Jeffrey Martin THANK GOD WE LEFT THE GARDEN

Jeffrey Martin
Thank God We Left The Garden
Loose Records

Powerful Contemporary Singer -Songwriter Channeling The Coffee Shops of Greenwich Village in 1963.

As soon as I heard his voice in opening song Lost Dog I was pretty sure I’d at least seen Jeffrey Martin before, or probably reviewed an album many years ago – but I can’t find any record of either.
So, it was uncharted territory as I played this album one cold afternoon a couple of weeks ago.
I’ve always liked a singer-songwriter who records in the way he plays on stage; there’s a frisson of excitement as they perform without the aid of a safety net; and that’s what we get here.
Lost Dog is followed by the cornerstone to the whole album; Garden where Martin goes deep and uses the Garden of Eden as a metaphor for his life in a world that is crumbling from the centre outwards.
“In my mind there’s a garden, full of beauty and darkness
Full of sorrow and sweet things where my heart can be honest
In that garden there’s a fruit tree and I eat from it daily
The same that Adam and Eve ate / what does that make me?”

The way he delivers his prose left me mouth agape the third or fourth time I played the song as the wisdom unraveled slowly, but surely.
As his story goes, these songs were initially recorded as demoes in a self-built shed/studio in his garden, and recordings were constantly being interrupted by wagons on a nearby road and his very own noisy oil heater. Perhaps it’s knowing that brings an added anger or frustration to songs like Paper Crown or Daylight.
Martin doesn’t need to shout to get his messages across; just like John Prine and Tom Paxton among others who ploughed this field before him and currently the likes of Slaid Cleaves and Rod Picott, it’s the words and stories that matter; not the righteous anger that many let get in the way, I Didn’t Know being a prime example and the final song Walking carries a similar weight on its metaphorical shadows too.
Where to go for a singular Favourite Song?
Quiet Man certainly has its merits, with its deep and emotional thread that will have you moving your head towards the speakers so as not to miss a word or note.
“There are holes in all the side walls where the wind it brings the rain in
And the gold crowns have been found out to be brass that has been painted
There are holes in all our bibles where we make secret compartments
To hide the broken treasures we smuggled out of the garden.”
Then, There Is a Treasure and the tragically beautiful Sculptor that sound like they could have their spiritual home in the coffee shops of Greenwich Village circa 1963; but there’s also a contemporary edge to the words making them both minor 21st Century Classics in their field.
I’m pretty sure everyone will have their very own Favourite for a zillion different reasons; but while nothing about it mirrors my own life or relationships ; Red Station Wagon touched my heart in a way very few songs ever has.
I know I’ve certainly ‘been there’ too, but Martin’s powerful song about the casual homophobia and other ‘isms’ of his youth, that haunt him now he’s a fully rounded adult stopped me dead in my tracks and will you too.
After recording the originals in that shed, Jeffrey Martin handed the tapes over to Portland-based guitarist Jon Neufeld who as well as mastering and mixing the songs; added electric guitar to three tracks; somehow managing to bottle the magic that Martin had originally captured on those long and lonely hours when he never expected a man living a thousand or more miles away would be touched by his words and music.

Released 19th November 2023
https://www.jeffreymartinmusic.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://www.jeffreymartinmusic.com/albums
https://www.loosemusic.com/page/product-detail/thank-god-we-left-the-garden/

The Grain Hoppers FIREFLIES TRAPPED IN A JAR

The Grain Hoppers
Fireflies Trapped in a Jar
Self Release

Warm and Tender 60’s and 80’s Drenched Harmony Driven Indie Pop.

