Three Chords and the Truth UK

The last time Ross Wilson brought his Blue Rose Code operation to the Kitchen Garden (November 2017 to be exact) a wandering mind could be excused pending the imminent birth of his first child. Fast-forward nearly eighteen months and the update of mother and child doing fine set the scene for another impassioned performance by one of Scotland’s leading singer-songwriters. The format may have changed from a band set up in 2017 to a duo one this time, but the songs, connecting qualities and sweet sound of Caledonian soul planted a guarantee of a top class evening’s entertainment. Prior to these two visits, a solo Blue Rose Code graced the bricked walls of this venue proving that whatever the format:   the control, poise and creative exploits of Ross Wilson evolve into a fascinating show. The 2017 date was part of a wider tour to promote the most recent full-length Blue Rose Code release THE WATER OF LEITH. That album is now in the archives with many other recordings, so it was of l...

 Without a new album to promote, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman took the decision to downsize capacity wise on their return to Birmingham. Not that one of the UK’s premium folk duos are strangers to the Kitchen Garden, and proving adaptable in how shows are presented keeps performing artists fresh and connected with their fan base. There was no surprise of a near full house turning out for this gig despite the competing attraction of another Lakeman just a couple of miles down the road in the city centre. A full-on folk rock Seth Lakeman show at the Glee Club would surely have gone down well, just as the slightly less intense evening brother Sean delivered in conjunction with wife Kathryn in nearby Kings Heath. A common thread linking each Roberts-Lakeman show is the unrelenting heady level of professionalism prevalent. Whether mesmerised by Sean’s intrinsic guitar playing or rarely hearing a note dropped by Kathryn’s sculptured vocals, the immaculate delivery of traditional a...

Good Lovelies are a band that do not rush, and like to evolve at their own pace. Four main studio albums since their formation in 2006 is testament to this Canadian trio having to deal with what life throws at them rather than empty barrels of stimulation. A take it easy strategy has also stretched to rolling out their latest album. SHAPESHIFTERS had its Canadian launch last year, and after a short breathing space, focus switches to Europe and a physical release to coincide with a tour. It is always more productive to promote an album live and personal, and the new record has plenty of nuances that will enhance a Good Lovelies show. Ultimately, the success of a record depends on a broader appeal and SHAPESHIFTERS continues an exploration away from a traditional roots sound that tended to define the music of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore when they first came to prominence on the international stage. Perhaps there was always a genre-free streak to the Good Lovelies ...

Many of the audience were likely to be musically elsewhere in 1982, a time paramount to tonight’s show. However, it was easy to buy into the spirit exuded by Jason Ringenberg when recreating a pivotal moment of the country and punk worlds colliding. The Scorchers brush with the big time may be a distant memory, but the yesteryears roll back when its unassuming leader adopts a revivalist sentiment. Rejuvenated by a solo album, and the renewed faith that there is still life and interest in the old dog, Ringenberg is once again treading the floors of intimate venues injecting a ferocious spurt of passion. The guarantee of an enlightening, informative and entertaining performance is long established and folks heading down the Kitchen Garden way on this Sunday evening experienced a performer enacting a cutting style. The triumvirate of artist, audience and location aligned perfectly, to the extent of admitting that the wrong venues had been played in Birmingham before. Armed with just an ...

Orphan Colours went down a treat when they played an hour-long set at Beardy Folk Festival on the Shropshire /Worcestershire border last June. Upon their return to the area, and a subsequent gig in nearby Bewdley, it was déjà vu in terms of response and grasping the opportunity to show why they are such a highly rated outfit. This London-based band took the honour of being the latest Americana-style act to headline the monthly Severn Sessions evening at St. George’s Hall and demonstrated that you need not always look overseas for quality acts of this ilk. Once again, a packed hall greeted the guests, who took their place on the evening’s roster among a host of fledgling young local musicians to provide a comprehensive package of entertainment. It was a modified Orphan Colours line up for this show. Streamlined to a four-piece act minus the sax, the band were also without pivotal members Fred Abbott and Dave Burn, but drafted in a rather useful lead guitarist introduced as ...

In the mythical existence of the ‘Lyric Laureate’, songwriters would have to clamber over Danny Schmidt to claim the mantle. Few contemporaries are the equal of this Austin Texas native and each album released unveils a deluge of lyrical delight for song junkies to dissect. If no further inspiration was required for a brand new record, the birth of a new child to Schmidt and fellow song writing wife Carrie Elkin suggests to have provided rich accessible pickings for fresh material. You do not have to wait too long for this influence to blossom as ‘ Just Wait ‘til They See You’ articulates a sense of renewal in the first track of a new album, poignantly titled STANDARD DEVIATION. From the moment this opening song flexes its muscles with lines such as ‘I’ve seen the redwoods and northern lights, just wait until they see you’, you are in the grip of hypnotic writing delivered exquisitely by a perceptive tune melody. Schmidt’s previously album OWLS rolled out to a similar impact i...

