Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.gazbrookfield.com Idiomatic by Gaz Brookfield

  www.laineywilson.com Lainey Wilson makes a rapid return to the ranks of recording artist status with a stylish album full of magnetic striking appeal. This Louisiana-born singer-songwriter makes an attentive entrance via the vogue-like cover and draws you into a depth of country flare, or flair - take your pick. BELL BOTTOM COUNTRY is an enthusiastic album packed with a breadth of sounds protruding out from the comfort of the well-resourced Nashville mainstream. The production is staple yet refined with a finished shine polished to dangle in front of both insatiable junkies and discerning veterans.  This is one of Wilson's strengths that draws her out from the pack of those jostling to be the contemporary face of a genre. The pop gloss is kept to a minimum to allow heaps of southern affection to ooze from the songs that are quintessentially country. This album is another release on the BBR Music Group / Broken Bow Records operation similar to 2021's ear catching SA...

Projects like Voices From The Cones need full journey status to establish their true worth. While album preview, release and launch are all notable landmarks, it is the iceberg analogy of what you haven't seen and the shift above the surface that truly define the effect. From idea spark to studio recording, the initial part of this journey out of public view likely struck the hard yards. Creativity now passes the baton on to commercial endeavour to give this project the best chance of reaching and fulfilling audiences with an appetite for archival folk transmission. The Glasshouse Arts Centre in Stourbridge stands on the physical sands of a trade sunk into the heart of a community and commandeers one part of the spirit. The other part is every curious mind that absorbs the message and art of Voices From The Cones, whether hailing from this south western corner of the Black Country or anywhere else accessing a far reaching digital release.  Voices From The Cones primarily protr...

  www.dan-whitehouse.com The glass influence can be seen all over modern day Stourbridge. The Glassboys fly the sporting flag, while a bite 'n' pint can be had in The Glassworks pub. To these you can add the ongoing work done by The Glasshouse College in their chosen field of education. Now the world renowned glassmaking tradition of this Black Country town gets a different slant in the arts world. This is in the shape of a meticulously curated and creatively spun body of work unveiled to the world under the banner VOICES FROM THE CONES. Spearheaded by local singer-songwriter/musician Dan Whitehouse, this concept album brings to life 400 years of industrial heritage in the timeless volume of words and song. Commissioned by a partnership including the Ruskin Mill Trust, archives have been trawled; first hand experience sought and anecdotes collected to morph into a dozen songs brimming with a past life under the control of Whitehouse and his accomplices. These range from local s...

  www.mgboulter.co.uk On an evening when Smethwick was temporarily twinned with Southend-on-Sea, Thimblemill Library maintained its winning run of inviting very literary-focussed singer-songwriters to the most literary of settings. Stories, anecdotes and intuitive song influences spilled out of M G Boulter to such an extent they could well have created a section on the heaving shelves to house an alternative work of word art. The theme was a celebration of an album that has proved more than durable in its eighteen month existence in spheres of those hooking up on its contents at various points of a seminal journey. CLIFFTOWN may well be nearing the end of its cycle as an artist's focal point, well at least until it re-emerges for the customary anniversaries. However there has been room for a swan song as this Essex-based singer-songwriter refreshed the presentation for a final tilt in this phase. This was the third time seeing M G Boulter live since CLIFFTOWN entered its commercial...

  www.mlockwoodporter.com SISYPHUS HAPPY is the sort of record that if you allow it to burrow deep into your pores a sumptuous high will surface. M Lockwood Porter has captured and savoured a particular fertile patch of his creative whims to tumble headlong into a record that seemingly came out of turbulent personal times. From a clear inner signal to slim down the operation, the result is a simpler production and rounded sum of ten compulsive tracks showing this Oklahoma-raised/Bay Area-based artist is firing flat out on what is now his fifth full length release.  The title is the first interesting thoughtful point on a record getting its release on the increasingly influential label Black Mesa Records. Sisyphus was famously known in Greek Mythology for pushing a boulder eternally up a hill; a metaphor for life's frustrating repetitive blocks. If M Lockwood Porter felt this in his professional career, the fruits of the new record suggest a successful alleviatio...

  www.bonfireradicals.com Bonfire Radicals have cut their cloth as a vibrant live band on the local gig and festival circuit. Their take on folk music leans heavily almost entirely towards the instrumental spectrum and this is reflected in the latest release. THE SPACE BETWEEN is the second album from this Birmingham-based band and fully formed to transmit a taste of the live performances from stage to home. While this is a studio effort you still get the feel of absorbing it in a shared space and feeding off some element of group motion. Nine tracks form this album with a defined split of eight instrumentals and a solitary song. The latter is the Birmingham murder ballad ' Mary Ashford' , a tune written by Midlands-bred musician Jon Wilkes with traditional lyrics enhanced by a final verse accredited to the band. The theme is a famous nineteenth century legal case with ramifications still felt today. The final verse brings things two hundred years up to date with a fiery respon...