I’d been playing this on and off for a month now, but as the release date beckoned I hit a personal ‘rough patch’ meaning I was only listening to ‘old stuff’ from my collection and watching old movies on TV.
While not quite out of my ‘funk’ I knew I wanted to play this again and share my thoughts with the world beyond my front door.
I can’t explain why; but even though I liked it; I missed out reviewing their last release DRIVING EVIL SPIRITS CRAZY in 2022, but I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
The new album starts with the quaint and delightful Butter Churn, a definite nod back to the 60’s with some cool guitar licks in the background of the swoonsome Wallace Dietz baring his unrequited love to the world in a way that reminds me of someone I can’t quite put my finger on.
Already I can picture the band all having their hair in variants of Gene Clark’s bowl cut and wearing paisley shirts, cheap sunglasses and at least one member wearing a cape.
This is followed by the funky Shake Me Loose, where keyboard player to the stars (Lenny Kravitz and Amanda Shires this year), George Laks adds his compact and furious keyboard skills to the party …. and by now I’m imagining a liquid wheel was lighting up the studio.
For a band You/I’ve barely heard of the structures and arrangements here are second to none; especially Dose Of Slow Motion, Three Card Monty and Lonely Eyes which all gave a little flutter in my stomach the first couple of times I heard them.
Although it’s most certainly all over these songs; don’t get hooked up on the 60’s and 80’s harmonious vibes; these songs are most certainly 21st Century in a way the likes of REM, Crowded House and even Coldplay are pushing the boundaries their forefathers set decades ago.
It’s a personal thing, but I select albums at home to fill the mood at various times of the day; and this will ultimately be played early evening, as the sun sets …. with the instrumentals Brisketti Western and Billye Sings while entirely different will be the perfect accompaniment for the first beer of the evening.
For a Favourite Song I’ve been drawn to the quirky Umbrella from the first time I played it; it’s not really ‘deep and meaningful’ but sometimes a catchy melody and a hummable chorus is all someone needs to feel better about themselves; which brings me to the proceeding song I’m Not In My Right Mind which cut right across my depression like a virtual rainbow and helped shake me out of my dark and cavernous moods …. and it sounds like it was written by someone who knew how I was feeling.
There really is a lot to like here, with all kinds of reference points to keep the most nit-picking of musical connoisseurs busy for a long time; yet others will just put it on and tap their feet in time.

Released December 1st 2023
https://www.thegrainhoppers.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://thegrainhoppers.bandcamp.com/

Dylan James EXPECTED TO FLY

Dylan James
Expected to Fly
Self Release

Generation Fluid, Insurgent Indie Folkie Singer-Songwriter

As the holiday season beckons I’m finally getting to play Catch-Up with a few albums that where released while we were overwhelmed with fabulous albums across the end of October and the first couple of weeks of November.
There’s something of the ‘Angelo Mysterioso’ about Bristol born Dylan James; releasing singles under the radar over a 5 or 6 year period, which managed to get his songs featured on a variety of TV shows that more established acts would sell their Granny for; but then waiting until now to compile them and add a few new songs to on a Debut Album.
The first time I played the opening track Painted It Gold I had to stop what I was doing as I wasn’t really sure what I was listening to.
Was it an Indie Band that I couldn’t quite place? An uber-cool 20 something singer-songwriter? Was it an Alt. Folk band that I should know …. possibly even reviewed before.
None of the above were correct but the combination of Dylan James’ intriguingly ‘listenable’ vocals aligned to his sharp observational lyrics and ‘friend of the RMHQ’, Matt Owens (ex Noah and The Whale) luscious and pearlescent production; all combine to make something very special indeed.
The rest of the album continues in that genre-fluid manner; with songs like Black Cloud, Hide, Cracking Up (with it’s heartbreaking harmonica opening) and What Would You Say all sounding like modern Insurgent Folk songs filtered through a James Taylor/The Smiths filter …. seriously.
His songwriting is incredibly personal; but in a way that will not just touch the hearts of listeners of all persuasions and ages; but squeeze it until you are gasping for breath; that’s certainly the way I feel about Let’s Talk and especially the Electro-Pop meets Folk Rock bouncy and punchy Boys Yard, which comes right out of left field in the middle section of this glorious album.
Make Up Your Mind is a prime example; targeting listeners worry too much about life, love and the world in general (of which I’m rapidly becoming one myself) and here James channels his inner George Harrison/Beatles via a big and brooding mix that borders on Prog, but the harmonica and James’ singing and words are pure ‘singer-songwriter’ at its cutting edge.
‘Go on, take a chance,
what’s the worst that’ll happen…
Are you gonna be a nobody for the rest of your life?’
If I’m not wrong, Dylan James and Matt Owens have deliberately sequenced these songs so the mood builds and builds until we arrive at the final too songs; which are a case of keeping the ‘best until last’!
With no disrespect to any of the songs before them; but I’m NOT Your Superman and the finale I Am Your Sound are exceptional songs that merit regular play on National Radio, with I’m NOT Your Superman just edging out the latter for my choice of Favourite Song on a a wonderfully complex album.
The song title intrigued me but when I finally heard the song and James’ words/story I nearly crumbled as it’s one of those songs that creep up on you and make you wonder if the writer has ben stalking you and knows all of your inner secrets and doubts.
‘I’m not a Superman
I can’t do the things you think I can
Just a normal man
I’m just a normal man,
trying to understand what’s in my hands’
EXPECTED TO FLY is a rare beast indeed, being not just genre-fluid but generation-fluid too, with these songs having the capacity to appeal to all ages who love well written and performed songs that are aimed at the heart AND brain.

