Dusty and Occasionally Ambient Americana and Alt. Country Drenched Modern Country
Austin, Texas-based JM Stevens’ second album, Nowhere to Land, is not as raucous as his debut of 2019, Invisible Lines, but is still full of the same solid songwriting, with a clean, modern production, and Stevens voice up front. Stevens has a clear bright voice destined for country pop, and it shines on these ten tunes.
Modern Country has learned much from Americana/Alt-Country over the years and 25 years ago Modern Country was trying to sound more like an arena rock band, but nowadays they’ve added touches of slide guitar, obligatory Hammond B3, and traded in the four-to-the-floor Rock drums for something a little more dusty and ambient. Add a touch of psychedelic ambience to that with Stevens’ song “Dry Creek” which reels you in with acoustic guitars picking out a bluesy walk-down, a swirling organ bubbling through the undercurrents of the song, and a world-weary vocal.
“Cherry Sunburst” is a Country Pop tune extolling the virtues of the perfect guitar, under the guise of a love song. Are guitars better than relationships? There is definitely an argument to be had there.
The title track, “Nowhere to Land” finds Stevens contemplating an unexamined life: “It’s hard to find the words to say, So I’m gonna do less looking And more listening today”
The guitars seemingly giving the impression of a man walking back to when life was good. It’s not everybody who can write with such positivity and make it genuine, but Stevens has a way of crafting his songs in such a way that they don’t patronize.
There’s a satisfying dobro on “After the Storm” that weaves around the vocals, while Stevens sings about starting over and creating hope. I’m wondering if this one was crafted during the pandemic with it’s imagery of empty places and loneliness.
“Cobwebs” is a broken romance song, Stevens attempting to figure out how to fix a busted relationship, then “Too Fast for Me” ends the album in a reflective mode, another failed relationship song—what is it with songwriters and bad romance? But Stevens keeps it hopeful, which seems to be his lynchpin. “Yes, I messed up, but I’m hopeful for change,” is what he seems to be seeing in these songs and that’s a worthy sentiment right there.
Stevens also runs a recording studio in Austin, Texas and has done an admirable job of producing this album, filling it with dreamy keyboards, lush guitars, crisp drums, none of which get in the way of Stevens lyrics. I would have appreciated a bit more of the psychedelia like on the first track, “Dry Creek” but this is a great collection of songs, either way.
The Avett Brothers The Avett Brothers Ramseur Records/ American Recordings/Thirty Tigers
Excellent Genre Fluid Americana Imbued Bluegrass and Alt. Country With Folk Flourishes Too.
Brothers, Scott (banjo, vocals) and Seth (guitars, vocals) Avett; aka The Avett Brothers from Concord, North Carolina have been around for over two decades; with longtime band member Bob Crawford (acoustic, electric bass) with them most of the time and Joe Kwon (cello) and Mike Marsh (drums) are the band’s other mainstays. They have carved out a well respected niche in the music business, with twelve full length albums to their name, and the awards, nominations and critical acclaim to go with them. For the uninitiated, The Avett Brothers cover folk, country, bluegrass, pop, and rock and to a degree ‘singer-songwriter’ can also be thrown into the mix
Never Apart (w/ vocal prelude) opens their latest record with some beautiful lyrics. Spread over the record there’s a mix of family ties (members of the band included) growing up and with spiritual grace drawn upon too. Like it’s most recent predecessor, Closer Than Together it’s produced by good friend and famed producer, Rick Rubin. In the world of Americana music Rubin will forever be linked to the late Johnny Cash and how he revived the Man In Black’s career on American Recordings.
Since their last album as a band, five years ago there has been Seth Avett’s solo record, ’Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown” because the singer-songwriter is a hero of his. Sometimes the brothers can venture off into totally unexpected directions, but they always return to base. Their album, Mignonette (2003) recently became the subject of a musical (picked up by an outside force) focussing on a 1880s shipwreck tragedy and performed in January this year in Washington DC to good critical acclaim. Stories passed on down from their father, non fiction with a particular interest in heroism and survivalism has served them well Seth and Scott’s above noted album Mignonette came from the book, The Custom Of The Sea.
