Gig Review: Ramblin' Roots Revue - Bucks Student's Union, High Wycombe. Saturday 29th May 2021

This event was originally a beacon of live music hope in the dark approaching days of December before then switching to hopefully becoming the first shoots of spring in March. Unfortunately both these stagings succumbed to what has become the norm over the last fourteen months as the gig circuit ground to a halt. Never has the saying 'third time lucky' ever been truer as finally Ramblin' Roots got the show on the road with a double headed presentation to become one of the first gigs to spring out of the current lockdown. While those attending this show on the Friday had the purest of experiences, us attendees on Saturday may have impishly benefited from the warm up. Seriously all artists invited to perform in this revised format of the Revue evenings no doubt gave their all on both nights and likewise it didn't take long to dust off any gathered rust.

Danny Wilson Robin Bennett and Friend(s)

Without a full blown festival in both now 2020 and 2021, the team behind the Ramblin' Roots events have opted for a series of tripled billed shows to ease back into the promoting game and utilise the well-appointed facilities and venue of Bucks University Students' Union performing space in High Wycombe. This inaugural triple bill was packed with familiar names for those tuned into the UK's Americana circuit and one where collaboration was strong. It was not surprising to see Joe Bennett appear in the opening and closing sets given his role as producer for Pete Gow's most recent album and a non-headline, but still important role in England's seminal roots rock super group Bennett Wilson Poole.

The headliners were billed as Danny Wilson, Robin Bennett and Friends, but there was a heavily tilted Bennett Wilson Poole slant towards the material chosen to fill a set allowed to run close to an hour and three quarters. Of course Tony Poole's twelve string Rickenbacker will always be sorely missed when not present, but both Danny and Robin wished Tony well and fingers crossed the trio will be reunited in the not too distant future. There is also the imperative need for this as the trio's follow up album is on the cusp of being released, albeit it is currently somewhere on the continent in the production process. Perhaps not the best place to be at the moment, but no doubt the path to release won't be too impeded.

The Goat Roper Rodeo Band

On the topic of the new album around three or four tracks were previewed and they sounded amazing, even to the extent of being a touch more catchy than the first batch. A high bar indeed, though first listen is a tiny window to assess. What was undeniable were tracks like 'Soon Enough', 'Wilson General Store', 'Funny Guys' and 'Not Forgetting (Just Not Remembering)' sounding as fresh as ever since the album burst onto the scene in 2018. 

Before moving onto some of the other material dealt in the headline set, the 'Friends' ended up being Joe Bennett on bass and Fin Kenny on drums. No surprises there and when Danny took a breather, The Dreaming Spires stood there in all their glory.

Pete Gow with Joe Bennett

In fact it was a Dreaming Spires song that got things underway with a socially distanced crowd doing their best to at least mime the ear friendly words to 'Everything All of the Time'. On the singalong front, Danny's version of the Champs classic 'Henry the Van' didn't quite get the full audience participation treatment (we're not quite their yet), but there was no way of stopping some letting rip in their own way to the chorus of 'Never Stop Building (That Old Space Rocket)'.

While songs from the repertoire of Bennett Wilson Poole, The Dreaming Spires and Danny and the Champions of the World represented the recent past of the Bennett brothers and Danny Wilson, this evening's reflective mode allowed the set up to delve a bit further back. Robin and Joe chose a track from a 2002 Goldrush album during the extended encore, while Danny went back even further with a track from an early Grand Drive album. The latter was the first song played on the radio as per Danny's introduction - 'Tell it like it is', but I'm afraid track recollection skills from gigs are a little out of practise to recall the Goldrush song. In lieu of my lack of knowledge, just listen to the whole album.

On final nugget from a hugely entertaining performance was Danny playing a new song that is set to feature on an upcoming solo album due out later this year. One to look forward to on the back of a seemingly Champs hiatus bar the release of their live album earlier this year. Obviously alongside the new Bennett Wilson Poole album as well.

