Chuck Hawthorne 'Silver Line' - 3 Notches

After the recent stir caused by Doug Seeger’s debut album, recorded in his later years, comes this debut album from former military man Chuck Hawthorne which treads a similar path. Silver Line should appeal to Don Williams’ fans, as well as admirers of some of the album’s participants amongst others, if they like their tales a little more on the darker side of life. It was produced by Ray Bonneville, a recognised recording artist in his own right, after the two had a chance meeting in airport lounge. It has a selection of some of Austin’s finest who help to realise these mostly self-written songs. Guests include Gurf Morlix, Rick Richards, Gene Elders, Eliza Gilkyson and Josh Flowers.

What is immediately worthy of praise are the voice and songs. There is a roughened patina of life well-lived in Hawthorne’s lyrics, which are often tales of hard hearts and heart-rending episodes which easily fall into a class delivered by the best troubadours of tough story-telling. There is darkness and half light expressed in a impressive lyrical style. Welding Son of a Gun tells of a man coming to a new realisation of life “… I sold all my guns, I brought myself A welding machine”. This is a man who has picked up the pieces of his life to pursue a new direction with honest hard work. There are less worthy sentiments, such as the stripped back tale of dark intentions in Enemy that, with just voice, guitar and harmonica, conveys the despair of a man who is “counting on your carelessness” as he will “long to watch you die”. There are many other songs that follow a similar theme. Perhaps summed up overall by the lines in the Bonneville-composed closing song Rough Luck “Got stuck with what the dealer dealt, Jokers wild if you please”.

There’s not too much of either lightness or frivolity in Hawthorne’s songs. But then, having spent 21 years in the service of the Marine Corps, he has likely witnessed things that would play on any mind. Like the best blues though, Hawthorne’s music has a spirit that defies any lingering negativity. Some of his heroes included cowboys Clifton Lowe and Alvin Hamrick, who represented his admiration for the cowboy lifestyle. He joined the Marines straight out of high school so that has had a huge significance in shaping his life. This has meant that the music he liked, as well as his own music, needs to have a quality that can be summed up as ‘real’. In Americana he found that and it has become a part of his personal salvation. 

Whatever can be drawn from these songs could not equate with totally understanding military service, with the Marine Corps life, unless it was part of your own experience. It does create music that displays something of the reality that he seeks, and we can feel something that feels as if it should be shared as a part of the human experience. There is a sense that one is hearing an expression of hope and survival as well as pain, and this is something to be applauded when so much music borders on the superficial. This is not a hard listen, rather one that has much to offer the listener. 

Charlie Roth 'Oh My Stars' - Medicine Show

The latest album from singer/songwriter Charlie Roth has a relaxed feel that finds him touching a number bases and recording with a variety of accomplices. He is joined by his band The Healers, a trio of bass, drums and guitar as well as by the Celtic tones of Ring of Kerry on two songs. The harmonies of sisters The Henry Girls are also heard on several tracks. They add a sense of Leonard Cohen style close harmony behind the lead vocal on Five More Minutes. They join Roth on Jocelyn with Henry Girl Lorna McLaughlin adding accordion to the sisterly vocals on a gentle reminiscence. Lady of the West has a deliberate Celtic feel to atale of famine emigration that has a big full all-singing vocal chorus.

Roth possesses a warm voice that has a gentleness that suits may of these easy to assimilate songs, all of which use the players to best effect. Good tells that most people want to be good, in what is an uplifting and most likely true sentiment. Roth has co-written some of these songs with fellow writers like Buddy Mondlock, others are self written and one, Imma Maker Happy was written by Matt Walvatne. Roth produced the album which was recorded in such diverse places as Minnesota, North Carolina, Donegal and Dublin. The diverse recording locations all just serve to show that the music is universal and where it was recorded has no appreciable difference to the overall feel. Although the album doesn’t detail who exactly contributes to which track, the diverse nature of the participants means there is a sense of mix and match to suit the songs, so there are moments of folk, country blues, roots music and Celtica on show.

