It started with the cliche before branching out where the music matters. A personal vanity project sharing a passion for country, folk and Americana through live and recorded music since 2012. Give or take the odd hiatus or barren period.
The concluding moments of this gig went a long way to
defining the current state of Nell Bryden’s career. The magnitude of the last
few whirlwind months for the New York based singer-songwriter was encapsulated
in the first encore song ‘Sirens’.
This anthemic power ballad lifted from her latest album SHAKE THE TREE has
proved the catalyst for the wider exposure she has enjoyed in greater
mainstream radio play and being chosen to open for Gary Barlow in his recent
extensive sold out UK tour. The origins of this song also exemplify the fortitude
Nell has had to develop throughout her career from eventually writing about her
personal experience of 9/11 to coming to terms with her hair loss. The emotion
of ‘Sirens’ was almost upstaged with
the closing number as Nell tempted the near sell-out Hare and Hounds crowd to
seize the moment and re-enact the spirit of ‘Shake the Tree.’
Although there were signs of some self admitted weariness as
Nell entered the last leg of a gruelling tour, the appreciative audience were
willing to forgive and enjoy the opportunity to listen to a comprehensive
selection of material from her two most recent albums. The title track from the
2009 release WHAT DOES IT TAKE opened the proceedings and it wasn’t long before
those present were treated to ‘Not Like
Loving You’, ‘Helen’s Requiem’ and a personal favourite in ‘Green Dress’, all taken from a record
that began to establish Nell’s commercial credentials. Nell also returned to
this album for the pre-encore number as she and her band raised the tempo with
the rock orientated ‘Second Time Around.’
The three piece backing band included her tour manager Rick Webster on guitar
but they generally had a low key presence leaving the limelight the sole domain
for the effervescent Nell, who especially couldn’t conceal her pride when
reaching for her Gibson for a couple of numbers.
The new album was also heavily featured during the evening
with ‘Mercy on Me’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘Buildings and Treetops’ coming over
really well live. This new release has a far more pop feel to it than the
previous more rootsy sound and you can’t begrudge Nell a tilt at some of the
trappings of mainstream awareness and appreciation. However for somebody with an enormous ability
to interpret some classic Americana styles, it is hoped that in the future she
could veer in this direction and the production would surely be of great merit.
To further illustrate Nell’s diversity, the only cover incorporated into this
evening’s set was ‘Learn to Fly’ by
the Foo Fighters. Though a slightly clichéd rock ballad, Nell gave a fine
rendition to inject some variety into the proceedings.
While the high profile 2012 support slots helped Nell take
her music to a wider audience, she seemed to revel in the opportunity to resume
centre stage albeit in the smaller venues especially as these are the fans she
can rely on for future committed support. A return to her home cultural
surroundings in New York city will enable Nell to re-charge and we all look
forward to her future offerings, whatever direction they take her in.
As the first, and hopefully last, of the winter snow melted
away, the time finally arrived, after a month’s break, for the 2013 gig season to
commence. The Ort Café is a relative newcomer to the Birmingham live music
scene and this small community based arts venue is aiming to provide an outlet
for up and coming acoustic artists, amongst its many other cultural activities.
It possesses a similar ethos to other small venues located within the neighbouring
suburbs of Moseley and Kings Heath, and thus providing a focal point in the
often decried and misunderstood Balsall Heath area, barely a mile or so from
the city centre.
Annie Dressner
The purpose of this initial visit to the venue was to catch two
fine singer-songwriter artists who impressed with their debut releases last
year and had favourable features on this site. Annie Dressner originates from
New York but now resides in Cambridge, UK and had included the gig in a short
tour around the UK to co-promote her current full length album and a follow up EP
due out in the spring. Louise Petit is a more locally based performer who
regularly plays city centre locations when venturing from her Staffordshire
home. She currently has a five track EP out but is keen to promote other songs
that will hopefully form part of a future release.
Annie Dressner opened the evening with a ten song set to
confirm live the undoubted potential from listening to her recorded material.
Aided by the ubiquitous acoustic guitar and the collaborative assistance of
Paul Goodwin on keyboards, Annie confidently delivered her songs in her own imitable
way possessing a soft enchanting vocal style that straddles authentic folk and
genuine Americana. The set was bookended by two of the many impressive songs
from 2012’s STRANGERS WHO KNEW EACH OTHER’S NAMES. ‘September’ opened proceedings while the jaunty ‘Fly’ brought the performance to a
suitable conclusion, just short of an hour later. In between Annie also featured the album’s title track,
‘How Am I Supposed To Be’ ,‘When I See
Stars’ and the track ‘Brooklyn’,
not about her home New York borough but a place she fondly refers to.
