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.
A simple title suggesting more to come. An aperatif for lavish main course connoisseurs of top notch instrumental music. For a 40+ minute spin round the twin axis of virtuoso acoustic guitar and tub thumping harmonica then the colliding worlds of Jenn Butterworth and Will Pound summons up the spirit of collusion and collaboration. At the midpoint our ears are caressed with a song willing up the vocals of Butterworth to inject a renewed focal point and in turn give the 1958 Peggy Seeger song 'Better Things' an outing for the modern age. Either side we are cast under the spell of reels, jigs, dance tunes and musical dips into lands near and far. This is essentially Harmonica king Pound's follow up to his pan-European project to conjure up songs from the remaining 27 EU states. A soothing effect on the ills of Brexit.
Albums like this tend to be niche and descend on familiar ears. Such ears will either meticulously dissect tune structures and marvel how a melange of moods can flow from simple sources or just kick back and let the music sprinkle its sparkle on open listening channels. Either stance will mine fertile pleasure and enjoyment from a record that increases the already loft acclaim of Will Pound and Jenn Butterworth. One refined in folk circles and in some cases further afield.
Lissie commented this evening that some folks have been coming to her shows for years, while for others it may be a first one. From personal insight this was the case tonight with the added group of those who fall somewhere in between. The latter applies to me as my introduction to her music was 2016's MY WILD WEST album and the subsequent gig towards the end of that year at Birmingham's Institute venue. This show was her first appearance at the lavish Town Hall and a commendable Monday night turnout of approximately half the capacity of a spacious venue dealt an atmosphere to soak up an animated and energetic show. She did play a distinct unique intimate show at the nearby Symphony Hall just prior to the pandemic when a limited audience watched a performance from the back of the stage with a stunning backdrop of a world class concert hall. Sadly I wasn't there. Couldn't get a ticket!
This Birmingham renewal sees a return to a full band line up. A rapturous support to fuel a high octane show of music spinning dinner plates of folk-rock, folk-pop, pop-rock and a saucer of singer-songwriter country. This current phase of Lissie is very canyon driven; a great metaphor for American music. CARVING CANYONS was the excellent 2022 album that re-ignited her original music and Crossing Canyons is the name of the tour that sees her once again come to a land far from her Illinois roots that has supported her well in the past.
This extensive night of city centre music started early at 7:30. A tough ask for those balancing a working and commuting life. A modest turnout greeted the first opening act Hannah Ashcroft from Manchester who teamed up on electric guitar with Sam Quinn to deliver a handful of lo-fi indie-folk numbers. More on this pair later. A few more entered the hall on the stroke of 8 to see the highly anticipated Canadian artist Cat Clyde. A new find from those reading reviews of her recently released album and sampling its quirky depths. She was backed by a bassist and drummer sporting a pair of splendid western shirts alongside providing a solid structure to a bunch of alluring songs flitting between an acoustic and electric lead. 30 minutes later you were left wanting more of this Ontario-based artist who met many of the ideals emanating out of 'Canadiana' music.
Lissie wasted no time in dipping into the new record by opening the main set with 'Unravel' the lead off track from CARVING CANYONS. This was a subtle first and second gear manoeuvre. Fourth, fifth and overdrive were in the pipeline. The band was in full complement - keyboard upfront, bass and drums at the rear. We were once again in the presence of Hannah Ashcroft on backing vocals and Sam Quinn on lead guitar. If the latter's opening stint was mere supportive, he gradually scaled monumental heights in the main set culminating in several sizzling solos. This become prominent in the climax.
During the early part of her set, Lissie switched between new songs and those well road tested. From the older material in the first half, 'Oh Mississippi' harks back to her roots and 'Don't You Give Up on Me' is a malleable classic from the time I discovered her music, and thoroughly enjoyed in many versions since. Lissie continues to evolve as a versatile vocalist. The trademark style of pushing the decibels comes and goes on stage. Likewise the overall sound to the latest record is more tempered and controlled. Maybe a result of dipping into Nashville's vast talent bank of recording guidance. By the time she was in full flow with crowd favourite 'In Sleep', it was shackles off. A buzzing artist strutting the stage milking the acclaim and in tune with a fanbase waiting for this moment to connect. 'Night Moves' from the new album maintained the momentum showing that Lissie still possesses the knack of dealing catchy uptempo numbers that effortlessly transmit from studio to stage.
