Duncan Warwick the editor of Country Music People sent me an email asking if I’d review the above Bro-Country album. I responded in a grouchy way as I’d already given him four reviews for the month (and I don’t get paid for all this scribing). However, he wrote back “Sorry, I was getting so depressed by this and everyone thinks I’m a miserable bastard because I’m always slagging this kind of thing off I was hoping someone else might take it on… And I thought I’d give you a try being a bit cheeky. This is the kind of thing that makes me question whether I even like country music”. So I listened to it and wrote this review. It is truly execrable but it’s popularity as a sound is growing. I attempt to explain why:
Dustin Lynch is one of the manufactured male and manicured mannequins who clutters up Country radio. Eligibility for stardom is a serviceable voice, matinee idol looks and an age of around 30. Lynch found his way to Nashville’s Bluebird Café at the tender age of 16 years old. It’s been a journey where he’s had to ‘pay his dues’. It paid off; he had a debut number one album in 2012.
Cody Diekhoff aka ‘Chicago Farmer’ opened for The Band Of Heathens on a recent tour. Eventually a conversation started about Diekhoff recording his 6th album of ten songs at the band’s Austin, TX studio. Thrown in was their accompaniment and production support. The result is a fine album of what makes up Country Americana.
The arrangement brings together the combination of Diekhoff’s blue-collar worker against the ‘man’ lyrics, some top tunes and a great band that’s capable of several styles and moods. “Flyover Country” is a phrase the Americans apply to the States in between the populated eastern and western coasts. His tremulous voice soars over a slow acoustic arrangement telling us about the people who live in these heartlands. Less serious is a current live favourite called “$13 Beers”. Diekhoff paints a picture we all know about attending a concert at a large venue: poor visibility, parlous sound and extortionate drink prices. After setting the scene he exits to find a smaller venue to listen to Robbie Fulks at $4 a drink.
Here is an album of quality melodies and layered acoustic rock arrangements. Americana is now a retail label applied, by PR agencies and record labels, to anything that needs a home when it obviously isn’t another genre. Had this album come my way in 1985 I would have called it singer songwriter/soft rock.
For all my pedantry then this is a splendid release where his infectiously catchy choruses are attached to thoughtful words. One such is “The Kids Don’t Dig God Anymore”, he says “in the old days people grew up with faith – now it doesn’t seem to be there anymore, so I start to wonder what there is now. I’m not particularly religious, but what’s gone out the window is people being less spiritual.” I think this is a great point and his analysis comes across in a long slow hymnal made interesting by some organ effects.
“The Ending” is an album highlight about the joy and healing properties of love. A lilting acoustic ballad driven along with an accordion and three part harmonies is a complete treat. This is a ‘put on repeat’ track. With his growing reputation this Liverpudlian’s been spending time in the USA and particularly Texas. On “My Neighbour’s Ghost” he channels his inner Buddy Holly with this 60s pastiche: no doubt inspired by his sojourn in Lubbock.
John Moreland is a blue-collar rough hewn soul who can write a melancholy lyric with such perception that you’re immediately drenched with pathos. His 2017 masterpiece Big Bad Luv set the bar so high that I approached LP5 with a little trepidation. The relief is that it’s another triumph.
His gruff yet mellifluous voice conveying memorable tunes over an acoustic guitar is his hallmark. He can nail a melody that captivates. That’s the formula here. However, this is a whole way more sophisticated sounding record. After sharing his production responsibilities with producer Matt Pence it appears the latter has brought a different feel. Pence drums and adds ambient percussive beats. Everything becomes lighter, flowing and uplifting.
The editor of Country Music People asked for my ‘end of year’ list and I submitted my choices reluctantly. He was surprised as his other contributors enjoy the task. The problem for me is that I seldom have the time to really ‘live with’ an album as I did as a boy. In this way you start to have it penetrate your conscious and a true affection grows. This year I’ve worked my way through 450 albums. Of these then I’ve bought a number myself (out of the 74 then most are from charity shops: it’s a cheap way to hear an artist that you wouldn’t ordinarily bother with).
