Natalie Jane Hill SOLELY

Natalie Jane Hill
Solely
Dear Life Records

A Smartly Subdued and Not Too Gauzy Dreamscape of Musings and Late Night Woolgathering.

Recorded on analog tape during the pandemic, this sophomore effort by Texan native Natalie Jane Hill is something of a document of solitude and inward reflection.
Driven by Hill’s softly plucked acoustic along with her pure and lovely voice, and fueled by her poetic observations of detailed simplicity, SOLELY isn’t sonically anything new, but that’s not even near the point.
These songs come at you like they are ripped out and then found again, discarded pages from a dream journal, impressionist scraps of life, day to day musings, late night woolgathering, early morning dream haze thoughts.
The first verse in “Euphoria” is straight out of our recent past with folks stuck at home alone:
“Remember when you’d drive to distract a nervous mind?
Avoiding the street home till the low fuel light glows
And you’d find an empty lot, park the car, sit with your thoughts
Underneath the magnolia, sweet in euphoria Where’s my euphoria?”
“To Feel Alone” props up this feeling with annotations of solitude, while “Orb Weaver” is a memory of early love brought on by the Natalie seeing a spider spinning her web.
Then, in “Listen To Me Tomorrow” the narrator is giving advice to their future self.
Will the advice be followed?
Only tomorrow knows.
“Better Now” ends the album with the hope of a wish to change the past, something I think we can all identify with that sentiment. There’s a lot of nature throughout these songs too; spiderwebs, flowers, birds, rivers, the sky, trails; whether through observation, or reflection, grounding the songs with a strong foundation of ‘self’.
A smartly subdued and not too gauzy production by Jason Chronis, which utilizes violin, cello, pedal steel, vibraphone, and autoharp to augment Hill’s guitar and voice, add to the dreamy sound of these charming songs.
A smattering of double-tracked vocals give a bit of uneasiness to the tunes too.
All in all, a fascinating and fully satisfying album from start to finish.

Review by the Legendary Roy Peak

Released 29th October 2021
https://www.facebook.com/nataliejanehillmusic/

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Jacob & Drinkwater MORE NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Jacob & Drinkwater
More Notes from the Field
Polyphonic Sounds

An Album That Deserves to Find Favour Amongst Not Only The Folk Crowd, But The Hipster Elite Too

Tobias Ben Jacob and Lukas Drinkwater have been going as a duo since 2014 – both being heavily involved in lot of disparate projects and are often separated domestically by many miles; so this album is not just a new release, but also an update and a check-in to let the listener know that all is still well and active in J&D Land.

The loose theme running through the album is of ‘friendship and connection’ and contains a number of songs written during the pandemic and a few unreleased tracks reimagined from their live archive.
The (almost) title track kicks things off and it’s a gently catchy and pragmatic homage to the life of a musician, the vagaries of “cool” and the true joy only found in performance.

The theme of friendship appears most explicitly on the following track “Perennial Friend” which declares that
“When the light is hard to see / You’’ll always have a friend in me”
it’s a grateful tribute to those who support us when times are not so good, all couched in a James Taylor-esque musical and melodic narrative.

“Higher Than the Moon” (a live favourite recorded in the studio for the first time) has the bravery to use a “moon-June” rhyme in the first line, albeit in a non-romantic context and it’s another tale of companionship and how we can be drawn out of ourselves by others – nice harmonies give it a bit of a Barenaked Ladies (the band, not ladies without apparel I hasten to add) feel too.
The tempo eases even further for “Golden Man” which has the lyrical and melodic ghost of Springsteen’s “The River” never too far away, albeit set in a much more mystical place.

“Nowhere on Sea” is a song of unfulfilled promise, set amongst well-observed lyrics of urban decay and mundanity.
It’s a distant cousin of Morrissey’s “Every Day is Like Sunday” in terms of its musical mis-en-scene in how it paints the greyness of a life not fully lived.

