Gig of the Year 2020

Surely this blog's annual Gig of the Year accolade should be shelved in 2020. Any such achievement would get an asterisk alongside it in a sporting connotation to denote some flaw or small sample. Well, maybe the latter is relevant this year as live music was curtailed in the mad month of March before the tally even reached double figures. Promises of significant additions flickered out as the year drew to a close with one solitary indoor event and a day at a festival being added to the list that was abruptly halted on March 10th. 

However, asterisks apart, it would be remiss not to at least make an attempt to keep a run going that began in the year of this blog's inception - 2012. In a year of a small sample, I'm going to plump for a small gig. The year's two biggest events were in the 500-1000 category with Tyler Childers and the Milk Carton Kids, but I'm going to dip right into the deep roots of my gig world to anoint one just a meagre fraction of the amount frequenting the year's top attenders. 

Although my gig count at the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham runs well into three figures, my gig of the year usually comes from a venue where a more established name has wooed my senses. Even the first two recipients from the below list were delivered to packed houses probably in three figures, but I have always sought and settled on an annual favourite with little difficulty. 

2012    Terri Clark                          Glee Club Birmingham

2013    My Darling Clementine      Hare and Hounds Birmingham

2014    The Mavericks                    Symphony Hall Birmingham

2015    Old Crow Medicine Show  The Ritz Manchester

2016    Brandi Carlile                     Shepherd's Bush London / Maryland USA

2017    Chuck Prophet                    Rescue Rooms Nottingham

2018    American Aquarium            The Bullingdon Oxford

2019    Lucinda Williams                 Town Hall Birmingham

This year's winner exists in a totally different stratosphere to most of the artists named above, but in my opinion they absolutely soar above their status in terms of talent, aura and the sheer magnitude of making an audience freeze in a moment of adoration. They are an artist ploughing their own furrow in the UK's independent folk and roots scene. In my opinion they are one of the finest exponents of Americana music in the UK, but labels, scenes and associations drift in their opposite direction and does it really matter when the music does all the talking. This artist has been around a long time for their relatively young years and mark my words, they will be continue to flourish in the future. I love all the previous winners of this accolade, but this year's recipient evokes a sense of pride that eclipses the others.

2020    Luke Jackson                   Kitchen Garden Birmingham

Now let's put this horrid year to bed. I actually have tickets to see Luke play the venue again in January. When live music re-surfaces in who knows what format, it will be special. Large events may have to adapt, but the roots will rise again to show their resilience. 

   

Album of the Year 2020

Since 2013 this blog has ended the year with a ranking of favourite albums that have graced the past twelve months whether from the review or purchased pile. To break with tradition, a decision has been made this year to jump over to the other side and take the view that art is not a contest. Therefore the only list I am presenting this year is an alphabetical order of all the albums that caught my ear in 2020. This is a  list far from exhausted as there are plenty of releases that will eventually find their way into my listening sphere, but have been impeded by time and circumstance. A major factor in this delay is the gig wilderness of 2020 as I am acutely aware of some albums that will gain traction from seeing the artist play live. These albums may be missing from this list, but distinctive errors of omission will be rectified in good time. As the saying goes, a record is for life not just a short window of time.

This list can be found in the Album Release Directory that has been regularly maintained from submissions (both during the review hiatus and the ensuing period of resumption) alongside significant records that were either purchased or streamed on more than a couple of occasions. Each of these records are pieces of art in their own right and the list contains links for them to be checked out.

However, I can't let 2020 pass without calling on one album to join the parade of previous records that have taken the mantle of the year's favourite. Therefore read on for the album nominated to join the pantheon of champions that have played their part in framing an highlight of the year's listening

2013    Brandy Clark         -   12 Stories

2014    Miranda Lambert   -   Platinum

2015    Allison Moorer      -    Down to Believing

2016    Carter Sampson     -  Wilder Side

2017    Caroline Spence    -   Spades & Roses

2018    Brandi Carlile        -    By the Way, I Forgive You

2019    Miranda Lambert   -   Wildcard

Sorry guys, and the heaps of independent music that gets promoted in these pages, I am reverting to type and keeping this year's favourite release in a similar vein to its predecessors. There is no proclamation of this year's choice being earth shattering, inspirational, influential or demanding that it's a must-listen-to release. The simple reason for the choice is down to the spring lockdown and an album that absolutely grew on me when car travel resumed. It became a soundtrack to the act of re-surfacing and getting out and about with music being a sweet accomplice. I just fell in love with it and waited all year for one to come along to knock it off its mantle. This didn't happen and this year's recipient becomes my second dual winner. While its 2016 predecessor drew a critical response from me to temper its arrival, there was no such frustration with the 2020 offering. I bought into what it was about from the off and just let it roam free. The only judgement I'm going to give it is that it offered a reassuring warmth every time I played it, and that was an awful lot of times. 

2020    Brandy Clark     -    Your Life is a Record

Let's close the horrid year of 2020 with at least some fond memories of the wonderful music that was released. 2021 will be just as good in terms of releases and we are ready for it with the antenna of our ears tuned into the music that matters. 

Album Review: Steve Mayone - Mayone

 

www.mayonemusic.com

You may or may not be acquainted with Paul McCartney's debut solo album released in 1970. Titled plainly McCartney, by all accounts it has had a chequered existence, championed and vilified in equal portions. It is not certain whether Steve Mayone's attempt at aping this release will draw the same cross section of opinion, but fifty years on from the dawning of a post-Beatles era, MAYONE plants an element of inquisitive curiosity in those who cross its path. As someone who was not acquainted with McCartney (the album not the bloke!), a couple of spins on those much aligned streaming sites proved an interesting companion when getting to grips with its half century on bedfellow. 

