Australia has always excelled at producing dark and gothic-influenced music. Nick Cave is the obvious progenitor but many others have explored the darker corners of sin and salvation and Melbournian Jemma Nicole has done just that with her debut collection of folk and country noir songs. There’s a stately waltz and sway to many of … Continue reading
On his fifth album, country troubadour Hayes Carll has stripped back his songs to a place of contemplation with slow-burning tales of heartache. It’s a languid and casual affair where the songs drift by, conjuring up late humid nights on the back porch with a bottle for company and a head full of confessional and … Continue reading
Daniel Champagne is a true troubadour, racking up countless live solo shows each year — both in Australia and internationally. Here he’s attempted to bottle the lightening that happens on stage yet, devoid of a live audience, there is often a sense of emptiness to the album making it something of a one-way musical street. Champagne’s virtuosity, … Continue reading
For the last few years William Crighton has been building a strong buzz around his songs and live performances – both solo and with his band. Finally we see the fruition of his songwriting and recording with this mesmerising debut album. There’s a dark weight to Crighton’s music, both in subject matter and delivery, with … Continue reading
This is the first album in over a decade for the legendary country music singer and it finds her surveying a life in music with new versions of classics such as Fist City and Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, covers and new duets with Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. Lynn sounds in surprisingly strong … Continue reading
South Australian Chris Altmann, now based in Canada, continues to hone his songwriting craft and guitar playing on this, his third solo album. There are dips into traditional West Coast sounding country rock, barroom honky tonk and pastoral folk rock in this varied journey through American roots music. Altmann is entirely convincing and comfortable with … Continue reading
Melbourne alt-country and folk duo The Weeping Willows recorded their sophomore album in Los Angeles and as such it has a lived-in, warm and lush sound. Their authenticity and craft as singers, as songwriters and in Andrew Wriggleworth’s sublime guitar playing makes this a hypnotic and alluring album. They’ve taken a detour down some darker and … Continue reading
Mark Lucas has been a prolific songwriter in the alt-country realm for a number of decades now, as leader of the Dead Setters, member of 90s group The Parwills and as a solo artist. His latest release with band The Dead Setters finds the group loosening their shoulders and opening up into a more eclectic … Continue reading
It’s been a long time coming but West Australian Davey Craddock has finally released his debut album and it’s as equally as impressive as the string of singles he’s released over the last few years. Sitting in the realm of soulful Americana music, City West is a beautifully recorded collection of songs that evoke emotional … Continue reading
Sal Kimber has taken the expansive, soulful route through country and pop music on her new album. With a strong backing band sparkling and shimmering with keyboards and some fine guitar playing it is certainly a warm, breezy and welcoming record that steers clear of the Nashville clichés and instead rides the more commercial currents … Continue reading
John Flanagan went straight to the source for his new album – Nashville TN, where he used producer Viktor Krauss and some of the city’s finest session players to bring his melancholic songs to life on this classic-sounding Americana record. Flanagan has a smooth, familiar vocal sound reminiscent of Ron Sexsmith and John Fullbright and … Continue reading
Lucinda Williams has enjoying a wellspring of creativity in the last few years with her critically acclaimed and award-winning double album Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone (2013) and now yet another double album in The Ghosts Of Highway 20. The key to prolific output is making sure the quality never drops off and … Continue reading
The middle of the 1960s was a turbulent time culturally. Collars were loosening, hair was growing and music was changing at a rapid rate as rock ’n’ roll began to explore its possibilities aided by free thinking and stimulants. Dylan was the poster boy, the artist out front pushing the limits with a wild surrealistic … Continue reading
Neil Young continues his archival Performance Series releases, this time chronicling the latter part of the ‘80s which for many fans was a head scratching and frustrating period. On the back of the This Note’s For You album he hit the road with a full band including organ and horn section, applying that sound to … Continue reading
I first heard Lo Carmen’s music on her 2009 album It Walks Like Love and was immediately taken by her ability to weave beautiful, otherworldly sounds out of indie rock, dark psych folk and dreamy gothic country. A solo EP and a collaborative album with her father Peter Head later and Carmen has finally released … Continue reading
POST TO WIRE 