Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.gerryspehar.com Gerry Spehar's career has had a renaissance recently with a string lyrically potent album releases. To capitalise this exposure and in turn help out an old mate, a decision was made to shine a light on a past life where he teamed up with fellow troubadour Bobby Allison to roam the land plying their music in any accepting place. DELTA MAN is retrospective collection of songs the pair largely crafted in the 80s and 90s.  Fifteen tracks have been selected to form this collection which tucks in just under the hour mark. The music comes across as of its time, a likely selling point to folks tuned in to this era and its lineage from the formative days of troubadour songwriting to those practising the art today. Alongside the troubadour origins of the pair, they also know how to rock 'n' roll with the best of them and this album dances freely along the spectrum of American roots music.  Notes from the album update the current plight of Allison and perhaps t...

  www.gideonmusichouse.com David Gideon is billed as a roamer with a story to tell. Cock your ears towards his new album and that narrative will unveil in a soundtrack encapsulating all that is mystical about the open spaces of the road.  LONESOME DESERT STRUM draws mainly on facets of country music with a western tilt and lets its soul drift in other ways such as shades of early sixties twangy pop. The album pitches its ware right at the heart of free thinking American music soaking up those captivated by the spirit of song. Gideon frames the art of letting the songs flow and you get the impression that they would flourish both in a big band lavish production as well as solo in a late night bar.  An unassuming cover relates to the simplicity of the album in terms of its relative subtle understatement. Its contents add up to the round dozen and several of these tracks have seeped out during a lengthy run in period. The structure catches your attention right from...

  www.rainehamilton.com Raine Hamilton joins a lauded group of like minded Canadian artists getting a channel into the UK market via a well connected route that has shared many hours of fascinating music over the years. This Winnipeg native draws upon the deep roots of folk sensibility and mixes in a wealth of classical calibre musicianship to create a body of work that sways between the easily absorbed and that which stretches the senses. BRAVE LAND has been drip released throughout most of the last year. However, traction is likely to be greater now the whole tightly bound eleven track album is out to share. The ever popular Bandcamp platform is a wise choice to utilise with its user friendly options and there are significant highlights to tempt the discerning buyer. The musical content is very much a combined stringed effort. Hamilton is an acclaimed violinist who has teamed up with a fellow double bassist and cellist to curate a refined sound. Background info on the release des...

  www.annaash.com Anna Ash has had an eye on the international market from her US base for a while and this pursuit will gain extra impetus with the release of a new record. SLEEPER emerges into an eleven track album from a previous EP housing five songs that form the second half of the full length release. The entity is packed with soulful vibes grown from a minimalist base amidst aesthetic undertones. There is a mild mannered distinctive edge to the vocal groove that draw comparisons with Frazey Ford. This slightly hypnotic sheen snares a listener on the lookout for a sound that lures you in.  The front cover depicts a day either dawning or dusking, which pinpoints a mood flourishing in a partial light. Mellow, evocative or pensive are further ways to describe the music that emanates from a Michigan born artist now LA based. To complete a spin round the States, the album gets a release on Tulsa based label Black Mesa Records, and a subsequent conduit into UK ears. Alt-folk m...

  www.policedoghogan.com If you've followed the evolving career of Police Dog Hogan you know what you're getting: a multi instrumentally driven concoction of rhythmically pleasing tunes landing on the listener with little pretence. For their fifth album, the blueprint driving an evolution that has widened their appeal is in tact to the extent of perhaps edging OVERGROUND into the realm of being the band's most accomplished release to date. Slightly random yet totally realistic, this twelve strong collection of songs springs from a multitude of stories, tales, anecdotes and personal musings. The authenticity gels to generate one play insufficient and even a dozen more enticing you to return to a record that kicks off a new year in grand style. Police Dog Hogan is a seven piece band fronted by main vocalist James Studholme, but are defined by the sum of the parts that range from a stringed repertoire through to frequent brass. UK Americana has tended to house them partly due ...