Three Chords and the Truth UK

You should never underestimate the challenge and trepidation facing an artist taking their music thousands of miles to new destinations. The stakes are high with a strong and resilient sense of belief required. Success can have a range of measures from deeply personal to collectively communal. A positive outcome must be a proud accomplishment. In the early phase of a second significant visit to the UK, evidence is pointing towards an enhanced reputation for Nigel Wearne as he plots a way into the hearts and minds of a welcoming and open music scene. One key indicator is an audience returning to your shows. Having appeared at Thimblemill Library almost twelve months to the day, not only were returnees in the audience, but a whole host of curious observers eager to take a chance on a new name. On his previous visit, Wearne shared the bill with Lauren Housley. From a short window, enough positive seeds were planted, and now the opportunity arose for folks to learn a lot more about this cu...

  www.malcolmmacwatt.com From an Highland upbringing to wherever the hat was laid, Malcolm MacWatt has developed a broad and deep outlook featuring strong in his song writing. Traditions, stories, identity and justice pour from a curious mind finding an illustrative home in the music sculpted by a multi-instrumentalist background. The lure to borrow the term 'Transatlanticana' couldn't pass as it gets to the nub of what fires the passion in this Scot's approach to music especially melding a deep feeling of his homeland and all things Americana. On the back of a 2021 record joined by artists of the stature of Gretchen Peters and Laura Cantrell, MacWatt returns to the release cycle with an album full of countless nuggets, wise words and laudable appeal. DARK HARVEST is a full-bodied collection of almost entirely original pieces, politely requesting a return investment in listening intent. The deal is sealed when charmed by a sincere bunch of songs thoughtful in creation a...

  Over a distinguished career, Tim O'Brien has without doubt played contrasting venues in many cities especially possessing an ability to adapt between grand palatial settings and intimate places where the listening zone is unfiltered. The West Virgina native-longterm Nashville resident can now add Birmingham to the list with the Kitchen Garden joining the Symphony Hall as stages hosting the talents of this premium musician, lauded songwriter and authentic country vocalist. On the stroke of eight o'clock, O'Brien descended the wooden creaking staircase, weaved his way through the cramped dining chairs and positioned himself in the performing spotlight. He asked if there were any country, folk and bluegrass fans in the house and proceeded to entertain a packed venue with music as pure as a mountain stream.  The sold out signs soon followed the coup announcement of Tim O'Brien playing the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. Previous visits to Birmingham have seen him join...

www.jackcade.com Jack Cade cuts a fuller sound on his latest album carving a deeper niche in the UK independent music scene. A thoughtful stare from the sketched portrait on the cover coupled with a title leading down a route of curiosity sets the scene before the evocative baritone vocals and overarching sound creates a foothold. A smart rule for despatching a record into a crowded listening space is to fire the first barrage with your strongest hand. As appealing as the summative listen to BEWILDERLAND is, lead track 'Change Your Condition ' reigns supreme over its counterparts to the  extent of potentially becoming a signature song for both artist and any realm infiltrated. A strong structure yields a sincere message delivered in the vein of Johnny Cash wandering into a Spaghetti Western set. Heavy twang tightens further when the pedal eases on second track 'Roll Them Dice '. By now the die is cast and Cade's voice has either wooed disciples or shaken off limp ea...

Six years ago, Ashley McBryde graced the stage at the O2 Institute for a Birmingham debut opening for Luke Combs. She may even have expressed a desire to return one day to headline with her own band. If so, fulfilment on one front is now achieved having wooed a near sold out venue with an assured display exuding all the craft and confidence making her one of the most important artists strutting out from the clutches of the major label Nashville country scene. Three albums have followed on from her 2018 breakthrough release, each one projecting the stature of this Arkansas native. An overriding feature of her music has been the triumph of substance over style and a knack of writing melody driven songs constantly refreshing a trusted template.  On record, McBryde cuts a mean operator; on stage, she channels the part of acute entertainer. A fired up backing band added all the rudimentary requirements to lavishly perform a bunch of songs wholly representative of what we have heard on r...