However let's leave Sir Paul behind (he's not short on press) and focus on what Steve Mayone has done with a record that has been deemed a side project. Cramming thirteen tracks into a twenty-seven minute playing time is a feat in itself, but it does have a template to follow. The mix of songs and instrumentals plays to the strengths of Steve Mayone who extends his multi-instrumentalist repertoire to a large degree when turning his hand to almost double figures of instruments taking in multiple strings, keys and rhythm. 

MAYONE took on a real sense of purpose when his band's delayed album became one of 2020's many casualties. Not one to sit back, this alternative project got set in motion and must be one of the year's final releases when hitting the overseas markets on December 18th, although it has been available in the US for a while. When consuming this album, you get a true sense of Mayone's creativity, whether delivering little ditty fillers or songs of a more meaningful purpose. 

The album scores highly in how the instrumental pieces are smartly spaced out, segueing neatly into the conventional songs. 'Missouri Loves Compay' stands out in the album's early stages with its very Beatles-ish vibe to almost make an understatement. In the latter stages, the impish 'Happy Alcoholidays' thrives on its play of words to disguise a more significant meaning. At the heart of the record, a good ole honest rocker in 'Sweet Little Anchor' holds fort complete with a fleeting sixties style sound. 

MAYONE is a short sharp release that brings the year to a close creating sufficient waves to seek out niches to nestle in. It shines a bright light on the talents of Steve Mayone and leaves the listener richer for all the avenues it leads you down. 

Album Review: The Pawn Shop Saints - ordinary folks

 

www.jebbarry,com

Releasing an album two weeks before Christmas runs the risk of being buried in the avalanche of end of year lists with folks generally in a reflective mood. Perhaps this unassuming release is just content to sit quietly peering from the sidelines very much in line with the image on the front cover and pounce when the dust settles. ordinary folks is not one to punch above its weight, even the omission of capitalisation suggests a far from bombastic approach. Just like it says on the tin, this is a gaze into a mundane world of well, just ordinary folks, and the world of simple truth and reality that brings out the best in a certain mindset of observational troubadour. Singer-songwriter Jeb Barry has dropped his name from the title of this album and gone solely with The Pawn Shop Saints. Whatever the motive he delivers a decisive slab of acute perceptive songwriting wrapped in a sound that echoes the curiosity of a southern road trip. 

Long before the term 'reality tv' took root, the phrase 'fly on the wall' decorated a peer into everyday life and Barry succinctly carries this out as we gaze into the lives of many ordinary folk - yep that title is really appropriate. These lives range from those pitched up on the side of the interstate in 'Southern Mansions' where stripping away layers of prejudice reveals a hidden friendly warmth to an interesting take on a single person's experience of having their smoking habit demonised in 'Pack a Day'. 

You can have no finer association than attaching the name Jason Isbell to the track 'New Year's Eve, Somewhere in the Midwest'.  Apparently Isbell threw the line out for somebody to turn into a song a few years ago. Barry obliged, Isbell approved and the result is one of your quintessential 'at wits end' stories that probably acts as a catalyst to redemption. 

The term 'state of mind' crops up a lot in American roots music and Barry uses it to intuitive success in album opener 'You Don't Know the Cumberland'.  He refers to the mines not coming back in this track before using the reference again a little later when addressing the affect of floods in 'Body in the River'. There is definitely some affinity to coal mining and the roots music of Appalachia, even in casual remarks. 

Throughout a record that succinctly fires its arrows right on the mark within the tight confines of a nine-track/thirty-minute template, Barry delivers a profound message in a deliberating style. Consistency matches quality and the words are stark, clear and thoroughly engaging. 

Elsewhere on ordinary folks, the poignancy of loss is painted exquisitely on 'Old Men, New Trucks' and while the nostalgia of 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' is self evident, you could replace it with any formative teenage musical infatuation. 'Ain't No Mama Here' will have its day, but maybe later on, and the friendly warmth radiating from 'Dry River Song' is an ideal closer sung in a cosy campfire style of cowboy folk. 

Smart folks may wallow in their end of year lists, but smarter folks will clear a little space for The Pawn Shop Saints. Ordinary folks beware though if Jeb Barry peers through the lens into your life a damn good song will likely appear. 

Album Release: Rupert Wates - Lamentations

www.rupertwatesmusic.com 

"A Nick Drake vibe" is one anecdotal reference heard about this record which I'm going to borrow and plant at the outset of a few words in support of the latest album by Rupert Wates. Initially I heard shades of Richard Thompson in the vocal style of an exiled Brit who has lived in the States for many years and is an established member of a tight knit folk singer-songwriter circuit heavily bound by the annual Kerrville shindig. Although far from a Nick Drake authority, there are echoes of a sparse and personalised delivery to get the drift. 

LAMENTATIONS is a record that requires a touch of wavelength tuning. Eventually the sole voice, sole guitar and introspective songs find the right band to induce the listener into a state of sedate contentment. Rupert Wates is an lyricist, songwriter and musician with a lengthy back catalogue. You get the impression the well rarely runs dry and this enthralling effort joins the dots as 2020 inches towards its conclusion. 

Album Review: The Lost Notes - Lowlifes & High Times

www.thelostnotes.co.uk

The first juxtaposition to impact the new album from Birmingham band The Lost Notes is its roots on the streets of the twin suburbs of Kings Heath and Moseley where all shades and facades of life rub shoulders in a cultural and socio economic melting pot. The second one is the band's optimistic and entertaining demeanour which can translate some deep profound issues into a breezy display of infectious folk inspired music laced with sumptuous pop and a cross genre approach.