Released November 10th 2023
https://www.facebook.com/DylanJamesLDN/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY

“

RMHQ Radio Show Ep 79 at Nova Radio NE, Newcastle

RMHQ Radio Show
Episode 79
Nova Radio NE
Newcastle

Sunday 26th November 2023

After missing last week’s show because of Mrs Magpie’s bad back, there was a whole lot of new music that needed to be shoe horned in to the programme tonight.
Satisfied I’d got them in I did a ‘four for’ Blues slot featuring Johnny Winter as I’d just finished reading his biography, a new track from Misty Blue Band’s tribute to Odetta, another from Robert Connely Farr and someone called RL Boyce who Robert introduced me to.
With that out of the way I ended the show with a bunch of politically motivated songs that need to be heard all around the world.

Simon & Garfunkel	I Am a Rock
Hootie & The Blowfish	Tucker’s Town
Milyysa Rose	Sad Girl
Jack Cade	Choose Your Condition
Annie Dressner & Polly Paulusma	18
George Boomsma	Fallen
Brown Horse	Shootback
Grey DeLisle	Quit Pickin’ on Me
Pawn Shop Saints (Jeb Barry)	Sometimes Angels Aren’t Enough
Mary McGuinness	Once in a Blue Moon
Ian M Bailey	We Live in Strange Times
Lucy Kitchen	Chemo Song
John Douglas	I’m Not That Fella
Jeffrey Martin	Red Station Wagon
Ella Langley	Hell of a Man
Flat River Band	God Bless The Radio
Old Crow Medicine Show	One Drop
Kinky Friedman	Circus of Life
Jackie Leven	Heartsick Land
Johnny Winter	My Soul
Misty Blues Band	Easy Rider
Robert Connely Farr	Getting Tired of Growing Old
RL Boyce	Sometimes I Worry
Quiet Loner	Ghost of Oswald Moseley
Steve White and the Protest Family	Put Up Shut Up Britain
Rob Heron and the Teapad Orchestra	Devil Wears a Blue Tie
Nanci Griffith	I Live in a Battlefield
Shipcote	North of England

Robert Connely Farr PANDORA SESSIONS

Robert Connely Farr
Pandora Sessions
Self Release

Raw Blues Rock From The Hill Country of Mississippi via Downtown Vancouver

I forget who first found who, but Robert Connely Farr is one of my favourite ever discoveries here on RMHQ. Even among Bluesers he is an acquired taste; but in a world where Heavy Rock Bands masquerade as Blues Bands and win Awards; Farr is like a breath of fresh air; sticking to his musical roots without a care for Commercial success…. he plays it, cos he loves it … and I love it too.
While I know him as a flagbearer for Bentonia Blues & Hill Country music (RL Burnside etc.) here; and he warned me in an e-mail, he’s changed direction somewhat, but still hanging on in there in the Hill Country of Mississippi but now via Downtown Vancouver.
Basically studio time was booked with nothing written down and alongside drummer Jay Bundy Johnson he pressed ‘record’ and let the emotions flow …. and the result is staggering in its intensity.
The first time I pressed ‘play’ my eyes widened and I elicited a long “Oooooh” as the tight and intense first song Everybody’s Dyin’ enveloped the room like a smog, as the slow and ‘heavy’ *bass driven beat pressed against my chest.
There are many subtle and less than subtle differences between Heavy Blues and Heavy Rock; and what we have here is very much the former; with the bass and drums dictating the timing and pace, allowing Farr the freedom to add sparky guitar licks and use his slurry voice as a fourth musical instrument.
The only flaw I have is that I haven’t been issued with a set of lyrics; so some songs have passed me by as I feel thunderstruck by the overall sound of what I’m hearing; How Am I? and Where I Come From are prime examples. I instantly loved them, but can’t tell you what they are about; I’ve had similar problems with Farr’s mentors RL Burnside and Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes over the years; but that doesn’t hamper my enjoyment one iota.
Some songs though, are mixed with the vocals front and centre, showing what an ace songwriter Robert Connely Farr is; I urge you to listen to Jackson Town and/or the razors edge Things They Tellin’ You and not think you are listening to a Mastercraftsman from back in the day.
Baring in mind Farr and crew created these songs on the hoof in the studio; the likes of the stompingly good Prowler, Take It Slow and Train Keep Rollin’ sound like something you’d have expected to hear on the early Free and Groundhogs LP’s and still be talking about them fifty years later.
On that theory; Runnin’ Hiding Jam is a really raw instrumental that sent shivers down my back; and my copy has a Bonus Track called Go Cat Go which neatly ties up Farr’s original first love; raw Bentonia Blues and the tight and intense 60’s/70’s British/Canadian Blues Rock with a blue satin bow.
My Favourite Track here was probably the first track I played, Gettin’ Tired Of Gettin’ Old which intrigued me; as that’s how I feel these days; and boy does it live up to the title! A slow and ponderous groove overlayed with some more razors edge guitar licks and Farr growling like a Faith Healer on mogadon …. what’s not to like kids?
As I regularly say ‘all music is subjective’ so I can’t imagine Classic Blues fans who revere Joe Bonamassa or Eric Clapton or Bonnie Raitt etc. will get past track #2 here; but the cognoscenti with wider tastes and an open mind will love and cherish the PANDORA SESSIONS like a first born child.

