The Earnest Lovers ‘Sing Sad Songs’ - Elko

An introductory mini album from the talented duo of Pete Krebs and Leslie Beia and their five piece band has it beginnings in the classic country duets of the past, but with these 6 original songs they bring us bang up to date. Well bang up to date that is if your heart is still with the music that was made first several decades back and not what you would currently hear if you turned on ‘country’ radio in the US. Based in Portland, Oregon they both formed the band after meeting in a local country bar as a means to develop their songwriting skills and this seemed a good way to do it. 

Krebs was previously a member of the SubPop label band Hazel who played with Nirvana among others before being involved in a couple of roots orientated bands. Beia was one half of the duo Copper & Coal prior to join Krebs in this venture. Together with their experienced band - Ian Miller, lead guitar; Marko Markoc, bass; Kevin Major, drums; fiddle player Annalisa Tornfelt and pedal steel player Rusty Blake - they worked with producer Jon Neufeld to bring these songs to life and give them the patina of those classic country duets. Music beloved by other musicians and true followers of the honky-tonk highway. These guys have the skills and the wish to get it right and they have.

The vocals are shared between the two with one or other taking the lead or swapping lines and also bring their close harmonies in to play. The songs are good too with titles like the cleverly titled San Andreas’ Fault, Angel of Sunrise and Still Missing You. No Song Came By Today sounds not unlike a unheard Gram/Emmylou collaboration. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Pal is a jaunty twang uptempo tale of a partner’s disapproval for the kind of escapades that his friends might suggest.

All in all a welcome addition to the ranks of those who still believe in the sounds (and sights) of much loved but often ignored genre of music. One listen and you will also want to be their pal too.

Dar Williams 'Emerald' - Bread & Butter

This is the ninth release from Dar Williams and comes three years after her excellent In the Time of Gods collection. We are treated to the usual high standard of literate songs, dealing with a variety of subjects, all produced and delivered with great empathy and warmth. Dar Williams has always displayed finely honed observational skills and her compass for matters of the heart has always pointed straight at the life issues that we all face.

Two tracks in particular deal with the daily challenge of living in the world and coping with the everyday stresses, both internal and external. Weight of the World is a cover version of a Kat Goldman song and is delivered in a sensitive arrangement that asks that we lay our burdens down. Something to Get Through has a similar theme and asks that we be kind to ourselves when feeling depressed or overwhelmed by life and just look to another day and the possibility of a brighter sky.

Mad River is a look at youthful rites of passage and the reality of growing up into the life we experience. FM Radio is the most commercial song included here, with a catchy chorus and lyrics to reflect the joy of youth, listening to the radio and enjoying the world. Slippery Slope is a wry look at marriage, with Jim Lauderdale guesting, and deals with our ability to survive relationships and make them endure.

New York is a Harbour is a considered tribute to the Big Apple and the sweet and sour magnetic pull that surrounds it. Empty Plane is a wonderfully understated song that talks of the experience in leaving family in order to work and then returning to the routine of a normal life. The production duties are shared by Dar and a selection of musical friends across the eleven tracks. The arrangements are very bright and the players add subtle colours that complement the song structures. 

Richard Thompson, Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Will Ackerman, Jill Sobule and the Milk Carton Kids add their talents to the list of famous names that come out on a regular basis to celebrate the gifts that Dar Williams brings to her musical vista of our lives. A great release and a further proof of the consistency high quality output from this mature, sophisticated song writer.

Drew Holcomb 'Medicine' - Magnolia Music.

This is the seventh studio release by Drew Holcomb, a singer-songwriter based in Tennessee and it is a follow up to Good Light which was released in 2013 to critical acclaim. With his band the Neighbors, including wife Ellie, the sound is very much based in roots rock with most of the twelve tracks here dealing in matters of the heart. Whether reminiscing over a former lover  (American Beauty, Heartbreak), looking at life with a present lover (Tightrope, You’ll Always Be My Girl, I’ve Got You), smiling through the pain (Shine Like Lightning) or looking to each other for support (Sisters Brothers, The Last Thing We Do). Drew Holcomb delivers an earthy sound that is genuine and cuts to the heart of country realism, never more so than on the track Here We Go which is the strongest song on this fine collection.  

Lucy Wainwright Roche 'There’s a Last time for Everything' - Self Release

This is a real hidden gem. Lucy co-produces with Jordan Brooke Hamlin and the project was recorded over ten short days in Nashville. There is a real gentle intimacy to the eleven tracks with sparse arrangements and subtle textures brought to these musings on love and relationships.