During the evening Annie was keen to promote her upcoming EP
titled EAST TWENTIES. As a preview she elected to play three tracks. ‘Flame’, ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘I Can’t Forget’ and on first listen
seemed to indicate a more tender sound but these songs will no doubt be subject
to greater scrutiny and analysis as the launch date approaches. The set also
saw Annie pay tribute to the late US singer-songwriter/musician Elliott Smith
with a cover of his ‘Between the Bars’.
Hopefully Annie now has the material to develop her live presence into a
comprehensive show and it would be superb if somehow she was in a position to
bring a full band on the road. Her music warrants that.
Louise Petit and her band
Louise Petit is developing into more of an entity now with her
own vocal and acoustic skills being constantly supported by the presence of a
small band. Tim Heymerdinger adds the rhythmic percussion while Russ Sargeant
contributes to the fuller sound by being responsible for the presence of the
double bass. On this evening, a guest guitarist joined the trio for some of the
more up tempo numbers including the opener ‘Love
is Pure’ and the excellent ‘Demons’
which brought the main set to a satisfying conclusion.
These two numbers are part of the EP, FEAR AND MY OTHER
FRIENDS and the three remaining tracks from this release were also incorporated
within the set, These are ‘A Fading Light’,
the harmonious ukulele led ‘You Loved Me
First’ and the haunting ‘Ghosts’.
The ‘Demons’ song from the EP is set to get further exposure by being included in
Fatea magazine’s spring showcase sessions free download titled Sketches. This will align
Louise with other aspiring UK acoustic acts.
By interchanging acoustic guitar and ukulele, Louise and the
band are able to cement a fused Americana/folk sound with a hint of pop that
could evolve into some commercial opportunities. The impressive vocal range of
Louise gives further credence to this possibility as well as the well-timed
backing harmonies. The set also included half a dozen songs that have the
potential to be the bedrock of a future release with ‘Tree Song’, ‘Plastic and Glue’ and ‘To the Sharks’ being the ones that caught the ear. Hopefully these
tracks will evolve into some recorded version that enables wider listening and
enjoyment.
So a positive start to the New Year with further proof of a
healthy acoustic music scene bubbling under the surface. However additional and
continued support is required to enable these artists to flourish and prosper. So
a plea is made to further check them out either live, recorded or online.
Dale Watson has always taken an admirable stance on his country
music beliefs and the genre has been enriched by this stalwart purveyor of the
traditional sound. There was a brief flirtation with the Nashville hierarchy
many years ago but in all honesty this was never going to work and the ensuing years
has seen the prolific adopted Texan remain true to his integrity. Hot on the
heels of 2010’s CARRYIN’ ON’ and 2011’s SUN SESSIONS, the honky tonk warrior
has gone back to the studio and the result is EL RANCHO AZUL, another fourteen
track album that covers all the bases of the trademark Dale Watson sound.
The objectives of this recording are merely to whisk you off
to a Texas dance hall and intoxicate you in a sound that while harking back to
a traditional era is still very much alive in today’s Lone Star juke joints
such as the Broken Spoke in Austin and Ginny’s where Watson is an institution.
His backing band, The Lone Stars, return to play on a record that is a pick n’
mix of country music subject content. This release will be lapped up by Watson
fans far and wide with drinking, love and family songs all being underpinned by
a dance-inspired mood that transmits rhythmic messages right down to your
cowboys boots.
Dale Watson has certainly not held back on the drinking
songs on this album. At the last count we had ‘I Lie When I Drink’, ‘I
Drink to Remember’, ‘I Hate to Drink
Alone’ and – yes! you start to get the picture – ‘Drink, Drink, Drink’. By the time the album closes with ‘Thanks to Tequila’, the metaphorical hangover
is starting to kick in. However this is far from a clichéd set of songs as each
one is cleverly constructed with an avalanche of bass, pedal steel and fiddle
giving this an authentic sound as you can expect from any release.
The versatile impact of this record is maximised at its core
when Watson pairs a couple of tracks designed to keep those Texas dance halls moving.
‘Quick, Quick, Slow, Slow’ and ‘Slow, Quick, Quick’ are the
appropriately named tunes that will leave any beat laden line dancing number
trailing in the distance. On the theme of dance styles, ‘We’re Going to Get Married’ is your archetypical frantic western
swing style fiddle tune while in contrast the emotional ‘Daughter’s Wedding Song’ slows things right down as every true
waltz should. Watson also takes a little detour north to replicate the Memphis
rock n’ roll sound in ‘Give Me More
Kisses’.
