RMHQ Radio Show Top 27 Albums of 2023 Show Nova Radio NE Newcastle
It’s that time of year again when we do our Top Albums of the year radio shows. Last week it was the Readers most popular albums and now it’s my own personal ones. This year the RMHQ website posted 284 reviews, mostly albums but a few gigs too and the standard and quality has been as exciting and exemplary as anyone could dare hope for. I despair when chatting with friends or reading people on Social Media decrying the quality of music these days …. judging by what we heard they aren’t looking hard enough!
TOP 25
Ian McNabb
New Brighton Rocks
Van Plating
Orange Blossom
OX
ktel
Cowboy Junkies
Such Ferocious Beauty
Robert Connely Farr
Pandora Sessions
Matt Andersen
Big Bottle of Joy
Iris Dement
Workin’ On a World
Tom Blackwell
Regency Cafe
Connor Selby
Connor Selby
Grainne Duffy
Dirt Woman Blues
Alabama Mike
Stuff I’ve Been Through
Roseanne Reid
Lawside
Robin Adams
Sun Behind the Storm
Ags Connolly
Siempre
Jenny Don’t & the Spurs
Fire on the Ridge
Jill Rogers and Crying Time
Many Worlds Theory
Bennett Wilson Poole
I Saw a Star Behind Your Eyes, Don’t Let It Die Away
A Confident Debut That is Pleasingly Difficult to Pigeonhole
Earlier in 2023, I caught Brown Horse supporting Joshua Ray Walker in Manchester on the day that their signing to Loose was announced. Visually, they struck me as an eclectic bunch – the mix of a traditional guitar/bass/drums with pedal steel and a Heath Robinson mic setup on the piano accordion, giving the impression of something that was determined not to be constrained by preconceived notions of cool. Musically, I picked up a lo-fi/indie/Americana vibe at that gig and that’s not too far from what has ended up on this release.
Opener “Stealing Horses” opens with Isbellesque guitar before a mellower tremulous Simone Feliceesque vocal leads into trippy accordion/banjo riffing. It’s far greater than the sum of those parts, based as it is, around an insistent melody. Title track “Reservoir”, which follows is more downbeat in tone and the hiccupping narrative is wrapped in pads and swirls of accordion – mood music from the edges of several acoustic genres, cleverly existing within and outside the labels it’ll get tagged with.
“Shootback” also starts in a low-key vein before evolving into a hybrid of Neil Young and early Aztec Camera guitar Frippery (sic) – the common feature of these tracks so far is the insistent rhythm – “Everlasting” continues this mesmeric, hypnotic approach but adds layers of vocal and hookiness, with tinkling piano the icing on the cake. “Bloodstain” takes a louder, riffier approach – positioned at the halfway point on the album, it’s the sonic Höhepunkt, certainly as far as volume is concerned.
“Paul Gilley” is a tale of tragedy about the writer who penned “Cold, Cold Heart” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” – part celebration, part eulogy with a wider tale of cathartic release through inspiration. Should be a single IMO… “Sunfisher” which follows again examines the darker side of the soul, dealing as it does with sadder reflections, set against an almost anthemic arrangement of soaring fiddle.
“Silver Bullet’s” grungy garage rock is quite the contrast, with the tube and saturation turned up a notch on the guitars before the sway-along accordion-fest of “Outtakes” – and the classic use of a pause too. Final track “Called Away” starts with gentle folkie finger picking and close mic-ed breathy vocals declaring that … “don’t you know it’s winter now?” It’s an apt ending to the melancholy yet philosophical tone of the album.
A confident debut, that – pleasingly – is really difficult to pigeonhole – having said that, there’s the feel of the Felice Brothers all over this which is no bad thing. With plenty of gigs in the diary for the start of 2024, you’re going to be hearing a lot more of this album, both far and near. It’s the kind of music that benefits from repeated immersion, so best book those tickets and buy the album, because if you leave it too late, they’re going to sell out….
