Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.taylorraemusic.com There is an understated charm to Taylor Rae's second album creating the impression that appreciation is slowly accumulated. There was a buzz around her 2021 debut release in certain quarters, yet a wider world awaits when the hypnotic wares of this artist ferment within fresh ears. THE VOID hovers around  a neatly constructed reliable beat without moments of fizz or lulls. A slow burner maybe, but one brewing with laid back elegance. Genre tags evaporate with perhaps the lingering line being a record juxtaposing warm pop with explorative Americana.  A sense of control underpins the ten tracks with a savvy production securing a sturdy base. Rae possesses an exceptionally measured voice aligning with a mature contemporary sound. The songs benefit from sufficient space and work well in both combination and a few jutting out as solo pieces.  Three tracks faintly edge ahead to accrue extra appeal. The unabated sultry 'Cologne' drools with a moder...

  www.thelostnotes.co.uk The Lost Notes are a five-piece band highly active on the Midlands music scene with a keen eye to expand their horizon nationally. They have built a reputation as an adaptable and entertaining live outfit comfortable in a slimmed down three-piece where necessity ensues. To supplant the many live shows, the band led by frontman, lead songwriter, vocalist and multi-musician Ben Mills, have twice been in the studio to record full length albums. RUN FRE RIGHT NOW kicked things off in 2017, while LOWLIFES & HIGH TIMES proved a lockdown hit in 2020 as we were about to be confined to our homes for a long winter. Now opportunity has knocked for this independent band to return to the studio and the result is GOOD LUCK SHOES, a ten-track effort coated in the effervescent identity curated by a band adept at encompassing accomplished recordings into fun nights out.  The core trio of The Lost Notes is Mills, his wife Lucy on vocals and Oli Jobes providing most ...

  Rhiannon Giddens is a beacon for meaningful music. The self-described 'cultural archaeologist' brings many facets to the stage underpinned by definable musical talent and a sense for enlightened justice. This Limerick-based North Carolinian is in a buoyant phase of a celebrated career. The wider world has embraced a new album delivering a rare delve into entirely original material, while seismic potential surfaces from playing banjo on Beyonce's dip into country music. For a smaller set, the enticing prospect of touring with a full band has built upon the esteem of generating appreciation from more slimline stage set ups. Twelve months on from a duo performance at Birmingham Town Hall with partner Francesco Turrisi, the multi-dimensional six-piece line up returned to the zone and the transformation was immense without shedding any intimate personal appeal. A major development between shows was the liberation of Giddens from a fairly intense performer to a majestic band le...

The story began in Octagon Hall Kentucky (a place so near yet so far on a personal scale) before crossing the ocean to a cave location in Osimo Italy. With two instalments of this musical odyssey complete, attention switches to the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland and the next chapter of The Orphan Brigade making a new kind of field music for the twenty-first century. Who knows whether this project is a calculated journey or a creative whim, but the results of absorbing the lure of a single location in the sponge-like medium of music and song continues to conjure delightful treats to a growing audience. The emphasis of the last phrase falls in line with the band trio of Joshua Britt, Ben Glover and Neilson Hubbard being in a fortunate position to finally tour an Orphan Brigade project. So before we submerge into what TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD delivers, two important dates for the diary are: September 27 - release day and October 2 - UK tour opener. Oh, and a Birmingham gig at the Kit...

Music sans frontiers. No apology for the cross language fertilisation as this is symbolic to the way borders and barriers erode in the music of Gem Andrews. Perhaps it is indicative to an artist calling Liverpool, Newcastle, Vancouver and Berlin periodically their home that wide influences are soaked up. Throw into the mix echoes of folk and country alongside a tentative alternative streak, and you delve deeper into the eclectic nature of NORTH, which makes you take note of Gem Andrews as a recording artist. Throughout the half hour of its tenure, not an inch of the canvas remains untouched thus creating a record rich in accomplishment. NORTH is the third album from Berlin-based Gem and the follow up to the well-received VANCOUVER that surfaced to acclaim in 2016. You should start to get the drift that both titles saunter into geographical territory, with some imagination required to linking in her debut album SCATTER. Relevant or not, surroundings have probably played a major part...

The term ‘super group’ is often tossed around like discarded confetti, but occasionally a trio of gold leaves settle on the ground. Sara Watkins, Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz are three of the most faultless artists making music on the folk ‘n’ roots Americana scene. Their impromptu collaboration at the Telluride Festival in 2014 gave birth to a ‘super group’ with intent and time was taken out from busy individual schedules to play a series of shows under the banner I’m With Her. From personal experience, these shows were an extraordinary demonstration of gifted musicianship, both in terms of instrumental competency and vocal bliss. With this sure fire successful aspect in the bag, the next stage was to commit something to record and spread the word further afield. Nearly four years after that initial jam, SEE YOU AROUND has seen the light of day and verdict can be passed on whether the term ‘super group’ is justified. Of course, such terms are pure hyperbole and the efforts co...