My selection is quite eclectic although I’m uncertain about what is Rock anymore, it seems to be very old artists on money spinning tours. If you do hear a new album then it is a parody of something earlier and better. The New Musical Express top 50 was a mystery. Lots of artists that I’ve never heard of. I think the majority of their audience are seldom listening to a full album. They stream tracks, which can be compilations, extracts, singles etc. I think that the bulk of new music is absorbed this way by those under 30 years old.
Here we go…
Erin Enderlin/ ‘Faulkner Country’/ Country
Ten Years After/’The Cap Ferret Sessions’/Rock
Morrissey/’California Son’/ Rock
Irene Kelley/’Benny’s TV Repair Shop’/ Country
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram/ ‘Kingfish’/ Blues
Rodney Crowell/ ‘Texas’/ Americana
Daniel Norgren/ “Wooh Dang’/ Americana
Micky & The Motorcars/ ‘Long Time Comin’/ Country
Hannah James & The JigDoll Ensemble/ ‘The Woman & her Words’ / Folk
There’s something enigmatic about Landry. His music has a poise and pace befitting a little mystery. His baritone bass voice luxuriates in this setting. It’s a voice that’s deep, rich and conversational. Parallels have been drawn with Leonard Cohen; when you add the crafted musings and uncluttered arrangements the comparison is complete. In terms of the album’s sound this is a similar outing to 2017’s Love Rides A Dark Horse.
Skeleton At The Banquet was written on the west coast of France a couple of years ago. Landry sought some sanctuary after a European tour. It was here, he writes, it “gave me an objectivity I didn’t even know I was looking for and led to writing this series of reflections on the collective hallucination of America and a few love songs for good measure”.
It’s a love song that starts the album – “I Love You Too”. He’s caught in a tender moment returning his lover’s declaration of love. Such is the sombre affirmation, over an atmospheric pedal steel on a tango-like rhythm, that you’re not quite sure he meant it. I found the ‘reflections’ he writes about in songs such as “The Wolf”, “A Different Tune” and “Nobody’s Coming”. These were allegories. They’re difficult to fathom. However the sound and tunes were attractive and seductive in their own right. Continue reading Record Of The Week # 80→
Luke Combs’ Midas touch has propelled him to the top of the charts. What You See Is What You Get will shortly take its place on top of the pile. This domination is down to his voice. It draws you in and wraps its arms around you: it’s a weapon of mass seduction.
It’s lucky he has this voice, as the rest of his persona is hardly formulaic for the charts. He’s burly with a scruffy beard. When you ply your trade in the pretty boy world of Nashville Country then this might be seen as a handicap. Maybe having the perfect face for radio matters more?
This is a consistent listen and easy on the ear. However, due to the similarity throughout there are few standout tracks. It seemed to be a very comforting ‘white noise’ of what I think Country Pop at its best should sound like. The backing throughout is of a rock band with those overloud/over produced ‘slappy’ drum sounds. I think a Country album should have more fiddle, lap steel guitar and banjo: any appearance here is fleeting. His latest chart single “Even Though I’m Leaving” does have mandolin; it stands out as a different more complex and interesting composition.
I’m not sure who books the artists to play Selby Town Hall but they deserve a Knighthood. I live near a small, busy and slightly neglected former mining town in the North of England. Miraculously, a procession of exotic Americana heroes whose music you’ve loved for some time, keep turning up to play a small but beautiful 19th Century theatre (that’s always sold out). Amazing.
The latest treat is California’s roots purveyors The Dustbowl Revival. On night 28 of a 29 gig tour of Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and the UK they alighted at Selby. This seven piece hit the stage promising some “California sunshine”. We needed it: 20 miles south over 3 inches of rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours; flooding was happening.
