Since her 2014 debut album Solitude, Ruby Boots (Bex Chilcott) received the Australian Government’s Council for the Arts’ Nashville Songwriter Residency grant, packed up her belongings, headed to the USA, wrote her new album and recorded with the Texas Gentlemen as her backing band. Don’t Talk About It is a leap forward for Chilcott, both … Continue reading
Rising through the country and Americana ranks, Margo Price hit pay-dirt with her 2016 album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, drawing critical acclaim from all quarters of the country world. Now she’s gone one step further on her new album, never pulling punches and wrapping it all up in a wonderfully wide-ranging classic and soulful country palette. … Continue reading
Melbourne’s Brooke Russell has one of those voices that, depending on your mood, that is comforting and makes everything feel alright or assists you in wallowing in your sorrow. Either way it’s a beautiful voice, full of rich tonal character that sways through the melodies and slow dances across the quietly mesmerising backing of her … Continue reading
Fanny Lumsden continues to go from strength to strength, building her fiercely independent brand of autobiographical country and folk music. Playing country hall shows, living and traveling in a caravan and covering all corners of Australia, she’s living as boldly as she’s working hard and this album, her second full-length, finds her documenting those adventures … Continue reading
It’s been a long time coming but Melbourne’s Gretta Ziller has finally released her debut solo album, the followup to her Hell’s Half Acre EP from 2014. The good news is that it exceeds the expectations she set up with that fine EP, digging deeper and taking her songwriting and singing to some impressive and … Continue reading
Sam Beam returns with his sixth album and it finds him returning to his earlier sound where the music is stripped back, relatively unadorned and existing in it’s own unhurried world. By recording live, with minimal overdubs, Beam has ensured the focus is on a clear and detailed presentation of the songs, his warm and … Continue reading
Since The Black Crowes finally closed the curtains at the start of 2015, Chris Robinson has continued to embrace his new lease of life with his band of soulful and psychedelic, country and blues-rock travellers in Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Barefoot In The Head is their fifth album and it again showcases their effortless musical synergy … Continue reading
Covers albums can swing two ways, attempts at slavish replicas of the original songs or those instances where the artist recasts the songs in a new light, with their own personality and style at the forefront. Dan Brodie has successfully taken the latter route with a collection of songs that reveal some of his influences … Continue reading
It may seem a tad peculiar that a band from the Inner West of Sydney could breathe genuine spirit and authenticity into Mexican-infused country music but Dusty Ravens have done just that on their second album. Low Down Jimmy is the sound of desert dust, desperate souls, sin and salvation – all bathed in mood-heavy instrumentation. … Continue reading
In 1976, within weeks of finishing the recording of Long May You Run, his album with Stephen Stills, Neil Young visited the studio and in a solo and weed-assisted session laid down ten songs, many of which would become staples and high-water marks of his long and illustrious career. Young has released many archival albums … Continue reading
She’s known primarily for her country and folk albums but Eilen Jewell has always had a love for the blues. On Down Hearted Blues she’s finally taken the plunge and delved deep into the history of blues music with a collection of covers from the genre that stands as a key cornerstone of all popular … Continue reading
There’s a strong timeless quality that permeates Jed Rowe’s fourth album. Timeless in the sense that the songs aren’t tied to any particular style that can place it on the timeline of rock n roll – yet also in the way the songs are written, paced and arranged. They’re treated with a laid-back swaying sound … Continue reading
With two new albums out this month, Pete Cullen is laying out two sides of himself in song. One Way In is decidedly high throttle rockabilly, and while there is some overlap, here Cullen strips it back, opens his shoulders and sings a batch of decidedly more alt-country songs. The mix of acoustic and electric … Continue reading
Pete Cullen has doubled down on releases in 2017 with the more alt-country album No Way Out also being released at the same time as One Way In. The difference is that this one is firmly in the rockabilly camp. Electric guitars bristle and distort, drums stomp and hit a heavy shuffle while the bass … Continue reading
A life-long Merle Haggard fan, Will Oldham has apparently long considered recording an album of Haggard songs and in the wake of his death last April he’s done just that. He hasn’t gone straight for the hits though, he’s hen-picked from 44 years of recorded songs, choosing personal favourites in honour of the great songwriter. … Continue reading
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