by Chris Familton There is a romanticised back story to Winston Yellen, the man behind Night Beds, who dropped out of college, travelled the USA for five months before unknowingly renting a home in the woods that used to belong to Johnny Cash and finding the inspiration for Country Sleep. It is a great story … Continue reading
Category Archives: Album Reviews
Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Son Volt – Honky Tonk (2013)
It has been two decades since Uncle Tupelo split and gave birth to the Jeff Tweedy-led Wilco and Jay Farrar’s Son Volt. Wilco have been the more adventurous while Son Volt have mostly remained loyal to the traditional tenets of folk and country music. Honky Tonk sees them extending that stylistic allegiance by honouring honky tonk, … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Blues / Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: Mark Moldre | An Ear To The Earth
by Chris Familton An Ear To The Earth is the follow-up to Mark Moldre’s debut solo album The Waiting Room, an accomplished set of folk-tinged indie rock songs that no doubt gave him the confidence and curiosity to dig deeper into his own songwriting and explore some of the more diverse corners of his musical … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Caitlin Rose ~ The Stand-In
by Chris Familton Caitlin Rose returns with her second album of bittersweet Americana that shows a marked progression from her 2010 debut. There is a confidence that now pervades her songwriting, casting her in a similar light to Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis, infusing a country template with pop sensibilities in a classic songwriting format. The … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Country / Folk / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell ~ Old Yellow Moon
by Chris Familton Veritable veterans of country music, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been friends ever since she heard a cassette demo of his song Bluebird Wine (covered here) back in 1975. She included the song on her debut album and he joined her band so it is surprising this is their first true … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Folk / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy ~ What The Brothers Sang
by Chris Familton Collaboration isn’t new to Dawn McCarthy and Will Oldham who released an album of demos in 2007 (Wai Notes) as an addendum to the previous year’s The Letting Go on which McCarthy sang. Those songs showed an ethereal synergy between their voices making this new album a tantalising proposition for those who … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Weeping Willows ~ Till The North Wind Blows
by Chris Familton Melbourne duo The Weeping Willows released Till The North Wind Blows last year but their superb collection of songs could have dropped at any time in the last hundred years, such is the timeless quality they bring to their music and songwriting. The album drips with authenticity which can be a hard … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Robert Ellis ~ Photographs
by Chris Familton Finding artists that can straddle the worlds of folk and country music while still harnessing the pure and honest elements of those genres can often be a hard thing. Contemporary songwriters like Justin Townes Earle, Ryan Adams and Will Oldham come to mind and now, with his debut album Photographs, you can … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Glorious | Sweetwater
by Chris Familton The Glorious revolve around the songwriting of Melbourne singer Dave Mather and they’ve been peddling their classic pop rock sound in a variety of incarnations since 2004. Their sophomore album Sweetwater makes a strong case for the appeal of well crafted songs that succeed on nuance and feel rather than a band … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Country / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: Delaney Davidson and Marlon Williams | Sad But True – The Secret History of Country Music Songwriting Vol. One
by Chris Familton In a strong year for New Zealand americana music comes yet another release to boost the profile of a genre that has mostly lurked on the musical fringes. Delaney Davidson has been on the scene for a number of years touting his folk, blues and country music through endless tours and living … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Rock / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Greg Fleming and The Trains | Edge of the City
by Chris Familton Amid the current bountiful run of country and folk music releases coming out of New Zealand is the latest album from songwriter Greg Fleming. Fleming has been writing and recording since the late 80s, exploring his muse and refining his art with each of his handful of albums. His latest, Edge of … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: Bernie Griffen & The Grifters | Everything So Far
by Chris Familton People who say they hate country music have generally only been exposed to crass country pop, that shallow veneer that exists on the surface of a genre that has much more to offer. Real country music, whether it be outlaw country, alt-country, americana or tex-mex, has deep, rich roots both historically and … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Blues / Rock / Soul / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Gary Clark Jr. | Blak and Blu
by Chris Familton Roots music of the kind that encompasses blues, folk and country is often perceived as still living in the past. Most artists choose to work within the boundaries of their chosen genre, maybe mixing in some soul, jazz or funk but still operating in a safe zone. When a musician decides to … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Rock
ALBUM REVIEW: Two Gallants | The Bloom And The Blight
by Chris Familton In the five years since their last record Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel played in different bands and in Stephen’s case spent time recovering from a van accident. Reconvening as Two Gallants seemingly allowed them to reflect on the experiences of those years and create a batch of songs that swing wildly … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Folk / Indie Folk / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: M. Ward | A Wasteland Companion
by C. Familton When Matthew Ward began to gather curious listeners and build his audience with his fourth album Transfiguration of Vincent in 2003 he felt like somewhat of a mysterious figure with that husky, otherworldly voice that conjured up images of dusty country roads, dimly-lit juke joints and back porch sunset strumming. As his profile has grown and … Continue reading
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