Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.michaelwestonking.com Unfinished business or just a calling that every artist gets from time to time? Either way the good news is Michael Weston King showing a side of his work that has taken a back seat for a decade or so. Underpinning the mission statement of My Darling Clementine was a raft of supremely crafted songs that would blossom whether dressed up in a country/Americana persona or not. On THE STRUGGLE we see the singer-songwriter art in its purest form, albeit the production does frame it as more sophisticated than entirely raw and stripped back. During the My Darling Clementine years (very much still active) projects occasionally diverted to reflect an utmost respect for songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Jackie Leven and Elvis Costello. Now the words of Michael Weston King as an artist in his solo form come to the fore.  THE STRUGGLE is a ten track collection of songs, slightly streamlined by re-working one of the flagship numbers ' Weight of the World ' with...

  www.petegow.com Pete Gow has all the credentials to burst out from a cult status and take his music into the ears of many far and wide. Those credentials are now boosted by a powerhouse release firing on all cylinders from the opening blast of horns to a reprise that eloquently completes the cycle. LEO puts a strong marker down as one of the most dynamic albums of the year, which reflects a team surmounting new levels of platitude.  This team sees Gow once again hook up with the ultra talented Joe Bennett, who surely cannot have orchestrated an album of such magnitude in the many projects that he has guided to fruition over the years. The winning formula sees the polished organic songwriting acumen of Gow merge with the charismatic blast of horns and succulent strains of a stringed accompaniment to take the listener on an indulgent sonic journey of immense proportion. This is Gow's third solo release since putting his Case Hardin outfit out to pasture. The choice of eight tr...

  www.lynnehanson.com Ottawa-based, but very much internationally focused, recording artist Lynne Hanson bounces back into new release territory with the unveiling of her ninth and latest album. ICE CREAM IN NOVEMBER has had a lengthy lead in process with the final few weeks of waiting occurring while its architect was concluding a long awaited return to touring the UK. Of course copies were available for in-person punters to buy at shows, but now the rest of the world can cherish the latest move for a performer showing clear signs of positive evolution.  Hanson has worked closely in tandem with Blair Michael Hogan on the new record, and it is this new streamlined duo format that has greeted fans at shows that are now set to roll out in continental Europe. Anybody who has followed her career closely over the last decade would have detected subtle changes in style. This switch has been compounded in the contents of the new record with a more explorative contemporary sound edgin...

www.emilyportman.co.uk Folk duos and collaborations regularly crop at any stage of an artist's career. It is often a natural evolution as performers look to peers who complement their own attributes. Both Emily Portman and Rob Harbron are successfully acclaimed musicians in various guises and obviously saw milage in combining their talents for this new project. Ahead of releasing a debut album under a dual title, the pair have decided to take some tentative steps by playing a few low key dates to test reaction. The Kitchen Garden is the perfect intimate venue to host such an event and those choosing to spend a cathartic evening in the company of two accomplished artists certainly made a wise choice. Emily Portman, of solo and Furrow Collective fame, tends to take lead on the duo, virtue of the main vocal provider and the prime song seeker. Banjo and mini keyboard add some musical artistry to her repertoire, but it is her golden voice that resonates strongly with a listener drawn to...

  www.kevin-buckley.com The latest in a long line of albums getting a European release to co-exist alongside an earlier Stateside one is BIG SPRING by St.Louis-based multi music operator Kevin Buckley. To describe this dozen-strong offering as a fiddle feast pretty much hits the target, and if you are partial to this most pan-continental of instruments, then there are plenty of styles on offer to enjoy. Swing, bluegrass and traditional Irish folk music see Buckley expanding his repertoire on an album that truly feasts on a desire to frame a long standing passion. This is actually a debut solo release for a hugely experienced exponent of roots music and beyond. Band involvement and producing filled a lot of the time previously, but stepping out up front with a minimalist set up has shone a light on a raw talent. This has been mainly in the role of interpreting traditional tunes. It doesn't take a deep understanding of genre fiddle styles to detect the switch. Close you eyes and...

  www.wardenandcompany.com Seth Warden leads this operation gracing his name from the less populous spaces of New York state and maybe the title highlights an element of anonymity. After a longish run-in of performing and releasing shorter recordings, an opportunity has been grasped to show what the band can really do when afforded a wider platform. From a streamlined base of violin, viola, guitars and percussion, SOMEWHERE peers out from the wilderness to present an eleven-track/forty-minute offering of music self-anointed as a stab at folk rock, all enriched by a tuneful element. There is a popular strand to the sensibilities of Warden and Co, which does make the album an accessible listen. Whether the intention to branch out from the hinterland is strong or not, it has landed on foreign shores, and its neatly presented wares at least make it a worthwhile one to check out.  The opening track ' Living for Love ' is a clear representation of what you are going to get, so ...

  www.sideponyband.com The chance meeting between Alice Wallace and Caitlin Cannon a couple of years ago proved a shrewd move for both artists. The lure of Nashville has long been a major pull for singer-songwriters at any stage of their career. Remnants of success had accrued from operating out of their own western staging posts, California for Wallace and Colorado for Cannon, but no artist can rest on their laurels in the cut throat world of country music, especially when not cushioned by major label funding. In an industry cast under the shadow of a pandemic, a ray of light emerged in the shape of a duo calling themselves Side Pony and gears suddenly shifted for the careers of two songwriters ripe for re-energising a career. Alice Wallace had already made inroads overseas in solo mode and plans were quickly put into place to tour the Side Pony operation once conditions prevailed. The band had already created waves in independent country music circles with astute praise for the r...

  www.lynnehanson.com The late spring of 2021 was an emotional time for those homegrown artists at the forefront of tentatively stepping back into live music. Fast forward almost twelve months and a similar feeling is starting to emerge as the rate of overseas touring artists starts to pick up pace. Gratefulness, honour and a little bit of relief were the order of the day as  Lynne Hanson, t he press anointed 'Queen of Canadian Americana',  re-started her extensive journey as a prolific overseas tourer. April and May are set to be busy months for this Ottawa-based musician with a raft of live shows booked across Europe. The privilege of hosting the opening night fell to St.George's Hall in Bewdley; a venue kind to both Hanson and fans of hers in the past with a couple of barnstorming shows.  It was wasn't entirely seamless between the regular Lynne Hanson gigs that toured pre-pandemic. Often she was billed as Lynne Hanson and the Good Intentions with a rhythm section...