Across a 70-minute stage time including two encore numbers - the ballad anthem 'Everywhere I Go' and the groovy finale 'Little Lovin' both from her recently re-released debut album CATCHING A TIGER - Lissie exuded boundless energy and a candid impression of being fully immersed in the moment. This is a multi-facetted artist able to court interest from a popular music side looking for a good night out to more discerning ears assessing where she sits on the spectrum of American music. The latter can be a tough undulating thought process, yet eased by a performer who rewards a depth of interest.
Earlier highlights from the setlist included older favourites 'Sleep Walking' and 'Best Days'. Although there was a significant leaning towards CARVING CANYONS AND CATCHING A TIGER for the obvious reasons, she did manage to include material from all her studio albums. No covers this time unlike her rendition of 'The River' at that December show six years ago.
Set lists are never going to be personally curated, but there is a hope that on a future visit she includes 'Hearts On Fire' from the new record. This is heaven sent for the stage. Never mind, Lissie can put on a great show whichever songs she chooses from a back catalogue. While touring is never easy these days, hopefully the momentum from this fairly extensive run of UK dates has re-lit the fire and a return isn't as long as before. Future shows will no doubt attract new fans, just like 2023 has. Mind you those reminiscing the exciting new talent of the early 2010s are still likely to be at the front proclaiming their love. Long may Lissie reign and continue to perplex those trying to categorise her music.
Jenny Colquitt's music emboldens strength in independence. She is a musician adept at applying and releasing the handbrake allowing her songs to spring into life at opportune moments. Intensity and mellowness balance on a narrow beam while spinning half a dozen new songs that project a blossoming career into its next phase. LOST ANIMALS is the EP follow up to 2021's exciting debut release SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL. On these new tracks Colquitt cements a powerful identity and turns a fresh light on how power ballads can soar from humble sources.
Smouldering piano leads us into opening track, and lead single, 'I'm Just Lost', which majestically ascends a staircase before delivering a mid-track explosion. Sonically layered and a stirring introduction to this short collection. Just under twenty five minutes later, the lost theme completes a 360 degree turn in the slightly different sounding title track 'Lost Animals'. Things do get a little funky here in the underlying feel that a sense of maturity has levelled out.
The trend to start slow then build up runs deep. 'Open Pages' adopts a haunting sheen in the backbeat that opens before the inevitable ratcheting up. 'Feel Inside' courts a similar style this time shining a light on aesthetic vocals. Colquitt never shies away from exhuming deep in both her song structure and lyrical content. Two traits that serve a singer-songwriter well.
The full sound emanating from this union of Jenny Colquitt and her band solidifies in the prime consistency housed in 'Paradise'. Here guitars join piano upfront and even a little wobble in the vocals gives the record a wave of authenticity. The most curiously titled song on the album is 'Soldier of the Modern Day'. This is a classically controlled track modifying the power ballad trait with an explosive ending conforming to type.
Jenny Colquitt tenaciously fights her corner as a striving artist. Applying the 'show don't tell' songwriting mantra serves her well. LOST ANIMALS is a snapshot of how a songwriter can inject bundles of passion and verve into their music. This EP blooms in the present and sets a scene for future riches to come.
For an authentic slice of country-influenced rock 'n' roll-infused Americana then look no further than the self-titled debut album from The Bear and the Bison. Ten tracks dance on the hot coals of the American roots scene eventually embedding an album that ultimately glistens in its simplicity. Mark W. Lennon from Buffalo NY is the brainchild behind this operation He teams up with Courtney S Lennon on the songwriting front to serve up ten songs that keep the listener on their toes throughout a modest timespan. The key is the diversity and the knack to drive home a song that unites ideals of how this music should roll out. Also it injects a sense of fun and purpose even when pressing the sad song button.
The album kicks off in familiar territory with the gentle country roller 'Train Train' where shades of Old Crow Medicine Show peer out from a trusted theme in part a letter to Memphis. Nifty guitar and a similar traditional country feel adorn another well-trodden theme in 'Misery'. There's plenty of feeling in Lennon's voice as we are introduced to a steel input ready to roll out across the album in an underpinning dose of twang.
'She's Cold' is one of the pre-release preview tracks and pings the listener around the land referencing LA, Chicago and Ohio for starters. Fiddle features alongside a memorable repetitive line "Lonely and scared, I'm a long way from home". This track leads into a sound diversion in the jangle rock tones of 'Scream Fever'. This 5-minute track unveils as a sort of an epic in what is only a 35-minute album. It started ok in these quarters but definitely has potential to be a grower.
