Album Review: Joe Nolan - Luv in the New World

 

www.joenolanmusic.com

Born in Alberta, crafted in LA, the new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Joe Nolan gets to the core of road weary-mile clocking music fuelled by folk, borrowing the blues and wrapped in the cloak of Americana. LUV IN THE NEW WORLD is anchored deep down in the literary gravel fully packed with imagery and feeling. On a good day it’s a trusty companion for a bout of loneliness as Nolan shapes a rough diamond into a palatable piece of sculptured songwriting. The team behind the record illuminates the voice and you are left with a imaginary soundtrack to a fictional road trip from Yukon to the Gulf.

Four of the ten tracks have surfaced as singles including two that set the tone. ‘Wake Up Sleepy Anna’ indulges in a touch of fiction and owns a distinct sound peeling it away from most of its peers. Following this impressive beginning we are led into one of the best killer lyric lines heard all year, ‘too much time to kill in a two star town’. You could view the essence to ‘Too Much Time To Kill’ as an ode to the mundane, although Nolan views it more of a broken down story song in the accompanying notes, hence the beauty of multiple interpretations. ‘Blood on the Pages’ and ‘Half a Tear, Half a Grin’ complete the promotional quartet with the former spiking as a standout piece from early plays. 

It is interesting to see the choice of closing the album with a near 9-minute long song almost twice the length of the rest. ‘When They Call Your Name’ is a lyric laden epic drawing your ears in the opening phase to the lines ‘You took me into your kitchen/And pulled out a razor blade /You pinned it up against my flesh’. This parting shot evolves into B-movie noir essay territory prompting intrigue alongside a sweet sound almost transcending the album. If anything there is implicit randomness to the writing often leaving the listener to navigate their own passage.

There is an axis of association from my listening past. A gruff exterior masking a polished interior is out of the Ryan Bingham playbook, while shades of figurative writing are akin to what Ben Glover has produced. Amongst the dusty template and etched lyrics lies a certain majesty that courted the work of John Fullbright when at his peak. 

The four singles reside in the first half split only by ‘Been Here Before’ where the production yields some strings adding to the aura of a voice delivering songs in ways that move tuned-in ears. ‘Rebound’ opens the second half awash with a fascinating writing structure starting each of almost eight poetic stanzas with the words ‘If I was your’. A curious insertion but in line with a writer’s ploy to tinker and innovate. 

‘Modern Day Melancholy’ is another piece of astute writing on a record where poignant songs collide with a malleable sound taking stock with life’s contemplative moments. ‘Daffodil’ leads you into more tranquil waters representing a softer side to Nolan’s output with oodles of sentiment. On a record where chiseled folk borders moments of soft roadside blues. ‘The Maze’ takes things down low and slow. 

LUV IN THE WORLD lights up a darkened landscape with a resolute presence. Joe Nolan courageously aims high and deals a record inducing emotion in all that crosses its path. 

Album Review: Steady Habits - Deviate

 

www.steadyhabitsmusic.com

An album a long time coming but now the wait is over. At 8 tracks and 32 minutes, DEVIATE may not be the most populous new LP hitting the shelves but small and mighty is a testament to one succinct and on message. A handful of tracks have been comprehensively road tested over the last year through full band Steady Habits shows and those where Sean Duggan conveys the solo format. Whether a festival, support, main or invited slot, the missing jigsaw piece was always a well-stocked merch table, a previous sparse space about to be populated by one of the finest releases of the year, while stocks last.

The talents of Sean Duggan first came to light just under a decade ago in a duo act with his brother Kevin called Loud Mountains, particularly active in the Oxford area. With Kevin returning home to America, Sean turned his attention to fronting a band and the intent morphed into Steady Habits, an exciting live combo with Joe Coombs on lead guitar, Cathy Ife on bass and in-demand drummer Jamie Dawson completing the line up. Essentially the creation is a vehicle for the very personal songs of Duggan and this Brit-based American from New Haven Connecticut has stripped away many layers to tell a candid story awash with acres of stirring musicianship and a sound core to the ideals of Americana. 

Title track ‘Deviate’ is the most identifiable of the gilded eight due to its permanent live set residence and an anthem for those bonded with all aspects of inclusivity and respect. While this ode to celebrating an identity gets many airings in safe and welcoming spaces, you sense an increasing confidence to spread its sincerity wider. The legacy of this true outing is the strength it instills in others to shed any masks of perceived difference. Maybe we are all born to deviate in our own personal way. 