First and foremost this five-piece combo, frequently stripped back to a trio for adaptable purposes on the the local music circuit, write exceedingly catchy songs that get enhanced through their multi facetted delivery. This includes frequent three-part harmony and an exchange in lead vocal between the core trio of Ben and Lucy Mills and Oli Jobes. LOWLIFES & HIGH TIMES may reap the benefits from being a late 2020 release, thus giving it a clear run at the 2021 live circuit when it eventually creaks back into life. Whatever that circuit looks like, the chances are The Lost Notes will be there in some guise spreading their brand of positivity.

The rump of the new album, a follow up to RUN FREE RIGHT NOW, consists of eleven brand new tracks, increased to thirteen on a special edition release where 'All Born Free' and 'I'll Just Hold You' get an acoustic and piano remix respectively. The full version of the former casts the first stone as the album's soul, but soon has lots of pretenders snapping at its heels.

Peaks on the album generally rotate with each listen. 'A Fool Once Told Me' is one such high catching the ear on numerous occasions with its clever lyrics decorating a piece of vintage pop meets country lullaby. When the time is ripe for a vocal refresher Lucy Mills steps in on 'Done with the Waiting' to sparkle like a gem further illuminating a sunlit landscape. 

This track also houses some of the nifty guitar work prevalent on the album, first introduced in opener 'Piece of Star' and getting a little twangy in the pace-switching toe-tapping beat infused 'Holding On'. For fans of Lucy's vocals she comes to the fore later on the album when taking lead on 'Glory Days' before following straight on with the jazzy blues laid back effort 'Nobody's Fool' complete with a funky backbeat. 

There are plenty of repetitive chorus parts that glue the album together, no more catchier than 'Still I Come'. Things get a little softer with the gently flowing pop-styled message number 'I'll Just Hold You'. The vocals take on a different shared approach on 'I Got Time', with the track swaying to a beat of eclecticism. 'Goodbye Yesterday' is your archetypal closer in sentiment though one of an uptempo nature as you would expect from The Lost Notes. All that's left on the special edition are the two remixed tracks mentioned earlier. 

LOWLIFES & HIGH TIMES is a throughly engaging listen from a band who have honed in on their collective talents to blend a simple but effective piece of popular music with a folk 'n' roots twist. The Lost Notes are perfectly equipped to make 2021 a special year for them and those who cross their paths on the live circuit. 

Album Review: George Shingleton - Out All Nighter

 

www.georgeshingleton.com

Earlier this year Rock Ridge Music gave us the luscious traditional country vibes of Victoria Bailey which blew like a breath of fresh air to folks besotted with this sound across the pond. Now it's the turn of a deep rougher male sound to follow the same path as George Shingleton's music takes a similar flight with near identical results. A rich blend of southern rock sentiment and a voice drenched wearily in honky tonk revelry and woes greets the listener with an added dose of delectable steel. No doubt contemporary comparisons will be drawn with Chris Stapleton, but here is a guy on fire and not content to rest on his laurels. 

A dark background, a moody poise and a title suggesting this is not a release for early risers, OUT ALL NIGHTER doesn't waste a moment of its brief calling time with eight tracks shaping a magnetic sound for those revelling in a little stomp and holler. The brevity of original content is enhanced when you split the cover of 'Misery and Gin' from the pack, but doing that you risk marginalising a song aching for Shingleton's voice to wrap its chops around. 

A well trodden iconic route from West Virginia to Nashville is further immortalised in the back story of George Shingleton who may have his work cut out with permeating mainstream circles such is the authenticity and homage paid to the past. Yet the seven tracks presented to the world brim with classy cuts that rock when you wanna, cry when you need to and wallow when there's no option. 

George Shingleton politely asks for half an hour of your time and duly blows the mind with a rabid roller coaster of an effort to blitz the emotion of a true OUT ALL NIGHTER. Go hard and sink away wearily at the end. Country music is alive and kicking here. 

Album Review: The Ghost of Paul Revere - Good at Losing Everything

 

www.ghostofpaulrevere.com

The first curiosity with this album was checking who is Paul Revere and seeking the relevance. Apart from being a key historical figure of a nation's fledgling days and a fellow native of the New England states, enlightenment is none the wiser other than it is a catchy name for a core rock trio hailing from the great state of Maine. Curiosity aside, The Ghost of Paul Revere have put their name to a rather fine album that elevates from dependable to impressive once garnering a few spins. GOOD AT LOSING EVERYTHING weighs in at twelve tracks, slimmed down in reality to ten when stripping out a short instrumental and an even shorter 43 second fading out finale. 

While these two tracks are not quite representative of the album they do reflect the diverse nature that enables a record to rattle through its 39 minute duration without finding a seamless groove to define a sound. Instead we get a mixed set of Americana staples ranging from some rousing rockers to ones of a more rootsy disposition. 'Diving Bell' and 'Travel On' house this diversity in the midriff of the album, but it is the more prominent tracks in the opening throes that seal the positive appeal. 'Love at Your Convenience' blossoms as the key single, while the title track gets things off to the perfect start with a huge slice of high quality fare. 

GOOD AT LOSING EVERYTHING simmers to a fruitful conclusion to demonstrate that The Ghost of Paul Revere are a lot more than just a curious name. 

Album Review: Thee Holy Brothers - My Name is Sparkle

 

www.theeholybrothers.com

The year's end may soon be approaching, but there is still time for an album to spring a surprise. While MY NAME IS SPARKLE is unlikely to rattle the cage of the year's big hitters, it is capable of rousing interest and far from falls by the wayside. You could go as far and say that the album is a compelling piece of innovative art as the project appears to start life as a secular-spiritual play before rolling out as a set of easy listening folk-pop tunes that are kind to the ear. Thee Holy Brothers (the collaboration of longstanding LA based folk-rock practitioners Willie Aron and Marvin Etzioni) are the architects behind this fascinating project that is heavy on the narrative and more than a little inquisitive in how it transmits from record to listener.