Featured musicians on the album include Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Mary Chapin Carpenter. There is a cover version of Robyn's Call Your Girlfriend reworked by Wainwright Roche and Hamlin with a slower tempo and featuring only guitar and harmony vocals. Well worth checking out and a fine recording to play at home on those days when you want to relax with a nice cup of coffee and let your thoughts drift away. Stand-out tracks include The Year Will End Again, A Quiet Line, Last Time and The Same but in reality all the songs are excellent and beautifully written and recorded. Highly recommended

Rob Roy Parnell 'Let’s Start Something' - Blue Rocket Records.

A brother of country blues artist Lee Roy Parnell, this is the second release from Rob who produced this collection of 12 songs that celebrate the blues that are straight out of Texas. It is a strong collection of guitar based workouts, fuelled by the fine vocal and harmonica playing of Rob. Most of the tracks feature James Pennebaker on lead and rhythm guitar and there are also guest appearances from Stephen Bruton and Jonell Mosser. We have trumpet and saxophone filling out a few of the songs (If I Were You, Come On Lil’ Baby) and there is a big old Hammond B3 organ sound (Sorry As They Come, Texas Love Machine) to add to the driving sound.  

His debut Jacksboro Highway was released in 1999 and was described as roadhouse rock, jump boogie blues and renegade country. It also featured special guest appearances by Lee Roy Parnell and Waylon Jennings.

Also featured are members of Delbert McClinton's band: Kevin McKendree (keyboards), Lynn Williams (drums) and Don Wise (sax). This collection shows Rob Roy Parnell as a singer, songwriter, harmonica player and performer of some quality.

Alice DiMicele 'Swim' - Alice Otter

 Originally from New Jersey but now based in Oregon, Alice DiMicele has released 12 prior records over a career that has spanned 27 years since her first release in 1988. Her songs reflect the environmental, LGBT, and anti-war interests and she draws from a rich musical background including folk, jazz, funk, rock and soul.

Having played with such greats as Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, JJ Cale, Arlo Guthrie and Steve Winwood among others, her craft has been finely developed to a level where she packs quite a musical punch. Alice sings with a deeply soulful and expressive voice and the song If I Could Move the World is the perfect vehicle to highlight her impressive range and phrasing. Featuring quite a collection of musicians including Bill Payne from Little Feat, her songs are filled with character and depth in both the production and delivery. Open Road and Old Life Back are songs that look to the way life should be lived while Inside speaks of the spirit living on after the body is gone. Her music is rich in so many ways.

Michelle Lewis 'The Parts of Us That Still Remain' - Self Release

The ten songs featured on this second release from Boston singer-songwriter Michelle Lewis clock in at just over 30 minutes and prove that quality always wins out over quantity. She has co-produced with Anthony J. Resta (Elton John, Duran Duran and Shawn Mullins) and displays a gift for sweet melody with song arrangements that boast restrained playing. This is music is in the best traditions of singer-songwriters and is gently intimate. Michelle released her first recording, This Time Around in 2004 and she has also released two EP’s in Broken (2009) and Paris (2011).

Her lyrics deal with relationships in their various and complex states and her insights are both considered and literate. Just Like a Movie charts the arc of a relationship and Running Back Home is a tribute to the power of love to bring out the strongest urge in us all. Paris reflects that nothing can mend a broken relationship and the hope of new beginnings is often no more than wishful thinking. Sorry I Forgot to Write deals with the lingering memory of a former lover who remains in the heart if not in her arms. Goodbye signals the end of a relationship and faces the inevitable parting of the ways. Lost in LA closes the set with a string quartet and leaves a warm feeling from this interesting release.

Annie Keating 'Make Believing' - Self Release

This is the sixth release from an artist who continues to mature in both her song writing and production skills. The eight musicians featured here all serve the song arrangements with gentle playing and colour the mix in all the right places. Whether singing about Coney Island and the atmosphere of the boardwalk, or the joy of walking down a Sunny Dirt Road, the playing is assured and reflects the acoustic feel of the overall production.

Banjo duels with fiddle and mandolin flirts with harmonica and pedal steel across the songs. Matt Keating on organ and piano fills out the sound in an understated manner with the harmonica chops of Trina Hamlin a constant source of pleasure. Know How to Fall gives fine advice to the young and reflects upon the balance of joy and heartache. Lost Girls is poignant with some subtle guitar playing from Chis Tarrow. The closing song If You Want to Fly repeats the earlier Know How to Fall lyric but delivers a different, more reflective arrangement. Sensitive playing coupled with mature writing makes this a very impressive release.

