Three Chords and the Truth UK

The future arrived around a quarter to ten on an ordinary Wednesday night in a suburban Kings Heath grassroots venue. In terms of first heard impact, ‘ Ran Johnny Ran ’ was up there with the unrivalled. The groundwork was now complete for Sorrel Nation to move onto album no.2. To the folk rock armoury, you can now add traditional country, or in other words a bonafide Americana act. The imagination added the pedal steel, leaving food for thought to the endless possibilities for release mode. For now it crowned a successful night when Birmingham hosted Sorrel Nation for the first time. It was neighbouring Sandwell that welcomed a full band show in the summer of ‘25. The Kitchen Garden gig was one of the early dates on a spring tour keeping this southern based singer-songwriter in the spotlight. Its compact nature proved an ideal fit for a 4-piece band who played the bricked walls, stone floor, wooden ceiling and creaky staircase to a tee. An adaptive stage style reflected a freshened up...

Through an appealing collection of songs, transatlantic duo A Different Thread share a warm glow of what life deals you. Whether narrating through characters or directly focussing on personal experience, Alicia Best and Robert Jackson carve a connective path where the music matters. OVER AGAIN has taken its time to get over the line but when you have the back story of this couple, good things are worth waiting for. The eleven songs each form a part of a meaningful mosaic crossing the threshold of listener enjoyment. You sense we are all in this together and artists successfully transmitting this tap into a rich vein. After a decade of red tape wrangling, criss-crossing the ocean and seizing limited opportunities, Best and Jackson are now settled in North Carolina. However the English Midlands will forever remain close to their heart and a sense of celebration is conveyed in the buoyant reception this largely positive album gets.  A Different Thread are absolutely rooted in the folk...

  Veteran Canadian alt-rockers Great Lake Swimmers cast excesses from the recording process to cut an album stylishly layered and right on the mark. Awash with mesmeric undertones and primed moments of twang, CAUGHT LIGHT reflects the grandeur surrounding this Juno nominated and in-demand Southern Ontario outfit, who since assembling in the early 2000s have fermented a sound reminiscent of 70s influenced folk rock. In a concoction of Canadian class meets West Coast panache, this outstanding ten track collection instinctively captures the moment.  The constant of the Great Lake Swimmers across nine albums is band leader Tony Dekker as the players rotate around its founder. His pensive vocals are a key feature on a record organic in feel and tenderly understated. From the wonderfully poignant opener ‘ One More Dance Around the Sun’ to gracious closer ‘ All the Best ’ , barely a foot is out of place. The idyllic rhythm to ' Wrong, Wrong, Wrong ' is an endearing feature as is the...

With gritty guitar and worn voice, Elaine Palmer hits the right tone from the first beat to shape a slate of songs spun on a transatlantic axis. Arizona and North Yorkshire hold special affection in the heart of this British singer-songwriter and together with a part recording in Northern Ireland a cosmopolitan thread generously laces a mini album mightier than the slender first impressions. Seven tracks and a fraction under half hour running time is sufficient for Palmer to deal a winning hand and impressively add SOME SEEK SILVER SOME SEEK GOLD to a growing back catalogue. The tracks are neatly packaged with a detectable rhythm to the order. A pair of bangers to kick off, a couple of complementary slower tracks in the middle and a diverse finale encompassing the wide expanses of Americana music. Opener ‘S ome Seek Silver ’ is best framed by a poignant ending and a wholesome representation of a vocal style alt round the edges and milder in the middle. It leads into the absolute qualit...

  Honey and the Bear appear to move effortlessly through the gears when in the album recording cycle. The usual two year gap between releases has been extended to three for A WISH & A TIDE but the short wait is compensated by a record rich in sound and informative in content. Suffolk-based duo Lucy and Jon Hart use the extent of mutual creative talent, collaborative reach and connective intuition to conjure eleven self-written tracks of elaborate worth. The precedence of fascinating stories sourced from both East Anglia and further afield is maintained alongside securing some of the best musicians in the folk community to add a touch of musical sparkle. The result is a lavish listen and smug satisfaction that the alignment between artistic pursuit and listener engagement has reached your door.  ‘Close to the Edge’ is a prime example of planting a dominant song to lead off. We are blessed with blissful flutes and whistles from guest player Toby Shaer as the theme explores...

  Sometimes good things happen to good people. The easiest activity is laying your money down, sitting in the front row and letting the entertainer take the strain. When the chips are stacked against the artist, the stage must be the loneliest place on earth. What didn’t happen in July 2024 came to fruition in April 2026, a vindication of a performer at the sharpened peak of his ‘A’ game. Ben De La Cour is a perceptive songwriter of extraordinary depth conveying stark realism in his songs. A dedicated Kitchen Garden gathering stuck by him on a tough evening when England’s Euro 2024 final loss proved a distraction. 21 months later, a near sold audience savoured a crowning performance in true British respectful style. Two conduits connected these shows. Ben De La Cour made a low key return to the venue last year when opening for Nick Harper. However, a more likely impactful factor was wooing hundreds of Lucinda Williams fans at Birmingham Town Hall in January with a stunning opening ...

  Brontës music enters the fray on a warm summer breeze igniting a passion for simple jangly tunes to brighten up any day. Five years into an existence as an active 4-piece band, this self-titled debut album puts a spotlight on a Glasgow combo with a knack of spinning an indie pop tune rinsed with familiar temptations.  Each track puts an extra building block in place to assemble a decent length record awash with hooks and adorable moments of aural pleasure. Brontës convey a DIY essence free from inhibitions, smoothing the path for a batch of deletable songs to hit the mark. A youthful zest decorates a sound threaded with a timeless appeal, think sixties pop spiked with new wave sentiment brought up to date with shades of modernity. College vibes mingle with record store intensity set to the background of a festival field, whatever the setting this ten track album gives plenty by turning a minimalist base into a satisfying entity. The band has the classic pop/rock make up - Ev...