*bass – courtesy Robert Connoly Farr himself and played in the spirit of Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, RL Boyce & Leo Bud Welch et al.

Released 6th October 2023
https://www.robertconnelyfarr.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://robertconnelyfarr.bandcamp.com/album/pandora-sessions

Ian Bailey WE LIVE IN STRANGE TIMES

Ian Bailey
We Live In Strange Times
Kool Kat Records

Paisley Patterned Influences, Jangling Guitars, Smooth Vocals and Melodies to Die For.

We’ve been fans of Ian Bailey for a few years now; and when he joined up with Daniel Wylie a couple of years ago, for the YOU PAINT THE PICTURES album it was like a musical marriage made in Heaven around these parts; and the duo are responsible for these songs too … so I was pretty sure I’d love the end result before I’d ever heard a note.

I was correct, as this is a case of ‘pretty much the same as’… which is a compliment as what they do and how Bailey turns the words into music is nothing short of wonderful.
It’s lazy to say that Ian Bailey follows a tried and trusted template of Byrdsian infused tunes and melodies not too dissimilar to Teenage Fanclub in their pomp; they do … but just like both of those bands, these songs start there and go off on flights of fancy that are edgy, arty and occasionally complicatedly beautiful.
All three of which come together on opening track, The Last Chime which openly wears its influences on its Paisley sleeve, jangling guitars, smooth vocals and a melody to die for.
If Ian Bailey were something like 20 years younger and from South London I would guarantee songs like The Clock Is Ticking, with it’s organ groove lighting it up or Dance Around The Room and most definitely the Jangletastic, Sweet Smell of Roses would get them daily plays on the hip hop and happening BBC Radio 6; but he’s not and they won’t …. which is a damn shame and possibly even ageist.
The melodies here sweep in and out with consummate ease; and make the greyest of Autumn days feel like the last vestiges of Summer; or at least that’s how I feel when I’ve played George Harrison sitar infused Mother Nature and/or the uber cool instrumental, She Waltzes With The Devil with it’s Asbury Height’s groovaliciousness too.
There’s a definite advancement here from Bailey’s last couple of albums, with stories like The Moon Floats On a Cloud sounding like a timeless Prog Folk song that will live in your consciousness for a very long time; and Pray For Me is cutting edge Alt. Country whichever way you look at it or should I say hear it?
Speaking of ‘cutting edge Alt. Country’ I can’t think of a better way to describe the title song itself, We Live In Strange Times with its Brian Auger style keys aligned to a melody and guitars that Roger McGuinn would sell his best Fedora to have done; and when you listen intently – phwoar, what a tale!
This is one of those albums that works on many levels; it’s been great company on a couple of longish car journeys and when I’ve played it through my new iPods, it sounds like a David Hockney painting coming to life; which is exemplified by Californian Desert Sundown which just oozes colour and cool in equal measures; and even Mrs Magpie has tapped a toe while reading with this in the background.
After that there are still two more songs that have really captured my heart; the beautiful string laden love song, Country Girl and the chunky Soft Rock meets Alt. Country in a desert roadhouse; It’s Summer Rain, and I can’t squeeze a cigarette paper between them in my affections so it’s a draw for the accolade of Favourite Song.
As I alluded to earlier; the only flaw here is that Ian M Bailey doesn’t wear his fringe like Roger McGuinn and isn’t a hip 20 something with a buckskin jacket, designer Chelsea boots and an attitude made for Tickety Tok or whatever it’s called …. but at the end of the day, these are lovely songs made for people with great musical taste; regardless of their age.