Matt Andersen 'Weightless' - True North

Growing up in New Brunswick, Canada, Matt Andersen honed his guitar playing skills and developed a strong touring ethic which has seen him attracting praise from his peers. This is Matt’s ninth release and his vocal delivery is smooth and earnest with a rich tone and soulful quality.

Songs like I Lost My Way and Let’s Go to Bed highlight his skills in communicating an honest and heart-felt lyric, while The Fight deals with corporate greed and the toll paid by local communities in bending to the power of money. Drift Away encourages everyone to just carry on and let the daily fears and worries of life fall away. Paul Rigby plays some lovely pedal steel guitar on Between the Lines and the keyboard work of Ross Billard is excellent, especially when augmenting the horn section.

The twelve tracks deliver an impressive sound with Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Tragically Hip) at the controls. With great playing and a passionate feel to the project, this is blues/folk music that engages and delivers. Recommended.

Various Artists 'Country Songs of Faith' - Maranatha

This twin CD set showcases country music's biggest songs about God. The Top 25 series has sold millions of copies and has established itself as an enduring brand. This latest release in the series covers songs of faith and hope with the best of modern country artists together with some lesser known names. No Bible belt chest thumping preachers here, no God fearing sentiment about the Heavenly rewards that await us all in the next life. Instead we are given songs that tackle the fragility of life and the unknown qualities that keep us striving to be better people on the path of life.

Rascal Flatts (Bless the Broken Road), Tim McGraw (Touchdown Jesus), Brad Paisley (When I Get Where I’m Going), Lady Antebellum (Hello World), Carrie Underwood (Jesus take the Wheel) and many more come together with songs that are both varied and colourful in reflecting different aspects of faith in a higher power. As Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.” 

Darius Rucker 'Southern Style' - Humphead

It is hard to know where a recording like this sits in the queue of contemporary country artists. The genre covers an ever widening span of music and just where do we place a reformed rocker turned country boy?

It is a commercially produced, radio friendly collection of 13 songs, many of which are hook filled hits. Using two different producers, Keith Stegall (five tracks) and Frank Rogers (eight tracks), the sound is slick and smooth. However, here lies the dilemma; is such a well-produced, glossy product a true reflection of where real country music is heading? This is an increasingly worrying trend that is pushing country music in a pop direction.

This is Rucker’s fifth solo album since going country. His three previous albums—Learn to Live, Charleston, SC 1966 and True Believers—all topped the Billboard Country Album chart, clocking up six Number One singles. He is also the first African-American with a Number One country song since Charley Pride, back in 1983.

Darius has added a country inflection to his vocal that can sometimes sound too close to Garth Brooks territory and we also get plenty of the familiar country themes and titles; Good for a Good Time, Southern Style, Homegrown Honey, Low Country, Half Full Dixie Cup. One of the more genuine songs here is So I Sang, written as a tribute to his beloved mother. Perfect is also a fine tune that displays his voice in a way that recalls his past life as Hootie & the Blowfish. Born in Charleston and influenced by r&b as much as country, Rucker has a soulful delivery that continues to win over doubters like me, but I can’t help feeling it is a long way since that great song from 2008, It Won’t be Like This For Long.

Malcolm Holcombe ‘The RCA Sessions’ - Proper

The sandpapered vocals of Malcolm Holcombe have become his trademark. That voice however delivers some insightful songs that highlight the human condition in the way that the best of the old school blues men did. Bare bones emotions given some meat by Holcombe and his set of fine players who bring to these songs their individual spirit and musicianship. When these players are Ken Coomer, Tammy Rogers, Dave Roe and Jared Tyler you can count on them being right there with the songs. As is Holcombe, a man who put himself into the soul of these songs. Songs that are, for the most part, taken from his numerous previous albums but given the added impetuous of the historic studio location and the collective strength of the assembled musicians. The 16 songs run to over an hour and they serve as a perfect introduction to Holcombe’s music being as it is something of a summation of a career that has found him praised by admirers but also damned by some reviewers who do not take to his voice and rustic delivery.