The Felice Brothers Asylum on The Hill Self Release
Scratch Away the Veneer and Discover a Dark Musical Antidote To The World Around Us
Just as I was getting over a bad cold in the middle of my December break my friend and #1 Americana Radio presenter, Mike Ritchie got in touch to ask if I knew that The Felice Brothers had just dropped a ‘secret release’ via Bandcamp … I didn’t. Normally with an album of this magnitude I like to let it mellow, playing it several times over a couple of days so I can unravel any mysteries in there before putting pen to paper … but here, in the week before Christmas I simply don’t have the time, so after one ‘play’ over breakfast – here’s my excitable thoughts. I wasn’t sure what to expect the way opening track Candy Gallows starts in a choral church like manner; was it a Christmas song? No; it’s an A-Typical Felice Brothers quirky noir drenched love song of sorts that builds like an epic poem set to a spectacularly and beautifully droll Country melody. I’m not the Felice Brothers’ biggest fan; it’s not that I don’t like them; but more I ‘appreciate them’ more than anything else. What I do know is that they are always capable of re-inventing themselves at will; and I believe that’s what they’ve done here; aligning their trademarked ‘sound’ to a bunch of American Noir songs that will best be heard while curled up on the sofa, late at night with big mug of hot coffee as company. I agree with my friends that are big Felice Brothers fans, that between them the writers here are very mature, clever and intricately ‘deep’ and articulate in the way they write and arrange their songs; which really comes to the fire during When Suzie Was a Skeleton, Abundance and the title track Asylum on The Hill itself which will leave you with your jaw gaping wide open. At times here I’ve found myself wondering why I’ve never really played their albums more than I have. Not just the individual songs; but the way they are sung appeal to me a lot more than I ever expected; for the uninitiated imagine Justin Townes Earle fronting The Cowboy Junkies singing some recently unearthed Leonard Cohen/Bob Dylan co-written Country songs …. seriously. Although their melodies (esp: Macrame & Birds of The Wild West?) are easy on the ear; scratch away the veneer and the songs themselves are very much the opposite of ‘easy listening’ …. and regularly challenging (What Will We Do Now? Long Dead Street Musician?); but that’s what attracts us to music like this isn’t it? Then, there is Spring Gazing an almost Prog-Lite arrangement with a child reading a ghostly Edward Lear like poem that will send a shiver down your spine. It’s music Jim; just not as we understand it. It’s far from easy; and I could well change my mind in March, but I’ve managed to narrow my choice of Favourite Song down to two very different, yet both intrinsically Felice Brothers’ songs as my selection. Teeth in The Tabloids is every bit as biting as the title suggests and feels as if it’s influenced by Metallica stripping away all of the ‘noise’ and leaving us with something Kurt Cobain may have been proud of. The other; Strawberry Blonde at face value is the most commercial song here, until you listen intently to the words …. and again; your jaw will drop and you will be forced to press repeat several times. At first I thought releasing this album in Christmas week was quite a perverse thing to do; but with hindsight it’s probably an amazingly clever thing to do; as many of us get lost in the false bonhomie and fake camaraderie that is all pervading during the Holiday Period and need a dark antidote that we can hide away and immerse ourselves in …. and these songs will certainly fill that void; and continue to do so as our collective dark clouds gather and we feel the need to listen to like minded souls.
RMHQ Radio Show Ep: 83 Jumpin’ Hot Club 38th Anniversary Show. Nova Radio NE Sunday 17th December 2023
38 years ago, in 1985 two lads in Newcastle had a dream. Adam Collerton and Graham Anderson were Northern Soul and Blues fans who decided to put on bands that no one else in the area would or could. In that time they have helped change the music landscape in not just their home town; but to some degree the UK, as they were the first promoters to book and bring a whole series of acts to the UK, many of whom are now Award winning and household names. This show is a small snapshot of 30 from many hundreds of acts that have played the Jumpin’ Hot Club either in one of the many venues they have appropriated or festivals they have curated. If you’re quick they have a book detailing their story and some of their most memorable gigs.