Amidst the honours, and album records one of the units biggest musical recordings saw them covering Tom T. Hall’s perennial That’s How I Got To Memphis (undoubtedly they are admirers of the Nashville Storyteller, and two other songs for the all-star Punch Brothers, (Jack White, Rhiannon Giddens, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings Machine, Elvis Costello, Joan Baez among others) recording, Another Day, Another Time : Celebrating The Music Of “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2015, Nonesuch Records), this recording came in the wake of the acclaimed T. Bone Burnett, Joel and Ethan Cohen produced movie Inside Llewyn Davis.
Returning to the present, the excellent songwriters Scott and Seth Avett include the seven minute epic Cheap Coffee which is warmed through with gentle keyboards and guitars presenting a really soothing brew that features some poetic chapters. It’s a far cry from powerfully propelled, Love Of A Girl that offers punk and rock wrapped together as it spirals round the moon a couple of times. Striking! “Got a good deal on flowers at the grocery store” reminds me in a complimentary way of a few acts (the V-Roys?) and is a great use of creative energy. Forever Now though, is particularly sombre in spirit, aided by upright bass, acoustic guitars and drums finds them in reflective, questioning mood, highlighted by the graceful, keyboard entries as the song shuffles along neatly.
Country Kid has a quirky, addictive edge, speaking of growing up in the country confines of North Carolina. “Smokes in a homemade shirt welding machines, having parties in the woods, dragging friends from the neighbourhood” and “the shape of bodies in the pale of moonlight. Flowing fast, like the Mississippi“ Primed in fiddle, banjo and other traditional country wares the boys are found at their best.
Orion’s Belt flies out of the blocks and is excellent (as ever) with lead vocals that are powered by an incessant, bustling rhythm, smoking fiddle and among other delights a wonderful, lead electric guitar solo. Hence a happy feeling ensues for anyone hearing it.
2020 Regret calms it all down again, as to the sound of little other than piano warm, the measured lead vocals (Scott) embrace your attention and heart and soul of the listener. It speaks of how the love of another isn’t always as visible as it could. It’s something John Fullbright could easily have written and I would like to hear him perform it, as it’s a keeper alright. Spurred on by dramatic interludes of fiddle and piano the characters passion overflows as seamless harmony vocals give exceptional support.
Stripped-down Broken Bones too has a special feel, with its intelligent musical arrangements (piano, cello etc) after an a cappella Folk styled intro to the lead and harmony vocals. “Every town has the same broken bones and the loneliness. Someone is waiting for me, somewhere apart from the part I can see, he never visits except in my dreams” The singer delivers, in a personal reflectiveness and solitude, as the song has all three in abundance oozing from its veins. Quality.
The melancholy of We Are Loved wanders, slowly forth, mellow with the sensitive timbre of the lead vocals being totally excellent, varying on occasions from superb to sublime. On introduction of the second (and third) voice the song is lifted to even greater heights. It’s one of those that becomes more profound with every listen. I imagine done live you will be able to hear the proverbial pin drop. What a way to sign off. On hearing this records I now feel the urge to hunt out more from the Avett Brothers
Alt. Country to Invest Time In To Get The Best Out Of and They Will Repay You Many Times Over.