There are a couple of vocal sweeteners involved too with Maura O’Connell and Siobhan Maher-Kennedy joining Holcombe on one track each. Jelly Roll Johnson adds his harmonica prowess to an additional track. Producers Ray Kennedy and Brian Brinkerhoff use the famed location and the assembled musicians to bring the best out of Holcombe and his Appalachian folk/delta blues influenced songs that come from hard times, hard places but not a heard heart. The darkness inherent is lightened by the humanity that exists in many of the songs and within the grace that Holcombe has attained through the years.

Having listened to Malcolm Holcombe through the years I don’t need to be convinced of his sincerity or musical worth. This album should go a long way to convince all but the most Simon Cowell-esque of you, those who can only attach merit to a “perfect” vocal. Life is not like that so thank God for those voices that reveal something more rewarding that perfect pitch. That’s always a thing to admire in itself but not the sum total of what the voice is capable of delivering in terms of emotion or storytelling.

The deluxe version has a DVD that captures the occasion and offers insight into the recording process and a legendary studio. There are interviews with the players express their thoughts on Holcombe’s songs and his energy in the studio. An audio/visual experience that offers both in full.

Christopher Denny ‘If The Roses Don’t Kill Us’ - Partisan

The first think that hits you is the nature of Denny’s voice that has elements of something operatic but also comes from the street level too. There are hints of Jimmie Dale Gilmore in his approach and vocal style. This vocal aptitude is applied to his music which has a lot of different elements in it’s makeup. Denny has called it “Arkansas Soul“ after his native State but there are strands of country, folk, rock, gospel and soul -  perhaps neatly summed up as Americana. The end result draws you and shows you it’s heart and some of the darkness that dwells there. The playing and production has a lot of names involved with both. The songs were apparently recorded several times before arriving at this releasable juncture. He had recorded a previous album Age Old Hunger back in 2007.

This is one of those albums that just flows and should be heard in its entirety as the collective story of the songs builds over the twelve numbers. The album opens with Happy Sad - a title which can perhaps sum up the emotions involved. I image some may not take to Denny’s vocal pitch but, for me, it works and works very well. Grammy award winning produced Dave Sanger worked with his co-producers to get these songs sounding right and Denny’s own band played with musicians like Sanger, himself on drums, alongside some notable platters such as bassist Glenn Fukunaga and pedal steel guitarist Marty Muse. Denny contributed acoustic and electric guitar to the mix.

Ride On brings Denny back to basic with just voice, guitar and some backing vocals brings it right back to the essence of the music in it’s most stripped back from. But many of the songs here have equal resonance. Radio, Some Things, God’s Height and others are memorable songs built around interesting melodic structures full of swelling keyboards, solid rhythms with guitar and steel guitars lines adding much to the overall sound. All of which makes If The Roses Don’t Kill Us an compelling listen and a memorable one.

Grand Old Grizzly ‘Cosmo Nada’ - Self Release

The latest album from the Houston based quartet takes you back to the start of the insurgent country days with the delivery of some highly energised roots rock that reminds of the similarly designed Old 97s. Throw in some Rockpile and a touch of the (Tom Petty’s) Heartbreakers and you have the basis for some attractive tracks. Cosmo Nada has 12 slices of rough and ready retouched roots rock. Their take on country is alternative and energised but built around some solid playing and equally alluring songwriting.

On Travelin’ they take the foot of the gas a little and allow the harmonies to come forward over a melodic guitar riff. But it is the full steam ahead rockers like Did She Really?, Red Hideaway and particularly Eyes, a song where writer Will Thomas’ voice conveys the story of a time and place and person not effectively.  Drummer Paul Beebe also plays guitars and keyboards as well as adding his vocals alongside those of bassist Mark Riddell. The band is joined by pedal steel player Craig Freazel on some tracks. But it is the essential trio that is the backbone of these songs. They are storytelling songs that draw from that aspect of the best country music but they give them a dynamism that propels them into your heart and also to your feet. All of which should make them an ideal band to honk your tonk to even if you feel that mainstream country may be a little outside your normal listening spectrum.

Though there’s little doubting that these guys also like their Willie and Waylon. Which, as perviously stated, make them unrestrained reminders of those post cowpunk days when that landscape had a goodly number of punk enthused bands broadening their horizons to include of strands of a wide variety of roots influences. But in the end it come down to the tunes, the songs, which these guys have. And they do them justice here, which, while they may not have. in the recorded versions, the firepower of attending one of their live shows, it more than entertains in a listening setting where one’s concentration is on the music alone.  

Houston, we don’t have a problem.