Various Artists The Faithful: A Tribute to Marianne Faithfull In The Q Records / Bandbox
A Fantastic Set of Songs that Reaches Deep and Really Delivers
If there is an aging goddess of rock ‘n’ roll, Marianne Faithfull more than fits the bill. She’s part Circe, part Medusa, and one of Rock Music’s greatest living legends. But even living legends need help at times, and after a bought with Covid which took what was left of her voice, Tanya Pearson, founder of Woman in Rock, An Oral History, teamed up with In the Q Records and Bandbox to raise money for Faithfull’s medical expenses. The Faithful: A Tribute to Marianne Faithfull, is nineteen of Faithfull’s songs, reimagined by artists such as Cat Power, Iggy Pop, Tracy Bonham, Tanya Donelly, Josie Cotton, Tammy Faye Starlight, Lydia Lunch, Donita Sparks, and many more. Now everyone going into this knows that they’re never going to top Faithfull’s original versions of these tunes. She “owns” even the ones she didn’t write, with her unique style and power. But what we do get is some great renditions, and even a few that triumph mightily. Cat Power and Iggy Pop have the “focus track,” a techno version of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero,” but that one didn’t really work for me, so I’m going to point out a few tracks that really did get my attention. First up is Tracy Bonham’s version of the Jagger/Richards penned “As Tears Go By” which was Faithfull’s first big hit, the one that put her name in lights. Bonham’s performance has a “December feel” to it, and if you know what that means you’re already ahead of the game. Sweet, without being over-treacly. Tanya Donelly sings the prettiest song here with some glorious help from the Parkington Sisters on “This Little Bird,” from Faithfull’s first U.S. album in 1965. It’s the horns on Sylvia Black’s “Sister Morphine” that set the mood, but it’s Black’s vocals that take it to the next level. This would easily fit well as the soundtrack to a film noir crime drama. Josie Cotton brings a welcomed retro feel to “Summer Nights” and I must say it’s awesome to hear her voice again. My favorite Faithfull song of all-time is “Broken English,” partially because I covered it in the 1980s in a band I was in. Faithfull’s version is accusatory, daring, and pulls no punches, which is what attracted it me as a young punk rocker. You come away from her version reeling, trying to recover. Joan Wasser, aka Joan as Police Woman, manages to pull off the mirror opposite of that with an inward, reserved plea for answers, help, and solace, while maintaining the grit and allure of this song. Daring and subtly expressive, this version actually attempts to heal. Both the quietest track here while also being one of the most intense. One of the finest performances on this album. “Over Here (No Time for Justice)” by Honeychild Coleman is driving with minimal instrumentation, ala early Vaselines. It’s amazing what the right artist can accomplish with such simple details and utilizing fully the “less is more” approach. “Times Square” by Adele Bertei is faithful to the original while diving deeper into the story of the song with some bluesy guitars by Gregg Foreman and excellent bass by the same Sylvia Black who sang “Sister Morphine” earlier on this collection. Dynamic and powerful, the musicians nail the restlessness of this song. Tammy Faye Starlight, along with Barry Reynolds on some wonderful slide guitar, manages to encompass all that is Marianne Faithfull with a nuanced version of “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.” (Written by Shel Silverstein! How did I miss that before?) Starlight comes closest to embodying Faithfull honestly without losing sense of herself, a hard act indeed. Starlight does a cabaret version of Faithfull (as well as Nico, and others) and shows here that she knows the territory well. Bravo! (And if you didn’t know, Barry Reynolds is a longtime Faithfull collaborator, playing guitar and writing several of her most famous songs, many of which are featured on this compilation.) Faithfull is well known for not holding back the least when it comes to language or subject matter, and several of these songs are well served in those departments. Lydia Lunch’s “Love, Life, and Money,” Donita Sparks of the band L7 with her affected performance of “Sliding Through Life on Charm,” and most definitely Garbage’s Shirley Manson, who teams up with Peaches to bring some snarl and venom to “Why’d Ya Do It.” All of these performances are top notch, holding nothing back. The thrill of covering such a fearlessly unique artist as Faithfull is that you don’t have to worry about pushing too hard or going too far, as Faithfull herself has probably already done that. And this album isn’t all female artists, either. Besides the aforementioned Iggy Pop, we also get the male-fronted bands Miss Guy with a straight-up danceable version of “Sex with Strangers,” and Feminine Aggression with an indie rock cover of “Before the Poison.” Yes, this album is available on all those streaming services you already know about, but the point here is to raise funds for Faithfull’s medical expenses, so it’s also available as a beautiful two record set from Bandbox, featuring extensive liner notes, colored vinyl, and a striking painted cover by Jill Emery, the bassist in Hole and Mazzy Star amongst others. The Faithful: A Tribute to Marianne Faithfull is a fantastic set of songs that reaches deep and delivers.
