New Album Reviews

Beth Bombara Evergreen Lemp Electric

In a market heavily populated with female singer songwriters, all competing for listens and exposure in the Americana genre, making a lasting impression when your album is released is no easy task. Beth Bombara has certainly put her heart and soul into this ten-track album and hopefully will reap the rewards. She may be a new name to some, but Evergreen is in fact her seventh recording - she has already released two EP’s and five full albums.

Aimee Mann comes to mind on both Anyone and I Only Cry When I’m Alone, two guitar driven gems that Ms Mann would be proud to have in her back catalogue. Like many of her contemporaries, the Grand Rapids Michigan artist cut her teeth forming and fronting a punk band, Green Means Go. Those punk sensibilities raise their head on the punchy Good News, it’s sassy and mean as hell. However, the standout track is the striking Does It Echo, a stunner from start to finish and up there with the best individual tracks I’ve heard this year. Woozy guitar by Samuel Gregg and Bombara’s nasally vocals combine like two peas in a pod on this album highlight. The title track Evergreen is an infectious poppy affair and the broody All Good Things simply features Bombara’s vocal accompanied only by piano. I Only Cry When I’m Alone reflects on personal vulnerability and is bravely selected as the album's opening track.

The concept of isolation from the outside world while in the writing process appears to be coming increasingly popular among artists. The title of the album references the log cabin in the Rocky Mountains where the album was written, directly after completion of a gruelling tour. The ‘time out’ in isolation was well invested by Bombara, resulting in a consistently compelling collection of songs, well worth your attention.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dalton Domino Songs From The Exile Lightning Rod

Hailing from Lubbock Texas, Songs From The Exile is Dalton Domino’s latest release following on from Corners in 2017. Gone are the rich arrangements that adorned Corners, replaced this time around by an emphasis on his thoughtfully delivered lyrics, the stories contained within them and some stellar guitar, pedal steel, bass and drums.

 All thirteen tracks were conceived during a period described by him as ‘’my own personal rock bottom’’, so it’s no surprise that titles such as Better Now, Shadowlands, Cheap Spanish Wine and Welcome Home all feature. Yet another artist that was raised on punk and classic country, the album blends both country and southern rock, covering topics such as love lost, family memories, and personal rehabilitation. Domino certainly brought in the big guns to play on the album. Ace multi guitarist Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, Marianne Faithful, Norah Jones, Jewel) and in demand drummer Nate Coon both feature and make a telling impression throughout.

 All I Need, a duet featuring Kalsey Kulyk on vocals, is a killer country ballad, sounding all the better compliments of some awesome guitar work by Pettibone. Daddy’s Mud is on the same page, a mature and reflective song, written from the heart.Shadowlands is a haunting ballad with echoes of a stripped back Steve Earle. Saving the best until last, the album finishes with Welcome Back, an emotional homecoming suggesting an artist presently in a good place.

 The road to sobriety was undoubtedly a challenging journey for Domino. This collection of songs created during his period of crystal clear clarity were therapeutic for the writer, by his own admission.  Collectively they offer the listener a keyhole perspective on the struggles that often accompany the artistically gifted. Domino can take pride in both his recovery and the resulting album that accompanied it.

Review by Declan Culliton

Elaina Kay Issues Rockin’C

‘’In the last few years, I’ve grown so much. I’m not that small-town ranch girl anymore. I run with the boys’’. Part proclamation, part tongue in cheek, but there’s a certain brashness and self-assurance running through Issues, a most impressive debut recording from the young Texan. No shrinking violet by any means - not surprising as she grew up on her family’s ranch in Wichita Falls, Texas, which involved 4am alarm calls to help out on the farm. That fondness and devotion to ranch life, tortuous as it may have been at the time, led to her joining the rodeo team when enlisted in college at Tarleton State University.  Her work ethic and attention to detail must have given her food for thought when assembling a team to work on the album. Enter Paul Cauthen, the somewhat reformed hell raiser and rising star in his own right. Cauthen came on board as producer and Kay also called on another bunch of outlaws, the long haired and denim clad Texas Gentlemen, as her studio band for the recording.

The writing across the album is honest and from the heart, never appearing to stray beyond her native Texas for inspiration.  The opener Daddy Issues, is a true to life tale of her father treading the wrong side of the tracks and getting in trouble with the law. It’s a country rocker that brings to mind the equally sassy Elizabeth Cook. Rodeo is bold and raunchy, as it considers the parallel quandaries that the rodeo and touring musician face. The bar room honky tonker Pull Your Own Weight, is further evidence of a young lady more than able to fight her own corner and not afraid to dish out the ultimatums. Widows Watch is a more laid-back country ballad, combining Kay’s impressive vocals with some equally skilled playing from her musicians.

Parallels could be drawn with Jade Jackson, another young artist blending rock with country overtones. Issues exhibits an indisputable quality and consistency, not always found in debut albums. It’s a crowded market for aspiring country artists at present, but given Kay’s talents and determination, don’t be surprised to be hearing a lot more from her in the coming years.

Review by Declan Culliton

Tim Grimm Heart Land Again Cavalier

This is good natured, mature and warm folk music from Tim Grimm, a musician, actor and tour leader. The title relates to an album called Heartland he recorded in 1999. The album comes with a lyric booklet and a brief précis on the subject of each song. All this shows an album that is rooted, in more than once sense, in a location and in family.

Grimm delivers these songs in a warm, rich, easy on the ear, voice that is well suited to his subject matter. The songs included one about a much-loved father, Staying In Love, while This Old Man is about his Grandpa. A part of his story was making the move for Los Angeles to Southern Indiana. There was a farm that became home and he also writes about neighbours around the 80-acre farm that they worked and still live on.

The lyrics are evocative and delivered in a way that makes it easy to assimilate with the combination of simple melodies and crafted writing. Grimm is joined on this and previous albums by his sons, Connor and Jackson, as well as his wife Jan and a couple of guests including Krista Detor. Anyone who has encountered Tim Grimm on his recent albums will be more than happy with this new collection of material that seems like a message from an old friend telling stories of his life.

Recorded in Bloomington, Indiana, the heartland, it is a reflection of a simpler time and lifestyle. But without becoming overly sentimental. Much of this is down to Grimm’s sense of place and his easy delivery. There are also a couple of covers. One is AP Carter’s, Carter’s Blues, and the other a traditional song, Sowin’ On The Mountain, which he originally learned from his friend Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and his here arranged by Jackson Grimm. Heart Land Again is about family and is appropriately delivered by one (one what?).

Review by Stephen Rapid

Karen Jonas Lucky, Revisited Self Release

For album 4, Karen Jonas decided to revise tracks from her previous albums as she didn’t quite like the way they turned out. Here with a more confident and prominent vocal performances they sit in a more acoustic setting that brings a uniform setting throughout that seems to work on a number of levels. The band is the trio of long-time guitarist Tim Bray, bassist E.P. Jackson and drummer Seth Brown with Jonas on vocal and acoustic guitar. This touring unit are especially familiar with the songs and how they are performed in a live setting and deliver them closer to this format than on previous recordings. It shows an intuitive chemistry that bands who have played a lot of road shows have.

Jonas is the writer of the songs featured here, other than the two covers, Lovesick Blues and Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry. The latter given a sad, slow reading that gives the lyrics a different slant with some effective guitar from Bray. Four songs are taken the debut release Oklahoma Lottery (including Money, River Song and the title track in a less bluesy, slightly more rocking version). Her second album was appropriately entitled Country Songs and the selections from that album still live up to that title. The guitar twangs with country tones although there is the absence of the fiddle and steel that appeared on the original versions. Gospel Of The Road and the title track Butter came from the most recent album and are given more stripped-down arrangements here that fit within the context of the album’s intentions.

Jonas is a strong writer and vocalist who brings the traditional themes associated with country music to the fore in her work. This album is an ideal place to get to know her work, which has seen her acknowledged as a winner in the Washington Area Music Awards as best Americana/Country artist. Her music may not be that well known outside of her home territory but should be. It is above all fun and fresh so as Jonas says upfront at the start of the album “hang on to your hats boys!

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dan Bern Regent Street Kababa 

25 releases to date and still counting! Having lost 2 fingertips in a domestic accident involving a snowblower, Dan remains undaunted – he simply went and played piano instead of his trusty guitar. His vision has always been big and in technicolour and this release is no different. He paints on a wide palette. 

The opening track, Regent Street, is a sweaty work-out complete with brass section, hand-clap beat, funky piano and fiddle all joining in on the fun. Don’t know where this Regent Street actually is, but if they play sounds like this, then I think I’ll ignore Dan’s advice not to go there and jump in a cab…

Teresa Brown is another big sound with something of a Dion or Gary US Bonds feel to it – thumping bass lines and military tattoo drum rhythms. Bern has always been a commentator of our times and he dishes up America For The People, a sardonic swipe at the politicians who would package up the democratic process in search of personal power and more of the gold. 

Not Perfect struts along at a busy pace and the layered sound drowns the vocals somewhat but on Dear Tiger Woods, the message is clear and the tongue-in-cheek dig at obscene fame is well aimed and delivered; suggesting maybe it’s time to play a little less golf in his search for Gandhi-like global acceptance and the possible need for a song-writer on his back-up team.   

Produced by Jonathan Flaugher, who also plays a mean bass, the assembled studio musicians are many. They deliver the goods on most songs, with the funky groove of Negotiation one of the stand-out tracks, all Little Feat vibe with Flaugher prominent on his bass rhythms, with harmonica, keyboards and wah-wah pedal guitar effects adding a great backdrop. Riding On A Train is something of a respite with simple piano, harmonica and a gentle rhythm hinting almost in the direction of a ballad. 

Deregulation speaks for the need to wake up and come together in the face of increasing regulation and constraint on daily living. This new release has plenty on offer and when this truly talented artist decides to enter the studio then you can be assured that sparks are likely to fly – in which direction is something that the listener is invited to explore…! 

Review by Paul McGee

Sadie Jemmett Phoenix Twouptwodown

This singer-songwriter is based in London and is releasing her third studio album in a recording career that began in 2013. Her vocal is assured and strong with a nice tone and warmth in the delivery. She deals in heartache and the vagaries of love and relationships, with opener, Rescue Street, dissecting the marketplace of boy meets girl and followed by Bitter (Danni Nicholls guests) a song about uncertainty in relations and the curse of envy. 

Don’t Silence Me is a call out to the MeToo movement and to females beyond who have been silenced for too long, “take your hands off my sister, didn’t you hear her say NO!?” A Fighting Chance is a mellow groove and a message to keep things going even if there are a few bumps in the road and on Good Friday, a cheating song, the urge is strong to never forgive and just move on.

Joby Baker handles all string arrangements as well as contributing on an array of instruments, nine in all. Richard Moody also plays mandolin, violin, viola, with Adam Dobres contributing electric guitar. Sadie plays acoustic guitar and sings all songs, in addition to writing everything. Two of the tracks are co-writes and all songs are the work of an accomplished artist who knows how to create a dynamic in the song structures and deliver arrangements that are never predictable. 

Leonard’s Waltz is a stand-out track with its’ heartfelt words to the fire of friendship and a beautiful melody; “So where will you go to when absence covers your face? How will I find you with no forwarding address?”

The Wilder Shores Of Love is a salutary tale of war and the price paid by innocent people caught up in the madness. “They bombed us in the night until the break of day, rounded us up like vultures’ prey…”

The closing song is a call to arms and a cry to give in order to receive – a pay-it-forward message in What You Give Will Come Back. 

Wonderful stuff and a terrific listen.

Review by Paul McGee

Josh Johnston The Art Of Saving Lives Shandon

This release from Dublin based Josh Johnston was created over a number of years, with some of the tracks dating back as far as 2009. Having released three solo records since 2000, plus a number of collaborations with various artists, Johnston has established himself as a musician and producer of some wide experience and depth. His compositions are always interesting and, on this project, the overall feel is that of an eclectic mix of differing styles. 

Josh Johnston plays Piano, Wurlitzer Piano, Synth and pipe organ and provides lead vocals. Nine of the eleven tracks included are co-writes and the studio players joining in are Eoin O’Brien (electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals, synth, percussion), Martin Gruet (bass), Cormac Dunne (drums and percussion), Carol Keogh (vocals), Adam Fleming and Paddy Groenland (electric and acoustic guitars), Tom Portman (dobro, pedal steel and electric guitar), Aisling Bridgeman (violin), Rory Pierce (cello), Marco Francescangeli (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Bill Blackmore  (trumpet and flugelhorn).

Rain is veiled in a busy production with plenty going on in the mix but I hear it more as a stripped back song of staying the course and being a true friend. Scattered is more effective with a simple piano melody and a vocal that speaks of self-doubt and chances lost. Equally, with A Light In The Dark Of Night, the light touch on piano and subtle dobro of Tom Portman ground the instrumental in a sweet melody that drifts easily along like a gentle breeze.

A duet with Carol Keogh on Missed Her On The Road works well within an easy groove and the combination of cello, violin and soprano sax on Midsummer With Anja is very affecting. Closing track, The All-nighter, is a slow burn that shimmers with the guitar of Adam Fleming and the bass of Martin Gruet providing perfect foils for the keyboard flights and synth sounds of Johnston.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Releases

The Steel Wheels Over The Trees Big Ring

Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Steel Wheels are a five-piece roots band consisting of Kevin Garcia (percussion, keyboards), Brian Dickel (vocals, bass), Trent Wagler (vocals, guitar, banjo), Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) and Jay Lapp (vocals, mandolin, guitar). Now in their tenth year, the band have recorded six previous albums showcasing their roots sound that has resulted in repeated invitations to play various prestigious festivals across America and further afield. The band have also hosted their own annual three-day Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon Virginia for the past seven years. The timely release of Over The Trees coincides with this year’s event.

For this recording the band travelled 1200 miles north to Maine where they worked with producer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Langhorn Slim).

Climate change or indeed political climate inferences could be drawn from the funky opener Rain Come. Road Never Ends treads a similar sounding path, seductive percussion driving the sound along.  The recurring themes of exodus and moving to pastures new feature on the rocked up Keep On. Classic love themes emerge on I’ll Be Ready, an impressive and easy on the ear listen that could very well be raided by a ‘big name’ in the future, given its radio friendly vibe. Get To Work, which follows, also impresses, not necessarily by its lyrical content but more so by its addictive backbeat and melody. This Year is the album closer, an impressive acapella prayer of hope for reconciliation and compassion.

Review by Declan Culliton

Christopher Lockett Between The Dark And The Light Gritbiscuit 

As a film director, photographer, cinematographer and singer songwriter, it should come as no surprise that Los Angeles based Christopher Lockett is a lover of a story. His travels across all continents working on documentaries has given him ample ammunition to translate his observations into songs and the opportunity to develop these stories into albums. Between The Dark And The Light is his third studio recording.

 Whereas his two previous recordings were self-produced, Lockett engaged multi-instrumentalist and producer Fernando Perdomo (Todd Rundgren, Andy Pratt, Jennifer Kaiser) this time around. An individual renowned for his ability to operate at breakneck speed and maximum efficiency, Perdomo also contributes percussion, bass and keyboards. He and Lockett also managed to piece the whole album together in two days.

 Conscious that he normally performs solo, Lockett was intent on creating material that he could perform on the road. Therefore, the instrumentation is sparse yet well placed to give the material depth, but also allowing the vocals to be the main instrument. Jacarandas, named after a flowering plant common to Southern California and Shake It both recall Warren Zevon. The former is enriched by violin courtesy of Kaitlin Wolfberg and backing vocals by Trevi Fligg. The latter is a souped up harmonica driven bluesy toe tapper. Old December is a reflective slow burner and the album closes in style with There Is A Darkness, a grippingly melodic song that considers unexpected mood change.

The album is no doubt a labour of love for the multiskilled Lockett and a welcomed deviation from his other career pursuits. More than that, it’s an impressive late-night listen from a talented storyteller.

Review by Declan Culliton

Paddy Godfrey Doin’ Just Fine Oldflattop 

The debut four track EP from Belfast’s Paddy Godfrey is an impressive introduction to a young artist whose core inspiration is drawn from Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. His deep baritone delivery brings to mind Canadian Colter Wall, an artist with comparable musical idols and one who has made a significant industry advancement over the past few years. Recorded and produced by Percy Robinson at Newhills Sound Studios, Ramelton, it features Godfrey on vocals and guitar accompanied by Robinson on dobro on the track The One. Opener So Far and the bluesy Doin’ Just Fine impress most.

Godfrey is a maturing artist with considerable potential and hopefully doin’ just fine is a stepping stone to establish himself firmly in the Irish market and further afield.

Review by Declan Culliton

Shawn Fenner Bad Decisions Self-Release

 The third album release from Shawn Fenner never strays too far from his blueprint of pure and unadulterated traditional country music. Also sticking closely to the country song rule book, the album features lots of drinking, bar room fighting, loving and leaving, despair and misbehaving across the twelve tracks.

After spending several years playing barrooms and honky tonks in Nashville, Fenner relocated to Chester, Virginia where he currently resides. Winner of Richmond’s Voice, a competition sponsored by WKHK-K95 Radio, he has opened for Willie Nelson, ZZ Top and Hank Williams Jnr.

Fiddle and twangy guitar set the scene for the opener and title track Bad Decisions (“chasing the wrong gal, crossing the wrong guy”). A tale of wrong turns and choices, it’s saterical and catchy as hell. Tales From The Barside follows the same path with beers and brawls in dive bars. Late Nights is the morning after the night before, with hangovers, black eyes and crashed trucks. Too Late For Coffee (Too Early For Beer) is holiday midday crisis, time off and decisions to be made. Until You takes a more serious turn, the regret of a self-imposed broken marriage. Sad, Lonesome, Brokenhearted is the same story, remorsefully retold. House Always Wins closes the album on a sober note, with Fenner reminiscing over indiscretions and flings in a previous life, but rejecting the bar stool these days for the comforts of home bliss. I’m not sure that the inclusion of covers Ring Of Fire and Misery And Gin add to the listening pleasure. In fairness, he does them both justice and they would work well in his live setlists but the original material on the album is strong enough in its own right.

The album is simple and predictable in the best possible sense. The common denominators on all the tracks are Fenner’s deep melodic vocals, the cracking playing throughout and the strength of the songs.

Fenner is unlikely to have the major record labels knocking on his door, given what sells as country music these days. It’s unlikely to faze him. He’s more inclined to unapologetically continue to write, record and perform good old country tunes and keep the music of his heroes Haggard, Cash and Jennings alive and kicking. Bad Decisions does just that and more. Hats off to him for that.

Review by Declan Culliton

Dan Webster Devil Sky Paper Plane Records

Kicking off with the rousing drinking song of good cheer, Playing Cards & Late Night Bars, the prominent violin of Emily Lawler highlights the tempo and the guitar of Webster also features in the song progression. Home Again is a slow tune, again featuring some fine violin playing, plus the mandolin of Polly Bolton and a song about leaving a dead relationship and packing for home. The celebratory nature of Bo is a real delight with the full band in overdrive, great rhythm provided by Mark Waters on bass and Yom Hardy on drums, driving the beat; mandolin and violin taking turns in lifting the song arrangement to greater heights.

Webster has been described as ‘Anglicana’ but I must say that he moves very much in a contemporary Folk direction for me. Haul Away is a gentle acoustic number with Danni Nicholls on backing vocals and the understated cello of Rachel Brown adding colour to the melody. Mary Ann is a song that balances life on the road as a travelling musician against the more stable reality of a steady routine; restless natures build their own prisons. Again, the playing is superb as violin and mandolin circle around the easy beat. 

Sand has a Celtic feel to the arrangement and the electric guitar of Stuart Allan is a nice counter point to the excellent keyboard sound of Joshua Burnell. Again, a song about lost love. The lost opportunity of Nothing At All references the title of the album and sums up the angst in many of these tracks at a failure to connect and find real meaning in relationships. The final track, Anyway, is a standout and brings everything to a sweet, if sad, conclusion. The studio players are excellent throughout and serve these songs well. A very pleasant listen overall.

Review by Paul McGee

Allah Las LAHS Mexican Summer

Guitar driven band who formed in 2008 and who made their reputation in the Los Angeles area playing a combination of Psychedelic/Folk Rock that mirrored the west coast sounds of 60’s bands such as Love, Jefferson Airplane and early Traffic. Lots of retro sounding arrangements with simple beats, terrific harmonies and a jangle to the guitars. These musicians are all excellent players and guitarists Pedrum Siadatian and Miles Michaud play off one another with a series of electric weavings that are well rooted by Spencer Durham on bass and Matt Correia on drums. 

There is a timeless quality to tracks like Star and the instrumentals Roco One and Houston build into lovely slices of dreamy pop rock that stays in the memory.  There are keyboards throughout that echo and the distant groove on Electricity and Pleasure are also very striking. Prazer Em Te Conhecer and Holding Pattern are subtly simple and yet fully formed in their interesting rhythms. 

Understated and gently geared to lull the listener into a sweet state of somnambulance. Thirteen tracks that will help you to put the world to rights as you surrender to the insistent rhythm and melody of this interesting band

Review by Paul McGee

Maureen Toth Blur Self Release

This name is new to me but on doing some research it appears that Maureen Toth is very much a D.I.Y. artist/entrepreneur in every sense. When she isn’t writing her own songs and performing them, she runs a successful talent agency that concentrates on film and television placements. She has a Psychology degree from Boston University and has plenty of experience in what makes a successful career from both sides of the fence.

This 5-track EP clocks in at under 25 minutes and is a very pleasant listen. There is plenty of variety across the songs included, with production from Carlos Calvo who also contributes guitar and vocals. Dave Sutton plays bass with Marc Slutsky on drums and backing vocals from Nicole Washington. Paul Smith also contributes as engineer/co-producer. 

The opening (title) track addresses the unbreakable bond of love that stretches beyond our worldly confines and endures, despite the veil of death. The slow tempo of Fundamental is a sad look at the many problems facing our way of life right now and the need to survive in the face of hatred and violence.  

Deep Dark is another plea to cease the endless fear and suspicion of what we don’t understand. The tragedies suffered in the name of extremism are so many and the need to shed some light is always there. Great bluesy delivery from Toth and a fine guitar solo from Calvo give the song added dimension.

Siren is a shout for independence and the need to be free to live your life, including another great guitar break from Calvo who plays with economy and feeling. The closing song, Island, is a love song that raises hope for the future and the power of individuals to rise above the constraints of daily living.

With two previous releases, this artist is certainly a breath of fresh air and delivers a confident statement of her talents that should certainly gain her increasing recognition.

Review by Paul McGee

Katie Dahl Wildwood Leaky Boat

This artist is from Wisconsin and has been releasing music since 2009. Her Folk sound is very organic and traditional with the superb playing of Kristin Weber on fiddle weaving through these songs of love, life, loss and many other road signs along the way. Steve Dawson also features strongly and plays a range of instruments as always; a musician of the highest quality who never fails to deliver.

From family history (Wildwood Girl) and immigration (Good Northern Ground), breaking free from small town constraints (Helen), childhood friendships (Braver Than Me) and those already passed away, yet still present (Anna Lee); the wistful sense of something lost is never far away. 

The light touch on drums and percussion from Jamie Dick and the considered bass playing of Rich Higdon, serve these songs well and colour just enough to lift the arrangements beyond the ordinary. The backing vocals of both Larissa Maestro (5 tracks) and Allison Russell (4 tracks) are perfectly delivered in the sense of the emotion displayed by these vignettes into simple lives, lived with dignity. 

Oh Minnesota is a look back to growing up and a tribute to the state. In the Dark is a standout song with such delicate touch that it resonates long after the record has finished. Valmy is a cover of a Pat MacDonald song and producer JT Nero (Birds of Chicago), has two co-writes among the eleven songs featured. 

Two songs are taken from “The Fisherman’s Daughters,” a musical set in 1908 and based on the true story of two sisters who fought the state of Wisconsin’s attempt to take possession of their homestead in order to create a state park. Breathing Room, from the perspective of one daughter who moved to the city, and The Fisherman’s Daughter, a sorry tale of the sister who stayed behind and perhaps, sacrificed her dreams. 

Production by JT Nero is very sympathetic to Dahl’s rural leanings and sound with plenty of space for the players to add texture and tone to the song arrangements. I have the strong feeling of something special here and a real contender for album of the year. Just buy it.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Mark Moldre Fever Dreams Yellow Moon 

‘’I’ve got these Fever Dreams they keep me up at night, and as my mind fills up with darkness, well all that I can wish for is the light’’.

A genre hopping delight from Australian Mark Moldre. Most likely to find shelter under the Americana umbrella, the third release from Moldre, as the title implies, is surreal, wacky, thrilling and edgy. Moldre displays his capacity to mix country rockers, electric blues, jazzy folk and dreamy ballads and yet still end up with an album that hangs together coherently, from start to finish.

Leave Me Where You Found Me is a jazzy blues affair, kicking off in Shakin’ All Over fashion, before heading off into B52 stomping grounds. White Lightning is a riotous sing-along and equally disorderly is the wonderful Full Moon Over Luna Park, a 2am boozy waltz. Shades of The Sadies emerge on ‘Til Now and both Josephine and Fever Dreams II recall his fellow countryman Nick Cave.

 The album was recorded live, with Jamie Hutchings once again producing and contributing to the mayhem with electric guitar, percussion, handclaps and backing vocals. More experimental and innovative than his 2013 album An Ear To The Earth, Moldre’s latest offering is both challenging, futuristic and rewarding. It offers the listener a body of work that creeps up, unravels and permeates with each subsequent listen.

Review by Declan Culliton

Angela Perley 4.30 Self Release

Most definitely a night owl, the title of Angela Perley’s album is a reference to her preferred bedtime, or as she describes ‘’when her body’s natural sleep cycle begins.’’ Having previously recorded two albums with her Columbus Ohio band The Howlin’ Moons, 4.30 is her first solo venture.  Co-produced with her musical collaborator and guitarist Chris Connor, the album boasts a mixture of rocky and gritty sounds, paired with some gorgeous more laid-back tracks. The opener and title track is one of those more chilled offerings, an impressive and dreamy delivery before the explosive Let Go that follows. It’s a full on and in your face gem, highlighting not only Perley’s adorable vocal but also the driving and crunching guitar skills of Connor, features that both repeat right across the album. That high-octane level continues with Back In Town which follows, another head banging gem, before Perley takes a breather with the mellow He Rides High and possibly the albums stand out track Don’t Look Back Mary. Walk With Me is cosmic 60’s psychedelic pop territory, fuzzy echoing guitar dancing between the speakers, creating an evocative sound resembling Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter. The melodic Snake Charmer recalls Aimee Mann and Ruby Girl is uncomplicated power pop.

It’s hard also not to like the cover photo either, courtesy of Chris Connor. It depicts Perley in classic guitar rock chic poise, looking fashionably cool in 60’s style with platform boots, flared sleeves and even wider flared trousers (or loons as they were christened back in the day!). A cool photo equally matched by a superbly cool album.

With the tiresome tendency to over categorise these days, you may find 4.30 filed in the Americana section of your record store or even possibly the Indie section. In more unelaborate times, it would be found under the ‘rock’ label. Either way, have a root in both places and seek it out. It’s an excellent listen of retro pop/rock, great songs, with equally impressive vocals and impeccable playing throughout.

Review by Declan Culliton

The HawtThorns Morning Sun Forty Below

 There is no shortage of husband and wife duos touring and recording for Americana audiences both in America and Europe. The HawtThorns are a welcome addition to the expanding list. You may be familiar with KP Hawthorn from her previous life as part of the countrified trio Calico alongside Jaime Wyatt and Manda Mosher. Multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, session player and producer Johnny Hawthorn hooked up to collaborate with KP and the relationship moved on from workmates to partners. Morning Sun captures what they both individually do best, bottles it and delivers an impressive debut across the eleven tracks.

Lush harmonies and killer guitar licks dominate throughout and the production duties undertaken by Johnny, Steve Berns and Forty Below Records founder Eric Corne is slick, expansive and often guitar driven. West Coast influences are hard to miss but there’s also a smattering of jangly power pop on Shaking and All I Know, the latter a co-write with Ted Russell Kemp. John Moreland’s Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore, the one cover on the album, gets a makeover, delivered in harmony alongside acoustic guitar and moody keyboards. Most impressive is Steady Fire with its gorgeous Byrds-like melody and killer guitar break mid song, a model for radio airplay.  Not lagging far behind is the title track, beautifully harmonised by the duo.

Like its title, The HawtThorns debut is bright, organic and welcomed. Check it out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Aaron Watson Red Bandana Big Label

With this new album, Texas independent country artist Aaron Watson, has upped his game  and produced an album that is both artistically and commercially successful. Subtitled 20 songs for 20 years, it is a major achievement for Watson, who also co-produced the album with Jordan Lehning, in that all of the songs were written solely by Watson. The album opens with a tribute to Guy Clark (Ghost of Guy Clark) and then delivers songs that cover all the aspects that are a part of Watson’s music motivation. He has always taken a solid professional family-business approach to his music, in that his music is likely to have a little of something for everyone. There are the deeper songs sitting alongside those that aim for a broader appeal and should fit easily on today’s country radio. The best example of this may be the album’s first single, Kiss That Girl Goodbye, is an up-tempo song with a busy production that has an easy appeal. By way of contrast, Country Radio, is a ballad that is full of nostalgia about the place of country radio coming into homes in the past and how this still happens. It has a soft sound with steel and strings giving it that overall feel. Another tribute to his heroes is Legends, which mentions pretty much every country legend (and more) who are, mostly, no longer with us. He equates his attitude alongside these performers noting that “just like my heroes I’m free as the wind.”

A lot of the songs here are love songs to family, friends, place and profession. There is little of the darker side that appears on the albums of the more outlaw writers who are writing from a different aesthetic. It is however heartfelt from the author’s perspective and pretty true to his vision for the album. He also expands the sound out so that there are a number of musical settings that broaden his palette while keeping a consistent overall sound. As with some past albums, Watson and Lehning use some of Nashville’s finest session players such as Jedd Hughes, Stuart Duncan, Charlie Worsham who are all among 17 listed players. The album’s playing time runs over an hour, which raises the question that as to whether it would be a better album with just 10 tracks?  However it’s unlikely that there would be a consensus in the choice of those ten tracks. As it is it’s a listening experience that seems to flow well across the 20 tracks.

The song, Riding With Red, is about losing a mentor and friend and how he still has that man’s red bandana to wipe away the dust as well as the tears and is convincing in its straight storytelling. The title track also evokes images and takes inspiration from hard work and “walking the line.” Something that is important to Watson in the way he approaches what he does is remains true to himself and his many longterm fans. This is a mainstream album that rises above what that might mean in many cases. Its scope and vision is something of an obvious milestone in the career of Aaron Watson. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Ed Dupas The Lonesome Side Of Town Road Trip

The title of this new album from Ed Dupas hints at a time of personal upheaval for the songwriter. Written in the midst of the break-up of a long-time relationship and how the departure of a person, who was pretty much a major part of his life, causes him to consider the nature of love, loneliness and the lessons learned from such an experience.

It was partly recorded in a reconditioned church in Greenville, Michigan. There they recoded the drum tracks and built the rest of the tracks around that base. As with the personal changes this also meant changes to the way the album was put together. On the previous albums they tracked live with the band in the studio. here Dupas recorded most of his parts in his Ann Arbor home. This allowed him some personal space to consider both his life and music.

The end result sounds as unified as his previous albums with Michael Crittenden again taking on the production role and several of the musicians who played on his last album returning again, including Rob Avsharian on drums, Drew Howard on steel guitar, Jaes Simonson on bass and Crittenden on guitars, keyboards and banjo. 

Dupas is in fine vocal form and his songs reflect a state of mind that contemplates many of the things that affect the way an individual can cope with the vicissitudes that life throws at each of us. From the title track on through the album there are titles that are chapter headings to his state of mind at the time of recording. Lonely, The Things I Miss, It Tears The Heart Right Out Of Me, Just For Two and State Of The Nation look a little bit more closely at what is going around him and sees much negativity out there in the wider world. 

The Lonesome Side Of Town is the third release from Dupas and finds him delivering his country/roots music with a skill and passion that marks him out as a singer/songwriter with something to say and something worth listening to.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Chuck Hawthorne Fire Out Of Stone 3 Notches

The welcome return of another storytelling troubadour who has turned his life experiences and what he has observed into a series of songs that convey an honesty and understanding for the subject matter of these tales. For instance, Sara’s All The Way, contrasts the rigours of a rodeo rider against that of the titular Sara, who is in a different place, literally being “all the way down in Austin tonight.” Throughout the album you are taken into the lives of some vulnerable people who Hawthorne makes feel real and believable. Just as his references to the details of a person’s home, life or sacred objects also ring true and add to the overall enjoyment of the song.