This review should have been a lot simpler and quicker off the mark, as Mrs Magpie still plays the previous Claire Bowen album religiously every week, so it’s ingrained in my psyche making the follow up something short of a ‘cut n paste’ exercise surely? Nothing could be further from the truth it turns out, for several reasons … not least because this is definitely a duo album, with Bowen’s husband Brandon Robert Young getting equal billing, and deserving it too as he is very much an equal entity here. Even knowing that in advance I still presumed the songs here would be from the commercial end of the spectrum and yet again I was wrong! Much to Mrs Magpie’s initial disappointment and my pleasure, Bowen Young have thrown the baby out with the bath water and created an album that errs more on the Alt. side of Country music with a few Indie Rock flourishes in the shadows too, which has meant we’ve had this album on heavy rotation over the weekend. The gutsy opening track Water To Wine comes out of the speakers like something from the pits of Hell! Any thoughts of twee kissy kissy love are left at the starting gate, as the two give it everything they have to express their love for each other. What follows is generally heavier and occasionally darker than you’d expect; starting with Track #2 Hair Of The Dog which finds Claire Bowen on lead with foggy harmonies as she regrets the goings on from the night before, then Brandon cuts in with his version of events, which may not corollate with Bowen’s. I shouldn’t really do this, but it reminds me of the type of song that The Exes sang in the Nashville TV programme, and will surely find a home among a younger demographic. Now I think about it, the album is probably targeting a younger and more passionately cynical audience than Bowen’s first album … with songs like Gets Late Early, the raw To The Bone and God Forbidden all targeting the lovelorn and heartbroken. I know that can mean older people like myself; but the arrangements hear are heavier than normal and will appeal to the freshly divorced. Speaking of ‘age’ we both new that Halo was a cover song; but I had to Google it to find that it was a gazillion seller for Beyonce! I’m not knowledgeable to do a ‘compare and contrast’ but this bittersweet love song is certainly one of the highlights here, with both Bowen and Young using their voices like instruments rather than voice boxes. The more I’ve played the album, the more I’ve come to like it, especially the chances the couple have taken; choosing and arranging songs for their own pleasure rather than for ‘commercial success’ … I mean including a bouncy Gospel fuelled song like World Brand New will be a surefire end of concert singalong; but on record feels a little out of place, but is a pretty damn good song anyway. When it came to selecting a Favourite Song Mrs Magpie was non-committal, erring perhaps on the orchestral and almost theatrical title track US, or maybe when pushed – Aurora and I can’t really disagree; but I’ve gone Seven Days as Brandon Young totally bares his soul as his partner purrs her harmonies beside him, no doubt with a loving smile on her face. This album certainly wasn’t as ‘immediate’ as I’d expected and hoped, but all in all I’ve come to really enjoy it a lot more than my wife has; possibly because some of the songs are challenging in subject matter and the way they are arranged too, which appeals to me. Here’s a thing … I think the people who actually buy a copy (LP, CD or even download) will play it a lot more than those who use streaming services, as you have to invest time to get the best out of these songs, and when you do they will repay you many times over.
Digging Deep To Turn a Lot of Personal Experiences Into Alt. Country Songs With a Bluesy Tinge
As soon as I received this album I recognised Pi Jacob’s name and her 2020 release TWO TRUTH’S and a LIE, which made it into that year’s Top 20 albums list, and still gets the occasional run out in the car. It appears a lot has happened in Ms Jacob’s life over the last few years, and she’s dug deep here to turn a lot of personal experiences into songs; and not just any old songs; but ones that will resonate with even the most casual of listeners. “Hallelujah, it’s just me again,” she sings on the album’s opener, Hallelujah a raucous mix of Folk/Soft Rock/Alt. Country with a Bluesy aftertaste …. which I like a lot. Her words are astute and intricately observational as she looks forward to ‘time on her own’ rather than wallowing in self-pity following a break-up. While her beautifully distinctive voice carries on from where she left off in 2020; but the content matter here and the way Pi Jacobs has written these songs shows a woman approaching the top of her game after serving a twenty year apprenticeship. I doubt she could have written Two High, Too Low, or Smoke Signals at any other time in her career as alongside the fan base that has grown with her both songs (and others) are very much from the heart of someone who has lived a life of ups and downs … and come out the other-side relatively unscathed. To some degree, the songwriting here reminds me of Lucinda Williams circa WEST and LITTLE HONEY, as there’s a strong sense of melancholia drenched in hope that simultaneously appeals to your heart, soul, and brain. The second verse in particular of I Don’t Feel Lonely sums up the mood of the songs that flow through this album: “Years are never kind to the laborer of love Keep a running tab, of things that you gave up A simple kind of life, was never in the cards I don’t know how to not follow my heart“ While ostentatiously a ‘break-up’ album, Pi never sits back wallowing; she’s too fine a songwriter for that … and as we all know, heartbreak always begets a smart song that will touch the heart of a listener who has gone through the same thing and felt alone until they hear Mermaid and Something To Lose which were probably aimed at kindred spirits the world over. Even though I’m happily married; I’ve always loved album like this …. it brings out the romantic side of me; which brings me to my choice of Favourite Song. On an album of clever, fascinating and cool songs, it’s not been easy; but two got 4 stars in my original notes and I probably feel that they still stand out today, a week later … Coyote bounces along like a Western stagecoach running late, as Pi uses this misunderstood creature as a metaphor for her life, as Adam Hall plays a mean Dobro in the background alongside a militaristic drum beat. The other, a very punchy My Last Day is the type of song I think Linda Ronstadt would have given her eye-teeth for if she was still recording these days; it really is that good with gold plated hook and a chorus written with audiences in mind. It’s a very crowded market out there with are a lot of female singers and songwriters a bit like Pi Jacobs; but there is something really special about her singing and especially her astute and innovative about her songwriting that will push her to the front of the pack.