Punky, Punchy Urban Alt. Country With a New Wave Curve.
This review has come about after ‘closing the book’ on reviews for 2023, but out of courtesy I played a track on the radio show last week and loved it, as did a couple of listeners who got in touch asking for more info on Lars Nagel. So the next day I played the album out of curiosity and here I am 4 days later, totally smitten. First and foremost I’m always going to lie an album when Track #1 starts with a “1-2-3-4!” and that’s how the Twang infused Folk Rock of Years Go By springs into life. There’s a raggedy, good-time feel as Nagel and band sound like they’ve arrived in the studio after an exhilarating gig and want to keep the vibe going. There are far too many nods to the influences behind every song here; but at the end of the day Nagel wears them proudly and creates a ‘sound’ that is genuinely unlike anyone I can think of; but still fits in seamlessly to that urban Americana file that is so popular at the moment. I guess that comes from Nagel’s voice and his clever and astute songwriting; which come together so well on the rustic Fools Way Home and You Will Never Change which somehow welds a Prog groove to a punchy Alt. Country song and was the song that I played on the radio. It’ll probably wear thin eventually, but I love the studio chat that opens a few songs; giving them a personal and ‘Devil may care’ approach. ‘Write about what you know’ is the adage young songwriters work to; and Lars Nagel does just that with to very personal songs to and about his recently departed father; and even without knowing that ‘fact’ Old Photographs with its heartbreaking steel guitar interludes and Now That You’ve Left Me are deeply personal songs and bookend his life as a six year old immigrant’s first experience visiting America as a child then his father dying. So It Goes isn’t a cover of The La’s classic single; but a dour and insightful song about the heartbreak addictions cause but are just taken for-granted these days and just part of every day life and it’s not by accident that it’s followed by the crackling radio intro to Gotta Move gives this pseudo-political observationist song an extra air of mystery, paranoia and urgency in a Post-Punk/New Wave fashion that I might have expected from Ryan Adams or Jesse Malin back in the day. There’s very much a lot to like here; which brings me to my dilemma in choosing a Favourite Song. Johnny Was Right is a belter that deserves radio play; and will pique the interest of old Punk Rockers who are now America’s middle-class; as Nagel takes his inspiration from the Johnny Thunders song “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” but gives his own song a full on Country-Punk makeover in the spirit of Jason and the Scorchers or Dan Baird’s Homemade Sin. The other; and probably my actual Favourite also takes it’s title from another song I hold dear, but sounds nothing like Nagel’s desperately emotional Country-Folk ballad Love Don’t Live Here Anymore; and it’s a song that I’m sure will be heard and revered in absolute silence when played live. Normally I don’t take in everything on a Press Release; but Lars Nagel’s story has really caught my attention; not least because he was an ‘immigrant’ to the USA, but also because like many of his contempories has a ‘day job’ that supplements his music earnings; and …. he’s a Tennis Pro! Seriously …. he was a high-ranked competitive junior tennis player out of Sweden as a young man and now teaches in his down time while continuing as a touring musician, supporting acts as diverse as Little Richard, Emmylou, Humble Pie, Drivin’ and Cryin’ and The Misfits in an exciting twenty plus year career.