It may be closing in on forty years since Jason Ringenberg broke the seal on a charge to music fame, but fans, folks and insiders still lend an ear to the issuing of new material. That time is now upon us as STAND TALL signals the end of a major hiatus of solo recordings (bar the Farmer Jason output) and a lengthy period since a Scorchers name appeared on an album. Of course, the live presence of Jason and the Scorchers and the solo shows of Jason Ringenberg flicker on and off the horizon, with the latter getting a renewed focus in light of a record that sparkles with the old magic. ‘Godfather of Americana’ and ‘architect of cow punk’ never lose their relevance as the new album reasserts a stance that country music works well when given a makeover fuelled by the energy and passion of an alternative edge. STAND TALL is a meaningful mix of originals, covers and classic re-works, all bound by a commission to seek inspiration in Sequoia National Park in northern California. From the op...

Larkin Poe are a band seemingly existentially embedded into their blues- rock phase. This signifies a major shift since the Lovell sisters first came to prominence overseas and the subsequent early years of the Larkin Poe incarnation. The last time they toured significantly away from their US base the evolution was underway, with the KIN album turning the dial up in terms of sound. Since then, heady times have swept along Rebecca and Megan leading to the release of two heavily blues biased records and plenty of vivid association with many major names of the electrified guitar world. However, you can primarily appear online to fans overseas for only a limited period and retain interest, therefore the time is right for Larkin Poe to once again reach out and expand the live performances. The Glee Club in Birmingham played host to the touring four-piece set up on the second date of a UK tour; a trip that will also take in continental Europe alongside plans to visit Australia and the Far ...

Eighteen months have elapsed since Angel Snow last played the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham and changes were very much at a finely tuned minimum as she returned to play one of the opening dates on her latest UK tour. On the upgrade side, last time’s solo performance grew into a duo as Angel teamed up with English guitarist Joe Wilkins to provide the perfect stringed accompaniment to her supremely crafted songs. Additionally, a set of new tunes began the journey from artist to listener as she introduced her latest record, an EP titled ARROWS. Whether Angel delivered her signature song, ‘ Lie Awake’ , from nearly a decade ago now, or brand new numbers like ‘ Maze ’ and ‘Window Seat’ , the shear magnetic quality was unyielding and matching the magnitude of a blue chip blueprint. On her previous visit, which doubled up on the touring front with Danish singer-songwriter Ida Wenoe, Angel split the guitar duties between acoustic and electric, with the latter contributing to the evening’s...

Lucy Kitt is an Essex-based singer-songwriter who successfully finds the acoustic groove and sweet spot on this, her debut full-length album. Honing in on a classic country folk sound, brevity and simplicity are key drivers as she guides the listener through half an hour of diligently constructed engaging songs. Comparisons drawn from the golden age of West Coast folk rock music spring out from not just the basic sound but the profile and self-projected image panning out from the album cover. You feel you know what is going to transpire before the first track plays and STAND BY duly lives up to expectation on a number of fronts. All ten tracks forming this album originate from the pen of Lucy and pose the standard musings that you have come to expect from songwriters digging deep into their inner self to extract the art of song. Like so many of her ilk, these songs are likely to come more to life in a live format where artist interpretation and inspiration forms an integral part of...

Contemporary folk music is awash with recording duo acts, frequently spanning the gender configurations. Some of these are longstanding, while others pop up in a collaborative project. This crowded arena will have to make room for at least one more in 2019 as familiar names: Ruth Notman and Sam Kelly emerge as next off the rank to steer into this territory. These two talented performers have trodden very different paths in recent times, but the fate that has seen them team up could quite conceivably be one of the instinctive highlights of the calendar year. Their debut release CHANGEABLE HEART hits the market in mid-March ahead of live dates. Of course, the term debut suggests there may be more to come, and on the back of the quality of this album that would be welcome. However, let us not race too ahead of ourselves, especially as Ruth Notman has been away from the recording scene for an extended period following a decision to pursue a medical career instead of singing professi...

There may have been no clinking glasses, incessant chat and blending machines mixing margaritas, but Cheley Tackett accepted the challenge of the less than daunting and placid St. George’s Hall Bewdley instead of the more raucous venues frequented back home. Some American performers acknowledge a minor unease at the extreme politeness of many joints in the UK hosting touring artists, yet this was one Nashville guest delighted to grab the chance of spreading her music. Granted the opportunity to play shows over here with a helping hand on this occasion from compatriot musician Hannah Aldridge was an opportunity not to waste, and across a seventy-minute playing time those attending this latest Music in the Hall presentation learnt a lot more about Cheley Tackett: the songwriter, the performing artist and the person. Any critique of her stage performance has to begin with one undeniable and underlying fact: Cheley Tackett is country music to the core. Not folk, nor Americana or non-de...