Released 24th November 2023
https://www.facebook.com/Ianbaileymusicandinfo/?locale=en_GB

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://ianbaileymusic.bigcartel.com/

Afton Wolfe THE HARVEST

Afton Wolfe
The Harvest
Grandiflora Records

A Voice and Songs As Complex and Beautiful as a Great Whisky or Red Wine

Describing Afton Wolfe albums is especially difficult as he really is a genre-straddling artist, much like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell etc; and his gruff vocal styling also brings lazy comparisons with those first two as well.
But if you put all that to the back of your mind; I’m tempted to compare him to a really good bottle of whisky or red wine.The first taste is quite bitter on the palette, but the more you force yourself to carry on, the more the complexities unravel and appeal and stay with you for life; and can make you become more adventurous and want to discover more from the same distillery or vineyard.
Reading that back makes me sound a bit pretentious; but I genuinely stand by those comparisons; with opening song Harvest being a prime example. Opening with an acoustic guitar, harmonica and flute, it could easily be an English Folk Rock song until Wolfe enters the fray with with his twisted words, taking the song into Jazzy territory with more than a hint of Laurel Canyon to the chorus.
Complicated and complex – yes; but touchingly beautiful too.
Afton Wolfe’s ‘style’ may be summed up with Track #2, New Orleans Going Down, which all of the above applies; but this story of the effects Hurricane Katrina had on this beautiful city sounds like a heartfelt co-write between Dr. John and Leon Russell that was meant for Joe Cocker; but given to Wolfe who somehow manages to make this heartbreaker into something worth plenty of repeat plays.
“2’ and rising on Bourbon Street
Watch your step or you may drown
Better count your blessings before you leave
The great city of New Orleans
Going down”

All music and especially singing styles are subjective; and it’s fair to say Afton Wolfe’s grizzled, world weary and tattered around the edges voice is a case in question; just ask Mrs. Magpie. But I love it; because even before you know what songs like Til The River No Longer Flows and the slow and sensitive Here To Stay are about, his ever changing voice, one that sounds like it has lived a full and eventful life and has stories to tell, will draw you in like a spider and a fly.
Hello Mr. Wolf is perhaps the most intriguing song here; as Wolfe immerses himself in a dark tale, seemingly based around the children’s game of the same name; told in the talking style as Lee Marvin did with Wanderin’ Star all those years ago; and sent a shiver down my back just like that still does every time I hear it.
Bearing in mind I’ve had this album on repeat for nearly 7 hours today, two songs really, really stand out – and I can’t decide which I favour most; Mississippi is probably the most commercial song here, with a cute melody and biting observational lyrics and a deeply personal love song to this beautiful if much maligned American State.
The other is the enigmatic Lost Prayers, which slowly simmers as Wolfe sings with an intensity that needs the occasional female harmonies to lighten his load; and it feels like a very heavy load indeed.
I know it takes a helluva lot of hard work to make music sound this way; but there’s a feeling throughout that these songs were all recorded in ‘one take’ such is the emotion that they all convey via Afton Wolfe’s truly amazing voice.