“The Nameless” brings in some electronic rhythm to guide lyrics of hope in a world of darkness -despite the non-acoustic accompaniment, it fits well into the gentle modus operandi of the album and adds a further musical dynamic. “A Day Out of Time” tackles the transience of life, love and beauty and the rolling finger-picking that accompanies the song mimics this temporal theme.

“To Call You Friend” is another song that explicitly tackles the album’s core theme – “take care of the ones you love” and it does so with a narrative of a character in need of love; and Emily Barker’s backing vocals make a telling appearance, giving the song a Linda Thompson edge.

“Sargasso Sea” is a song of the anchor of home with a shuffled gentle train-beat and whistle solo – it’s the sort of song that the producer of “Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing” tends to favour with its modernistic nostalgic feel.
The notion of surviving the times that have passed and are yet to come, in a less nostalgic, but optimistic vein is dealt with on “For Old Time’s Sake” before the album closer “The Other World” tells of connection between this world and the past and other spiritual places – its Richard Hawley type twangy reverb-soaked guitar help to create the sense of mystery that runs through the core of the song.

All-in-all, the album draws its strengths together well from a variety of sources – Jacob’s songwriting (he wrote every song) and Drinkwater’s multi-instrumentalism and production wizardry make this an album that deserves to find favour amongst not only a folk crowd, but further afield too, which could be the hipster elite according to our Editor at Large!

Review by Nick Barber

https://www.jacobanddrinkwater.com/
RELEASED 29th October 2021

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Martin Stephenson PINK TANK

Martin Stephenson
Pink Tank
Barbaraville Records

A Re-Imagined Long Forgotten Album Brings Warmth and Beauty To 2020

For a variety of reasons; most notably Martin’s ‘one man band’ approach to everything these days, including PR; has meant that I’m late to the Pink Tank party; but as it’s going to be the perfect Christmas gift for the discerning music lover in your life …… maybe serendipity has played a part in my review going out a month after release after all.
I could be wrong, but MG Stephenson just may may be the most prolific of recording artists, and it’s been nigh on impossible to keep up with his releases over recent years; especially the last quarter century when he’s been free of record company shackles and he can now record and release albums on a whim …… and he has more whims than most.
Here, he has re-recorded the long forgotten AIRDRIE album in a more upbeat fashion; and has used modern technology to bring in other musicians recording remotely from all across the country into his makeshift studio in rural Scotland; where he has pieced everything together himself (don’t let that shambolic daft Uncle schtick he exudes fool you; he’s a bonafide genius!) and this is the spellbinding result.
As I’ve never heard AIRDRIE this is therefore a brand new collection of songs to me; yet when I first heard opening song, the rather lovely bouncy and beautiful Daffodil I was swept back to those heady days of his early Kitchenware releases with the Penny Daintees, and 2020 soon became a rather nice place to be in after all.
The winsome Nairn Beach follows, featuring some divine guitar and Martin’s soft Washingtonian tones never sounding more expressive or indeed; lovely. Even if this is the first of his songs someone ever heard; they would realise that this man genuinely transcends Folk Music in a way very few, if any of his generation ever managed.
For a songwriter so prolific; I’m stumped to think of a song that’s actually been a duffer over the years; you know ……. ‘filler’ ….. and that is still the case here, with songs like Light Step Travel, Steel String and the harmonica driven The Joy You Give being songs that would be outstanding highlights if released by any of the modern swathe of Boy Songwriters that are currently filling the Hit Parade, but on an album by Martin G Stephenson they just support songs, but are still destined to change people’s lives in one way or another.
While feted for his wicked sense of humour and brilliant comic timing on stage; Martin has an incredible sensitive side which comes through in his songs; which every now and again can send a shiver down your back when a story unfolds. I won’t spoil them in advance; but expect the Bluegrass influenced Hell’s Half Acre and then the Easy Road Home to have such an effect on you when you least expect it.
It was probably there in his younger days; but in recent years Martin has hidden a few ‘deep and meaningful’ songs onto his albums; and here one such is The Burning of Cathaidh, which is almost Gothic if not Celtic in origin; but Martin’s wonderful voice brings light and shade to a very, very sad song.
I have a feeling that’s going to a song I come back to many times in the future; but for now my selection of tracks for Favourite Song status is down to only two; Mountainous Spring, with it’s quirky Shadowsesque intro and the charming imagery it then conjures up; and Beautiful Judas when we are swept off up an Appalachian Mountain for three minutes of British Folk music that has elements of Bill Monroe, Ewan MacColl and even early Bob Dylan oozing out of every note, couplet and melody too.
Therefore Beautiful Judas is my Favourite Song here; and not only is it probably the finest song Martin has recorded this century; it’s well worthy of featuring on any prospective Best Of; and with his back catalogue ….. that’s quite the honour!