This an easy album to listen to and there is a sense of community involved that accounts for more than just the location and nationality of those involved; it comes from Roth’s musical leadership and production. By this stage Charlie Roth will have his admirers and fans and that is pretty understandable. Like Roth,  Oh My My highlights a man at ease with life and where it has brought him; a song that combines the great beyond with the simpler pleasure of being alone with a loved one. Oh My Stars is not an album that will change your life, but is one that will make it a little easier to enjoy the right moments.

Dana Sipos 'Roll Up the Night Sky' - Muddy Roots

This Canadian singer and writer’s second album features an acoustic band that has drums and percussion which add a sense of rhythm to a wide range of instruments, including those of producer Jordy Walker who is credit with ten different instruments, alongside the strings, lap steel and French horn also credited. Sipos herself plays guitar, mandolin and bouzouki and delivers her thoughtful songs with a distinctive vocal sensibility that feels both old and new, drawing from many inspirations, not least a sense of Appalachian mist and mountains. She has a style and searching approach that reminds, at times of Natalie Merchant. 

Sipos’ songs are at times tinged with surrealism that allows for individual interpretation to misinterpretation. A Line from Old Sins “Holes in the ice, filled with longing and doubt” illustrates that there is a poetic element involved that goes beyond a simple structure. Shadows has a beguiling sound that matches the lyric portent of “shadows for eyelids, broken down shutters for lips, spine aligns to allow time to travel through”; words that create a strange landscape to explore. Many of these songs pass the four and five minute mark and could not be considered as easy listening folk. Rather, they are at the forefront of a musical exploration of the possibilities of acoustic instruments to consider the amalgamation of trip-hop in a new setting.

Dana Sipos is not laying out these songs on a clear linear path that offers an easy interpretation, rather she asks the listener to follow the signs to where these words and music point and to find your own place in the scenery. There are highpoint such as Holy People that has a memorable vocal and musical balance that works on a more immediate level that some of the other songs. This is an album that shows its true nature with repeated listening as the subtleties of the arrangements and vocal give depth to the lyrical qualities of the songs. While not everyone’s obvious choice for consideration, Dana Sipos will doubtless find her own place and audience with her original music and creative collaboration. Here Sipos and Walker seem like a perfectly matched set of visionaries. All you need to do is see things as they do.

Peter Mulvey 'Silver Ladder'

An accomplished singer-songwriter with a strong back catalogue, Peter Mulvey writes songs from the heart and brings a human touch with messages of endurance, forgiveness and hope along the way. Here, we are given twelve songs that cover a whole range of emotions and moods. Copenhagen Airport is a quirky workout that lightens some of the more serious content on display. The closing track Landfall is a considered piece of song-writing that reflects upon our time in the world as ‘this is just another suit of clothes’.

There is the sad acceptance of a past relationship put into perspective on Where Did You Go? Trempealeau questions the honesty of relationships and contains the lines ‘If it’s true that we go as we came; why can’t you just say I love you?’

You Don’t Have to Tell Me and Sympathies run along at a bouncy rhythm and the grove of Josephine is infectious. On the stream of consciousness song, If You Shoot Ata King You Must Kill Him, we are treated to a trip into the mind of the artist as he regresses to the dawn of creation and the presence of a single raindrop. His is heady stuff indeed and a fitting addition to the body of work that continues to unfold. Peter Mulvey artist, raconteur, wandering minstrel and travelling companion; the destination is unknown but the twists along the road are all worth the fare.

Annika Fehling 'Rust and Gold'

Seven songs included here from Swedish singer-songwriter Annika Fehling, who lives on the island of Gotland. She has quite a substantial back catalogue to her name, with sixteen releases dating back to 1993 and tours internationally, together with hosting workshops in song-writing and performance arts. Annika has a strong voice and plays guitar with an easy style. Three songs are taken from past releases, while another four are material that has not been previously released.

