Bob Dylan – Another Side Of Bob Dylan

If I was bragging I’d tell you I bought my first Dylan album in 1974 – Before The Flood. I say this because we all know that any affection for Bob carries kudos for the follower. It suggests that you are serious about your popular music – its history, construction and icons. However, I haven’t dwelt on his catalogue until the last few years. Of course I knew a lot about Dylan through the 70s onwards. I’d collected a couple of the 60s albums but I’d only played them once in a while. If pressed I’d say that Blood On The Tracks was the meisterwerk. Now I’m starting to truly listen to his catalogue and trying to reconcile all I hear with his own personal development. The earlier stuff is exceptional.

Another Side Of Bob Dylan was his fourth release and came out in 1964. By all accounts the ‘voice of a generation’, with his protest songs, disappointed the masses by abandoning his rôle as their spokesman. There’s still considerable profundity in most of the songs but none that you can trace back to the upheaval of 60s America. The upheaval came in the form of the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war, Kennedy’s assassination and the growing non conformity of a generation that regularly protested and abandoned the uniform of dress codes and short hair. Peace and love were just around the corner.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 86 →

Lynne Hanson – Just Words

Canadian Lynne Hanson has been compared to Lucinda Williams and Mary Gauthier. That alone should be enough to grab your attention. For me it was one of those CDs that was so good it kept creeping back into the player. It certainly shortened a few long drives. I can now add she also reminds me of Mary Chapin Carpenter.

 The opening song on Just Words is “True Blue Moon”. It has all Carpenter’s tunesmith sensibility with a story about a failed relationship and her accumulated cynicism about love’s temporary nature – “happy ever after lasts as long / as a rainbow in June”. Despite her misery the melody is a real earworm and the band’s arrangement layered and slick.

“Long Way Home” has another great melody and an arrangement that hangs off a steady bass and drum rhythm. Her voice is expressive with an attractive range and timbre throughout. Maybe it’s the recurring theme of the unshakeable grief and longing for a departed lover that makes her vocals yearning and soulful. “Just Words” is about verbal bullying: a modern and topical subject. In alignment with the angry and raw message the sound has rousing yet eerie atmospherics with some discordant notes that amplify the tension. All this builds up to another great guitar solo from Kevin Breit. His CV includes playing with Rosanne Cash, Cassandra Wilson and Norah Jones. Continue reading Record Of The Week # 85 →

I drove 100 miles north hoping to wallow in Brandy Clark’s repertoire about bored or beleaguered housewives, delicious revenge ditties and heart melting love stories. She has a beautiful voice and has written some classic country melodies, not least on her own albums. Previous concerts revealed a consummate but serious, and not particularly engaging artist. She was getting her time in the spotlight after years of stoking the star-making machinery by writing amazing songs for other country Royalty. However on the night, in front of an audience of over 400, we got a relaxed woman at ease with herself and beyond chatty!

She was playing five European dates debuting her new album – Your Life Is A Record. (This is before a big US tour starting in February and continuing until May) The six songs from the new album were immediate as regards their impact. She’s said that the arrangements are different to her earlier releases, not least, for the inclusion of more strings. To achieve the sound with her backing band she brought along Kaitlyn Raitz on cello. There was a story behind her latest single “Who You Thought I Was”. Here it tells the end of a relationship but the title idea came from attending an award’s ceremony where John Prine was giving one of the accolades. He was taken aback by a standing ovation; with characteristic dry humour he commented, “I’m John Prine, but I’d like to go back to being who you thought I was”! The other five songs she played are a continuation of lyrical themes and quality melodies from earlier records. It’s released in March and you’ll be well rewarded.

The band also comprised Billy Adamson on electric guitar and Ashleigh Caudill on upright bass. They’d all met up in Oslo (at baggage reclaim) for the first time. They fitted in seamlessly: Adamson’s skilful and well placed flourishes and Caudill’s additional talent on backing vocals. Holding this all together was Danny Young on drums and vocals. The set of 23 songs showcased the first two albums equally. It was here that the humour of her take on life shone through with great introductions to favourites such as “Mama’s Broken Heart”, “Stripes”, “Daughter” and “Get High”. On the latter she commented that around the world fans would sidle up to her and tell her that the character in the song was their own sister! Continue reading Brandy Clark, The Sage, Gateshead – January 31 2020 →

Dustin Lynch – Tullohoma

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.

Continue reading (Not) Record Of The Week # 84 →

Chicago Farmer – Flyover Country

Cody Diekhoff aka ‘Chicago Farmer’ opened for The Band Of Heathens on a recent tour. Eventually a conversation started about Diekhoff recording his 6^th 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.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 83 →

Robert Vincent – In This Town You’re Owned

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.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 82 →

John Moreland – LP5

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.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 81 →

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…

1.  Erin Enderlin/ ‘Faulkner Country’/ Country
2. Ten Years After/’The Cap Ferret Sessions’/Rock
3. Morrissey/’California Son’/ Rock
4. Irene Kelley/’Benny’s TV Repair Shop’/ Country
5. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram/ ‘Kingfish’/ Blues
6. Rodney Crowell/ ‘Texas’/ Americana
7. Daniel Norgren/ “Wooh Dang’/ Americana
8. Micky & The Motorcars/ ‘Long Time Comin’/ Country
9. Hannah James & The JigDoll Ensemble/ ‘The Woman & her Words’ / Folk
10. Chad Richard/ ‘Worthy Cause’/ Country

Gill Landry – Skeleton At The Banquet

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 →

November 12, 2019

Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get

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. 

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 79 →

November 11, 2019

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.

November 4, 2019

The East Pointers – Yours To Break

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.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 78 →

October 27, 2019

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.

October 24, 2019

Erin Enderlin – Faulkner County

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. 

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 77 →

October 17, 2019

Whiskey Myers

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”.

Continue reading Record Of The Week # 76 →