Maybe it is the scar of Bono’s infamous 1984 line healing or a timely visit from one of those Dickensian spirits, but a record clambering for room in the crowded seasonal market has burrowed into one’s mind to conjure up a few end of year thoughts. Original Christmas music can often present a crossroads for those artists tempted to indulge in it, either pop down the safe populist route or score some points with an alternative stab. It does not take too much deduction to expect someone from a folk-Americana slant to adopt the second stance and this collection from Sofia Talvik resides firmly in this camp. Regardless to where you stand on this type of themed music, the offering from this Swedish singer-songwriter is rather impressive and well equipped to soothe any cynics in the room. This album has been a project ten years in the making, with Sofia maintaining a self-pact to write a new song each winter that attempts to throw a light on some of the less salubrious issues associat...

The first advisable rule for making an album grab a listener’s attention is to toss in a memorable opening track. Obviously, this needs to be followed up with the remainder of the content being of a similar quality; a feat that has been achieved with the brand new album from Scottish –based singer-songwriter Willie Campbell. Along with the assembled ensemble billed as The Open Day Rotation, this artist -more specifically from the Outer Hebrides- has produced an extremely engaging and accessible album that never veers off a high plane highway. NEW CLOUDS IN MOTION greets the listener with a striking sky image on the cover before unleashing a dozen original tracks in a mature transition from artist to listener. Perhaps by design, not an album for genre purists, but definitely one for those possessing an open ear. For descriptive purposes, take this record as a fringed-pop piece of adult contemporary rock, moulded into a package that would appeal to fans exploring the outer edges o...

Back in January, the gig year began with a show featuring Emily Barker, and it was a pleasure to welcome her back to the Midlands area as part of a tour that has formally put a seal on her latest album. Although songs from SWEET KIND OF BLUE were previewed on that last visit to the nearby Worcestershire town of Bewdley, which was in a duo format with Lukas Drinkwater, the assembled band format for this Glee Club date gave the tracks the deeper sound that they warranted. Emily Barker is more than the sum of any record she has released and remains one of the most fascinating artists on any circuit that embraces her style. This may be a style forever tinkered with, but a gold leaf streak has been consistently threaded within her releases. Emily is no stranger to The Glee Club and wasted little time in reminding folks how she has become a valued artist who constantly seeks to explore the wider canvas of contemporary roots music. ‘ Dear River’ opened her ninety-minute set and still si...

While roaming the world digitally for romanticised music has long been an influential source, occasionally it is worth pulling your horns in a touch to check out what is happening under your nose. Birmingham based band, The Lost Notes have been knocking on doors around the local scene for a while, often getting opening slots for overseas touring acts. With most of these artists being of a folk/Americana/acoustic tilt, this local combo have proved an ideal fit with their authentic approach to stripping innovative lyrical-laden music down to an agreeable form. Now it’s the turn of The Lost Notes to take on the role of a recorded outfit with the release of a debut album titled RUN FREE RIGHT NOW. Essentially, the album rolls out with eleven self-penned tracks plus a bonus of two offered in an alternative format of a live version and vocal remix. ‘ Bobby ’ is one of these tracks, with a live recording captured at the Tower of Song, and probably sits at the summit of the album’s appeal...

Jason Isbell is currently on the sort of hot streak that would be the envy of a sports team anywhere in the world, akin to the domineering days of his beloved Braves. His song writing, album making and performing skills are firmly planted on a plateau, peering down into the distance of the chasing pack. All these attributes are in stark evidence when he takes to the stage, and shows like what we witnessed in Birmingham this evening veer very much towards defining where this artist stands in 2017. This was a gilt-edged artisan on top of his game and a supporting cast in the 400 Unit matching him each note, chord and interlude. Of course, it has not been all plain sailing for Jason, but adversity and genius often go hand in hand. In addition, contrasting views are held on the differences between polished perfection and good old dirty rock ‘n’ roll. Although it has been a while since Jason dabbled in the latter, you feel that it will be always be part of his DNA, and the sidestep from ...

If prizes were handed out for how you present an album then the book can be closed on the page of the Wild Ponies. Not only is the mystical music mood of Galax available in your living rooms, it can also transfix an intimate listening venue from literally anywhere in the world. Suburban Kings Heath to rural Virginia may or may not be a universe away depending on your mind-set, but the miles were gently erased during the first part of this Kitchen Garden show. Doug and Telisha Williams aka Wild Ponies are fast becoming perennial favourites on the UK touring circuit for American roots artists. Since their last visit to the West Midlands area in January, the East Nashville based duo has released a brand new album titled GALAX and are currently in the midst of comprehensively touring it across Europe and the States. The vinyl copy was perched proudly behind the Kitchen’s performing space and there could not have been a better promotional opportunity than dedicating eight songs from the ...

Some artists require a shoehorn to slide into their intended genre, while others effortlessly glide between different camps. Emily Mae Winters possesses the ultimate entertainer’s gift of being completely at ease in whichever facet of her singer-songwriter art comes under the microscope. With a debut album now in the locker, and an increasing run of live shows under her belt, the cork to her potential has been popped. Where this leads her will no doubt be down to a combination of fortune and desire, but the eager anticipation of being party to this in a fan role is an exciting proposition. To be on the brink of a sell-out on a first headline appearance at the Kitchen Garden is no mean achievement and the evidence of her innate talent was on stark display during the time in the spotlight. Make no mistake; Emily is here for the long term on a platform that may yet evolve. Maybe driven by a spate of artistic independence, Emily is steering clear of the pigeon hole status, while putting...