Crisp, Astute, Articulate and Always Worth Your Time and Effort to Listen And Absorb
The first thing that caught my attention with this release was the artist’s name – Heather Little, which is the same as my favorite Sister in Law who sadly died 10 or so years ago and is still missed today. This Heather Little appears to be a completely different proposition all together! Texas Heather is what is known as a ‘songwriters songwriter’ with only one album from 2013 to her name; but several hits from top-shelf acts that you hear regularly on the radio; to her name. Many of our favourite female acts at RMHQ fall under that same banner; with their own albums being exemplary in our opinion; but regularly falling under the radar. The album opens with Five Deer County, a drole and gut wrenching ballad featuring the wonderfully monikered Randy Van Sickle; about a couple with no money to spare, yet the man still finds enough to finance his hunting trips …. “San Saba, you can have him cause I can’t compete That five deer county is the girl of his dreams Ain’t no babies crying in that old Airstream I was strangling that boy with my apron strings Choking that boy with my apron strings” “ It’s a very clever and articulate song, that by Country Music standards actually borders on ‘poetry,’ but more of that to come. The pace drops on the second song; the harrowing Hands Like Mine which features the fabulous Patty Griffin on BV and harmonies, while both voices also make your spine tingle. While not sounding like either, Heather Little’s voice and songs will most certainly appeal to fans of Patty Griffin and late dear departed Nanci Griffith, by the way, There are ‘no laughs here’ as Heather digs deep for her songs; mostly observational like the dark Landfall, This Life Without You (again alongside Patty Griffin) and the world wearying Bones too. I guess it’s no surprise that after all these years Heather Little’s songwriting is crisp, astute and always worth your time and effort to listen to and absorb; Transistor Radio being a prime example … “Seventeen ain’t what it was when my grand dad was a boy And he lied about his age so they’d let him fight the war Then my brother took his turn Lord did our family foot the bill They just thanked him for his service And pumped him full of pills.” I said ‘poetry’ earlier and I believe that to be an influence on Little’s writing; but invariably what she’s created here are a series of short stories, set to music the way they are constructed; with several …. the horrible story inside My Fathers Roof, then Sunset Inn and the Hill Country Noir of Better By Now, all deserve storyboard videos to run alongside them. While I’d love to hear any or all of these songs on radio; there’s absolutely nothing that fits into what Country Radio deems to be worthy of their time these days; probably because they are all too ‘real’ in content and arrangement; but there’s always the shows on Community/College Radio who are less afraid and a whole lot more adventurous in the music they play. Which brings me to my selection of Favourite Song; at first it was going to be the vividly detailed and powerful Gunpowder and Lead alongside Van Plating that features a stark fiddle and some very angry acoustic picking as well as two bewitching voices. Then on a car ride (in the dark) Better By Now featuring Ronnie Bowman and sounds like Heather is channeling her inner Ashley McBryde at times; caught me by surprise and became a contender; but at the end of the day I can’t see past the the harrowing mixed up love song, California Queen which nearly microwaved my heart at one stage and still takes my breath away, a week later… which shows you the power Heather exudes through her words and music. “I will always be the queen of your California king While all the jesters come and go with no strings attached They don’t know I am a fixture I am a mixture of confusion and the surest thing you will ever know Believe your California queen is on her throne.” Perhaps it’s the mood I’m in at the moment; not as dark as a few months ago, I hasten to add; but every one of these songs has touched me in one way or another, and several made me think about friends and family who are or have gone through the torments that Heather Little has not just wrote about, but put her heart and soul to singing them too.