The supporting cast for the effective headliners, at least in terms of set time, was Pete Gow first up then followed by The Goat Roper Rodeo Band. Both played for around forty-five minutes and represented totally different strands of the broad UK Americana sound. Pete Gow is now in solo mode following a break from leading Case Hardin. Accompanied only by Joe Bennett on piano and an acoustic guitar that itself was sometimes ditched, the set was very much low key with most songs coming from the highly acclaimed HERE THERE'S NO SIRENS album from a couple of years ago. Maybe the pandemic restricted the full impact of this record getting more attention around the country, but there's plenty of life in the stunning songs to have a renewal in the new world. 

In total contrast to Pete Gow's deep thinking reflective singer-songwriter mode, The Goat Roper Rodeo Band are a frenetic entertaining acoustic roots trio delivering a quirky sound amidst a haze of something construed as cosmic country sprinkled with a dose of bluegrass and old time rock 'n' roll. They are a band that always require a touch of readjustment to get accustomed to, yet remain a key and respected act on the circuit spinning a sound that's real, authentic and a little different to the norm.

Artist aside, the winners of this Ramblin' Roots Revue was an emotional pact between audience, promotion and performers. All three elements are essential to the success of live music and have had their belief, patience and hope severely tested over the last fourteen months. Hopefully that is now behind us and we can look forward to many more nights like this, alongside new music from wherever Danny Wilson, Joe and Robin Bennett, Pete Gow and The Goat Roper Rodeo Band choose to channel their recording aspirations.

Gig Review: Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Wednesday 26th May 2021

26 becomes the new 25 for English folk duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman as they kick off a celebratory milestone of performing in their current format. Of course 'year 25' was cruelly robbed from them in terms of getting out and about, with a musical existence confined to their Dartmoor base and an enforced period of readjustment and reflection. Just prior to lockdown, the retrospective bandcamp release aptly titled ON REFLECTION came out to support their silver performing anniversary, and the first the show back since the easing of the situation carried on the nostalgia feel in a similar vein.

While this wasn't the Kitchen Garden's first live show in the new post-second wave world, it was the gig rehabilitation for yours truly and a return to the scene of that moment in March 2020 when unknowingly at the time live music was about to grind to a halt. There was one low key gig in the autumn and a single outdoor festival day, but that now appears an apparition in a sea of streams and home-based entertainment. Early on in this gig Sean Lakeman confessed to being a little rusty with comments like 'dust the rust' and striving for 'match fitness'. To follow on the sporting analogy, initially there was a pre-season friendly feel to this socially distanced fairly low key gathering.

However it didn't take too long before the established pedigree of Kathryn's accomplished vocals, in addition to her effortless piano and flute contribution, and Sean's exquisite guitar playing began to shine through. Midway through the show the near fifteen month hiatus of a live music barren landscape was cast aside and the feeling of never being away rushed back. A key moment just before the break saw the heart rendering '52 Hertz' blissfully float around this much loved venue and all points focussed on the big picture of getting the show back on the road. 

In many instances, this was your typical Roberts-Lakeman show. While steeped in the mystique of the traditional song, the duo frequently switch to original songwriting mode and deliver something that blooms in a contemporary light. In some aspects, their music is a lot broader than the conventional confines of a rigid folk structure. This is especially pertinent in Kathryn's expansive vocal repertoire that gives the impression that it would blossom in any multiple genre settings or the general popular music world. 

Obviously you are not going to take the folk out of any Lakeman inhabited operation and we had a solid stock of traditional English and further afield songs, of which many have appeared on a Roberts-Lakeman album. My personal favourite from the non-original set was the 'Tribute of Hands' with its European slant. In support there were entertaining renditions of others like 'Willow Tree', 'The Red Barn', 'The Buxom Lass' and 'The Knight's Ghost', all informatively explained and beautifully conveyed. 