To forget our ‘biblical’ rain the band played a selection of songs from their 2017 eponymous album, classic covers and a couple of tracks off the upcoming January 2020 album. Vocal duties were shared between the main man and acoustic guitar player Z. Lupetin and Liz Beebe. Both led the band well and were superbly backed by trumpet and trombone. Both gave the music a selection of feels from Tex-Mex, Dixieland to Muscle Shoals and always good time and energetic. The rhythm section of drums or bass laid down a funky groove and Connor Vance could extracted great sounds on electric guitar or violin even when strummed!
“Honey I Love You” a soulful pop tune kicked off the show. Beebe and Lupetin shared the vocal over the horns. As the song came toward an end Matt Rubin cut loose with a jazz solo. More blue-eyed soul followed with “Debtors Prison”. This was a laid back song. As enjoyable as this was the band suddenly changed gear and a raucous cover of The Band followed with “Don’t Do It”. This was more like it! The brilliant chorus with the troupe animated indicated that they had warmed up and we were off…
Through the remaining 10 songs the trombone growled, the trumpet soared, the violin switched between bluegrass to Flamenco and they really started to cook. Sadly the audience didn’t! I’ve been at the venue before whilst other acts have been dismantled by the lack of audience engagement but Lupetin wasn’t daunted: he had Plan B. He couldn’t get them dancing in the aisles but “Good Egg” with a rousing ‘woo hoo’ chorus with arms punching in the air, whilst sat, was accepted by the audience as a compromise. “Sonic Boom” from the future album was a highlight and Supertramp’s “Breakfast In America” was one of those ‘wtf’ moments. This funk soul and acoustic version enabled the band to take solos before coming back to the tune. A surprising delight.
Sadly it was quickly over and they launched into the third cover of the night – The Band’s “The Weight”. An encore saw the band return and do a sedentary gentle acoustic song with the audience joining them on the chorus. I think they’ll be glad to be heading home but they’ve made a lot of friends in Europe and I’ll be in the queue for the new album.
This award-winning Canadian 3 piece have released 10 absorbing, self-penned songs of electric roots music. The album has Country sensibilities coupled with intense and mesmerising Celtic folk. The musicianship is to the fore with fiddle, banjo and guitars featured over drums, keys and bass. The contemporary feel is achieved by less traditional instruments such as synthesisers or a drum machine. These beats and rhythm elevate the album from ordinary to memorable.
Tim Chaisson handles the vocals and when backed by Koady Chaisson’s banjo it reminds you of early Keith Urban recordings. It’s a pleasing and emotional tenor voice that can hold a tune and when the three part harmonies arrive at the chorus they’re a wonderful complement to the melody.
I was surprised to find out that Drever is still only 40 years old. Stood there in front of a packed small basement he looked clean cut and youthful. Yet as the night unfolded his stories of drunken revelry, festivals and several musical projects, including the folk band Lau, confirm he’s been around for a while. In fact he had a lovely wicked self-deprecating sense of humour.
It’s fair to elevate him to the best of Scottish folk music and despite still producing fine music, his commercial peak came with 2006’s Black Water. This album is how I discovered him. When I espied that he was playing York I had to gird my loins and get there.
His voice is unique and places him north of the border to my Sassenach ears. Whilst tuneful and strong, it has a bagpipe drone quality that compliments the traditional songs he mainly sings. Such a song is “Beads & Feathers” that comes off the above ‘hit’ album. The words place you in a different time with different politics:
“You’ve been sailors for your souls, You’ve been soldiers unto many wars, You’ve been miners for your peaceful hearts, You’ve been fighters for your fallen tears and mine, This flowing water never ends, These granite mountains cannot fall, Just like them you live forever, And trade it all for beads and feathers”
Drever is a fabulous guitarist and switches between acoustic and a Telecaster. It’s not a hardship when he lets his fingers do the talking and we get instrumentals such as “Unst Bridal March”. Unst is a northern island in the Shetlands – the most northerly part of the British Isles. Like many of his tunes they are Celtic in their construction and rhythm. Drever dwells on the Shetlands but also on another more southerly archipelago, the Orkney Islands. It’s from here he reveals one of his latest compositions – “Scapa Flow 1919”. After the Armistice of World War One the surrendered German fleet was corralled in this natural harbour. He sings from the point of view of the sailors. The German High command decided to scuttled 52 ships; the biggest loss of shipping in one day.