Released 17th November 2023
https://aftonwolfe.com/

BY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://aftonwolfe.com/store

Misty Blues Band LIVE AT THE CAVERN CLUB 2023

Misty Blues Band
Live at The Cavern Club
Liverpool
Guitar One Records

Scintillating R&B From a Hot and Sweaty Night in a Legendary Club

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never really been a lover albums; bar a few exceptions they don’t really bare repeated listening; be that the in-between chat and interminable solos becomes boring and tedious.
The exceptions in my collection tend to be from the Blues and Jazz world; where invariably improvisation is the order of the day and three or four minute album tracks can find new life breathed into them in this format.
This album falls very much into that latter camp.
Recorded in July on a hot and sweaty evening in the famous Cavern Club, Liverpool Misty Blues Band seem right at home straight away with opening track Hear My Call with Gina Coleman moaning and groaning like a Baptist Preacher on a Sunday morning, while the band swing and sway like a coiled spring; constantly threatening to overshadow the singer but always reining it in at the last minute and continuing to do so over the next 80+ minutes and not leaving a single second wasted.
While first and foremost the Misty Blues Band are a Rhythm and Blues band; but if you close your eyes they also have a whole lot of Jazz in their arrangements and that makes for not just a fascinating listen but one full of head nodding and toe tapping astonishment; starting with track #2 Blues On My Heel and not stopping until the last notes of One Of These Days drift out into the ether.
In between we are treat to some amazing music; not least the slow and sultry How The Blues Feels; the funky Freight Car and not least all 16 minutes of Wang Dang Doodle which just go by in the blink of an eye because you’ll be so engrossed.
This has been one of the few times I’ve listened to a Live Album and genuinely wished I’d been there. I’m sure the band would have sounded just as good in a theatre or concert hall; but during the scintillating ballad, I Need a Little Sugar In My Bowl and the fiery Take a Long Ride and especially the finale One Of These Days you can not just sense but feel the excitement in this small room coming through the mix and smothering your senses.
Choosing a single Favourite Song ain’t easy as every song has its merits and will mean something different to absolutely everyone who hears them.
For me I’m going for the amazing Voodoo and Laughter as it sort of acts as a doorway to another level of music; the type most people don’t ‘get’ but connoisseurs and music snobs appreciate and discuss the minutiae of in darkened rooms late at night.
It’s a given that Gina Coleman not only has a great singing voice; but knows how to use it sparingly, leaving you wanting more; but appreciating less as Seth Fleischman’s guitar comes in and out like a nightingale on a Summers’ evening while Aaron Dean’s sax playing is crystal clear and inventive in a way I’ve not heard in years; and certainly not in the world of the Blues.
Behind them the bass, drums and keyboards sound like they’ve been invited in from Muscle Shoals or Stax Studios for one special night …. and what a special night this was.

Released 24th November 2023
https://www.mistybluesband.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY

https://misty-blues.square.site/

The Resignators RABBITHOLE

The Resignators
Rabbithole
Self-Release

An Exciting Mix of Old School Jamaica With a Pinch of Two Tone and a nod or two to Ska-Punk too.

Every time I review a Ska album I always feel the need to remind everyone that it didn’t all end when Madness and The Specials got to be 30; and there’s still a vibrant scene going on all around the world in 2023.
This band and album are a prime example; as they come from Australia and this is their 5th album release (not counting their EP’s either), and they comfortably mix Old School Jamaican rhythms with a pinch of Two Tone and a nod or two here and there to American Ska-Punk too; all combining for an original sound.
Tea Party opens the show with a clever mix of brass and electric keyboards before the singer kicks in like the Police kicking in a front door at 6am…. plenty of purpose on a metaphorical tale of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
You get a lot of ‘bang for your buck’ here, with 13 clever and fun songs; destined to make you not just dance but occasionally think too; as there may well be subliminal messages tucked away in Messenger, Bluebird Tattoo and the smash and grab 100mph Finale which is surely destined to become either the first or last song of the night at gigs.
I know too many Ska fans who only ever listen to one type of music; Two Tone usually, but there are plenty who pore over old Bluebeat or Trojan 45’s I always think that they are missing out on so much …. here the Resignators wear their combined influences not just on their sleaves, but in every groove too.
Cinquante Cing owes a lot more to the Talking Heads as it does to The Specials; but still gives it a full on brass and bass spine that will have crowds bopping like Meer Kats on speed.
I’ve already got another Ska infused version of Teenage Kicks in my collection but this one is every bit as punchy and electric as the original and about 25mph faster and even more furious; plus the addition of a verse or two from Blondie’s One Way Or Another at the end is the work of genius.
Choosing a single Favourite Song hasn’t been easy; Grinsekatzekind certainly has its merits because of the tight arrangement and glorious chorus; Talisman is from the other end of the Ska spectrum; the most Bluebeat song here, and a nod to Jerry Dammers era Specials in the drole and laid back way the band lead you into a false sense of security; but still hit you square on the jaw with the sparse and enigmatic lyrics.
My absolute Favourite though, is the title track Rabbithole; sounding uncannily like it could have been a Clash or Mighty Mighty Bosstones b-side when they were in their prime.
I don’t listen to half as much Ska these days as I should; so this has been a rare delight and excites me because there is a whole new generation out there bouncing along to bands like The Resignators the way I did to their forefathers 40+ years ago !!

