Three Chords and the Truth UK

What you see and what you hear is what you get when Benjamin Folke Thomas bounds into your musical horizon. The striking Swede with vocals as deep as his excavated song writing is back with a brand new album full of smart, astute content packed with an interesting punch. COPENHAGEN is the title and unravels as an assorted selection of songs stretching the entire spectrum from complex to catchy. One certainty is that this release courts memorable appeal and reaches out to those looking for a slightly offbeat style to their roots music. This is the third album for a singer-songwriter who has shared his habitat between London and his Scandinavian homeland. Residency in the former has allowed Ben to get a foothold on the industry ladder and accrue a decent amount of praise for his recorded music and entertaining live shows. Take your pick for a label to describe his musical style – folk in intrinsic lyrical substance, alt-country in a rousing full band show and distinctly Americana i...

The transcendent nature of music is at full force when a listener in suburban UK hooks up with a sound spawning out of Decatur Illinois. International horizons vanish in this digital age as good music meanders to respectful homes while disregarding boundaries. For the third time in three years a record release by Ashley Riley has floated into a virtual world of a UK blogger and morphed into a satisfying sense of reality. This time the music is in the form of a self-released seven track EP titled CAN’T LET YOU GO with its dusky undertones blending into a blissful state of buoyant twang and melancholic soul. From start to finish, Ashley and her band have created a body of music deep in character and rich in freedom as the sound veers in an Americana/alt-country direction. Weeping guitars and vocals to suit give the record a multi-sensory effect revealed in the achingly good opener ‘ Lonely ’ and the follow on title track ‘ Can’t Let You Go’ . The adjective ethereal can be over use...

The ultimate beauty of a record is not when it leaves the performer but the moment it lands on the listener. Music is best gift wrapped for sharing and it is an absolute treat to be cast under the spell of the new album from East Nashville based artist Caroline Spence. SPADES & ROSES is the follow up to the 2015 release SOMEHOW and transmits to the listener as a luscious layered body of drooling singer-songwriter heaven. The seeping aurora that oozes out of tracks one to eleven makes this one of the most satisfying albums to hit the wires in 2017 stamped with a guarantee that it will last the distance. Under the guidance of Neilson Hubbard, the producing architect of three high quality album releases just this year to date, the music and vocals give each other the space to flourish allowing the sheer magnitude of Caroline’s immense talent to sparkle. This talent ranges from a hazy sensual vocal style to the strength of committing some pretty substantial lyrical content to th...

It has been a double dose of transatlantic involvement for Jim Lauderdale lately. Not only did he play a major part in the success of the recent touring Sessions show which thrilled concert hall fans the length of the country, but a new album appears with a major imprint this side of the pond. LONDON SOUTHERN gives a big clue in the title of how this album came to life. Apart from recording it in the capital, a lifelong ambition of Jim, he hooked up with members of Nick Lowe’s team to produce a high calibre record streaked with a thick vein of substantive quality. For many years Jim Lauderdale has been the crossover king of American music, albeit constantly switching between bluegrass, classic and contemporary country as well as pioneering Americana as a haven for homeless roots music. True to his eclectic nature, LONDON SOUTHERN rolls out as a mixture of sounds and even in the first three tracks we meander through the misty waters of classic country, lounge jazz blues and a...

The pace is certainly picking up for London based duo Worry Dolls as they motor on through the midway point on their current 25-date run of UK shows. Such an extensive headline tour, and armed with a brand new album available in multiple formats, was only a pipe dream as they sought musical direction in their post-university years. In fact the last time they played the Kings Heath area of Birmingham, it was in support of Keston Cobblers Club. Subsequent belief in their ability to make music that resonates with an increasing audience has paid off and the opportunity was grabbed to see the fruits of their development during this Kitchen Garden Café show. Worry Dolls is the performing moniker of Rosie Jones and Zoe Nicol; two artists sharing common values and discovering that timeless knack of harmony presentation. Musically the pair keeps it straightforward with predominately Zoe’s banjo and Rosie’s guitar providing a steady backdrop to a sweet sounding vocal output. The latter elem...

The English Midlands is far from unknown territory for Ben Glover. Support slots for Brandy Clark and Mary Gauthier have raised his profile in Birmingham, while a similar role for Gretchen Peters had a repeat effect after shows in Bromsgrove and Leamington Spa. Maybe a little further afield, but a decent gathering in Shrewsbury when co-headlining with Angel Snow showed potential away from being the opening act. Well now the time has come to step out of the shadows as a performing artist in the UK as Ben began his first headline tour at Birmingham’s premier listening venue – the Kitchen Garden Café. A coup for Nashville based Ben on these run of dates across mainland Britain and his native Ireland is acquiring the services of ace guitarist Colm McClean for sparring duties. Together their guitars blended into a melange of acoustic bliss providing a special setting for Ben’s highly acclaimed songs to burst into life. Colm was a key figure in Gretchen Peters’ touring band when she playe...