We get back on the country trail at the halfway mark with the symbolic weeper 'It's All Downhill'. This archetype story ballad depicting a declining love references Merle and a Brian Wilson t-shirt. All in a day's work for a songwriter. Ensuring complacency doesn't kick in we are introduced to a folk undercurrent to 'Got To Make These Times Better'. Fiddle aids this effect coupled with some happy clapping chanting to impose an upbeat nature.
If this album wasn't diverse enough on a fairly tight spectrum, pure 50s rock 'n' roll retro invites you to some top tapping fun in the infectiously jiving 'Kinda Hearted Man'. We even get a Townes Van Zandt namecheck to add to the roll call. The listening pleasure kicks on in the great melody hailing the chorus to 'Country Mood'. A track straight to the title in the opening line and once again bringing steel back into the fray. There is definitely a classic pop tinge to this song alongside some air punching intent.
For a final namecheck, "Doc Watson on the radio" repeatedly gets sung in the chorus of the catchy 'Woman of Mine'. A track feeding spoilt ears in the penultimate slot. We get a final slice of steel in album closer 'Last Try', but we soon enter the mainstream vibes of heartland rock and a reminder this album has its roots in upstate New York.
There are lot of positive ways to describe how THE BEAR AND THE BISON lands on its listener. Easily accessible, friendly, neat and tidy may not be scintillating connotations but sometimes a basic approach and free from fuss effect works well. While fluctuating and flickering across a landscape of classic American music styles, this album embeds when it needs to and hits a mark.
The Dixie Chicks branded their 2006 gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire 'return to the scene of the crime'. In an alternative universe you could easily brand American Aquarium's 2023 gig at the Night & Day Cafe 'return to the scene of the triumph'. This venue in Manchester's Northern Quarter has faced its own difficulties in recent times, but it seems to catch BJ Barham's eye whenever he brings his band to this country. On his last visit to our shores in 2018, the band delivered an awesome performance in this venue on an evening crowned gig of the year when time came round to make that judgement. Could they repeat or even surpass that show? Reports from London the night before gave the indication and it was unequivocally proved 24 hours later that once again American Aquarium had smashed it out the park.
55 minutes into the main set there was a chink bringing BJ Barham back to the reality of the rest of us. He paused for a moment, glanced at the set list then instantly resumed an intensity of mesmerising magnitude. The significance of this triviality magnifies around BJ Barham's approach to power through a near hour of unabridged music. No pause, no song introductions, no verbal interaction. It was his way for the evening. Such an approach may defy the norm for this type of audience and offer newbies only one channel to connect. The power, the passion, the intensity of an artist zoned into the moment framed the bulk of the set. The main interjection came when introducing the band during a climactic pre-encore finale and the first part of the encore itself when a transformation to a bare-it-all solo singer-songwriter sent a parting shot that we were in the presence of a rounded performer.
Therapy and theatre spring out from the contorted persona of such a performance witnessed this evening. You root for somebody laying out both their art (and heart) on the line in the vein that there may not be a tomorrow. Yet within minutes of busting one final blast of band explosion, the protagonist is out with the fans chatting about mutual experiences, asking as many questions as being asked. Maybe a tried and tested come down method. After witnessing an hour and 37 minutes of fired up American Aquarium, it was almost the case of the fans requiring some mechanism of returning to normality.
A few facts surrounding this show were it being one of only four UK dates on the current European tour. It is a pity that more cannot be fitted in, although travelling to shows offers an immense reward for the endeavour. The tour is in the wake of American Aquarium releasing their latest album CHICAMACOMICO in 2022. Enhancing a back catalogue now into its mid teens when you toss in the live and cover albums. But the most memorable fact was that 31 band members had bitten the dust since 2006. There was some hope for the 5 on stage this evening. BJ Barham has confessed to looking in the mirror. A timely act as this crack line up looked a super set up to stick with.
Past American Aquarium gigs had conspired challenges to asses where they stand on the country, alt-country, Americana, rock 'n' roll landscape. None of that mattered this evening. This was raw, emotive, personal and captivating. The back catalogue will attempt to provide answers away from the supercharged stage, at least with some clarity on the SLAPPERS, BANGERS AND CERTIFIED TWANGERS outings.
Back to the band for a few post-show reflections. Respect and accomplishment flowed in abundance. The narrow confines of the venue's stage requires a configuration where steel, keys and drums are tucked away almost out of view. There was a case put to me post gig of the steel player getting more opportunity to shine on the quieter numbers, possibly duetting during the acoustic part in what would be an alternative show approach. There was also an interesting vision of BJ Barham re-defining how he comes across in the light of 'American Aquarium: the band'. Greater stability may lead to evolution. He did also briefly try the solo artist route once, but the band concept strongly ties the knot and is core to how the person has battled his own afflictions.
