Blackberry Smoke - Like An Arrow

 It's hard to call the Georgia quartet Blackberry Smoke Southern Rock revivalists. Rather, they work in a tradition carved out by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band back in the '70s. Gregg Allman sings on "Free on the Wing," the closing track on Like an Arrow, the band's first album for Thirty Tigers, and Skynyrd is often used as a comparison point for the band, but Like an Arrow makes it plain that Blackberry Smoke is a close cousin of the Black Crowes -- a band that sifts through the past to pick its favorite rock, not necessarily pledging allegiance to sounds made south of the Mason-Dixie line. Often what impresses on Like an Arrow are the songs and passages that don't sound strictly Southern -- dexterous, wah-wah-fueled breakdowns, lean three-chord rockers, and sun-kissed ballads designed for a Sunday afternoon. The latter reveals one of the tricks in Blackberry Smoke's quiver: whether they're writing a brawny rocker or a delicate ballad, they're good songwriters, sculpting sturdy songs that can withstand both the road and the years. That's why Like an Arrow doesn't quite feel fresh, despite a few funky flairs: it's a record that's deliberately part of a tradition, so it seems like it could've been released at any point in the past four decades. That is also its strength -- from the songs to the slyly sinewy performances, Like an Arrow doesn't simply feel like it's built to last, it feels like it's been kicked around the block a few times and has emerged all the stronger for it.

 

Sara Watkins - Young in all the Wrong Ways

Don't read too much into the title of Young in All the Wrong Ways, Sara Watkins' third solo album. Certainly, the Nickel Creek singer/violinist isn't necessarily acting deliberately youthful here -- the record isn't as brightly pop as its 2012 predecessor, Sun Midnight Sun -- but that doesn't mean that bluegrass factors heavily into the equation either. Young in All the Wrong Ways does make feints to roots music -- if it weren't for the stylishly sculpted fuzz guitar, "The Truth Won't Set Us Free" could be suited for a honky tonk hardwood floor, while "One Last Time" contains some fleet-fingered picking -- but the record feels settled and assured as it leans into its maturation. A large part of its charm lies in its ease. Watkins never is particularly forceful -- she seems to lead from her voice, reveling in its lightness but also letting it bruise when it verges toward heartbreak -- but she's certainly considered, choosing her topics and tempos with care. Young in All the Wrong Ways underscores this sense of craft by accentuating steady, almost thundering, rock rhythms, anxious guitars, and also delicately structured ballads that function as tonic to the bold incidents elsewhere. It's a brief album, ten songs lasting no longer than 41 minutes, but it feels deep due to its nicely shifting sounds and styles, not to mention the sense that Watkins is setting into her own skin here. She's never seemed awkward -- the opposite, really, releasing her first album with Nickel Creek when she was a teenager -- but what makes Young in All the Wrong Ways resonate is how it touches upon her bluegrass and folk roots while feeling entirely different: the work of a musician who is integrating the whole of her influences into an idiosyncratic voice.

Wildwood Kin’s - Warrior Daughter (Single)

I think we can all accept that there are not enough women in the music scene at the moment. Being an all female outfit can often been seen as a gimmick, but in reality it’s anything but. Let me introduce you to all female Wildwood Kin, an Exeter based indie-Americana act. The trio recently released their latest single ‘Warrior Daughter’. It’s taken from their forthcoming EP, produced by Jamie Evans (Mexicolas) and mixed by Brad Spence (Radiohead, Coldplay, Alt J).
There’s a distinct Alt J feel to ‘Warrior Daughter’ in the instrumental. Fast and detailed but not overdone, the music has a rustic feel that combines perfectly with the smooth vocals that seem to melt together. Lyrically, the song is bold and empowering. ‘Warrior Daughter’ feels fresh faced and original, it’s easy to like and leaves you feeling like you’ve struck on something wonderful in discovering Wildwood Kin.
The trio consists of sisters Beth and Emillie Key and cousin Meghann Loney. This probably accounts for how well their voices blend into each other. 2015 saw the band release their Salt Of The Earth EP and subsequently receive BBC radio play, and the rest of 2016 sees them continue their non-stop touring schedule. Like a snowball accumulating energy, Wildwood Kin seems like a rather unstoppable force.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years