These fourteen original songs are set to seal Dale Watson as
one of the leading advocates of the traditional sound and, in the eyes of some,
as the true spirit of country music. Perhaps the debate on the soul of the
genre can be put on one side for a moment and fans of all strands of the music
can unite around the charismatic and inspirational Dale Watson. EL RANCHO AZUL
has put a very early marker down as the country record of the year. The
challenge is on for others to match the maestro.
Americana spiced music has been blessed with some wonderful
male-female duets over the years. Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons were
influential at the outset of the alt-country movement while The Civil Wars have
recently wooed audiences on both sides of the Nashville divide. It’s a touch
premature to anoint Anders and Kendall as the next big thing but their debut
album is a welcome addition to the scene and sure to be well received by fans
of this genre.
WILD CHORUS is the debut release from the creative artistry
of Anders Parker and Kendall Meade, a duo who have consistently worked together
for many years though, until now, refraining from going the full distance and
producing the ultimate duet recording. Austin based label Nine Mile Records
have backed this project which was recorded in the Knoxville based studio of
producer Scott Minor that also provided the inspiration for the name of the
record.
Throughout the eleven original tracks that make up this
album, Anders and Kendall have fused their indie backgrounds with a hint of
folk and pop to create a mesmeric hypnotic sound that will find its niche
within the crowded Americana market. The blend of Anders’ seasoned and Kendall’
elegant vocals supremely supplement the soft guitar and regular back beat that
feature strongly in a majority of the songs. These include the two prime tracks
on the album, the spine tingling rhythmic ‘We’re
on Fire Babe’, not surprisingly selected as the initial single, and the
country-flavoured love song ‘Oh, Love’.
The latter has that essential Americana ingredient of a hint of twang that melts
into the soothing beautiful vocals. The sprinkling of a little harmonica on ‘Sleepwalking’ also gives the album a
more authentic roots appeal.
Harking back to recently acclaimed duets, you can’t fail to
visualise the Plant/Krauss collaboration in ‘Let’s Get Lost’, one of the albums up tempo numbers with a
shade more guitar and aggression. The rock theme continues on ‘Gettin’ Ready’, a bass driven indie
inspired number led by Kendall’s vocals. The duo frequently exchange lead vocals
on several tracks with Anders’ more worn voice dominating ‘Can You Forgive Me’ while they effortlessly glide along on ‘Play It’. However as you would expect from
a duet recording there are numerous highs when the harmonies surface and there
is no finer example than on the mellow album closer ‘The Sun Will Shine Again Someday’.
Anders and Kendall have made a massive step to branch out as
a duet but the sentimental euphonious sound of WILD CHORUS has given them a
gratifying release to market their talents to mature music connoisseurs on both
sides of the Atlantic. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they actively
promote the record on these shores and visit the UK. An appreciative and
knowledgeable audience will be ready to embrace their music.
There is a school of thought that music should only be
classified into two types; good and bad or that which you like and that which
you don’t. However for those genre junkies out there, here’s a new one to throw
into the mix. Take the sincerity of country, the classical interpretation of
folk, add a touch of the resolute realism of urban rock, sprinkle the
minimalist approach of roots music and the result is a new genre hypothetically
unveiled as ‘Urban Twang’. This is the perfect classification for those who
consider the singer-songwriter genre to be too simplistic and Americana one too
vague.
While the opening gambit of this review can be construed as
a touch pretentious, all the factors indicated are the essential ingredients in
the new album ONLY DAUGHTER from New York based singer-songwriter Rebecca
Pronsky. This is her third release under the Nine Mile Records label and one
that she can be very proud of. Coming quite quickly after 2011’s VIEWFINDER,
Rebecca has continued to hit the mark with an impressive outpouring of her
creative talents across the ten tracks that form the record.
These talents include the song writing credits for all but
one of the songs on the album. The odd one out being a number originally
written and performed by fellow American artist Mark Kozelek and given the
curious title ‘Glenn Tipton’. On the
surface this profound song seems to have little connection with the Judas Priest
band member named in the title but is a much analysed piece online and Rebecca’s
rendition is a highly commendable version of a heavily folk inspired song.
With analysis of the cover out of the way, attention turns
to the wealth of self penned songs that give the album vitality and strength.
The rousing ‘Rise Up’ with its
protest connotations gets the album off to the perfect start before leading
into the melodic ‘Honesty’ that
continues the infectious beat to carry the momentum forward. Fellow New York
artists, the mother and daughter duo Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche add
vocals to ‘Better That way’ a song
enhanced by the subtle banjo touches that adorn the opening number as well.