There are almost two different stratospheres that this album resides in. One where you pay no real attention to the backstory and take the tracks at face value of being exceedingly catchy tunes. The stand out song from this perspective is the focal number 'Let the Great World Spin' that appears twice on the twelve track collection - with and without horns. The other track to flex interest in the ears is 'The End of Suffering', a song bringing up the rear of a segment when the album burrows deep into your psyche. The other faze of this record is to take a gander through the backstory of who is sparkle, what does it represent and what is the relevance of finding Elvis in Jerusalem. 

Take your pick of approach and MY NAME IS SPARKLE will prod your curiosity by royally entertaining with its clarity and ability to spin a complex thread in an engaging musical style. 

Album Review: Granger Smith - Country Things

 

The latest album from Granger Smith powers towards its destination like a blinkered thoroughbred waiving away any distractions that may knock it off course. The intended audience are a ripe target eager for the content and willing to lap up the sensibility of this deep rooted Texas country artist. Armed with the intent and tools perfectly equipped for the job, you get all the bases covered with plenty of little extras thrown in. Granger Smith doesn't hanker for navel gazing acclaim and advises that his music is absorbed with a huge smile. This is an artist who fully understands the industry memo alongside a road map to a hungry base. 

COUNTRY THINGS is perpetually idealistic in focussing on an embedded outlook alongside cultivating an image of life through the lens of a limited periphery. Granger Smith uses every ounce of his pride, wit and musical nous to inject a streak of optimistic fun into a record that skates across a rink of cliches while never losing sight of that lucrative winning post. This is country music of a specific persuasion; one popular with a massive sea of adulation and adoration. 

Taking a deep dive into the eighteen tracks of a release that has had a staggered unveiling to the wider world has been both affirming and laced with a touch of satiated indulgence. Rules may be adhered to, but you never lose sight of understanding what it is all about. Granger Smith makes music with a smile on his face and is the architect of a product honest to its core. No pretence is offered and thus not a minute of time is wasted upon those deciding to hook up with the music of a country artist on top of his game. 

Album Review: Martin Simpson - Home Recordings

www.martinsimpson.com

A studious looking folk singer, acoustic unplugged guitar, the family cat and a simple title of HOME RECORDINGS; a quartet of defining features that perfectly sums up the latest offering from legendary English folk artist Martin Simpson. Not one ever short on ideas and inspiration, Simpson has shrugged off the impeding traits of 2020 and set out on a mission of which he has excelled at for many years. Expect the stripped back sound of a frugal recording environment expanded by some virtuoso blues-style finger picking, and a raft of tunes both familiar and revisited showing Simpson's ability to speculate and interpret. 

HOME RECORDINGS, a contender for the most simplistic and explicit title of the year, is no short sharp release as fourteen tracks tumble across a listening time gracing just shy of three quarters of an hour. Word laden songs rub shoulders with a smattering of instrumentals, and fans of American folk standards won't argue with 'Angel From Montgomery' and 'The Times They Are A-Changin' getting an English makeover. Other covers include Lyle Lovett's 'Family Reserve' which launches the album in a gentle folk lullaby style and 'October Song' from the Incredible String Band's 1966 eponymous album. The latter adding a traditional vibe to the album. 

Just to teach the guitar a lesson that it ain't the only instrument in town, the banjo makes an appearance in the mid rift of the album as Simpson plucks an effective intro and outro to book end the tuneful ditty 'Three Day millionaire/ Don't Put Your Banjo in the Shed Mr, Waterson'. For fans of imperious slide guitar listen intently to the four-minute display on the instrumental 'Plains of Waterloo' and any remnants of disappointment will extinguish. 

Making interesting records has sat comfortably alongside Martin Simpson's undisputed all round talent for many years to the extent that scheduling a near rotation of instrumentals and regular songs maintains the freshness of an album that is also rich in maturity. The set is concluded in a slightly impish way with 2020's indelible date 'March 22nd' adorning the title of a short thirty second instrumental to wrap things up and lead Martin Simpson onto whatever project his antenna points to next. No rest for an independent musician. 

Footnote to the release of HOME RECORDINGS is that Martin Simpson was scheduled to play a 'live' show in my hometown of Stourbridge on November 29th which inevitably fell foul to Lockdown 2.0. The curse of 2020 strikes again. 

Album Review: Ben Glover - Sweet Wild Lily (EP)

 

www,benglover.co.uk

The work of Ben Glover, Gretchen Peters, Colm McLean and Kim Richey has been entwined on many levels over the last few years that it is of no surprise that all four names crop up again in one of the year's surprising yet so tantalising releases. It is not quite a case of getting the band back together after a long break, but the momentous effect of recent events makes it seem like an eternity since Ben was writing with Gretchen, touring and collaborating with Kim, and spectacularly calling on the exceptional guitar playing service of Colm. 

Essentially SWEET WILD LILY is a Ben Glover release, but he has long made claim to being the king of the co-operatives, and all four names link up on this four track EP in some way or another. Let us begin not with the title track, but the release's most recognisable feature. Following in the footsteps of the menacingly dark 'Blackbirds', Glover has decided to record his own version of a Peters co-write, this time turning his distinct vocal style to the intriguing 'Arguing with Ghosts'. Both tracks had the honour of setting the scene in the opening salvo of a Gretchen Peters album and it is always fascinating to hear them in the rasp of a different voice. A true test of a great song is that you continue to explore its components long after first listen and a fresh take on it here shows no exception. To add an additional shine to the song, Kim Richey adds backing vocals here.

