientated. Other songs rock and what appears to be a jaws harp and an electric sitar even make an appearance. All highlight the skill and understanding of the current Wild West band’s playing ability. All in all the album passes its hour plus running time without ever feeling that it is over-extending its welcome.

There are some real stand out songs like the two Paul Zarzyski co-writes; A Pony Called Love and Saddle Broncs and Sagebrush, but there is much to admire here and different songs will grow in favour depending on repeated listening and your mood. Although this is an album rooted in traditional country, Wylie never makes the music seem stuck in the past; rather, like its subject matter, Song of the Horse is a living, breathing and enduring entity. Song of the Horse is among the best of the albums that Wylie and his Wild West have produced and it is a testament to music that is made for all the right reasons.

The Kennedys 'West' - Self-Release

The husband and wife duo of Pete and Maura Kennedy have been plying their trade for some time now and this, their latest album, finds them making music in peak form. An essentially self contained unit of multi-instrumentalist Pete and guitarist/vocalist Maura,  although they do feature some guests on two tracks,  but otherwise it’s all them. The sound here is classic folk rock with hints of 60’s west coast of USA and of UK bands of that era such as Trees. The main difference is that they don’t delve into the vast catalogue of traditional folk songs, rather they write the songs themselves. They do go to outside sources for John Stewart’s The Queen Of Hollywood High and Records member John Wicks’ Perfect Love.

Maura Kennedy’s Signs, replete with electric sitar, highlights her crystal-clear voice and the duo’s sense of melody and mastery of a quintessential essence of their own direction. The bulk of the lead vocals are handled by Maura but Pete takes the occasional lead on songs such as his Jubilee Time. His voice may not have the resonance of Maura’s, but does the job well. Sisters of the Road celebrates the female voice, while the title track is a paean to musical influences that sent them on a journey heading west. Southern Jumbo has a strong country twang that is a delight and recalls the time in the 80s when mainstream country wasn’t all pop and hair rock influenced. It recalls childhood, big guitars and Johnny Cash. 

A short story by B.D. Love inspired Black Snake, White Snake to the extent that Love is given  a writing credit. It has the duality of good and evil represented by two snakes as its subject. The electric sitar is central to its supernatural dreamscape. Bodhisattva Blues imagines Doc Watson and American mythologist Joseph Campbell exchanging ideas and ideals for a songwriting session. The penultimate songs are the two covers. The Queen of Hollywood High features the late Stewart’s band and is a solid groove in Southern California mode. Perfect Love is a Byrdsish  flight of harmony vocals and 12 string guitars. The closing track could well sum up the album overall. Good, Better, Best might suggest their musical development and this album could easily be argued to fit that latter word.

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

The Stone Hill All-Stars are seasoned crew of players who play a tasty mix of roots fusion music that displays their collective skills from Paul Margolis’ songwriting and vocal prowess to the tight playing of the band and their guests. This is emphasised by the fact that the entire album was recorded live in the studio. It was committed to tape in a single afternoon session which requires a deep understanding of each other’s abilities and a solid knowledge of the songs themselves.

Margolis is joined by guitarist Tim Pruitt, bassist and saxophonist Dan Nainman with Hoppy Hopkins on drums and John Shock on keyboards and accordion as well as vocals. Collectively they make a sound that is immediately full of juke-joint jubilance, loose limbed jazz, border reggae and old world rhythmic rock ’n’ roll. This is a sound that gets feet tapping and suggests that they are the perfect band to cut a rug or two to. These are players who each bring a wealth of experience to bear on the songs and a host of different influences that has them described as ‘the Pogues but with polka’. Not strictly accurate but I see the comparison, especially on the accordion led songs. Another cross reference has been to Ry Cooder which, in truth, might give a clearer picture of the eclectic nature of the overall sound.

This is the band’s third album and one that shows them to be musicians playing music for the joy it brings them rather than as any career move. Several members of the band were previously in The Polkats, a similarly minded collective, and they are in it for the long haul. Songs such as Out Across the Frozen Lake, Jones et al v Petrie and Away all evoke images based on the lyrics that are well enhanced by the music. The All-Stars take them beyond just being words over the music, rather they are something more precise and perceptive. They are many reasons that suggest that The Stone Hill All-Stars will have a wider appeal than just a self-released album; this Baltimore band have made an album well worth checking out. 

The Mulligan Brothers 'Via Portland' - Self-Release

Brothers in arms rather than siblings, this Mobile, Alabama quartet have Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin producing this, their second album. A bass, drums, guitar and violin/mandolin is the lineup that is bolstered by some strong vocals. The lead vocal is from Ross Newell while the other members Ben Meininger, Gram Rea and Greg Deluca all add their vocals to create a solid, warm sound. Newell is also the main songwriter. 

