It was only a matter of time until Nashville spread their
net from promoting contemporary country music in the UK to look a little deeper
into what home grown promise there is. While it is far from unique for a UK act
to have their sights on country music stardom, Ward Thomas have come up with a
package that matches up well with its similar styled output from Music City.
Make no mistake this is unabated country pop done well and the siblings have
hit on a formula which will give them every chance of exploiting their target
markets.
The size of the home market is yet to be determined but
ambition is high that the mainstream can be permeated by national radio
airplay. This would be a great shot in the arm for the genre in the UK as FROM
WHERE WE STAND has sufficient country merit to distance itself from the run of
the mill chart mediocrity. Barely out of their teens, the twins Catherine and
Lizzy from rural Hampshire, clearly understand where their influences lie and the
direction they want to take their music in. Obviously the record has had a huge
boost by being produced under the guidance of Chris Rodriguez and Bobby Blazier,
both Nasvhille luminaries. The result is a fresh and spritely bunch of tunes
showcasing Ward Thomas as no mere pretenders.
Of course there are work in progress elements to Ward Thomas
and one of these is being rectified by hitting the road with a load of live dates.
Perhaps a Maverick Festival appearance sandwiched between a host of hardened
Americana acts highlighted an element of inexperience and a little on the light
side but subsequent plays of their debut album reveal a talent to build on this
and a subtle diversity to their music.
A recent EP release proved to be a tantalising taster before
this 12 track 50 minute record hits the market. All four featured songs on the
EP make the album including an interesting cover, ‘Caledonia’ by veteran Scottish folk performer Dougie MacLean. As
you would expect from an album with such pretensions there are a number of
brash pop songs designed to engage a wider audience but I prefer to home in on
three tracks which highlight a more substantial side of their talents. ‘Wasted Words’ is the stand out track
from my perspective, mixing harmony vocals with a hint of mandolin, steel and
fiddle to reach out across the country divide. Following closely behind are a
raucous piano led honky tonk belter ‘Town
Called Ugely’ which rattles along with a considerable beat and a passionate
emotional ballad ‘From Where I Stand’.
The latter sees the album title revert to the individual
personal pronoun to give the topic of their parents’ divorce a more poignant angle.
Piano, pedal steel and an uplifting guitar solo grace this track that captures
the pain of the moment, a not uncommon trait of real heart stricken country
music. These three tracks are the real gems of an album not unexpectedly
wrapped in a combination of up tempo radio friendly numbers including the safe
flagship songs ‘Push the Stride’ and ‘The Good and the Right’. Of the album’s lighter
side, I have more of a leaning towards ‘Guest
List’ with its unashamed tilt towards the works of Taylor Swift and Carrie
Underwood as does the nostalgic anthem qualities to ‘Way Back When’, if nostalgia is allowed for someone so young!
It is to the album’s credit that the four remaining tracks ‘Footnotes (Happy Ending)’, ‘Try’ ‘Company’
and ‘Take That Train’ never give the impression
that the record is being filled or scrambling around for songs without really hitting
the peaks of the classier parts. Whether Catherine and Lizzy subsequently major
on their song writing, vocal capabilities or musical arrangement, they have announced
their arrival on the music scene with a record full of all three qualities.
FROM WHERE WE STAND will find its own niche in the market and Ward Thomas are
set to make their mark on the UK country music scene, perhaps a little wider in
prevailing circumstances.