Hawthorne has a relaxed and easy vocal style that is part spoken and part sung. It is one that works in drawing you into the heart of these songs. The arrangements are sparse and effective allowing the essential nature of Hawthorne’s craft to come to the fore. The album was produced by Walt Wilkins and Ron Flynt and Hawthorne’s friend Libby Koch not only brings some fine harmony singing to the project but was a source of encouragement throughout. His mentor and producer of his last album Ray Bonneville adds harmonica. Both producers lend their talents here alongside other contributors including Geoff Queen on steel guitar and dobro, Marian Brackney’s fiddle and viola and Julie Carter playing cello. All play a subtle but important role in bringing depth and resonance to the recordings.

These are a set of songs that fit together as a collection and should be heard as a whole. They are all written by Hawthorne other than the final song, I Will Fight No More Forever, by the late Richard Dobson and based on the words of Chief Joseph, but have a deeper reality for an ex-marine like Hawthorne. A profession which undoubtably saw him encounter the good and the bad sides of life. The songs here such as Standing Alone, New Lost Generation, Worthy Of The Sea, Broken Wire say a lot in their simplicity “sail away, build a fire, hanging on, broken wire.” It attests to the skill that their author has as a lyricist; words matched with some equally memorable melodies and vocals. Fire Out Of Stone sparks every which way.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Dave Gunning Up Against The Sky Self Release

This Canadian singer-songwriter releases his twelfth album in a career that has seen him highly celebrated for the craft he brings to his work and words; observations on life, love and everything in between. He has always been able to hone his vision with an honesty and integrity that is becoming increasingly rare in these days of political correctness.

Co-produced by Gunning and Jamie Robinson, the sound is very alive and open and feels free from much of the studio constraints that can end up blurring the lines of a project such as this. J.P. Cormier plays fiddle on Celebrate The Crop and Jamie Robertson supports on an array of instruments. The ten tracks are all very inviting and make for a really enjoyable listen over the 35 minutes that just seem to fly by; always a good sign.

The Atlantic String Machine are Sean Kemp on violin, Natalie Williams on cello, Karen Graves on violin, Jeffrey Bazett-Jones on viola and Adam Hill on bass. Their contribution here is really pleasing and their superb playing on four songs is perfectly realised.

There are eight co-writes, with Jamie Robinson (three), Ray Stewart (two), Thom Swift, Paul McKenna, and Mark Lang all sharing the creative muse. The encouragement of All That’s To Come and the plea to believe in yourself is balanced by the cautionary tale of Horse For Sale, a commentary on family farming and the pressure to keep hard times away from the inevitable forced sale.

The Loyal Fisherman is a tale of love and betrayal and shows all the writing skills of Gunning in full flow while Nothing On Me could be taken on different levels; a politician’s take on a squeaky-clean past or a personal admission that an uneventful youth can be a happy thing. Wish I Was Wrong is a protest song against a local pulp mill that is the source of air and water pollution, leading to illness among the community. The final song, Beyond The Day, is a rumination on fate and what may await us all while urging that we live in the present. This fine artist goes from strength to strength and his ability to produce consistently strong records continues with this superbly crafted collection.

Review by Paul McGee

Angelina Last Cigarette Wonderfulsound

This artist comes from the Isle of Man and recorded this album, her second, at Studio Humbug on the island. The eleven songs run to just over 36 minutes and quite a quirky and compelling listen they prove to be. The song structures and instrumentation are both offbeat and measured in a fashion that gives the project a sense of yesteryear, as if we are listening to the rediscovered old recordings of early blues artists like Bessie Smith or Ma Rainey.  

Her debut surfaced in 2016, titled Vagabond Saint, it received much critical acclaim, especially for the time worn feel and sound of the eleven tracks that belied the youthful age of Angelina. She sings like there is an old soul breaking forth from her young body and the beat heavy rhythm of the backline gives her the opportunity to open out her vocal range and deliver with plenty of nuance. Her vocals give an effect of being from another room; almost otherworldly…

My release notes say that she grew up with the blues, folk, country, gospel, jazz and rock'n'roll as companions and she taught herself to sing by listening to field recordings of country blues singers working on the land. I get the sense of Tom Waits and Amy Winehouse in the delivery and rhythmic arrangements with Rupert Brown (drums, percussion, auto harp, backing vocals), Boe Weaver (guitar, bass, keyboards), Barrie Cadogan (electric & slide guitars), Jason Wilson (double bass), Gary Plumley (flute) and Joe Glassop (keyboards) adding great colour and subtlety with their playing. 

The Peoples Choir of St. Louis also assist with five backing singers and the whole sound created is one of controlled tension with tracks like See Through Dress and Devils Wishing Well really stirring up an atmosphere. That Old Diesel and Killing Me have a country blues feel and a slow burn. Fire Broke Out has a rockabilly groove with some edgy guitar playing off the beat and Aggravating Trust is a sassy jazz shuffle that pleases greatly. A very unique record in many ways and one that arrives with much to admire. 

Review by Paul McGee

Album Reviews

Paul Cauthen Room 41 Lightning Rod

My first encounter with Paul Cauthen was back in 2017 when he performed solo at Kilkenny Roots Festival. Playing a lunchtime set in a small venue, his booming baritone vocals caught my attention, as he managed to silence a noisy crowd a couple of songs into his set. A founder member of hell raising Texas band Sons of Fathers, Cauthen disbanded the group in 2013, despite having released two albums, both of which charted in the Top 10 of the Americana Charts.  The bands direction was not fulfilling Cauthen and he pursued a solo career, allowing him the artistic freedom to follow his chosen path. It’s been a journey not without mishaps and headaches, for an artist with his finger never too far from the self-destruct button. Seldom on the straight and narrow from a young age, he spent a short spell in jail as a teenager and got kicked out of college in later years.  His artistic creativity and musical expertness appear to be his salvation, and Room 41 is his second solo recording, following My Gospel which was released in 2016. Blessed with a striking voice from childhood, Sundays and Wednesdays in his childhood were spent singing a cappella in his local church choir, developing a love of Gospel, blues and soul music

Room 41, could be labelled as a journey to hell and back again, written while Cauthen was literally living out of a suitcase as he pieced his life together after a number of health scares. The title refers to a room at The Belmont Hotel in Dallas, where the ten tracks were written by Cauthen.

Possibly best described as country funk, it’s a triumph over tragedy. Cauthen combines his brooding and powerful baritone vocals with a combination of rich and experimental instrumentation.  Shades of early Jim White Searching For The One Eyed Jesus era come to light on tracks Holy Ghost Fire and Freak. The latter a possible reference to Cauthen’s incarceration for marijuana possession in his youth.  The narcotic theme continues on the ultra-funky and album standout track Cocaine Country Dancing, which finds Cauthen sounding like a reincarnation of Johnny Cash. It’s pure modern-day outlaw, funky and as addictive as its subject. However, there’s a lot more to the album than rebel rousing offerings. The considered ballad Slow Down is a beautiful piece, a plead and cry for help from pending burnout. Equally impressive is Can’t Be Alone, a confessional account about a relationship regretfully abandoned. Give ‘em Peace dances between the spoken word and driving vocals, enriched by soothing choir harmonies and some jazzy playing. The autobiographical Big Velvet - Cauthen’s nickname - chronicles his many misdemeanours and eventual rehabilitation. Lay Me Down also impresses, a fitting and meaningful track, closing the album effectively.

Very much an album of its time, Room 41 is a hybrid of classic old school country and gospel, alloyed with more modern-day funk. Credit also to producers Beau Patrick Bedford and Jason Burt, together with the numerous artists that contribute. Cauthen has travelled a meandering life path to date, much of which inspired this album. His rising star status is well earned, let’s hope his journey continues to find him in such creative form and grants him the peace of mind he craved for while creating this most impressive collection of songs in Room 41.

Review by Declan Culliton

Native Harrow Happier Now Loose

An album laced with sadness and regret from Devin Tuel and her multi-instrumentalist musical partner Stephen Harms, otherwise known as Native Harrow. Whether autobiographical or not, Tuel’s writing tends to focus on topics that others may prefer not to give discourse to. Titles such as How You Do Things, Hung Me Out To Dry, Hard To Take and Can’t Go On Like This give a flavour of a writer that isn’t afraid to confront the less savoury relationship issues.

Opener and aforementioned Can’t Go On Like This, together with the title track, recall 60’s U.K. Folk and Sandy Denny, in particular. Blue Canyon is delightful and dreamlike, mirroring the album title perfectly. Questioning and without restraint, both Hard To Take and Hung Me Out To Dry showcase Tuel’s writing skills and silky vocals. Bookending the album and approaching seven minutes in duration, the sanguine Way To Light closes the album in a manner that suggests the writer is putting burdensome times firmly behind her.

Happier Now is an exceptionally impressive recording from the latest act to be signed to Loose Records. Sadness and regret seldom sounded better, from a maturing artist with endless potential.  The album will appeal to lovers of Judee Sill and indeed, Laura Marling.  It’s also one that won’t be gathering dust in my collection and will be a contender for my best of 2019 listings. Well worth checking out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Ana Egge Is It The Kiss Story StorySound

 There’s a comforting and soothing hallmark about Ana Egge’s vocal that has the capacity to eclipse that bad mood that may have crept up on you unexpectedly. Even when her songs penetrate displeasing personal territory or the painful realisms of the modern world, her gentle and delicate deliveries arouse sensibilities of serenity rather than misery. Those lullaby qualities are once more very much to the fore on her latest collection of songs titles featured on Is It The Kiss. Following on from where she left off on her 2018 recording White Tiger, her ability to fuse country and folk with some clever jazz overtures is quite individualistic. The production duties are once more pulled together by jack of all trades Alec Spiegelman, whose early formal musical education was rooted in jazz. Spiegelman regularly appears on stage with Egge and his improvisation prowess is the perfect foil for Egge’s fine vocals and edgy melodies.

This time around Egge once again displays a capacity to click a switch from one genre to another, while maintaining an evenness across the ten tracks. Cocaine Cowboys is honeyed country, with light dustings of pedal steel and fiddle alongside her calm and gorgeous vocals. Ballad Of A Poor Child, the one cover on the album, is a duet with Iris DeMent. Their contrasting vocal delivery more than does justice to Diana Jones' song. The gentle and caring James recalls lost innocence and unrealised dreams. Oh My My finds Egge’s vocals stretched to high pitched breaking point with equally aching pedal steel guitar accompanying her inner thoughts. Pain and suffering oozes out from the quite beautiful Teacake and Janey, a harrowing tale of unexplained love turned to tragedy. Rise Above is a reminder that despite the helter skelter times we live in, self-belief, honesty and empathy will always conquer.

Don’t just take my word for it, both Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle have namechecked Egge as an outstanding artist that should be on every serious music collectors’ radar.  For the unenlightened this new album is as good a place as any to start. Intoxicating!

Review by Declan Culliton

Leslie Stevens Sinner Thirty Tigers

Having shared stages and studios with the likes of John Fogerty, Father John Misty, Jackson Browne and Jonny Fritz, Sinner finds LA based singer songwriter Leslie Stevens recording her debut solo album. With the accolade of ‘Best Country Singer’ in 2018 courtesy of LA Weekly, the ten track album features material that is accurately described as ‘country’ and thankfully avoids any attempts to target the over populated and more often bland, ‘country/crossover’ market. Instead, what we get from Stevens is a collection of songs, all self-written, that highlight her knockout vocal ability alongside some slick instrumentation. Choosing Jonathan Wilson to produce may appear to be a wild card, given his own often quite left of centre solo recordings and his work with Dawes, Bonnie Prince Billy, Conor Oberst, Roy Harper, Father John Misty and Roger Waters. However, it’s a well-suited marriage as Wilson manages to match the perfect sonics to complement Stevens’ impressive vocals. He also contributes guitar, bass, percussion, drums and mellotron. Their combined talents are displayed to the fullest effect on the title track where Stevens’ crystalline vocals impress alongside woozy guitar playing by Wilson.

The songs are simple and straightforward in the best possible sense, seldom deviating from classic female country singer songwriter territory. Echoes of Ashley Munroe and Sunny Sweeney appear across a number of her deliveries which, for me, is certainly not a bad thing.

In the true country sense the album is laced with pedal steel guitar, in particular on You Don’t Have To Be So Tough and bookender The Long Goodbye. Storybook sounds like a young Nanci Griffith at her best and Falling is a country barroom blues delight. Depression, Descent, the albums highlight, hits the spot on first time listen and demands repeated plats.

Stevens is about to embark on a tour of Europe in the coming weeks with dates in Denmark and the U.K. culminating in an appearance at The Long Road Festival in early September. If undiluted non-commercial country is on your radar, do grasp the opportunity to catch the honeyed voiced Stevens in the live setting. Make no mistake, this young lady's talents expand way beyond her noteworthy vocal capabilities. A top shelf album and a reminder of just how magical ‘real’ country music can be.

Review by Declan Culliton

Edgar Loudermilk Band, featuring Jeff Autry Lonesome Riverboat Blues Rural Rhythm

In 2015, bassist Edgar Loudermilk decided to form his own bluegrass band after having successfully served his time in some of the top bands around (Rhonda Vincent, Marty Rabon and others). He called on the services of his friend and fellow Georgian, Jeff Autry (a powerhouse of an acoustic flatpicker) who had spent 14 years touring with the now sadly disbanded John Cowan Band. Since then, this hard driving bluegrass band has been no stranger to the highways of the US and Canada, but this is their first full album together. Not surprising for a bunch of road warriors, the predominant theme of the collection of 12 songs is one of loss - be that loss of family/friends or loss of one’s connection to home.

The title track is an aptly named bluesy song, co-written by Edgar, Jeff and Jeff’s talented son, Zack Autry, who is the band’s mandolinist. So strong is this song that I can see it being covered by many other performers in the future. Edgar Loudermilk, who takes the lead vocal on most of the songs, is renowned for his distinctive voice, as well as for his songwriting and it’s no surprise to learn that he is related to the Louvin Brothers! However, Jeff Autry successfully takes the lead on several, including his own song The Winter Wind. In true bluegrass style, ample space is given to each of the players to showcase their individual skills in most of the numbers. Banjo duties are taken by Curtis Bumgarner and another Georgia native Dylan Armour is also superb on resonator guitar.

 It seems to me that all stringband players love themselves a bit of swing, and here they get down on the classic Dinah (Jeff on lead vocals) and When I Grow Too Old To Dream

Overall, though, the band’s own compositions are every bit as captivating as the covers, so I’d like to see them concentrating on an album of originals next time. Coproduced by Jeff and Edgar, this is an excellent collection and comes highly recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

GreenSky Bluegrass All For Money Thirty Tigers

A ‘jam band’ is not a concept that we have had much exposure to here in Europe, but Greensky Bluegrass are one of the most successful of the bluegrass jam band genre in the US. They’ve been together for 18 years now and have a huge following of fans who travel long distances to see them live. Combining ‘rock and roll showmanship with high energy bluegrass’ is how they neatly describe themselves. For this, their seventh studio offering, they have aimed to create in the studio a sound reminiscent of their legendary live shows - not an easy ask. They’ve brought on board well known producer (and bassist with Jack White and many other luminaries) Dominic John Davis and he has successfully achieved that aim. 

While their instrumentation may be pure bluegrass (no drums, just acoustic stringed instruments) their songwriting is pure rock and roll. Ashes is a beautiful love song, whereas Courage For The Road and Collateral Damage detail the breakdown of a relationship. They are both from the pen of mandolinist and main song writer Paul Hoffman. Guitar player Dave Bruzza contributes three strong songs; a love song Like Reflections - “If I was a mountain, standing tall and proud, I’d wait for you”; It’s Not Mine Anymore - a dark exploration of disturbed memories, enhanced by distorted banjo, dramatic dobro interludes and maniacal mandolin; and Murder Of Crows - “she wrote it all down with an eagle’s feather, dipped in cocaine and blood”.

The superb production allows the dobro, banjo and bass to come to the fore. Many of the songs become extended jams but they never feel self-indulgent. A fabulous album that has grown on me with each listen. Let’s hope they travel to Europe sometime to allow us to experience the live show. 

Review by Eilís Boland

Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra Soul Of My City Tea Pad Recordings

Almost impossible to categorise, Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra’s sound is a heady stew of rockabilly, soul, country, swing, pop, ragtime and even surf rock, all put together and simmered over the past eight years in the boiling pot that is their beloved Newcastle. Everything about their sound is retro - except the superb production (credited to themselves and John Martindale). From the evidence here, it’s easy to see why the band are in big demand on festival bills across the UK and further afield. This is a rowdy, irreverent celebration of life, expressed by six superb versatile musicians. Rob himself writes all but one of the 12 songs here - songs that are clever, well crafted and above all catchy. Most of them are whimsical in theme (Holy Moly, Life Is A Drag) and are bound to encourage a sing-a-long. But it’s not all fun and games here- the gentle shuffle of Soul Of My City is a searing indictment of the gentrification of their native city, and Lonely Boy In The Dole Queue reminds one that not everyone is benefiting from so called progress. Colin Nicholson must be mentioned for his accordion (and piano and Hammond organ) playing, particularly on Une Bouteille De Beaujolais, where he adds to the distinctively French ambiance. And Ben Fitzgerald’s electric and baritone guitar playing is particularly dominant and successful in creating the retro sound. Ted Harbot’s bass, Paul Archibald’s drums and Tom Cronin’s mandolin and harmonica playing are equally impressive.

Superb artwork and b/w photography complete the package - party on!

Review by Eilís Boland

The Mountain Firework Company The Beggar’s Prayer Fretwork Union

Essentially using acoustic bluegrass instrumentation but with the addition of drums, The Mountain Firework Company have been plying their version of folky bluegrass with Celtic punk attitude in Brighton and beyond for 14 years. This is only their fourth recording and it was produced by the songwriter Gareth McGahan and bassist Simon Russell. Northern Irishman McGahan also sings all of the songs (well, he wrote them after all) and the rest of the band lend backing vocals. The lineup (which has barely changed in the lifetime of the band) is completed by Grant Allardyce (drums), Mike Simmonds (violin, viola, mandolin, nyckelharpa) and Brian Powell (guitar).

Most of the songs are taken at a fair pace and are banjo driven (Gareth McGahan) and the fiddle is very much to the fore. Themes vary from love songs (more like frequent heartbreak!) to social ills, as in Refugee and Spare Change. Come Back, a gentle love song is greatly enhanced by the plaintive lap steel of guest Bernd Rest. The short but sweet instrumental The Fish And The Crow inspired the fabulous artwork with a dark edge, just like in many of the songs - created by Gareth McGahan also! 

Review by Eilís Boland

Latest Album Reviews

Chip Taylor Whiskey Salesman Train Wreck

To be a legend in the music industry can mean different things to different people but my guess would be that not a huge audience is aware of the talent of Chip Taylor. You won’t hear his music, for example, on the increasingly commercial and restrictive playlists of the radio. This is his 40th album over a career that has spanned some 60 years, in addition to writing some huge hits for other artists along the way. Wild Thing(The Troggs),Angel of the Morning(Juice Newton) and Try (Just a Little Bit Harder), which helped establish Janis Joplin - he also wrote Sweet Dream Woman for Waylon Jennings.

Taylor’s own releases have been regularly featured in industry polls but his profile remains under the radar. His distinguished, smokey vocal is reduced to almost spoken word delivery these days but that lived-in tone retains a gentle knowledge that only rests within the wise and well-experienced artists of our time. 

Joined by his favourite players, including Goran Grini (keyboards), Tony Mercante (bass) and John Platania (guitars), his tales have the ability to lift our experience away from the normal and turn the personal into the universal.  The songs are beautifully played, with great restraint and gentle touch throughout. Naples is a wonderful look back on old memory and I Love You Today is a tribute to the enduring power of romance and looking for the positive in life. 

A Sip Or Two Of Good Scotch is a fun jaunt around the pleasures of drinking too much and pondering the journey. The whispered lines of both Whiskey Dreamsand Turn The Clock Back Again are framed and mirrored by the fiddle of Bonnie Sue Walters and co-producer Goran Grini, who shines on piano.

Some Heartsis a superb vignette of reaching out to the fragile and lifting up the spirit. There is a real truth and honesty in the lines of See The Good Side Of The Guywhen Chip sings about ‘there is good and bad in everybody, so when you look in the mirror, see the good side of the guy’; gentle sentiments of forgiveness and grace. A second disc is included, a DVD which has a setting created for each song and filmed at a local bar where Taylor features his wife and friends, among others. An essential purchase.

Review by Paul McGee

Gary Nicholson The Great Divide BlueCorn

When you have worked with a variety of talent such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Ringo Starr, BB King, Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joe Shaver, you should have an open door into every living room in the land of music lovers. However, Gary Nicholson remains largely unknown, an American singer-songwriter, producer and collaborator on more than 500 recordings to date … Not a household name, not famous for any media profile. 

I doubt very much, however, that he is concerned with commercial recognition when you have the reverence of your peers in the business. He is a go-to guy when you want the best, a quality that comes only with true talent and hard-earned experience.

This release is so special that I can only imagine how much it must have sparked the collective involved in its creation and delivery. When the time is ripe for a statement of the times then a clear voice will find its way out of the darkness and shout with a clarity that has to be heard. This is such a moment… I have no doubt that the eleven songs here are all very close to Gary’s heart and the understated grace with which he delivers such a humanistic message has to be applauded…

On the title track he sings ‘I’m not afraid of where you come from, not gonna judge the way you pray’; setting the tone of the record which asks the hard questions of what exactly keeps us apart when we are essentially one and the same….  The credits show a who’s who of talent, all lining up to be part of the project but the outstanding John Jorgenson deserves special mention for his virtuosity on a range of instruments (12 in total) as the arrangements build into a feast of terrific melody and message.

God Help America is a spin on the traditional hymn and a plea to end the present division in his country. Soft Spot speaks to traditional values when you did the right thing without cause for hesitation or question. Immigrant Nation just nails it when it comes to issues of where the roots of America run deepest – lest they forget!

The fiddle of Carmella Ramsey on The Troubles; the piano and Hammond B3 of Catherine Marks on Hallelujah Anyhow; the harmonica of Kirk “Jellyroll” Johnson on Blues In Black and White – all fine examples of the great talent on display.

The final song sums it all up with the universal message – Choose Love. I can’t get enough of this one and it is without doubt a contender for my album of the year.

Review by Paul McGee

The Golden Dregs Hope Is For The Hopeless Funnel

Benjamin Woods is the creative source behind the performance project called the Golden Dregs. It has been described as a means for Woods to explore different musical avenues, whether in a solo capacity or working with a rotating cast of musicians.

Sounding like a cross between Lloyd Cole and Stuart A. Staples vocally, Woods has a deep and rich baritone that gives extra gravitas to the sound of the eleven tracks included here. The lyrics are not very easy to catch and this is a real pity as the vocal is often mixed back in the overall sound, using the tone as much like a musical instrument as anything else.

All songs are written by Woods and the small number of studio players would indicate that he played most of the instruments himself during the recording. Woods also mixed the tracks with Bruno Ellingham, who also provides additional drum recordings. Hannah Woods adds saxophone and Kath Williams plays cello beautifully across a number of songs; Nobody Ever Got Rich (by making people sad)being a highlight…

Woods released his first album in 2018 and Lafayette was four years in the making. These arrangements are full and melodic with a sense of isolation in the plaintive vocal that hovers above the broad rhythms. Songs likeDeath of a Salesman and Pathosare interesting in their differing structures, the former an upbeat rhythm, the latter all reflective cello and piano. Just Another Rock is quite hypnotic, with the programmed keyboard rhythms channelling deep bass and edgy guitar parts... 

The song, Nancy and Lee, is another where the cello sets the atmosphere, surrounded by choppy rhythmic tempos, as Woods laments over a failed relationship. The title track is, as suggested, a glimpse down the path of lonely introspection with a simple arrangement and lyrics such as “self-preservation is no answer in a world where sunshine leads to cancer”. The clouds are gathering but they do make for a very interesting album that should please those who take the time to listen.

Review by Paul McGee 

Hiss Golden MessengerTerms Of Surrender Merge

This one bounces right out of the speakers on the opening track, I Need A Teacher, with an addictive melody and rhythm and a bright production sound that lays down a marker for the rest of the album. The message speaks about ‘give it away freely and it will come back to you eventually; a sentiment that runs through the ten tracks here. MC Taylor is the creative source behind the performing moniker Hiss Golden Messenger and his catalogue of releases never fails to deliver music of real interest and quality.

Americana, Folk, contemporary take on singer-songwriter genre with added groove, this music is quite compelling and quietly rests in the corners of your listening experience.

Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now) and My Wing segue perfectly into each other in a seamless groove that commands your attention. The hypnotic feel of Old Enough To Wonder Why (East Side-West Side) is a departure and the press sheet I received tells me that regular collaborators Phil and Brad Cook, Josh Kaufman and Matt McCaughan are joined by Jenny Lewis and Arron Dessner.

Cat’s Eye Blue has a soulful sound and a stripped back tempo with muted percussion, soft keys and sweet harmony vocals. The lyrics are not always easy to catch but the overall feel to the music is sufficient to say that these are songs from a personal perspective, yet play out to a waiting public in their different interpretations. Happy Birthday, Babyis a song to his daughter and possibly an apology in some sense, ‘I’m a lonely swimmer, a long way from shore.’ The beautiful melody is hypnotic and the sweet sentiment cannot be ignored.  

Also, Katy (You Don’t Have To Be Good Yet) is a terrific song to move your body to and just dance out any sense of lethargy you might be feeling. Whipis a blues groove with a twist, all tight yet loose in the delivery, harmonica adding to the sense of tension.  Final track, Terms Of Surrender, is a sad refrain that speaks of the tipping point in any relationship ‘ It’s one thing to bend it, but another to break it’. A terrific album that will feature in many end-of-year listings.

Review by Paul McGee

Dinah Brand Thank You Driver Transduction

When something works, then best to just leave it alone and enjoy the ride. The seamless quality of this release from Dinah Brand is quietly addictive upon repeated plays and settles in like a well-remembered lazy summer day. Clocking in at just over the 38-minute mark, this music never overstays its welcome across the ten tracks. All the songs are slow to mid-tempo, with an economy and restraint in the playing that is just right on the money. The laid back vocals and understated arrangements create lovely melodies that linger, long after the song has moved on. The urge to stretch out on tracks like Lagos, Old Trackand Other Heads(Cian Nugent guests), is not taken by either Stephen Ryan or Dylan Phillips on guitars and the resulting path not taken gives a sweet tension to the overall dynamic. 

This is the third release from a group of players who are very experienced and came together from other bands (Pet Lamb, Stars of Heaven etc.) in order to create this lovely, languid groove. The warm keys of John Hegarty feature and colour the tracks with a soothing palette, underpinned by the less-is-more rhythm of Gavin Ward on drums and David Lacey on bass. Rotunda Boy is a fine song that ponders the onset of maturity against a backdrop of birth in a historic institution. Gardenis the longest track here and one that sets the bar high for the others, a challenge that is met with something to spare…  

Review by Paul McGee

Sam Baker Horses And Stars Self Release

The first time I encountered Sam Baker, he was playing solo and delivering his songs in his quietly spoken voice and acoustic guitar. Since then I have seen him with percussionist Mike Meadows and heard him on record with a variety of accompanying and sympathetic players. So, it is interesting to go back to that original space and listen once more to Baker solo and live. The only difference is that he now accompanies himself on an electric guitar and occasional harmonica.

The album is something of a career overview and features songs from previous albums Pretty World, Mercy, Cotton, Say Grace and Land Of Doubt. These include Pretty World, Broken Fingers  - a song that details his own past where he was seriously injured in a terrorist attack - Iron, Angel Hair, and Snow. What’s missing though is the amusing and thoughtful introductions that normally preceded the songs in a live performance, but I guess Baker felt that this album would work better by concentrating on the songs and their poetic words.

As with other writers like Chip Taylor or Kris Kristofferson, Baker is not a gifted singer in the traditional meaning of the word. However, it is difficult to image these songs in another voice other than Baker’s. Not that they aren’t ripe for covering as with different arrangements that would be a whole different world. But here in Baker’s world they are what they are, gentle reflections on life and how nature intercepts that passage. The songs are not unlike his impressive paintings, some of which grace the cover. He is also a photographer and his music and artwork are very much one facet of a creative life that funds Baker forging his own distinctive path. He may never have anything approaching mass appeal but that doesn’t take away from his achievements and that includes this likeable album.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Greg Felden Made Of Strings New Neighbourhood

Having listened to this album a number of times,I think it’s one of the best I have heard this year. This is down to some great playing and arrangements from Felden, his players and producers Al Sgro and Will Golden. Recorded in Los Angeles it is a part of the resurgence of roots orientated from thatregion. 

Two notable upfront players are guitarist Jason ‘Ace’ Gonzalez and keyboardist Jerry Borger. They play an array of instruments that add a lot of texture and variety to the songs.It is though thexx rewrite thisxx songs that are the key element on the album. Felden has written some memorable songs and he sings them with understanding and power. They are songs detailing the human condition. They are full of simple truths from the perspective of the main character in the song. The Oregon native now lives in Los Angeles and has made himself a part of the scene there.

The sound is not traditional country,although there are some elements of that. Ratherit is more rock and folk oriented singer-songwriter centric. One guest on the album is Brian Whelan,a solo artist in his own right and a member of Dwight Yoakam’s band. He adds guitar to three tracks,while noted steel guitar player Rich Hinman joins him for Man Like Me. One on many songs that stand out as being worthy of mention is When The Change Comes - which asks about the place marginalised people might go when the their circumstances might change for the worse. Man Like Me is about transient loneliness. Bad Guy is where he finds himself in the situation of “never being the baby guy, now let’s have some fun” and so finds his motivation heading down a darker path.Tell Me What’s Broken reminds me of some 60s hard rock with some jaggered guitar and a cutting solo that underscores the confusion of that question. It’sa standout song. More reflective is Made Of Strings which is followed by Incoming another slower song that posers “maybe somehow I’ll be there when you come up for air”,where friends may not be seen for a long time but that friendship can be reignited again. The album closes with another highlight in Ghosts, a song that finds all the reminders we can accumulate are in some small boxes or in some other trigger of memory. That song closes what is an outstanding debut release that has everything in its favour and is also well packaged. It shows again what gems there out there and that discovering such new artists who can produce music of this calibre from the get go is rewarding on so many levels.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The High Divers Ride With You Self Release

A four-pieceband from South Carolina who have returned to recording duty after surviving a road accident, where their van was hit by a semi-trailer truck. Therefore, this release has an energy that is the result of having survived that near fatal incident and translatesthat into music. The final track Still Kickin’ may be an expression of their survival. Other songs here take a similar hard look at life, love and leaving, in various emotional contexts.

The band are essentially a rock band, with a measure of roots overtones, that have the feel of some of the more upfront elements of Tom Petty’s music, alongside reminders of 80s bands like Guadalcanal Diary - not a bad thing at all. The tracks are built around melodic structures and some captivating guitar riffs. The songs are largely written by Luke Mitchell who takes the lead vocal other than Our Love Is A Fire; written by his wife and keyboardist Mary Alice Mitchell, who takes the lead on that song. Kevin Early on bass and drummer Julius De Angelis complete the line up. Production was handled by Sadler Vaden, a solo artist and guitarist in his own right, as well as a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit.

The EP runs to under 25 minutes but the 6 tracks provide enough for a first acquaintance to suggest that the next release will further build on the solid achievement shown here. The High Divers have the potential to jump into the big time with this selection of songs and we can only applaud their on-board skills.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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New Album Reviews

Auburn Game Of Faith Scarlet/Gonzo

This artist is Liz Lenten who is based in England and who recorded in Nashville for this album. She is joined by the legendary Thomm Jutz, (Nanci Griffiths, Mary Gauthier), who produced and played guitars, Mark Fain on bass (Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs), Lynn Williams on drums (Delbert McClinton, Lee Roy Parnell, The Wallflowers) and Britt Savage on harmony vocals (Garth Brooks, Crystal Gayle). Quite a line up and the song themes focus on a range of reflections around trust. Lenten lost her voice some years ago and in rebuilding her career she has had plenty of reason to put her faith and trust in the power of music to pull her through.

 The new release features a strategy-based card game which is something of a departure from the normal promo props one is used to seeing – mind you, my advance copy didn’t include the card game so I can only ponder its powers! Lenten has an unusual vocal delivery which may not suit all tastes but she certainly sings with a unique character and conviction and songs like I Drank and Misshapen Fruit show a quirky edge. This is her fifth release since 2011 when Auburn reunited after taking a career break in order to raise families. 

There is a range of influences here, from the Western swing of Trinidad to the roots groove of Red Velvet Pillow, I Don’t Love Him and Float To Blue. Spoke In The Wheel and It’s Not Love carry a more commercial, contemporary sound while the Country feelof Like I Do and the acoustic atmosphere of His Arms both soothe the senses. The title track is influenced by the blues, as is the Bad Girl, Good Woman song arrangement. The playing is superb throughout with understated feel supporting the song structures and a ‘less-is-more’ touch on the entire project. 