When Chuck Prophet is on a mission, what you see is one of the most enigmatic purveyors of alt-country rock ‘n’ roll music on the circuit today. Of course Chuck has been producing the goods for over thirty years through his Green on Red connection and solo work. On the evidence of these latest set of UK dates, the Californian is still firing on all cylinders and an enthralled Nottingham crowd soaked up a whole two hours of vintage Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express. Although vintage in style, the material leaned heavily upon the absolute contemporary with the brand new album featuring prominently. BOBBY FULLER DIED FOR YOUR SINS is barely a week old and yet its status as a cultural high spot for poetic rock ‘n’ roll is securing tightly with each play. Chuck and his band launched their set with the title track of this album just after eight thirty and the marker was set for a riveting couple of hours of prime sophisticated velocity. The Bobby Fuller connection didn’t just lie ...

Literally a few days after one transatlantic music event in Birmingham finished, another took place on a much smaller scale with this evening’s gig at the Kitchen Garden Café. Only last Thursday the city’s Symphony Hall duly hosted a fine bunch of musicians spanning the breadth of the British Isles and the United States. This evening it was the turn of Mississippi native Alva Leigh and Welshman Al Lewis to cement the special relationship with a musical presentation in the guise of their award winning duo act, Lewis & Leigh.   The other link between this evening’s sold out gig and the Symphony Hall was the latter’s role in boosting the duo’s profile in the city when they supported Deacon Blue there a couple of months ago. Without doubt a few folks were inspired to attend on the evidence from that evening, while further impetus was gained when news spread of their double award win at the recent UK Americana celebration. One of these accolades was for their debut full length al...

They came from west of the Mississippi where the music starts to get as rugged as the impending landscape and a little more outlaw in outlook. To be more precise, Oklahoma is the home state of the Turnpike Troubadours, but for one evening only the roaming nature of their surname landed in the hull of a ship in the west of England. This six piece outfit have no doubt played many interesting venues in their decade-long existence. Now they can add the Thekla, surely not just one of Bristol’s quirkiest venues but that of the whole UK, to a comprehensive list of places to reverberate to their raucous sound. By stretching the increasingly common weekend 10 PM live music curfew to it absolute limit, Evan Felker and his merry band of compulsive rockers ensured the Turnpike Troubadours lived up to every ounce of their projected proclamation as a treasured live act. Whatever follows these music curfews up and down the land, it cannot come close to what early bird revellers experience when ban...

Tift Merritt  A recurring thought during this show was how incredible and blessed each guest artist must feel with an extensive backing band of this stature playing on their songs. Probably the most redeeming feature of the annual touring Transatlantic Sessions show is the collaborative excellence, and once again this was on full show as the extravaganza returned to Birmingham. From a personal perspective it was the case of a fresh renewal after missing last year’s show following a run of four straight years. No significant changes affected the core of the presentation, other than an opportunity to see three outstanding American guest performers adding their own distinct styles to the show. The sum of the parts will always prevail in the Transatlantic Sessions and for me the wonderful highlight of the evening was a full accompaniment celebrating the life of the late Guy Clark with a moving rendition of his classic cut ‘ Desperados Waiting for a Train’ . At this moment all f...

Canadian artist Amanda Rheaume was in a buoyant mood as she played the penultimate date of her current UK tour at a packed St. George’s Hall in Bewdley. The aptly named Severn Sessions is fast putting this North Worcestershire riverside town on the music map for touring artists of a country and roots persuasion. Amanda was the latest invitee and determined to ensure the locals had a memorable evening, with her vibrant style of music straddling the country-folk-pop point of genre convergence. The turnout is beginning to attract out of towners as well, as word gets around that artists of Amanda’s level of accomplishment continue to raise spirits on this monthly Friday evening gathering. For this latest leg of Amanda’s European excursions, a trio format is in tow with Anders Drerup (electric guitar/pedal steel guitar) and Anna Ruddick (bass) providing a valuable role in ensuring the recorded material gets the best possible live treatment. Songs stretching back across her three studi...

The tastemakers have been in overdrive lately proclaiming the talents of American folk band Darlingside. Over in the UK, a widely praised performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival last year set the tongues wagging, and bringing things right up to date, involvement with the Celtic Connections event has coincided with a wider tour of venues around the country. What cannot be disputed is the ear of the tastemakers as the exquisite harmonies, impeccable timing and intrinsic musicianship were on full display as this four-piece combo called into Birmingham’s Glee Club. The venue’s main room hosted Darlingside on their first visit to the city and while far from full to its capacity, an orderly layout housed a decent midweek turnout. Observing the audience’s response revealed an enthusiastic gathering, many of whom were familiar with the music and savouring the opportunity to listen to the music in a semi-intimate setting. Prior to the main attraction taking to the stage, fellow Bos...