Album Review: Caleb Caudle - Forsythia

www.calebcaudle.com

Caleb Caudle takes a deep breath, digs deep and has an intimate chat with the soul of Americana on his latest record. FORSYTHIA is part nostalgia- part crystal ball gazing while wholly redefining the terms of introspective honesty. Any pretence to rock 'n' roll is banished as one person's guitar takes centre stage accompanied by the most subtle and supportive soundscape choreographed by an array of greats from the contemporary roots scene. This album is as clear and crisp as a mountain stream and can only be advocated for many multiple listens. 

This North Carolina native requests a mere half hour of your precious time to spin a web of ten tracks that conjure up a vision of back to basics. Jerry Douglas' dobro and Sam Bush's mandolin are condiments to drool over. Producer John Carter Cash creates a restful template for Caleb Caudle to hone in on what matters most to a songwriter. Namely their inner thoughts and creative whim to produce something meaningful and lasting.

To add to the three named participants you can throw in Elizabeth Cook and Carlene Carter Cash who make delicate vocal contributions at opportune moments. I'm going to toss in a further name, not from the credits but someone so reminiscent of the vocal sound emanating. That name is Brent Cobb, someone who possesses a similar southern sensibility to Caleb Caudle. The track that really nails the comparison is 'Shattered Glass' in the penultimate slot. Although this starts in the astutely channelled opener explicitly titled 'I Don't Fit In'. 

The ten songs submit an actual gem for playlist consideration if heresy is committed and this album is cherry picked. 'Forsythia' meets all the criteria for protruding out as a first among equals. It is a pure natural delight with Cook's vocals and Douglas' dobro playing their role Elsewhere different parts blossom with each listen. For the album at its most pensive see closer 'Red Bank Road'; for as positive and upbeat as it gets look no further than 'Texas Tea'. 

A free mind enabled by forced solitude has led to the songwriting advancing in character directions as well. 'Whirligigs' (yes I had to look them up before smiling) and 'Crazy Wayne' are stories told eloquently and vividly to display an innate trait of the writer. For a more personal perspective, 'Through My Hands' seems to do the trick perfectly. The final two tracks to complete the set are the slow building, and slightly gothic sounding 'The Gates' in the number two slot and 'Tears of Savannah', which serenades the listeners with some mellow mandolin. 

Caleb Caudle first crossed my path with his exceptional 2018 release CRUSHED COINS. While its 2020 follow up BETTER HURRY UP received wider acclaim, it was criminally under looked here. Maybe a victim of turbulent times. The good news is that the 2022-23 horizon looks healthy with a wonderful new record and UK focus to boot. 

FORSTYHIA is an album to seek solace in and open up your own reflective channels. Caleb Caudle has seized the moment, wrestled with his own identity and delivered an album that cuts to the bone of sharp Americana songwriting in its rawest state. 

Album Review: Ellie Gowers - Dwelling By The Weir

 

www.elliegowersmusic.com

The career of Ellie Gowers gains a monumental leap with the release of her debut album. Give DWELLING BY THE WEIR a clear head and clear space and you too will be immersed in the folk world of one of the country's most promising singer-songwriters. A gorgeous voice and intuition to source and write a significant song is the mere start as a majestically crafted album looms large in the folk background ready to expand from a Midlands base to nationwide recognition. There are many intriguing facets to this album, which can be simply summarised as a homage to her home county of Warwickshire.

The album gets an independent release, but queues will be lengthy to provide some impetus and widen its reach. Ellie Gowers is already establishing herself on the folk circuit and having such a fine record to accompany the shows will help propel the talent. Any investment in this record will accrue the pleasure of savouring an eleven track effort comprising of two strategically placed short instrumentals alongside nine original compositions rich in substance, diversity and meaning.

Rather than start at the beginning this short eulogy will commence at the album's high spot namely the penultimate track. In 'The Last Warwickshire Miner', Gowers has curated a mini classic. Adding a personal touch to a real theme reaps dividends alongside creating a stirring live anthem that had already gathered momentum in its pre-release airing. Great folk albums send you down rabbit holes with the stories and here the temptation to check out more of Daw Hill Colliery was too good to resist. 

Another trait of a top album in my book is its structure. Twice Gowers scored highly here. The first instrumental at the start is short and leading, while the second lodged in the heart of the record is a slightly longer guitar piece acting as an energiser. The first and last songs also own their spot. 'Dwelling By the Weir' (a historical name for the town of Warwick) is the ideal scene setter and the starting point for a batch of countywide sourced song influences. 'This Ground' emotively closes the chapter forty-odd minutes later with the most deeply personal of homages to a person's roots. Interestingly, the whole vibes of the finale slip into a contemporary popular direction. Different, but no less appealing. 

Make no mistake this is a fully fledged folk album. Sonically, it gets most interesting with an impactful scary blast midway through 'Waking Up to Stone'. Undoubtedly to ram home the ecological point. A strong theme also exists in 'Brightest Moon' as focus zooms in on acts of good in what can be a muddled harsh world. 

A couple of tracks designed for popular appeal in a folk kind of way are 'Women of the Waterways' and 'Poor Old Horse'. Both these are linked by an upbeat nature in tempo with the first adopting some neat breaks in a jaunty effort. The title is self-explanatory and adds to a growing pile of untold stories coming to the fore in song. The second is ultimately a feel good piece after depicting many ups and downs from the perspective of the subject. A fiddle intro and ditty feel give this track a different yet welcoming role in the album's presentation. 

The two remaining songs have very different prospectives. 'Ribbon Weaver' is a straightforward tribute to one of Warwickshire traditional trades. 'Letter to the Dead Husband of Mary Ball' is a more intriguing song requiring acute listening to get the gist. The final line "I'll see you in hell" is likely the summary. The most insightful anticipation of these songs will be to hear Ellie Gowers introduce them in her own words and there will be plenty of opportunities for that as she is totally committed to the road.

Since discovering her music at the pandemic defying staging of the Beardy Folk Festival in 2020, the clock has been ticking on some record that brings the strands of Ellie Gowers' music together. DWELLING BY THE WEIR is a fascinating, informative, educational and hugely enjoyable starting point from a significant release standpoint. Over to the wider folk fraternity and beyond to concur.