Their sound has been honed by numerous live shows and was polished by Berlin in the studio, who took that role having heard and admired the band’s debut release. Berlin brings experience and understanding to these Americana-styled songs, giving them additional range and nuance. Rather than home-record they used as professional studio, which accounts for the overall depth found in the album’s songs and sound.

Many of these tracks have a strong storyline that fits with the mood of melancholy on songs like Calamine, the tale of a gun of that name that seems to have a will of its own; one that ultimately leads to death. Louise is tale of love sought but not found with a girl of that name. Between those points of love and death the other songs tell their own short stories in a way that is often more uplifting than the subject matter might suggest.

This quartet is honing their sound and aiming to bring their music to a wider audience via touring and through their albums. They are not unique in terms of an overall roots sound and are equally not about breaking new barriers. What they do, they do well and with this album that have found a sound that they can develop and build upon. It is one forged in honest expression, something that is often lost in the search for wider commercial success. But for the Mulligan Brothers, they can go via Portland to wherever their music takes them and they will make many friends along the way.

Jack Kerowax 'Self Title' - St Cait

Kerowax is a debut album from this Dallas based band and the original brainchild of singer-songwriter, Johnny Beauford. The ten tracks are a mix of guitar based rock workouts and country tinged story songs and there are hints of Wilco or perhaps the Black Crowes in the loose feel of the music. 

The four musicians are from different Dallas/Fort Worth bands and play with a comfort that comes from gigging regularly together in a live setting. Recorded, mixed and mastered on analog equipment, the overall feel of the recording is one of diversity with tracks like Fever, Empire State, Fancy Cigarette and Huck Finn’s Hideout delivering a mix of warm arrangements and melodic tones.

Kelley Hunt 'The Beautiful Bones' - 88 Records

Roots /Americana is a label that many artists are squeezed into, but we should of course listen to every artist on their own terms. Kelley Hunt has an identity that is found in blues/roots/gospel traditions and this is the sixth release from an artist that deserves special attention. 

Blessed with a voice full of real depth, rich expression and power, her songs are steeped with a soulful emotion and her skill at the piano is the perfect accompaniment for her special talent. However, she crosses boundaries, and has a refreshing approach to song writing. 

Simplify is a fine song that counsels us to strip back our lives and get back to the basics. The title track is full of insight and thoughtful reflection on the things that are important in the world and in our relationships. Miracle is a song of hope and having the faith to carry on and Let It Rain is a real standout, with a message to embrace the individual gifts that we all receive.

 I Want You There is a sweet soulful love song that could have come straight off a Bonnie Raitt record, as could the two opening tracks, This Time and Golden Hour, that rock out of the gates with real swagger. This is a fine collection of songs and comes highly recommended. 

ShAnnie 'Blame it on the Moon' - Self Release

Shan Kowert & Annie Acton came together in 2005 and have released two previous CDs, Water Over Stones and The Station. They have been described as "eclectic Americana pop folk with celtic and Spanish undertones"...  a description that accurately describes the eclectic sound they produce. This third album shows off the beautiful harmony vocals between Shan and Annie as they soar and weave across the thirteen songs on offer here. 

The production by Walt Wilkins is excellent and there is a real sense of space in the song arrangements. The various musicians that contribute to the project bring a restrained sense of playing to the feel of the music and a ‘less is more’ approach that is a perfect foil for the soulful and lyrical vocals. Delicate accompaniment on a range of instruments, including violin, accordion, mandolin, dobro and lap steel, give a sense of laid back and reflective times. 

There are relationship songs, Carry On and Words That Fly; there are songs of guidance and hope, Pray Like a Butterfly and If You Dare. A fine cover of Life in a Northern Town is suitably different to the original and Love Just Fits is a song that sums up the overall feel of the recording – “fits like a scarf, wrapped all around me”. A recommended release for lovers of life and sweet romance.

Justin Townes Earle ‘Absent Fathers’ - Loose

A companion piece to Single Mothers, Absent Fathers continues in the same vein with a tight trio of musicians notably Paul Niehaus on guitar and pedal steel and the rhythm section of Matt Pence and Mark Hedman. Both albums are being made as a double vinyl album release that will officially tie them together. This second album continues the introspective nature of the songwriting and reflections on the effects of family on a overall outlook to life that the previous album started. While there is the contest between the full band sound on songs like Round The Bend or Farther From Me which themselves offer a tight, concise sound with that of the stripped down voice and pedal steel mediation of Day And Night or Least I Got The Blues the overall approach has been to make the delivery of the songs as simple and direct as possible. The titles of both CDs may give a clue to the origin of the songs inspiration though they are opaque enough to allow for interpretation and individual themes.

It continues Earle’s development as a writer and singer and shows that on each outing he has considered the music that sits behind his words and there has been a different approach to each album to date up to the sessions for these two albums. Earle has co-produced the album with engineer Adam Badnarik and they have allowed the songs a space that is free of gloss and the sanitized sound that is sometimes the hallmark many a more mainstream recording. Real has also created his voice that is an integral and recognisable part of his sound. A slight slurred and entirely captivating instrument that, in itself, is at the core of his music.