RMHQ Radio Show READERS TOP 25 Albums of 2023 Nova Radio NE Newcastle Sunday 10th December 2023
Where did 2023 go to? One minute we were exchanging Christmas Presents in 2022 and now I’ve spent the morning wrapping presents for 2023! What a fabulous year it’s been for ‘our’ music; obviously plenty of well known acts released some exciting new music; but I’ve lost count of the amount of new acts we’ve discovered and raved about in print this year. At the last count between us we had posted 268 reviews on RMHQ between January first and December 7th 2023, the vast majority have been albums; but the Live Reviews were very popular as were our EXCLUSIVE Interviews, which still get ‘hits’ months after going out on the site. We’ve had a number of new writers join this year too and I’d be totally overwhelmed without the contributions from Nick, Roy, Anita, Emily, Kris, Eric and Billy too.
This programme is a track from each of the Top 25 albums on the site; sorted in reverse order from 25 to the #No1 album of RMHQ’s year depending on how popular they’ve been with readers across the world. I have to say that there’s not a poor album here, and the stats reflect that; and a few artists have been in touch to say that here was a spike in ‘sales/downloads’ when our review went out … which is always nice.
*Nanci Griffith – for some reason I missed this track out in the studio …. SORRY.
Season’s Greetings BUY DON’T SPOTIFY!
All at the Rocking Magpie xx
25
Withered Hand (How To Love)
Crippled Love
24
Lincoln Durham (Resurrection Thorn)
In Spite of it All
23
Andy Fairweather Low (Flang Dang)
The End of All Roads
22
*Nanci Griffith (4xCD Working in Corners)
Last of the True Believers
21
Leo Lyons & Hundred Seventy Split (Movin On)
Meet Me At The Bottom
20
Bennett Wilson Poole (I Saw a Star Behind Your Eyes)
Cry at The Movies
19
Karen Jonas (The Restless)
Throw me To the Wolves
18
Ian McNabb (Nabby Road)
Film Star Noir
17
Misty Blues Band (Outside the Lines)
The Hate
16
Jeb Loy Nichols & Clovis Phillips (Three Fools)
Let Me Love You In My own Special Way
15
Whitney Rose (Rosie)
Barb Wire Blossom
14
Grainne Duffy (Dirt Woman Blues)
Sweet Liberation
13
Robin Adams (Sun Behind the Storm)
The Devil’s ar and Deep Blue Sea
12
St Paul & The Broken Bones (Angels in Science)
Lonely Love Song
11
Ivan Neville (Touch My Soul)
Touch My Soul
10
Robbie Fulks (Bluegrass Vacation)
Lonely Ain’t Hardly Alive
9
Martin Stephenson (5005)
Squad Car (5005)
8
Ian McNabb (New Brighton Rock)
The Sun Came Out At Night
7
Long Ryders (September November Sometime)
Hand of Fate
6
Daniel Meade (Essentially Non Essential)
Shooting Stars and Tiny Tears
5
Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton (Stardust Sessions EP)
The Reverend Richard John Like White on Rice Self Release
Raw and Authentic Country Blues That Sizzles, Jumps and Even Boogies.