Two weeks earlier another influential American artist turned in a mind blowing performance in Manchester that slightly overshadowed a competent support act. Similarly to Lucinda Williams at the Ritz, American Aquarium brought an artist highly capable of making a fine 30-minute impression. Kirby Brown from Brooklyn New York City entertained with engaging banter and songs. A lasting legacy will come from shows where he is not in the midst of a phenomenal charismatic band leader.
If I was to say that American Aquarium 2023 raised the bar on 2018, the mind may be slightly twisted towards the here and now. Yet 24 hours later the view is solidified from reflection and impact. There was bravery and humility mixed with power and intensity. Memorable shows can come in many different forms. The key is that they lodge in your mind and match the ideals that you strive to witness and experience from the floor. American Aquarium did that at the Night & Day in Manchester this evening. Just like 5 years ago at the same venue and 18 months further back when I saw them for the first time in Oxford. They may come to Birmingham one day. If not, road trips are a must as I want to see where BJ Barham takes American Aquarium next. We can track their music on record, but there is nothing like experiencing the unfiltered magnetism in person. This band re-define the scale of what to expect live, and duly returned to a scene triumphantly.
Simplicity begins in the title and then stamps its mark right across the new album from Mary Elizabeth Remington. Fans of American roots music will have many artists of a folk ilk in their appreciation gallery, but will have to make room for one more when the raw sounds of this Massachusetts-raised native penetrate the listening sphere. IN EMBUDO emboldens the spirit of being at the birth of new music. This album evokes vibes of being made right in front of you. The freshness and 'in the moment' feel remains intact regardless to how many times you replay the experience.
Quite simply. Embudo New Mexico was the place where this album was recorded. Therefore no finer straightforward title could adorn an album. Modern recording methods have been cast aside with the single take syndrome owning the moment from the instant the play button was pressed. Mary Elizabeth Remington owns the voice to steal this moment. She also fine tunes songwriting skills road tested at the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival to set up eleven songs aching to be dealt this call to record.
Occasionally, UK based label Loose Music veer away from their folk-rock staple to present something off-piste and stunningly different. Harnessing the folk-Americana brilliance of Courtney Marie Andrews remains one of their finest feats. Presenting the music of Mary Elizabeth Remington is one of the deepest dives fathomable. Initially it will stop a listener in their tracks to assess. Several listens later a bought-in fan will surface.
The unedited count in to opening track 'All Words' sets a precedent dutifully followed. A distinct crackle to pre-released song 'Dresser Hill' takes you back a century in a single span. Come to think of it, a double century wouldn't be adrift. By the time third track 'Mary Mary' intoxicates with its a cappella sheen, mid song cackle and scratchy end, you are left wandering where else this album can take you. A soft beat leads you into 'Fire'. By now the deep and hollowed vocals of Remington start to take effect framing each lyric primed for listener intent. 'Green Grass' gets the most succinct intro before sucking the listener into a round the campfire experience. Once again no instruments are required. A voice now ingrained in the process is sufficient. 'Holdfast' holds the album's middle ground with a hypnotic beat, organic of course, leading into a slightly haunting sounding song.
The second half sees Remington exhale a more typical rural American brogue in the simply titled 'Tuesday'. At this point flashes of Gillian Welch come to mind. Although it may be said, why it took it so long to convey the association. 'Mother' gets another trademark single word intro and sees Remington take a deeper dive into a primal existence. Perhaps the subject of the title draws more from her and the mode she slips into takes 'back to basics' down to a real base level. Once again no instrument required as 'we all feel one' is repeated at the close. 'Wind Wind' heads the final trio. This time a subtle spate of twang graces the opening before the usual substance of deeply sourced vocals takes things in a mellower direction. The penultimate track 'Water Song' adds in authentic effect and an outdoor feel. By now being totally immersed in the music of Mary Elizabeth Remington is non-negotiable. There is a touch of spirituality to this song. 'Wooden Roads' is a final slice of unedited intro before instigating some careful strumming. Acoustic of course, electric wouldn't have been invented at the implied inception of this record.
IN EMBUDO is an album glowing with a refined stripped back experience. It re-defines beauty and ripens for a beholder agile to bend with its idiosyncrasies. Mary Elizabeth Remington hits a raw note on this record and a polished gem will head into the collection of many.