From a personal perspective, the highs of a Roberts-Lakeman show tend to be when they share their original material or delve into a carefully selected contemporary cover. Although the aforementioned '52 Hertz' was the overall highlight, self penned tunes like the sole love song 'Piano and Me', 'The Wisdom of Standing Still' and show closer 'Tomorrow Will Follow Today' all brimmed with majestic elegance. On the covers front, it was the turn of Tom Waits to be interpreted with an enjoyable version of 'Georgia Lee', to join Warren Zevon from previous Roberts-Lakeman shows as iconic American songwriters celebrated. On a slightly alternative note, an eighties Paul McCartney No.1 was covered in 'Pipes of Peace' as inspired by a search for songs on special dates.

The most poignant moment of this triumphant return to the live arena was an emotional tear at the end. We, as fans have missed live music, but it must be minuscule to the gap in the lives of those who base most of their living around the experience. Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman barely needed a fraction of a gig to get back in the groove and likewise, the Kitchen Garden resumed where it left off as a very special space to host live intimate music. 

 www.kathrynrobertsandseanlakeman.com

https://kathrynrobertsandseanlakeman.bandcamp.com

Album Review: Jesse Terry - When We Wander

www.jesseterrymusic.com

For a slice of cool and cultured Americana, you would be right on the mark if you choose the latest album from Jesse Terry. Of course this Connecticut-born singer-songwriter is no stranger to UK fans in recent times with tours and a presence. In the run up to the release of WHEN WE WANDER, he participated in one of the popular Green Note twice weekly streams and is using his contacts to reach multiple parts of the UK market. The key thing is the product is up to scratch, thus making it a convenient engagement and a pleasure for fans with smart ears to tap into another record awash with sharp songs delivered in a sweet and sincere manner. 

The bright demeanour protracting out from the album cover reflects an artist at ease and one embedded in the positive light that the songs reach the listener's ear. Maybe the breezy image does belie a frantic process in steering an album release through the violent waters of a once-in-a century pandemic. Now that the seas have been navigated to such an extent that the record is here, one final hurdle is left of getting folks to buy it.

From the album credits, the names of Neilson Hubbard (producer) and Will Kimbrough (guitar) have precedence for adorning successful records. Likewise two associated artists keep cropping in the memory horizon at various intervals to bolster an impression. Both Jason Isbell and Slaid Cleaves come to mind on the momentum gathering 'Strangers in Our Town' in the number two slot, before the former evokes a further vision in the strong ballad 'In Spite of You' and the latter in the opening and closing parts of penultimate track 'Innocent Ones' and the string-laden 'Ghost Stories'. 

Each of this quartet are noted as standout candidates, but ultimately have to shuffle along for promotional piece 'Hanging the Stars' to take centre stage on release day. Assisted by mini-anthem qualities and a building up buoyancy, you can quite visualise this track appearing on many playlists. 

Across the twelve tracks that form this 7th full length release, family themes are prevalent alongside a touch of nostalgia in 'Hymn of a Summer Night' and a breath of personified romance on 'If I Were a Moon'. The team assembled by Terry utilise a wide instrumental spectrum to curate the soundtrack with steel and keys giving it a faint countrified feel in places. 

The smooth journey from artist to listener makes this album a relatable listen. There is a level headed feel to the whole experience showing that not all fine records need to originate from the heart and gut. Terry comes across like a lot of singer-songwriters operating in the US north east and it was noted from his bio that a stint at the esteemed Berklee College of Music ensued. Suggestively the source of some of the album's panache. 

WHEN WE WANDER is packed to the hilt of faith renewal qualities. Without doubt Jesse Terry has to pedal hard to bring his art to market, but the endeavour is worthwhile with a positive connective experience made. A triumph of the pandemic and a reminder that a light coating on a substantive base can lead to a winning formula. 

Album Review: Soo Line Loons - Soo Line Loons

 

www.soolineloonsmusic.com

Soo Line Loons won't keep you very long on their eponymous third album and may just have a little bit more to offer than surely the most curious of band names to cross your path this year. The nine tracks weighing in a couple of minutes short of the half hour mark is enough time for this Minnesota-based Americana band to soak you in their raucous blend of fast paced earthy music drawing on facets of fully blown tub thumping folk rock forever tipping a nod in a blues direction and expressly inspired story telling. 