I’m not sure if The Reverend Richard John caught me in a good or bad mood last week when he got in touch via Social Media proffering his album, which was released way back in February. Normally we try to be ‘ahead of the game’ getting reviews on line a week or two prior to release; but there was something about the album cover that intrigued me, in a way that if I’d been flicking through the racks in a record shop would have made me pick it up and ask to hear a couple of tracks (remember those days!) If I had; I’m pretty sure I would have had my cash out long before the last notes of Precious Stone had filtered into the ether. This, dear reader is an album of raw, sizzling and timeless juke joint, Country Blues that will stir both your heart and soul. I don’t know much about The Reverend apart from him moving to Spain several years ago then travelling around Europe playing bars and Festivals out of the back of a van. But, as usual …. it’s all about the music, isn’t it? That first song barely finishes when you are hit square on with the raw energy of Moonshine Special …. with it’s full on attack on your senses from a virtual one man Blues Band. Our man has an amazing voice; the type that carries the the experiences of his years and most certainly has stories to tell. Channeling his inner Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt via Townes Van Zandt at his lowest; The Reverend drops in powerful songs like Every Twist and Turn, Way Down and Ain’t That The Woman as make weights; while on albums by most other Bluesmen would be absolute highlights. It’s not clear who has produced these songs or where they were recorded; but someone has certainly ‘bottled the magic’ in a way many and most solo acoustic acts fail to manage. John’s guitar playing is extraordinary at times; coming across as sweet and incisive one minute and then heavier than many rockers can achieve the next; and don’t get me started on his harmonica playing …. it get scary at times, with Frenchman’s Quarter being a prime example but there are others too. In the course of a year I probably receive 5 or 6 albums in this style; and while all have their merits; I can’t remember the last one tat effected me this way with it’s passion and authenticity crashing together like thunder and lightning on a stormy night. Depending on my given mood any one of 6 songs could and will be my Favourite Song; starting with the style and swagger of Shoot The Rooster and ending with the skewed Terri Lee that closes the album; and in between the slow and slinky Sing The Blues and Silver Band certainly have their merits and become contenders; and normally how can I look past any song called Mr Cool? But, there’s one other that grabbed my attention the first time I played the album; Step Out For Me Darling; a song of intricate beauty and I swear there must have been sparks coming off the guitar strings and out of his harmonica during the recording! His website doesn’t give a lot away about his background, so I’m going to have to contact my mate Gary who is a font of all knowledge in this arena; as I need to know a lot more about the Reverend Richard John.
Contemporary Singer-Songwriter That Transcends The Generations
This is a fascinating album even if you don’t know Katie Whitehouse’s ‘story.’ Without taking up too much time; she is typical of many musicians and music fans; playing instruments and singing ‘for fun’ until someone says “You should make a record.“ In Katie’s case she was flattered but dismissed it as a flight of fancy; but quietly went about writing some songs (200+) ultimately culling this to 10 songs …. 14 years after starting the project! As regular readers will know; I hadn’t read the core of the e-mail when I first played her album so when I heard the first song, Spaces it was like a breath of fresh air; as Katie’s translucent vocals alongside a piano and occasional strings was totally captivating. Although it sounds nothing like her vocally, I got the feeling Katie could be a fan of Joni Mitchell in the poetic way she writes as well as the spacing in the song itself. Of course there are scores of female singer-songwriters out there and I receive most of their work at one time or another; but to my ears there is something really special about Katie Whitehouse’s writing style; taking her influences into the studio but using them sparingly, and trusting her own talents to flow and capture the listeners’ attention. The second song, Seventeen mirrors Janis Ian’s song of the same title; but somehow Katie digs deeper and gives her song an extra contemporary ‘edge’ as she gives ‘life advice’ to someone very close. For someone who was quite self-depreciating in her covering e-mail; I’ve been very impressed with the way she not just writes her songs; but the way she delivers the title track Drawing Lines as well as Never Be Told and the haunting Welcome To The World too, with its contemporary Colliery band backing. All art and music is subjective; some you like and some you don’t with no rhyme nor reason for either; just personal taste …. and I’ve quickly become smitten with the songs of Katie Whitehouse; who sounds like a seasoned professional throughout; most especially with the arrangements on the majestic Earthman; an ode to her step-father who was a scientist, but also someone who delved into homeopathic remedies; which juxtaposition comes across in the charming way Katie delivers this tragically beautiful song. In her e-mail Katie makes great light of her ‘age’ …. but once you sit down and listen to her songs they become ageless and timeless; engaging with people of all ages and ethnicity; tugging at the heartstrings while giving you something to think about too; with Never To Be Told and the Insurgent Folkiness of Keep Her Safe being prime examples. For a Favourite Song, I’m selecting the dark and smouldering Man Of Few Words, mostly because of the sensitive arrangement that allows Katie’s virtually spoken singing style feels like a love song wrapped up in a heartbreaking break-up song. For a DIY album, the production here is tip-top, bringing out the very best in a raw new talent that deserves to be heard by the many, not the few.