Released November 2020
https://daintees.co.uk/

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Emily Barker MACHINE

Emily Barker
Machine
Thirty Tigers

Three Versions of a Highlight Track From “A Dark Murmuration of Words”

For her birthday, Emily Barker has released this three song EP – a powerful lyrical and musical observation on the interconnectedness of racism, climate change and the polluting nature – both literally and metaphorically – of the industrial behemoth.
The previously released, album version is here, with its Tom Waits-ian musical whirring, grinding and response chanting; which lovers of the album will already be familiar with.
The alternate take is softer and much more sinister – it has a more distanced, reverb-laced vocal with less forceful vocal responses, eastern string plucking and a constant keyboard pad which gives it an extra eeriness.
The third version is an a capella take – just vocals and handclaps and some foot-stomps too and is the best at conveying the lyrical clarity of the message – perfect for a festival set closer!
Each listener will have their favourite – but, it’s also an interesting insight into the thought process of an artist’s decision in what makes the final cut and what best serves the song’s intent.

Review by Nick Barber

https://www.emilybarker.com/

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Terra Spencer CHASING RABBITS

Terra Spencer
Chasing Rabbits
Self-Release

Canadian Folk Songs that Flow With Grace and a Delicate Intimacy.

This is another album that nearly fell by the wayside; primarily because I had mis-filed it on my I-Phone; only for it to ‘pop up’ quite by accident one morning last week, on my constitutional stroll around the ‘hood.’
While I was actually expecting some loudish Country Rock; the starkly beautiful Melt took me by surprise that I actually stopped in my tracks. At first it was to find the album I wanted, but by the time I’d took my gloves off and was fiddling with the buttons; I was already smitten.
WOW!
What a beautiful and pearlescent voice this young lady has; and the chill in this tale of lost love actually made me glow faster than a bowl of Ready Brek.
Coincidentally Terra uses the metaphor of a melting snowflake for the ‘warmth her lover’ showed her; which shows what an articulate writer Ms Spencer is.
Although my walk was meant to at quite a fast pace; this collection of delicate and languid stories was the perfect accompaniment; possibly because of the bright Autumnal sunshine and cold wind; or possibly because I was just in an old-romantic mood.
Normally with Folk Singers; and that’s undoubtedly what Terra Spencer is; I try to imagine what the songs will sound like stripped back to just an acoustic guitar when played live; but not this time.
As most readers know, I try not to read Press Releases too early; as I like to make my own mind up about the music; and I’d already decided Terra must be Canadian when I got home and read her bio; and she is; from Nova Scotia actually.
I don’t know why but Canadian singer-songwriters have a ‘certain something’ that other English speaking nations don’t ….. go figure.
While the bio says the songs are all written with a ‘Canadian Winter as a backdrop’; I can’t disagree; but to me there’s a sense of loneliness and longing that weaves their way through too; most noticeably on the intense and theatrical In The City; which is just waiting to be included in a sad Rom-Com; just before the couple ‘accidentally meet and get back together again’ IMHO.
At first the title track Chasing Rabbits sounds like charm personified; as Terra compares herself to her slightly faulty puppy dog; but listen two, three or more times and her words unravel like a stray thread on your favourite sweater and if you don’t then have tears in your eyes; you’re listening to the wrong LP!
It’s a brave songwriter who can pull off a song like Coyotes. I’m not going to spoil it for you; but the first time I heard it I couldn’t believe my ears as it actually sounds like a short ‘Thriller Story’ bordering on the Gothic; but I’ve come back to it several times in the last few days.
To some intents and purposes CHASING RABBITS is for playing on a long dark and preferably cold evening, snuggled up on the sofa with the lights turned down low and a flickering fire across the room; only then; like a good robust red wine; will you get the best out of Lunenburg Moon, Manitoba Maple and most importantly Training to Fly (which is another weepy).
No two songs are the same here; be that in setting or actual musical construction; but there’s a definite golden thread that holds them all together; which is best shown by the two songs that close the record and actually tie for the accolade of Favourite Song.
While I can only presume there’s at least a little bit of Terra’s own life in every song here; the words and story in Feels Like Home surely must be autobiographical?
Another song that I really and truly don’t want to spoil for you; but Terra Spencer really captures the loneliness someone can feel moving away from home to ‘live the dream’ in a way I’ve not heard for many years.
This is followed by Saigon; which could easily be the same young woman several years later; deeply in love … but is the magic and romance still there?
Who’s to say?
You’re left to make your own mind up.
Terra Spencer’s songs flow and grow with a grace that comes from her luscious and intricate arrangements; be that the occasional flourish of electric piano, a swooping cello or violin and when that trumpet makes an appearance the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
These songs aren’t for small Folk Clubs, they are destined for Concert Halls with audiences sitting in awe of the talent on stage.

