Two Gallants have been releasing consistently great albums of visceral country, folk and blues for eight years and after a five year break they finally return with their new LP The Bloom and the Blight. On the evidence from this album trailer they are channeling an even bigger and bolder sound with the duo taking … Continue reading
Category Archives: Album Reviews
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Americana
by C. Familton When news first broke that Neil Young & Crazy Horse were reconvening there was a palpable sense of excitement in the virtual air online yet for many that initial burst of joy quickly turned to apprehension when word seeped out that their first new release was going to be a collection of … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Chimes of Freedom | The Songs of Bob Dylan
by Chris Familton Bob Dylan must surely be the most covered artist of the last forty years so when another compilation of versions of his songs comes along it is easy to dismiss it as another batch of standards reinterpreted. The hook with this one though is twofold. Firstly it is a fantastic cause with … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: Lambchop | Mr. M
by Chris Familton Kurt Wagner is a unique musician in that he has managed to build a career out of musical understatement. His work carries with it a slight of hand, bursting with subtleties, be it of the lyrical or instrumental kind. He is also quite the unassuming frontman with his white shirt, jeans and … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW : Justin Townes Earle | Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
written by Chris Familton Justin Townes Earle has made a habit of changing it up on each of his three albums. The Good Life found him very much in the traditional country and folk songwriter mould while Harlem River Blues saw him using New York as a source of inspiration. Now Earle has shifted geographically … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Folk / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: Jolie Holland | Pint of Blood
written by Chris Familton Jolie Holland returns with her fourth studio album and this time she has made a discernible effort to reduce her jazz and folk flavoured americana to simpler structures and cleaner palettes. In many cases the songs benefit from these amendments but they also lose some of what made Holland such an … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Blues / Folk / Indie Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: Tiny Ruins | Some Were Meant For Sea
written by Chris Familton With modern technology making everything so accessible these days it is easy to become blasé about music – such is the deluge of acts touted as the ‘next big thing’ and just the sheer volume of music being released. In that environment it comes as a pleasant surprise when you slide … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Videos
ALBUM REVIEW: Gillian Welch | The Harrow & The Harvest
written by Chris Familton For fans of Gillian Welch it has been a long and patient wait for a new album to follow up 2003’s Soul Journey. Her best release was a decade ago with Time (The Revelator), an album which really solidified her as a true auteur of stark and soulful country folk music … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Felice Brothers | Celebration, Florida
written by Chris Familton In the realm of americana and roots music bands tend to stay within the confines of their genre for the most part. Some like Wilco and My Morning Jacket stretch and blur their country-based templates but for the most part, re-invention and experimentation are limited in this neck of the woods. … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Soul / Southern Rock
ALBUM REVIEW: My Morning Jacket | Circuital
written by Chris Familton When the bass drops one minute into the opening track Victory Dance a smile creeps upward and the head gratefully nods in a sign of satisfaction. My Morning Jacket started off with a couple of albums that established them as one of those classic genre stretching americana acts like Wilco who … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Head & The Heart
written by Chris Familton Folk and country flecked indie music seems to be really carving out a niche market for listeners wary of venturing deep into those traditional genres and who need to be eased in by more contemporary sounds. A band like The Head and the Heart are the perfect type of group to … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Sam Shinazzi | When The Lights Come Up
written by Chris Familton Local songwriter Sam Shinazzi is onto his fourth album with When The Lights Come Up and he again captures that easy listening indie-country vibe that was so prevalent in the 90s with acts like Lemonheads and Buffalo Tom. This is a record that will never set the world on fire … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Folk / Freak Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: The Low Anthem | Smart Flesh
written by Chris Familton In 2009 The Low Anthem introduced themselves to the world with their 2nd album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. With high profile championing from the likes of NPR and Mojo Magazine they quickly became part of the post-Bon Iver/Fleet Foxes world with their rustic americana and harmony-rich folk. Smart Flesh … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Folk / Indie Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: The Cave Singers | No Witch
written by Chris Familton The third album from The Cave Singers continues their folk blues riffing and continues to invite comparisons with the likes of Two Gallants. Across twelve tracks they keep things stripped right back to the minimum requirements for snaking grooves and tales from the dark side. Singer Pete Quirk has a great … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk
ALBUM REVIEW: Robert Plant | Band Of Joy
written by Chris Familton Robert Plant must have a firm grasp on what made 2007’s Raising Sand with Alison Krauss such a success as he has twisted the formula ever so slightly and come up with another wonderful set of warm, rich and beguiling songs. While others who share his musical past are content to … Continue reading
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