Lauren Lapointe 'Superhero'

This is the third release from Savannah based singer-songwriter Lauren Lapointe. She delivers a strong country sound with clear vocals and a good production on the twelve songs included here. The themes run from man trouble and relationships to loving yourself and believing in tomorrow. Be your own best friend is a mantra that repeats across a number of the tracks. There is a tribute to Scotland (Scotland Tonight) and the question of living past lives; plus the radio friendly The Ghost of Elvis which is a highlight. I can sometimes hear Loretta Lynne within the vocal performance and this artist is something of a new talent to be reckoned with. Songs like Superhero, Heroine and Silent Hurricane only serve to support the case for her continued rise to greater media exposure.

Millpond Moon 'Broke in Brooklyn'

A debut release from Norwegian guitar duo Rune Hauge and Kjersti Misje, that arrives with plenty of goodies and treats. Ably backed by brothers Rickie and Ronnie Simpkins on fiddle and double bass, this talented combination serve up music of the highest quality, with strong melodies and perfect vocal harmonies, all combining to deliver a compelling set. Of the twelve tracks here, two are instrumentals that highlight the fine talents of these musicians and there are three cover versions included among the surprises on offer. A rewarding trip down Acoustic Avenue.  

Cale Tyson 'Introducing Cale Tyson' - Clubhouse

To tie in with a series of European dates Clubhouse Records have released Tyson’s two US EPs (High on Lonesome and Cheater’s Wine) on a single disc which gives us 13 tracks of modern day country music, the real thing, inspired by the past but not a slave to it. The sticker on the CD front says “Old School sad-bastard country” a quote from Rolling Stone, who have picked Tyson as a name to watch. Listening to these eleven tracks you can easily see why. The Texas native lives in Nashville where he has become part of the musical community that exists well outside the influence of  mainstream Music Row and country radio dictated grooming. 

These self-written songs are tales of heartbreak and hesitation, sung with a voice that is whiskey stained and full of bar stool reminisces and neon-lit melancholy. Tyson could be taken as an approximation of how Justin Townes Earle might have gone after his debut EP if he hadn’t disliked the way that country was being perceived back them (and now). Cale Tyson from the opening song Honky Tonk Moan signals his allegiance with the semi-yodel of his lonesome voice. He produced both EPs and gathered a set of like-minded players around him. Crucial to that sound is pedal steel guitarist Brett Resnick who features on both sets of tracks. Guitarists Kenny Vaughan and Robert Ellis feature on High on Lonesome and Cheater’s Wine respectively. The rest of the skilled team included bassist Mark Rinne and drummer John McTigue and others well suited to their role of supporting players.

There are no turbo-charged neo hair-metal bro country workouts here. The music is quietly and effectively focused behind Tyson’s true vocal delivery. In that department he receives some sterling back up and harmony work on the EPs from Heidi Feek and Carolyn Martin, to name but two. There is so much that is good that it is hard to pick out specific tracks but Old Time Blues is exceptional and could be taken as a raison d’être. His sense of self deprecation, both real and imagined, is there for all to hear in Fool of the Year,  a subject that has been a classic part of songwriting in the past, but given another memorable outing here. Tyson’s production serves the music well by giving each song a sense of the heritage classic country storytelling, but also looking to give the music it’s sense of its own time and place, something that is inherent in the ground breaking work of artists like Gram Parsons and Dwight Yoakam. 

Cale Tyson is not the only one doing this kind of music,  but he is very much at the forefront of those artists who have little to do with what currently resides at the top of the country music charts. Rather he joins a core of artists who strive for an integrity that ingrains their music and makes it something that can be returned to without any loss of credibility in the future. In that light it is both timeless and of it’s time. This is perfect musical foil for the excesses of many of those aforementioned soulless sales pitches. Cale Tyson is a major talent on a minor road.

Grant Langston 'Hope You’re Happy Now' - California Roots Union

California country man Langston has seven previous albums to his credit dating back to 2000. Hope You’re Happy Now is the latest and he has noted that each album, for a variety of reasons, tends come out differently. This one was inspired by Willie Nelson’s album Phases and Stages. Previous albums had more of a Bakersfield Telecaster twang, but on this album Langston wanted to explore the darker side of relationships in a similar way to Willie’s album.