Friends always meant something special to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -- their 1972 breakthrough, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, was filled with them -- so it only makes sense that the group rounded up a bunch of pals for a 50th anniversary concert held at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on September 14, 2015. Released a year later, Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years does indeed play like a celebration. Revisiting an equal portion of hits and traditional tunes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sound as deep and wise as the Nashville veterans did when they guested on Will the Circle Be Unbroken, but the nice thing about the Circlin' Back concert is that it takes into account the smoother hits the band had in the '80s: Rodney Crowell and Alison Krauss sit in on "An American Dream" and Jimmy Ibbotson plays on "Fishin' in the Dark." Here, they're presented in stripped-down arrangements that nevertheless echo the soft rock gloss of the hit singles, and when combined with rollicking bluegrass, rustic folk, and straight-ahead country, it results in a full portrait of what the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is all about. Better still, Circlin' Back is just a good time: as John Prine, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Jackson Browne, and Jerry Jeff Walker take the stage, the entire thing feels like a party -- which, of course, is what it was.

Robert Ellis - Robert Ellis

Robert Ellis' fine Lights from the Chemical Plant features "Tour Song" as its closer. The sparsely orchestrated track confesses to paranoia and fear while he's on the road. He speculates about possible infidelity from his wife. That story gets fleshed out on Robert Ellis. It's a divorce record that meditates on themes of infidelity, existential pain, accountability, desire, conflict, loss, acceptance, and the marrow-deep restlessness in his own life that drives them all. Ellis produced the date at Sugar Hill Studios in his hometown of Houston, Texas, the city that begat Mickey Newbury, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, and Robert Earl Keen (all mavericks who challenged convention). His lyrics are often nakedly confessional and are framed in melodies and arrangements that embrace the kind of sophisticated pop songwriting pioneered by Randy Newman, Danny O'Keefe, Newbury, and Charlie Rich without leaving roots music behind. Even the two songs he didn't write, Matthew Vasquez's "How I Love You," and guitarist Kelly Doyle's "Screw"-- feel all of a piece. In "Perfect Strangers" he reflects on what brings lovers together and what ultimately alienates them from each other. The intricate, savvy chart suggests a production aesthetic influenced by Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, Roy Halee, and Ben Mink. Conversely, "Drivin'" is a super picker's delight, steeped in honky tonk and bluegrass, complete with brushed snares, tom-toms, and Dobro. In the first person he expresses impotent frustration: he's unable to coexist in the same space as his estranged other, but has nowhere else to go. In "California," Ellis skillfully blends a jazz guitar vamp with a Rhodes piano in classic AOR musical vernacular. His protagonist is a woman after a broken relationship, who finds herself rootless while packing her belongings in an empty house. She recalls the fights, its bitter end, and the possibilities of a new life. "The High Road" is introduced in a minor key through an uneasy balance of tense strings and nylon-string guitar. The words reach into Van Zandt's grab bag of economical tough drama, but the music is framed in the stark baroque country Willie Nelson offered on the conceptual Phases and Stages (another divorce record). Ellis admits he's tired of pretending to play fair, not because it's wrong, but because it doesn't work. The shimmering bossa rhythms under "Amanda Jane" may not suggest Houston, but a close listen to the melody unmasks Clark's massive influence. Set closer "It's Not Ok" explains the reason Ellis is a jealous man: it's a confession of his own cheating. He knows it's wrong, feels doomed to repeat himself, but doesn't -- or can't -- care. He's swept away by his feelings for another woman. This track is a collision of modern country, Americana, pop, and guitar heroics, with 21st century production. It brings Robert Ellis to an unsettling, dissonant, beautiful close. The artist makes a convincing argument here that he too belongs in Houston's pantheon.