For the record, Soo Line Loons draw their name from a local railroad in their home state and probably are a little surprised to see their album cross the waves to the land of the Tube, trains notoriously late and a rail network forever flitting between private and public ownership. Putting an international time division to one side, music knows no boundaries and there is a ready made audience for the style of this band should they ever wish to drop their noted day jobs and spread the wings. 

On a more practical level, this album (another post-pandemic success in execution) does have many moments to reward your investment. A couple of tracks in, you'll get hooked on 'Can't Stop Singing the Blues' which is true to the word of its title. There is a thread of rawness and a live energy permeating through the veins, whether the musical sound leans towards the strings of banjo, violin and guitar or the brass that reverberates around 'Die Young' like some retro rocker. 

The album's peak from the perceptive viewpoint of impressive appeal lies in the moderating track 'What They Don't Tell You'. Its prevailing mood may not define the record, but its welcome deviation resonates in reception. Ending with a ballad titled 'Amen' hardly racks up points in the originality scale, but it joins the earlier mentioned track of doing exactly what it says on the tin, and conclusively so. 

The real treat is for the sweaty venue goers of Minneapolis who get the chance to savour Soo Line Loons. However a vivid imagination of letting this album surround your senses in a living room still presents good value. If you like discovering new music that most people in your life will never hear and simultaneously revel in that sense of free wheeling independence, then there is no harm in adding this album to your list. 

No obvious sharing links are found at release day, but I'm sure Google won't let you down when you are ready. Other search engines are available. 

Album Review: Craig Cardiff - All This Time Running

 

www.craigcardiff.com

Among the throng of Canadian artists that have had their homegrown brand of folk music exported overseas by various means and mechanisms, the list has not been graced by Craig Cardiff yet. Now after 25 albums and EPs spanning at least as many years, this Ottawa-based singer-songwriter has been picked up by the expansive operation True North Records and thus an opportunity to make splashes in foreign markets as well. ALL THIS TIME RUNNING in its raw state is an eleven track collection, expanded by over 50% when bonus, big band and explicit versions of songs are added to a no doubt available format to duplicate the promotional campaign.

This is an album that requires the listener to twiddle the dial a few times to alter the reception. It could do with a killer track to pin its no doubt high substantive base to. The album does lead towards a mainstream feel of some of its folkier parts being smoothed out in order to meet a market. That is all fine and well, ultimately leaving a potential listener choosing whether to join the record on its journey. A neutral response could be that delving into the work of Craig Cardiff with an open mind and blank page to be entertained will not leave you short changed. On the other hand, a mission to find something soul searching and enlightening from an inspirational song writing perspective may lead you seeking in other directions. 

Whether you cash in on Craig Cardiff's bid for widespread appeal or choose to pursue other options, the process of sampling via today's 'try before you buy' is far from a wasted experience. Merits to ALL THIS TIME RUNNING are plentiful in sound appeal, a voice with an edge of distinctive familiarity and songs inviting a sense of exploring. Smart backers are on Craig Cardiff's case and this may herald extended success to further an already successful career ready to expand horizons. 

Album Review: Phil Hooley - Songs From the Back Room

 

www.philhooley.hearnow.com

The back room is full of dreams, hopes, frustration and reality. It is also the ultimate place of self-actualisation when the dust settles. Those who scoff the back room do not frequent it. Those who believe in the back room contract it from experience. The back room belongs whole heartedly to both sides of the divide - egalitarian and bereft of filters. Phil Hooley without doubt knows the back room like the back of his hand and so will those who tune into a debut solo album that knows the clock has struck the decisive hour. 

Of course fame and fortune may provide a ticket for Phil Hooley out of the back room. If it does the back room will seek its next entrapment, one seduced by the dream and hope, though likely pounded by the frustration and reality. One side of the divide may change, but the paying side of the divide remains stoic and entrenched. That is because solace is sought in the back room. It feeds a craving to belong and freedom from the overt pressures of conforming in a mass congregation. 