West Coast Country Rock Meets Pop-Country Behind a Grungy Biker Bar
East Nashville-based duo, Johnny and KP Hawthorn are chasing success in a hugely competitive market place, but they do have an edge over their contempories with the style of music they perform, Pop, country / Alt-Americana steeped in solid harmonies and energetic music.
Zero Gravity is the former LA located (independently and as a duo Johnny and KP obtained their start in music) HawtThorns’ third album, recorded live with the band onto a 2 inch tape at the Wood Brothers’ recording studio. Musical director Ted Pecchio (bass), Jane Rix (keyboards), Nick Buda (drums) and guitar playing Johnny Hawthorn providing the base for KP’s nicely toned lead vocals.
Nothing But A Shadow opens the album, bustling along, the music and vocal delivery are positive from the word go, then title-track, Zero Gravity speaks of coming to terms on losing your soulmate, it’s a mellow and dreamy at times, as the music contains wonderful soothing qualities. Spirited Hands On A Clock has a strong, cushioned rocking vibe, here they speak of ‘keeping your feet on the ground, keep you ear on the sound, keep your friends all around, there’s no stopping us now’. Plied in lead electric guitar and a general good to be alive ambiance it is a winner. Keenly driven, keyboards aid Trouble giving it a hooky, pop rhythm, as KP speaks of how ‘trouble comes looking for you, and the prettiest things get chocked out’.
Fakin It sees a welcome relaxed change in direction as KP is allowed more space to entice the listener, with her prompting tones ’I don’t want to see your pretty face, anymore, in fact I’m glad you’re gone For a while I believed you were just what I need’, as she explains away a short lived attraction. No more need to fake it.
Of a more mellow, thought provoking measured feel, Flying eases ever so gently into one’s subconscious, as she suggests to another to take control of what you can in this land of insanity. ‘You don’t need someone to tell you what you are carrying ….Sometimes you gotta let the rain fall down’. Shuffling percussion drives the track and her caressing vocals are as good if not better than on any other track.
Don’t Plan To Lose races out of the blocks with smart lead electric guitar rumbling into the underbelly as the rapid loose rhythm section guide KP’s fine lead and seamless harmony assists. Shades of 1970s California’s West Coast Country Rock swamp the guitar work, as well as having a little jangling and swirling twang. Brilliant.
Long Game evokes of the twilight hours, such is the imagery portrayed. ‘I’m trying to get a better deal. Hold on for the pay off. You gotta play the long game’ sings KP on the warmed acoustic guitar, and steady rhythm nicely propel the song along.
Don’t Wait By The Phone explodes out of the blocks as Johnny handles lead vocals in majestic fashion. Driven by impressive keyboards, drums, lead electric guitar (a swirling solo included) he takes charge, Big time. Can we have more of this next time around I enquire (plead)?
On a gentle, whimsical note Save This One sashays gently along as a dreamy, contemporary Pop Rocker speaking of love and its intricacies.
From the 1960s – 1970s the duo perform a most credible version of the classic, When Will I Be Loved, best known from the catalogue of the Everly Brothers (No, 1 hit in 1960), and later there was Linda Ronstadt’s 1976 dynamic stellar version! Here they have singer-songwriter Alice Wallace adding complimentary sibling-like, harmony vocals and I couldn’t have wished for a better way for them to close the record.