Kenny & Amanda Smith – Unbound

In the late 1940s through the ’50s, a style of American jazz music emerged that came to be know as cool jazz, characterized by more restrained and subtle soloing, and less hectic arrangements than the be-bop era that had preceded it. All the elements of jazz were present – improvisation, complex harmony, adventurous melodies – but absent the hard edges and somewhat frantic sound of be-bop.
Artists like Miles Davis, who had been a bop guy himself, carried the cool jazz torch, as did others like Dave Brubeck, John Lewis, and George Shearing who recorded in this more accessible jazz idiom, finding tremendous commercial success during the audiophile boom in the 1950s and ’60s.
I thought of cool jazz this week listening to Unbound, the new release from Kenny & Amanda Smith on their Farm Boy Records label. It’s almost the exact approach they take, smoothing all the rough edges on their decidedly bluegrass style, producing a subdued, calm-and-calming sound 180 degrees out from the equally charming vibe of The Stanley Brothers or Bill Monroe.
But unlike most “bluegrass for people who don’t like bluegrass,” it retains all the virtuosity, rhythmic precision, and intrepid spirit that we’ve all come to expect from contemporary bluegrass, without the anemic, “sad girl with guitar” despond that gums up so much modern acoustic music.
In short, Unbound is a brilliant recording. It finds Amanda Smith’s captivating voice supported by her husband Kenny, and his understated but powerful guitar on 13 finely-crafted, carefully-chosen new songs. All of the singing is lovely – Amanda’s leads are enthralling, with her tone fully covered, and never blaring – and ethereal three-part harmony provided by Kenny and Wayne Winkle. All the songs were cut with what is essentially their road band, Jacob Burleson on mandolin, and Justin Jenkins on banjo, with Kyle Perkins on bass.
The opening track, You Know That I Would, which has been dominating our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart this past few weeks, sets the tone for the project. Starting with an easygoing guitar strum and a mandolin chop, Amanda’s voice quickly comes in with Ed Williams’ lyrics about the sort of deep and abiding love that makes you long to do everything in your power to make your beloved as happy and fulfilled as possible. Everything is low key, and sumptuous.
Dennis K Duff, who has written several for Darin & Brooke Aldridge, contributes a pair of moving songs that shine with the Kenny & Amanda treatment. The title track is his, along with perhaps the album’s most memorable song, Hills Of Logan County, written with Lisa Shaffer. It’s a Civil War ballad about young lovers separated by the fighting. From the start, you get the feeling that this will be a desperately sad story, which it is, but with a twist in the final verse. There’s a special knack to creating a sorrowful number that is starkly beautiful at the same time, and both Dennis and Lisa, and Kenny and Amanda, pull it off here.
Other strong songs include Something’s Missing from Sally Barris, and Reaching Out from Elli Lowe, both looks at lost or nearly-lost love, and I Don’t Want To Fall from Mark Morton and Jimmy Alan Stewart, a reflection on the fear we feel when realizing that love is working on our heart. The vocals on this last are so delicate and light, it sounds like they’re barely breathing.
Special credit goes to the Smiths for finding a Gordon Lightfoot song suitable for a bluegrass arrangement not yet recorded by Tony Rice. Wherefore And Why first appeared on Lightfoot’s 1968 album, Did She Mention My Name, and it gets a sprightly grassification from this talented duo and their crack band. Listen closely to the vocals in the final chorus.
Kenny also gets to sing a couple on Unbound, Barry Bales and Craig Market’s Preaching My Own Funeral, and Tea Party, performed with just voices and guitar, a song by Roger Helton about the joys of raising a baby girl, which has been these two’s occupation this past year.
So do we dub Kenny & Amanda Smith the progenitors of cool grass? Not sure that needs to be done, but there’s no doubt that they are pioneering they own kind of bluegrass, with a smooth, controlled sound that really sets them apart.
You’ll want this one in your collection.