#I haven’t even mentioned that in her parallel life; Tera Spencer is an actual Funeral Director!

Released November 6th 2020
https://terraspencer.ca/

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Anne Malin WAITING SONG

Anne Malin
Waiting Song
Self-Release

The cusp of Modern Folk, Lo-Fi and a few Avant Garde Poetic Flourishes.

Some albums really, really deserve your full attention when listening; and this latest offering from Nashville’s Anne Malin is one such.
Before I go any further I may have to reconsider telling you she is from Nashville, as that mat pre-empt what you feel you are going to hear; be that mainstream Country from Music Row or something dark, dangerous and broody from the Est end of town.
What Ms Malin does transcends either or both and has a more International ‘feel’ to it as it straddles the cusp of Modern Folk and what we used to know as Lo-Fi, with a few Avant Garde flourishes thrown in for extra flavour.
If you fall instantly in love with opening song Empty Is The Day; as I did, you are in for a veritable treat; but if like Mrs Magpie you sniff and look disdainfully at the hi fi, then the man who put the disc in the player, before leaving the room ……. you are missing a very special record indeed.
The quavering pity in Anne’s voice carries on throughout the whole album, and really brings out the pathos in her tragic tales; most especially the richly detailed What Brings My Eyes Open and Sleep.
I said earlier that there are ‘Avant Garde flourishes’ here; and that’s how I feel about the painful poetic delivery in Mountain Song and again the title track The Waiting Game which somehow sounds something like Anne is channeling both Edith Piaf and Norma Waterson via a lifetime of heartbreak.
While it’s often said that ‘there is nothing new in music’ THE WAITING SONG is as different an album as I’ve heard in ages; there’a Gothic sensitivity to many songs here; but in there lies a tragic beauty; none more so than the song I’m selecting as my Favourite; Pearly Sleigh, which finds Anne singing as she tinkles the piano; (or is it a harpsichord?) who knows or cares; it will never see the light of day on the wireless and I guess will scare the pants off the average Spotify listener; but to you and I it is a rare thing of poetic beauty.
Anne Malin alongside partner William Johnston, and their album THE WAITING SONG are either destined for greatness, Awards and becoming the darling of the broadsheet newspapers; or will become something of a cult performer with winsome and brokenhearted young ladies and gentle-men hanging on her every word and deed; I doubt there will be a middle ground with some minor commercial success ……. unless the likes of Tim Burton uses one or more of her songs on a film soundtrack; which would be the perfect combination for me.

