Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.laurenhousley.com    www.nigelwearne.com It took 8 weeks to see Nigel Wearne play a show; it took 8 years to see Lauren Housley play one. A pure incidental analogy to where both artists fit on the timescale. To elaborate the concept, Nigel Wearne is making new inroads into the UK from a substantial base in the Australian roots music scene, while Lauren Housley consistently finds new ways to cement her status as an acclaimed singer in an industry where opportunity ebbs and flows. Collaboration grew from a fleeting association, further sealed by increasingly productive distant interaction before the pinnacle of teaming up on stage. This evening proved the finale of a short run of dates. They gelled like seasoned collaborators. Thimblemill Library launched a new year with a hugely enjoyable and entertaining show. On an extensive night of varied music, Nigel Wearne opened up with a distinguished extended slot wasting not an inch of laying out who he was. We got a full-o...

  www.benbedford.com Ben Bedford takes his songwriting on a fantasy-fuelled journey of mystique through a new record that discards the shackles of convention. VALLEY OF STARS can attract various musical and literary tags including story-arc, parable and concept, which all indicate how the power of prose underpins his approach to music making.  Across a landscape that interweaves six lyrical pieces with five extended instrumentals a story unfolds in the vein of Watership Down frequented by as many animal characters as the works of Beatrix Potter. Alongside the staging of independent vignettes threading together to complete the circle, you are in the comforting charm of a folk musician adept at curating a soundscape of intrinsic guitar playing. A range of tempos assist the process of following the journey, and while this may not be your usual off the peg folk album, there is an alluring hold on those rewarding the artist's risk by lending a willing and active ear.  Bedford ...

From the perils of physical affliction, a determined and gracious Lucinda Williams digs deep into an already well harvested fertile cavernous soul to refine and re-shape a song delivery that epitomises a musical calling. This is an artist teetering on the edge of a poetic fault line where accomplished musicianship chaperones the words that define the art of southern sentiment. Security of status and stature is in place, but you never totally shake off the chains of vulnerability. Her music touches, moves and instigates a sense of awe.  Movement slips into a metaphorical state toying with the depth of her brimming catalogue. The juxtaposition of ease and struggle could emanate from a lyric sheet, not a visual demeanour. Lucinda Williams enters the calendar year of a significant anniversary with an air of fermented maturity. For a perfect portrayal of her artistic wealth, any vantage point from the floor or balcony of a storied Manchester venue captured the essence. You could say ' E...

  www.peachandquietmusic.com Peach and Quiet make a return to international ears serving up another New Year gem almost two years to the date since making an impressive splash with an album that's effect lasted well past the January release. The duo of Heather Read and Jonny Miller have captured the post-holiday space once again with BEAUTIFUL THING living up to its title on several plateaus. From their west coast Canadian location, the duo have explored the evocative side of a musical identity to deliver a sumptuous mix of polished roots and laid back Americana. Under the guidance of influential producer Steve Dawson, the album rolls out as a dozen-strong collection of acute songs evoking in parts a visual template, while forever anchored in the inner thoughts of the writer. An almost rhythmic exchange of lead vocal parts keeps the record fresh and taking a deeper dive into this work reveals an increasing sprinkling of lyrical, musical and nuanced nuggets. At release point (Januar...

  www.greydelislegriffin.com The title goes a long way to deciphering this album with some key snippets uncovered as you dig a little deeper. BORROWED is essentially a covers album with a gaping swing between some obvious standards and those significantly more buried. Such albums can divide opinion especially when there is so much original songwriting around, and spinning things a little differently can often be the key to earning an ear. The eleven songs here are delicately spun with a degree of individual interpretation to capitalise on a early January release where the field is somewhat thinner. The most intriguing part of browsing this record is discovering more about the artist. Grey DeLisle was an active American recording artist in the early years of the twenty-first century before finding an almost hidden niche as a widely renowned voice-over artist with a a prolific output and acclaimed status. Scooby-Doo and The Simpsons jump out from a packed biography that has dominated...