Three Chords and the Truth UK

  On his second album, London-based artist Jack Browning has thrown all his artistic might into creating a record bringing tradition up-to-date. PAINTED SKIES is an exhibition how to put the pieces of a country album together and spin something wholesomely authentic. Bar a couple of name drops, Browning steer clears of cliches while intelligently dissecting a state of mind within lyrics bestowed with a tasty structure. Meaning traverses from explicit outpouring to introspective musing using a broad soundscape underpinned by pedal steel. The country core draws influences from the blues pairing heartfelt ballads with stompers ripe for the wooden floor. A rich Stateside association blends with a studious outlook applying touches aligned with his other creative pursuit of painting vivid images of the West.  Twelves tracks parade the wealth of Browning’s musicianship with the bonus offering ‘ Muhlenberg County Stars ’ getting an acoustic version cut on some formats. Even with a mi...

  Across 12 tracks, South Carolina-based duo Admiral Radio get to the crux of making a record strong on message and sweet on sound. The voices of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith are deployed with great effect, whether in harmony, duet or exposing the tone of the male and female vocal. All but one of the songs making the HEIRLOOM cut carry the acute ambition of the couple writing in tandem, blossoming in a soundscape illustrated by fiddle with a side accompaniment of steel, mandolin, harmonica and oodles of twang. From a breezy pop tinged opening to a confessional departure, every crevice of Admiral Radio’s work embodies the spirit of multi-shaded country, folk and Americana music.   Optimism and realism co-exist along with a yearning to make sense of things. ‘ Jackpot’ perceptively launches the record implying the notion of taking your chances and aiming high. It also possesses a great hook inviting you to dig deeper. Now you are on Admiral Radio’s radar, the harmonies spin a dose...

Moseley Folk Festival celebrated its 20th staging in fine style with a near-capacity crowd descending on Moseley Park for a re-defining weekend of music, both observing convention and ripping up the rulebook. From the bigger names that eased the ticket selling process to those lower down the bill driving the creative renewal, there was something on offer to all music fans alongside some just basking in the last throes of the summer rays in a friendly inclusive arts atmosphere. After a few years of experimenting with three music stages, the festival has now settled back to two offering a seamless experience. Folk on the Slope is the designated spoken word space presenting talks, poetry and comedy, hence the festival rebranding itself Moseley Folk and Arts. Damien Dempsey      The three headliners had significant fan presence inside the park. All gave performances in line with expectation and created a passionate atmosphere in front of the stage especially hot Irish band...

Seven stagings in and the The Long Road has long created its own identity. Festival goers flock to Stanford Hall in all shapes and attires getting out of it what they want. It’s a loose family tied by a thread embedded in an alternative culture where roots are deep and stems branch out in many directions. People find their niche and extract a sense of fulfilment across a long August Bank Holiday weekend. Whatever the life span of the event, 2026 made its mark in more ways than one. Amidst the storms, mud, rain, evacuations and stage closures, the show went on. The recent passing of an icon was always going to cast a shadow over the event in a positive way. Country, Americana and roots music in all its guises won the day, whether portrayed by the legends or played by the new generation. It was part-DollyFest; part-MudFest and when the ground dries out, all parties can fondly reflect upon a successful outing. Festivals are both a haven of shared experience and an individual pursuit. You ...

  TEN BLUE SONGS is the tenth album from Hastings-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Jason McNiff. This time he has enlisted the production services of Trevor Moss (widely known for his duo act with wife Hannah Lou) for a record that came to fruition at Moss’s Bex-Pop studio. The pair honed in on capturing the essence of music in an unfiltered capacity and have successfully channeled McNiff’s applied intimacy into a warm receptive body of work. Rather than expressing the sentiment of the title, this collection emanates a reassuring contentment exhibiting a good place where creating music works effectively.   The songs feature McNiff’s sharp incisive writing with a nod to how greats in the literary world spin their wares. Additionally. an array of instrumentation has been assembled including clarinet, piano and violin, joining McNiff’s intrinsic guitar picking that has kept keen Americana ears piqued for over twenty years.   For a serious introspective songwriter, it is sur...