Released 2nd October 2020
https://annemalinringwalt.com/music

Roy Peak A WOLF AT THE DOOR

Roy Peak
A Wolf At The Door
Self-Release

The Acoustic Equivalent of Driving a Mini Cooper Around a Beautiful Hairpin Bend.

#DISCLAIMER
Singer-Songwriter, bass player extraordinaire, producer/engineer, poet, ace record reviewer and all around nice guy, The Legendary Roy Peak is a friend of mine and regular corespondent for these pages …… so I may be a tad over enthusiastic about this; his latest release ….. but hey; it’s my site so I can do what I want!!

In my defence I am a genuine fan of his and most especially his world weary and tattered singing style; and add to that some haunting pedal-steel from Brian Homan and you will immediatly know why I let out a huge sigh via an enigmatic smile the first few times I’ve heard opening track Walk With Me (There’s a Wolf on The Prowl); which just might be Roy’s finest song to date.
The mood takes a massive left turn on Far From Nowhere; with Roy sounding angry and angsty in a Folk-Rock troubadour stylee that I normally expect from the likes of RMHQ Favourites Malcolm Holcombe and/or Ray Wylie Hubbard …… which isn’t a bad thing at all.
At only 7 songs long; this is a short journey the singer takes us on; but that still includes some scary musical hairpin bends.
Even as a fan and a friend, Evel Knievel was and no doubt will remain to be a huge surprise every time I hear it.
An acoustic guitar instrumental that somehow still manages to rekindle imagery of the mad motorcyclist of my youth.
This is immediatly followed by the much gentler love song, Your Heart which steps gently into Guy Clark territory but via a very pained voice poring his broken heart out.
When you listen to as much and as varied a collection of music as what I do, it’s easy to become a bit jaded; but every now and again albums and more usually individual songs can restore my faith in the power of music.
Here; and still using my ‘hairpin bend’ metaphor’ Roy does that not just once; but twice.
And a Wolf Will Devour The Sun AND Queen of the Knock-out Rose are both the acoustic music equivalent of driving around the Lake District in a 1970’s Mini Cooper with suspect breaks but a superb stereo system!
The first; And a Wolf Will Devour The Sun is obviously not a song to be taken literally; poetry set to music, I guess but nonetheless something I advise you to listen to when you need something of a gee-up.
Queen of the Knock-out Rose on the other hand is a sad and thorny Country Love Song that could be from Hank or John Foggerty’s lost back catalogue.
Which all leaves us with only more song; Daughter of the Sun.
Phew.
Gentle? Deep? Heart shredding? All three actually; and add in Byrdsian harmonies behind Peak’s voice which simply aches with longing; and you will know why it’s quite simply my Favourite Song here; and in a week when I’ve been listening to some very important albums; my Song of the Week too.
Because Roy is a friend I’ve walked away from this review twice; just in case I’ve gone overboard with my words; and …. do you know what?
I don’t think I have.
I can think of 5 or 6 ‘famous’ singer-songwriters in this genre who sound a bit like this; and if this was released under their names the likes of No Depression, Americana UK and Brooklyn Virgin would be collectively wetting their knickers with excitement ……. but as this is Roy Peak, there’s probably only a handful of website will get to hear it …… and then shout its glory from the rooftops.
Trust me here ……. squander the kids College fund on a Bandcamp download then thank me later.

Released October 2nd 2020
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https://roypeak.bandcamp.com/album/a-wolf-at-the-door

https://www.roypeak.com/

Scott Cook TANGLE OF SOULS

Scott Cook
Tangle of Souls
Self-Released

It’s Nice to Know That The Folk Troubadour Tradition Is In Good Hands.