The ten tracks clock in at just over a half hour and that makes for a concise mix of folk, blues and country that are appropriate for the sense of the journey from feeling abandoned to a growing resilience and slow recovery from whatever demons were inherent in that upbringing to one where a new sense of purpose and one’s own future is more apparent and approachable. These are not however the type of songs that can be assimilated in an instant but rather need to be assessed over time. Doing that reveals their true value, though those who have appreciated Justin Townes Earle previous work will find that the two albums may well constitute his best work to date.

Matt Townsend and The Wonder Of The World - Eternal Mind

Fitting neatly into that rootsy electric folk/rock mix of Dylan/Band/Neil Young influences Matt Townsend and his band have produced an album that has harmonica, acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars with a solid rhythm section and the embellishments of keyboards and, on occasion, musical saw to give body to Townsend’s songs. Produced by Jamie Bright, who is himself a multi-instrumentalist and integral part of the band here, it has a warm and relaxed overall feel. Townsend’s voice has solid timbre and it suits his songs to a tee without every being overly showy or, in truth, as unigue as some of his influences. But overall the sound is eminently listenable.

The cover artwork has vaguely eastern element that might suggest something more psychedelic in nature though there is a hint of William Blake in the lyrical direction which makes the words worth analysing. They take on a more mystical tone with tltles like Seventh Story, Hollow City (Free Me to My Soul), The Garden Where The Grass Forever Grows and Gratitude In Being. These are not the usual tales of dark streets and alcohol fuelled nights but have a deeper spiritual message with lines like “ thank you for this air, this earth, this life” or “like a man of constant trial, been searching’ for the answer to repression and denial”. There is a booklet featuring the lyrics which makes a useful companion when listening to the album and helps avoid any ambiguity.

These nine songs are certainly ones that would find favour with those people who like their music with a solid foundation that can be built upon and will warm to the overall familiarity of the musical path it treads. Matt Townsend has an obvious talent but he might find it a bit of a struggle to gain recognition outside of those who encounter this album or a live performance and who take the time to warm to it’s strengths. However there is music here that deserves consideration.

Annie Lou ‘Tried And True’ - Self-Release

The album opens with the sound of a plucked banjo and sets you up for another folky/bluegrass album. It is such but there’s more to it than that. By the third track Roses Blooming the fiddle becomes more country something underscored by the inclusion of pedal steel and the tone of the vocal. This mode is repeated on the more honky tonk orientated It’s Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song. Canadian Annie Lou Genest shows how she can ring the changes with her mix of roots music sources. She is blessed with a clear and captivating voice that shows her well capable of delivering in any of the forms that these songs bring her to. 

Elsewhere she touches on old-school folk harmony, folk gospel and Appalachian ballads (My Good Captain, Weary Prodigal, Tried and True). Aside from Annie Lou’s central contribution there is able support from fellow Canadian players such as Chris Coole on fiddle, Chris Quinn on banjo, fiddler Trent Freeman, Burke Carroll on pedal steel as well as producer Andrew Collins on mandolin and guitar. She is also ably supported throughout on vocal harmony front from these top notch players.

The songs show a writer who understands the nuances of traditional folk and country genres. Annie Lou is the main writer here with two non-originals including a cover of Hazel Dickens’ aforementioned It’s Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song and the traditional Weary Prodigal added to her own eleven songs. All of which could easily become covers in their own right by astute song seekers.

Annie Lou has brought a freshness to the album by not sticking with a particular direction, something that sometimes brings criticism on an album for not sticking to one particular style throughout but here proves to be one of the albums strengths and shows she could easily record an album in any of the musical tributaries here and a straight country album would doubtless be a delight. This is an album that is well summed up by it’s title.

Charlie and The Regrets ‘New Night’ - Self-Release

A four track release from the Houston, Texas four piece who play some rough edged roots rock. The EP opens with Baytown an uptempo tale about a part town where one goes to let off steam and then, hopefully, live to regret it. That is followed by the slow regret of New Night that sees the singer channeling his regret through playing some love songs to the object of his unrequited desire which features some distorted lap steel to heighten the bluesy feeling on his mind. Start A Company kicks up the tempo and again features the edgy lap steel to the fore front giving the songs some fire over the tight rhythm sections that is pushing the beat. The closing song again take it at an slower pace and has a solid rhythm under the acoustic and lap steel guitars.

New Night serves as an introduction to this solid four piece who are sure to kick up a storm live and suggest they have the makings of a fine full length in them. While there may be nothing new in terms of an overall sound they show their commitment to themselves and to their music. These four self-written songs have enough going on for them to make them a welcome return to the CD player and over a full album they will have the opportunity to explore further options that shoild give them no regrets with what they might deliver.