Released November 3rd 2023
https://theresignators.wixsite.com/theresignators

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://theresignators.bandcamp.com/album/rabbithole

Zach Berkman THE HEART OF …..

Zach Berkman
The Heart Of
Brooklyn Basement Records

A Hoard of Indie-Folk Gems Hidden in a Nashvillian Treasure Trove

There’s twofold intrigue here: it’s the first we’ve heard of this artist but is a whopping nineth album release from Nashville based singer-songwriter Zach Berkman.
Then there’s the cryptic title…… which I learn is jointly named after an area Zach Berkman was raised in Peoria, Illinois, known as “the heart of” the state and also reflects his desire to reach “the centre of the idea” within his work.
Job nicely done as the truth of the matter is he’s produced an outstanding collection of a dozen expressive songs all in his own style of Folk Pop mixed with Indie angst, creating an atmospheric and expansive album.
It could sit in my collection slap bang in the middle of Paul Simon and Radiohead yet it’s Berkman’s sensitive, compelling vocals that are central to why this album is so spellbinding.

The striking opener Sleep Tight floats in with free spirited plucked strings and sparce keys until soft strums lull us rhythmically in, introducing the aforementioned vocals: intimate almost to a whisper, like the secrets he’s sharing are for our ears only.
Delicate vocal harmonies layer the chorus but the real force of the song comes with a dramatic build up, fiery emotions rising alongside the intensity of the ever louder, driving vocals and acoustic strums, until we share his acute anger and pain of losing a love and not being able to move on:

“It’s been a long time, you’ve stayed on my mind
Dreams that I couldn’t shake, like a habit I couldn’t break”

After grabbing our attention so theatrically, the next two tracks ease us into the main chamber of the album, a collective harmony, both musically and in the wider sense.
After a life-changing break-up, how different this album might have sounded if this artist had worked alone.
Instead, he invites a gang of his musician mates including co-producer Ron Pope, round to his parents’ rural farmhouse to hang out and make the record.
The end result: a bunch of songs that lyrically convey this artist’s honest response to experiencing love and loss, but also flow organically within this communal positivity and instrumentation to construct an album that is as upbeat as it is heartfelt.
The fast pickin’ second single My Old Friend, comes complete with a rumbling world tribal rhythm beat chorus and an air of comforting nostalgia as the songwriter reconnects with someone from his past as he sings:
“If I deceive you, it’s my mistake
Confusing kindness for change”
The pace is eased back with the melancholic rolling beat ballad of Lie Awake, crashing cymbals courtesy of Justin Glasco have the last word, also giving an explosive quality to On The Vine which explores the theme of casually letting go of a loved one and regretting it later.
With a catchy melody, and deliciously uptempo, it just narrowly misses out to be a favourite.
The pacey rhythm continues with the first single Alone, tapping out an infectious beat as a backdrop to the start of a relationship breakdown, comparing it to a decaying home, still retaining the hope that it can be mended.
The new single, Get Found, with serenely hypnotic guitar pickin’, is a soul-searching confession at life’s crossroads with dramatic keys and erupting percussion all set for a firework finale.
Picking a favourite has been near impossible! Fooled Me Once, like the opener, is smouldering with a steady strum pounding like an emotionally heavy heartbeat, full of relationship discord.
It’s delivered with sensitive vocals and has to be runner up along with Turn It All Around.
The latter has an unexpected ‘80’s drum and keys chorus which gives this song a retro feel, sounds incongruous to the rest of the album but it works and in that bygone era, this hefty anthemic song would place Zack Berkman on TOTP’s and in the top twenty in a flash!
So, just top billing left.
Empire is beyond doubt my favourite vocal performance, soulful against a curtain of stripped-down keys and mighty drums with a bluesy beat that delivers goosebumps.
The drums thunder and crash, adding so much extra emotion to an already epic song for which the description is “standing in the same place, feeling older and calling it new.”
Zach Berkman has taken a huge step forward in both personal and musical truths with this impressive album. Be in no doubt, at the heart of it all, this album is a ‘Keeper’.

Review by Anita Joyce
Released 10th November 2023
https://www.zachberkman.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-heart-of/1703476018