  www.themagpiesmusic.com UNDERTOW is a record born out of collaboration and decked with surplus panache to project forward the careers of three hugely talented musicians. Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Kate Griffin weave in acres of artistry producing a folk album successful at linking generations and continents. The Magpies can have a fluid existence outside the studio, but once in the recording realm the trio format sparkles and shines to maximise the enhanced input.  This self-released effort is a follow up to 2020's TIDINGS. In those pre-shutdown times The Magpies were gaining traction to become one of folk music's hottest new properties. That traction is now accelerated in an eleven-track album packed to the hilt with so many fascinating facets. A trio of traditional titles rub shoulders with a pair of originally composed tunes, a quintet of new songs and a cover to turn heads. A re-interpreted pop cover shouldn't headline a folk album, so mentioning the band's ...

  www.townmountain.net Good things happen to those who wait and are able to capitalise on good fortune. Asheville-based band Town Mountain have certainly done the hard yards over the last fifteen years and now a timely boost is in order after being picked up by influential label New West Records. The result is their music getting a wider reach and LINES IN THE LEVEE will increase traction with an international focus. If Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson can blast out of genre confines into cool quarters in far away lands, there is no reason why TOWN MOUNTAIN can't follow suit and bring their take on country and Americana music into an alternative realm. Just two more associated name checks before digging deeper into this gem suggests that you wouldn't be far off describing the sound of Town Mountain as flourishing on the fault line where Old Crow Medicine Show meets an unpolished Zac Brown. Coming from deepest North Carolina helps frame the southern sentiment that runs throug...

  www.dannygeorgewilson.com There is enough electricity to light up the Worcestershire Way when Danny Wilson and Paul Lush ignite their guitar duals. Maybe its more Lushy letting it rip and sparking off the acoustic riffs, but the effect is the same. Mind you, playing in front of a scintillating rhythmic pairing of Joe Bennet and Steve Brooks is heaven sent. Throw in some keys from one of the architects of the latest album courtesy of Henry Garratt and the Danny George Wilson Band was firing on all cylinders as they leapt closer to completing a successful run of autumn dates.  A return to St. George's Hall for Danny Willson saw his band open the 2022 Bewdley Festival on a night a little different to the usual Severn Sessions that has hosted Americana music in this riverside town for several years. Gone for the night was the youth and local support act, though guest of the evening Katy Rose Bennett did lay claim to some brief Bewdley roots. There was also an air of formality in...

www.calebcaudle.com Caleb Caudle takes a deep breath, digs deep and has an intimate chat with the soul of Americana on his latest record. FORSYTHIA is part nostalgia- part crystal ball gazing while wholly redefining the terms of introspective honesty. Any pretence to rock 'n' roll is banished as one person's guitar takes centre stage accompanied by the most subtle and supportive soundscape choreographed by an array of greats from the contemporary roots scene. This album is as clear and crisp as a mountain stream and can only be advocated for many multiple listens.  This North Carolina native requests a mere half hour of your precious time to spin a web of ten tracks that conjure up a vision of back to basics. Jerry Douglas' dobro and Sam Bush's mandolin are condiments to drool over. Producer John Carter Cash creates a restful template for Caleb Caudle to hone in on what matters most to a songwriter. Namely their inner thoughts and creative whim to produce something ...

  www.elliegowersmusic.com The career of Ellie Gowers gains a monumental leap with the release of her debut album. Give DWELLING BY THE WEIR a clear head and clear space and you too will be immersed in the folk world of one of the country's most promising singer-songwriters. A gorgeous voice and intuition to source and write a significant song is the mere start as a majestically crafted album looms large in the folk background ready to expand from a Midlands base to nationwide recognition. There are many intriguing facets to this album, which can be simply summarised as a homage to her home county of Warwickshire. The album gets an independent release, but queues will be lengthy to provide some impetus and widen its reach. Ellie Gowers is already establishing herself on the folk circuit and having such a fine record to accompany the shows will help propel the talent. Any investment in this record will accrue the pleasure of savouring an eleven track effort comprising of two strateg...

  www.teapadorchestra.co.uk The North-East's own roots music conduit is back in fine form with Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra stepping into the album spotlight for the fifth time in a decade-long existence as a recording  outfit. THE PARTY'S OVER may or not have literal connotations, but the tank is fuelled up and ready to keep rolling along - or should that be rock 'n' rolling. Like its predecessors, the new record is a jack-in-the-box collection. Trying to attach a dominant twist is a tough task, but rising to the challenge and proclaiming some element of old time country is probably as close as you get. In truth you get dealt a slice of the blues, retro-pop, the spice of New Orleans and most notably a cajun spin. The obvious odd one out from this eleven-song album is ' Trouble Is'. First of all it is the only one not credited to the writing of Rob Heron, instead linked to a writer called Paul Weber. A little digging does not reveal much of the origin,...