Review by Paul McGee

The Feralings Self-Titled Self Release

A Folk trio based in Iowa City who launched this debut EP towards the latter part of 2018. The Feralings are Nicole Upchurch (banjo and vocals), Benj Upchurch (mandolin) and Patrick Bloom (upright bass and vocals).

At 23 minutes and six tracks, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and by the end of the final song there is a feeling of wanting more – a very good sign! The musicianship on banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, upright bass, fiddle and piano is full of bright playing, coupled with harmony vocals that are very alive and organic in feel. 

The group co-produced with Ben Schmidt and Patrick Bloom also engineered, in addition to writing 2 songs, with Nicole contributing the other four. Also present is the superb touch of Stacy Webster on guitars with David Zollo on piano and Jakob Brietbach on fiddle.  The songs are all very enjoyable and both Weeds In The Wall and Humming Machines have a restrained tempo with some impressive ensemble playing and plenty to admire in the arrangements. 

Maybe Maybelline, has a fast rhythm with some dextrous solo runs, while Lila and Perennials are given a slide guitar addition to compliment the superb melodies. I Shall Bring You Flowers (Sun God) has an easy groove and tempo which is yet another example of the gentle intimacy captured by the band. A very engaging release and looking forward to more from this talented troupe.

Review by Paul McGee

Flagship Romance Concentric Self Release

Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson are the musical duo that steer a steady course for their Flagship Romance project, something that has been an increasingly successful adventure since their debut EP surfaced back in 2013. Kickstarter and crowd funding campaigns has since led to further releases and their strong touring ethic sees the duo spending much of their year bringing their music to audiences across America and beyond.

They have a commitment to planetary awareness which extends to an involvement in the Clean Water Music Fest in Florida, where they helped generate funds for use in providing safe, clean drinking water in Ethiopia, Rwanda and regions of Africa. Jordyn also makes jewellery out of Shawn’s used guitar strings, together with beads and stones they find on their travels. 

So, a self-sufficient couple in every sense of the word and the title of this new record refers to having a common centre. Most appropriate too, given that the heartbeat of the songs pulses to the theme of universal sharing. The twelve tracks were written over a 6-month period and the entire process was captured at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas by Lee Miles Buchanan. He also adds lots of colour on the song arrangements, playing various instruments, to augment the acoustic guitar playing of Fisher. 

The vocal harmonies of this duo are really inspiring and uplifting, providing real depth and drive to their largely self-penned songs (there are a few co-writes). They remind me of the passion generated by The Lone Bellow or indeed the Indigo Girls in full flow, when the crescent of the human voice blends perfectly with the melody of the song arrangement to produce moments of real magic.

Crossroads is a song about self growth and taking the chance to leave doubt behind and embracing your inner self. (Love Is) Running Me Ragged refers to the division between people right now and Julie Wants To Go To War is a thoughtful song about transgender military personnel and the policy taken by the US Army to ban any such individuals from serving their country. It is the first social statement on the record but not the last, with This Land Is Your Land hitting hard as a cutting indictment of American policy, both at home and overseas, as an aggressor and despotic ruler with no moral compass.

The title track is a love song to the relationship shared by the couple and the inner bond created. Two up-tempo numbers are very radio friendly with Sex & Drugs & Rock n’ Roll & Kitties sounding all bright and cheerful with just a hint of Sheryl Crow’s All I Wanna Do, together with California Mansion, and its wry swipe at fame and the illusion of happiness. 

Chardonnay is an excellent song about a broken relationship with both sides reflecting on what went wrong and drinking to numb the pain. Fluorescent is about facing some old ghosts and of forgiveness, while Dorothy is a song along similar lines and speaks of growing up, marriage and dealing with death; a life lived where regret is all too hard a reality to bear…Belly Of The Beast is about grasping life in the now – how procrastination is the enemy of time and living large is the key to embracing change. Closing track, His Town, is a tribute to their community and friends in New Mexico. Originally from Florida, Fisher & Jackson found this little town in New Mexico, a place of true contentment and peace for the couple and it is called Truth or Consequences; now how cool is that? Highly recommended music and a tribute to the talent and vibrancy on display here.

Review by Paul McGee

John Kilzer Scars Archer 

This much-admired artist died in March of this year and it came as a real shock to the music community of Memphis who embraced his talents and celebrated his music over many years.

John Kilzer began his career on Geffen Records with two releases back in 1988 and 1991. He was stable mates with quite a few big hitters and, over time, his traction and tenure saw him slip out of view. Kilzer never went away however and he kept at his music with two more albums, more recently, in 2011 and 2015. 

His Memphis base was vital to his longevity in the business and for this 2019 release, he used the considerable talents of Grammy winning producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price, Drive-By Truckers, John Prine, Jason Isbell). Scars was recorded at Music & Arts Memphis Studios and he called upon some of the top session players in the city; Steve Selvidge (guitar) Rick Steff (keyboards) Dave Smith (bass) and drummers Steve Potts and George Sluppick. 

The eleven tracks run to 40 minutes and the mix of blues, folk and soul sounds makes the listening experience one of great joy, given the quality of the playing and the song-writing.

Musicianship of this level does not always find its own reward, but on this project the big winners are the label, Archer Records whose faith in the artist was more than returned in songs that really stay in the memory, such as The American Blues, Dark Highway, Woods Of Love and Rope The Moon. 

It is on the track, Memphis Town, that you hear the true essence of John Kilzer as he sings with conviction and passion in a voice filled with character and nuance. This is a fitting tribute to an enduring talent that will be greatly missed. R.I.P.

Review by Paul McGee

Matt Woods Natural Disasters Lonely Ones

Fourth album release from East Nashville resident Matt Woods. A hardened industry survivor and an artist seldom off the road, Natural Disasters is both the name of his latest album and his backing band. It’s closer to southern or indeed full on rock than his previous recordings and checklists bad life choices, heartache and dark corners across the ten tracks on the album.

Drive-Thru Town is an all too familiar tale, bringing to mind boarded up shop fronts, closed mills and mines and memories of a thriving community of yesteryear. The Jason Isbell sounding Cold Civil War reflects on the current political unrest and sabre rattling, a frightening reverse in direction to more racist and inhumane decades. The autobiographical Blue-Eyed Wanderer is a full-on rocker created from endless miles of road touring. Things shift down a gear or two on My Southern Heart, a gentle and brooding song reflecting on a failing relationship. Empty lives stolen by a false misapprehension surface on the Springsteen sounding Sitcoms and the radio friendly and album stand out track Hey, Heartbreaker is on a similar page.

With the increasing difficulty of creating a livelihood through album sales, artists such as Woods have little option but to pack up the van and hit the road to survive. More and more albums are constructed around the trials and tribulations of the road weary artist and Natural Disasters is no exception. It’s also an album that works best in the car cd player, playing full blast on your own personal road trip.

Review by Declan Culliton

Chuck Mead Close To Home Plowboy

BR549’s sound was a musical brew that drew mainly from Western Swing, rockabilly and honky tonk. Their early career residency at Nashville’s Robert’s Western World in the mid-90’s kick started a revival in live country music in Broadway, a tradition that continues healthily to the present day.

Since the demise of the band, Chuck Mead has covered practically every patch of the industry, including working as a musical director, producer, musicologist and songwriter. He has also released four solo albums, the latest being Close To Home, produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price) and recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. It’s his second solo release on the Independent Plowboy Records label, following in the footsteps of his 2015 release Free State Serenade.

The moody My Baby’s Holding It Down is classic roots, recalling the BR549 sound. The title track is also straight out of the BR549 songbook, name checking Hank Williams on the toe tapping tale of potential domestic strife. Big Bear In The Sky is a lively rockabilly flavoured opener with driving guitars and thumping bass lines. Daddy Worked The Pole is on the same page.  It’s a tongue in cheek pitch that finds Daddy working the electricity pole so that Mamma could abandon her ‘pole’ career. The Man Who Shook The Hand is high octane and delightfully full on, most likely referencing Sam Phillips given the Memphis connection. A Chuck Mead album wouldn’t be complete without a country tear jerker and the drinking and crying Tap Into Your Misery fills that slot perfectly. I’m Not The Man For The Job is closer to Kingstown than Memphis, a funky reggae beat laced with slick pedal steel courtesy of Carco Clave.  The album is bookended on a more serious note with There’s Love Where I Come From - a contemplative gospel tinged song, with an appeal for empathy and consideration in a world gone somewhat mad.

Close To Home is precisely what we’ve come to expect from Mead, an uncomplicated and fun album that ticks so many boxes, from a maturing artist that never appears to put a foot wrong.i

Review by Declan Culliton

Rod Picott Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil Welding Rod

This is the most intimate album that Picott has yet recorded and is not dissimilar to listening to him playing a live set in a small venue. The difference here is that, following a diagnosis and time spent in recovery, Picott turned his talent to write songs that were often more inward looking and contemplations on his life to the present time. Now in his 50s Picott has his own tale to tell and it displays as keen a sense of the songwriter as ever.

This is simply a hard-bitten, weathered voice, guitar and harmonica, delivering a set of new songs. There are twelve songs on the album and they set up a one to one listening environment that allows the listener into the thoughts of the songwriter. As well as a lyric sheet there are notes for each song from Picott that further gives you insights into the inspirations behind these songs. The simplicity of the delivery means that the words are the heart of these songs along with Picott’s expressive voice. 

So, the opening song Ghost considers mortality while A Guilty Man asks why he was alone during his illness and beyond. Later in the collection Spartan Hotel tells of a venue he played back at the start of his career in a cover band. Mark is about the suicide of a young man of that name. Not all these songs were written by Picott alone. There are there songs that he has co-written with other talented and worthy of your attention sparing partners in Slaid Cleaves (Mama’s Boy), Stacy Dean Campbell (‘80s John Wallace) and Ben De La Cour (Beautiful Light). 

This album will appeal to those familiar with Picott’s work. Maybe not so much for those who are looking for something less stark. However, it is a testament to his belief in the restorative power of his chosen profession and one can only applaud his conviction to deliver what are at times difficult songs but which in the end result are both powerful and persistent. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Doug Seegers A Story I Got To Tell BMG

Something of a back story here as Seegers was discovered in Nashville in what was a homeless situation. He played on the streets and in small venues until he was videoed singer one of his songs. But Swedish singer and presenter was making a documentary on Nashville and was recommended she listen to him. He played his song Going Down To The River and impressed her enough that she took him to a studio to record his debut album of that title. Will Kimbrough produced that album using some of Nashville finest players and it is well worth seeking out.

This new album has been produced by Joe Henry and he has done a superb job. He has expanded Seegers’ horizon without taking so far from his traditional base that he alienates his existing fanbase. From the off you are aware of the power and expression of Seegers’ voice. White Line has veers towards a yodel at the end and shows his range and delivery. It also has Jackson Browne on backing vocals. It is one of the few outside songs and was written by Willie P Bennett, the other is the Johhny Rivers’ song Poor Side Of Town. Elsewhere the assembled musicians, including Russ Pahl on pedal steel and Jay Bellerose on percussion. Demon Seed touches on Blue Velvet territory with its striking vocal and arrangement. There is a judicious use of brass on Falling Star and Rockabilly Bug. The later a 50s style throwback with deep vocals and that infectious beat that shows Seegers would be well capable of making a whole album in either of those genres. In fact, he would be capable of picking up several of the other strands in his music and running with them.

Producer Joe Henry has recently been coping with serious illness and it can only be hoped that he fully recovers and is again able to sit behind the desk and produce other such individualistic artists as he has done in the past. He has made a great album with Doug Seegers that explores Seegers’ songs and voice in a way that makes a perfect pairing. One that we hope can be continued. This is a story that everyone should listen to.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Caleb Elliott Forever To Fade Single Lock

Produced by Alabama Shakes keyboard player and Single Lock Records co-founder Ben Tanner, Forever To Fade is the debut recording from Caleb Elliott. The Muscle Shoals and classically trained sideman captures an impeccable breezy soulful sound across the ten tracks on the album. The music is described as swamp art rock – another new genre for me – but readers would be better considering the pace and melody of Jonathan Wilson and  Dylan Le Blanc as a benchmark.  Not surprisingly, he has toured with Le Blanc and played cello on his recording and though there are similarities, Elliott is anything but an imitator. He also drew songwriting experiences by observing how other Muscle Shoals artist friends such as John Paul White and Donnie Fritts create material.  The son of a preacher, Elliott’s upbringing included an extended time spent inside a cult style religion before attending college where gained a degree in biology. I’m unsure if tracks titled Get Me Out Of Here and opener Makes Me Wonder drew their inspiration from either experience, but they possess an early 70’s West Coast vibe. It’s a sound visited by endless artists in recent years, some capturing it more satisfyingly than others, without totally regurgitating Neil Young. Don’t Go Losing Your Head and Till The Tide Turns point to brighter days ahead in moments of darkness, delicate strings on the latter advising calmness and forbearance in difficult times.  He saves the best until last with the gorgeous closer Black Lungs which recalls Israel Nash – and indeed Radiohead - at their most relaxed and melodic.

Forever to Fade is all about abandoning dark places and existences and moving forward into brighter, simpler times and experiences. It certainly transported me to sunny beaches with scorching sands and cool sea breezes. It’s a collection of songs that I could stretch out on that sun bed, slip on the headphones, chill out and drift into another world for a short while. Pass the sun cream.

Review by Declan Culliton

Josh Gray Songs Of The Highway Self Release

 Three years in the making, the title of the debut album from country/folk singer/songwriter Josh Gray is drawn from the 30,000 plus miles of travelling he covered during the year 2015. His rugged baritone and sometimes semi-spoken vocals tell tales of hard times and love won and lost. Though San Francisco born, he moved to Nashville in 2016, formed his band Josh Gray and The Dark Features and concentrated on raising the funds to record his debut album. The opener and title track recalls that journey to Tennessee and the resulting sacrifices. Take Her By The Hand is a gentle rocker, considering life on the road and the constant motion, whether it be searching for the next location or searching for the elusive love partner. Love carelessly lost is brought to bear on Woodland Rose. Recognisable are the influences of the country legends Cash and Nelson but even more noticeable is the imprint of Leonard Cohen on the most impressive All Out War, the aforementioned Woodland Rose and Ghosts.  All three of these songs are delivered with a semi-spoken rugged drawl. Second Chances is a spoken poem, a nod towards the marginalised, its only accompaniment being the East Nashville street noise in the background. The up-tempo Two Hearts is Johnny Cash territory with lots of Bonnie And Clyde menace, the tale of two runaways and their short but doomed adventure.

 Gray’s primary skill is his ability to create lasting landscapes with simple language. The packaging is also impressive with the benefit of a lyric book, often missing from albums of late. You are left with the impression of an artist that has put his heart and soul into every chapter in the storybook album.

Review by Declan Culliton

Terry Klein Tex Self Release

What a gem of an album from a Texan artist that follows in the storytelling footsteps of his Lone Star luminaries and peers!  You’re reminded of the legends that have left us such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, together with those that continue to carry the torch as classic American songwriters. Robert Earl Keen, Sam Baker, James McMurtry and Mary Gauthier all came to mind while savouring this absorbing collection of songs. Klein delivers matter of fact lyrics with a vocal drawl that creaks and hums across the ten tracks. It’s fair to say that those gritty vocals sound like a singer many years or decades older than Klein, and boy do they draw you in instantly.

What kicked off as a casual first listen soon stopped me in my tracks and drew me in with the opening track Sagamore Bridge. Acoustic guitar and fiddle are soon joined by Klein’s clear-cut vocal, articulating every day hassles of traffic chaos, and queues at the local deli. However, a darker picture emerges with the words ‘There’s a suicide fence on the Sagamore Bridge.’ Parallel lives of the privileged and survivors emerge. It’s quite a dynamic opener which succeeded in capturing my undivided attention. Further sagas emerge on the accompanying songs, not unlike a novel you can’t put down.

Family matters come to the surface on a number of the tracks. Childhood memories of a broken marriage surface on Every Other Sunday and a return home by a wayward and unstable son to attend his mother’s funeral is recounted on the powerful Oklahoma. Daddy’s Store tells the tale of two sons, one of whom shoulders the responsibility of running the family business at the age of eighteen, as his father’s health fails. It’s more out of a perceived family loyalty than any commercial ambition that ties the son to his small-town birthplace, as his older brother bails out in search of brighter lights and more action. Too Blue To Get That Far is a heart harrowing account of an individual on the edge of despair as he considers self-harm or worse. It’s delivered with a bluesy stomp, made all the more impressive by some moody keyboard playing by Bart De Win.

When The Ocotillo Bloom is a simple love song, complemented by some chipper accordion playing by Robert Casillas, giving it a distinctive Tex Mex flavour. The album closes with Steady Rain, Klein’s vocals alongside a heavy bass line and jazzy percussion. As the track tails off additional spoken vocals are added by Arianne Knegt across a cracking guitar break by Corby Schaub.

Every word on the album is meticulously enunciated and the playing throughout the album is both subtle and atmospheric, never dominating or competing with the unfolding lyrics. Particularly impressive is the pedal steel by Kim Deschamps and fiddle by Warren Hood. Jaimee Harris also contribute backing vocals on a number of tracks. An unveiled treasure that has hardly left my CD player over the past week.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bob Livingston Up The Flatland Stairs Howlin’ Dog

This is the first studio release in almost seven years for music legend Bob Livingston. As a founding member of the Lost Gonzo Band who appeared in 1973 and were influential in the Austin, Texas music scene, Livingston was nicknamed “Cosmic Bob”, while playing a central role in the progressive and outlaw country movements of the time and the development of the ‘Austin Sound’.

Whether appearing as a band leader, solo artist, session musician or sideman, Livingston has spanned genres in Folk, Americana and Country music and collaborated with the likes of Michael Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, Ray Wylie Hubbard and David Halley. His recorded output is huge and over the years he has attracted only the best musicians to perform with. Livingston was inducted into the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame and into the West Texas Music Walk of Fame.

This project spans seventeen tracks and the quality of playing is of the highest order. Co-production is shared by Livingston and another legend, Don Richmond.

Don Richmond has been a professional musician for more than forty-five years. He regularly performs and records on more than a dozen instruments and percussion and is an award-winning songwriter. He has released 6 solo CD’s, with other projects totalling a further 14 releases! Don also owns and operates Howlin' Dog Records, which has recorded and released this record along with hundreds of other recordings by many local, regional, and national artists. Wow…!

This release has Bob Livingston on acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass, piano, percussion, harmonica, lead vocals; Don Richmond on bass, electric guitars, banjo, accordion, organ, pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, harmony vocals; Warren Hood on fiddle, Jimmy Stadler on piano, Bradley Kopp on guitar; Phil Bass, James Doyle and John Michel share drums; Kelley Mickwee on lead & harmony vocals, Robin James on harmony vocals and Eliza Gilkyson on vocal (That’s The Way Things Go).

So much to enjoy - Western Swing is here with Public Domain, Cowgirl’s Lullaby and The Early Days; rockabilly on You Got My Goat; reflective folk on Can’t Get Enough Of It, It Just Might Be Your Lovin’ and We Should Have Stayed; Country groove on A Month Of Somedays, A Few Things Right and Caution To The Wind; soulful blues on That’s The Way Things Go and Shell Game; plus a rock workout on The Usual Thing … Wonderful, sprawling and very impressive.

Review by Paul McGee

Josh Ritter Fever Breaks Pytheas

An artist of some substance since he first emerged in 1999, Ritter has continuously delivered music of a high standard. Here the goalposts shift a little as Ritter decides to take on some new directions, courtesy of producer Jason Isbell and his deft touch at the controls. Having the talents of Isbell (guitars, vocals) and his band, The 400 Unit, of course is a big help and the superb playing that informs these ten songs is expertly delivered by Amanda Shires (violin, vocals), Derry Deborja (piano, organ and Hohner accordion), Jimbo Hart (fender electric, ukulele & upright bass), Chad Gamble (drums, percussion) and Sadler Vaden (electric guitars, acoustic and 12 string guitars).

There are fine examples of country-tinged quality with I Still Love You (Now & Then) and All Some Kind Of Dream. The folk leanings of songs such as On The Water, A New Man and Blazing Highway Home are balanced by the harder edge of band-driven arrangements like Old Black Magic and Losing Battles.

The murder song, Ground Don’t Want Me and the rape and murder core of Silver Blade are both peppered with revenge and a restless spirit for what has been lost. Running through the project is a sense of self examination and reflection that there is a darker side to our personalities, a sense of dislocation and a dichotomy between forgiveness and sin. The disillusionment of All Some Kind Of Dream and its look at modern American policies, displays a crushing lack of empathy at the root of its mighty power; a theme also explored on The Torch Committee, an attack on bigotry and persecution of freedom and truth. It is nicely summarised by the lines “the only cure for fear is blame” and could just as easily be aimed at the ancient Witch Trials, Guantánamo Bay, the current Immigrant Policies or that infamous Wall.

This is a record of hidden depth that marks yet another strong statement in a career that has seen Josh Ritter continue to progress down his chosen path.

Review by Paul McGe

Dan Krikorian Grandeur Self Release

This is the fifth release by an interesting writer who has quite a few arrows to his bow. As well as being a talented singer-songwriter, Krikorian is also a college basketball coach, professor, and podcast host. 

This release clocks in at 16 tracks and just over one hour of listening time. By far his most expansive project to date, Krikorian co-produced with Shawn Nourse, who also contributes on drums & percussion. The studio line up also features Ron Dziubla on saxophones, Jimi Hawes on upright bass, Carl Byron on keyboards,  Bob Boulding on guitars & mandolin, Probyn Gregory on trumpet, trombone & french horn, Danny Ott on electric guitar, Gideon John Klein on mandolin, cello & pedal steel, Storm Rode on guitars, Taras Prodaniuk & Jason Chesney on bass, a backing vocal team of Deb Tala, Mike Teague & Dustin Robinson, all gathered together in delivery of a rich and varied studio sound. 

There are a number of styles across the project and the sweet soul sound of The Lucky One and Need Me Bad is balanced by the Folk leanings of Baby’s Got the Blues, 59th Street and Monday Morning. Ulanga is a big powerful Rock song with plenty of dynamics and the gentle acoustic strum of Angels Sing, complete with subtle strings, is followed by Joe Purdy, a song which also appeared on the last release, Bloom… complete with soulful sax playing.

The Country feel of Lyla and Don’t Look Like You also add to the variety on display while Crazy Love is a Blues workout with some nice piano and harmony vocals. Lots of music on offer, much of it very easy on the ear and worth investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

Drivin n Cryin Live The Love Beautiful DrivinNCryin

A new album from the Atlanta formed band who’s debut Scarred But Smarter came out back in 1986. Founding member Kevin Kinney is again the centrepiece of the band and has kept himself busy through the years with solo releases, band tours and a series of Drivin N Cryin EPs. He is joined on this new album by Dave V Johnson, Tim Nielsen and former Sturgill Simpson guitarist Laur Joamets.

This album is a consolidation of the band’s hard rocking Southern influenced rock. Producer Aaron Lee Tasjan is perfectly placed to realise the album’s intentions having previously played with the band as well as delivering his own take on roots rock. Tasjan adds keyboards and guitar while Matt Rowlands’ synth is also effective on tracks like If I’m Not There I’ll Be Here. Alongside the more raucous moments are some more thoughtful moments like the title track. Likewise, the song Ian McLagan is a tribute to the late Faces/Small Faces Austin-based keyboard player, as well as any number of committed players who love playing for the right reasons.

Joining Kinney on vocals are Dan Baird, Elizabeth Cook and the McCrary Sisters, among others, a strong point on the album alongside the layered arrangements, which give the songs their additional depth. Fans of either Kinney or Drivin N Cryin will be happy to see the band active and sharing the love so beautifully. Special mention for the final song, Sometimes I Wish I Didn’t Care, which is graced with an infectious vocal chorus that builds to a sentiment of understanding the nature of these times. An album summed up by one of the song titles, What’s Wrong With Being Happy … well absolutely nothing.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Liar’s Trial Friends In No Places Bob Lunch

If you’re looking for some more outlaw country then this Milwaukee band will fit the bill. They have the look and the sound. The touchstones of David Allan Coe and Waylon Jennings are apparent in the sound they deliver which, while it is constant and clarion. The band’s first two albums were reported to be more punk rock with country influences. The third then moved more towards outlaw country and this their fourth fits that bill to a tee. Using just Christian names, Bryan, Johnson, Andy and Patrick are joined by a number of guests, most crucially Leroy Deuster on pedal steel who adds a lot of that essential country feel to the overall sound. Singer Bryan's full name is revealed in the writing credits. He has written all the songs apart from the cover of Diablo’s Highway, written by Billy Don Burns, Hank Cochran and Jeff Williams.

They are songs about love, self loathing, being lonesome and heroes. That really is the thing at the end of the day - how listenable are the songs in themselves? The answer here is that these songs stand up to repeated play, with strong vocals, solid playing and variety in the arrangement and temps. Walls Come Down has the sound of regretful anticipation. Just Me And The Silence, I Don’t Deserve Love and I’m Too Lonesome (To Play Those Lonesome Songs) all consider the way that relationships can fail even though the will for them to succeed is there. Diablo’s Highway fits right in with that overall theme.

The final song is tribute to a major influence. It starts with a hangover and ends with the makings of one and then some - it is David Allan Coe's Put Me Back On The Wagon. The song closes what is the sound of a band coming to terms with itself. Producer Shane Hochstetler has got the best out of the band, who have made this positive statement of intent, and it places them alongside some of the best of the current outlaw exponents. While it may not be a leader in this field, it will find them friends.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Album Reviews

Resonant Rogues Autumn Of The World Self Release

Out of Asheville, N Carolina comes this excellent self produced third album from a stringband who successfully encompass elements of folk, Appalachian, gypsy jazz, country, klezmer and old time music in their unusual but appealing sound. The core of the band are two colourful characters: Sparrow, on accordion and clawhammer banjo, and her partner Keith J. Smith, on guitar. Sparrow’s rich resonant vocals kick off the opener, Maker’s Song, an anthem which could be adopted by ‘makers’ everywhere. It tells of the powerful drive in all creative souls, be they ‘storytellers … builders or bakers.’

His penchant for, or addiction to, travelling is detailed by Keith J Smith on several offerings, including Tramp and Watching Those Wheels Roll, both of which are heavy on the gypsy jazz feel. Kristen Harris ably supports the band with her stunning fiddle playing, whether that be on the several swing jazz inflected songs or the more folky offerings. Eric Heveron-Smith completes the line up, mainly on upright bass and vocals but he also plays trombone on one track.

Irish audiences will particularly identify with, and perhaps gain some solace from, Sparrow’s homage to (rain)water in Strength Of Water! Her soaring haunting vocals lull the listener gently into a sense of acceptance - ‘Let it roll, let it rain, let the water wash your tired frame’. Yeah right.

It is, however the title track that stands out most for this listener. In the very moving Autumn Of The World, Sparrow sings beautifully of the fragility of life and the devastation of depression and suicide - ‘a song for the sad ones, those of us who cannot stay away from the edges of existence, whose flame it burns too bright for it to stay’.

The CD is accompanied by fine cover art, combining photography and line drawings and lettering, continuing the ‘earthy’ theme. Resonant Rogues are touring the UK in July and I urge you to get out and hear them, as well as buying this album.

Review by Eilís Boland

Pete Gow Here There’s No Sirens Clubhouse

Readers may or may not be familiar with the U.K rock flavoured country band Case Hardin.  Their frontman and songwriter Pete Gow’s stunningly beautiful solo debut album is far removed from the more upbeat music in the band’s repertoire. Here There’s No Sirens is an intimate and confessional collection of songs, laced with pain and tales of personal disarray.

Gentle piano and dusky vocals introduce the opening track One Last One - Night Stand, before being joined majestically by symphonic strings, one and a half minutes into the song. It chronicles an elusive cry for help and affection of any kind. (‘’One last one-night stand, unprotected, uneven, unplanned. They get to be boring; they can start to taste bland’’). We learn of a doomed relationship and a bond sealed by personal needs rather than love in Mikaela. (‘But songs are like tattoos, and you should think before you name one after a girl’).

What raises the album well above the parapet are the most impressive arrangements. Many of the tracks are drenched in orchestral arrangements. Strings, brass and pianos all emerge in exactly the right places, without ever dominating Gow’s husky whispered vocals. The title track is divine, particularly goose bumps inducing when the strings kick in mid song. It’s plea for help and release is heart rendering as the songs end fuses atmospherically into The Pogues Rainy Night In Soho. Some Old Jacobite King grieves the loss of a wayward son, unsatisfied and unprepared to exists within the confines of his parent’s lifestyle. Emotion seeps out of Gow’s every pore as the tale unfolds (‘He made it away before the snows came in late’88. The ferry pulled the port mists apart, and his mother’s heart’). Strip For Me, which namechecks the Donald Trump accuser Stormy Daniels, leaves the listener considering various definitions of power, abusive control and chauvinism. A song very much of today.

 No doubt this album will pass many people by, given the difficulty for lesser known artists to get exposure. Most unfortunate if this is the case, as it’s a joy from start to finish. If Gow never releases another album, this is a legacy that he can be justifiably proud of. An exceptional listen.

Review by Declan Culliton

Buddy & Julie Miller Breakdown on 20th Ave. South New West

Ten years after the release of their last duo album, husband and wife team Buddy & Julie Miller return with an impressive recording that considers the often traumatic period since their last recording. They had already commenced writing songs for the follow up to 2009’s Written In Chalk, when Julie was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder characterised by muscular pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Buddy’s workload at the time also accelerated, collaborating with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on Raising Sand, producing and appearing on a multitude of albums and touring with a number of artists. He also worked with T Bone Burnett on the ABC-TV Series Nashville.

The illness and work-related issues put serious strains on the marriage but also gave the often bedridden Julie the inspiration and ammunition to write up to sixty songs over that period. The album could have rightly been released as a Julie Miller solo album, given that she wrote the twelve tracks and is the main vocalist on many of the songs. The production, recording and playing were carried out by them both.

I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, finds Julie setting her stall out from the word go. It was the first song recorded for the album. It catalogues a demand for the support of her otherwise engaged husband and a reminder that she’s no longer going to wait in line for his attention ("I’m gonna make you love me and be your number one girl. I’m gonna make you love me and shout it out to the whole wide world").  Similar mantras are repeated throughout the track to a thumping back beat. Everything Is Your Fault is frank and to the point, a cry for help at crisis point ("I’m fragile, you’re agile at being so covert. Let’s pretend then, make it all end, as if no one got hurt"). The sparse sounding Till The Stardust Comes Apart hints at reconciliation and rebirth, a vocal duet that reads like an oath ("I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine, Til the clock runs out of time").

The title track opens the album, a raw grungy sound with snarling vocals, a reflection on a turbulent relationship facing possible disintegration. Feast Of The Dead, with its mandolin intro, finds Julie sounding like Lucinda Williams performing a song plucked from an early Steve Earle album. We’re nine tracks into the album before Buddy takes a lead vocal on the soothing and confessional Secret.  Accompanied by a gentle acoustic guitar intro, it plays like a response and apology from him to his wife, having considered and accepted the frustrations she had vented on previous tracks. The album fittingly closes with Storm Of Kisses. The only co-write on the album, it was written by Julie and her nephew Alasdair MacKenzie. The title was thought of by Alasdair when only four years old and the lyrics, delivered as a duo, are written in memory of Julie’s brother, tragically and fatally struck by lightning.

Fortunately, having lived and survived through trying times, it’s a happy ending album. It could very well have been a partner to Richard & Linda Thompson’s break up album Shoot Out The Lights. On the contrary, the lights appear to be shining brighter than ever on the partnership, both in loving and creative terms.  A moving, charming and soothing listen from start to finish.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella Oh, The Starlings Self Release

This is a family affair and all the better for it… Kieran Goss has been a much-loved part of the Irish musical landscape since he first appeared in the late 1980’s and his excellent songs have brought many pleasures to the airwaves and concert halls of Ireland over the years.

This project is undertaken with his wife, Annie Kinsella, who has one of those beautifully disarming voices, soft and sweet with a real warmth. The eleven tracks here include five covers and six originals and the choices blend together into a seamless whole to create a very pleasant listening experience. Gentle, soft, easy flow are words that come to mind when reflecting on the mood that is created by these songs that seduce and connect on many levels.

Kieran sings lead vocal on the sweet lullaby, Time To Go Sleeping and shares lead vocal with Annie on Hollywood Boulevard. Annie takes the remaining songs and makes them her own. The title track is a husband and wife co-write and Into Your Arms, Hollywood Boulevard and Hymn To Love are written by Kieran with Brendan Murphy and Sharon Vaugn. Crazy For Your Love is written by Kieran, Stephony Smith and Brendan Murphy.