Some folks are made for the troubadour life, and one of those souls is Canadian singer-songwriter Scott Cook.
His latest album Tangle of Souls—his seventh, if you’re keeping score—is a modern day folk troubadours delight.
An easy-over of a dozen folk songs played simply and close to the belt by a group of Australian musicians known as The She’ll Be Rights. The perfect complement of upright bass, guitar, mandolin, dobro, and a couple of fiddles wonderfully fill out these tunes.
Cook has an admirable way with words and melody, crafting songs that are tried and true, simple and pure, yet deep, deep, deep.
The song that kicks off this collection, “Put Your Good Foot in the Road,” kicks down the door with in your face vocals and a sharp, quick melody to make it sweetly unforgettable, coupled with nice interplay between the fiddle and mandolin. An instant classic around campfires and folk gatherings from here on out, I’m thinking.
“Leave a Light On” starts off a little clunky, then recovers nicely, one of the most heartfelt songs on the album.
“Just Enough Empties” takes a familiar theme and runs away with it, creating a fresher story in the process.
And did I say Cook has a way with words and melody? Another one you’ll find yourself singing along to the first time you hear it is “Let Love Have It’s Way” features some wonderful understated banjo. And even though he’s lived in Canada since he was a child, Cook has traveled enough through the United States to craft a true vision of our time in “Say Can You See.”
This is the “standout singer-songwriter song” on the album, the one which may rightly get the most attention.
Writing a patriotic folk song about a country divided against itself, that doesn’t point fingers is tough. Cook doesn’t lay blame here, he tells simple, universal, truths. This song SHOULD get airplay on modern country radio—lord knows more folks need to hear it—but it won’t.
But it should!
In a day where ‘Nobody buys CDs anymore” Cook has done the unthinkable and produced a physical product that more than meets the eye. Included with these twelve songs is a 240-page booklet containing gorgeous photos, stories about each and every song, lyrics, and even chord charts for every song.
He writes about traveling on the road, trying to leave a more even carbon footprint, the trials of stage-fright, and tells some wonderful stories in the process.
This ain’t no vanity project, he’s not overestimating the music buying public at large, he’s creating a product that stands alone, that makes a statement. Cook may come off to some as “just another naive folkie” but he’s a natural born thinker. His songs aren’t just a tumble of words and chords, they come from the life of someone trying to make sense of this crazy world we all live in, not just through his music, but in his words, his stories, his travels. When I first saw there was a 240-page book to accompany the music, I thought it a bit silly, even a bit pointless, but Cook has managed to create a lasting piece of art that hits on many levels, through several dimensions.
It’s nice to read the words of an accomplished human being and heartfelt writer, someone who’s writing it all down because they have to, because they’re compelled to.
This isn’t just “product,” this is Art.
It’s nice to know that the Folk Troubadour tradition continues.

Review Courtesy the Legendary Roy Peak (new album due in October!)

Released 9th October 2020
https://www.scottcook.net/
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Our Man in The Field THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS

Our Man in The Field
THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS
Rocksnob

Pearlescent Lo-Fi Folk With an Added Americana Spark.