North Mississippi Allstar and Anders Osborne - Freedom & Dreams

Freedom & Dreams, a collaboration between Anders Osborne and North Mississippi Allstars, finds New Orleans’ preeminent guitarist and his colleagues from the Magnolia State effortlessly working their way through a series of blues and folk tunes with a sublime confidence that can only come from years of casual jamming. Make no mistake, these guys are more than just partners; they are friends. The album opens with “Away, Way Too Long,” a swampy, laid-back blues number that sets the tone for what’s to come. Like much of Freedom & Dreams, the opening track develops slowly, building up like a cloud of thick South Louisiana fog. Even the peaks are subtle here, with solos—on “Lonely Love,” “Shining (Spacedust)” and “Kings And Peasants”—that are at once soaring and restrained. Then there’s the record’s centerpiece “Brush Up Against You,” a more-or-less instrumental blues undertaking that teeters on the avant-garde. Finally, the whole thing wraps up with a tribute to Osborne’s New Orleans blues roots, a modern reimagining of James Wayne’s “Junco Partner.” It’s a solid effort all around that, more than anything, comes off as a testament to the power of the low-key, carefree jam session.

Dex Romweber - Carrboro

If there is ever a Dexter Romweber coloring book, Crayola would have to invent a new crayon for it: “noir.”

Between his deep, baritone croon and predilection for dimly-lit rockabilly, spaghetti-western surf and back-alley, rain-drenched tones, it’s only a matter of time until some enterprising film director latches on to Romweber’s stylized music for a soundtrack. And they can start with any of the 13 tracks on this album, named after his hometown.

As a multi-instrumentalist adept with guitar, organ, piano and bass (six tracks here are performed solo with overdubs), Romweber is practically a one-man band. His early work in the stripped down guitar/drums Flat Duo Jets (and more recently the Dex Romweber Duo) predated and influenced Jack White and practically every act that emerged with that instrumentation afterwards. Here he mixes the lone-wolf approach of the 1957 country/blues obscurity “Lonesome Train” accompanied by only his ragged strumming acoustic guitar and overdubbed electric solo with the heavy reverb of his own ominous “Where Do You Roam?”, where he plays four instruments on a tune that explores the isolation and somewhat psychotic visions of a loner.

He gets down and dirty on the Johnny Cash-in-hell approach of “Knock Knock (Who’s That Knockin’ on My Coffin Lid Door?)” and follows that with “Midnight at Vic’s” — one of the disc’s five instrumentals — with its stuttering echoed surf guitar custom made to accompany a chase scene in a Coen Brothers movie.

Someone needs to get this disc in the hands of Quentin Tarantino, who could surely put the swaggering “Nightride,” which sounds exactly as its title implies complete with ghostly backing female vocals and grinding sax, into one of his films. And certainly the brooding, ruminating cover of Findley Brown’s “I Had a Dream” or even the dark, austere piano and vocal version of Charlie Chaplin’s American Songbook standard “Smile” could be used as the credits roll by in some hip, arty indie flick. 

Through it all, Romweber’s intense rumble of a voice and unapologetically retro vision tie the slightly dissimilar threads together for a musky tapestry of an album whose subtitle could be “Color Me Noir.” 

John McEuen – Made in Brooklyn

John McCuen can't hide the glee in his voice as he talks about his new album, Made in Brooklyn,. Recorded live with one microphone in an Orthodox church in New York City, the album reflects the same musical energy and inspiration that has made Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's finest work spontaneous, timeless masterpieces.
Indeed, the album is this year's juiciest slice of Americana music. Just as Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Uncle Charlie and his Dog Teddy, added new dimensions to the tradition of great American string-band music, this album forges new creative and technical ground in the simplest, most unsuspecting and spontaneous way--from within a great room, with fine songs, and a gathering of gifted friends performing before one microphone. Made in Brooklyn is a wonderful, musical movable feast.
Among the friends of McEuen who turn up for this banquet are acoustic guitar wizard, David Bromberg, Steve Martin-banjo in hand, who inspired the album's name- David Amram-who plays penny whistle, flute and percussion, New Grass Revival's vocalist, John Cowan, songstress-Martha Redbone, fiddle great, Jay Ungar, John Carter Cash, Skip Ward on bass, Railroad Earth's Andy Goessling.
But front and center, is long-time friend and road warrior, Matt Cartsonis, who handles lead vocals, guitar, mandolin and a share in many of the creative ideas that made the sessions happen.