He chirps that he’s off to Manchester tomorrow night to a BBC Folk Awards night to see if this song has won the award for the best folk song of 2019. He lamented that his attendance would involve meeting up with old friends and things could get “messy’. I note he didn’t win but I hope the hangover wasn’t too bad.
Over 20 songs he covered all bases in respect to the audiences’ favourites including mine, which was “Harvest Gypsies”, a derogatory name given to the migrant fruit pickers in the US 1930s dust bowl. Other highlights included “I Didn’t Try Hard Enough”, “If Wishes Were Horses”, “Shady Grove” and “Navigator”.
It is a 10 date tour of England and now that he lives in Glasgow with his young family he can enjoy the easy access to the south and a loyal fan base. He said the trains were a key factor in leaving the Scottish islands, I don’t think he was joking! Despite his departure from the watery north, I hope he’ll continue to sing about the islands.
This is the next step in the emergence of Enderlin with her third solo album. It’s very much is a continuation of the sound and arrangements of her 2017 effort Whiskeytown Cryer. Her credentials as a songwriter, for the top-drawer Country music artists, are well established yet her own solo profile only merits acoustic sets in smaller clubs. This must surely change.
Over 14 tracks with assistance from some stellar friends (Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill, Terri Clark, Alison Krauss, Jon Randall and Dillon Carmichael) she delivers staggering Country songs. Her rich and expressive voice suits these traditional arrangements. Such is the power of this instrument that your attention cannot waiver from absorbing the poignancy of each ‘story’. Each narrative is classic Country – drinking, heartbreak, loneliness and moving on.
Whiskey Myers after 12 years together and five albums have hit the big time with an album at Number 1 in the Billboard Country chart and Number 2 in the Billboard Rock chart. This release took just under three weeks to record in Texas. It rocks. The PR says “Whiskey Myers continue pushing in all directions and sharpening their attack, whether country, rock, blues, whatever — even adding the legendary McCrary Sisters’ gospel influence to the project on background vocals”.
My youngest daughter lived in Stockport near Manchester for a short time. On one of our many trips to see her I noticed a plaque in a nearby street that denoted the site of ‘Strawberry Studios’. This was owned and run by the members of 10cc. Many famous bands passed through including Joy Divison, The Stone Roses and The Smiths to name a few. 10cc also recorded one my favourite albums there – Sheet Music. In fact this led to my first taste of music journalism when I had a letter published in the weekly New Musical Express advising their readership that this album was the future of rock n’ roll (or a similar exaggeration!)
However, I remembered that Neil Sedaka’s second career involved two records recorded here. The above is one of them. This album of 11 tracks spawned four singles, all of which I loved. Sedaka had started in New York as a pop songwriter for other artists in the late 1950s. However he eventually got to record under his own name and had great success in the early 60s. (He’s now 80 years old).
After a seven-year hiatus, Knight returns with a tour de force. His songs are lyrically rooted in the blue-collar world of Kentucky and his sound is uncompromising electric guitar drenched country-blues-rock. Ray Kennedy (5 Time Grammy Award Winner) produces the album and the quality never falters as Knight’s muscular and gritty vocals come to the fore over this full sound often leavened by banjo, fiddle and mandolin. A show stopping contribution comes from Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites) on guitars: fluid solos, incendiary flourishes and a breadth of sounds that will have you reaching for his own work.
Knight wrote all but two of the 11 tracks. He writes from the place of a humble soul often struggling against ‘the Man’ in a world of little money and lots of personal baggage from a life of missteps and hard living. He may have been the originator of this type of storytelling but since he’s been away these first-person stories bring to mind James McMurtry for their wistful insights (and sound) and Tyler Childers for the compact stories of minor criminal hijinks in rural Kentucky.
Two of 2018’s best traditional country albums were released by Erin Enderlin and Kayla Ray respectively. (I sifted through a lot of music to come to this conclusion). However, whilst they’ve accumulated accolades and awards Stateside, with the cost of visiting these shores, and their current UK profile, meant I’d probably have to make do with the records.
