On their second album Raised By Eagles eschew some of the ragged country rock moves of their debut and head for classic songwriting territory with excursions into power pop and acoustic balladry. The intimate and explicitly emotional storytelling of ‘Sugar Cane’ and the warm breezy sway of ‘Honey’ act as counterpoints to Window Seat’s Ryan … Continue reading
Ruby Boots is the nom de plume for Perth’s Bex Chilcott and though this is wholly a solo album in terms of songwriting and musical personality she has corralled the talents of a number of accomplished individuals on her spellbinding debut full length release. Co-starring roles go to Vicki Thorn (The Waifs), Jordie Lane, Davey … Continue reading
Over the last few years Liam Gale’s sound has evolved into a darker and more hypnotic form of psychedelic folk and blues music, culminating in the majestic and hypnotic The Lonely Throne. There are shades of Devendra Barnhart and Tim Buckley in Gale’s explorations in building trance-like mantras around songs via a range of instrumentation … Continue reading
Queensland songwriter Brad Butcher certainly doesn’t take too many risks, nor does he hit too many emotional highs on Jamestown. His style is a calm and measured approach to his music but too often that is a recipe for songs blending together without enough dynamism across the eleven tracks. Occasionally his songs do excel, particularly … Continue reading
Sam may be an outlaw by name but by nature he comes across as more of a soul searching, sensitive guy on his debut album. It’s a country record complete with sparkling pedal steel and tales of love won and lost and while he can write a good song within those parameters it often sounds … Continue reading
Throw The Band and The Felice Brothers into a roots music blender and you’ll end up with something resembling Houndmouth. On their second album they’ve taken their already impressive Americana sound to another level with rousing, infectious choruses, heartbreaking harmonies and a looser rock ’n’ roll feel. This is modern suburban Appalachian music that sounds … Continue reading
Like a straighter American cousin to C.W. Stoneking’s more esoteric old-timey sound, Pokey LaFarge blends all manner of traditional musical forms – from jazz and swing to folk, country, doo-wop and mariachi. It’s all woven together in LaFarge’s authentic style on this, his most realised album to date. With a band that he’s been playing … Continue reading
Bayden Packwood Hine’s earlier releases were more rooted in traditional folk forms which makes this expansion into a beautifully ornate and intimate sound palette even more rewarding. He conjures up pastoral qualities via the instrumentation (woodwind, strings, banjo and many more) and wordless vocal harmonies that bring to mind wind, birdsong and other elements of … Continue reading
In terms of rock n roll myths and legends The Basement Tapes is one of the most fascinating. A songwriter unwillingly held up as a spokesman for a generation, and seemingly close to burning out in 1966, has a motorcycle accident and retreats to the rustic surrounds of upstate New York where he holes up … Continue reading
Many would assume that Lewis is well past his best years but this new album shows he is still in rude musical health at the age of 78. He delivers a tight and rollicking selection of co-writes and classic covers like ‘Little Queenie’ and ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and brings on board a raft of guests … Continue reading
On her third album Humphreys continues to explore confessional folk music, this time with a dash of country thrown into the mix. Kasey Chambers produced New Moon and though there are elements of twang on songs such as ‘Read My Heart’, Humphreys is more of a fellow folk sister to Caitlin Harnett and Melody Pool. … Continue reading
A quirky and eccentric voice instantly rises out of the swirl of delicate finger-picked acoustic guitar and wafting organ and instantly one is placed within the hypnotic surrounds of ethereal folk music. Think Nick Drake, Tiny Ruins, Vashti Bunyan and even a pastoral Portishead at times. Pratt’s light psychedelia has a sometimes lo-fi yet consistently … Continue reading
It was Ryan Bingham’s visit to Australia last year that made me a believer. Prior to that I’d shown mild interest but I’d written him off as something of a generic journeyman troubadour. On stage he flipped that preconception and reminded me how visceral and rewarding rock ’n’ roll can be when played with real … Continue reading
The last 12 months have been a bountiful period for Americana releases in Australia and New Zealand. From debut albums to notable EPs, collaborations to albums recorded on the other side of the world, there was something for everyone and most importantly it showed our local scenes are going from strength to strength. The music … Continue reading
Sydney’s Sam Newton released his crowdfunded debut album a few months ago and it’s an accomplished collection of beautifully played and recorded songs that shows Newton’s wistful way with folk and sometimes country melodies. There’s an ornate quality to many of Newton’s songs with strings, piano and a number of other instruments all playing their … Continue reading
POST TO WIRE 