Chatham County Line - Autumn

A staple of the Yep Roc roster since 2005, North Carolina's Chatham County Line often get labeled as a bluegrass act, though that's only a small part of what they do. More than anything, they're an Americana string band focused around the subtle songwriting talents of singer/guitarist Dave Wilson, who also acts as producer on Autumn, the group's eighth LP. In the album's press release, Wilson compares his band to both an old bowling alley and a hardware store in that they reliably deliver a familiar experience that keeps customers coming back year after year. It's self-deprecating, for sure, but Chatham County Line are anything but flashy, and they are certainly reliable in terms of quality and tone. For a string band album titled Autumn, they deliver exactly what you'd want: a nuanced selection of warm, earthy music replete with gentle guitar picking, woody mandolin, muted banjo, occasional piano, and a robust vocal blend to evoke the wistful changing of the season. A rich inner language can be felt between Wilson and his colleagues John Teer (mandolin, fiddle), Chandler Holt (banjo, vocal), and Greg Readling (bass, piano, pedal steel, organ) whose parts all dovetail perfectly in the casual kind of way that comes from years of collaborating together. Instead of coming out of the gate at a sprint, they open with "You Are My Light," an early highlight with an underpinning of late-year darkness in its slinky midtempo hook. The maritime-themed "Siren Song," another strong cut, is imbued with a timeless comfort that belies its fine craft. In fact, the band's amiable delivery often draws attention away from their effortless compositions and arrangements to the point that they can occasionally come across as unassuming. It's once again the autumnal darkness that pulls them into sharper focus on the standout "Moving Pictures of My Mind," a haunting ballad whose very essence conjures up the chillier, lonesome side of their album's title.

River Whyless - We Are the Light

The second full-length from Asheville, North Carolina's River Whyless further confuses labels of folk and indie, securing a region of their own that's part folk-rock, part traditional folk, and part artful singer/songwriter commune, sometimes sounding as if Joni Mitchell and Punch Brothers got stranded together in a remote cabin with some decent recording equipment ("One for One," "Bend Time"). The band occasionally wander into relatively poppier territory, as well, on We All the Light ("Falling Son"), but never forsake their acoustic core. Regardless of tempos or volumes, the full set is marked by creative yet refined arrangements that are by this point a distinguishing characteristic of the group.

Western Centuries - Weight of the World

I want to say something right up front with this review and that’s I wish I had reviewed this sooner. Western Centuries is an up and coming roots rock country group that a lot more people need to be familiar with. The group is composed of Cahalen Morrison, Jim Miller, Ethan Lawton, Rusty Blake and Dan Lowinger. Each of them come from uniquely different backgrounds and they mix them together to create quite the compelling sound. The three lead vocalists of the group in particular really bring something different to the table, as Miller was the co-founder of Donna the Buffalo, Morrison has a country background and Lawton is a punk rock songwriter. On paper this doesn’t sound like it’s that harmonious, but trusts me once you hear this group on their new album Weight of the World, it sounds absolutely brilliant.
...
From the album cover to each and every song throughout, Weight of the World is a true throwback album. It’s an album that harkens you back to the golden days of country and roots music from decades before. The rich vocals and instrumentation blend together seamlessly. This album hooked me in from the first listen and made me wish I had reviewed it sooner. It’s something that I think any fan of country and roots music can come to appreciate. Western Centuries is one of the most talented groups I’ve come across in country music this year and if you don’t know them yet, you need to change that by listening to Weight of the World.