As strong and imposing as this signature song is, it shares a privilege place with seven other compositions that lift each other with their sparkling inclusion. ‘Mess of It All’ is fast becoming a live anthem due to its danceable qualities and like all of Duggan’s lyrical efforts possesses an engaging narrative that hitches you onto the writer’s wavelength. One play of ‘Garden State’ inspires you to learn more of the song’s content shaped by a dark and moody style in the realm of high quality folk rock. The surprise grower of this substantive collection is the final track revealing ‘Novelty’ as a top tune sculptured by a great melody where 60s dream pop slips into a twangy melter. 

The leading single is ‘Stay’ which both rouses and inspires the listener with its certified excellence in a bout of relationship nostalgia. ‘Edge of Changing’ opens the record in passive waters as a sense of the challenge of change is grappled with. Duggan’s evocative vocals and harmonica playing impressively set the scene. This stylish opener slides into the more power driven ‘Archer Street’ as location gives credence to life’s portrayals. ‘Half’ brings the album up to full complement and is slotted into a pivotal position echoing the tone of the production as Duggan once again reflects with mixed emotion as the tempo gently rolls along eased with fine strains of pedal steel.

DEVIATE is an exhibition of glittering guitar work and serious songwriting giving Steady Habits a reassuring & relatable debut styled by articulating personal expression within a solid sound framework. Sean Duggan has a story to tell and its therapeutic qualities freely flow to fill a room. 

Album Review: Chase Rice - Eldora

 

‘I hope the past few years have helped fans see that this is the real me, not the person who was chasing trends or afraid to do something different’. The words of Chase Rice possessing a frank admission that considerable success came with a certain amount of compromise. While the past style was not to everyone’s taste, open ears are tuned in when new routes are explored. On ELDORA, Rice leans heavily on the personal, beginning in a simple stripped back mode before gently building and mindfully excelling. The release settles on a cautiously succinct twelve track collection allowing each song to breathe and generate an identity. 

The themes are trusted fall backs in country music and when tackled with a subtle verve rarely fail to extend a warm hand. The songs reflect the experience of time spent in Eldora Colorado and express a sense of remoteness and reconnection with the basics. Truth in its purest form aligns with meaningful songs, although creativity thrives in bouts of self admitted fiction. The latter comes into play in ‘Circa 1943’ leading to a stellar story song awash with guiding guitar and a refreshing sentiment. An early pick proving a standout from an album that slowly pieces together with multiple listens. 

The album plants its stake in the ground with the pairing of ‘Namin’ Horses’ and title track ‘Eldora’ in the first half. The former catches the ear with a pleasing chorus delivered by a gravelled voice exporting complete control. The latter boasts a twangy guitar opening before emerging as an exhibited juxtaposition of tenderness and grit. Preceding these two flagship numbers are the poignantly nostalgic opener ‘Cowboy Goodbye’ leading into the bouncier ‘Tall Grass’ taking the sound a little off kilter. The album reaches the halfway point with the jaunty beat defining outlier ‘Two Tone Trippin’ hosting a unique sound and an unashamed tongue-in-cheek homage to a cold one in ‘Mr Coors’. Other (better) brands are available. 

The aforementioned ‘Circa 1943’ starts the second half in fine fettle including welcoming one of the characters to Superior Montana to catch his brothers band on a Tuesday night. The story with its twists is well worth listening to. ‘Featuring artists' are credited on three songs with Madeline Edwards joining the revitalised Rice on ‘Country and Western’, a delightful duet bringing two strands together on the dance floor. 

With any blips ironed out, the remaining four tracks ride the crest of this fresh wave. ‘Cottonmouth’ pushes the tempo button applying a rootsy punchy sheen before providing a shield for the excellent ‘Good Side of Gettin’ Older’ to reflectively slip in and roll along with some fine pickin’. ‘One Drink Long’ and ‘Sunsettin’’ are primed to close this significant collection of precision placed songs depicting a perspective and exposing the essence of location and feeling. The latter perfectly captures Rice’s assumed intention using fiddle for effect and closing a chapter with grace and honour. 

Chase Rice tastefully exudes a lifestyle on ELDORA exploring inner feelings and sharing a sense of integrity. Trends are more set than chased on this engaging record, and doing something a little different works to a tee.