Songs from the back room in a literal sense are the lifeblood for both parties searching the most intimate of mutual music experiences. SONGS FROM THE BACK ROOM is a product poking its head above the parapet expanding their presence into the back rooms of many other homes. Can they make this journey? Check out Phil Hooley's effort to reach out. For a little tip off, they do and the UK's Americana/singer-songwriting/performing fraternity can chalk another name on the slate.

Phil Hooley wanted this album to be a long restrained activity of putting his songs out there maybe for a bit of audience interpretative license. I've risen to the bait by dedicating this album to every back room where I've listened to a singer-songwriter spin out their wares, observations, stories and whims. Thanks for the invite and cheers for offering up this opportunity via an album characterising the essence of the back room in such a frank and delightful groove of modern twisted self reflecting Americana music. 

Album Review: Annie Keating - Bristol County Tides

 

www.anniekeating.com

Annie Keating has been a consistent performer for many years, never falling below the high bar set when first discovering her through the 2008 album BELMONT. Those were the days where you were more likely to pick up recommendations through the music mags rather than today's proliferation of online barrage. Like now Annie Keating always had a good European presence and often saw the north eastern United States has a starting point to spread her music. In line with her previous seven releases, the latest offering as found its way overseas, albeit the digital mode has certainly eased the passage. Some have already said that BRISTOL COUNTY TIDES is her best yet. That assertion may be a little premature as it's such a hefty package of work. Like the old adage, a dog is for life not just Christmas, this demanding album warrants more than just release day. However it must be said that all roads look like leading to a pinnacle and not just the Massachusetts coast that inspired both the title and the cover.

First up you need to devote three minutes short of the hour mark to truly savour the treasures of this fifteen track album. An increasingly tougher task in today's scrolling culture and one where many of us are guilty of absorbing saturation. Yet each of the several listens afforded in the run up to release day reveals a different highpoint, all within the confines of exceptionally lofty markers. This comes about from a high calibre of playing added to the mix, a performer who combines a touch of swagger with a husky demeanour, and a theme that keeps giving to a writer with a thirst for inspiration.

To associate or not to associate is often pondered when describing an artist, but the latter route is taken here by painting Annie Keating as a refined Lucinda Williams. A place which may not define the subject of the comparison but tightly fits the connotation of the artist in the spotlight. The sonic landscape Keating generates is akin to the ebb and flow of the tides featured on the cover. We gently ease between the ballad and the rockier effort. Guitars, keys, bass and drums may be the usual quartet, but an adaption across the record shows an effective diversity to fit a multitude of moods. 

It was easy to pick out 'Hank's Saloon' as a focal track from first listen due to its uniqueness among the collection. As good as that track still sounds from its pivotal position of leading off the second half, the leader board gets more crowded as others emerge over time to jostle for the peak. I suppose 'Kindness' in the number eight slot sits in the true pivotal position and its sincereness warrants a mention as we launch the whole album for listeners to navigate to discover their own preferences. 

Despite the album possessing an extensive zeal, Keating is shrewd enough the stockpile the opening moments with alluring tracks. The upbeat rollicking tune 'Third Street' kicks things off with a touch of anger, while it is immediately followed by 'Kindred Spirit', a wise and acclaimed track to which the promotion was initially pinned. 

Other tracks worthy of a mention from the first half include 'Nobody Knows' which heralds a deft switch in mood and the slightly mysterious edge to the quirky 'Blue Moon Tide'. In the second half, 'Song for a Friend' is a curious grower, while 'Lucky 13' ensures there is no flagging in the final stages. 

BRISTOL COUNTY TIDES is a blueprint that lockdown has been kind in the creative stakes for Annie Keating. Admittedly this has not always been the case for many artists. However let's rejoice in one who has grasped the moment. Whether she is a performing songwriter or a songwriting performer, all cylinders are firing at full capacity here. Those comments anointing this as her finest body of work yet may have a point to the extent that release day is just the start. Let's ride this record on a long distance journey and see where it takes us. 