Neil Bob Herd & DLAB 5 Song Reel Cattle Call Music
Scots-Americana Themes For an Imaginary Film Noir
If you don’t already know who Neil Bob Herd is, I can’t better the way he introduced himself on a recent e-mail; ‘one time Coal Porter and now a permanent Scots Americana Operative.‘ So; when you have that in mind, your Spidey-senses will go into over drive here, starting with the broodingly dark Angel At My Table which features some stellar steel guitar work from Paul Fitzgerald, mallets and maracas in the boot from Gary Smith Lyons and sinuous lows from Scot II AKA Glenn Lamberton. My first impression was to call it Scots-Noir; but there’s a certain amount of ‘charm’ too hiding in the sparse lyrics; but Scots-Noir is as good a way as any to describe it. This is followed by a grungy four minutes of Brother which will take you a few plays to get past the Link Wray meets Brian Setzer sleezy and hypnotic guitars via Billy Muir, before you get to unravel the lyrics, a story about the make of the species bottling things up, and desperate for a metaphorical ‘arm around the shoulder’ from someone who recognises the look in his eyes. Now, if you can combine the ‘sound’ both of those songs create you get The Heart, The Mind, The Purse a live track, that’s curled up around part of a Martin Luther King Jr. speach that is fuelled by an inner sense of compassion and hope, and becomes a mantra that will stay in your head for a long time afterwards. The all too brief mini-album closes with a heartfelt and David Lynch inspired instrumental rendition of the Frankie Valli hit, The Night which sounds uncannily like The Shadows with a morning after hangover. Just before that there’s my Favourite Song of the five; Who’s Going To Dance (with me)? which is a veritable Twang fest that sounds like it could have been one of Alex Harvey’s last recording before re-inventing himself as the Sensational Alex Harvey. This is a totally fascinating and highly listenable project from Neil Bob Herd, and totally unlike anything I’ve heard from him before … which is a good thing as I love it when musicians step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to try something new…. and it works a treat.
*PS if I’ve understood the concept correctly this release will be available as a ‘single a week’ from Apr 5 – May 3 2024.
Insurgent Country That Deliberately and Delicately Colours Outside The Normal Lines.
We’d almost definitely have missed this release if our eagle-eyed reviewer Bill Redhead hadn’t spotted a Tweet from Sarah talking about its’ imminent release; so as is my won’t I followed it up with Sarah herself and thankfully she is the patient type and regardless of my ongoing e-mail issues with Outlook, we finally received a download late that evening, and here I am three days later, totally besotted. It was Bill who reviewed Sarah’s original EP, but there’s very little I’d have changed had I done it myself – it really is/was a belter of a debut … as is this, Sarah’s debut Album. Ms. King describes her music as ‘Gothic Americana’ and I can’t disagree, but there’s a healthy dose of both Blues and Country in her music too, which all comes together as a spicy Gumbo somewhere on the Alt. Country spectrum. The hypnotic opening track Lord Take My Soul is a prime example; and I can imagine the singer standing menacingly at the mic. as she spits and growls out her story; challenging the listener to metaphorically ‘make eye contact.’ First and foremost, this album revolves around Sarah King’s distinctive vocals, which delicately balance gritty and soulful at the same time; occasionally using it on the sultry side during Always an Almost and Pretty Things which also actually do err on the side of Gothic in the way the songs are arranged. The songwriter takes on some interesting subjects for her songs; although I (and you) have heard many a song about the ‘perils of drinking’ and sadly we all know someone on either side of the glass; but very few match the pain Sarah conjures up on the heartbreaking Blame It On The Booze. This is matched note for note by the ballad Whiskey Thinking; a regular staple in both Country and Blues music alike; but again Sarah finds a whole new thread to pull on to make you sit back open mouthed. Okay; Sarah has been on the road for most of her adult life; but that doesn’t necessarily mean she would be a good songwriter; but that’s the very least way I can describe her prose here – it’s simply outstanding for a debut album …. as the punchy, pedal to the metal When It All Comes Down and Devil’s Try prove with both being the type of songs I’d expect to hear from Beth Hart or Bonnie Raitt; and that’s the honest truth. As usual I’ve played this album several times now, both in the office and also in the car; and it works fine in both arenas; especially the car where that claustrophobic feeling of being alone is the perfect way to hear and get the best from songs like The Moth and the powerful sapphic love song