The covers include W.B. Yeats, The Song Of Wandering Angus and Jewel Of The South by Rodney Crowell. Time stands still while these lovely melodies and understated playing spin their spell. A very welcome addition to the body of work from Kieran Goss and one that is delivered with no little skill and dedication to the work itself as the most important ingredient.

Review by Paul McGee

Danni Nicholls The Melted Morning Proper

This English rose has been making quite a name among the right music circles and there is a real buzz spreading, given her bright talents as a singer-songwriter. This release is her third and the growth as a musician is obvious from the opening Wild As The Water, a song of desire, passion and promises that is wrapped in the most appealing melody and song arrangement. 

The warm organ sound on Hear Your Voice seeks courage and self confidence in another. Unwanted is a song about leaving and the end of an unhappy relationship. Wish I Were Alone is a song about missing an ex-lover and feeling lonely. Frozen deals with self-doubt, the inability to open up and being our own worst enemies while Lemonade spins a different perspective of being positive and looking for good things in life. 

Losing It is a song about feeling lost and in need of stability while Texas is a co-write with Ben Glover and deals with hope, despite the pain of feeling lost but surviving. Power To Leave is about moving on, meeting an ex-lover and realising that life has already gone forward. Here is an artist that is maturing with the perspective of life lived and reflecting on all the growing pains that result.

Nicholls has a very expressive voice and her vocal tone and timbre are quite absorbing; both reflective and wistful in delivery. Production is by Jordan Brooke Hamlin who also contributes on drums, bass and electric guitars, trumpet and piano and her contribution cannot be underestimated. She also supplies the string arrangements on a number of tracks and the various studio musicians all contribute to what is a beautifully rounded and delivered production. The Secret Sisters appear on backing vocals for three tracks and the cello of Larissa Maestro is very memorable. This is a highly recommended album and a real keeper.

Review by Paul McGee

Six Mile Grove Million Birds Self Release

Lyle is a township in Minnesota, a mile from the Iowa border, which also flanks the city. The population is 550 approx. and is home for all five members of Six Mile Grove. This is the story of hometown boys made good and these childhood friends have grown into quite a compelling country music band. 

The core of the group revolves around the superb and richly textured lead vocals of Brandon Sampson, augmented by his guitar skills, together with the excellent drumming of brother, Brian. Other members are Barry Nelson who plays keyboards, electric guitar and provides backing vocals, with Dezi Wallace on bass guitar and John Wheeler on steel guitar. 

Recorded in The Barn Studio, Pine Island, Minnesota; all eleven tracks are written by Brandon Sampson and this is their seventh release over a 20-year career that has seen them hone their impressive talents into quite a convincing unit that delivers a sound that is full of character and charisma. The slow Country sound of tracks like Early Morning Rain, with restrained guitar solo and warm keys, is pure quality and Shot In The Arm is vintage Heavy Rock with a mean groove and snarling guitars sparring with the rhythm section. 

The title track and Damned If I Do are both gentle tunes that weave a spell while Shame On Us smoulders with a plea for greater empathy and compassion. The Radio is a more commercially friendly song as is the easy tempo of Money Doesn’t Matter, which includes a fine guitar break. 

The band has previously collaborated with Johnny Cash guitarist Bob Wootton over the years and he is credited with saying; "There's nothing fancy about them and they don't try to be something they're not. And that's what I like about them."

Roots music doesn’t get any better than this and I recommend this band to anyone who likes their Alt-Country sounds both energising and exciting, played with an integrity and presence that demands attention. There is an element of Son Volt meets the Jayhawks but really, their sound is all their own and filled with personality. Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Ian Noe Between The Country Thirty Tigers

Noe is an accomplished songwriter who is from Kentucky and belongs to a tradition of songwriters who have a strong sense of place that in recent times has brought such artists as Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Dillon Carmichael and Kelsey Waldon to the fore. Noe’s songs deal with a deeper, darker side of life and are delivered with a voice capable of passion and purpose. The underlying sense of desolation is also tinged with compassion, something that Dave Cobb’s RCA Studio A’s production is perfectly suited to. Also, in keeping with the songs, the musicians remain in the background adding colour and conscience to his sometimes harrowing tales that deal with the underlying drug abuse that is prevalent throughout his country. He can also reach back in time as with the track, Barbar’s Song, which deals with a train derailment in 1904. Hard times are always with us as these songs make clear. Yet there is a positive feel in this music which makes it eminently listenable.

Adam Gardner, Chris Powell and Cobb himself provided the musical setting behind Noe’s vocal and guitars and Savannah Conley’s backup vocals. A tight and focused team who understand what needs to be done with these songs. 

Sure, there are undoubted influences with the likes of Prine, Dylan and older inspirations like Woody Guthrie to be heard, but then folk music is somewhat eternal and Noe is yet another expression of this need to tell the tales of his time. Following on from his debut EP, Off This Mountaintop this album exposes the work of another artist who deserves to reach a wider audience. However, due to the realism that is the backbone of his writing, Noe may struggle to reach the exposure that his mentors and influences achieved. That, however, was delivered over many albums and years, so hers’s hoping that the music of Ian Noe will have time to grow and be appreciated in a wider context.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jade Jackson Wilderness Anti

Social Distortion’s Mike Ness is back behind the board on Jade Jacksons’s second album and it more or less continues from where the debut Gilded left off. Lyrically she is also pulling no punches from the opening Bottle It Up which is something of a declaration of her independence. ‘Bottle it up the way we feel right now, Whenever I get lonely gonna drink a little down.’ A means to an end by not confronting some emotions head on with the impact lessen with drink. The sound is upbeat rocking country with Jackson voice bolstered by experience garnered on the road and off. Closer to home are the content of songs such as City Lights which details a personal accident. A serious back injury led to some darker times and addiction problems which have undoubtably influenced her writing since that introspective time in her life. 

Overall the sound is on the edge with some pedal steel and fiddle to blend with the guitars and B3 organ. All which create a tension in the sound that drives these songs along. Ness’ understanding of old school country and hard edged punk rock makes him the ideal person to to develop her music - initially as a mentor but now as her producer. There are comparisons to Lucinda Williams in reviews which there are to a lot of the strong-willed females singer/songwriters in roots music these days. And while I would see it as a pivotal influence it is no doubt a considered one.

On the album she is again joined by guitarist/pianist Andrew Rebel (who has subsequently left the band), Tyler Miller on drums and Jake Vukovich on bass guitar. This core unit deliver a committed sound throughout the album that has a wide ranging appeal that never falls into the overblown rock that some of her mainstream contemporaries displays live. However it whats on the record here that counts and many of the songs. Tonight conceals a sense of handling things alone while also revealing a sense of vulnerability by doing so while revealing that ‘boys like you make me want to spend my nights alone.’ Long Way Home takes a similar position. Dust is a slower song with steel guitar glides and a solid twanging guitar riff under her softer vocal approach that under lights the strength oh her vocal ability as well as it does her songwriting. Wilderness finds Jackson relishing her freedom but not entirely from the emotional landscape that title might suggest. The song itself is a powerful statement of knowing when you are and where you want to be at this time in your life and sums up a career in the ascendency. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Latest Reviews

Foghorn Stringband Rock Island Grange Self Release

Well, you can’t say you’re not getting value for money in this latest superb release from Portland’s Foghorn Stringband. As well as the nineteen listed tracks, there are a bunch more thrown in for good measure. Possibly the best (and hardest working) Old Time American string band in the business, this recording gives a true flavour of what it’s like to experience the band’s legendary live gigs. All of the band members are masters of their instruments, and all of them can take lead vocals.

Founding member Caleb Klauder is a natural frontman and an incredibly talented mandolinist and fiddle player. The other original founding member Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind is an outstanding old time fiddler, and plays banjo here also.The lineup has been completed for the past few years by Québécoise Nadine Landry on rock solid upright bass and Reeb Willms on guitar. 

Recorded live over three days by Bruce Harvie in the historic Grange venue in Caleb’s native home of Orcas Island in Washington State, the album is a rollicking ride through a selection of songs and instrumentals. All of the band members are proud historians and custodians of the music so it’s no surprise that the cleverly designed folding card cd cover is accompanied by extensive notes on the provenance of every tune. Most of the tunes are taken from sources both old and more recent - a gorgeous version of Hazel Dicken’s little known Only The Lonely being one of the latter, sung beautifully here by Reeb.

This album could serve as a perfect introduction to old time music, if you are not familiar with it, while established fans will know exactly what they are going to get and will relish it, as do I.

Review by Eilís Boland

John Blakeley & Jeff Larson Yesterday’s Dream Compass 

If you’re a fan of the California Sound, this album will be right up your street. I have to admit that it didn’t grab me on first listen, but the more I listened the more it got right under my skin. Throw in some other West Coast influences like country rock and folk, and you’ll have an idea of the retro, but simultaneously modern, aesthetic invoked here by the two veterans of the SoCal music scene.

Both artists contribute original songs to the project, while Jeff Larson takes all lead vocal duties and John Blakeley plays most of the instruments. John is an underrated guitar player, not well known outside of this scene, but he has played in sessions and on stage with a myriad of top  artists like Van Morrison, Glen Campbell and Country Joe McDonald. In his 73rd year and a survivor of two heart transplants, here he plays acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin and mandola, and bass and slide guitars.

 Straight from the catchy opening song Renaissance Man, it’s obvious there’s something a bit unusual going on here - it is the prominence of John Blakeley’s mandolin as the main instrument insistently holding down the rhythm. On Day Trip, the only instrumental, the opening guitar riffs are pure surf guitar a la Dick Dale, and again the mandolin interjects. The interplay between the two instruments is phenomenally good, thanks to the strength of John’s writing and producing. Elsewhere, his prowess on various stringed instruments is breathtaking but never showy.

Jeff Larson is a singer-songwriter, producer and is also the archivist for the band America. He has long been connected also with The Beach Boys and Chicago. His ability to write catchy tunes and his clear pure voice impress on songs such as The Calamar Trees and Always the Mystery. Long time collaborators/friends from The Beach Boys are called up eg Scott Mathews on drums and Jeffrey Foskett on backing vocals.

Lastly, the minimalist cover art is contributed by another senior surfer dude, the ceramicist and musician Ron Nagle. Worth checking out!

Review by Eilís Boland

Jim Lauderdale From Another World Yep Roc

 It’s somewhat stating the obvious to label Jim Lauderdale as prolific.  He has released at least one album each year since 1998 and From Another World is album number thirty-two from the twice Grammy Award winning artist. The twelve track album sticks with the winning production team from its 2018 predecessor Time Flies. Jay Walker again co-produces with Lauderdale, with the engineering duties carried out by David Leonard. The title perhaps recalls less turbulent and aggressive times, in keeping with many recent recordings coming out of the US under the Americana brand. Much of the albums spark is motivated by our rapidly changing world. However, rather than personalised attacks, Lauderdale’s messages are more controlled, subtle and understated, without the slightest hint of ego. Not surprising given his Tai Chi proficiency.

 Titles such as Listen and Some Horses Run Free are pointers to less knee jerk reactions and more thoughtful contemplation. The Secrets of The Pyramids, the first single from the album, includes some fine fiddle playing from Third Man Records artist Lillie Mae, while her brother Frank Rische also features on the track, providing backing vocals. The previously mentioned Some Horses Run Free opens the album in fine Southern Rockin’ style, pounding drums and screeching guitars competing with Lauderdale’s distinctively nasal vocal. For Keeps is no apologies classic country, which would sit comfortably on a mid-60’s George Jones album and I’ll Forgive You If You Don’t is on the same page. Country Soul is represented on the closing track Are You Trying To Make a Song Out Of Us.

Lauderdale has seldom stood in the same musical spot for too long across his career. Always a fervent student of various musical genres, bluegrass, soul, southern rock, experimental and traditional country have all been represented in his recordings. This album dips in and out of many of those categories, resulting in his strongest album in some time. Recent albums have found Lauderdale recording music very much in the present, neither overly retro nor futuristic. From Another World follows that pattern. Another stellar listen which can be summed up by his often-used phrase ‘‘Now THAT’S Americana’’.

Review by Declan Culliton

Norrie McCulloch Compass Black Dust 

No stranger to Lonesome Highway, Norrie McCulloch’s two previous releases, These Mountain Blues and Bare Among The Branches, both made favourable impressions on us. If those albums revealed a singer songwriter growing in confidence, his latest offering Compass, raises the bar to an entirely higher level. Rather than the tortured soul searching and politically frustrated writings of many of his peers, McCulloch’s nine song album is overflowing with affection, cherished memories, love captured and love lost.

In a different era, the wonderful Road Sign would be played to death by radio stations. A beautifully constructed love song, it emphasises McCulloch’s mastery of the minor detail, as he daydreams of his loved one during another torturous late-night journey. Fond childhood memories are recalled on Janey (When We Were Young) before he reverts to amorous themes on both She’s So Good and the closer With You In My Life.  Dear Lady Blue reflects on the tragic loss of a loved one and the ensuing aloneness. Drinking Money is a tongue in cheek ballad and closer to traditional folk than anything else on the album. The title track is a dreamy affair, streams of consciousness underlined by echoing vocals, swirling guitar and rhythmic bass lines.

Mc Culloch, who plays guitar and harmonica on the album, is reunited with his trusted musical contributors. Iain Thompson plays electric guitar, Dave Mc Gowan bass and Marco Rea adds backing vocals. In simple terms, Compass is a delightful listen from start to finish, by another totally under rated U.K. singer songwriter. Americana delivered with a charming Scottish accent never sounded better.

Review by Declan Culliton

Kevin Daniel Things I Don’t See Self Release

This new talent is currently living in the Brooklyn area and his debut album includes eleven tracks that are all written by Daniel. He plays Americana music with a confidence that augers well for his developing career and the musicians used here all turn in superb performances that add plenty to the the overall groove and sound for the project. 

Eight tracks were produced, recorded and mixed by Ben Rice at Degraw Sound in Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY. A further three tracks were produced, recorded and mixed by Kenny Siegel at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY. Different producers and session players don’t always make for a smoothly cohesive end product, but in this case, there is a seamless quality to the entire project and the soulful groove of Daniel comes over strongly.

The players on the eight tracks are Muddy Shews on bass, John Hummel on drums, Anthony Krizan on both tenor guitar & slide guitar, Judd Nielsen on organ and Erica Mancini on accordion. Backing vocals are delivered by Irene Blackman and Roman Urbanski. 

Separately, Jon Ladeau on electric guitar, Lee Falco on vocals and drums, Brandon Morrison on vocals and bass, Will Bryant on vocals, organ and keyboards deliver on the remaining three tracks.

The songs are all very strong and All I Need, Jupiter And Xanax, Cocaine & Whiskey are Country tinged songs that sit well into the overall tempo that is very much driven by Daniel on vocals and guitar. Pour Me A Drink is a slow blues that showcases the band in full flow and Name Of Fame has an up-tempo bluegrass vibe with some nice fiddle playing. The acoustic strum of 22 is a Folk tinged reflection at the disappearance of youth and the rites of passage as College years begin and the emergence of hesitant adulthood. 

There are strings on some of the arrangements and there are horns on others, plus occasional fiddle and piano playing but I have no information as to who played what. Advance review copies don’t always have sufficient liner notes sadly, but this cannot take away from the overall enjoyment of the songs.

The opening tracks Used To Be and Things I Don’t See set the tone with warm keys and tales of life experience taking its toll in shaping us and our dreams along the way, while City That Saves is a fine bar room boogie that closes the album. The playing is superb throughout and I can recommend this album to everyone who likes their music big, bright and brimming with bravado.

Review by Paul McGee

J.D. and the Straight Shot The Great Divide Self Release

This is the seventh release by a band that is the self-realised creation of Jim Dolan, guitarist and vocalist who has been front and centre since their first release back in 2005.

Dolan has continued to chase his passion to perform and play music that is based in a Country Rock sound and despite criticism of his deep pockets as a successful business tycoon, one cannot fault his dedication and doggedness... If there was no back story regarding the wealth that Dolan has amassed, then the music would stand some chance of being assessed purely on its own merits. The musicians in the band are certainly top drawer and the album is not in any way an artificial exercise in self-promotion by Jim Dolan… 

The album was recorded at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville with Marc Copely producing and also contributing on guitar, mandolin and vocals. He is joined by Byron House on upright bass and banjo, Carolyn Dawn Johnson on guitar and vocals, Shawn Pelton on drums & percussion and the stand out Erin Slaver on violin & vocals. The harmony vocals of Tabitha Fair, Erin Slaver, Byron House and Mark Copley are also very strong throughout. The eleven tracks featured here are expertly performed by this group of experienced musicians and cover versions of the Turtles, Happy Together, and the Allman Brothers, Jessica, showcase the band in full colours and displaying the depth of Nashville talent that exists across their collective experience. 

Production by Marc Copley is crisp and precise throughout with the wonderful Erin Slaver lifting many of the tracks with her superb solo runs on violin. Invisible, It Must Be Night and I Should Have Known are all prime examples but the rest of the band more than chip in to the arrangements with the swing beat of Bees highlighting some nice guitar work  and the Salsa sound of Take It Slow hinting at a commercial Latin groove. The duelling solos that energise Jessica are delivered on violin (Slaver) and mandolin (Copley) in place of the sweet guitar of the Allman Brothers Dickey Betts on the original.

Review by Paul McGee

The Royal Hounds Low Class Songs For High Class People Self Release

This Nashville trio can be placed somewhere between Jesse Dayton and Southern Culture On The Skids for their take on roots rock/rockabilly. There is equally a strong sense of humour lurking within the grooves, from the opening The Walk, the most simplistic of dance craze tunes, to The Parthenon, a song about a brothel in Greece and the strange clientele that is to be found there. Then there’s Chinese Buffet which contains the following lines as a sample of the general lyrical direction on offer here: “Well lock up the house, chain up the dog. We’re going into town to eat like a hog. Got my plate stacked high as hay at the Chinese Buffet”. However that’s not to take away in any way from (name?) lead singer and upright bassist’s vocal and musical skills. He is joined by new Brazial guitarist Matheus Canteri - a player who the US government deemed to have ”extraordinary talent” and granted him a visa to live and play there. The drummer on the album is Scott Billingsley. Hinds has written five of the songs solo and two with Canteri, who also contributed two instrumental tunes. 

They are joined by some extra musicians who add pedal steel, accordion, organ, trumpet and backing vocals which all helps to give the music a wider scope on the recordings. The album was co-produced by Hinds and Canteri and they give the proceedings a full and expansive sound throughout.

There is an additional bonus track - a recording of the Stan Jones classic Ghost Riders In The Sky which might give Kenny Vaughan’s version a run for its money. The stated aim of the band is to entertain, get people dancing and in a party mood. Well, they have pretty much done all of that with some style and a tongue-in-cheek approach to life. Not sure about high class people but these songs have the ability to make you forget the lows of life. Facetious and friendly - just like the hound who adorns the cover.9

Review by Stephen Rapid

Sam Outlaw Hat Acts Self Release

This is a digital release from the ever interesting Sam Outlaw, an artist that has been on Lonesome Highway’s radar since his first independent album release. He has managed to create a sound which he is developing, that appeals on many levels. Despite his chosen name, his music sits outside what would generally be considered on the outlaw side of non-mainstream country. His idea of “pop”, however, is far more interesting than what we usually associate that term with on major label releases.

For Hat Acts he has recorded three new songs. Cigarette, Shake A Heartache and Humility all are solid extensions of the sound he has been developing over the last few releases. The first sees him wishing he was a cigarette close to the lips of the woman in question. It features some good steel guitar, as indeed do the others two tracks. Shake A Heartache is an uptempo attempt from the man in question to forget his woes on the dance floor. Humility is a slower song that opens with guitar as our ‘hero’ realises what he needs is not more drink but in truth ”one strong shot of humility”. He has a distinctive voice and sound that will doubtless see him reacher a wider audience in time. Also notable, but not for radio play, are three before and between song scenarios wherein the character in question is caught trying to talk to a girl outside the venue and finally being insulted by another attendee. They fit the overall mood well and each song directly relates to the ambient mood. Outlaw also recently released a single Love Is On A Roll that has more than a hint of Jimmy Buffett in its production. All are available from his website and are worth checking out as, indeed, are all his releases to date  - which you can buy as a special rate job lot at the moment.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

The Boxmasters Speck Keentone

The debut album from the Boxmasters, which set out their stall, was a double album that mixed original songs and covers. A muisial style best summed up by the title of their second double album set Modbilly where they combined two of their favourite musical influences Mod and Hillbilly - hence, obviously, the title. You again got one CD of original songs and a second of such covers as The Lord Knows I’m Drinking by Bill Anderson mixed with the Rolling Stones’ As Tears Go By. Some of their own titles were Heartbreakin’ Wreck and That’s Why Tammy Has My Car. The Boxmasters were then listed as Michael Wayne Butler, JD Andrew and W.R. “Bud” Thornton. The current album features the latter two but the trio are completed now by Teddy Andreadis - a gentleman who had played keyboards for the extended band since their debut in 2008.

W.R. is perhaps better know as actor Billy Bob Thornton and he is the vocalist and drummer with The Boxmasters. It has to be said that this is something that he takes very seriously and the band now have released 9 albums, with Thornton being the main songwriter for their original material. Looking over past reviews some were not that favourable, but all those I have heard have sounded pretty good to these ears. Essentially the group are an authentic beat group with their roots in the 60s but they keep the music in the realms of today rather than the past. For this album they worked with producer Geoff Emerick, a renowned studio expert who worked with George Martin on several classic Beatles albums. He also worked with such notables as Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick and Wings.

He passed away in 2018 so Speck would be among his last work. The album is dedicated to him and resonates with his understanding of the kind of music the band wanted to record. Again some critics may say the sound is derivative and, be that as it may, as it is intentionally seeking that sound the songs themselves stand up. Thornton’s singing is good with strong harmonies and solid melodies. The songs are all written by Thornton, mainly with Andrews and, occasionally, Andreadis. The scene is set with the opening I Wanna Go Where You Go and then over the next 35 minutes, they deliver another 10 songs. The production and mix is clear and precise making the most of the songs and the performances. The guitars stand out and there are times where brass and trumpets mix with the keyboards to deliver a layered sound that is inviting and memorable. It is a sound that is more focused on the overall vision of the album. Let The Bleeding Pray opens with a trumpet and Thornton’s solid vocals and a great guitar sound. There are many more moments that satisfy and Speck is an album that best exemplifies the way the band has developed from the first album, bringing one aspect of their sound to a logical conclusion.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Arroyo Rogers Single Wide Self Release

This is the debut release from the husband and wife duo Lisa Mendick Powell and Kim Powell. They are an offshoot of a previous band Forty Miles Of Bad Road. They recorded these original songs in New Orleans with Tom Stern acting as engineer and playing guitar. The end result is a humorous and entertaining EP of seven songs. Two are co-writes from the duo with the other songs by Powell solo. Both share the vocal duties. Also prominent on a number of tracks is the pedal steel of Dan Cooper.

Promised Land, Eleanor, Hitch Hike Home and Three Sheets To The Wind are examples of their memorable mix of classic country and high desert sound that is likely inspired, to some degree, by their current home base of Joshua Tree, California. The main stand out is Albuquerque while the final song was recorded in their house and is also representative of their overall sound and ethos. She Went Out For Cigarettes has the obvious next line in a sad tale of a relationship break-up. Both are talented players, with Mendick Powell playing keyboards and accordion and Powell on bass and some electric guitar. Their voices are a good and blend easily. They have worked in the music industry for some time and were previously based in Austin. Mendick Powell has three solo albums to her name - the first Artifacts of Love in 1994 - and Powell appears to have played with several different artists in the past.

This single wide need to be updated to a double wide as soon as they can, with a  full album of songs to hear. I think, on the strength of these seven songs, it would be welcomed.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Colonel J.D. Wilkes Will I see You One Day In God’s Land Arkam

This new album is a solo extension of the interests and music that Wilkes has made as a member of The Legendary Shack Shakers, and it is a good representation of his current solo performances. It is a mix of original and traditional songs such as his Tennessee Dog Attack and Coo-Coo Bird. It features his skill as banjo and harmonica player as well his distinctive vocal style. Very much in the spirit of earthy pre-bluegrass styles, it is front porch storytelling that takes in Liza Jane, and the murder ballad Willow Garden. He is a chronicler and collector of some of the older songs that emanated from deep in the Appalachians.

The album was recorded in three locations, including Jimmy Nutt’s studio in Alabama Nutthouse. Though essentially solo recordings, there is some fiddle from Jamie Barrier who also sings on Soldiers Joy and Are You Missing Me? His skill on harmonica is represented fully on his own Gob Iron Stomp. His pickin’ is on display throughout the album, especially on the instrumental Freight Train. Watching Wilkes live, you are aware of the energy in his performances whereas listening to these recordings they seem to have a greater sense of human vulnerability and, at times, indeed a certain melancholy. This is then a welcome addition to the recorded music that Wilkes has brought us through the years. It has heart, soul and integrity - something often sadly lacking in much of the music around today.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Lasers Lasers Birmingham Warning Self Release

This may be one of the more unusual names for a country music act but, be that as it may, it is a certified good one. The name is a front for singer/songwriter Alex Owen who also co-produced the album with multi-instrumentalist Jason Soda. Warning is one of those unexpected albums from an artist new to me that turns out to be a great listen, with the whole album working in its entirety. This is the first full length album from the act, following two previous EPs.

Owen has a warm and inviting voice that is well suited to the slightly relaxed 70s sound that seems to be at the heart of the band’s music. The lyrical content is worthy of attention, as Owen writes some intriguing words that may fall outside the normal themes for a mainstream country album. There is both an offbeat sense of humour and some insight in his songs that deserve repeated listening. It’s a shame there is no lyric booklet but the economics of self-releasing often exclude such a welcome addition. Though the duet with Sie Sie Benhoff follows a scenario that is not uncommon in country music wherein the two antagonists trade verses outlining the reasons why they don’t see eye to eye anymore.

Mention must be made of the contribution of the supporting players, including Dan Wistrom’s pedal steel contribution. All are excellent throughout and give the songs the kind of justice that they deserve. Whether this album would be easier accept if Alex Owen recorded under his own name is debatable, especially given the notion in some quarters that the likes of Daniel Romano and Daniel Peck are stylists and playing with the genre (though the former has moved on from his original musical and visual stance).You can make up your own mind about that. But be warned that this is an addictive album that provides a contemporary vision of a country music that gets harder to find these days, but this release is well worth the effort. Lasers Lasers Birmingham are another name to add to some of the fine country music that has emerged from Los Angeles in recent times.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Sarah Lucy Dole Tell No Lies Self Release

Born in Cheltenham, UK and a singer-songwriter with more than 20 years experience, Dole has delivered this second album as a follow up to Buckle Up, which appeared in 2013. She has a fine vocal style with a good range and confident delivery. Sadly, my review copy arrived with no information regarding the project, neither musician credits nor production information. Her website yields little additional information but the entire 16 tracks is a statement of some confidence, clocking in at just short of the hour-mark with plenty of variety in musical styles.

Starting out with the blues/soul of Tell No Lies and Rv Rocking, the tale of a family down on their luck is followed by a groove that reminds me of KT Tunstall, with references to 6 different country music legends in the repeated refrain. Mr Blue Man and These Arms Of Mine are further examples of Dole’s Blues leanings but she also shows a rockier side to her sound on Wild Woman, High & Low and A New Horizon. Across these tracks are a variety of highlighted instruments; the harmonica works well, as does both fiddle and slide guitar in parts, but the synth strings don’t always enhance and seem out of place on some arrangements.

The country-tinged songs work best with You Shine On, I Thought I Heard A Train, Without You (nice guitar), With This Ring and Ruby Slippers all scoring well. Closing track, What’s A Heart Supposed To Do has a strong country blues style with fine guitar and piano lines under the strong vocal delivery. Plenty for everyone in this lucky bag if you decide to dip in…!

Review by Paul McGee

TK & The Holy Know-Nothings Arguably OK Mama Bird

Taylor Kingman writes all the songs, fronts the band, plays guitar and lives in Portland Oregon. Drummer Tyler Thompson and multi-instrumentalists Jay Cobb Anderson (lead guitar, harmonica), Lewi Longmire (bass, guitar, pedal steel, flugelhorn) and Sydney Nash (keys, bass, slide guitar, cornet) make up the rest of this talented troupe. Their sound is that of a loose, yet tight bar band and their songs deal with much of the fall-out from lives lived in either quiet desperation or with the conviction of nothing left to lose.

This is a debut release and was recorded live at the OK Theatre in Enterprise, Oregon over a three-day period of intense playing and fine tuning the tracks. Kingman and Thompson shared the production and a very fine job they make of it too. Great songs, great words, great playing and a terrific sound. 

Alone is the opening song and wears its heart on a solitary white flag of surrender. Emmanuel tells of a drug addicted dweller on the fringes of society who needs regular top ups to keep him functioning. Good Stuff is about living hard and in the moment; no time to waste. The slow groove of The Devil’s Point is undiluted self sorrow of a loser who drinks to forget in a strip bar while pedal steel soothes his troubled mind. 

And on it goes, one song after another and all displaying the craft of this excellent band, led by the singular talent of Kingman. Desert Rose is a slice of rhythm and roots; a great work out with driving guitars. Hard Times is a dark tale of murder and junkie survival while closing track Lord, Why’d Ya Make me? is a plea to the great unknown to wash away all the frailties of man and bring peace to troubled souls. An interesting album with plenty to challenge and satisfy in equal measure.

Review by Paul McGee

The Golden Roses Terlingua Graveyard Self Release

Honky Tonk music played with great swing and swagger from a band who hail from Austin Texas and wear their credentials big and bold. The members are Johnny “2 Much” Mutchler (Vocals/Guitar), “Too Tall” Troy Wilson (Vocals/Bass), “The Revenuer” Shawnee Rose (Drums), “The Boy From Bell County” Sam Blumenthal (Steel Guitar) and “Rockin” Heather Rae (Vocals/Fiddle) ….

This debut release has eleven tracks and each one is a real diamond that shines and shimmers. Country music comes with so many sub categories that it can make your head spin but the sound of Ameripolitan music includes a mix of western swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly and outlaw attitude. It’s about upholding old traditions. From Buck Owens through to Dwight Yoakam, there is a wealth of rich sounds in the tracks here and the playing is such a joy. No doubt their residency at the White Horse in Austin is quite an experience and something that one hopes they eventually bring overseas to our European shores. All songs are written by John Mutchler and the tight sound is testament to the finely-honed ensemble that has paid its dues on the live circuit in the dancehalls and honky tonks of Texas over the past three years. 

The title track is a fine example of the band in full flight and the guitar twang and steel guitar and fiddle interplay is quite addictive. Whirlwind is an instrumental that calls to mind the Sadies at full throttle and Life Of The Party is a salutary tale of a couple who can’t quit the high life and settle into something more sedate. The Usual Suspects is a country swing song that has a lilt and tempo that lifts the spirits while Room 302, Divorce Division shows the darker side of relationships gone wrong. Bad Habit and Lone Star Saturday Night live right up to their titles and the collective playing is very impressive. Big Black Cloud is a drinking song that is laced with heartache, the perfect ingredients for a country tune.

The closing song, Top Shelf Whiskey And Cold Lone Star Beer sums up the essence of the band as they play live to a Friday night local crowd and set the tone for a good time to be had by all with fiddle and pedal steel swooping around the strong rhythm section while Mutchler leads from the front with a fine vocal and engaging presence. Stirring stuff…!  

Review by Paul McGee

Ana Tivel The Question Fluff & Gravy

This is the fifth release from an artist who is based in Portland and who explores soundscapes that fit into a contemporary folk arena. Her sweetly seductive vocals and the gentle accompaniment on these ten songs give a hypnotic, less is more, effect to everything. Wistful tunes, finely honed and reflective, whispered images and emotions play across the production by Shane Leonard. He is a multi-instrumentalist who provides drums, Wurlitzer, acoustic guitar, organ, synthesizer, violin, electric guitar and percussion. 

There are many more players who contribute to the overall feel of this beautifully realised album but throughout, it is the sense of ensemble playing that captures the imagination as different sounds introduce themselves in the melodies, all driven by Tivel on guitar and violin to compliment her captivating vocals.

These are relationship songs from different perspectives and the observation in her words of the little things that frame and shape a feeling or a sensation are an integral part of Tivel’s skill. Figure It Out is the repentant lover who steps over a line and now reflects on what is important as her partner walks away. Minneapolis is a tale of isolation framed at night by lonely, stark car headlights on the blinds and an urge to leave in order to start again. Fenceline is an immigrant trying to keep a sense of dignity in a cold world that ignores his humanity.