Album Review: Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny - Let's Get Happy Together

 

www.mariamauldaur.com

Throughout an active career approaching sixty years, American roots icon Maria Muldaur has delved back into the time vault of many aspects of her country's rich musical history. Honing in on a desire never to sit still, she is forever intent at chipping away on projects and couldn't resist turning her hand to New Orleans jug band jazz and associated old time blues tunes once hooking up with real deal exponents of that style Tuba Skinny. The result is LET'S GET HAPPY TOGETHER,  a golden dozen of rip roaring songs that breathe fresh light on the originals that all surfaced in the twin heyday decades of the twenties and thirties. 

The key to enjoying this collection is that there really isn't one. No prior knowledge of the songs chosen or indeed of Maria Muldaur's award hauling past is required, or any particularly embedded fondness for this style of music. Yet the execution is so true, real, engaging and compulsive that the urge to reach out for multiple spins is difficult to resist. 

By the time the album hits full momentum, songs like 'He Ain't Got Rhythm', 'Got the South in My Soul' and 'Patience and Fortitude' leave the lasting impression, just ahead of the record as an entity especially when it becomes the car companion for the week. The band are pure glitz and Muldaur's no doubt high milage clock purrs with experience and grandeur. 

You can learn more about these songs via research or just accept that music can waft across like that blissful breeze. LET'S GET HAPPY TOGETHER comes without rules or agenda. Just a perfect way of Maria Mudaur and Tuba Skinny sharing their love of New Orleans jug band jazz and associated old time blues tunes.

Album Review: Gnoss - The Light of the Moon

 

www.gnossmusic.com

THE LIGHT OF THE MOON may not be the first release by emerging Scottish folk quartet Gnoss, but it could be the one that catapults them into a similar realm of peers such as Skerryvore, Rura, and going back a wee bit further, Runrig. A common feature of all these bands is a capable blend of high octane traditional fanfare awash with fiddles, pipes, whistles and strings coupled with finely crafted musicianship from some of most talented players scattered across all points north of the border. 

From an inflated dozen tracks (basically eleven plus a short sub-minute prelude), the band filter in a bias towards the tunes with seven instrumental pieces almost doubling the four songs that generally showcase the slightly mellower side of Gnoss. The full complement of songs and tunes are all original compositions, yet this release checking in just shy of forty minutes often has that well worn traditional feel. There is a common thread of dedications among the titles with 'Gordon's', 'Alister and Katrina's', 'Becky's' and 'Adelaide's' all tipping their hat to real life inspirations. To add a little twist, band member and driving force on the string input, Graham Rorie chooses a catchphrase for one dedicated to his dad, so 'That's Me' closes things out to seal Gnoss's building impact.

Song titles and album titbits apart, the true treat of engaging with this album lies in its exhilarating presence punctuated by more serene moments of vocalist Aidan Moodie guiding you across a freshly sowed field awaiting the fruits of the upcoming harvest. The pick of the songs is the free and easy chorus adorning second track 'The River' closely followed by the climactic descriptor 'Sun That Hugs the Ocean'. On the tune front, the frenetically foot stomping 'Good Crieff' leads the way alongside the fiddle-led 'Tuction' lending its title from the Orcadian word bank. 

One final nugget of relatable album trivia is that Scott Wood from Skerryvore assisted with the producing, and it is that band that niggles away in the mind when listening to the combination of songs and tunes from Gnoss. Maybe the songs aren't truly in the same ear worm territory as those recently recorded by their compatriots, but a mutual feeling of compatibility rings true. THE LIGHT OF THE MOON settles into its niche quickly and whether you are hooked on its high tempo frenzy or calmer moments of blissful song craft, the album competes well to move Gnoss up a couple of notches on the lofty Scottish folk ladder. 

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