Of the three new songs springing into life on this EP, it is another Glover-Peters co-write that shoots to the fore. Fascinatingly, 'Broke Down' has lingered in the shadows for seven years, which makes you wonder what else might be lying in these songwriters' vaults. Giving this song a significant uplift is some gorgeous guitar work from Colm Mclean, obviously from afar, but this is not necessarily an obstacle in today's diminishing world. 

In the same vein as the production role on the record (no Nielsen Hubbard this time), the source of the other two songs is solely down to Ben Glover, with the title track 'Sweet Wild Lily' leading the way in the video promotion of the full EP. 'Fireflies Dancing' brings up the quartet and another prime example of Glover's trademark marriage of road tested delivery and insightful songwriting. 

There has been little fanfare accompanying SWEET WILD LILY just a welcome reminder why the music of Ben Glover has gathered recognisable momentum over the last few years. With the unearthing of gems like 'Broke Down', the first shots of the next album (whenever it will surface) have just rung out. 

ner’s

Album Release: The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! - The World Will Break Your Heart

 

www.garyvanmiert.com

Sometimes you can be guilty of spending too much time looking for a record's hidden depth when the appeal is designed to be clear, simple and transparent, In the case of Gary Van Miert it is just to make a fun album that purely indulges a lifelong passion to savour and share the spirit of classic country music. If you're going to dive full length into a celebratory project then you might as well drop the day name and conjure up a tag that yells from the treetops what you want everybody to get. So here's born The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! complete with enhanced punctuation and an all encompassing title boring to the core of country music.

THE WORLD WILL BREAK YOUR HEART is not clamouring for awards, recognition or influential status, nor does it proclaim to save any genre. It is straightforward entertainment, free of pretence and wholly representative of a performer who has apparently gained a cult notoriety on the Jersey City music scene. 

Apart from putting a smile on your face as you're taken on a wild ride across the plains of the American roots landscape, there is some seriously rhythmic fiddle, steel and double bass to supplement the joyous wit and good time feel. From the play on words that greets opener 'Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar' to a murder ballad for the modern times in 'My Baby Stabbed Me with a Steak Knife', the whole dance hall aura casts life's woes to one side for forty minutes.  Of course there are country literary staples littered across the ten track titles and Van Miert is doing nothing more than paying homage to his love of Memphis blues, Texas swing and everything in-between as long as its wholesome, traditional and country to its deep roots. 

The comparison that sprung to mind when listening to The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! was Deke Dickerson; a blast from the near past there. Hats off to Gary Van Miert for conjuring up his team of likely virtual accomplices for THE WORLD WILL BREAK YOUR HEART and cutting a disc that is just pure, honest and a wholehearted take on a genre that will never tire of being celebrated. 

 

Album Release: Manny Blu - New Ink (EP)

 

www.mannyblumusic.com

The music of Manny Blu is definitely at the heart of the polarisation of country music as it rides the wave of the movement that courts the huge numbers vacated by a dormant soft rock market. It yearns for the adulation of a rapturous live audience and makes sure the sound bounds to a crescendo in each track. Subtlety is not there by design and maybe it is best consumed in social settings where a shared appreciation is rife. If the five tracks of NEW INK are on a mission to make a designer record for a moment in time, then it is absolutely spot on. Perhaps it doesn't warrant too much navel gazing and will maybe fit a time when pretensions are shed. This record is a diversion from my mission, but maybe we need a pitstop occasionally. Fifteen minutes to kick back and let inhibitions ebb away is not a lot to ask and a space has been found for the time being. 

Album Review: Los Brujos - Alchemy (EP)

 

www.chuckmelchin.com

The pandemic has thrown a lot of artists of course, but on the other hand many are finding alternative ways of channelling their creative focus with remote interactions becoming the norm. Los Brujos are one outfit born out of the ashes of 2020 and announce their arrival in the sphere of recorded music with the release of a debut EP titled ALCHEMY. The band, and the five tracks forming this extended play, are the fruition of long term colleagues Michael Spaly and Chuck Melchin getting together. Both took time off their respective own bands to deliver a record that tempts, teases and ultimately delivers across a brief expanse of 18 minutes. 

Shades of dreamy psychedelia lace the opening number 'Reckoning', very much in mystique synch with the classical imagery confronting you on the cover. 'Bronco' follows to deliver enchanting harmonies complete with mandolin interplay.  A slightly more uptempo number follows in 'Everything I can' cementing the proof that the innovation gone into Los Brujos is beginning to pay off. 'High Times' has the chorus start to hook a listener into the groove, yet still creating that air of wonder in how this set of songs is going to be defined. 'Bitter Blue' rounds things off with the guys in a relaxed mode with some quirky vibes chilling the proceedings. 

ALCHEMY can take a few listens to crack its code with the architects seemingly tossing around a few ideas in the loose confines of their combined musical craftsmanship. Los Brujos come through this process with a slice of lo-fi roots rock to tempt the listener to conclude that short, sharp and slightly off the straight and narrow can work. 

Album Review: My Darling Clementine - Country Darkness

 

www.mydarlingclementinemusic.co.uk

You frequently come across debates about the merits of recording covers versus original music, and the various credentials. Of course not every artist can be an equally adept songwriter and the traditional trajectory of music would be very different if versions lay dormant in the realm of the originator. With reference to the latest My Darling Clementine record, it is not a case of being devoid of original material or intuitively raising the profile of hidden music. In contrast, this latest venture to record twelve Elvis Costello songs is very much a calling. 

After recording three successful albums almost entirely comprising of self-written songs, Lou Dalgleish and Michael Weston King have parked the original material on one side and used their My Darling Clementine moniker to re-interpret a dozen Costello songs in the guise of their trademark country duet style. Apart from indulging a brace of life long passions, the duo attracted the services of legendary musician Steve Nieve, who counts being a long serving Costello sidekick amongst many other musical associations of the last forty-plus years. 