Earl Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Breakdown

(Just because I love this video. Jasmine)

Earls of Lancaster - Rattle and Roll

The notion of a handful of the best pickers in bluegrass paying homage to one of the music's most innovative and influential acts is inarguably appealing. And with their first album, the Earls of Leicester, the all-star Flatt & Scruggs tribute act assembled by Dobro master Jerry Douglas, demonstrated the great possibilities of such a concept. But they also revealed its Achilles' heel: their loving re-creation of Flatt & Scruggs' classic sides served as a powerful reminder of the strength of the originals without adding anything that couldn't be found in the old 78s, besides improved fidelity. Douglas and his bandmates haven't solved this dilemma on their second album, 2016's Rattle & Roar, but they have managed to use some subtle studio technique to give this session a more distinct personality than was displayed on the debut. As anyone would expect, the performances on Rattle & Roar are splendid, and the musicians -- Douglas, Johnny Warren on fiddle, Charlie Cushman on banjo, Shawn Camp on guitar and lead vocals, Jeff White on mandolin (replacing Tim O'Brien from the first album), and Barry Bales on upright bass -- sound even tighter and more joyously emphatic than they did before. (The harmonies are every bit as good, too.) While the production is unobtrusive, the audio is crisp, and the natural-sounding stereo makes the most of the group's dynamics. And bits like the radio-sweep introduction to "Steel Guitar Blues" brings a modern aspect to the project that doesn't interfere with the authenticity of the musical approach. Rattle & Roar isn't especially different from The Earls of Leicester, but two years of playing together and a bit more care in the studio have made a difference. This is a stronger set than their debut, and will appeal to anyone who loves classic bluegrass.

Kelsey Waldon – I’ve Got A Way

“They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” is the clichéd complaint often lodged by classic country lovers about contemporary music so overproduced or cookie-cutter commercial that to label it C&W is a stretch. But with some judicious searching, it’s not hard to find young artists who stay true to the archetypes of Hank Sr., George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and others while updating the sound just enough to not appear slavish imitators. On her sophomore release, it’s clear that Kelsey Waldon is firmly in that camp.

Waldon doesn’t stray from the template of stripped-down ballads, waltz-time weepers and high-lonesome heartbreakers chronicled on her terrific 2014 debut. Waldon’s honeyed voice, sweet-tart lyrics and gently rolling melodies shape songs whose choruses are so memorable, you’ll think you heard originals such as the defiant “All By Myself” before. The opening fast shuffle of “Dirty Old Town” with its squiggly, snakelike pedal steel seems plucked from the Flying Burrito Brothers and the bluesy lope of “Don’t Hurt The Ones (Who’ve Loved You The Most)” takes a page out of the Dwight Yoakam sing-‘em-and-weep songbook.

The production keeps the instrumentation basic with few obvious overdubs and a focus on Waldon’s voice, lyrics and tunes. Like Harris and Lee Ann Womack, Waldon never oversells these performances, which makes them feel even more personal, touching and occasionally bitter as in the rebellious kiss-off “You Can Have It.” She even rocks out on the snappy lyrics of “False King” (“You can’t place a crown on the head of a clown/ And hope he turns out to be a king”). 

But it’s the ballads that dominate and where Waldon shines brightest. She spins stories with the heart and soul found in the most classic of country music, proving that they do indeed still make ‘em like they used to.

The Young’uns - Another Man's Ground

I’ve been closely following the progress of these Teesside lads over the decade since I experienced their tentative early outing on a singers’ night at Stockton Folk Club. They may not have quite bowled me over on that occasion, but I sensed a tremendous potential even then. Great individual singers for a start, but with an unusual empathy and prescience when singing together, including an inordinately keen grasp of harmony; then as a bonus a vigorous and upfront performing style and a truly canny choice of material ranging over the whole folk spectrum. Since then, Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes have progressed in leaps and bounds, and inevitably matured apace (tho’ I guess that, having thus far stuck with their nominated group moniker, they’ll always tend to be regarded as new kids on the block!) – to the extent that a couple of years back they took the brave and risky decision to give up their day-jobs and take to the musical road professionally.