ALBUM REVIEW: Will Wood – Broken Man

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 1 Comment

In New Zealand over the last five years there’s been a noticeable groundswell of talented alt-country/Americana songwriters and musicians releasing albums to rival the best coming from overseas. Tiny Ruins, The Eastern, Aldous Harding, Bernie Griffen, Tami Neilsen, Marlon Williams and Delaney Davidson have all garnered hard-earned critical acclaim and many have links with Lyttelton … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Folk / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Bonnie “Prince” Billy ~ Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

Will Oldham hits a real sweet spot on his thirteenth full-length release under the Bonnie “Prince” Billy pseudonym. It sits comfortably between his folk and country domains and is laden with austere poetic tales that explore the search for individuality and forging one’s own destiny. Nearly all of these tracks have been released elsewhere, primarily … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Country / Tour / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Del Barber ~ Prairieography

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Canada has always had a strong country scene which is too often overshadowed by their southern neighbours. In recent time Lindi Ortega and Corb Lund have released great records and now Del Barber, a new name to us, has just released his 4th album. Barber’s sound is a comfortable one that shape-shifts between folk, honky … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Folk / Indie Folk / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Caitlin Harnett ~ The River Runs North

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 1 Comment

On her long-awaited debut album Caitlin Harnett finds a lush and harmonious middle ground between folk and country music. There’s a lightness to her music and voice in the vein of the carefree sound that came out of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s, with Joni Mitchell an obvious touchstone. Strings, harmonica, organ and horns enhance … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Blues / Swamp Rock

ALBUM REVIEW: Bernie Griffen & The Thin Men – Salvation

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 3 Comments

Bernie Griffen won plenty of hearts and minds with the dark and emotive alt-country of his last album Everything So Far (2012), accompanied by his band The Grifters. Now he has replaced nearly all of them with a new line-up called The Thin Men and jumped tracks to a rockier (in its many different forms) … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Bluegrass / Folk / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Green Mohair Suits ~ Wooden Duck

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Green Mohair Suits, who always put on a great live show – from lounges to festival stages – can now add a strong debut album to their CV. Their strength lies in their uber-tight harmonies that blend in virtuosic layers, equal parts Fleet Foxes and CSN. Like local alumni Little Bastard they’ve captured the vibe … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Country / Soul / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: The Delines – Colfax

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

Willy Vlautin is best known as frontman for alt-country band Richmond Fontaine and as an increasingly renowned fiction author. Now he’s added The Delines to his CV, a band where he takes a background role as songwriter and player with the immediate spotlight falling on singer Amy Boone (Damnations) who possesses a devastating ache and … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Nikki Lane ~ All Or Nothin’

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

Nikki Lane hits all the right marks on her excellent new album of rollicking Americana and sultry rock ’n’ roll. Her savvy writing style blends those genres with a pop sensibility that provides hook-laden and ridiculously catchy songs for the first two thirds of All Or Nothin’. Whether it is the big-beat honky tonk of … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Rock / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Ryan Adams ~ Ryan Adams

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

The mercurial Ryan Adams is always chasing his muse in whatever direction it takes him and this time it is back to the electric guitar with strong rock trappings contrasting the acoustic Americana of Ashes & Fire. Heavily reverbed chords ring out (courtesy of his favourite Princeton amps) somewhere between Johnny Marr and Tom Petty … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Country / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Shovels & Rope ~ Swimmin’ Time

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 1 Comment

Shovels & Rope burst through the wall of anonymity with their debut album and now they’ve backed it up with another rollicking, rough and ready clutch of thirteen songs. Their live show gets rave reviews for its rawness and passionate delivery and they’ve bottled some of that here with throat-shredding enthusiasm sidling up next to … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: The Mastersons | Good Luck Charm

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Married couple Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore return with their second album and they stick close to the game-plan on this one with its upbeat rock-lite country pop, near-perfect harmonies and clinical yet accomplished guitar and fiddle playing. The problem is that it’s all too polished and nice. When they tackle melancholic subject matter it … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Gretta Ziller ~ Hell’s Half Acre EP

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 1 Comment

Gretta Ziller has already generated a great deal of critical and industry acclaim in the 2013 Telstra Road to Discovery Grand Finals at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, as well as her 2013 TSA/APRA New Songwriter of the Year award. Now she has released her debut EP Hell’s Half Acre which captures the essence and graceful Americana beauty of … Continue reading →

Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Country / Rock

ALBUM REVIEW: Kasey Chambers ~ Bittersweet

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Kasey Chambers sits in that rare artistic position having sold 1.2 million albums as a hugely successful commercial songwriter/performer, while still retaining integrity and respect from the country and alt-country communities where she first established her talent. Bittersweet is Chambers’ first album since she split from husband Shane Nicholson after they released their 2011 collaborative … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Stream

REVIEW: Darren Cross ~ No Damage EP

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 3 Comments

Darren Cross has been steadily building an impressive body of work as a solo alt-country singer/songwriter (and as half of Jep and Dep) in the wake of a long musical history in Gerling, as a DJ and many other projects. This feels like the most genuine channelling of his muse. The solo platform suits his … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Soul / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Emma Swift ~ Emma Swift

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 3 Comments

Emma Swift’s voyage as a songwriter has seen her progressively sink deeper and deeper into the soulful well of country music. As a broadcaster she has long championed Americana music in its many forms, soaking up its heart and nuances, traditions and spirit and as one half of duo 49 Goodbyes she showed her ambition … Continue reading →