Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.helenrosemusic.com Within the canvas of Rugged Elegance, Helen Rose effortlessly eases between a smorgasbord of Americana sounds. A blues coating may have greeted this US bicoastal-raised artist with her debut release in 2018, but an array of palates get spoiled with the renewal. Nine co-written tracks host a voice elegant in effect full of songs primed for impact.  Stylishly presented opener ‘Raspberry Plain’ supported by pedal steel indicates the record may call at different landing places. This leads into ‘King of This Town’ where an earthier feel dominates as Rose edges into a bluesier midst with guitar riffs splicing a rougher sound. ‘Where Is My Home’ meanders into tamer waters melting those seduced by Rose in this mode as string-fuelled musings own the moment.  Vibes lower in ‘The Drakes’ where the lyrics drift in a coastal direction. There are early signs that ‘Wolf Tones’ was going to inject some harmonica and guitar driven power and the inklings became ful...

  www.supertinyrecords.com My Girl The River has planted their third album in left field enticing listeners to cerebrally stretch their outlook. Space in its many forms is explored as Kris Wilkinson Hughes pinpoints the power of a simple structure to a significant song. The dozen tracks surface from an extended period showing meaningful albums evolve at their own pace. It is a record of mood and fermentation, perhaps evoking one of the themes explored, namely nature becoming the new social media. No quick fix is detected and time in its most metronomic form eases in the moment when the record clicks, It may take several plays, and lying in the deep cut section, but a melodious soothing to a gentle sound merges well with curious messages seeping out of engaging lyrics. Songs About Space is an antidote to a frantic world. A sprinkling of poetic dreaming exploiting amenable openings in busy lives. Its entity enables space for a raft of individual conclusions. There will be a natural g...

Lachlan Bryan surveys the scene. Looks into the eyes of the seated Kitchen Garden gathering and surmises: “Either these buggers don’t like football or there’s going to be some phone fiddling for the next hour.”  The second half in Kings Heath kicks off the moment the first in Dortmund ends.  An hour into the Wildes 90 minute+ set. Full time in Dortmund “I’ve been here less than a week and given you a change of government and a Euro final.” Thanks for July 4th, Lachlan. Hang around till Sunday to complete the job, if you don’t mind. By the way, do you happen to be in the States in November? “I’m leaving the US the day of the election. Not sure I’ll be allowed back”. Lachlan Bryan reads the mind of each audience member and muses to himself: “These guys won’t mind a few stories. I’ll give Sean and Riley an extended rest. I’ve told the cricketer-cum-labourer one before but they won’t remember it. They won’t have heard the Willis Alan Ramsey one. They look like the sort who it woul...

www.theweepingwillows.com.au www. mattjoegowmusic.com Melbourne and the Midlands have become increasingly entwined in recent summers. Musicians from Australia's southernmost city have found a kind and appreciative fanbase in England's industrial heartland keen to host and support artists on their European travels. The latest presentation at the Kitchen Garden saw a new name revealed joining old favourites to serve a musical treat to fans buying into a style authentically layered and rooted in a progressive tradition. The show was billed as The Weeping Willows supported by Matt Joe Gow; the reality was old Melbourne friends sharing the spotlight. Following in the pioneering footsteps of Lachlan Bryan in 2017, Matt Joe Gow is the latest singer-songwriter from a tight-knit community to try their luck in the northern hemisphere. An established operator in his adopted country, as originally hailing from New Zealand via Yorkshire, it didn't take long for this accomplished perform...

Maverick Festival is a hardy perennial; one sustainable, supportive and rich in familiarity. A formula for sourcing authentic music that repeatedly refreshes the soul. 2024 could have been 2019, 2016 or even 2010. Evolution exists only in the artists uncovered and even this turns over slowly in some quarters. Musically enhance the Maverick melting pot and perpetual invites follow. Some artists weave down the lanes of leafy Suffolk once; many music fans follow the same route year after year. Optimism brims on Friday afternoon armed with the reliable pocket guide to countless acts from numerous corners of the globe. Satisfaction reigns supreme forty-eight hours later. Old favourites confirmed; tomorrows’s revealed. Some will blossom for forty minutes; others without an ending.  Miss an act on Friday and you may see them Saturday. If not then, Sunday may deliver. Seasoned festival goers plan accordingly, though casual observers are not exempt from a rewarding dip into this intangible ...