If you enjoy diving into a deep lyrical pool, then the latest album from Annie Capps is a smart listener's delight. Taking a detour from her work with partner Rod, she plunges headlong into this stark and thoughtful solo project to deliver a dozen-strong collection. This presents HOW CAN I SAY THIS? as a body of personally driven songwriting of the highest calibre.
The notes inform a 40-strong cast of all women collaborators have assisted on this project, but you feel forever secure in the solo arms of a songwriter exploring life and nostalgia from numerous angles and experiences. The album plays out on a level plane with minimal highs and lows. A few more notable peaks may have boosted the impact for casual listeners, but sufficient elegance and guile puts the album firmly on the road to laudable acceptance.
Truth or fiction are a creative writer's prerogative. We can only surmise the directions Capps takes throughout the songs here. She relies heavily on metaphorical content and at times the writing adopts an abstract coating. Nostalgia and reflective redemption seem to linger on the record that as a listener you have to embark on a voyage of fetch. The way Capps toys with words adds to the album's strong presence. There are many occasions where you feel on top of the meaning, while others seem a little adrift.
The peaks for me are a couple of tracks in the midriff that protract as the album's shining light. 'My Father's House' leads the way with a sense of undulating memories coming to the surface just as the wrecking ball strikes. The vocal sound and song style is reminiscent to Susie Ungerleider, an association to be proud of in my book. 'The Punch' closely follows taking boxing metaphors and analogies to the pinnacle on a track underpinned by subtle mandolin.
Elsewhere the instrumental accompaniment flickers from piano and violin to plain straightforward acoustic guitar. It is highly crafted and the perfect setting for serious songs that thrive in a mature supporting structure.
Although it was intimated that extra hooks wouldn't go amiss, there is a splendid melody in the early verses of opening track 'My Eden'. A song explicitly referencing apples, serpents and temptation in line with the title to aid memory recollection. The album title track tenderly anchors the first half of a forty-minute record and deals with confronting the truth in a honest and candid way.
The pick of the album's second half is the enhanced vocal clarity to 'Crowded', one of the odd occasions when the backing vocals come to the fore. There are times when the overall reception comes across as theatrical, probably most notably in the cabaret-showtime leaning to second track, 'Leaning'. Just to emphasise that this is not hugely dominant, a jazzy-bluesy lounge feel heralds the slightly mysterious 'Two Different Things'.
There is an orchestral depth to HOW CAN I SAY THIS?, and it is probably not too far off the mark that making this record has touched some raw nerves for Annie Capps. On the upside, releasing this album to the wide open world lifts the lid in a way that could be therapeutic and fulfilling. Listeners checking in, but more likely digging deep, will also accrue a similar feeling engaging with a fully loaded and serenely delivered album.
If several releases down the line a Jarrod Dickenson album is heralded his best album yet, then it would be an amazing feat to supplant the outstanding effort extolled in the record set to illuminate his 2023. Getting music out has been a challenge for a Texan singer-songwriter hovering around the UK scene for close on a decade. BIG TALK more than fills any gaps in a jagged recorded career. It is a monumental record capable of getting folks talking big about its merits.
Jarrod Dickenson scores highly from listeners looking for the key credentials of a blistering opening and memorable closer. Take the three tracks in those positions alone and you are already in credit. Elsewhere the universal full-on sound ramps up the octaves and smart songwriting reaches those smitten with such facets. Across the ten-track album you feel in the safe hands of hugely capable operators. Dickenson fronts with class, and no doubt would pay tribute to a slick band of merry helpers.
The resolute and defiant theme to opener 'Buckle Under Pressure' would be a worthy stand-out candidate on its own. However, it is duly trumped by next-in-line 'Born to Wander' taking the dreaming roamer theme prevalent in Americana music to a different level. Optimism refreshingly tips the mood balance across the record and the dedicated tribute 'Goodnight' seals the deal at the end. You can only assume that this emotive acoustic period piece relates to the 'in loving memory of Homer & Margaret Dickenson' statement on the liner notes. If so, a touching bout of real life songwriting.
Contributions to BIG TALK make their mark on the third track, 'Home Again', where Oliver Wood from the Wood Brothers gets the featuring credit for vocals alongside Jano Rix. Together they generate the energy on another high-tempo uplifting track. The writing credits are a mixture of solo and co-writes. A notable latter one is with wife Claire Dickenson on 'If You're Looking'. She has played an active role in her husband's career, both live and on record, and this writing effort is rich with a splendid lyrical structure.