The term 'project' is deliberately used for COUNTRY DARKNESS as the twelve songs have been issued to the wider world in the format of three periodic EP releases, and their associated vinyl offering, followed by a climactic event of combining the cumulative amount in a conventional album. This has kept the profile of My Darling Clementine floating above the parapet during a period when the crucial arm of promoting your music up close and personal has been cruelly stripped away. With this project long in the can, the state of the world may be incidental to how these songs were going to roll out. 

While the songs chosen hold great relevance to Lou and Michael, they are labelled as tracks stored away on Costello albums and my status of being far from an aficionado of the man, introduces them as new songs. Therefore of the two ways to evaluate the content, I can clearly steer clear of comparison and leave to others to go down this route.  

The admission of being a fan of My Darling Clementine probably casts a shadow over the next statement, but having listened intently to the twelve tracks they could quite easily have been a compendium of unheard songs written by Lou and Michael over the last ten years. Maybe this lavish praise would be rejected by the pair (both Costello nuts), but it has been said and not to be retracted. Maybe this assertion is born from the classic country duet sheen that has been applied, although the likely effect of Nieve's presence has raised the recording stakes accordingly. 

As the project reaches its conclusion with the full album release, twelve becomes thirteen with the inclusion of a My Darling Clementine original, and one not heard before. The hope is that this is a subtle teaser that the indulgence is in the bag, and there is plenty more mileage in My Darling Clementine as fine purveyors of the classic original song.

There is no begrudging Lou and Michael in pursing this project and COUNTRY DARKNESS is a gorgeous listen from start to finish. Quality covers can sit comfortably against well oiled originals if crafted as wisely as this collection. Whether you choose to compare the originals or just soak up the interpretations, the route is as free as the desire of My Darling Clementine to engage in these songs and deliver them in a trademark and endearing style. 

For more info on the tracks selected, check out the listing:

‘COUNTRY DARKNESS’: TRACKLISTING: 

1. Either Side of The Same Town (from The Delivery Man) VOL 2

2. I Lost You (from National Ransom) VOL 2

3. I’ll Wear It Proudly (from King Of America) VOL 3

4. Why Can’t A Man Stand Alone (from All This Useless Beauty) VOL 3

5. The Crooked Line (from Secret, Profane & Sugarcane) VOL 3

6. Heart Shaped Bruise (from The Delivery Man) VOL 1

7. That Day Is Done (from Paul McCartney’s Flowers In The Dirt and I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray by The Fairfield Four) VOL 1

8. Different Finger (from Trust) VOL 2

9. I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came (from Secret, Profane & Sugarcane) VOL 1

10. Stranger In The House (from Taking Liberties) VOL 1

11. Indoor Firework (from King Of America) VOL 3

12. Too Soon To Know (from Brutal Youth) VOL 2

13. Powerless (MDC Original)

Album Review: Darrell Scott - Jaroso

 

www.darrellscott.com

Live gigs - oh so retro as we approach the final months of ill fated 2020. On the other hand if you are missing your up close and personal fix then checking out Darrell Scott's new record could be just the tonic. For fifty minutes one of American roots music's most esteemed practitioners will take you back into a world of audience cackle, enthusiastic applause, group singalongs and introductions both witty and insightful. The sound is as pure as the Colorado air which acted as the location for this live recording. 

To be more precise the gig was held in a renovated catholic church in the village of Jaroso on the New Mexico border. You can see that Scott didn't exert much thought in drafting the title of the album, but simplicity runs riot right through the record from the sparse instrumentation and isolated cover image to an audience providing an intimate homely feel.

To counter the enthusiasm for this record, critics could point out that music like this should remain the sole occupant of the in-person unfiltered experience and there will always be something lost when transmitting from the venue to the home. Others might also prefer a little less polished effort as we all know warts and all are often part of the live experience. The sound can also comes across as almost too perfect to an overtly critical ear and it is easy to visualise this as a studio record. 

Having blown hot and cold with live albums over the years, I am going to yield in favour of Jaroso on the grounds that Scott does an incredible job in transporting you into a heavenly place. One where you are serenaded with a cradle of the very highest quality of gospel, folk, country and roots music. 

Tagged onto the end as a bonus track is a live recording of 'A Satisfied Mind' in collaboration with Scott's Band of Joy teammates Patty Griffin and Robert Plant. I haven't quite grasped the link of this with the intimate night in Jaroso complete with the clicking of late summer crickets. Perhaps you can check out this release and let me know. 

While we wait for live music to drift back into our lives, a space can be made for JAROSO and a grateful glow that Darrell Scott has lent his considerable talent into serving up something that we are desperately missing. 

www.propermusic.com

Album Release: Sam Morrow - Gettin' By On Gettin' Down

 

www.sammorrowmusic.com

Sam Morrow leaves no sense of ambiguity when he plugs in and does what comes natural. First and foremost he rocks in a quintessential southern American way weaving a guitar-fuelled journey through empty roads and dusty roadhouses. It's been done before and will likely to be done in the future, but there is no harm in capturing the present in the company of an artist cut out to make those vibes shimmer and shudder.

In 2020, the rock style of Sam Morrow lies on the fault line of gritty Americana and a retro stance where the genre was finding its feet post-psychedelia. It also receptive to injections of funk and blues to make it an overall rounded sound. Foot tapping and head nodding tunes bring a semblance of orderly culture to the proceedings to reveal layers of substance and music set to thrive in active settings.