Rebecca’s husband, Rich Bennett, is one of the driving
forces behind the album, combining guitar, keyboard and ukulele input with the production
duties. The essential pedal steel is provided by guest musician Mike Nolan
adding a hint of twang to ‘Glenn Tipton’
and ‘Honesty’, while the permanent
band’s engine room is steered by Dan Shuman on bass and Russ Meissner on
percussion.
In addition to her acoustic guitar and lyrical contribution,
Rebecca’s vocals grace each track in true unmistakable Americana style effortlessly switching between the jaunty numbers and the slower ones such as the dreamy ‘Come Down’. This perfectly supplements the rock inspired song ‘The Garden’
where the production steps up a notch from the more minimal roots tunes.
The highlights of this first class album are a toss-up
between the inspiring ‘Rise Up’ and
the jolly show-closing ditty ‘Please
Forget Me’ with its upbeat feel reminiscent of that nostalgic Broadway
sound. In truth there isn't a bad track on the album, which will neatly fit into an economical half hour gap in our busy lives and will surely be the
centrepiece when Rebecca returns to the UK for some shows in March.
If the hypothetical ‘Urban Twang’ is going evolve as a genre
let’s add Rebecca Pronsky to some of the
founding members such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gretchen Peters, Justin Townes
Earle and Nell Bryden to name but a few highly respected and influential
artists. Grand company I’m sure you would agree but ONLY DAUGHTER confirms
Rebecca Pronsky’s place alongside these performers.
One of the great pleasures of coming across travelling
singer-songwriters is the enlightening stories that accompany their songs which
often form an integral part of their live performances. Belfast born artist
Andy White has taken this one step further with his latest release by including
a combination of songs and narrations spaced across a two-disc set. The real
inspiration behind the release is to adapt his 2009 book of the album’s same
title 21st CENTURY TROUBADOUR.
The stories disc comprises of Andy reading extracts of his
travelling memoirs set to background music, a poetry adaption from his 2011
book STOLEN MOMENTS and an eponymous track appropriately titled ‘21st Century Troubadour’. The
striking, poignant and often humorous observations of a transient life very
much on the peripheral of rock ‘n roll are designed to take the listener on that
journey and succeeds in capturing your attention for its almost hour-long
duration. The most memorable part of the narration comes early on when Andy contrasts
U2’s ‘Where the Streets have no name’ statement to the life of a lonely
troubadour where every street has a name and often lead you to the venues and
hotels you’ve booked.
For those of you new to the work of Andy White, he has spent
close to thirty years recording music and working alongside industry giants
such as Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison and the Finn brothers. For this unique
release, Andy has chosen to include fourteen tracks from his back catalogue
that have been essential to the rich heritage of experience captured in the book.
The songs spanning from Andy’s 1990 album HIMSELF to his most recent record
2009’s SONGWRITER are an eclectic selection that catch a mixture of his sound,
covering pop, rock and folk.
The two standout tracks for me are the ones which reflect a
more stripped down acoustic sound. ‘Berlin
6 AM’ a song written around that city’s most important recent event was also
related to a specific episode in the book, while the folk credentials of ‘The Fortune Teller’s Right’ with its
harmonica interlude will resonate with any roots music fan. Another memorable
song chosen which is aligned with Andy’s international status is the catchy ‘Italian Girls on Mopeds.’ Yet despite
being based in Australia for a decade, Andy is always keen to hark back to the
songs originating from his native Ireland and ‘Twelfth of July’ is a perfect example of his Belfast commentary.
This release presents itself as a concise introduction to
the world of Andy White. A special mention also needs to made of Andy's exceptionally informative website and excellent sleeve notes.The upcoming UK dates designed to promote his work are
the perfect opportunity for music enthusiasts to engage further with an
insightful artist who expertly fuses the spoken and written word with a diverse
sound. One day, 21st century troubadour will inevitably be the
epitaph of Andy White, however in the meantime, long may there be many more
releases of travelling tales to fuel the desire of fans of high quality singer-songwriters.
2013 is shaping up to be a sensational year for fans of
Canadian folk music in the UK. Amongst others, Ruth Moody, Cara Luft, Old Man
Luedecke and the Good Lovelies are all scheduled to visit these shores over the
next few months but first out of the block is the alluring singer-songwriter
Amelia Curran. A UK tour kicks off later this month with Amelia, a previous
recipient of a prestigious Juno award, using the visit to promote her new album
SPECTATORS.