Hey Hey What Can I Do? too. While this sounds very much like a full on band effort in the way the songs are constructed and arranged; but obviously; everything revolves around Sarah King’s fabulously emotive voice; which most certainly comes to the fore on the two songs that tie for the accolade of RMHQ Favourite Song. The first; The Longest Night can’t decide if it’s a Power Ballad or a Torch Song; and inside my head it’s the the of song that if it was a cocktail would taste like a fizzy soft drink, but when you try to stand up your legs will give way and you will fall flat on your face; such is the hidden potency in both words and deed throughout. The other is You Were Wrong About Me; and it’s the type of song that will appeal to both men and women alike, although I think it’s aimed at the female of the species who have come out of a bad relationship slightly damaged; but kicking and screaming into the daylight and able to move on in a righteous manner. For many years I was a huge fan of Bloodshot Records who were keen advocates of something they called Insurgent Country and that’s exactly how I think this album could be described; “a rebel or a revolutionary, someone who takes up arms against the authorities” which is exactly how Sarah King sounds to me … someone who colours outside the lines in the name of her Art.
The Soundtrack to an Emotional Rollercoaster Road Trip in a ‘Beaten- up Chevy Van’ In The Baking Heat.
This is only the 4th of Ted Russell Kamp’s numerous solo albums that we’ve reviewed; and while he has a template that he works from; it’s also fair to say that each has been significantly different from its’ predecessor to make following Kamp’s career never less than fascinating. Another common denominator is the artwork Kamp uses for his album covers, which draw you in; and if you were aimlessly scrolling through the racks of a cool record store would make you stop and peruse the front and back; and you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that the contents would be in the Eagles/Poco/Little River Band territories; but with a contemporary ‘edge’ courtesy of Kamp having been the ‘bad ass’ bass player in Shooter Jennings Band alongside featuring both in the studio as well as on the road with a hot of other acts that are staples of our record collections. That’s the long winded intro over with; now to tell you about the music …
The album opens with California Son itself; and the carefully selected play on words; sets the scene for what is to follow, a road trip in a ‘beaten up Chevy van’ that is something of an emotional rollercoaster in the baking hot sunshine. It’s no surprise to find that the production here is crystal clear; but with enough darkness in the shadows to create an all pervading stilted atmosphere in songs like The Upside to The Downside, Miracle Mile and the skewed passion of Hard To Hold that craves your full attention; and you won’t feel short changed with your investment. Personally, I like the way Kamp ‘paints pictures with words’ so if you kick back and close your eyes you can easily create your own personal videos to Roll Me ‘Til The Sun Comes Up and the heartbreaker, One Word At a Time as well as the Kerouac influenced (?) ballad Firelight. We all know how much hard work that goes into the creation of a long playing record; but one of the absolute joys listening to California Son is the effortless cool that the finished article delivers. All those long nights and barely different ‘takes’ are long forgotten when you hear the Blue Collar ode Hanging On The Blues and Shine On which will make you softly smile while tapping your toes and sipping a cold beer as the sun goes down as will the bouncy High Dessert Fever.
This is far from being a ‘concept album’ but the way the songs drift into and out of each other, you know for sure Ted Russell Kamp has put in a helluva lot of thought into the sequencing; but still leaves a bit of wriggle room, for songs to be selected and played on the radio as singles, with the album closer Every Little Thing treading into the path that Tom Petty and John Mellencamp thought they’d made their own. Which brings me to the two songs squabbling for the accolade of RMHQ Favourite Song. Ballad Of The Troubadour is a ‘given’, something of a ‘songwriters’ song’ and the use of a steel guitar as the lead instrument will bring a tear to a glass eye. The other is a song I was immediatly drawn to because of its title; Hanging On Blues another deep Blue Collar song with an Indie Country ‘edge’ albeit a rusty edge, to it and Kamp’s insights are the sort that Springsteen and Earle used to be able to bash out; but no longer can …. so all hail Ted Russell Kamp! With Kamp’s judicious use of melodies and catchy tunes, California Son is deceptively ‘easy listening’ until the penny eventually drops and you find your jaw dropping open and a sigh followed by an ‘ooh’ come out, as the carefully worded messages in his stories finally unravel.