Anthony is a tale of self sabotage and ending life in a burning apartment as memories of a lover come flooding in. Homeless Child is about a single mother, down and out, while the thin line between survival and capsizing blurs and disappears. There is empathy here but also a tired anger. 

Velvet Curtain is a mini play of a cleaner singing alone in an empty theatre after closing time and a vagabond sneaking a peek in order to feel connection in an empty world. So beautifully conceived and delivered. Two Strangers is a last shot at love through the loneliness of city life, a glance and a chance to meet that extends beyond mere dreams into reality. If only.

The title track is a song about observing a cross-dresser and the empathy that arises in looking at a life half lived behind the dark of night and pulled curtains. Tivel is a songsmith of the highest talent.

Review by Paul McGee

Latest Reviews

This Is Tunng Magpie Bites and Other Cuts Full Time Hobby

An English folk music band that are often associated with the folktronica genre, due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work. Tunng are often noted for their use of strange instruments, unusual tunings and changes in timing and tempo. A prime example is Death And The Maiden Retold, a reworking of a traditional folk song, arranged in a uniquely different way...

This is album release number seven and is comprised of outtakes, special edition 7 inches and hidden tracks, old bits n’ pieces left off earlier projects and whatever else they came across in their vaults. The eleven tracks are selected across the years of their recording career and span 2004 to 2018. Two songs, Heatwave and Bank Holiday were left off the most recent release, Songs You Make At Night while a cover version of the Tim Buckley song, No Man Can Find The War is just an oddly, weird joy.

The arrangements are quirky and avant-garde but somehow it all holds together with a kind of pastoral elegance reminiscent of Old England in more innocent times. Bodies is an example of this and the strange Pool Beneath The Pond suggests medieval chant music with added sound effects. Magpie Bites is another addictive whacky piece of magic, reminding me of Gentle Giant. Band Stand is a slice of elegant pastoral electronica and Clump, like the whole project, is gently addictive on repeated playing. Check out this ground-breaking band!

Review by Paul McGee

Rupert Wates. Full Circle. Self Release

In early 2008 we posted a review of this artist’s last release, The Lights Of Paris, an impressive set of songs that dealt with the issues of our times in a time-honoured Folk tradition. This time out he returns to his roots – just voice and Lowden guitars, recorded live at Kevin Kelly's Workshoppe East Studios in Huntington, New York.  Wates produced the project himself and all 11 tracks were completed in less than five hours, with no overdubs, live in the studio.  It’s his tenth release over a career that has delivered much quality. 

His rich vocal style recalls, in part,  Richard Thompson, especially on Driverless Train, a song that reflects on a life and a society that is out of control and moving with no real direction. There are also echoes of an early John Martyn and tracks like The Sun On Clear Waters speaks of the legacy we are leaving for our children and the hope that young love and the simple beauty of nature can endure.

His guitar playing is of the highest order and his technical prowess on the instrument is perfectly matched by his flawless vocal delivery. Wates was born in London and has been a full-time songwriter since the late 1990s, His music has a timeless quality and tracks like God Knows and Easy Come & Easy Go, examine the circle of life and the passage of time with more questions than answers, but with a strong philosophy that sharing love and fellowship is what lies at the heart of everything. Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

Jake Xerxes Fussell Out of Sight Paradise of Bachelors

This talented musician has been releasing music of real quality since his debut recording appeared in 2015. However, long before this, Fussell was quietly learning his craft through early influences; originally his Father, Fred C. Fussell, a folklorist, curator, and photographer. He travelled across the American Southeast, documenting traditional vernacular culture, which included recording blues and old-time musicians; all of which had a profound impact on Jake. Growing up in Colombus, Georgia, he also travelled and lived in California and Mississippi, before settling in Durham, North Carolina where he currently resides. He focused on narrative folksongs and deepened his studies while honing his guitar skills under the guidance of blues legend Precious Bryant.

On Out of Sight, is the third album and as both guitarist and singer, Fussell displays a gently confident knack of interpreting the nine tracks selected from a variety of sources. Using a full band that  features Nathan Bowles (drums), Casey Toll (bass), Nathan Golub (pedal steel), Libby Rodenbough (violin, vocals) and James Anthony Wallace (piano, organ), the understated playing a sheer delight throughout and the ensemble really capture the evocative sound of these traditional tunes that stretch from 1900. 

There are songs about fishmongers (The River Of St. John’s), ship deckhands (Oh Captain), Cotton Mill workers (Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues) and the instrumentals Three Ravens and 16-20 showcase the superb fingerstyle of Fussell on guitar. The production is uncluttered and clear as a bell, evoking a timeless quality to the melodies and the understated playing. 

Michael Was Hearty, The Rainbow Willow, Jubilee and Drinking Of The Wine all contemplate the relative virtues of love and life with the obscure sources adding great integrity to the selection process and fastidious work of Fussell. Music to calm the soul and lift the spirit.

Review by Paul McGee

Mike Ross The Clovis Limit (Part 1) Self Release.

This is the third release from UK artist Mike Ross, a talented musician who trawls in the Roots/Blues seas and based on the evidence on The Clovis Limit (Part 1), he is something of a hidden gem. The ten tracks are of a consistently high quality with the playing and arrangements complementing the excellent song-writing ability of Ross, who also produced the project.

Kicking off with The Reason This Railroad, a slice of sweet Americana right out of the Stephen Stills songbook, with fine ensemble playing and leading into the sassy bar-room, Dr John feel of Young Man, dripping in atmosphere; the pace has been set.

 The soulful blues of Pick Up Our Anchor, with Elles Bailey on co-lead vocals, illustrates a confidence and swagger with the pedal steel of Smith Curry underpinning the strong tempo laid down by Brian Irwin on drums and Derek Randall on fender bass. Scarlet Coat reminds me of vintage Blue Rodeo in full swing and is an addictive tune, featuring an up-tempo beat and swirling pedal steel.

Ross is a fine singer and his delivery on the slow groove of Blow Away is perfectly accompanied by the fiddle playing of Andrea Young and the ever-present pedal steel that duels around the arrangement. Lily features dobro, fiddle and acoustic guitar and is a gentle ballad about unrequited love with deft and restrained playing throughout.

Grow Your Garden and Ever After are Blues tinged melodies with the warm sound of Stevie Watts on Hammond Organ and Matt Dutot Slocum on Wurlitzer piano to the fore. The closing track, Driftwood, is a country ramble through the realisation that we are no more than fragile entities upon this Earth and drifting on the sea of life. The addition of four radio edit tracks is a welcome way to end proceedings and this is a release that comes high on my list of favourites this year. 

Review by Paul McGee

Den of Ashes California Starry Eyed

The gentle easy sway of the title track opens this debut release and talks of leaving the rain of the East coast for the sunshine and optimism of life on the West coast of America. It sets the tone for the rest of the eight songs included here that deliver an elegant, contemporary country sound. 

Ash is the creative source behind the Den of Ashes moniker and his experience in visual media serves him well in the impressive presentation that accompanies the arrival of this album for review. It is always a good sign when you see a carefully packaged release in support of the music contained within.

The warm breezes of California gently blow through the sense of lightness here, where the vocals are delivered with an easy tone and the playing of Alex Alessandroni (piano, keyboards), Lili Haydn (violin), Dan Rothchild (bass), Robin DiMaggio (drums, percussion) anchor everything in a relaxed and restful way. The presence on four songs of Greg Leisz, on pedal steel, is a very pleasant addition to a production that is both clean and bright with plenty of space in the arrangements. There is a dream-like quality to the soundscape and an atmosphere that allows the players to perform with an understated touch and economy that brings depth to the songs.

The slow tempo of tracks like Sun In My Eyes and Canyon Walls are balanced by the more radio-friendly sounds of Easy Town and Late Night Radio. Hangman channels the voice of a deceased victim of the noose and a past that haunts, rather than reconciles. The plaintive tones of Living In My Dreams and Silver Dreams give the sense of wishing for another reality where life seems sweeter and wishes come true; the past brought to life in the present.

Recorded at The Séance Room in Los Angeles and self-produced by Ash, who also wrote all the songs and contributed guitar, harmonica and vocals, the project is one that brings plenty of rewards. A recommended release.

Review by Paul McGee

Tim Carter Wishes Tree O

It’s fairly obvious that Tim Carter is held in high esteem by his fellow Nashville musicians when one looks at the lineup he called upon to collaborate on his second solo album. Well known to Irish and British audiences from visits with his Carter Brothers Band, Tim has also played banjo with Hank Williams III, among others. A native of North Carolina, he is a Grammy nominated sound engineer and now produces music projects in his Treehouse Studio, outside Nashville. While he can play bluegrass banjo with the best of them, as heard on the opening instrumental Split Lip, Tim really loves to fuse his Appalachian roots with his lifelong love of blues, rock and soul.

He plays mandolin on the love song Shivering (co-written with his wife Cindy); here he’s joined by regular band member Mike McAdam (Steve Earle, Rodney Foster) on blistering electric guitar, and Johnny Neel (The Allman Brothers) on Hammond B-3. Together they create a whopping great slice of rollicking Southern Rock - Americana at its best. Johnny Neel’s incredible B3 playing also features heavily on Tim’s original song Fatback, where his funky banjo gets right down and dirty, accompanied by Rob Ickes’ bluesy lap steel and Trey Hensley’s electric guitar. Notable Nashville players in the form of Dann Sherrill on drums and Dave Roe on bass do a good job of keeping them all under control. Another standout track is the instrumental Fungus Amungus, where Tim’s sweet mandolin lead is complemented by brother Danny’s acoustic guitar playing, aided and abetted by the great John R Burr on organ and Smith Curry on dobro. All of the instrumentals and four of the six songs are originals or cowrites. The two covers are of Dylan’s Man Gave Names To All The Animals, which they manage to make enjoyable (it’s one of those marmite songs!) and a lovely cover of These Wishes Are Horses from the pen of David Goodman, featuring Barbara Lamb on fiddle. 

You might also catch Tim in his part time gig playing with Hayseed Dixie around Europe, but let’s hope he gets to tour over here with his Tim Carter Band sometime soon. In the meantime, check out this album.

Review by Eilís Boland

David Leask Six in 6:8 Self Release

David Leask is a Scotsman who has been living and making music in his adopted Ontario for much of his adult life. This album is a short collection of six songs, all written in ‘his favourite 6/8 time signature’. The well crafted songs are given a broadly folk rock treatment here by David and his co-producer Justin Abedin.

All co-writes, it’s easy to see why David has won (or been placed in) several songwriting competitions over the years.

 Red Balloon, a story song about a woman remembering her mothers words to ‘let it go, let it fly’ when her balloon flew off ... only to recall this advice when her marriage breaks up and again at her mother’s deathbed. It is given a Celtic flavour with the tin whistle, flute and concertina of Loretta Reid, subtly interwoven with Rob Ickes’ dobro playing. By contrast, When You Think No One Loves You finds David singing a solo ballad with only the piano accompaniment of Jonathan Goldsmith. The struggle of a post-conflict military veteran is explored in Can’t Make It Back Home - ‘so far from heaven, living this hell’.

If you like this solid collection, you might want to check out his five album back catalogue.

Review by Eilís Boland

Ben Bedford The Hermit’s Spyglass Cavalier Recordings

If, like me, Ben Bedford is a new name to you, do yourself a favour and check out this beautiful recording from a winner of the Kerrville Grassy Hill New Folk award in 2018. A concept album of sorts, it takes the listener through a day in the life of Ben and his trusty companion, Darwin the cat. Subtitled An Illinois Prairie Story, Ben (armed with just his voice and his acoustic guitar) magically transports us to his rural home The Hermitage and immerses us completely in his world, one in which he revels in the native trees, plants, birds and animals around him. There are five instrumental tracks, interspersed with six songs.

From the opening chords of the brief instrumental Morning Rise to the gentle closer Quiet on the Green Hill, it is almost impossible not to be drawn in. Lyrically, these poetic songs could stand on their own as spoken word pieces. “Little falcon way up high, how I wish that I could fly. Then, I wouldn’t have to know the unkindness here below” (Little Falcon). Another favourite is the little vignette Morning Coffee - “The kitchen alight, the coffee is on. Fill up my mind, thorn-tree of song.”

Ben’s accomplished guitar style is reminiscent of the British 1960s players like Bert Jansch and Davey Graham. Co-produced with David Cain, the sparse production is perfect for this immersive mindful journey,

Ben is due to return to tour in the UK and Europe again in Autumn 2019 - definitely worth travelling to see. The CD is accompanied by delightful simple line drawings of Darwin and Ben by Kristin Diehl. Seek it out, then sit back and relax.

Review by Eilís Boland

New Album Reviews

Peter Bruntnell King Of Madrid Domestico

I’ve always failed to understand why Peter Bruntnell is not a household name in the industry. His latest offering King Of Madrid, had me head scratching on that very point after just a couple of spins. In a similar vein as the excellent Nos Da Comrade, released by him in 2016, it includes both explosive and heartrending material in equal measures. Again, there is nothing approaching a filler or weak track on the album. The only distinguishing factors this time around, are a lot more jangly guitars and gloriously slick pedal steel. Once more the listener is presented with a cracking collection of songs, that land somewhere between Son Volt and The Byrds, with a pinch of Teenage Fanclub on the side. 

The beefy opener Broken Wing at over six minutes isn’t a second too long. The subject matters of liberation and healing are visited. Like so much of Bruntnell’s material, the lyrics are often only considered after a few plays, such is the addictive impact of the melodies and hooks, that initially hit you right between the eyes. His distinctive vocals alongside twangy guitars and competing pedal steel are a joy. A striking guitar break, courtesy of Bruntnell, closes the track in fine style. Mr. Sunshine, the opening track from his previous album, aimed fire and brimstones at a political showman across the pond. This time around the shambolic political quagmire closer to home surfaces on Dinosaur (‘‘Greed just follows you around …..how could you know that public opinion never counted for much ‘’). Its edgy lyrics are the perfect match to the equally edgy and psychedelic sonics. Thief of Joy follows a similar thread (‘’You had the people’s fate in your hands, talking about the promised land … you can’t even tell me the truth but you don’t know why’’), directed at the monstrous political figureheads dominating the U.K. political landscape at present. Its infectious melody disguises the sordid message within.  National Library the albums closer, has a similar sentiment (‘’Do what you want it’s up to you, I know that you really don’t care, don’t want to change your point of view, you wouldn’t know what is fair’’). Bruntnell’s clever mid song inclusion of politicians squabbling childishly in the background enhances the songs message perfectly.

The title track heads in an entirely alternative direction, giving the listener time to pause for breath. It reads and sounds like an apology written to a lover for, perhaps, a minor misdemeanour. It’s a more relaxed lounge lizard offering than the majority of other tracks alongside it. The boxing gloves are removed, replaced temporarily, by a tuxedo and bow tie.  London Clay is vintage Bruntnell, bright and bouncy, loaded with more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle bag. 

Taking control of the production duties this time around, Bruntnell surrounded himself with trusted musicians and friends, all of who have performed with him on stage at some point. Mick Clews play drums, Peter Noone bass, Dave Little guitar and James Walbourne adds keyboards on the track Snow Queen. The icing on the cake is the addition of B.J. Cole and Iain Sloan on pedal steel guitar, which elevates much of the material to an altogether higher level. 

Mention must also be made of the impressive packaging and the messaging contained within.  A lovely  touch in mentioning our Kilkenny friends Clive Barnes, Garrett Kehoe, Gerard Moloney and in particular the late great Willie Meighan, all of whom have been enthusiastically supportive of Bruntnell on his many visits to Ireland, both on and off stage

In simple terms, the album is yet another collection of strikingly and evocative songs from Bruntnell. It once more showcases his talent at writing, arranging and delivering lasting music.  I hope to hear a better album this year, but seriously I doubt that I will.

Review by Declan Culliton

Caroline Spence Mint Condition Rounder

Spades & Roses, recorded in 2017, was my initial introduction to the music of Nashville resident Caroline Spence. Magical and dreamy and laced with tales of personal disarray, the album drew comparisons to Patty Griffin in both its song structure and vocal delivery. Mint Condition, her third release, is further evidence of Spence’s ability to blend impassioned lyrics and engrossing melodies. It also demonstrates a growing maturity and confidence from Spence, even if much of the material ventilates the frustrations of personal relationships and the strife of survival and personal fulfilment in a gruelling and often unforgiving industry.

Sometimes a Woman Is An Island, Who Are You and the title track, which features Emmylou Harris on backing vocals, are all beautiful tunes. However, the stand out material comes to the surface when she lets rip on the Kathleen Edwards sounding What You Don’t Know and the equally muscular Who’s Gonna Make My Mistakes. It’s unfair to always compare an album with its predecessor. Nevertheless, Mint Condition is a giant step forward by an artist coming out of her shell, growing in confidence and striking another homerun for the seemingly endless list of female artists that are dominating the business end of Americana at present. 

Spence appears to be opening up more and gathering strength on each successive album. While her earlier albums traded in traditionally melodic country folk, she has the skill set to challenge herself outside her comfort zone. Parts of this album are confirmation of this, so hopefully she might take a leaf out of Margo Price’s book, play less safe and push out the boundaries a bit more going forward. The results could be well worth the gamble.

Review by Declan Culliton

Orville Peck Pony Sub Pop

Who is that masked man? Orville Peck (alias Daniel Pitout) is the drummer from Vancouver indie band Nu Sensae. He’s also the proud owner of no fewer than fifteen handmade fringed masks, which he wears on stage.  His sonically experimental debut solo album is a left of centre throwback to what was once labelled ‘country and western’ music. The album plays out like a Western movie score, more Gothic than Spaghetti, brilliant in parts, even if it does stray well wide of conventional at times. With a booming vocal range that lands somewhere between Marlon Williams and Daniel Romano, Peck's lyrics and vocal delivery create stunning imagery across the twelve tracks on the album.  Fading light, blood red skies, rodeo queens, outlaw gamblers, wide uncrossable rivers, desert winds, marauding and careering cattle, all entered my subconscious a couple of plays in.

The material ranges from easy on the ear tours de force Dead Of Night, Winds Change, Roses Are Falling, Hope To Die and Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call) to the more challenging and mythical Kansas (Remembers Me) and Old River. The common denominator in them all is Peck’s full-toned vocals, equally impressive playing, arrangements and killer melodies.  Peck contributes the bulk of the instrumentation of guitars, banjo and keyboards. Additional guitar and keyboards are courtesy of Duncan Hay Jennings, with Lucas Savatti adding bass guitar. Recorded at The Noise Floor Studios in Gabriola Island in the Strait of Georgia in British Colombia, the tracks were recorded and mixed by Jordan Koop.

Credit to the Sub Pop label for giving Peck the exposure to a wider audience than would have been the case had the album been self-released. It will be interesting to follow whether it’s an attention seeker to launch his career, or whether Peck lets the mask slip and gallops off in a different musical direction next time around. Either way, although it may not be to everyone’s taste, personally I found it to be enthralling in the most part.

 Review by Declan Culliton

Frankie Lee Stillwater Loose

There is currently no shortage of bearded male singer songwriters taking shade under the Americana umbrella. Many appear to have been indoctrinated on a musical diet of Neil Young (1969 to 1976). Frankie Lee could be accused of being a member of this mushrooming household. If you played Stillwater and Young’s Harvest Moon back to back, you would pick up the likenesses. The dissimilarity between Lee and other such artists is that these resemblances are more a compliment to the strength of the material on the album than any copycat suggestion. In the same vein as his Loose label mate Israel Nash, the quality of his music outshines the majority of his peers.

Signed to Loose in 2015, Lee’s impressive album American Dreams - named debut album of the year by Rolling Stone - was a pointer to the potential and talent of the Minnesota born artist. Stillwater raises the bar further, offering delicate and intimate grooves, alongside some more rock tinged songs.

The album’s title namechecks the small town in middle America where Lee was born. It is also where the album was recorded over three days. Setting up studio in the small house where he grew up and under the watchful eye of co-producer Jacob Hanson, all nine tracks were either first or second takes. Given that he returned to his home town to record, it’s not surprising that much of the album’s direction focuses on reflections on his past, possibly seeking final closure on unsettling personal issues. Given these origins, themes of lost lovers, land repossessions and dwindling local employment all feature. Gentrification and the ill effects of unrestrained commercialism are visited on Downtown Lights, the first single from the album. The song is derived from a dream he had of walking with actress Jessica Lange down Stillwater’s Main Street. The ex-resident Lange, on leaving Stillwater, lamented how the town had lost its soul when the condos and tourist shops arrived, a sentiment also close to Lee’s heart.

The albums opener Speakeasy is a delight, acoustic and electric guitar wrapping around Lee’s silky vocal, unexpectedly but atmospherically joined by wind instruments at the songs climax. The slower paced In the Blue also impresses, echoed vocals and tingling piano complimenting each other. Desperation and actuality are the themes on (I Don’t Want To Know) John, the innocence of bygone days traded against the harsh reality of small town America. The albums final track Ventura is stripped back to the bare bones, only piano and harmonica accompanying Lee’s vocal.

Thoughtful song constructions, unhurried and patient, all contribute to another very satisfying album from Lee. Surprisingly he still remains slightly under the radar. If there’s any justice at all, Stillwater should raise his profile. Do seek it out, I’ve no doubt you’ll enjoy every bit as much as I am

Review by Declan Culliton

Silver Lake 66 Ragged Heart Self Release

Album two from the Portland, Oregon based duo of Maria Francis and Jeff Overbo. It continues from where their debut album left off, with a slew of self-written songs that mix classic and country rock with a solid energy and enthusiasm that is forward looking rather than retro in outlook. The majority of the songs come from Overbo with four contributions from Francis. They write solo, which offers an individual viewpoint yet a similar outlook. The songs mix lead vocals, with one or the other normally taking that role, ably backed by the other. Although some songs, like the opening Blue Earth Country, feature both handling the lead together. They are both very capable of delivering in that department and they do so throughout.

The duo produced the album with Bryan Daste, who plays pedal steel and alto sax and prepared the string and horn arrangements on the album. They are joined by Toupee Zehr and Chaz Holmes on bass and drums as a string and brass section on certain tracks (the trumpet player is one time Richmond Fontaine member Paul Brainard. This all makes for a sound that is varied and emphasises the melodic nature of the songs that are written, largely, from an honest, personal perspective. Hard Things To Do has an impassioned vocal from Francis on the Overbo written song, evoking the difficult nature of relationships.

There are a number of songs that are taken at a slower tempo that allows the pedal steel to underline the mood of the song as in Check Out To Cash (which in these parts that would be Cheque). The song has a slow intensity, underscored by steel, strings and guitar. Francis’ Broken Dreams And Cigarettes follows a similar pattern and features what may be Francis’ best vocal that perfectly fits the meditative melancholy of the lyrics. The album closes with something of a back-handed love song in Such A Mess. Ragged Heart is a show case for Silver Lake 66, one which will be well received, marking the continuing development of their music.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Kelly Hunt Even The Sparrow Rare Bird

On the cover of this album, Hunt in a tintype photograph, is pictured holding a banjo. Both suggest an earlier place and time and, indeed, the music here possesses a timeless quality. Kelly is credited with the songs which are tales of bygone eras that have a resonance in the present. This is particularly evident in Men Of The Blue & Grey (a song about a American Civil War photographer), Back To Dixie and Across The Great Divide (a love song, although one that may not be necessarily be reciprocated).

That banjo on the cover was a discovery of a case that contained an instrument which produced an altogether different sound than expected, softer and more soulful. It was once owned by a player named Ira Tamm back in the early years of the 20th century. It has a softer less harsh tone, but offers a perfect accompaniment to her fluid, folk flavoured voice. To fill the sound, she adds as required, upright bass, fiddle, organ and pedal steel as well as background vocals. Stas Heaney who (with others) plays most of these instruments, is the album’s co-producer. The sound throughout is subtle and effectively sparse, allowing the voice to tell the stories with conviction.

The album took time to record and is Hunt’s debut. She wanted to get it right and detect a way for these songs to find their own voice. It marks the start of what is likely to be a noted career. Hunt joins the ranks of those who embrace an older time and order, but do so in a way that is redolent of the modern traditionalist movement. Hunt not only involved herself in every aspect of the music, but also designed the evocative cover. A complete package that stands out by being true to itself. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jeffery Halford and the Healers West Towards South Floating

A heavy and life hardened sound that is full of grit and gavel with tales entirely suited to a country-noir visual setting. There is evidence of some dirty blues and heartland rock, setting the perfect tone for these tales of dead men’s hands, gallows and suffocating small towns. Each song reads like a brief scenario for a gritty realism and retribution. Aside from Halford and his Healers, there are a number of additional players bringing their skills to create this elemental sound. Halford produced together with Healer Adam Rossi and engineer Dion Zimmer, who also co-wrote several of the songs with Halford. 

The album opens with the title track, a tale of Cyrus and Ambrose, who also feature in the final track Ballad Of Ambrose And Cyrus. They are a part of the story elsewhere too. It’s Halford voice that is the focus of these songs, an instrument of depth and dynamism, that draws you into the maelstrom of ragged guitars and swirling keyboards. A sound of hard-worn Americana that could easily have come along twenty years ago, but is as welcomed now as it would have been then. This cycle of songs tells its own tale of two brothers and their paths, offering a glimpse into a place that many would not physically want to go, but are happy to ride along with these musicians as guides. Deeper The Hell, Dead Man’s Hand, A Town Called Slow, Sea Of Cortez, The Gallows and Geronimo all sounds like episodes of a gritty TV series - one filled with atmosphere and abrasion.

After eight albums, the sound that Halford has been forging has now been honed to a sharp edge. Strong arrangements that are a distillation of certain aspects of Americana may spark comparisons with some contemporaries, but he has made  this album in a way that does not always come together in other cases as well as it does here. West Towards South should be on your musical compass if you like some roots rock and roll that is a hard as it is real.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Sean Whiting High Expectations Eastwood

The image of a large truck on the album’s front cover is backed up by the full throttle voice and music of Sean Whiting and his band. They play a Southern Rock orientated selection of songs, that sound like they could easily have been around a few decades ago. Whiting grew up in Eastern Kentucky listening to ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, Free and Hank Williams Jr. All of who are detectable in the DNA of this album. His demeanour is that of a man of the South, something that is clearly in his soul and in the way he sings. His hometown also was the birthplace of Loretta Lynn and her sister Crystal Gayle as well as Chris Stapleton. It is with the latter that he would have the most affinity. A big sound behind a big voice.

The players here have been previously associated with Whiting and include guitarist David Prince, Chris Justice on bass and drummer Hayden Miles. They are all players capable of delivering a ballad as well as hot for the highway gear shifting grooves. The songs are ones that are reflections of Whiting’s life and times, either lived, observed or understood. His voice is  flexible, one that can be reflective as in Melody or be tender as in the ode to his wife that is The Happy Song. The ten self written songs were co-produced by Whiting and Wesley Allen and by using the three players mentioned, they produce a full and expensive sound that is in keeping with the overall intent of his musical direction. Stop Crazy has a solid riff that reminds of U.K. rockers Free amongst others, with Whiting’s voice powering the music along. SOB finds Whiting alone with his guitar and performing the song, with as much conviction (and honesty) as the full band tracks.

This is an album that shows how wide the spread of Americana/Roots music spans. Some few years ago it would have been classified as rock, pure and simple. Whiting grew up with music, playing drums at an early age and later playing guitar in a covers band, before he began to write his own material. Finally The Beginning, his previous and first album, was released a couple of years back and this second album is a consolidation of what he learned from that experience and from countless gigs. His possesses a sound that is now as current as it was back when his influences were regulars in the charts. A place, that given the right breaks, Whiting might just find himself in the future with high expectations.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Chad Richard Worthy Cause Self Release

With the ongoing rise of Chris Stapleton as an alternative to the more wayward elements currently pushing for places on the country charts,there should be room for a singer and writer whose overall style would not be dissimilar to Stapleton’s. Richard is based in Texas and this, his second album, is recorded with Walt Wilkins again wearing the producer’s hat,alongside Ron Flynt. 

What is immediately impressive is Richard’s deep and resonant vocals and a set of self-written songs that reflect a life that has seen both light and darkness. A solid studio team has been gathered that includes both producers,who add enough variety and texture to the songs to hold interest throughout. The album opens with Slow Rollin’ Stateline a slow, soulful reflection on growing up in Louisiana and absorbing the different musical influences that surrounded Richard and which  form the diversity on show here. Love Anyway is more country in style and reminiscent of some of the best 90’scountry. Other songs like Right Now, with some solid Dobro playing,makesthe point of living in the moment. Slightly more other wordily is German Angel, the story of a house in the Texas Hill country which has the retained a ghostly presence of former lodgers.

The title track is a love song and is perhaps going to remind the casual listener of the aforementioned Stapleton,though not in any calculated way. This album is true Richards’ soul through and through. Also personal (and universal) is 12 More Days Of Blue which deals with the  relationship of a child and a divorced parent and the regulated time they may have together. Fredericksburg is a song that looks at a way a couple can drift apart with life’s demands and finding the time to find each other again.

The tempos, in the main, are slow paced and bluesy and allow the mood to balance a certain melancholy with a positive outlook. The overall album speaks for itself and is best considered within some quiet space and time. As the album title says it is a worthy cause and one that should and, hopefully, will find listeners for its  mature and mindful roots music.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Adam Carroll I Walk In Them Shoes Self Release

This well regarded musician’slatest album underscores why he has achieved many  admirers among other songwriters,as well as fans. This is a stripped back recording that features just Carroll’s voice and guitar and some judicious pedal steel, rhythm and slide guitar accompaniment from producer Lloyd Maines.

Carroll introduces each song with a spoken title and what follows is the bare bones delivery of the songs with sparse arrangements or no uneeded elaboration. It is then likely to be close to what you would hear in a live concert,allowing the words to be clear and considered. There have been comparisons to John Prine, Guy Clark and to Townes van Zandt; which makes sense, given that this songsmith has sought to make every word countv throughout. His songs are about characters and lifestyles that are vivid and visual in their descriptive power. This Old Garage is about songwriters and song-writing and mentions Ritchie Havens, John Sebastian and Willie Nelson in passing. The title song, a co-write with Paul Cauthen and Brian Rug, also looks at the life of the modern troubadour for good and bad. On Cordelia Carroll, there isuse ofa harmonium to add an element of depth to a song that is one he wrote for his wife. My Only Good Shirt equates the garment with a life that has been equally well worn but loved.

Carroll’swriting style is not oblique,but rather uses its commonality of language to bring clarity to the essence of what these songs mean. In this bare state they are the essence of storytelling at its most direct and therefore brings you closer to the songs that Carroll (and his co-writers) intended. It feels like those shoes will comfortable for many a mile.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys Self-Titled Self Release

Although Byrd has other releasesunder his own name this is the only album recorded with The Pickup Cowboys. This was due to the illness and subsequent passing of bassist/cellist Paul Ford. This is an obvious loss, as the album they recorded together is both interesting and enjoyable one. The songs were, in the main, written by Byrd with a few exceptions, including two songs written by Matt Fockler. The sound is a modern take on some traditionally-minded contemporary country music. Lakota Sioux (by Fockler) is a celebration of the Native American tribe and its culture and pursuit of the buffalo before being forced to live on a reservation. There is a  kind of tongue in cheek humour that runs through some of the songs such as Temporary Tattoo “I showed my love for you with a temporary tattoo … I didn’t want it to hurt.”

Very much at the heart of this album with Byrd is fellow multi-instrumentalist Johnny Waken and the rhythm section of the aforementioned Ford and drummer Joanna Miller. The sound is a blend of folk, rock and country embellished with touches of mandolin, piano, toy glockenspiel and musical saw. The album was recorded in Chapel Hill in North Carolina and a location that has been immersed in  a strong musical community for several years. Byrd has a distinctive enough voice to handle the different moods of the songs from the semi-yodel of the opening Pickup Cowboy, through the up-tempo and invigorating Tractor Pull - a boy meets girl scenario. Another highlight is the catchy and true When The Well Runs Dry.

Later in a more folkish mode is the cello and acoustic guitar mode of It Don’t Make Sense and the sweet acoustic lullaby of Do You Dream, that uses the musical saw to good effect. The latter two songs end the album in a more reflective, less upfront mode, that works even if it gives the album a wider remit than some may like. In the end though, it is a fitting tribute to all involved.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Eric Bolander The Wind Eastwood

The title track has garnered attention for its considered look at adversity and the struggle that can come to stand up to it. Bolander is an Americana artist with all that that entails: a mix of country, folk, country rock, southern rock, country soul and all points west. There is a brooding weary intensity to some of the songs like Oh Lord, a prayer-like exhortation that has cancer and medication at its core. It, like many of the tracks here, has both banjo and cello giving a high/low balance behind the sonorous vocal. Many of the other songs fall into this  theme of hard times and the compensating look for highs. Bolander grew up in a small Kentucky town and knew all about the needsto work hard and think beyond expectations to achieve what he wanted in life. This is not exactly a cheerful album but neither is it one that brings you down; rather you can empathise with the struggles involved in the subjects of these songs.