The Alan Tyler Show ‘Self-Titled’ - Littlefield

An acoustic collection of some of Tyler’s favourite cover songs mixed with his own songs. Alan Tyler has shown his commitment to his take on country music through his involvement with the Rockingbirds, an English country rock band who played the music in the 1990’s when it wasn’t exactly flavour of the month. They released their first self-titled album on Heavenly back in 1992 and disbanded in1995. Since they have reformed and produced two further albums.

In between Alan Tyler has carried on under his own name and this album is the latest release. Recorded with fellow Rockingbird Patrick Ralla on guitar, banjo and vocals as well as Jim Morrison playing fiddle and mandolin. It features the songs Dark River, Down To Deptford Creek, Essex, Long Time No See and The Fields Beneath - all Tyler originals. This release appears to be an expanded version of an earlier release that has added the covers of The Streets Of Baltimore, She Thinks I Still Care, Tecumseh Valley, Return Of The Grievous Angel, True Love Ways to make up 10 tracks.

Now it’s not the easiest thing in the world to take on songs that are often ingrained in the memory (in one version or another). However Tyler has a distinctively lived in voice that has a warmth and charm that makes hearing these songs in this setting a simple pleasure akin to a home singalong. Classic covers seems to be a thing these days and some such albums work better than others. Not to take away from the playing and performance on this set which would be worth hearing for the originals alone, but hearing the other (cover) songs are something of a bonus. Alan Tyler clearly loves this music and is working on a new Rockingbirds album that will add the power of a full band. The Rockingbirds have always added a specifically English element to their take on the music, which is to be applauded.

While this album would appear as something of a stopgap to promote and sell at live gigs it affirms Alan Tyler as a solid cornerstone of contemporary country in the UK. Someone who isn’t just producing carbon copies of American country but something more personal and with a real voice. The show goes on.

Gary Hall ‘Warm Valve Glow’ - Northern Son

Another veteran of there UK roots scene who goes back to his days fronting the Stormkeepers, A band whose first release was in 1989. These days he goes under his own name but one player from that time, Mark Wilkinson, still plays with Hall. It was recorded, as was his last album Winning Ways On Losing Streaks, in his own Voodoo Rooms studio. It captures his root orientated sound that incorporates his blend of widescreen roots rock, soul and blues influences with an added touch of celtic mist. Eleven self-written songs that reflect on life with a something of an renewed spirit which, in The Road To God Knows Where, finds him wondering where his life will take him but doing so with the thought that he can ”… still drink from that well that once ran dry”. 

That well seems to be refreshed and he is comfortable delivering these songs with a set of musicians who get the feel right and righteous. He ask for some salvation in Sweet Jesus and writes about his father with some gentle reflection for My Fathers Eyes. Throughout the album Hall’s voice delivers the songs with the conviction of a man who is making music for himself (and his fans). His motivation is to produce music that has meaning for him. This is outside of consideration of trying to fit any particular marketplace. It gives an artist the opportunity to explore music for it’s own sake. In truth Gary Hall is an artist who has  always followed this path but when you start out you are often filled with the hope of reaching a more mainstream audience. 

Those who have listened to his music over the years will not be disappointed with this set of new songs that have grit and the buzz of an vintage valve amp that has an analog warmth and a lasting glow. Gary Hall still keeps the storm in his soul and his vision focused. 

Erich McMann ‘Trucker Country’ - Paisley Cowboy

A trucker who loves making music too. This collection of original songs finds McMann contributing all the instruments and vocals for this album. McMann’s heart is in the right place but the nature of the project means that everything tends to sound a little underpowered and more like a set of home recorded demos. Which essentially is what it is. The overriding theme from the hand drawn cover rig image through songs like Trucker Country, The Trucker Blues, Truckin’ Daddy, Keep on Truckin’ and Big Rig Rollin’ pretty much gives you the whole picture. A country styled album with some easy going songs that will find favour with those with a similar occupation or disposition.

MCMann should be encouraged in that he is doing, it's something that he loves and that’s fairly obvious, but you have to factor in that when put up against something like Dale Watson’s Trucking Sessions albums it tends to be overtaken the fast lane. Never-the-less one should not necessarily dismiss the endeavour. I hope that McMann carries on making the music for his sake as an outlet he enjoys. There is nothing specifically unique or outstanding about the songs but neither is there anything particularly off putting. But if he keeps working at the writing then any future recordings may also gain more traction on a lot of fronts. It may not be one for the masses but should be sufficent for his fans.