GETTIN' BY ON GETTIN' DOWN is a juicy selection of nine tracks taking just over half an hour to sink their teeth into your listening repertoire, and ripe for the live arena or a journey that desires a suitable soundtrack. You get the feel for Morrow's roots, whether the upbringing in Texas or the current residence in California. Both places are iconic backdrops for this type of music in the annals of the American road rock emporium, and Morrow soaks up his influences sumptuously, just as he did in his previous release CONCRETE & MUD. This was effectively his third record, but the first that raised his profile overseas.

We had the pleasure of seeing the Sam Morrow Band in the UK last year in venues that may not be his bread and butter back home, but they proved adaptable versatile performers and this also plays out as the new album rocks and rolls to its destination. That resting place is the totally toned down acoustic rock ballad 'I Think I'll Just Die Here'. A track not representative of the album, but maybe says a lot more about Morrow's thoughtful approach to how he wishes to see his craft pan out. 

Far more in tune of the album's definition are the title track, funky opener 'Rosarito' and the rollicking 'Money Ain't a Thing'. In contrast to the laid back closer, the album gets into its heaviest mode at the mid point with 'Make 'Em Miss Me'.Throughout, Morrow's worn and bruised vocals gruffly capture the essence of the journey and you get the impression that the guy has absolutely found the sweet zone. 

Sam Morrow is an artist who puts in a shift to earn every modicum of praise that is likely to flood in his direction. GETTIN' BY ON GETTIN DOWN is the type of blue collar hard driving album that will rack up many miles and plays. It captures the moment perfectly and leaves its architect in a fruitful position of packaging a product acutely gift wrapped for its desired audience. 

Album Review: Matt Owens - Scorched Earth

www.mattowensmusic.com

www.mattowens.bandcamp.com/album/scorched-earth

While 2019 was a breakthrough year for Matt Owens in terms of striking out as a solo artist, the bulk of 2020 has seen a stalling just like a vast majority of the music world. However, all is not lost and the recording career of this ex-Noah and the Whale band member is still set for a bright future on the back of his second release SCORCHED EARTH. Noted associations with Thea Gilmore and Robert Vincent frequent his bio and were the introductions that led me to Owens' music last year, so it was great anticipation that greeted the new album upon first listen.

Since that first spin, the album has racked up many plays and sits firmly in an elite group of records that enhances the credence of UK Americana. The latter being an all embracing substantive refuge for key progressive songwriting that surfs between established genres of folk, rock and country. Owens is steeped in the first two of this trio and his storytelling acumen has potential to rub shoulders with the best of the third. 

SCORCHED EARTH picks off the quality album merits at ease and categorically delivers a talented musician finding his feet as a solo artist. The dozen tracks are awash with tempting lyrical content and numerous catchy numbers that overshadow the occasional lull. Keys and guitar drive the sound with a small element of fiddle detected alongside numerous interludes of harmonica. 

The material ranges from the pensive ballad 'Cargo for the Road' that announces the album's arrival, through the funky overtures of 'Strip it Back', to the outright rocker 'When the Stars Align'. If you seek a little influence, the latter sees Owens dip into his 'inner Boss' and reveal a fist pumping anthem ripe for when stadium lights brightly announce 'Matt Owens'. For resemblance closer to home, there is a strong likeness to Scottish singer-songwriter Dean Owens in 'Maccurtain St.', a song with as much Irish feel as the Cork location of the title. 

The title track anchors the early stages of the album and for some reason keeps reminding me of a Sting song. Maybe just the musical memory playing tricks. I'll let you know if it comes to me! 

For the standout track, you can have one for each day of the week. The catchy melody and twangy credentials will make 'Cactus Flowers' a valid candidate at any given point, while the vivid story telling that accompanies the uptempo 'Another Song About the Devil' has elevated it to the track of extra promotion on the eve of the release. Elles Bailey joins Owens on this song, and while others have obviously lent many hands, the overall album has a very solo feel to it. 

'Heal Up Alright', 'Radio King' and 'I Will Be There' may well be tracks that come late, especially when times allow the record to be toured, but for now their lull status may be as much down to the lofty standard of the others rather than any assessed inferiority. 

Any album afforded space for a gritty drinking song with a hint of folk 'n' country sensibility is fine in my book, and 'Hungover in New York' heads a trio of songs including the aforementioned '...Stars..' to form the finale. It is fitting that the closing number is pertinently titled 'Last Day at the Festival', and another memorable story song. This was recalled from the two live sets I saw Matt Owens play last year when opening for Thea Gilmore and Robert Vincent. 

Admittedly my ears were elsewhere when Noah and the Whale were rampaging through the 'new folk' scene, and when Matt Owens released his debut album early in 2019. Thankfully in late 2020, they are firmly wrapped around SCORCHED EARTH, a release that packs a significant punch and pitches sincere song writing at an exceedingly high level.

Gig Diary: Rodney Branigan - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Sunday 18th October 2020

 

After six long months of no gigs, it was good to get back on the live music train with the first socially distanced indoor show. While there was ample space on site for Beardy Folk to bring live music back outdoors with their successful three day festival last month, logistics are so much more difficult for a venue like the Kitchen Garden to stage gigs within the current regulatory guidelines. 

This wasn't the first gig the venue had staged since an easing of the lockdown conditions and the capacity was far from tested in the turnout for Rodney Branigan; an exiled Texan living in London for the last thirteen years. Those choosing to step back into the world of live music were greeted to a laid back evening, fully conversant and compliant with the regulations that are in a constant state of flux. 

From the floor, Rodney Branigan delivered an entertaining show, using every minute of a creeping curfew to  share songs - borrowed and original - improvised guitar playing and oodles of mischievous wit. He was eternally grateful of getting the opportunity to ply his craft in its rightful setting and fully humble to those choosing to spend the evening in his company. The audience was a mixture of the fully initiated and those taking a punt on the first singer-songwriter passing through town as we start the long road to normality.