His version of Purple Rain is not the first time that Prince has been covered by a country/Americana artist but this version takes the song to a different and more rootsy place that justifies its inclusion and its sounds perfectly in sync with the overall mood of the album and Bolander’s songwriting. Bolander co-produced the album with Duane Lundy and uses the core players of Ben Caldwell and Seth Murphy on drums and bass/cello. Trenton Jenkins plays the banjo that is often prominent on the album. Lundy adds keyboards and Bolander the guitars.

He has previouslyplayed in blues/rock bands and that experience is a part of his musical landscape, alongside the influence of such straight hearted country singers like Keith Whitley, Don Williams and George Jones. Closer to home he also cites John Moreland in that list of influential musicians. The Wind is an album for a certain mood and listening time where and when it will offer you solace and satisfaction.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Bard Edrington V Espadín Self Release

A performer who is channelling the directness and simplicity of blues and old-time music in his own way. The Santa Fe, New Mexico singer songwriter has made an album that takes his influences a step forward into these times and does so while respecting the traditions that the songs were drawn from. The title is a reflection of the time he spent playing music in Mexico and the culture and landscape of that country has also found a place in his own writing and playing.

He worked with co-producers Bill Palmer and Boris McCutcheon to deliver an album that sounds like some storytelling at its most concise,accompanied by arrangements that run from the stripped down (Spread My Wings, Rendezvous Duel) to the full band with trumpet that evokes a region with some shades of authenticity (Take Three Breaths). There are a number of additional instruments involved here that add to the flavour of these location infused stories. Bass, drums and guitar are central to a lot of the music but it is enhanced with cello, viola, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and accordion. Centred around an acoustic heartbeat the songs are full of life, love and latitude.

Edrington is also a convincing singer and player who utilises his gifts to good effect on this hisdebut solo release. He previously released a number of albums as a part of a band, The Palm In The Cypress. He is a musician who, with his family, lives anoutdoor life where he can experience life at its most grounded. That connection comes across in the music. However,in the end what makes this special is how you feel about the music that is on offer here and that is a powerful distillation of all the thethings that have made Edrington who and what he is. And that is a musician who brings his blend of the flavours of Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, Mexico and New Mexico to life in this rewarding album.

Review by Stephen Rapid

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Josh Hyde Into the Soul Self Release

Opening with the blues shuffle of Rocking Chair and continuing with the rich rhythm of Smile; Louisiana native Josh Hyde continues to confirm himself as a musician of some depth and groove. This is his second release and there is a mix of Little Feat meets Bonnie Raitt to some of the arrangements and a strong sense of New Orleans influences on a number of other tracks.

The slow drift of For You I Ache, with atmospheric pedal steel by Chris Lippincott meeting creative piano runs of Jimmy Wallace, is a real joy while the easy tempo of Lover’s Curse and The Key suggest a more commercial, radio-friendly workout. 

Down On Bourbon Street and All You Need Is Soul really solidify the feeling that here is an artist of real talent and the closing track, Reasons Why, delivers a slow reflective coda to all that has gone before. Country Soul with some swagger and a very enjoyable listen.

Review by Paul McGee

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Andy Statman Monroe Bus Shefa

Growing up in Queens, NYC was the beginnings of an eclectic education in a variety of musical genres, all of which have led to the creation of this impressive collection of 13 tracks, supposedly centered around the influence of Bill Monroe, bluegrass legend, but, in reality, delivering so much more outside the confines of such a restrictive box.

The bluegrass influence is very prevalent on tracks such as Monroe Bus, Brooklyn Hop, Raw Ride, Statman Romp and Lakewood Waltz, but there is so much more to admire in the colour of the jazz tinged workouts, Ain’t No Place For a Girl Like you and Reflections; to the avant-garde progressions of Ice Cream On the Moon, which reminds me of that wonderful English band, Gentle Giant, in composition. The lack of any vocals on the album should take something away from the overall experience but it doesn’t seem to impact as the various tracks unfold.

A mandolin player par excellence, Statman has gathered a group of studio musicians who generate quite an impressive array of phrasings and skills across the tracks on offer. Statman has a very fluid and lyrical playing style and some of his solos are quite dizzying in technique. All tunes are composed by the man himself and production by Edward Haber brings great clarity and space to the sound.  The reflective Old East River Road, with Hammond and pump organ accompaniment, is typical of the side roads taken throughout this project, with all routes leading back to a very impressive destination that delivers on a number of fronts.  

Review by Paul McGee

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Kristina Stykos River of Light Thunder Ridge

Kristina Stykos is a music producer, recording engineer, songwriter, radio host, podcaster and a very talented musician. She is based in Vermont, where she has her own recording studio, Pepperbox - a solar, wind and generator powered space, fully off-the-grid and where this record was created. She also has her own record label, Thunder Ridge Records, to release her own material and has produced over 20 albums for herself and various clients since 2005.

In the past, Lonesome Highway has reviewed two of her own releases; Wyoming Territory (2012) and Horse Thief (2015). Her sound is very much American Roots music and as an artist who appreciates the beauty and benefits of nature, her rich lyrical imagery is matched by her passionate delivery.

On this project, Kristina delivers 13 self-penned songs and a self-produced sound that is crystal clear and full of bright spaces. Kristina plays a range of instruments throughout, from guitars to mandolins and from keyboards to her powerful vocals - reminiscent of Patti Smith; some spoken-word, plenty of edgy conviction and always delivering in spades.

The studio band comprises Val McCallum (guitars, vocals), Steve Mayone (guitars, bass, lap steel, shaker & vocals), Patrick Ross (fiddle, cello), Jeff Berlin (drums) and Abby Jenne (vocals). Together they complement each other seamlessly and produce a real tour de force with a high level of playing and performance. 

Songs like Walking These Ridges and Since You Asked look at standing alone in life, being independent and looking to Mother Nature for answers and quiet calm. A theme of going back to basics repeats in songs like Breaking Trail and Waging Peace, while in Blessed Light, there are prayers for our redemption offered in the hope that humankind can find a way back to the Source.

At the Edge has a terrific groove and looks to new answers, as revolution seems to be a viable solution against the greed in the world.  Relationships and their abusive power are the subject of Caught By The Heart, while In The Cleansing Rain looks at the naked honesty and trust that are sought in true love.

Our lack of perspective is pitted against the path that mother nature walks, as a primal influence, and Kristina examines the need to trust ourselves and the enduring power of this Earth to provide. This is a talent that merits close attention.

Review by Paul McGee

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Latest Album Reviews

James Steinle South Texas Homecoming Self-Release

Less than a minute into the opening track of James Steinle’s maiden album and his cards are laid squarely on the table. The accented drawled vocal and stinging pedal steel have an undisputable Texas ring about them. These benchmarks are firmly stamped across the twelve tracks on the album. It’s a direct statement of where he’s coming from musically. Although he’s uncomfortable being simply branded with the ‘country artist’ tag, the album is a throwback to what was once labelled ‘Texan Country’. There is a new generation of artists emerging from the Lone Star State keeping that flame burning and Steinle’s name can undoubtedly be added to that checklist. The driving forces that inspire these enthusiasts are often fellow statesmen such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen and adopted Texans Steve Earle and Chris Knight.

South Texas Homecoming pays homage to them all, both in the structure of the material and the quality of the playing throughout. A number of the songs had me head scratching, wondering had I come across them before. Finding Out Who I Always Shoulda Been may be a statement of Steinle’s musical vocation. ‘’I’ve been known to spread myself thin and I’ve gone back time and time again. These wheels have taken me for a spin, now I’m finding out who I always shoulda been’’. Plucked out of Robert Earl Keen’s styling it boasts slick lyrics, flowing vocals, neat fiddling and lots of gilt-edged pedal steel. More than just a copycat track, it could nestle proudly beside the best of Earl Keen’s work. Pictures slows things down a notch or two, a gentle acoustic ballad with a story to tell of loneliness and separateness. The eerie Give Some More is vintage Earle, Copperhead Road era.

Western Swing gets an outing with the jazzy South Texas Way: you can nearly feel the burning sun and see the fish jumping in the midday heat as Steinle rejoices “Y’all city slickers been living alright, but when’s the last time you saw stars at night? That’s why I’m sticking to the sticks. Outta sight!”. Zancudo (Mosquito) Blues plays out like it’s dressed up in old-time hillbilly attire. However, far from tongue in cheek, its lyrics insinuate unimaginable pain from a persecuted soul, racked by loss.  Look Out Below Mama follows an autobiographical tale of returning to Texas from the Middle East after a seemingly lifetime away from home. Confessional to the bone, it tells of a privileged upbringing abroad and a difficult rehabilitation both psychologically and socially, on returning to Texas. The old timey delight Sticky Nickels hints at personal recovery and comeback. It features another emerging Austin talent Carson Mc Hone on harmony vocals and a pledge by Steinle - “Because the way I’m living it’s quite unorthodox, got a busted compass and holy socks. I never quit moving, don’t mean I can’t stop’’.

For this writer, South Texas Homecoming is one that nearly got away. Released in mid-2018 it only came to my attention recently. A couple of plays in and it feels like a collection of songs I’ve been listening to for an age. John Ross Silva, who previously worked with Kris Kristofferson, Hayes Carll, Hal Ketchum and Jamie Lin Wilson, handled the production duties and got the mix spot on, helped enormously by the quality of the playing throughout.

There is great music still coming out of Texas, although sometimes you just have to do a bit of digging to uncover it. With the calibre of Steinle, Carson Mc Hone, Kayla Ray, Jamie Lin Wilson and Jason James representing the newer generation of Texan songsmiths, it’s safe to say the future is in safe hands. Let’s hope they bring their generation of music lovers and punters along with them to support them on the journey. South Texas Homecoming arrived over a month ago and a lot of other albums have landed since. Having said that, I’m still finding myself wading through the pile to play this one time and time again. It’s discoveries like this that make this reviewing lark so worthwhile!

Review by Declan Culliton 

Massy Ferguson Great Divides North & Left

Seattle grinding alt-rockers Massy Ferguson’s reputation as a storming live act is well established. Occupying the same space as The Bottle Rockets, Lucero, The Hold Steady and to a slightly lesser degree Son Volt, the four piece’s music concoction of high energy grunge, cowpunk and rock excels on Great Divides. The album follows their 2017 release Run Right Into The Wall. It’s musically on the same page but creates a more lasting impression of a band shifting into top gear and delivering their beefiest collection of songs to date.

I often feel that slotting bands like Massy Ferguson into the Americana genre, however well meaning, does not do them favours, or justice for that matter. I’m eagerly waiting the re-emergence of a simple tag called ‘rock’, and giving acts like them and others a larger and more appreciative listenership. 

The four-piece band features founding members and songwriters Ethan Anderson (vocals and bass) and Adam Monda (vocals and guitars).  Dave Goedde (drums) and Fred Slater (keyboards) complete the foursome. Adra Boo, one half of the now defunct electric funk duo Fly Moon Royalty, adds bluesy vocals on the albums first single - the Stonesy Maybe The Gods.  Drop An Atom Bomb On Me rocks along full tempo with a wily Sweet Home Alabama riff. Echoed guitar and keyboards open the full-on belter Rerun. It’s not all full throttle though - Saying You Were There and Wolf Man prove that Anderson and Monda are no slouches, penning and delivering killer torch ballads as well as rampant rockers. The album’s highlight is Momma’s In The Backseat, bringing to mind The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn. The song communicates directly with the listener, catching your attention and holding it. Its spoken delivery of adolescent misadventure is instantly addictive. The song narrative tells of teenagers out at night, cruising and looking for action. It all ends in tears as they are sent packing by kids with a similar motive, with the scribe relieved to get home to Momma and his comfort zone; “what I wanted to do was wrap myself in that old Star Wars blanket and go to sleep’’. 

Massy Ferguson are yet another band from the US that have earned a growing fan base in Europe where they tour regularly, playing festivals and headline shows. Lovers of the previously mentioned The Hold Steady’s music will recognise the similarities and qualities of Great Divide and love it. A killer rock album, simple as that!

Review by Declan Culliton

Steel Blossoms Self-Title Billy Jam

First impressions can often be deceptive. On my initial spin of Steel Blossoms second full length release my first impressions were of gorgeous harmonies, tight playing and some slick songs. The liner notes with the album open with the following acknowledgment “First, we want to thank our heavenly father for giving us the gift of music and blessing us with the opportunity to share it with others for a living’’. On further spins and having read that I was surprised, but not disappointed, by the subject matter of many of the songs, which contradict the girl next door images of the duo that adorn the impressive album packaging. Topics including domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, infidelity and murder are visited across the albums ten tracks, giving the album an unexpected quirky edge.

Sarah Zebley and Hayley Prosser are childhood friends raised in small town Pittsburgh. Relocating to Nashville, the duo initially made their mark performing in bars and honky tonks in Music City before spreading their wings with bookings at festivals across the US. They were the first signing to award winning songwriter Jerry Salley’s Billy Jam record label. Salley also undertook production duties and co-wrote five of the tracks on this album.  

You’re The Reason I Drink is a modern day take on a familiar country song theme. “I was feeling kinda cautious when you brought me two Beroccas, you were thinking this would set me free’’. I don’t recall any other classic country song that name checks an energy drink but it’s tongue in cheek and catchy as hell. Trailer Neighbour is equally light hearted, playful and easy on the ear.  Revenge is an altogether different story, a dark tale of domestic abuse narrated by the slayed partner as she plots to haunt her killer. Killed A Man revisits the controlling relationship issue, unremorseful and matter of fact: “I didn’t want to do but he would have beat me to it’’. Pick Me Up is classic country - alcohol enslavement and escapism from the mundane nine to five job at its core. Innocent laments the loss of childhood simplicity and the often hard knocks that real life delivers. The rousing You Ain’t Sleeping Over is full on Route One honky tonk: “ Put that ring on my finger or don’t come knocking on my door’’. Kentucky’s Never Been This Far closes the album in style - abandoning the booze, pills and marauding of the preceding tracks, it’s a simple country love ballad, the only cover on the album and a fitting bookend to the album.

Steel Blossoms should appeal to fans of Kacy Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and particularly  The Secret Sisters. Their formula of polished country songs, flawless musicianship and production, together with divine vocal delivery and spikey harmonies should get them a lot of industry attention. The album is loaded with radio friendly songs without crossing over to the dreaded pop/country that dominates radio playlists at present. With the benefit of a few breaks and with the correct exposure, this album should establish Steel Blossoms as serious players in the mainstream country market.

Review by Declan Culliton

Eric Brace, Peter Cooper, Thomm Jutz Riverland  Red Beet

Concept albums don’t always work, but this Nashville trio of friends have blown that concept right out of the water with this superlative collection of songs themed around the Mississippi River. Seldom does an album come along that impresses this much on first listen and then continues to improve exponentially with each play.

In fact, it’s not surprising, given the pedigree of the artists involved, that there was a bit of a fight here in Lonesome Highway when the album came up for review! I’m just lucky that I was in the right place at the right time..

German born multi-instrumentalist songwriter Thomm Jutz is rarely out of the bluegrass charts these days, either as a songwriter or as a producer. This collaboration is the second album from the trio and was recorded and mixed in Thomm’s studio. Renaissance man Peter Cooper is renowned as a music journalist with The Tennessean and a lecturer in Vanderbilt University, as well as being a consummate songwriter and performer. Co-founder of Red Beet Records, Eric Brace formerly worked as a journalist in DC before moving to East Nashville and falling into the company of fellow musicians and songwriters.

Most of the songs are written by one or other of the trio either solo or collaboratively, but they are also joined by regular co-writer John Hadley for a couple of songs. Mainly recorded on acoustic instruments, they are bolstered by the presence of Mark Fain on bass, Mike Compton on mandolin, Lynn Williams on drums and Tammy Rogers (The Steeldrivers) on fiddle. 

The historical context of the river is explored in two songs: Down Along The River details the taking of Vicksburg in 1863 by General Grant after a four month siege; and Drowned And Washed Away is a sombre retelling of the horrors of the flood of 1927 - here Thomm’s melancholy playing on resonator guitar sets the mood most beautifully. Mike Compton’s mastery of the mandolin shines in the story of a keelboat man (half wild horse and half swamp gator!) who was effectively made redundant by the arrival of the steamboat - all explained in King Of The Keelboat Men.

In The Presence Of The River mentions many of the literary and musical geniuses that the famous river has spawned, but it stands out as a demonstration of the heavenly three part harmonies that the three close friends are capable of. Civil right and civil wrongs are raised in Mississippi Magic from Peter Cooper, where he is inspired by the life of the late Rev Will D. Campbell. Campbell was a well known white preacher and civil rights activist, friend and supporter of Martin Luther King and also a close friend of songwriter Tom T. Hall. The pair were known to make whiskey and drink it together - find out all about it in Tom T. And Brother Will.

Lastly, the album is accompanied by a detailed booklet with notes and superb historical photographs of the people and places chronically so lovingly in the project. 

Review by Eiliís Boland

The Lonesome Ace String Band When The Sun Comes Up Self Release

Canadian trio and stalwarts of the Ontario folk/bluegrass/old time scene for many years, Chris Coole, John Showman and Max Heineman have released an absolute tour de force of an album. Although steeped in the Old Time tradition, there’s a distinctively progressive feel to this third album, with many new tunes and songs contributed individually by the talented three, as well as a few covers. Refreshingly there are no cliches here, either in the playing or in the compositions. 

Each of the band are comfortable delivering lead vocals and the playing is tight - honed over years of playing together both in their hometown gigs in Toronto and on the road together.

Clawhammer banjo player Chris Coole is respected as one of the best in the business. His original  instrumental composition American Refugee (inspired by the huge flood of enquiries to Canadian immigration authorities after a recent US Presidential election) is simply haunting. But he’s also got a knack for songwriting, like in his murder ballad Joe Puckett and his Loving Mother wherein one of them comes to a sticky end. I won’t spoil the surprise, but just remember that “you know there ain’t a mother alive, can’t tell when her son is lyin.’’

O’Grady Road was written by bass player Max Heineman in response to the tearing down of his ancestral home. This event prompted a poignant retelling of his family’s history (his mother’s Irish antecedents were road builders) but it ends on a positive note - ‘I’m not certain now about the why or when, but I know Lord, I know we’ll build again’.

Self produced, the production sparkles and the arrangements are fresh - none more so than on fiddle player John Showman’s retelling of the last hours of the infamous bank robber Pretty Boy Floyd. Deft songwriting and a catchy fiddle riff transports the listener right into the scene, described in graphic and gory detail, and Pretty Boy delivers his last words over the back drop of cleverly arranged backing vocals. John also contributes a gorgeous instrumental tune Sweetberry Wine, a homage to the W Virginian fiddle tradition.

And if all the above wasn’t enough, the whole album is beautifully packaged - the jacket is based on a traditional letterpress design in hues of orange and yellow. 

Review by Eilís Boland

Carl Solomon Simple Things Self Release

This is the third release from a singer songwriter who resides in Portland, Oregon. He is involved in a local chapter of a national organization, Soldier Songs & Voices; a valuable service which gives a creative outlet to War Vets by teaching them music, guitar & song writing skills.

Solomon writes all his own material and included in the ten tracks here are four co-writes, which shows his collaborative side. Just Like You is a song about the struggles that war veterans face in trying to fit back into society. Whistle of the Train and Ticket to Nowhere deal with the pain of lost love while Come What May tells of lost souls on the road looking for a meaningful destination. 

Produced by Solomon, the songs are very pleasant without ever getting into a different gear – nice playing from the studio musicians and an easy laid-back style.

Review by Paul McGee

The Jake Bartley Band Brotherhood Bonfire

If you like a blend of rock, country, soul, jazz and blues, then this band are right up your street. From the opening smooth soul groove of Slippin’ to the country sound of This One’s For the Highway; this 6-piece band cover all the bases with consummate ease. Cannonball features Vince Gill on vocals, so you know that a certain standard has already been reached in attracting such a named artist to this project.

Jake Bartley has a fine voice and sings all the lead parts, as well as contributing on rhythm guitar. The saxophone of Bill Christmas brings plenty of gifts across the 12 tracks featured and his interplay with Steven Cathcart on pedal steel is a real standout. Bartley contributes 5 songs, including 2 co-writes, and other band members also get credits across a further 6 tracks. 

The extended jam on One Way Out (Elmore James/Sonny Boy Williamson/Marshall E. Schorn), features an excellent interchange between guests Randy Kohrs on resophonic guitar and Robby Turner on pedal steel. Another cover, Where Rainbows Never Die (Chris Stapleton/ Mike Henderson), is given a fine arrangement with the superb voice of Bartley really kicking into gear.

Stephen Hudson features on fiddle and Andrew Crawford, on various guitars, is also excellent throughout. Tracks like Too Sad to Sing the Blues, Wild and Free, The Miles and Music Life, highlight the fine production of band members Jake Bartley, Matt Miller (bass, 3 song credits) and Andrew Crawford (guitars, vocals, 5 song credits). A very enjoyable listen.

Review by Paul McGee

The Lowdown Drifters Last Call For Dreamers Self Release

The Lowdown Drifters are a Country band from Stanwood, Washington State and were formed in 2015. They released a debut in 2016 (Wood & Water) and with this new release they build upon their local reputation as a band on the rise.

With Big John Cannon (Vocals), Ryan Klein (Acoustic Guitar), Richard Williams (Electric Guitar), Tim Fernley (Bass) and Galen Bailey (Drums) comprising the core band, the sleeve notes credit an additional 12 musicians who contributed to this album. There is no breakdown of who plays what among the additional players but there are fiddles & steel guitar sounds on a number of tracks that fill out the production by Malcolm Springer. Ryan Klein has credits on 6 songs, with John Cannon chipping in on a further 7 tracks (4 co-writes included).

There are road songs about paying your dues; Barstools, Last Night In Denver, Diesel Smoke and The Road. The radio friendly, We Three Kings, scores with a fine tempo, backed by a driving beat and many of the songs on this collection come with a quality in the playing and an authenticity that convinces these guys are the real deal. 

Red Rock, This Old House and Black Hat are songs about lost love and fractured relationships while drinking away the pain and sinking towards the dark side are topics that get an airing in Empty Bottles and Between the Bottom and the Bottle …. Diamonds and Rust has an interesting guitar refrain that repeats as the melody builds into a powerful tempo and Won’t Find Me Anymore is reminiscent of early Skynyrd with a smoky, gravely tone in the delivery by John Cannon. Indeed, his rich vocals lead from the front throughout.  Highly recommended.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Lucy Kitt Stand By Westbere 

The debut album from Essex based singer songwriter Lucy Kitt harks back to the classic folk sound of the late 60’s and early 70’s, with Joni Mitchell an obvious influence. However, it would be overly simplistic to brand Kitt merely a Mitchell imitator, her talent as a writer has been acknowledged by both the BBC Young Folk Awards and her success in the 2014 Gibson/Sundance Song Writing Competition in 2014. She also graced the stage of Glastonbury in 2017.

The album is essentially acoustic, the focus being Kitt’s gentle celestial vocals on the ten self written tracks. Spirited support comes courtesy of Sam Beer on piano, Wurlitzer and guitars, Dave Holmes on bass and Pat Kenneally on percussion. Rather than flesh out some of the tracks, Kitt has stuck to her guns and delivered tracks mostly accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. A brave move it has to be said, as the songs may have made a more instant impact on the listener with the inclusion of additional instrumentation in the mix. The exception is the punchy Devil’s Luck, the most electric of the ten tracks. Kitt’s song writing is both personal and confessional. The opening and title track finds her creating beauty out of pain, bearing her soul as she ponders on a failed relationship. Gone follows a similar theme, lost love still raw and tender. Said And Done brings to mind Courtney Marie Andrews, beautifully pitched vocals on a tale of reconciliation and survival. Better Days, the albums closing track, pleads for regeneration and relief (‘’All I’m looking for, all I’m looking for are ways, back to the better days’’). 

Bearing in mind the recurring theme of loss surfacing on much of the material, it’s presented without a hint of self-pity or ego. Simplicity is possibly the strongest element throughout this collection of well-constructed and candid songs. It’s a creative forward step for Kitt which did take me a few listens to connect, but the time invested was well worth the effort. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Todd Snider Cash Cabin Sessions, No.3 Thirty Tigers

The latest offering from raconteur Todd Snider was recorded at the Johnny Cash Cabin Studio in Tennessee. An apostle of fellow songwriter and story teller Jerry Jeff Walker – he recorded an album of the New Yorker’s songs in 2012 – Snider possesses similar talents as a tale teller and songwriter. Excellent early career albums Songs For The Daily Planet (1994), Happy To Be Here (2000), East Nashville Skyline (2004) and The Devil You Know (2006), surprisingly made little or no commercial impact, despite the high regard he is held in by his peers and ardent fan base.

 His latest recording unfolds very much in the same vein as his live shows, hard edged folk songs laced with discerning observations and self-effacement.  Stripped back, acoustic and raw, the material ranges from the beautifully shambolic The Blues On The Banjo to the razor-sharp Talking Reality Television Blues. The latter details the control and misinformation of the media and its eventual capacity in influencing the election of a certain President (‘’Reality killed by a reality star’’). Acoustic guitar, harmonica and Snider’s semi broken, semi spoken vocals dominate across twelve tracks. The recording environment inspired some nostalgia tripping, with references to Loretta Lynn dancing with the ghost of Johnny Cash (The Ghost of Johnny Cash), Elvis Presley’s roadie (Watering Flowers In The Rain) and Cash’s close buddy Cowboy Jack Clements (Cowboy Jack Clements Waltz). The standout track Like A Force of Nature features a cameo appearance by neighbour Jason Isbell.

Raw, roughhewn and unpolished, Cash Cabin Sessions No.3 could be an album of outtakes to be fully fleshed out and dressed at a mixing desk. Maybe not the best starting point for newcomers to Snider, it’s hardly going to gain him any new friends but will be loved by his cult following. 

Snider’s finger never seems too far away from the self-destruct button yet he continues to be rightly regarded as a classic American songwriter. Long may he reign. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Patty Griffin Self Titled Thirty Tigers

It has been four long years since the last studio release, Servant Of Love, which was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Folk Album. The good news is that this latest collection of 13 songs is every bit as good and another important milestone in a career that just keeps climbing higher.

The core personnel remain largely the same, with a group of experienced players that set the atmosphere and mood of the songs, all of which are embellished by the soaring soulful voice of Griffin. A voice which exists on a level that few artists attain, let alone sustain for what could be considered any enduring length of time. 

David Pulkingham (acoustic guitar, piano); Craig Ross (bass guitar, lap steel, organ, drones, percussion, baritone guitar); Lindsey Verrill (cello); Conrad Choucroun (drums & percussion), are the key players across the project, with both Patty and Craig Ross on co-production. The sound is wonderfully clear and full of space for the impressive talents of each musician to shine forth.

Starting proceedings on Mama’s Worried, with Patty on sublime vocals and David Pulkingham displaying his sensitive and sophisticated playing, sets a strong marker for the rest of the album. The metaphor of water appears on both River and What Now, where we are given insight into the self determination and endurance of a woman to survive, both strong and free; hints of the mystery contained in the grand plan and our place in the unknown, an invitation to trust the Universe.

Luminous Places seems to deal with acceptance and the possibility of life as a dream – dust to dust! The orphan in Had A Good Reason spins a wistful tale that is heart rending in its’ sense of confusion and sad acceptance. The refugees of Mama’s Worried and the emigrants of Boys from Tralee could also be looked upon as one and the same; as relevant today as in times past, as history repeats itself in different parts of this dizzy world. 

The Wheel has a blues shuffle and understated groove. The longest track on the album and one that deals with perhaps the cycle of life, depression and crushing mortality. The last two songs are performed solo by Patty, one on piano, the other on guitar and both are simply stunning. What I Remember is an insight into the fragile nature of relationships and the fleeting nature of life. Just the Same is lighting a torch in the darkness to failed love and the enduring essence in trying.

The lyric booklet has a picture of Patty, sitting in a garden chair, boots on the armrests, and two dogs sitting with her, howling towards the sky…Hers has always been the space to look with sensitivity at the heartache and longing on this journey we try to make sense of; the pain and suffering are tempered with compassion and empathy and running through everything is the possibility of hope and redemption. Long may she shine!

Review by Paul McGee

Fruit Bats Gold Past Life Merge 

Folk rock, Indie folk, alternative country… What’s in a label these days? Fruit Bats started as a solo project for Eric D. Johnson before evolving into a band that has released 6 previous records. Johnson has been a guitarist in both Califone and The Shins and the influence of other acts suggest an eclectic approach to this latest project. 

Drawn Away walks a line between dream pop and Americana. Where this line gets crossed is entirely up to the listener and the strains of ELO meets Scissors Sisters on the title track are balanced against the Beck influenced, The Bottom Of It.  Ocean is an acoustic track that highlights the easy vocal tone of Johnson, while the hints of lap steel on Your Dead Grandfather and A Lingering Love suggest an interesting detour among the swirling keyboard sounds.  

It all comes together on Mandy From Mohawk (Wherever You May Be), a look back at love remembered amidst sweet melodies and gentle rhythm. Engaging and energising.

Review by Paul McGee

Cat Fury & the Thunderbirds Visions of Eden Self Release

Comprising of Cat Fury (vocals, guitars, mandolins, keyboards & bass) and Kurt Schefter (guitars, bass, Synthesizers, vocals) this duo has produced an album of some substance. Both musicians are very experienced, having met in Canada and played in any number of previous bands. Schefter recorded and toured with Alannah Myles for many years while Cat Fury had spent lots of time and talent establishing herself on the Toronto music scene. Now living in Ireland, they combine with Sean Kilbride (drums), Conor Daly (banjos) to produce great quality and variety across the eleven tracks included here. 

The rock sound of He’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll and Jailbreak is balanced by the easy blues of Irish Warrior and Terradactyl Luv, which channels a JJ Cale groove that smoulders. Iseult’s Blues showcases the impressive talents of Schefter and the sultry vocals of Fury as the brooding tempo builds around the legend of Tristan and Isolde (Iseult). There is the rockabilly sound of Rock-A-Billy Boy to enjoy and the country sounds of The Roselined Road, together with the hilarious My Husband Hates My Mandolin, balance things beautifully!! 

There is a commercial Pop sound to tracks High Strung and High On Him while the superb duet on Albuquerque is a real treat with Schefter sounding all Jagger-esque on a slow blues burn. 

Plenty here for all to enjoy, even if this duo is yet to truly define their signature sound. Well worth investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

Martin & the Fall Self-Titled Self Release

A 4-track EP from a trio that really impress and leave you wanting more. Martin is the vocalist, along with Tania Hancheroff and they are augmented by the excellent Chip Martin on guitars, bass and mandolin.

All four tracks are instantly likeable; The Things You Cannot Win, The Last Time, Better Off In Love and Didn’t Mean To End Up Here have a charm and quality that resonates. No other information available, despite web searches – such is the lot of a music reviewer! Perhaps Martin and Chip Martin are one and the same; marks for effort?

Review by Paul McGee

Marty Brown American Highway Plowboy 

Not so long ago on the Lonesome Highway radio show we did a feature on artists who appeared to have gone under the radar. One artist featured on that programme, with a track from his third MCA album, was Marty Brown. Those albums produced by Tony Brown between 1991 and 1994 we’re excellent if already too country for the mainstream even back then. He released one more album Here’s To The Honky Tonks on Hightone in 1996. Then there was a long silence until Brown appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2013 where he sang his version of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love which subsequently gained many views online.

Now Brown is back with a brand new album on Plowboy for his first album in 25 years. A lot has changed in those years but Brown is still worth hearing. The sound of the MCA albums has changed as has Brown’s voice to something more mature and seasoned. The sound is broader and current while making no concession to pop-country that is filling the airwaves these days. None-the-less it is aiming at reaching a wider potential audience. Brown, realistically will never be a major name in the current market place. However his fans will be delighted to have him back and new listeners will find a singer and writer giving his all and hitting some solid blue collar sentiments. His co-producer and often co-writer Jon Tiven is responsible for the overall sound. Tiven has previously worked with such h diverse artists as Frank Black (who adds some harmony vocals here), Lesley West, Wilson Pickett, Waylon Jennings and Chuck Mead. Recorded in Nashville they have produced a big warm sound that should engender a wider appeal.

Brown can easily handle the emotional and often soulful tones of such titles as Mona Lisa Smiles, Kentucky Blues to the hard edged I’m On A Roll (Better Than It’s Been) or Right Out Of Left Field. Brown brings his influences to bear on these tracks. There is a mix of country, blues, rockabilly, soul and gospel influences that blend into something solid and wholesome. Welcome back Marty Brown.