He expanded the selection of musicians he worked with on previous albums, drawing on such LA scene notables as steel guitarist Chris Lawrence. The main lead guitarist was Johnny Hawthorn, who also contributed some lap steel and Hawthorn deserves much credit for his understated playing here. In truth all those involved do a fine job of serving the songs.  Hope You’re Happy Now  was recorded directly to tape and captures the spontaneity which is often lost with layered computer tracking and overdubbing. 

Although Langston’s songs are dealing with the downside of relationships they are, at times, not without a little humour; try I Work Too Hard as an example that has a lighter side to its relevant points. Lyrically the songs are full of poignant moments that are drawn from life and experience, the kind of stuff that makes for good country music; subjects that are easy to empathise with and highlight the notion that country is the reverse side of the blues coin. Langston’s vocals throughout are compelling and strong, covering the different settings of the songs from the stripped back guitar and vocal of The Trigger, a song that leaves you in doubt just what the title refers to. Born to Ride in contrast, makes effective use of the full band to give the song a tight dynamic with keyboards and some greasy guitar.

Two songs that close the album are self-centred stories of relationships. One relationship that survives despite itself is Me and the Misses, which finds disparate characters coming from opposite viewpoints who find common ground despite their opposing attitudes;  it has an inherent realistic charm. The final song, Me And Margaret in contrast, is about a couple who are on the same page, or bar stool at least and is a song best summed up by the line: “real drinking takes persistence and me and Margaret are the best”.

This was, surprisingly, my first encounter with Langston’s music other than a quick online check of some of his previous albums - which sound pretty fine to me. However, Hope You’re Happy Now is a highpoint for Langston with his players adding a layer of subtlety and consideration that makes for repeated listening.

Along with David Serby (who formed the California Roots Union with Langston), Dave Gleason, Mike Stinson and Sam Outlaw, Grant Langston is part of a resurgence of acts playing some real and diverse country music in California right now. They are part of a proud tradition that stretches back to Bakersfield, The Palomino and beyond and one that is also getting an added boost by the recent recordings and performances of longtime leading light Dwight Yoakam. I hope you’re happy now.

Andrew Combs 'All These Dreams' - Loose

Andrew Combs is another Nashville singer-songwriter who is carving out his own space outside the rigid lines of that town’s industry requisites. He draws from classic country and an interesting element of classic pop stylings. Combs’ self-proclaimed influences range from Kris Kristofferson to Harry Nilsson. From one there is a sense of lyricism from the other feel for memorable arrangements. Listen to Fooling’ and Strange Bird as examples of this. Glen Campbell would be another reference point. There are other influence here, but you can have fun picking them up yourselves. A loose feels of 70s radio permeates the sound; a time where there wasn’t quite the genre restrictions that there are now. It was a time when pop music was a little more genuine than it was calculated 

Producers Skylar Wilson and Jordan Leaning understand this combination of styles have gathered a team of players who can realise that vision and making something that is new and alluring from the components involved. These include Combs’ voice, which is a relaxed, almost casual, yet incisive tone and it is an integral part of the overall sound that mixes a certain humble vulnerability with a assuredness that is both comforting and comfortable. The duo Steelism, who have recently released their own album, are lead guitarist Jeremy Fetzer and pedal steel player Spencer Callum Jr  and they are also an integral part of the sound. They are always present and pervasive, but never in a way that detracts from the overall feel, but rather enhances it.

Combs is an accomplished writer who, along with his co-writers, balances melody with lyrical dexterity. Slow Road to Jesus uses strings to emphasise the redemptive nature of the song. Pearl takes on a darker hue, and again Combs adapts his vocal approach to this foreboding tale with its depiction of a passed-out musician and a young prostitute or a failed star and finds a glimpse of hope in these undervalued people. Month of Bad Habits starts with a more stripped down sound before building to a heightened ambience of regret.

This, the second album, from Combs, stands at a point that looks back in order to see a future. It draws from a more positive time, one that produced many classic pop moments and a time when Nashville also had its sights set on crossover potential, but hadn’t lost its heritage and sound either. The eleven songs clock in at under 40 minuets, which makes them concise and continued slices of some very cool and collected music. Something that sometimes dreams can be made of.

The Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers 'Ocooch Mountain Home' - Self Release

Nikki Grossman and Joe Hart are the proud owners of the splendid woodpecker-derived moniker. This, their second album of old time country music, was recorded in the acoustic environs of a 100 year old converted church. It was recorded by Tom Herbers direct to one inch analog tape and as such captures an intimate live in-studio performance. Performance is a key word here as both Sapsuckers have immersed themselves in the music of the 20 and 30s and have also adopted a visual sartorial representation of earlier times, if the cover picture is anything to go by that is.

Although their music is inspired by an earlier time, they have written the majority of these songs, either individually or together. They have created both the feel and sound of that earlier time, but without ever feeling stuck in a time warp. That is essentially down to the energy and enthusiasm in the way they approach their music. Their musical style is not unique, but rather attains its individuality in the combination of their voices, their undoubted humour and their obvious musical skills. The duo are joined on some songs by Patrick Harison on lap steel and accordion which adds texture to the sound.

This is particularly telling on the Spanish language Medalla de Dios, where the accordion takes us south of the border in a song that is full of passion and features an outstanding vocal from Grossman. Equally the lap steel on the country song Beneath a Neon Star in a Honky Tonk, flavours the song and underscores the variety of style that the duo can bring. Their prowess on fiddle and guitar, with their strong vocals, is the bedrock of the duo’s success and charm. 

The roots of country, as it once was, are on display here; the string band and Appalachian textures meeting the more urban country contours in a way that makes perfect sense. Given that they are a duo (for the most part live) the interaction between Grossman and Hart makes them a flexible and formidable listening experience that does not need any additional input to deliver the goods. The Wisconsin based duo obviously enjoy what they do as will a lot of others, so check out this rewarding and resolute album, one so perfectly suited to those who might want to remember a time that music was not just about sales figures. 

Pharis and Jason Romero 'A Wanderer I’ll Stay' - Lula

This is the third album from the acclaimed duo who are seasoned and passionate vocalists as well as skilful players. On this album, which they co-produced with David Travers-Smith, the Canadian couple have added an extra element by bringing in bass, fiddle drums and pedal steel to augment their own playing. For those who like to know these things they include in the accompanying booklet the age of the main instruments as well as the banjo tunings. They also designed the good looking package, something that would put many a major label offering to shame.

But it’s the music that will draw many in and that is striking and memorable. It moves from the basic duo on New Lonesome Blues to There’s No Companion where the bass, fiddle and steel add additional flavours that show the breadth of their influences and capabilities - all topped by their sublime vocals. The majority of the songs are self written with a couple of more well known favourites like the western ballad Goodbye Old Paint. Billy Mayhew’s It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie is another that many will recognise. It was first heard by Jason in the film Pennies from Heaven and here is based on a version by Riley Puckett from 1940 that, again, effectively uses the steel guitar to add to the overall feel .

Pharis takes the lead on Poor Boy and shows what a clear and effective instrument her voice is on it’s own. When joined by Jason they emphasise the talent and skill they have invested in their musical journey. Their take on the often recorded Cocaine Blues is true to it’s 20s roots. Jason’s subtle banjo picking on his own Old September shows a delicate touch that suits the title well. The final song is The Dying Soldier, a dark tale of the Civil War whose title pretty much sums up the context, that of a mortally wounded soldier lying on the battlefield and wanting to be remembered to his family. It closes an album that is a testament to the duo’s accomplishments and fresh sounding approach to the music of another era, while adding much that is true to themselves. 

Kevin Breit featuring Rebecca Jenkins 'Ernesto and Delilah' - Poverty Playlist

A double CD that more than just a extended set or music but rather two distinct parts. It comes housed in a large format attractively design package with sleeve notes (remember them) that explain the origins of the project. The first CD titled Ernesto is an instrumental set of songs associated with Brazilian composer Ernesto Ciari (though there is a note in the booklet that says that he and others mentioned are figments of the imagination - so take that how you will) and which featured the mandolin as the lead instrument. Your liking of this set may well largely depend on your appreciation of that instrument in particular and instrumentals in general. But there is much to savour here, in both the performing and writing of these two sets of songs.