For a major sound deviation within a tight template, a complete horn section raises the roof on 'Prefer to Lose'. Another catchy track to hook listeners in and one slightly less optimistic in lyrical tone. More in tune with the album's general rocky sound is 'With Any Luck' at the heart of the record.
The album title appears in a single line in 'Bamboozled', a song where the theme edges into a political stratosphere with a knock at the establishment and the American Dream. There are similar echoes in 'Long Hard Look' where Dickenson, on solo writing duty, links the concept of an individual looking into the mirror to something those in power should do. Completing the neat round number of ten is penultimate track 'Don't Deprive Me' where Dickenson digs deep into the role of pleading for his love to stay.
Looking back in the gig-going vaults, it is nearly nine years since Jarrod Dickenson was first seen live co-headlining in Birmingham with Diana Jones. The highly anticipated tour launching BIG TALK to UK audiences is set to be a grander affair. This is helped being accompanied by a big record that nestles comfortably alongside efforts from esteemed peers. Top production, super writing and songs with substance and style. Jarrod Dickenson deserves every inch of incoming acclaim.
Kirsten Adamson has been musically active on several fronts for many years. Not all have been widely known and gained the reach to match the calibre. LANDING PLACE is likely to be a totally different proposition and earn exposure that warrants the depth and guile of an album rich in substantive song writing. Musical assistance is sharp and overarching with some seriously smart contributors chipping in alongside helping steer the project. The result is eleven engaging songs drawing on the enticing vibes of modern Americana all enveloped in a Celtic roll.
Inevitably conversations and associations will link to Kirsten's late father, Scottish rocker Stuart Adamson, and, while subtly etched into the narrative, it does not define one individual's pursuit to make their own mark on the quality music landscape. This latest venture harnesses the talents of fellow Scot Dean Owens, which brings the focus to a scene excited by the amalgamation of thoughtful lyrics and a deft musical soundscape. At heart Kirsten Adamson is a soul searching song writer possessing a distinctive vocal style influenced by classic pop and country.
The standout song protrudes from the number 2 slot in the running order pitching the Dean Owens co-write 'My Fathers's Songs' as a stunning bout of catching the mood of how songs can provide answers. This stellar offering builds upon the sensitive opener where Adamson nails the theme down right at home in 'No Other Mother'. The album is well into its groove by the time the corner is turned at a point where another prime moment pops up in the capable hands on the achingly beautiful 'Time With You'. Here Adamson calls on the co-wrting services of English alt-folk operator Jason McNiff and the ever glorious dulcet pedal steel tones of Joe Harvey-Whyte.
All albums need a slice of energising fun, and just as we enter the final stages 'Useless at Being Alone' steps up using the waltz formula to stir the pot with jovial accordion adding to the musical pleasure. One of the songs to garner some pre-release promotion was the semi-autobiographical 'Stars on the South Coast', a song that does attract some pop country dust amidst a catchy beat.
The album gets right down to its raw credentials in the moody slow burning 'What Happens When You Don't Follow Your Heart'. There is even a Brandi Carlile-esq wobble to the vocals that enhances the effect and draws the listener ever closer to the theme. This is one of half a dozen solo writes that Kirsten Adamson applies to solidify a lauded contribution to her craft. She uses this approach in the straight up rocking closer 'Without Warning' where the band release the shackles to support a song that will act as a conduit to whatever Kirsten Adamson does next.
Kirsten Adamson's most recent outing prior to this album was a duo project with David Burn called The Marriage. That record reached astute ears and they re-unite the partnership on the writing front to deliver 'I Will Sign' to this latest collection. This track with an environmental undercurrent courts the sounds that could frame Americana content, thus giving the album a firm base to spring into other areas and facets. Another key contributor primarily on guitars is Jon Mackenzie who also steps into the co-writing role for the serenading mid-tempo track 'Up and Down' that reflects on the wonderful impact of music.
If the first word on the contribution front came in the shape of Dean Owens steering the standout track, he also features on the final pair that complete the collection. He brings a little of his southern Americana swampy feel to the co-write 'Coals and Ashes' and chips in vocals to the final Adamson solo-write 'They Deserve Better'. It would be remiss at this point not to mention his overall role as album producer. A man of many talents.
Contributions and assistance aside, LANDING PLACE is firmly secured in the creative domain of an artist exploring and forging their own path in a world where music matters. Kirsten Adamson grows on all fronts as the album sinks in to leave the mark of a record seeking and ultimately finding receptive places in a wave of inclusivity. A record to warm the heart.