This evening heralded the dawning of a new era, but decked with many familiar features. Gratefulness and relief was a combined feeling as live music starts to get back on its feet. We may even view this Rodney Branigan show as pioneering. Now with the first one under the belt, let's look positive to a future that will blend familiarity and a new world. Audiences will return in some capacity, and in the words of that famous film Field of Dreams - if you build it, they will come. 

Album Review: Jenny Sturgeon - The Living Mountain

 

www.jennysturgeonmusic.com

To the growing number of contemporary Scottish female folk musicians catching my ear, Jenny Sturgeon is the latest addition, and a most welcome one at that. Over the last few years the songs and music of artists such as Karine Polwart, Iona Fyfe and Siobhan Miller have travelled far and wide engaging fans in both live and recorded settings. Opportunities for Jenny Sturgeon to take her music on the road have succumbed to the pause button at the moment, but immediate compensation comes in the form of the release of her second solo album. 

Submerge yourself into the sheer beauty of THE LIVING MOUNTAIN and the sensory experience brings the heart and soul of a project right to the fore. The undulating roaming feel to an unabated marriage with the natural world makes this record a mesmerising listen as you are transported right into the core of the beauty and barrenness of the Cairngorms region. Sturgeon's soft brogue is the warmest companion you can have during this trawl through the wilderness, and the perfect guide to the unravelling of a freshly discovered piece of sister art.

Field recordings, poem arrangements and self-penned songs sprinkle the landscape as Sturgeon draws inspiration from a book (a title shared with the album name) that lay dormant for thirty years before gaining publication and subsequent renewal as the theme for this musical project. Our protagonist is an acclaimed Shetland based multi-instrumentalist musician active for several years in a series of differing collaborations and prime for rising to the challenge presented in the making of this album. THE LIVING MOUNTAIN is one of your archetypal folk projects where the artist submits themselves to an irresistible calling.  

Each song title echoes the book's chapters and names such as 'Water', 'Frost and Snow', 'Birds, Animals, Insects' and 'Air and Light' leave you in little doubt of the journey you are undertaking. However, the true magnitude of this record is the acutely delivered craftwork enabled by Sturgeon blending her gorgeous vocals with the dulcet tones of piano, harmonium, dulcimer et al. 

Like so many mellow albums, THE LIVING MOUNTAIN is best enjoyed in a moment of restive solitude when you have no greater desire than to relax, unwind and submit your senses to music of a most cathartic demeanour. When the new world takes shape, there will be a reserved space for Jenny Sturgeon to share the fruits of her craft with audiences far from her northern Scottish base. Not only will the music paint a glorious picture, you will learn more about the book's author Nan Shepherd and her writings. For now take a chance on this record and delve deeper into its inspiration and outcome. 

Album Review: Terra Lightfoot - Consider the Speed

www.terralightfoot.com

Anybody who has seen Terra Lightfoot play knows she can rock the joint. To enhance her case as a multi-dimensional musician take a trawl through the delights of her latest album and a high calibre performer strides the stage in full rock 'n' soul mode, not forgetting the occasional dip into country and a light touch of the blues. CONSIDER THE SPEED is an album that matures throughout its span, instantly hitting its tracks with the sultry rockin' blues number 'Called Out Your Name' before finally calling it a night in the mellow haze of 'Two Wild Horses'. 

From a personal perspective, I don't mind a roots rocker hitting it hard on stage as long as they show a slice of cultured panache when you access their music in a more individual setting. Lightfoot plants her significant Canadian presence right into the heart of this territory dishing out a product ripe for fruitful listening.

Prior to this latest record, Lightfoot, who hails from Hamilton Ontario, is the proud owner of three other studio albums and a prestigious Juno nomination. The latter, an important accolade on the pages of Canadian music and a pinnacle for recognition within the wider industry. She was primarily introduced to UK audiences via the Maverick Festival, playing a headline slot on her most recent visit and due back again in 2020 until the world's axis shifted. She was last caught in a UK setting when appearing in one of the Green Note's online in-the-round gigs. Ok, it was only a virtual environment in the midst of a pandemic, but even disarmed with only an acoustic guitar to boot there were glimpses that the upcoming album was going to be special.

There are numerous solid songs vying for that crowning album moment, and not only confined to the numbers lined up as promotional pieces. 'Empty House' is one of the lesser profile tracks that catches the ear and is reminiscent of another imperious Canadian folk rocker in Kathleen Edwards. 'Ramblin' Rose' and 'Lost You Forever' have a softer appeal and contain hints of both country and soul if you twist your listening antennae in different directions. 'Midnight Choir' and the title track 'Consider the Speed' head the line of the more upbeat tracks, matching up favourably against the two pre-released songs - 'Love You So' and 'Paper Thin Walls'. 

Not only is Terra Lightfoot a peerless performer, she is also a first rate songwriter and is the sole composer of all eleven tracks that form this album. The tried and tested world of the break up features prominently in the early stages and right across the record, space is afforded for the lyrics to compete with a sound that does have its voluminous moments. Yet in the album's climactic realm the mood remains refrained with brass moving into the foreground on the Memphis-inspired  'One High Note' before we end on the aforementioned seductive closer, reaffirming its mellow haze. 

CONSIDER THE SPEED sees Terra Lightfoot move into a very accomplished position of dealing a classy album rich in all the spices that make an inviting roots rockin' soulful bluesy record. I'm even going to dust down the old phrase 'Canadiana' as we have a release open to rival anything that our esteemed cousins south of the border in the Americana environment can rustle up. Stirring stuff indeed.