Meanwhile Sheffield’s own Lynne Robertson was in Nashville celebrating her husband’s birthday earlier this year. They found their way to 3rd and Lindsley to listen to some music. By chance Erin Enderlin was playing. Lynne was amazed by what she heard. In chatting and buying a CD at the end of the night a conversation started. They discussed Lynne’s regular Sheffield acoustic music nights for loyal and appreciative members. Erin said she had tentative plans to make a foray to the UK to play her first ever gigs outside of the USA.
I have heard people claim that Sheffield is often touched by Divine intervention. Not least at the nearby Sheffield Wednesday soccer ground, a mere stone’s throw from Lynne’s venue. I didn’t believe it was true until I learned that both Enderlin and Kayla Ray were to appear at one of Lynne’s nights. When buying my tickets Lynne commented that to her surprise people were grabbing tickets from miles and miles away; it was no surprise to me that it was sold out.
First up was Kayla Ray. She seemed taken aback by her first trip to England with our quaint ways and ancient towns. You could tell she was thrilled to be here. The crowd of 60+ were knocked out by this charming Southern belle: all Texan drawl, talk of the bible and whiskey with lots of sass and a fabulous sense of humour. Over ten songs we were treated to A selection from her Yesterday & Me album, new unreleased songs, her latest single release “The Jameson Waltz” and even a classic gospel song. The audience completely lit up with “Pills”. Hilarious lyrics delivered with an impish smile and considerable guitar skills. Between songs there was banter explaining the song’s origins and a self deprecating commentary – “this one’s (Rockport) written by a good friend, Jon Dews. We call him ’pappy’, not because he’s older but because unlike other songwriters he also has a proper job!” Her song delivery has a slow, classic 60s, earnest feel and the pain and anger was shared by the now captivated audience.
After the yearning emotion of “I’m Still A Woman” she declared “on a happier note this is a gospel song about domestic violence”, cue audience collapsing into fits of laughter. It was “Fair Warning”: a tale about an abusive relationship. She finished all too soon with the gospel standard “Peace In The Valley”. The audience clapped and clapped: slightly awestruck she stood there and beamed before making way for her ‘buddy’.
Erin Enderlin has been an important songwriter for a long time with several of her songs appearing on albums by the biggest country stars. These songwriting duties continue but she’s seems to be creating a bigger solo profile by releasing her own music. Whiskeytown Crier seemed a break through and another album is in the pipeline.
Starting with “Caroline” you notice the voice. She has a range with considerable emotional pull. Each song places you in the story. You immediately empathise with the actors in these three minute dramas. If I was feeling this by her fourth song “Ain’t It Just Like A Cowboy”, the room was also transported into the heartbreaking life of a betrayed, yet understanding, lover whose cowboy strays for reasons she explains to be of her making. With little or no eye contact Enderlin plunges us into this woman’s empty life where all hope seems lost; her voice soars or whispers. We absorb this heart rending misery while being carried along by a sumptuous melody.
Enderlin shares her journey: working as a peer to peer counsellor, touring with Willie Nelson, her love of country music from a young age and the icons who’ve inspired her. Many of the songs have been influenced by her own life.
Of the 12 songs,five came from her last album and three from her recently released EPs. Lee Ann Womack covered Last Call on her 2008 Call Me Crazy album. Here in the hands of the creator it was beautiful with its pathos and weary understanding of the lost and lonely male on the end of the line.
“Any requests?” She asks for the encore. The audience doesn’t know her catalogue but, like me, they also think that whatever comes next will be fabulous. She picks “Monday Morning Church” her first ‘hit’. In 2005 Alan Jackson took it onto the charts. If it were needed, this confirmed she’s been writing brilliant music for a very long time. She took a bow and the audience rose to their feet and hollered its appreciation.
On the way out I saw one of Lynne’s regulars grab her arm, stop her, look her in the eye and just say in a hushed reverential way…”wow!”
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