I really wasn’t sure what to make of this remarkable debut album when I first received it a month or so ago. Perhaps I wasn’t really in the mood for Alexander Ellis’ pearlescent lo-fi; although I should have been; because I was in a really flat and dark mood …… but I had my regular ‘go to’ albums for such occasions.
But now the ‘black clouds’ have disappeared and I can now recognise the strength and wisdom in these enchanting songs and tales.
Sounding battered and bruised, accompanied by his acoustic guitar and Henry Senior Jr’s sublime pedal-steel guitar, on opening song Thin (I Used to Be Bullet Proof) our man somehow manages to see the light at the end of the tunnel; albeit after a long and troubled journey.
That song certainly sets the mood for what is to follow; windswept Folk songs that transcend normal boundaries; slipping and sliding between the common or garden English variety, that we associate with John Martyn and Nick Drake (Easy Going Smile and Pockets, spring to mind) via the intensity that some of our RMHQ Favourites Stephen Fearing and Lake Poets have brought us in recent years; It Is What It Is and Don’t Speak are prime examples of the beautiful intensity they can all bring to our world; speaking what we often feel but can’t actually articulate.
The ever so simple production and arrangements (it was all recorded ‘as live’ in the studio) masks some amazing lyrics and heartbreaking stories.
Several songs actually sent a shiver down my spine when I first played this album; wow …… how deep, yet accessible is Swansong (Don’t Play With Matches)?
Listen carefully and somewhere beyond Ellis’s hypnotic voice and you will hear some mighty fine guitar and pedal-steel that will blow your mind (I was listening on headphones yesterday …. WOW!).
For a young man, taking his first steps in the wacky world of Rock & Roll Alexander Ellis is a very mature songwriter in not just words, but deeds too; as the finale I Like You So I Will Kill You Last proves.
Starting with some extraordinary and ornery harmonica it builds and builds as the guitar, bass and drums arrive as if uninvited guests, before Ellis eventually pours his heart out as if in a confessional.
While possibly the cleverest and possibly most interesting song on the album, it’s not even my Favourite Song though; as two others completely took me unawares and even today; to paraphrase Norman Gimbel’s Killing Me Softly With His Song: Ellis feels to me like he’s:
“Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words.”
When he sings the sorrowful and expressive It Is What It Is and more especially, It Was Ever So; which probably wins the accolade as it really, really does sound like he has lived a life of heartbreak and knows the only way out is to put it all in a song.
There’s not a lot more I can tell you about Alexander Ellis as he seems to enjoy hiding behind his Our Man in The Field, pseudonym, which is fine …….. because his songs certainly do the talking for him.

Released September 25th 2020.
https://www.ourmaninthefieldmusic.com/
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https://ourmaninthefield.selz.com/

Wynonna ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY

Wynonna
Angel From Montgomery
Anti_

There are but a handful of songs that transcend categorisation and can genuinely be deemed Classics.
John Prine wrote many great songs in his short time on earth; but the beautiful and powerful Angel From Montgomery is by far; a shining light that will be still be sung in concert Halls and Folk Clubs around the world long after his name is forgotten.

On the night of his passing, earlier this year Wynonna rushed to the studio to record this staggeringly heartfelt version to honour the Great Man; and proves to be the cornerstone for a fresh new EP called Recollections, coming in late October.

“I was sitting in the kitchen when I got the news that John had flown,” Wynonna explains.
“I told Cactus I needed to sing ‘Angel From Montgomery’ that night because I needed to honor how much John had meant to me. I learned that song when I was a teenager, and now, forty years later, I’m still singing it, and hopefully passing it on to the next generation who will keep on singing it, too.”

“I’ve learned a lot being at home these last few months,” Wynonna reflects. “When there’s no touring, no concerts, no band, no lights, no action, all that’s left is you and the song. All that’s left is your gift.” It was precisely that freedom that led Wynonna to ‘Recollections’, a project so spontaneous and organic she didn’t even realize she was making it at the time. “This EP was a labor of love without the labor,” she laughs. “As a songwriter, you can get bogged down in your own craft sometimes, but there’s something so liberating about letting go of all that and just inhabiting someone else’s writing.”

“I feel like I’m right back where I started,” she continued. “Like I’m 18 all over again. When I sing these songs, it feels like I’m coming home.” ‘Recollections‘ also features performances of
‘I Hear You Knocking’ by Fats Domino,
“King Bee’ by Slim Harpo,
‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone
‘Ramble On Rose’ by the Grateful Dead.
It will be released digitally and on CD on 30th October.

Pre-order here:
https://wynonna.ffm.to/store?ffm=FFM_732a384ae90f10bb003375891ddaa385