I dig the way this track dances so lightly across the speakers. There’s a baroque folk feel, a touch of the pop nous of Harry Nilsson and a freak folk freedom going on. The Nielsen Family Band know their way around a charming and clever melody on ‘Fragile Flowers’, it sits on a solid backbeat … Continue reading
Author Archives: Doubtful Sounds
NEW MUSIC: Stone Jack Jones – I’m Made
‘I’m Made’ is a brand new track from Stone Jack Jones and featuring the vocals of Adia Victoria. Dense, desolate, driving psych country folk and blues sounds are the order of the day here. It reminds me a lot of New Zealand band The Renderers who trade in a similar form of gothic psych country. … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Wildie – Old Man
Wildie are a Swedish quartet who, from the sound of this track ‘Old Man’, excel at writing and performing country flavoured West Coast sounds with a classic pop streak. There’s Wilco, Ron Sexsmith, a dash of early Midlake and above all some lush, melodic 70’s style songwriting that sounds effortless. The song comes from their … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Elizabeth King – Living In The Last Days
Produced by Fat Possum Records’ Bruce Watson, this is a pretty irresistible slice of upbeat sacred soul from the 77 year old Memphis soul gospel queen Elizabeth King, who released her first single back in 1970. ‘Living In the Last Days’ is the title track to her debut album on the Memphis imprint Bible and … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Mac Greer – Say It To My Face
Oh man I love this track. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I first heard it. All the elements are perfect – the pacing and tempo, the grit and twang in Mac Greer‘s voice, the country tropes of heartache and pain, the simplicity and repetition of the lyrics, the way the electric guitar enters … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Gretta Ziller – Fan The Fire
Gretta Ziller is back with another gem of a melodic contemporary song. She always treads the right side of the tracks when it comes to negotiating accessible and memorable pop-tinged country songs. At the heart of her music lie superbly crafted songs that sit at the stylistic nexus of a number of genres. With numerous … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Mirabai Ceibi – She
There’s a delicate intimacy to this new track from Mirabai Ceibi (singer Angelika Baumbach and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Markus Sieber (Aukai)). Reminiscent of Aldous Harding’s early work, it’s folk music in its purest sense, devoid of electricity and bathed in Baumbach’s hypnotic, hymnal voice and Sieber’s plucked strings. From what I can gather, they’re heavily involved in the … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Daniel Young – Distance Of Somewhere
Taken from Daniel Young‘s latest and third album, The World Ain’t Gonna Wait, ‘Distance Of Somewhere’ is a gorgeous mid-tempo country lament that swings and sways on the back of the emotional content of the song. The pedal steel is a real highlight, as is Young’s voice with his light twang threading through its soulful … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Charley Crockett – Midnight Run
Charley Crockett has released a clip from his recently released Lil’ G.L. Presents: 10 For Slim Charley Crockett Sings James Hand, a tribute to the Texas country/honky tonk artist James Hand who died last year. Crockett says of Hand “I felt like James Hand was the greatest living country singer in the old-school style, somewhere … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Big Dog – Cowboy
I love the way this track lazily bounces along, draped in jangly cosmic twang and has this wonderfully swelling, spiralling feel, like it could spin on and out forever. It features the warmly melodic lead vocal of Netta Dor, who says of the song… “I love that final chorus. Where everyone becomes entangled with each … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Freya Josephine Hollick – The Real World
In a world turned upside down by the pandemic, Freya Josephine Hollick releases her new single as she moves ever closer to releasing her new album, recorded over in the US with Lucinda Williams’ band Buick 6. ‘The Real World’, soaked in lush and cosmic pedal steel is a touching and emotive paean to the … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Dash Hammerstein – Sun Dancer
It’s hard to go past a name like Dash Hammerstein isn’t it?! Luckily his music is equally as compelling. ‘Sun Dancer’ lopes along like Harry Nilsson tripping on a sunny afternoon down a country lane. Pedal steel plays the coy and alluring sidekick to this Brooklyn songwriter’s heavy-lidded jaunty sound. ‘Sun Dancer’ comes from Hammerstein’s … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Melissa Carper – Back When
Authenticity and originality are key ingredients in the country and folk music that catches our ears and Melissa Carper‘s songwriting and voice immediately caught our attention when we heard ‘Back When’. The song comes from her new album Daddy’s Country Gold (released last Friday), one of the finest vintage country albums we’ve heard so far … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams – Plastic Bouquet
Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams Plastic Bouquet New West Records A chance Spotify encounter with the music of Kacy & Clayton led Marlon Williams on an adventure that ended up in sub-zero Saskatoon in Canada and Nashville, TN to record this wonderful collaborative album. There’s a clear simpatico between the three of them, with … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Fenn Wilson – Love Again [video]
Melbourne songwriter Fenn Wilson returns with his first new single since the release of his Ghost Heroin album in 2019. It’s a deeply emotive song, crafted initially from sparse instrumentation before swelling into a dark and richly textured, country-folk slow burner – built on Fenn’s soaring croon of a voice. Now signed with Cheatin’ Hearts … Continue reading