Review by Stephen Rapid

The Shootouts Quick Draw Self Release

This Akron, Ohio five piece band have cover a number of musical bases all related to a knowledge and love of the more traditional aspects of country music. they describe themselves on their website as blend of such good things as Bob Wills and Roy Orbison as well as Marty Stuart and Dwight Yoakam. So that’s an enticing mix of Bakersfield beat, western swing with some honky tonk essence on top.

The production team of Luca Benedetti and Jim Campilongo were the team who headed up the recent Zephaniah Ohora album. And are obviously perfectly suited to oversee this album. As well as the five band members they bring such hired hands as Al Moss on pedal steel and both producers on a number of different instruments. The album includes a surfeit of Telecaster twang as well as fiddle and steel. The necessary ingredients for a band that relishes its traditional roots alongside a forward looking attitude. But what makes it special is the solid songwriting and the vocal interplay of Ryan Humbert and Emily Bates. The writing is a mix of Humbert co-writes and some well chosen covers from the likes of Tim Carroll, Shel Silverstein, George Ducas and Stacey Earle and a numbers of tracks written by steel player Al Moss. All are strong and different enough to keep things interesting throughout.

California To Ohio is both a love song and a possible expression of their musical direction. The song also appears as an unlisted track again at the end of the album. Guitarist Brian Posten wrote the guitar infused instrumental title track. Then there’s the acoustic based interaction upbeat effervescent Must Be Love written by Ducas and Earle. That’s contrasted with the downside of love that’s displayed in Lonely Never Lets Me Down and Losing Faith In Being Faithful written or co-written by Humbert. Mention to for the rhythm section of Ryan McDermott and Dylan Gomez who are right on the beat as the song requires. There is as sense of not taking themselves too seriously as in their take on Shel Silverstein’s Alimony. All in all a treat for those who love the traditional sounds of country music that’s on target for a good time.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Latest Album Reviews

Son Volt Union Thirty Tigers

Jay Farrar’s Son Volt have not always enjoyed the commercial success and adulation visited on his former Uncle Tupelo bandmate Jeff Tweedy and his band Wilco. A trifle unfair perhaps, as Son Volt have recorded equally strong albums throughout their 25-year tenure. That two and a half decade run has witnessed personnel changes, but what has remained consistent is the band’s distinctive sound. Few other define alt-country quite like Farrar’s exemplary cocktail of country, rock and twang.

The current line up alongside Farrar is Andrew Du Plantis on bass, Chris Frame on guitars, Mark Patterson on drums and Mark Spencer on keys and lap steel. A similar alliance played on 2009’s American Central Dust and collectively they manage to re-create the sound that made that particular album a stand out in the bands back catalogue.

Union’s theme is politically charged, a reflection by Farrar on public rather than personal concerns, as he wades through the political chaos at large, both at home and further afield. Four of the tracks were recorded at The Woody Guthrie Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma and three more at Mother Jones Museum in Mount Olive, Illinois. Irish born community activist and school teacher Mary Harris (Mother) Jones - considered the ‘most dangerous woman in America’ for organising mine workers labour movements – has the song Rebel Girl dedicated to her memory. More recent social discontent is addressed in the lively opener While Rome Burns and continues on the following track The 99. The tempo may slip down a few gears on the exquisite Reality Winner, but the despair, questioning and venom in the lyrics remain consistent.  The equally mid paced title track which follows bemoans the ‘divide and conquer’ political tactics at large (‘’Two party system, the donkey and the elephant, liberals and conservatives both fight for their own survival’’). Lady Liberty, the shortest of the thirteen tracks on the album is equally up front (‘’ Lady Liberty sighs at the words from the highest office’’). The album is bookended by the chilling The Symbol, the desperation of the pending deportation by the Mexican immigrant alongside his American born children. 

Much of Jay Farrar’s early career writing was directed towards and paid homage to the plight of the underdog and voiceless, often addressed at characters from yesteryear. Union finds him exploring similar concerns but very much in the present times. The Union has been described by Farrar as “a testament to the role of folk music as protest music”. It’s not the first and most certainly will not be the last album whose direction is aimed at the tumultuous political cycle currently at large. However, the actuality of these times has shaken Farrar to gift us with the strongest material he has produced since American Central Dust nearly ten years ago. Its an album that improves with every listen and I look forward to revisiting it regularly in the coming weeks and months.

Review by Declan Culliton

Ted Russell Kamp Walkin’ Shoes PoMo 

LA-based singer songwriter, producer, music teacher and critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Ted Russell Kamp has released his twelfth solo album titled Walkin’ Shoes - a particularly impressive feat given that he’s also been bass player with Shooter Jennings’ band for over fifteen years, together with his session work with Wilson Phillips, Whitey Morgan, Wanda Jackson, Rosie Flores and Billy Ray Cyrus to name but a few. 

With shoulder length wavy hair and heavily moustached, Kamp has the appearance of a mid-1970’s West Coast dude and Walkin’ Shoes possesses a bluesy country rock sound often harking back to that era. Thirteen tracks, all co-writes with the exception of two, and with a gallery of exceptional players lending a hand, the album remains remarkably consistent given the number of personnel that contribute. Kamp provides vocals, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, Hammond, Wurlitzer, piano, trumpet, trombone and percussion and is joined by a list of contributors that include Rich McCulley, Gene Edwards, Brian Whelan, Sam Morrow and Jaime Wyatt.

The album could be a mirror image of Kamp’s whirlwind lifestyle, which finds him constantly on the move. You can smell the burning tyre rubber on much of the material from twangy opener Home Away From Home to bluesy rockers We Don’t Have To Be Alone, Tail Light Shine and Roll On Through The Night. Kamp is equally impressive when his foot is less firmly on the accelerator, both This Old Guitar and Heart Under Pressure hitting the country ballad bullseye. Paid By The Mile, a tongue in cheek consideration of the road weary touring hired hand, finds Kamp sharing vocals with emerging Southern rocker Sam Morrow. 

There’s a lot to like about the album, which has nods back to the days when West Coast singer songwriters on the same page as Kamp were snapped up by major record labels and toured in luxury sleeper buses with all the accompanying excesses. Such indulgences may be history for all but a select few, but fortunately for us artists like Kamp are still producing music every bit as admirable as many of his predecessors. 

Review by Declan Culliton

The Plott Hounds Damn The Wind Plott Hounds 

If explosive Southern Rock is your thing then Damn The Wind, the latest album from Minneapolis five piece The Plott Hounds is most likely right up your street. Their guitar driven sound does not in any way attempt to reinvent the wheel and it’s a road that any number of American bands have travelled in recent years, yet I still found the album refreshing and invigorating. The album is peppered with all the key ingredients that combine to cook up classic Southern Rock, raspy whiskey laced vocals, gripping guitar riffs and solos, a thumping rhythm section, and most importantly, impressive songwriting. 

 They don’t waste any time getting out of the traps, Country Blues kicks the album off in rocking style. The guitar onslaught by Noah Alexander, Kirk Humbert and Jeff Powell continues on Winding Road with spirited support and chunky bass lines from Kevin Coughenour and percussion by Scott Tate. Not All Tornadoes Come From Texas recalls Lynyrd Skynyrd and the closing track Tough (For Avery) is a slow burner, echoed vocals replaced mid song by a classic twin guitar solo. However, It’s not all blood and thunder, the band park their grungier side with some classic country tinged blues on Old Photos and Good Night Buddy. 

Simplicity possibly being the albums strongest point, Damn The Wind delivers text book rock and roll across it’s ten tracks. Well worth checking out.

Review by Declan Culliton

Joy Williams Front Porch Thirty Tigers

Americana duo The Civil Wars had all the hallmarks of the act most likely to make a major industry breakthrough at one stage. Their debut album Barton Hollow, released in 2011, sold over 650,000 copies in the U.S. alone and they were awarded four Grammy Awards. By the time their follow up self-titled album was released in 2013, Joy Williams and her musical partner John Paul White had already parted company some months previously. The official dissolution of The Civil Wars took place in 2014. Coincidentally, both artists have solo album releases in the coming months. 

Williams was raised in Santa Cruz California but resided in Nashville for much of her musical career. She moved to Los Angeles after the demise of The Civil Wars but returned to Nashville after her father passed away. 

Front Porch, is Williams second solo album since the dissolution of The Civil Wars. ‘’I took a long way looking for a shortcut. Come on back, come on back to the front porch’’ she sings on the album’s title track. Perhaps a metaphor for her return not only to the city where her artistic creativity blossomed, but also to her musical roots. The album is a collection of simple songs, beautifully delivered and enhanced by understated acoustic instrumentation.  

The Civil War’s break up, after so much promise, played out like a car crash, much acerbity and no winners. Time spent away for Williams seemed as essential as the inevitability of her return to Nashville. Kenneth Pattengale of Milk Carton Kids fame came on board as producer for the album, with the agreed objective of creating the sound of a front or back porch setting, where Williams’ vocal was always the lead instrument. They also invited an impressive collection of songwriters, eleven in total, to co-write with Williams. Caitlyn Smith, Angelo Petraglia, Liz Rose, Emily Shackelton, Trent Dadds, Cason Cooley, Thad Cockrell, Mat Morris, Paul Moak, Natalia Hemby and John Randall all contribute across the twelve tracks. Admirably, the album works well as a unit, the tracks consistently on the same path, despite the arsenal of writers involved. 

When Does A Heart Move On, The Trouble With Wanting are both dreamy slow burners, emphasising the depth, range and grandeur of Williams’ vocal. One And Only is somewhat pacier, closely related perhaps to Roy Orbison’s Only The Lonely. When Creation Was Young is Alison Krauss & Union Station sounding, Williams’s vocals dancing alongside some slick acoustic guitar, dobro and fiddle. Preacher’s Daughter, autobiographically reflecting on her adolescence, is delightful and Look How Far We’ve Come, the final and shortest track at barely two minutes, closes the album on a positive note.

Front Porch is very much a rebirth for Williams, both spiritually and visionally. Her greatest asset was always her gorgeous voice, from her childhood days singing gospel in church and throughout her professional career. Gone are the crossover pop leanings of her previous album Venus, to be replaced by a more paired down and primitive offering. It’s a direction that is perfectly in keeping with her core skill set and a delight to behold.

Review by Declan Culliton

Bambi Lee Savage Berlin-Nashville Express Hoof & Anchor

The latest album from Bambi Lee Savage mixes indie rock with classic country sensibilities. Miss Savage previously worked with Mick Harvey, who played on and produced of her last album Darkness Overshadowed. That relationship goes back further to the 90’s, when she was engaged as an engineer in Berlin’s Hansa Studios. She worked there with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and also with U2. She was encouraged to the other side of the studio window and released her debut album Matter Of Time in 2003. She was also encouraged in her endeavours by Daniel Lanois, recording some demo tracks with him. One of those tracks was included on the Sling Blade movie soundtrack. That particular song Darlin’ is included here also in a remixed version.

Despite the stated influence of Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn, this album would be at the indie edge of Americana. There are many studios and musicians credited on the sleeve but it is all held together by Savage’s overriding sonic vision.  Touching on a number of different cornerstones, traces of David Lynch’s fondness for female torch songs are evident throughout.  All of which means that this is not really for fans of walk-the-line traditional minded country. The songs do however have the flavour of country with titles such as This Blue Heart, Get Out MY Pillow (I’m Coming’ Home), I Can’t Count On My Man and I’ll Have To Leave Town (To Get Over You).

Beside Harvey she employs such Nashville notables as Dave Roe, Spenser Cullum and Will Kimbrough on two of the albums 10 tracks. It is something of a journey as the title suggest, that draws from all of Savage’s influences. The album boasts an Americana theme throughout, without being overplayed. 

Review by Stephen Rapid

Jane Kramer Valley Of Bones Self Release.

Overall the air of a quite acoustic folk/country prevails on Jane Kramer’s third studio album. One thing that is crystal clear is Kramer’s voice. Possessing a depth of emotion, it delicately handles subjects as diverse as joy, marriage and the loss of miscarriage.

Kramer has gathered a selection of impressive players to accompany producer Adam Johnson and her co-producer Chris Rosser.  The latter is a multi-instrumentalist who lays some textural playing over the subtle yet inventive playing of upright bassist Eliot Wadopian and percussionist River Guerguerian. These players, alongside others who contribute here, also appeared on her 2015 album Carnival Of Hopes. The other instruments given space to elaborate on the overall feel of the songs are Billy Cardine’s dobro, Nicky Sanders’ fiddle and Franklin Keel’s cello input. They all add to the overarching intimacy of the songs. I’ll See Your Crazy And Raise You Mine is a sweet ode to married life. Wedding Vows confirms a deep love that has grown over time from those initial vows. Likewise, Child evokes love and loss and is heartfelt, evoking a melancholic prayer.

Kramer has a folky voice that runs clear and free like a mountain stream and on this her third release, displays her development as both a singer and writer. She has been praised by Mary Gauthier which is understandable given the texture and detail of her songs. Kramer’s album is well worth seeking out and covers a number of bases in the Americana firmament. She breathes life into this valley of bones to create some full-bodied entertainment.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Vicky Emerson Steady Heart Front Porch

The effective lack of a strong female infrastructure in the music industry was something that was central to the direction taken by Vicky Emerson on her new album Steady Heart (her tenth release). She produced the album and wrote, or co-wrote, all the songs bar one. She recorded the album in Minneapolis with a set of players that included Steve Bosmans on some well placed and effective electric guitar. Other contributors included Zach Miller on percussion, Aaron Fabbrini on stand-up bass and Jake Armerding on violin and fiddle. Kari Arnett, Annie Fitzgerald and Sarah Morris all sang background vocals. The resulting sound is built around Emerson’s strong vocal presence and appealing arrangements. While there are not that many women gaining mainstream media exposure there are many who are producing the best work of their careers right now. 

The one cover here is Richard Leigh’s Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, best known by Crystal Gayle’s interpretation. This version is slowed down, giving the sentiment of the song a darker hue, not dissimilar to the deconstruction that the Cowboy Junkies have used as a template in the past. However, it is Emerson’s own songs are the highlights here. In The Pines, Bird’s Eye View, the title track and The Reckoning with its sense of foreboding expressed as “I feel the storm rolling in. Like thunder chasing the lightning, I never knew how this would end.”

Overall this has an electric folk sensibility with sparse layered instrumentation and an equally alluring use of vocals. Something that is present throughout the whole album. The sense of purpose is readily apparent with Emerson in control and delivering the exact album she wanted - with a steady hand and heart.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Kari Arnett When The Dust Settles Self Release

First full album from this Wisconsin singer songwriter following the EP Midwestern Skyline in 2025. Arnett recorded the album with Danny O’Brien who took Arnett’s songs and gave them a sonic layered template that is full of atmosphere that sets the tone for the songs. there is a element of foreboding in the both the title and content of the opening song Dark Water. Then a song like One More Chance takes a more direct route with Arnett’s voice leading the song over a solid but controlled setting. One song that sits with the prevailing voices in music tackling the men-centric music industry is Only A Woman. Another powerful song is This American Life that employs some twanging guitar and solid bass drum beat over which various instruments intertwine to build the song understanding of what the American Dream might, or might not be. She showcases the power of her voice with this song.

Credit also to the players, Haley Rydell (fiddle), Jay Scabich (guitars), Alexander Young (drums), Andy Schuster (bass) and Ben Cook-Feltz (keyboards) and Aaron Fabbrini (pedal steel) who provide the backbone and muscle over which Arnett’s literate and thoughtful songs have room to grow and find their own level. The songs on the album are all self-written and are heartfelt observations of the ups and downs of the human spirit and its relationships, both for the good and the bad.

The more that one listens to the album there more it hangs together as a whole and each song stands on its own merits. When The Dust Settles marks Arnett as another genuine talent in the ever growing number of female Americana artists who are taking control of the direction their music might take with undue pressure of those more concerned with sales that with creating music that lifts the spirit. The roots of this music sit in country and folk but it also understand where those genres have moved over the last few years since the likes of Emmylou Harris incorporated the harder elements of Wrecking Ball into that traditional melting pot. When the dust settles the strengths of this album will be plain enough for all to see.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Kim Lenz Slowly Speeding Blue Star

“The idea was to try and use all the ingredients that made up rock & roll, but shift around the time frames’’, explains Kin Lenz on the direction of her fifth solo album, the shamelessly rampant and abrasive Slowly Speeding. Though she is generally labelled as a rockabilly artist, Slowly Speeding is testimony to Kim Lenz’s wide musical footprint and her capacity to excel across wider genres including blues, gospel and old-time country, without ever straying far from her trademark rockabilly sound. Guitars screech, bass lines thump and drums keep pace with Lenz’s seductive vocals throughout the album, which finds Lenz and her cohorts at the top of their game from the outset. The brutal stomping blues opener Bogeyman sets the scene for what’s to follow. I’ll Find You has a dynamic beat that recalls Should I Stay Or Should I Go? by The Clash and the title track Slowly Speeding is a cracking two step country dance tune, with precise and alluring vocals (“Slowly speeding, my heart is beating, Going zero to sixty with you’’). Percolate is Chuck Berry sounding no nonsense rock & roll, naughty but nice (“ Percolating, percolating, stimulating, undulating, generating. You’ve got me percolating’’). Bury Me Deep is equally toe tapping and danceable with a ripping guitar break and pulsating bass lines throughout.

 D.H. Phillips, who co-produced the album with Lenz, plays electric and steel guitar, Tjarko Jeen also plays guitar and adds six string bass, with Jake Erwin on bass and Santos De Leon on drums. Between them they create a dynamic musical landscape, the sympathetic production giving every instrument equal space to accentuate Lenz’s raspy growling vocals. 

 A rockabilly rollercoaster that delivers on so many fronts, I expect Slowly Speeding to be inhabiting my car CD player for quite a while in the coming months!

Review by Declan Culliton

Paul J Bolger The Start Of It Pillar Stone

Better known as an animator, film maker and author, The Start Of It is a four track EP released by Paul J Bolger. It’s not his first diversion into recording, his previous release The Moss House was recorded over twenty years ago. Given the success of his other artistic offerings you could possibly expect The Start Of It to be self indulgent and throwaway. Nothing could be further from the truth, it’s a really impressive listen across its four tracks that evoke the musical direction of early Elvis Costello, particularly on the standout track Lady Love & The Cavalier.

The album was co-produced by Bolger and Dave Molloy for Pillar Stone Productions in Waterford and features vocal, guitars and keyboard contributions from both producers, together with Ronnie O’Flynn on bass, Michael Black on drums and Catherine Flynn on piano.

Review by Declan Culliton

Suzanne Jarvie In The Clear Wolfe Island

The history leading to Suzanne Jarvie’s entry into the music industry reads like a film script, fortunately one with a happy ending. Born in Honk Kong and raised in Toronto, a criminal defence lawyer and mother of four children, she made her recording debut in 2014 with the release of Spiral Road. An avid music lover from childhood, the catalyst for the recording of the album was a near tragic accident, whereby her eldest son fell down a spiral staircase, was comatose and given little chance of survival. Fortunately, he did survive and his stay and recovery in hospital lead Jarvie down a song writing path by way of dealing with the extreme trauma, culminating in the collection of songs that, not surprisingly, included titles such as Before and After, Tears Of Love, Wait For Me and Love Is Now. The album on its release drew comparisons with Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris from a selection of the numerous positive reviews it received, particularly making an impact on the European market. 

In essence this album follows a similar path to Spiral Road, with strikingly evocative songs often dealing with the life changing experiences of both a mother and her family that inspired the debut album. The material reads like a retrospective reflection on the nightmarish saga visited on the family, revealing scars that are partially but not yet fully healed. Jarvie’s lyrics are thoughtful, provocative, avoiding repeated choruses in favour of lengthy poetic streams of consciousness, sometimes quite abstract, leaving room for varying interpretations. Her vocal delivery, most particularly on the closing track Trilogy, recalls Karen Carpenter.

Musically the breezy opener Headless Rider camouflages its gothic nightmarish lyrics, as if inspired by a recurring fantasy. The equally surreal and abstract Carpenter Bay follows (“Last night I dreamed we went boating down an ion channel, Sat on the gunnels and just gloating for beating the odds’’). Point Blank, featuring label mate Hadley McCall Thackston on backing vocals, visits the toll of Jarvie’s son’s recovery process, both personally and on the mother (“Mind bent up and insane, killing me like a freight train’’). At close to fifty minutes long there’s quite a lot to absorb across the ten tracks on the album. Nine of those minutes come courtesy of the closing and previously mentioned track Trilogy. The albums standout track for me, it dips and soars across its three chapters that consider birth, impairment and resurrection. 

Jarvie returned to Hugh (Christopher) Brown for production duties, and the album is released on Wolfe Island Records, the label responsible for signing some stellar acts including David Corley, Hadley McCall Thackston, Kate Fenner and the Stephen Stanley Band. It features a host of talented artists that appear on many of the label’s recordings including Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, Gregor Beresford, Joey Wright and Chris Brown. 

In The Clear reads like pages from a personal diary, deliberating on the predicaments and life challenges that visit us, by times foreseeable but often without notice. A very eloquent and engaging listen indeed.

Review by Declan Culliton

Sean McConnell Second Hand Smoke Big Picnic

Few artists can boast having recorded their debut album at the ripe age of 15 and on their own record label. Sean McConnell’s 2000 recording Here In The Lost And Found did exactly that and Second Hand Smoke is the thirteenth recording by the Boston born and Nashville based singer songwriter and prolific musician. Recorded at his own home studio and self-produced over a two-month period, McConnell takes the credit for all vocals and instrumentation, with only the strings and synths outsourced and background vocals provided by The McCrary Sisters on the gospel tinged Shaky Bridges.

The writing on the album is impressive, not surprising given that McConnell has written songs for a number of artists including Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Buddy Miller, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Christina Aguilera and Meatloaf. You could be forgiven for assuming that the content would be country and roots slanted, given this imposing roll call. The album is actually marketed as ‘modern folk’ - whatever that is - whereas in fact much of the material is a closer relation to Jason Isbell’s last release The Nashville Sound, a blend of heartland rock and instantly catchable gritty pop.

The opener and title track Secondhand Smoke is one of the impressive slow burners included and is equalled by the lovely Greetings From Niagara Falls, telling the tale of sacrifices and missed loved ones, the high price paid by the touring musician. Closer Wrong Side Of Town is similarly paced, a piano led ballad lamenting unrealised dreams. However, the two standout tracks on the album are the previously mentioned gospel flavoured Shaky Bridges, featuring The McCrary Sisters and the stunning I Could Have Been An Angel, which boasts killer riffs and melodies that were firmly locked in my memory bank after a few spins.

All in all, Second Hand Smoke is a terrific catalogue of ‘easy on the ears’ tracks from start to finish. I’m interested to see how it performs sales wise - I reckon if the aforementioned Isbell had recorded the album, it would shift by the lorryload.

Review by Declan Culliton

Carolina Chimes Rudi Ekstein’s All Original Bluegrass Instrumental Showcase Foxfire 

It’s quite unusual these days to be presented with a whole album of bluegrass instrumentals. Rudi Ekstein - writer, producer, engineer and musician - may not be a well known name but in his  studio (Foxfire Recording) in Asheville, NC he has recorded some of the best in the business. And he has called on some of those very best to bring his own compositions to life. How could he really go wrong, with players like Stuart Duncan (Nashville Bluegrass Band) on fiddle, Jeff Autry (John Cowan Band, Edgar Loudermilk) on guitar, and bassist Mark Schatz (Claire Lynch Band, Nickel Creek) on board? They are augmented by Rudi’s fellow Californians, John Plotnik on banjo and dobro and Patrick Sauber (Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan and most recently seen in Ireland with Darin & Brooke Aldridge) on banjo. Rudi himself plays mandolin throughout and his own playing is not overshadowed by any of these luminaries. 

And what of the tunes themselves? They are an utter delight. Ekstein allows each of his musicians their chance to shine on each of the 12 tunes, which vary from the gentle paced waltz of Dixie Sunset to the serious hardcore bluegrass of All Night In Kentucky. Spikebuck is an exhilarating two minutes of a mandolin-led white knuckle ride, depicting a family whitewater rafting adventure, while Bacon in the Pan is a fiddle tune dedicated to his late friend and musical compadre, Billy Constable. Rockalachia is a nod to Bill Monroe, consciously incorporating boogie woogie and rock n’ roll elements into this swinging tour de force. 

Highly recommended.

Review by Eilís Boland

Marty Rivers Maltese Falcon Amberstar

It’s a pleasant surprise to get an album of good old fashioned country music. It’s even more of a surprise that it comes from Malta! Performing since his teens, Marty Riviera has wisely returned to Gary Carter’s Nashville studio to record his fourth album. Familiar to Connie Smith fans, pedal steel player Gary is a longstanding member of her Sundowners but he has also played with such country royalty as Randy Travis and Faith Hill. The songs are all cowritten by Marty and his friend Joseph Spiteri and I could hear almost any of the 14 songs being cut by major artists, so strong is the writing here.

The songs range from the decidedly honky tonky (Texas Lady, Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool, If Only These Walls Could Talk) to slow country ballads and the production is superb. It is particularly in the ballads that Marty sings with a vulnerability in his voice that is strangely appealing. Love is A Wonder is a beautiful closing song - enhanced by Gary Carter’s ever so sweet pedal steel. Maltese Falcon is another memorable ballad, this time with Gary on dobro and Jason Roller deserves a mention for his guitar playing on all tracks. Two of the songs, Magnifico Mexico and Sweet Lorena are successfully given the Tex Mex treatment, very reminiscent of The Mavericks’ sound.

Not surprisingly, Marty has figured in various European Country charts in the past and this new album is deservedly doing well too. Check it out.

Review by Eilís Boland

Kyle Daniel What’s There To Say Self Release

Fitting right in with the current crop of contemporary “outlaw” musicians Kyle Daniel has produced a second EP of songs that speak to the human condition, yet one that is imbued with hope, hedonism as well as humanity. Daniel has faced these problems in his own life as a traveling musician who has experienced and seen the hard options and occasional highs that come with that choice.

Born To Lose, the opening song, on this 5 track release was inspired from personal experience. It takes an honest view of addiction and the reason that it might arise. The other titles further elaborate on that viewpoint in Don’t Give Up On Me, or What’s There To Say? He has acknowledged the strong influence of Southern Rock and the Allman Brothers on his own music and, to these ears, there’s something of classic Bob Seger in the mix too. He rusty-rail voice is matched by some hard rockin’ riffs and a solid rhythm section. Though the players are unnamed on the sleeve and neither are the the writing credits  - so I assume that he has had a hand in all of the material.

In a post-Stapelton world there is a growing appetite for this type of roots influenced rock that is never quite metal and is certainly a long way from traditional country music. But in these times the banner ‘Country Music’ might be where Daniel might find his most accessible audience. On the less full on songs like Somewhere In Between he displays a voice that is both as expressive as it is powerful. Good Bless America (Damn Rock ’n’ Roll) has a B3 swirling around the mix and is not that far from an early Joe Cocker sound. The song’s title may be a little ironic however. Kyle Daniel sounds like an artist whose time might be about to come.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Andrew Leahey & The Homestead Airwaves Skyline

On the inside of the CD cover Leahey dedicates this album to the last generation raised on FM radio. All of which means that Leahey is a rocker who, from his press release, should appeal to fans of such diverse acts as Tom Petty and The War On Drugs. There may be a fondness for Echo and The Bunnymen also as the only cover here is of that band’s memorable Lips Like Sugar. Overall the self and co-written songs are uniformly melodic and with anthem potential.

The album was produced, engineered and mixed in Nashville by Paul Ebersold who brings echoes of Leahey’s heroes such as the already mentioned acts and others like Big Star to mind. Leahey and his band - Jon Estes on bass, bassist Jon Radford and guitarist Thomas Heesen (who were joined on some of the songs by additional players)  did a great job of evoking that FM era where a sense of melodic structure was such a part and parcel of that sound.

Leahey had apparently recovered from a serious illness when he recorded this album and the exuberance of that release shows itself in a similar spirit in the songs. The 11 songs play out like a segment of a decent FM rock show with enough variety to keep it interesting throughout. it is indeed a reminder of a time when pure rock was a vibrant force. One led by the much missed Tom Petty. However in acolytes like Andrew Leahey that sound might be around for for some time to come. So one hopes that Leahey may be around for a similar long run and his music would likely to be equally progressive and interesting.

Review by Stephen Rapid

New Album Reviews

Sunfire Sinners’ Town Self Release

Sunfire are a Dutch band who released this second album in August 2018. The band’s sound is a mix of folk, country and bluegrass and they comprise Sophie Zaaijer (fiddle & vocals), Satria Karsono (Resonator, guitars, banjo, percussion, vocals), Berend de Vries (electric guitar), Michel Beeckman (bass) and Jeroen van Leeuwen (drums, percussion) … 

There are 14 tracks that run to 70 minutes, so this is quite a project to take on in one sitting. The songs are loosely based around a Wild West theme and the hard times and sorrowful lives that inhabit the occupants of the mythical Sinner’s Town. Throughout, there is an energy and vibrancy in the playing, with the outstanding talents of Sophie Zaaijer on fiddle a recurring joy. Songs about the devil abound and the dark days of simply surviving and enduring fill the grooves on tracks like Reapers Train, Shot, Gallows Waltz, Roadburn and The War Is Won.

Woman is a highlight and the tongue in cheek, My Horse Doesn’t Love Me Anymore, a fun filled hoedown. It all ends with the campfire strum of Long Road To Come and the hope that redemption is just around the corner. Engaging and something here for every taste.

Review by Paul McGee

Damien Jurado In The Shape Of A Storm Loose

Yet another fine release from the considered pen of an artist who has been making music of shifting shapes and real quality since his debut, back in 1997. Following on from his 2018, self-produced The Horizon Just Laughed, Jurado has finally decided to release a solo acoustic record which is very sparse; just guitar and vocal across ten tracks that clock in just over the 25-minute mark. 

Quality and not quantity I hear you say and of course you are correct. The gentle leanings in these stripped back arrangements contain a refreshing honesty in their musings on love, openness, real connection true meaning and loyalty. The simple strumming on acoustic guitar contains real melody and Jurado recorded the project in just two hours, according to the press release. These are a collection of songs that had been left on the shelf during various other recording sessions over the years. They come together with a quiet elegance that makes you feel like the intimacy of the performance is something just for your ears alone. Jurado sings in a vocal tone that resonates between fragile, soft and wistful, adding to the sweet nature of proceedings.

There is a melancholy that also runs through the songs and the recent death of long-time friend and producer Richard Swift has no doubt influenced the overall mood. Newspaper Gown is a terrific song and the title track, together with Throw Me Now Your Arms also stand out, alongside the closing track, Hands On The Table. Jurado displays a naked honesty not usually associated with a songwriter who has typically written character songs over his previous recordings. So, hats off to a very different, concise treatise on the human heart and all the emotion wrapped around its gentle beating.

Review by Paul McGee

Michael Chapman True North Paradise Of Bachelors

Never one to bow to the vicissitudes of the ageing process, this celebrated artist releases yet another fine example of his song-writing craft. After a life spent honing his sound, beginning in the Folk clubs of the 60’s with fellow artists like Roy Harper and John Martyn, he has arrived at a place where his artistry has attained legendary status across multiple releases and an ability to incorporate varying musical styles and changes in direction, at any given point along his journey.

For this release, Chapman located at Mwnci Studios in rural West Wales with a group of friends that include Bridget St. John (vocals), Sarah Smout (Cello), BJ Cole (pedal steel) and guitarist/producer Steve Gunn. The eleven songs include two instrumentals, Eleuthera and Caddo Lake, while the remaining tracks contain a quiet resonance as the 78- year old artist looks back at the years gone by, in reflective mood. Never better illustrated than on Truck Song where the sublime interplay of the musicians is framed in the wry lines “but the highway never seems to sleep; I guess it’s a sign of the times” … 

Youth Is Wasted On The Young looks back at missed opportunities along the way and It’s Too Late follows a similar path, with the lonely sense of a life in regret, for a chance at a relationship not taken. The converse of this is the song After All This Time, where a long-term relationship has broken down - “we grew up; we grew apart”.

Full Bottle, Empty Heart tells of a drifter who has lost out in love and Hell To Pay can be taken as either a love song or as a commentary on the current times we find ourselves and likening society to a “ship out on the ocean, sailing out of sight” – maybe things can get better but they probably will just get worse. Overall, this is a very strong statement from a singer-songwriter who has seen and done it all over his career but the flame still burns brightly.

Review by Paul McGee

West Of Eden Flat Earth Society West Of Music

This band from Gothenburg, Sweden deliver a contemporary folk sound that is inspired by the Celtic music tradition.  The main songwriters are Jenny Schaub ( lead vocals, accordion) and Martin Schaub (vocals, guitars, mandolin, piano, cittern). This is their seventh release, not counting compilations and Christmas albums and they are joined by by Lars Broman (vocals, viola, fiddle), Ola Karlevo (drums, percussion, bodhran, vocals), Henning Sernhede (guitars, lap steel, vocals) and Martin Holmlund (bass guitars, vocals).