  www.rachelmcintyresmith.com GLORY DAZE might be the title of her debut EP, but glory days may have a different slant if the promise of this securely constructed bunch of songs is built upon. Half a dozen tracks by Tennessee resident Rachel McIntyre Smith reveal a confident contemporary beginning with a transparent trait for a lyrical style to transcend generations. Make no mistake this is very much an age focussed project reflecting the quarter life travails of its writer, but a sharp and sophisticated sound gives the songs wings to soar from their source.  The stand out song from the pack is the rather cutting and damning ' Miss Highfalutin '. Blessed with some fabulous steel amidst a rootsy base, a powerful punch is landed to supplement some melodic sparkle. The EP kicks off with the title track and a slither of blended mandolin and steel. Lyrically we are presented with a reflection of trying to move on with all the pitfalls including "memories {are} like Tennessee fo...

  www.songsofryantraster.com Now based in the western reaches of the States, Minneapolis-bred songwriter Ryan Traster serves a tasty dish of cosmic power pop on his new album, which was unveiled to the world at the end of September. There is a summery feel to the sounds emanating from LOW MIRADA, which makes it a good record to reminisce about warmer times as the seasons sink into shorter days. A driving beat supports plentiful jangly guitars on a nine-track release that charms the airwaves for little over half an hour.  The band assembled to kickstart this record's public life quickly find their groove and don't veer off track even when the tempo drops a little. Traster merges his vocal, Rickenbacker and writing skills across a vibrant range of songs including lead off track ' The Night's Got You' that also got the single and video treatment. If sampling this floats the boat then it is generally representative of what else is on offer.  Additionally, there is a li...

www.bethnielsenchapman.com On her 15th album since hitting the recording road in 1986, Beth Nielsen Chapman proves every inch the seasoned operator. CRAZY TOWN is a precise exemplar of how to cut a solid release that reflects where an artist pitches their music. This dozen strong collection swings the pendulum from soulful phases to pacy rockers, while retaining a classy edge. Under the stewardship of Ray Kennedy, the heart and soul of Beth Nielsen Chapman's music is in tact. A dominate style isn't sought, just a stroll across a blank template destined to be filled by top players and premier writers. The track to jump out from the pack is the forthright anthem 'Put a Woman in Charge' . This Beth Nielsen Chapman co-write had a previous life when cut by Keb' Mo', but like so many of her compositions they eventually find a home on one of her own albums. Of course these albums wouldn't be complete without a gorgeous piano ballad and ' With Time ' fits th...

  www.stevewallismusic.com "I found a piece of heaven and I wrapped it in a cloth" opens the final song on this album and the relief starts to flow. There are snippets of light throughout the eleven tracks adorning Steve Wallis' debut album, but brace yourself for a tough cookie of a record. Tuned minds will buy straight into the ethos of NOTHING STAYS THE SAME WAY FOR LONG and revel in a batch of stripped down songs drenched in road weary pin drop appeal. Folk and Americana fans know that sad songs reign supreme and Steve Wallis submerges into this psyche straight from the opening solemn bars of lead off track ' The Loneliest'. To share some context behind this album, Steve Wallis is an exiled Australian who relocated to Europe nearly a decade ago. Whether he writes from experience or a rich imagination, we do get one location piece and a rather sombre view of ' Amsterdam'. This song is straight from the Townes Van Zandt playbook, blue all over and ripe ...

  www.lukepauljackson.com More Than Boys (Revisited) by Luke Jackson Luke Jackson has become a regular visitor to the Kitchen Garden to the extent of two shows at the venue since the end of lockdown. Therefore it was no surprise to choose the venue to host one of the handful of shows he is playing with Canadian artist Julie Aube. The pair met and played some shows in her native Canada a while back, so it was only polite to offer some reciprocal hospitality for her first visit to the UK. The evening played out to be a couple of stand alone solo sets plus the obligatory duets to show that the artists possessed some synergy. Those duets came in the second set hosted by Luke. First up, Julie added vocals to a version of John Prine's ' Speed of the Sound of Loneliness' and then the encore consisted of the pair sharing guitars and voices on the much covered and loved ' Handbags and Gladrags' . The first thing we learned about Julie Aube from the Maritime provinces on Can...

  www.lissie.com On her latest album, Lissie exerts supreme control to show how sophisticated pop can meld into substantial songwriting reflecting the prime side of progressive country, forthright folk rock and expansive Americana. There is a breezy contemporary sheen to the dozen songs forming CARVING CANYONS that unsurprisingly surfaced from a trip to Nashville and a team up with established songwriters such as Natalie Hemby. It is perhaps an enhanced element of vocal control and deployment that lifts this above its predecessors. Lissie was always a fully throttled performer and a shift down a more polished route has reaped dividends launching this Mid-Western artist into a fresh phase of a career now over a decade old and stocked with several notable releases.  If you are seeking a rapturous crowd pleaser then Lissie is right on the mark with ' Heart's On Fire ' raging brightly at the three-quarter mark. This toe tapping belter and its infectious predecessor ' Unlock...