Cutting Edge, Charmingly Velvety Late Night Smoky Jazz Infused Lo-Fi
Three years ago we described Anna Lavigne’s debut album Angels in Sandshoes as a Cornucopia of Musical Loveliness and then her second album Roses For the Ride s Grown-Up Late Night Avant Garde Dinner Jazz Loveliness With a touch of Celtic Charm Too and both epithets stand true for this her third album in as many years; although she has somehow moved on quite dramatically musically. Opening song Edge of the World starts with some delightful acoustic guitar before Anna’s warm and sultry vocals make an appearance; and even though the backbeat is actually wonderful; you will be so engrossed in Ms Lavigne’s voice and words you will barely notice the first 5 or 6 times you play this album. The ethereal Butterfly follows suit and bizarrely makes me think that this may be how Dusty Springfield may have sounded if all of the strings and orchestral arrangements had been stripped away. While not a ‘happy clappy’ album in any which way, Anna’s songs are all designed to make you smile …. and sigh too. A few weeks ago I finally visited a Jazz Club in Newcastle where the upstairs room has a tiny corner stage draped with dark velvet curtains that holds about 50 and a bar stocked with exotic gins, rums and whisky’s too; and that’s where songs like Flowers of Hope, Jaguar and Falling would all find their spiritual home; or at least have accompanying videos filmed there. Normally at this stage reviewers are expected to say something like ‘I can hear where Anna’s songwriting has grown and blossomed‘ …. but it hasn’t, as it’s still as cutting edge and charming in equal measures as that debut album three years ago, sensitive too …. as you will hear when the Parisian flavoured Scots Love Song-Noir; Reclamation makes you close your eyes and drift away on a tide of loveliness. “The Beachcomber went drifting, along a Northern shore Where she met a troubled man, she felt she’d known before His clothes were feathered, frayed and torn with sunburnt golden skin, His eyes were of the bluest flame that startled her within“ …. imagine Marianne Faithfull backed by the Hot Club de Paris playing in that club I mentioned. While I’ve obviously focussed on Anna Lavigne’s wonderful talents; I can’t help but mention the immaculate production by one Martin George Stephenson, which feels influenced by both George Martin and Phil Spector in equal measures. When it came to selecting a singular Favourite Song I’ve been left biting my nails for fear of making a mistake; as the sublimely clever love song Polar Pull certainly has to be a contender as it simply aches with longing; then the final song; the haunting duet with MG Stephenson Peace & Plenty made me go “Oooh” out loud, much to Mrs Magpie’s merriment when I was listening on headphones. But there is one other that caught my attention even before I’d heard it, simply because the title Our Lady Of Guadalupe sounded familiar; possibly a Tom Russell or Nanci Griffith song perhaps; but no … this is brand new and from Anna’s pen and heart. The relatively simple production and arrangement is all these strong and powerful words need and Anna Lavigne and Martin Stephenson should be rightly proud of this stand out song. I’m still inclined to describe this album as Avant-Garde and Jazzish; but that may put a lot of potential purchasers off; but it’s deep in places yet ‘easy listening,’ dark at times but with bright and breezy melodies too. What else? Nothing really …. just Anna Lavigne’s beautiful and smoky voice carries the listener through some wonderful stories that I can’t recommend highly enough.
Musicians: Anna Lavigne: lead vocals, bvs Martin Stephenson: acoustic and electric guitars, dobro, keyboards, bass, percussion, bvs Gary Dunn: lead electric guitar (track 7) Charlie Smith: drums and percussion (track 7) Martin Winning: saxophones (track 4) clarinet (track 10) Edmund John Sloggie – accordion (tracks 8 & 9) Craig McDonald additional drumming
The Rocking Magpie 