The second CD Delilah again is a showcase for Breit’s mandolin playing but it also is a platform for the strong vocals of Rebecca Jenkins. There is a theatrical element to this song cycle and it feels rather like a soundtrack in many ways, with the songs conjuring up sonic stories. Breit also sings effectively alongside Jenkins on songs such as Murderous Dimitri. Other titles attest to storytelling nature of the writing such as From the Flood, Ghost of California, Cut Me Down, Come on Home and Alberta Hunter. Despite the rather specialist nature of this double album the Delilah portion is likely to attract more attention and has much to commend it both in the vocal delivery and Breit’s writing and arrangement skills as well as his dexterous playing. Thomas Dooley 111’s production is also clear and concise. The well designed booklet has the lyrics to the song and does much to tell the story of Delilah.

Breit is also known as the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra and, other than Russell Boswell’s upright bass, he played all the other stringed instruments involved. So if the mandolin is an instrument that you admire and would like to hear it used to its best effect, upfront and centre, then this will be a project that may well  delight and engage. 

Anna & Elizabeth 'Anna & Elizabeth' - Free Dirt

This duo are inspired by old-time, folk, Appalachian and bluegrass music. Elizabeth plays banjo and Anna also plays banjo as well as fiddle and guitar. On two tracks they are joined by guitarist and bass player Joseph DeJarnette. Uillean piper Joey Abata adds a droning atmosphere to the song Orfeo, a Scottish traditional song Anna and Elizabeth pieced together from various versions of this Child ballad that speaks of fairies under the hill.

The majority of the songs are from traditional sources with additional choices including Won’t You Come and Sing with Me? by Hazel Dickens and Voice from on High, co-written by Bill Monroe and Bessie Mauldin. The sound is spare, rustic and revealing. It is ageless music delivered in its most fundamental form; voice and acoustic instrument. It is the voices that are the most immediately striking thing about Elizabeth LaPrelle and Anna Roberts-Gevalt. Don’t Want to Die in the Storm is sung acapella which best displays the closeness of the intertwined and intimate vocals. 

Many of these songs have a darkness that resonates. Greenwood Sidey tells of child murder, also know as The Cruel Mother, is delivered over an effective repeated guitar motif and shows how the duo can vary the tone of their vocal delivery to suit a particular song. They take a very traditional route that could have come from any time in the last hundred years or more, and add nothing to these songs as nothing is needed other than the deep quality of the human voice, something that is celebrated in these songs by this clearly talented duo. Not everyone’s cup of tea by any stretch, but if this kind of music appeals then this album will give you much to savour. Anna and Elizabeth are joined on the album by the renowned Alice Gerrard, who offers words of praise and notes that they do the tradition proud and there is no doubt of that. The album comes with a booklet of illustrations and notes on the songs that makes for a well rounded package.

Dean Owens 'Into the Sea' - Drumfire Records

Dean Owens is one of Scotland’s most acclaimed and established singer-songwriters, with five previous solo releases including a Johnny Cash tribute record. His list of admirers includes Bob Harris, Irvine Welsh and Russell Brand.

Owens sings with a soulful and yearning delivery and his song arrangements are melodic and sophisticated, with a melancholic and wistful lyrical mood across the 12 tracks. There is a backwards nod to the colourful family tree in the opening song Dora, before a gentle love song Closer to Home brings the mood to a more personal place.

The nostalgic tone of Kids, Virginia Street and Up on the Hill hints at personal experiences and a past that holds its’ ghosts in a hard won perspective. Evergreen is a stand-out track, a tribute to a former lover, while Sally’s Song is a personal letter to a friend with the message that it will all work out in the end.

The playing is restrained and uncluttered, with just enough production to colour the songs without putting too much gloss on them. Into The Sea was recorded in Nashville with producer Neilson Hubbard and a stellar cast of musicians including Will Kimbrough, Kim Richey and Suzy Bogguss. The future looks bright for his talented artist and his acoustic based songs should lead to continued success.