The Pernice Brothers Who Will You Believe New West Records
Beautifully Conceived and Executed, Joyously Melancholic Songs – Who Could Want Anything More?
It’s been a while….in the five years since 2019’s “Spread the Feeling” Joe Pernice has undergone the dips of life’s rollercoaster – in a single six-month stretch in 2019 Pernice was left reeling from the deaths of two friends and a close family member. Pernice’s response was to recognise “That was such a bad stretch of time. When things settled some I was thinking about them a lot and doing my best to try and take nothing for granted.”
The partial outcome of that time and the times around then is this very welcome new release “Who Will You Believe” – it begins with the joyously twangy title track, which is something straight out of the Travelling Wilburys/Bennett Wilson Poole playbook of chiming guitars and mighty choruses and harmonies. “I fell in love with the possible world then I smashed my heart against the stone”.
“Look Alive” stays in similar musical territory, but is rhythmically jauntier, with added brass and falsetto choruses. The oddly titled “Not This Pig” provokes the listener with “it’s so embarrassing to see you now…” line and Jellyfish (the band) melodic shifts and psychedelic backwards guitar swathes.
There’s a beautiful acoustic downturn with the close-mic-ed “What We Had” which echoes the Velvet Underground in their more reflective moments – melodically gorgeous, “It’s hard to watch good love go bad” was never so delicately and melodiously framed – and it has a swooning guitar solo to match. One of the best songs I’ve heard this year so far…
“December in Her Eyes” keeps things low key, taking a slight diversion down a southern Philly soul track on this tail of love about to go wrong…brass and strings leap into the equation and it all ends up in a Dusty Springfield orchestral finale. “A Song for Sir Robert Helpmann” (A former Australian ballet dancer and choreographer) is somewhat fittingly in waltz time – it’s a lush, orchestral sway-along – and apart from the backing of “Da-da-dee” on the melody line, it’s an instrumental interlude that would serve as the backing to a scene in a weird French arty romance movie.
The tempo kicks back up with “Hey Guitar” and its busy Powerpop riffing overlaid with slashes of acoustic strums. There’s a taste of psychedelia in the distorted guitar and telephone vocals and in the lyrical nods to “Tune in , turn on, drop out”. “A Man of Means” inhabits similar territory, but takes the musical spirit of The Beatles “Taxman” with its heavy bass and swirling guitar – stating that “She’s a man of mean like this world has never seen”…and many more “een” rhymes!
“I Don’t Need That Anymore” leans back into gentler acoustic twang and chime and features a crystal pure duet contribution from Neko Case, whereas “Ordinary Goldmine” keeps things low(er) key with an Elliot Smith-type moody reflection on not being able to “remember the cues or signs”. Into the final stretch, “How Will We Sleep” starts with a quiet count-in before the strummed waltz time of the the truism “if you’ve found love in life, you’ve found everything” stripped back to the basics of mainly vocal and guitar, it doesn’t need much more – melody and emotion unite to make a very lovely thing.
Final track “The Purple Rain” gently and summatively faces the themes of loss, acceptance and acknowledgement spread across the album “Remember me to her sea-bound train. Remember me to her fruited plains. Purple mountains and purple rain won’t always separate the shining seas. The wake is washing over me.” The swell of Toronto’s Choir! Choir! Choir! On the later choruses give the song an even greater strength of message and it’s a joyous, yet somewhat oxymoronic acceptance of inevitability and the need for carpe diem. It may have been five years, but it was certainly worth the wait. There’s not an ounce of fat anywhere on this album – beautifully conceived and executed, it’s going to be in my albums of the year list come December. Welcome back….
The Rocking Magpie 