Their sound is reminiscent of The Corrs in part with the excellent vocals of Jenny Schaub to the fore throughout. The record is produced by Martin Schaub who delivers a rich tapestry of sound and the ensemble deliver a very compelling performance across the twelve tracks included here. Guest artists Damien O’Kane (guitar, banjo), John McCusker (fiddle and whistles), Jarlath Henderson (uileann pipes, whistle, vocals), Duncan Chisholm (fiddle) and Heidi Talbot (vocals) add their talents to selected tracks and add another layer to what is already a very confident and strong record.

The songs speak of enduring in times of trouble (Porcelain Days), travelling free (Horsehoofs & Primroses), being left at the altar (Kate, Are You Ready Now), the push and pull of relationships (Viper & Fireflies) and love leaving (Flat Earth Society and Come Winter, He’ll Be Gone). There are also two instrumental tracks, Isak/Doris and Rowbotham’s Map, plus a peek at either a witch or a simple widow (Old Miss Partridge) and the loneliness of losing a partner as we age (The Dwindling Of The Day). Another strong statement from this talented group of players who are clearly driven and focused on traditional Folk with a Celtic twist.  

Review by Paul McGee

The Brother Brothers Some People I Know Compass

Sibling harmonies have a long history that goes back to duo like Osbourne’s, the Louvin’s or the Everly Brothers to name but three. It’s slightly ironic that the most frequent comparison that these brothers get is with non-siblings Simon and Garfunkel. However, that in itself is something of a compliment as that duo was known for their harmonic perfection. Adam and David Moss though seem vocally closer, sounding like a single voice double tracked at times. That matters little if their songs weren’t melodically strong in themselves. I first encountered these boys on the Tugboats EP. Now comes their first full length album and it lives up to the promise shown on that EP.

The album was produced by Robin MacMillian, who alone engineered and mixed the album in Faraway Sound in New York. They were accompanied by some select players who added bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar and saxophone to various tracks, but the  trio of the Moss boys and MacMillan contribute the core of each of the songs which obviously have their voices as the central tenet of the sound. Overall the music is fairly stripped back as in the case of Banjo Song which is largely accompanied by the aforementioned titular instrument with added violin and guitar keeping it simple and direct. Elsewhere the songs are more layered as in Ocean’s Daughter where Adam Moss’ violin takes flight. In The Nightime sounds more like a foot stomping front porch session and adds a sense of variety to the material on offer. The gentle I Will Be With You certainly has that early Simon and Garfunkel feel in its assertion of love and longevity.

The songs deal with people and places in the main as the album title suggests. They are composed by the duo in the main other than a cover of Peter Rowan’s Angel Island, Sam Bridges from the pen of Alexander Meek and I Will Be With You by Joanna S. Frankie, which considers the loss of friends due to the way an area can becoming upscale and force a section people out of the part of the city as rents increase. Other titles like Colorado makes reference to a specific location and how that place can relate to the people living in them. Red And Gold is poetic, as are several of the lyrics, a short song that appears about the sun. But whatever the meaning, you are emerged in a world that is quietly powerful and immensely thoughtful in the way it draws from something within the Mosses musical motivation and draws you into their circle.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Marty Stuart The Definite Collection Vol.2 Hump Head

Although I have pretty much everything that Marty Stuart has released these two volumes curated by Stuart and released by Hump Head are essential even to a fan like myself, as they include hard to find tracks from tribute compilations as well as unreleased material. They confirm that from the start, even though he has explored some different musical direction it is all held together by a singular voice and vision. 

It is Stuart personal take on the traditional music and icons that he holds dear and sees as his mission to keep alive on record and on stage. The earliest track here is from 1977, which is a medley of Mystery Train /Tiger Man. There are a couple of cuts from the late 80’s and early 90’s like 1991’s The Whiskey Ain’t Working, a song recorded as a duet with Travis Tritt with whom he toured around that time in the No Hats Tour. However, the vast majority of the songs are from the 2000’s. Many are recorded with his definite band The Fabulous Superlatives - a band who live up to their name. However, Stuart has always surrounded himself with top notch players who share his outlook.

This is 100% country music even when he steps outside the lines as he does on his version of that renowned bluegrass band The Who’s I Can See For Miles, recorded with the Old Crow Medicine Show and taken from his duets album Compadres. That track is one of several songs written by authors other than Stuart himself. Tillman Franks, Merle Kilgore, Dallas Frazier, George Jones, Ralph Mooney, Rabon Delmore, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Ira and Charlie Louvin, Benny Goodman and Charles Christian are just some of the writes who have credits on the three albums.

There are five unreleased tracks included, Mose Allison’s Parchman Farm, Billy Cole’s Homesick alongside the  original songs 99 And A Half Won’t Do, Graveyard, Rattle & Roll and Le Tingo Tango. But aside from these it is a welcome reminder of many other old favourites from a notable career of an artist who hasn’t always been flavour of the month in mainstream circles but seems now to be having a resurgence both live and on record. This hard back triple CD offers sixty five tracks of some of the finest country music ever recorded. It is definite and definitive. A real Marty party!

Review by Stephen Rapid

Shelby Texas We Are Shelby Texas Self Release

This is an accomplished debut 7 track EP from Californian duo, Shelby Lanterman and Michaelryan ‘Texas’ McCauley. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, the collection is particularly well produced by Gawain Matthews, who plays many of the instruments and has given the album a big radio friendly sound. Texas wrote and sings four songs - one could easily hear them being played on US pop country stations. The three songs contributed by and sung by Shelby are special. She is blessed with a powerful voice, which she has honed over many years of playing and performing in bands, even though she is still only in her early 20s. Her song writing is impressive and she combines catchy hooks with well crafted lyrics.  Tennessee is a gentle ballad of longing for the southern state. No Regretsis a rousing rootsy country song about moving forward, while the pain of rejection is explored in Unrequited.

Just as we were about to post, we learn that the band have decided to go their separate ways. Keep an eagle eye out for Shelby, who continues to perform around her native California as Shelby Ann - I hope we’ll be hearing more from her.

Review by Eilís Boland

Various Artists Country To Country Vol 4 HumpHead

Mo Pitney’s stand out contribution to this 40 track compilation is the self penned song I Met Merle Haggard Today. It’s sad to say that most of his fellow contributors have probably never even heard of Merle. This is a companion album to the C2C roadshow that has brought ‘country’ music from its original home in the US to Dublin/Glasgow/London every year for the past seven years. In a cleverly programmed move the artists play all three venues once over the three nights in March - a logistical nightmare for the crews, no doubt, but it does work well. The songs here are from a selection of the artists that have played at one of those shows at some stage over the years.

The album could act as a souvenir of the weekend for the attendees, or as an introduction to what passes for ‘country’ in Nashville these days. With a few notable exceptions, the music here is closer to pop/rock than any other genre. Shamelessly aimed at the young market, and performed by young artists, it consists of a bunch of power ballads. On a positive note, most of the songs have been written or cowritten by the artists themselves, and there are hints of rap and metal creeping in in places. No one expects a musical genre to stand still - there has to be progression and development through time, but it disappoints me that these artists are being promoted commercially when a whole host of talented and more rootsy acts are being ignored.

Even the once lauded Americana artist Kacey Musgraves has gone down the pop route (which of course is proving very successful for her, both commercially and with her Grammy award). The few exceptions here are relative newcomers Lukas Nelson and Ashley McBryde, and the longer established Lyle Lovett and Marty Stuart, who stand out in a crowd of very similar sounding bands.

Review by Eilís Boland

New Album Reviews

Danny Schmidt Standard Deviation Live Once

The first thing you notice and the thing that draws you into this record is the warmth and intimacy of Schmidt’s voice. His songwriter is mature and poetic dealing with the kind of things that really matter to someone who has a few years behind them. This is essentially a broadstroke folk album but one where the assembled players round out the sound with subtle but essential touches and song-serving restraint. Producer Will Robertson crew of Fats Kaplan, Colin Agnew and Robertson himself handle the instrumentation in the main. The harmony vocals also play an important part with Schmidt’s wife Carrie Elkin joining Mira Stanley Costa, Chuck Costa and Cara May Gorman adding their voices to Schmidt’s voice and acoustic guitar. The sound they create has a wonderful all encompassing feel that has had me returning to the album more often that happens usually.

There is a strong sense of love (and gratitude) on the album which is dedicated to his wife and baby daughter. Something to welcome when so many albums rail against the woes of the world this album largely celebrates the more positive sides of life. Songs like Just Wait ’Til They See You, Blue Eyed Hole In Time, Bones Of Emotion and The Longest Way. One song Newport ’65 reflects on and quotes from Bob Dylan but does so in a non-obvious way that makes it an interesting observation in its own right. The final song is intensely personal yet universal and deals with the grief and trauma of miscarriage and the need to treat the experience in a more compassionate way. We Need A Better Word closes an album that is a career high and one that places Schmidt among the best songwriters of his generation.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Pete Berwick Island Self Release

Delivering what may be according to himself his last album Peter Berwick makes sure that it counts. It is a forceful album built around Berwick’s hard-scrabble voice and guitar. His music has been described as punk infused alternative country which about sums him up in the past through these days, he is well capable of a less forceful, more reflective set of slower-paced rock songs like the “love the one your” with sentiment of Just Make It You And Me Tonight or the yearning love of the title track. That as opposed to the full on opening salvo of I’m Getting Tired Of This Place. He is, as his song says, getting through One Setback At A Time maybe arriving at a place where he can look both backwards and forward and see that he is not afraid to face either view.

He recorded his album with producer Jason Botka (who plays keyboards and guitars) and the band The Mugshot Saints who include Jennifer Botka on baking vocals. It has a certain grit and grief in his outlook on a country that both gives and takes away. However, there is hope in his outlook as They Gave Love A Chance testifies though their other side of the coin is spun out with I’m Really Not That Kind. This mix of styles places him on the fringes of what might be termed outlaw. Berwick is never going to compromise his music and as such Island is a continuation of the path he has trodden since his first album was released in 1996. Berwick has made a journey to get to this point which is why these songs seem to be real slices of heartland rock drawn from real life.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Luke Spehar The Pilgrim Self Release

There is a sense of deeply held faith in this elevated folk album from the Minnesota singer/songwriter who now lies in St. Paul with his wife and children. Here he has penned a set of songs that encompass a sense of love, life and a lasting and enduring sense of hope. Spehar has a gentle but rewarding voice that sits above these quiet and largely acoustic bass songs that are not, though, without some occasional up-tempo moments. Otherwise he speaks softly of his travel as a pilgrim wherein he has brought together his experience from traveling about the US and further afield in his search for spiritual honesty.

Spehar produced the album with Matt Patrick in his home state and employs light touches of percussion, keyboards, bass, banjo and fiddle to give some weight to these songs which move through tempo and mood. They can vary from the drive and accessibility of the bonus track Joshua which has a big and encompassing chorus that make it an immediate stand out. This mini album contains 7 tracks so acts as an introduction to the artist who had previously released 3 previous full length albums. His work is maybe a little too pure for some but the opening songs The Farmer and America And Me offer a sense of place and of spirituality that offers a peace that will appeal to those looking for something that offers a lighter perspective without becoming lightweight. Spehar brings this thoughtfulness to this album and it something that is sure to find its followers.

Review by Stephen Rapid

William The Conqueror Bleeding On The Soundtrack Loose

Newquay based U.K. three-piece William The Conqueror have raised the bar quite a number of notches with their second album, the Ethan Johns produced Bleeding On The Soundtrack. The band comprise Ruarri Joseph on vocals and guitar, Harry Harding on drums and Naomi Holmes on bass. Glasgow born Joseph formed the band following a solo career that delivered four solo albums. Their debut album Proud Disturber Of The Peace was released in 2017 and their reputation has grown steadily as a dynamic live act bleeding grungy folk and hard edge blues and rock, a throw back to a sound often excelled by Brit bands in the late 60’s / early 70’s. If their debut album created a few ripples in the industry, Bleeding On The Soundtrack is more akin to a tsunami, with Ethan Johns the consummate producer to channel Joseph’s forthright, enraged and exasperated storytelling into a powerful and rugged piece of music. John’s equally manages to capture the dynamic of the band’s live shows on the album, from the rocky opener Path Of The Crow, to the beautifully paced and exceptional closer Within Your Spell. Following on from their debut album, it’s a further retrospective by Joseph into a traumatic and troubled journey from adolescence to adulthood. Tales of family alcoholism, drug addiction, self-loathing and remorse feature in the autobiographical writing by Joseph, reflecting on his early adulthood. However, the content is delivered more by way of cleansing and healing than contrition. There’s no lack of humour also, Sensitive Side recalls adolescence and confused signals as Joseph revisits an unfulfilled teenage crush (‘’ What a scene, I was only fifteen the world was a thorn in my side’’). Madness On The Line has a thumping bass line and harmonica riffs straight out of Canvey Island courtesy of Dr. Feelgood and Be So Kind could be an outtake from Van Morrison’s Into The Music. Crashing bass chords, brisk drumming and rumbustious guitar breaks are what define the band and no more so than on title track Bleeding On The Soundtrack - a hypnotic blues burner which explodes into a rip-roaring finale – and the equally impressive The Curse Of Friends.

William The Conqueror’s growing reputation as one of the U.K’s most dynamic emerging live acts can only be enhanced by BOTS. Ethan Johns has managed to capture their live high-powered energy and faultlessly transfer it to the studio. I’m loving this and looking forward to seeing them live once more at Kilkenny Roots in May. Crank up the volume to max and enjoy!

Review by Declan Culliton

Jamie Lin Wilson Jumping Over Rocks Self-Release

They don’t come much more authentic ‘country’ than D’Hanis South Texas (population 550) resident Jamie Lin Wilson. The former Gougers and Trisha’s band member may have arrived late to her calling - picking up her first guitar at the age of 19 - but she has certainly made up for lost time. The writing on her solo albums Holidays and Wedding Rings (2015) and her latest album Jumping Over Rocks, harks back to yesteryear, when many country writers were in

spired by simple everyday occurrences and observations. She also balances her musical career with motherhood, often overcoming the impediment of touring and providing for her family by bringing her four children on tour with her. She doesn’t hang around either, this album was recorded live in four days at Arlen Studios in Austin Texas, with no overdubs or vocal auto tunes. The production duties were handled by Steve Christensen and the album in many ways benefits from the accelerated recording giving it a sense of a live recording.

Five of the songs are self written, four are co-writes and one is a cover of Guy Clark’s Instant CoffeeBlues. Some covers work particularly well, if the artists put their own slant on the song, others less so. Electing to include the Guy Clark classic had me scratching my head prior to playing it. Fortunately, Wilson’s recording of the song sticks very close to the original. It’s a duet with Jack Ingram (whose vocal contribution sounds remarkably like John Prine) and they simply nail it, to the extent that I had the track on repeat several times. The choice of co-writers is also impressive and an indication of the regard Wilson is held by her peers. Ingram, Brian Wright, Mike Ethan Messick and Evan Felker all contribute. Opener song Faithful and True, co-written with Jack Ingram, is beautifully paced with Wilson’s disciplined vocal delivery entering Emmylou territory. In fact, the album as a whole recalls the sound Emmylou Harris created on her mid 70’s Reprise Label albums, the idyllic blend of country and roots music. Wilson’s Hot Band for the recording include a formidable gathering of quality players in Charlie Sexton on guitar, Scott Davis on bass, Richard Millsap on drums, Trevor Norton on keyboards and Cody Angel on pedal steel and dobro. Oklahoma Stars, written with Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours, is a sweet country ballad, the added vocals by Felker and weeping pedal steel by Angel adding depth to the song. The strength of her own songwriting comes to bear on the stunning Death & Life, a widow’s reflection on the early passing of her husband (‘’it’s been three years in November, she still ain’t bought a stone, I used to be a lover and I still feel like a wife, that’s the way that it goes in the game of death and life’’). Run, grappling with a relationship gone sour, is possibly the most radio friendly inclusion, a richly textured sound complementing Wilson’s soaring vocals.

Jamie Lin Wilson is yet another name to add to the growing list of Independent female artists writing and recording outstanding material, yet remaining somewhat below the radar. She’s certainly pushed out the boundaries this time around, so do check this album out. I’ve no doubt you’ll enjoy it every bit as much as myself. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Buffalo Blood Self-Titled Eel Pie

Neilson Hubbard has been a busy man of late. Three artists, whose albums he produced, Mary Gauthier, Ben Glover and Dean Owens, won awards at the recent AmericanaFest U.K. He also recorded his last solo album Cumberland Island in 2018 and continues to perform with three-piece band The Orphan Brigade. His latest collaboration Buffalo Blood, is a blend of Celtic and Southern American roots folk, inspired by a desire by Hubbard and his musical associates, Dean Owens, Joshua Britt and Audrey Spillman, to consider and reflect on the landscape and environment previously occupied by the Native Americans. The recording voyage for their self-titled album brought them across The Trail Of Tears, the journey enforced on the natives as they were driven from their ancestral lands to what was designated as Indian Territory, across The Mississippi River. The album was recorded in locations from the New Mexico Desert to La Plaza Blanca in Abiquiu and atmospherically captures much of those environs and habitat including real life sounds of birds, animals and winds. 

The concept album consists of fifteen tracks, intended as a double vinyl release, with the song writing duties shared by Hubbard, Owens and Britt, some of which is fictional, others based on real life events. Instrumentation includes guitars, percussion, bass, keyboards and mandolin. Ghostly whistling and chanting  are also included, but the real winner are the gorgeous harmonies they create across the exceptionally well written narratives. Sadness, wrath and regret understandably surface, particularly on tracks Comanche Moon, Vanishing World and Reservations which deal directly with the banishment of communities from their lands, but there’s also positiveness and pride on I’m Alive and Carry The Feather.

The album is an ambitious and brave project, tackling a topic often ignored musically, with the possible exception of Buffy Sainte - Marie. To their credit, Buffalo Blood have managed to bring to pass an exceptionally well researched, written and vocalised work, which would pass with flying colours as a soundtrack to a movie on the same subject. 

Review by Declan Culliton

Great Peacock Gran Pavo Real Self Release

Nashville based Great Peacock release their second album and all songs are written by Andrew Nelson (guitars, electric piano & vocals) and Blount Floyd (guitars, harmonica & vocals). They open with Hideaway, a track that rocks with organ swells and a bright guitar tone. Following with the slow tempo and loose groove of One Way Ticket, this is alt country music that resonates. The soulful sound of Begging To Stay is balanced by the bar room feel of Heartbreak Comin’ Down and the slow blues of Take Me Down displays a different band dynamic as they build the arrangement into guitar driven territory. 

Recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium, the album was produced by Dexter Green (Jason Isbell, Elizabeth Cooke), who also contributes electric guitar, organ and bass to the record. Tom Blankenship (My Morning Jacket) also plays bass and Ralph Lofton plays organ and piano across the ten tracks. Nick Recio (drums, percussion & acoustic guitar) completes the line-up.

Oh Deep Water is a chilled, relaxed sound with pedal steel by Carl Broemel floating across the melody. Rattlesnake has an up-tempo rhythm with nice guitar lines while the acoustic sound of All I Really Want Is You suggests a more commercial direction. The final track, Miss You Honey, is a slow tempo melody and a wistful vocal about lost love. The band produce an impressive sound that channels Americana at its best.

Review by Paul McGee

Ben Fisher Does The Land Remember Me? Self Release

It’s always about Land – the conflicts of this World, dividing Nations and causing untold suffering upon so many populations… Land to be conquered, to be claimed, to be annexed, to be granted by Political favour, to be controlled by Governments and armies.

Ben Fisher has a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and he moved to Israel in 2014 in order to gain first-hand knowledge of the conflict between the Israel and Palestinian people. He wanted to present both sides of the argument that surrounds the daily focus of survival and the right to live a life in service to deep-seated beliefs.

He asked celebrated singer-songwriter Damien Jurado to produce the project, which runs to 17-tracks and clocks in at just shy of 56 minutes. The uncluttered approach and stripped-down use of instrumentation bring great focus and resonance. All songs are written by Ben Fisher apart from one cover, Why We Build The Wall, by Anais Mitchell. The sequence jumps around in terms of time and history while some songs are written from a personal, modern-day perspective (Brave New World, Horses and Helpers). The last song, Take A Look Around, is referenced by the comment that “The making of the modern state of Israel was a miracle...” 

Well, my understanding of history thinks that the United Nations Special Commission examined the Palestinian question and recommended the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. Despite growing conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Palestinian Jews, United States President, Harry S. Truman ultimately decided to recognize the state of Israel. Great Britain had opposed both the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state in Palestine, as well as unlimited immigration of Jewish refugees to the region. 

The holocaust of WW2 caused the immigration of millions of Jewish people to Palestine and this is covered in songs like Exodus. The title track refers to the mass emigration of Arabs from Palestine having lost the 1948 war with the new Israel, a pivotal moment in all this conflict, and Yallah To Abdullah also covers this period with Jordan taking many thousands of fleeing families into the country. 

The inclusion of Why We Build the Wall is perfectly legitimised, given the fear, hatred and paranoia that exists on both sides of the divide. It also gives a wry nod to the utter chaos and absurdity of the USA situation where Mexico is considered less than human and a place where inhabitants must be corralled against leaving for greener pastures and opportunity. Had Palestine the power to take a similar stance, then would the current situation have developed - one can only ponder?

Gaza is addressed in terms of a jump between 1956 and 2014; the murder of a Jewish boy is set against the airstrikes and rocket launches where thousands of Palestinians died against 76 Israelis in terrible atrocities. Fathers and Sons lives repeat across the decades and the heartbreak of 1948 is balanced with the moments captured by, If I Have To Go, and the sense that everything is transient.

In the World where war torn reality invades our easy lives in TV land, a release like this is a wake-up call to realise the suffering of part of our human race on a scale that rarely impacts upon our comfortable way of life in the Western World. Credit to Ben Fisher (Vocals, Piano, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Mellotron, Harmonica), Faustine Hudson (Percussion), Micah Simler (Bass), Steve Norman (Pedal Steel), John Northey (Flugelhorn, Trumpet), Noah Gundersen (Electric Guitar, Vocals), Shelby Earl (Vocals) and Damien Jurado (Vocals) for a work of some substance and most worthy of investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

New Album Reviews

Stone Mountain Sinners Tones Of Home Self Release

A debut release from a 6-piece band who are based in the U.K. and who really hit all the spots with a dynamic and energetic Americana & Rock sound. Lead vocalists Sarah Warren and Neil Ivison had separate bands and careers before deciding to join forces and experiment with a new sound. Joined by Nick Lydon (acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass & vocals), Roger Roberts (piano, hammond organ, vocals), Adam Hood (bass) and Duke Delight (drums & percussion) they have discovered an authentic sound that is hard edged and filled with plenty of drive in the song arrangements. The opening tracks, Roadhouse and Arms Of Love set the tempo with full on high energy playing and there are echoes of Bob Seger on tracks like Round Here & All Night Long.

Keeping On shows another side to the sound with a Blues workout that recalls the Allman Bros. The vocal delivery of Sarah Warren is very powerful, full of a bluesy soul and reminiscent of Janis in her tone. It blends nicely with the deeper, gravel timbre of Ivison and together they deliver a convincing performance across the nine tracks here.

Stronger is a track that shows the band in full flight with all players channelling a rockabilly beat with all jangly guitars and shuffle drum beats. The slower Music City Blues features Maurice Hipkiss on pedal steel guitar and the extended closing track, Tones Of Home suggests a direction they could explore further with duelling guitars playing around the rhythm and bouncing off the pedal steel parts. Impressive debut and worth investigation.

Review by Paul McGee

Taylor Martin Song Dogs Little King

A singer-songwriter who grew up in Virginia and who now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, Martin releases his third album and Song Dogs is a very impressive statement of his talent and intentions. Amanda Anne Platt produces and along with her co-producer/engineer, Robert George, she delivers a beautifully balanced record with plenty of texture and vitality in the arrangements. The players on the album are quite superb and the quality and richness of each song is a joy to be discovered by the listener.

Little Pictures is a look at our modern addiction to cell phones/social media and how we end up “missing everything”. It has a blues feel with B3 and piano filling out the funky drum beat. The roots rock of Here Comes The Flood is followed by the country strum of Eden Colorado and the interplay between acoustic guitar and pedal steel. Martin writes eight songs and there are three excellent covers, which include Sign On The Window (Bob Dylan), Kern River (Merle Haggard) and Music Arcade (Neil Young). Milk & Honey and Our Memories are pure country with the fiddle playing of Lyndsay Pruett a real highlight; not only on the latter track but throughout the record. The title track closes the album and the simple piano lines, complimented by the lonesome sound of pedal steel, just leave you wanting more.

The musicians deserve the spotlight and this ensemble really knock it out of the park on every track; Taylor Martin (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Richie Jones (drums, percussion), Matthew Dufon (bass), Matthew Smith (pedal steel), Josh Shilling (piano, B3), Aaron Woody Wood (electric guitar), Aaron Ramsey (acoustic guitar), Lyndsay Pruett (fiddle), Amanda Anna Platt (harmony vocals). Quite superb and a must buy.

Review by Paul McGee

Gordie Tentrees & Jaxon Haldane Grit Greywood

This is a debut release from Canadian artists Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane as a duo. Both have recorded previously in their own names and have collected works that bear out their unique talents across a range of instruments. This release is a live album and was recorded at various venues in Alberta, Canada during 2016. Gordie plays dobro, acoustic guitar, foot percussion, porch board bass and prison whistle. Jaxon joins him on cigar box guitars (electric & lap steel), fiddle saw and 5-string banjo. The sound is very organic as befits twelve stripped down acoustic arrangements. There are story songs and others of keen observation while the Folk & Blues influences of Woody Guthrie and Robert Johnson are never far away in these ballads. 

Ten songs involve Tentrees in the writing, with seven written solo and two involving Haldane. They all sound like old standards, which is testament to the authenticity that is brought to their delivery and performance. I hear echoes of Loudon Wainwright III in the vocals, especially on the blues tinged rendition of I Don’t Have A Gun (Womack/Kimbrough). 29 Loads Of Freight, Junior and Bottleneck Of Wire are all very strong songs and performed with great energy and passion. Well worth investigation for all folk music enthusiasts.

Review by Paul McGee

Blue Fish Diamond From Dark To Light Self Release

This debut album appeared in late 2018 and Blue Fish Diamond are an Irish seven-piece band who originally formed in 2016. Their sound is very melodic and resonates with commercial and contemporary Folk leanings across the ten tracks included here. The lead vocals of Jim Murphy are quite soft and he sings in a gentle, almost fragile tone, especially on tracks like Salvation Call and Innocent Child. Time To Go and Angels Of The Wind are more up-tempo arrangements and A World Away has a nice guitar break from McDonald which energises, before the song takes a change in tempo at the mid-way point. 

The harmony vocals of Ella Ryan and Matilda O’Mahoney are very appealing throughout and add colour to the arrangements. Gavin Glass produced the project at his studio and he also played on the tracks, with a credit of ‘all other instruments’ perhaps not telling the full story. The rhythm section of Ronan Quinn (bass) and Shay Sweeney (drums & percussion) provides a strong platform for the guitars of Murphy (acoustic) and Alex McDonald (electric) and the piano playing of Laura Ryder is also full of nice runs and subtle touches. Laura has a separate band which appeared recently at the Ones To Watch 2019 Festival in Dublin and her performance was excellent. 

The band originally met at the BIMM Dublin music college and they certainly are making the right steps forward with this release. So, overall a very pleasant listen with hope for more to follow in the future. 

Review by Paul McGee

Carl Broemel Wished Out Bismeaux

Better known as guitar god with My Morning Jacket, this is Carl Broemel’s third solo effort. Recorded in his newly constructed home studio in Nashville, he has roped in friends like Robbie Crowell (Deer Tick), Russ Pollard (Sebadoh) and MMJ band mates Tom Blankenship and Bo Koster to help out.

It’s a collection of eight self penned songs of mainly dreamy folk rock, but with more than a hint of his rock guitar leanings finding their way in, to a greater or lesser degree on most tracks. My favourite track is Wished Out - by far the longest at 6 minutes, Carl here gets to show his excellent vocal range on a soulful groove of a song, augmented by an appropriately long languid electric guitar solo.

There’s quite a variation of styles and influences here, from the retro twin harmony guitars of opening song Dark Matter to the Ryan Adams-esque vocals and piano on Starting From Scratch. Another standout track is the acoustic driven Malibu Shadow, with it’s catchy tune and lovely layered vocals. The album ends on a real rock out with the guitar driven Out Of Reach.

Review by Eilís Boland

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards Live In Manitoba Nobody’s Favorite

Mark & Raianne, a folk duo from Massachusetts, had the wise idea of bringing along a recording engineer during a 13 date house concert tour of Manitoba, Canada, and this album is the result.

It stands as a perfect calling card for their superb blend of original folk songs and musicianship. True folkies in every sense of the word, they are already known locally for initiating the Massachusetts Walking Tour, a now annual event where they walk through the state, carrying their instruments and camping along the way, performing concerts in out of the way locations en route. They even paddle their way in canoes at times!

The collection showcases their accomplished songwriting and duet singing, and between them they play guitar, ukulele, harmonica, clarinet (an acquired taste which has so far eluded me in folk music) and tin whistle. A nice touch is the inclusion of some of the between song banter, where you get an idea of their easy rapport with their audiences and their sense of humour and, indeed, humanity.

Review by Eilís Boland

Daniel Meade and the Flying Mules Live Mules Self Release

Glasgow’s finest exponent of ol’ time Americana with a hillbilly boogie woogie edge is back for a busy year where he intends to release 3 albums. Given his dexterity they are likely to show different aspects of his musical muse. The first of these will doubtless appeal to anyone who has seen the Flying Mules play across the U.K. or in Ireland where they were regulars at the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival. Meade is an authentic songwriter and many of his original songs have a timeless quality that would easily place them along side some of the classics pop the era that they evoke.

Neither should the contribution of the Flying Mules be underestimated. Guitarist Lloyd Reid is a top notch player well the equal of many better know players. While the rhythm section of upright bassist Mark Ferrie and drummer Thomas Sutherland bring the swing to its rightful place as the bedrock of the overall sound. The album was recorded at Mareel in Shetland  in 2016. It was their first visit and from the audience reaction and solid delivery that was captured on the night it was a memorable one.

The album features a selection of Meade’s songs taken from their first album to the then current album Let Me Off At The Bottom. That title song, along with astute titles like, There’s A Headstone Where Her Heart Used To Be, If It’s Not Your Fault (I Guess It’s Mine), Not My Heart Again all play out the timeless emotional relationship game viewed form both sides of love/leave divide. The album closes with a Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee cover that brings the roots of the music full circle.

So crank up the sound system as this is a pretty hefty live sound given it’s simple origins and you can have the Flying Mules stopping round your living room while you wait to see what Daniel Meade come sup with next. Whatever that is it’s bound to be interesting.

Review by Stephen Rapid

Michael McDermott Orphans Pauper Sky

The many fans of Micheal McDermott will be more than happy with his latest release which underscores the reason they became fans in the first place. Strong songs that don’t shy away from the darker paths his life has taken in the past. As with Out For Under they are something of an exorcism of those times to the more positive place he finds himself. McDermott produced this album which has a big, full sound that will place him alongside some of those to whom he has been compared. Whenever I play his music to new listeners there is, inevitably, a comparison to Bruce Springsteen and on a certain level I can understand that. The instrumentation and delivery are similar as are the occasional arrangement but one major difference is that while Sprinsteen’s songs tend to focus on the working man McDermott’s are more about the ups and downs life of a working musician. The many nights away, the cheap hotel and cold motels, the sparse audiences that are very much a part and parcel of the life of a traveling troubadour. Not all the songs, of course, are about that and neither is he asking for your sympathy. It’s a life style he has chosen, or chosen him, so rather it is a more honest detailing of the path he has taken or, as truthfully, won’t let him go.

His wife (and singer in her own right) Heather Lynne Horton is a part of the musicians involved, many who were a part of the band The Westies with him and also played on his previous solo albums like Lex Price, John Deadrick and Fred Eltringham as well as guitarist Will Kimbrough. All in all these musicians are in tune with McDermott’s vision and production. He is also singing with energy and no little passion. Given that this songs are mostly drawn from his journey so far that have a conviction that is integral to McDermott’s thinking and actions. Songs like Ne’er Do Well, Meadowlark, Los Angeles, A Lifetime Ago and the closing What If Today Were My Last all take different perspectives mirrored in their delivery which ranges from piano ballads to more uptempo arrangements. All of which show that Michael McDermott is on a upward path that continues to produce music that has an all round excellence.

Review by Stephen Rapid