  If you have tracked the output from artists attached to Loose Music over, at least, the last decade or so, you will know the centre ground is rarely the trodden path. For their latest venture into the recording world of all things pre-fixed 'alt', the London-based label have delved into deepest Norfolk (or at least urban Norwich) to uncover a band spinning a sound not the usual fare you hear on the homegrown wires these days. Brown Horse have been creating a stir with each track unveiled culminating in the release of their debut album. RESERVOIR instantly draws comparisons with a world where 70s folk-rock meets 90s alt-country. A crude overview maybe for an album dictating its own presence and falling into the laps of active listeners schooled in the Americana psyche.  Since their formation in 2018, Brown Horse have evolved from a folk quartet into a six-piece combo fuelled by an escalating electric guitar presence and the assorted instrumental back ups. A rock-influenced do...

www.greydelislegriffin.com On the back of last year's covers album, Grey DeLisle further cements her return to the fold of recording artist with a commendably listenable album bubbling with original material indisputably labelled 'country'. With Deke Dickerson in one of the production driving seats and Ray Benson chipping in on a tongue-in-cheek vocal duet, the slant of country is nailed to a pedal steel pulsating rhythm and a vocal sound gloriously channelling some inner Dolly. Voice is right at the heart of DeLisle's identity with respect to a lengthy career as American animation's most prolific voice artist. From a creative base of interpretative art, the transition back to music blossoms in how an iconic style is conquered and swiftly translated to a modern page. SHE'S AN ANGEL smoothly glides through the listening channels making you smile and dance, not forgetting the essential bout of heartbreak.  All but one of the album's fourteen tracks are origina...

  www.jebbarry.com No rush, plenty of time, listening to music is a leisurely pleasure. Three thoughts that come to mind when facing the prospect of diving into the new record from New England-based Americana outfit Pawn Shop Saints. Releasing a 45 song album with a running time close to two and a half hours may have Jeb Barry scratching his head in years to come. Yet it felt the right thing to do in the summer months of 2023 where instinct and intuition no doubt played as big a part in the recording process as strategic planning. 45 AMERICAN LIES is definitely an album with a difference and its idiosyncrasies may well open doors to an artist well-tuned in delivering a highly crafted song.  For practical purposes, a digital release is the only realistic mode to offer listeners. A sensible approach from a band operating at the grass roots and one where you still get a good feel to a varied style of largely acoustic tunes spun on the folk, country and Americana axis. The digital...

  The appeal of Kaia Kater in the UK showed its strength with a near sold out show at the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham on the opening night of her three-week tour. This year is set to be a special one for the New York-based Canadian with the spring release of a new album to follow up the highly acclaimed 2019 record GRENADES. A tie up with US label Free Dirt Records is a good fit as they continually champion roots artists of the highest calibre. She was returning to a venue last played in 2018 which itself was a follow on from appearing at the previous year's Moseley Folk Festival. Back then the format was a duo show with bassist Andrew Ryan, and the same line up was in place for the renewal.  Across two sets, a wide mixture of songs were played including a selection from her previous album and its predecessor NINE PINS, joining a handful of covers, in addition to several new tracks set to feature on the new album. Leading the way with the new material was the first single ' T...

  www.hannahellismusic.com Within the first four tracks of this debut album from Hannah Ellis, a striking resemblance to Maren Morris, Ashley Monroe and Miranda Lambert illuminates the landscape, and that is just for associated starters. Maybe it's just tried and tested ears that relate to the fare dialled up from the latest artist transitioning out of the co-writing set to being fully upfront and possessing full belief that a talent can travel far. Nashville label Curb Records have afforded THAT GIRL the optimum space for Ellis to show her worth and a bright and breezy totemic country pop album is the outcome. Challenges come thick and fast for records like this. Formulaic radio often preserves its own templates, while alternative visions of a genre's soul may need microscopic assistance here to fuel an ideal. Evidence mounts that a third way triumphs in a lush textured release primed for the soft ear while retaining organic intent and an eye on channelling modern trends.  Ke...

  www.jakeian.com Almost three years on from his most recent album outing, Jake Ian returns to the LP realm to serve another portion of road crafted material capturing the essence of the meaningful song. From the substance of its nine-song content, LAWRENCE quietly proceeds to navigate a rugged terrain never swaying from an articulate listening zone. The contrasting darkish shades from the cover infiltrate the sound in places as once again music soaked in connective quality succinctly translates from the northern Alberta back roads to switched-on ears in far off lands.  The album kicks off with Ian in whispering mode to deliver a song draped in seemingly personal trappings poignantly titled ' Past My Prime '. A warm and gentle start promises rich pickings to follow. A gilt edged gem to lift the record into the sphere of the empathetically tuned-in resides in the number two slot where  'Engine 44'  shimmers with solid hooks and a driving rhythm. An early playlist cand...