Three Chords and the Truth UK

  June releases awash with jangly guitars and multiple harmonies will always evoke a summery feel. The source may be southern England rather than West Coast USA but The Hanging Stars have become an established band of conjuring such a sound. JUST A DAY is their 6th release and a sufficient starting point if you want to discover a group hovering around the fringes poised for a significant breakthrough. Whether the new album delivers it is subject to a host of external factors. The upshot is a band seemingly in a good place, honing a tight sound and feasting on a revised network of assistance.   Dreamy links and sumptuous moments pepper this dozen song collection paraded by band frontman, main songwriter and guitar-vocalist Richard Olson. Threaded through the album are numerous examples of a studio masterclass aided by the contribution of Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love in a co-production capacity. These range from fusing keys, guitar and exemplary vocal concoctions to arranging t...

  Resourceful and talented singer-songwriter Hannah Scott continues to seek innovative ways of getting her music out in the open. The latest offering is a slimmed down gift sending out a timely reminder   of a how a mighty sound can emanate from a carefully constructed base. THREADS successfully keeps a flame alight in anticipation of further rich pickings from a wider platform.   The adaptability of Scott’s writing shines through as she mixes personal recollections with commissions. Themes range from family to places of residence with sincerity and perception engineering a creative drive to conjure thoughts into stake-in-the-ground songs. Relatability shines through alongside an appreciation of how craft can mould into distinction.   Possessing a signature song capable of holding court both on record and live is a viable asset. ‘ Sitting in the Dark’ , lamenting the rental system, has been a popular setlist inclusion for a while and sits pretty here in the closing p...

  There are two kinds of gigs at the Kitchen Garden. One where the venue dictates the mood and the performer melds into the wider surroundings. These often have a borrowed audience and thrive on the intimacy. The other sees the artist breeze in, set the tone and play to a distinct gathering. Both have merit and seasoned Kitchen Garden attendees can quickly detect the ambient direction. From California via Nashville with a Texas diversion, Stacy Antonel arrived in the latter camp and left a significant stamp passing through. Swaying between charismatic chaos and sassy charm, sentiment exuded from each song and an identity exhibited with brash panache. In tandem with guitarist Thor Jensen, the terms of endearment ran across the scale.   You quickly learned the duality of the act, a mixture of what yearns to be written and what aches to be interpreted. Antonel threw as much into an array of covers as advocating what inspires her to write, likely influenced by the background of wh...

  Clay DuBose had a rich and influential stint as a fledgling Americana artist in the first phase of a career when the genre took a foothold as a radio format. Life subsequently pulled this Texas-based musician in a different direction enforcing an extended recording hiatus. However pent up talent was not destined to remain suppressed and with the helping hand of versatile Californian Ted Russell Kamp, a brand new full length record is hailing the comeback. An awareness void of DuBose’s previous work is not a barrier to grasping the value of FATHER TIME & MOTHER NATURE. The absence has fired up the songwriting juices and a ravenously good record emerges buoyed by relatable themes and a feel right on the mark of the genre he pioneered from the late 80s onwards.   Nine originals, all co-written with Kamp who also engaged in the production process, and two covers form the rump of content stretching the breadth of personal interaction primarily within the immediacy of family. ...

Cool music is spilling out of Grey DeLisle at a rate of knots, though this time the billing is shared. When seeking a vocal collaborator to bring a new bunch of songs to life, Les Greene popped up with the ideal voice and a complementary contrasting duet was born. The simple title hints at some sort of hue duality. GREY & GREENE takes the cue and a shade collision of guttural soul and angelic Americana parades nine originals and a fun cover.  Not a breath is wasted in a brief template. Gripping guitar, natural vocal exchange and astute tempo placement steer a half hour spin down memory lane. Two names in the credits jump out to confirm the direction. Rockabilly icon James Intveld is the producer and ace country guitarist Deke Dickerson adds some licks. With input from these two, a sound akin to 1956 is wonderfully brought 70 years up to date.   Les Greene is well known in the wider entertainment field of film and TV as well as a recording artist in his own right. This side...

  For a slice of honky tonk hedonism, look no further than the latest release by country recording artist India Ramey. VILLAIN ERA takes you on an exotic trip around barrooms, diners, barren wastelands and spots where the tough fight back. Ramey herself hails the album as a no nonsense parade of self worth and the banishment of enforced pleasing others. With a bolt of liberty and brash theatre, ten tracks hail a beatbox of fiery rock ’n’ roll and acutely bonafide traditional country.   Ramey headed West from Nashville to the LA studio of acclaimed producer Eric Corne with the result a brazen bunch of sounds acting as a conduit from a golden past to a vibrant present. Not a breath or beat is wasted with a narrow template packed to the hilt with a flush of fiddle, steel and rampant guitar. At the heart is a songwriter with a voice and a gutsy performance overflowing with sass.   Iconic legendary associations and influences will be self-explanatory throughout the active 32-m...

  Paul McClure makes a welcome return as a recording artist. He successfully simplifies the process of conveying sentiment through ten songs forming an album enriching any zone commandeered. THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF IT is a timely reminder that when resourced and focussed, the Rutland Troubadour can mix it with the best in his field. On a professional level, McClure is defined by the duality of an exceptional songwriter and the exponent of impeccably timed wit. The stage entertainingly blends both, while the former thrives in a studio setting. The poetic strands of everyday feelings weave into a collection of finely constructed songs, while words and music collide in a haven of poignant perception. Themes and musings swing from implicit intent to moments of lucid interpretation. Nature and nurture likely play a role in the songwriting gift and an innate talent is meticulously polished. McClure headed south from his East Midlands home to East Sussex where the Bex-Pop studio of Trevor...