This is the sixth release from an artist committed to bringing
the sounds from the outpost of Canada’s north eastern provinces to a wider
audience. The St John’s born – Halifax based Amelia has followed the style of
her previous releases with SPECTATORS offering the usual aggregation of
enchanting tales, profound lyrics and a mellifluous sound. This unmistakable
offering of distinct Canadian folk music displays the light of difference between
it and that of its British counterparts. This is primarily down to the genuine
vocals of Amelia which, while tinged with a dose of gritty realism, still remain
remarkably tender.
SPECTATORS is a collection of ten implicitly constructed
songs that reflect the deep inner thinking of the culturally talented Amelia
who has enlisted the help of some amazing session players to fine tune these
self-penned tracks. The record may only last a shade over thirty minutes but it’s
an intense listen which is the converse of instant gratification. Repeated
listens will ultimately leave you rewarded as you sync your mind with the rhythmic
undertones that begin with the beat that accompanies the opening track ‘Years’ and remains through the duration
of the album.
While the musical arrangements appear relatively
straightforward, the subtle horns added to ‘What
Will You Be Building’ and ‘In a Town (200
days)’ contribute positively to the feel of the record. Amelia’s vocals
add an authenticity to the tracks and there is a mid song memorable non-lyrical
addition to ‘Blackbird on Fire’. The
two standout compositions on the album are ‘Strangers’
which immediately launches into an impressive explicit vocal statement with the
line “I want to make you understand”, while the appealing sad reflective number
‘San Andreas Fault’ contains the
metaphorical gem of a chorus line “the San Andreas Fault is on my heart”.
Make no mistake, this is a release designed for those
chilled out and mellow moments in life. The live performance of these songs,
coming to a series of intimate venues throughout the UK, should be earmarked by
fans right across the country, roots, Americana, folk and singer-songwriter spectrum.
Alternatively, or even additionally, indulge yourself in SPECTATORS to accompany
you in the calmer moments of life.
The stock of Texan artist Carrie Rodriguez is set to rise as
she continues to reap the benefits of her rich musical heritage and the
influences she has been exposed to. After a period of interpreting the songs of
others with 2008’s LOVE AND CIRCUMSTANCEand the 2011 duet EP with Ben Kyle WE STILL LOVE OUR COUNTRY, Carrie has
re-ignited her song writing skills in this eleven-track new release, the Lee
Townsend-produced GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT.
The exemplary fiddle work that has been the signature sound
of Carrie since the early days of her classical upbringing is still very much
in evident as she continues to explore the world of Americana music with a host
of talented collaborators. As per usual, her mentor, the legendary Chip Taylor
(Wild Thing, Angel of the Morning),
continues to be a guiding light for Carrie. As well as supplying a brace of his
own compositions’, he assisted Carrie in the writing of the two opening songs,
which help shape a very strong album. The first of these ‘Devil in Mind’ is a trademark Carrie track adorned with her
delightful fiddle complementing the sultry vocals. The song appears later in
the album in instrumental format with an arrangement that adds value to the
original and is no mere filler.
Some of these new songs were previewed during Carrie’s set
at last year’s Maverick Festival when she toured with her latest musical sidekick,
Luke Jacobs who plays a prominent role in this release with his co-writing and
versatile guitar skills. One of these songs, ‘Lake Harriet’, left a positive impression and its recorded format
is the record’s finest track with a snappy introduction and infectious beat.
The fact that this is a solo-Carrie composition bodes well for the future self-confidence
in her song writing skills. The country credentials of this song are apparent,
albeit the subject is a Minneapolis tourist spot, not your usual southern
inspired location.
Carrie’s previous collaborator Ben Kyle has penned the
tender ballad ‘Get Back in Love’ that
is part of a trio of slower numbers which hold the middle section of the album
together alongside ‘Tragic’ a
co-write with Luke Jacobs and Chip Taylor’s ‘Cut
Me Now’. The latter having an increased electric input into its sound. The
penultimate track ‘Brooklyn’ is an
autobiographical piece heavily featured in the press release and it being a co-write
between Carrie and Luke re-affirms the potential in this pairing to develop
their song writing partnership. This continues in the reflective old time feel
duet number ‘I Don’t Mind Waiting’
that brings the album to a suitable conclusion.
It’s a very positive sign that Carrier has returned to
writing and this compilation of original material is the perfect opportunity to re-establish her as a prime artist in the
Americana movement who is extremely active both sides of the Atlantic. Some UK
dates are pencilled in for the second part of 2013, so in the meantime set
aside some time to enjoy this album from one of the young leading lights in
country, roots and Americana music.
