Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.kimrichey.com Kim Richey epitomises quality and longevity in Nashville songwriting circles. Over a thirty year career, this Ohio native/ long term Music City resident has rubbed shoulders with the finest, curated a fanbase around the world and has proven a guiding light to aspiring artists determine to hone their craft. A legacy is intact even without a significant new release, however the renewed vigour shown in EVERY NEW BEGINNING suggests any final career chapter is put firmly on hold. Richey proves a champion of chiselling every meaningful second from a tight template as ten fresh songs herald a new record matching up with the very best from primely stocked catalogue. The title emphasises a career reset and the launch of a new phase. We learn from the blurb that Richey is constantly writing, and when an album opportunity arises, past scribblings and inspirations are scoured to turn prototypes into finely tuned components. The sum of the choices to fulfil this offer by Yep...

  www.kaiakater.com Sometimes you prefer music as a casual backdrop to a busy life; alternatively a deep dive seeking stimulation is the ideal driver to fill a vacant space. A perfect candidate for the latter is the 4th album release from Canadian roots artist Kaia Kater. STRANGE MEDICINE has been a slow burn with a six year gap since Kater's last record. Its unveiling reveals a compact collection on the surface expanding in an exponential dimension as each of the ten tracks is explored. The dedicated listening experience yields acres of satisfaction emanating from an artist with a thoughtful demeanour.  Strong connections are on hand to add shine to the content. Fellow Canadian Allison Russell features on 'In Montreal' where a hometown lure simmers through evocative vocals and trademark banjo. Opening the record sees the services of Aoife O'Donovan enlisted on 'The Witch', the final pre-release single tackling historical misogyny through the narrative of reven...

www.timeaston.com American troubadour Tim Easton re-establishes a status of current recording artist with a brand new album moulded to match the ideals of those who drool over top notch folk-Americana song writing. Assisted by the capable hands of esteemed Oklahoma label Black Mesa Records, FIND YOUR WAY acts as a compass to navigate the buzzing mind of someone heeding a call to entertain through song. Easton is never too far away from new material with 17 albums surfacing across a 30-year career. Location frequently fires the imagination to fill the content. Numerous places across Europe and North America have been home for this wandering soul with the Canadian city of Victoria being core to the new record. Under the guidance of Canadian Leeroy Stagger (a past favourite here when he focussed on the UK), Easton gifts ten tightly crafted tracks inducing serious listening and critical enjoyment.  The album can be interpreted in two halves. The first five tracks are generic in st...

  www,ruthmoody.com   Around a decade ago, the music of Ruth Moody was on a high branching far from her Canadian homeland reaching appreciative ears in Europe and beyond. She was in the midst of forging an acclaimed solo career after rising to band heights as an integral member of the acclaimed roots outfit Wailin Jennys. On a minor self indulgent point, her Warwick show in 2012 was the first ever published gig review on this blog and she toured again a year later with performances caught in Oxford and the Maverick Festival. Little did we know at the time that THESE WILDER THINGS, her second solo album in 2013, would see a halt in new material for a lengthy period, and from all activity a couple of years later following a successful association with Mark Knopfler. Such a precious talent was never going to be buried for good and, now with family adjustments in hand, the time is right to share her musical gifts with old and new fans alike. Tuning into the gem that is WANDERER le...

  Kacey Musgraves last toured the UK in 2018 when promoting the GOLDEN HOUR record. Much has happened in the intervening period including the release of two albums taking the quota up to six (including the Christmas effort!) since breaking into the big time with SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK in 2013. Evolution defines the progression of an artist flickering on the border between country and pop. Each record sparks debate on the fringes, while shoring up a fanbase fully behind their hero's directional whims. 2024 sees Musgraves in a good place, comfortable with an album reflecting a clearer state of mind and strutting a stage with assured confidence and wit.  New horizons on the touring landscape have emerged with Wolverhampton muscling in on nearby Birmingham's monopoly of mid-sized gigs over the last few years. Marketing calls this venue The Halls, enhanced local knowledge will always address it as the Civic Hall. Either way a lengthy yet impressive revamping means more near-so...

  www.bluerosecode.com BRIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE is Blue Rose Code's fourth collection of new music in the last decade and an album fully equipped to elevate the band to fresh heights. From a tidy pile of ten tracks maximising every beat of a forty-three minute soundtrack, a cauldron of moods, styles and prime songwriting bubble within a structure targeting the listening sweet spot with precision and panache. Exiled Scot, Ross Wilson is renowned for imprinting a personal identity onto a band sculpted in a musical journey following the contours of life itself. Assembling a talented array of musicians tightens an emotive spin leaving a record stacked with many nuances and lavish moments of an expressive approach to nailing an accessible song.  Although an astute songwriter, Wilson has opted to place an innovative version of ' Amazing Grace ' at the heart of the running order. From one perspective it splits the album into near two halves enabling the listener to assess in smaller ch...

  www.jennycolquitt.co.uk Some artists hit the buffers with the second album, while others use the experience to release a record surpassing the heights and promise of the debut. Jenny Colquitt falls into the latter category in the wake of sending out STARING AT THE MOON into a world ready to embrace a blossoming singer-songwriter. You sense in the midst of a seasoned veteran backing their own vocal and writing skills, aided by an optimum production. Ten cinematic tracks widely hit the mark. Colquitt's voice pitches its tone to perfection using a measured approach essential in bringing the best out of songs stacked with lyrical nuggets.  The independent status of this singer-songwriter from the north-west of England means the songs have to be stern efforts to engineer a ripple in a crowded market. Colquitt immediately sets a high standard subsequently avoiding significant dips. Intermittent peaks pop up with several moments built for a big radio audience or swooning a live cro...