Our latest Short Cuts, a monthly feature where AUK casts a brief eye and ear on several albums we’ve received recently, which just didn’t make the cut for a full review. Like most major music websites, we can’t mention every album or EP we get sent, but we reckon the picks below deserve a nod. Click on the links to hear a song.
This month sees another batch of fine new releases to help satisfy your aural cravings. It may be a case of so much music, so little time, but really, there are much worse problems to have. First up is Atlanta-based Jefferson Ross with Low Country Wedding, a recording of homespun tales drawing on some of the characters and situations he has encountered in his southern home. It’s a one-man show with the multi-talented Ross writing and playing all the instruments on this delightfully ambitious recording. In addition to being a top-notch musician who can apparently play anything with strings, Ross has a wonderful way with words. A charming storyteller, the songs range from the serious Mississippi Rain to the humorous Life in A College Town, and are all bound together by some stellar playing and expressive singing. There’s a light-hearted bounce to the title track with its persistent mandolin hook, and summer feel where Ross proudly declares “I’m gonna leave my Baptist burdens behind” while attending a friend’s out-of-state wedding. Elsewhere, Ross shows off his guitar chops on the aptly titled The Travis Style featuring some fine picking. On the cheeky Red State Blues, he addresses political divisions with humour and aplomb as he sings “I believe in science / but they’d throw me to the lions / If I went around talking like that“. An album standout is the heartfelt ballad Jimmy Carter, a song about second acts in life where Ross gracefully pays respect to the former president’s humanitarian side. Featuring a myriad of acoustic sounds, the songs are full of humour, tenderness and most importantly, respect for the people and place he’s proud to call home.
Next is Old Sap with his latest release, Marble Home. Described as a poet, rambler and philosopher, the album encompasses all of these traits in a predominantly acoustic setting. Indeed, the album plays like a backwoods ramble; full of stops and starts, tempo changes and detours off of the beaten track. With songs ranging from quiet folk to a more expansive full americana sound, complete with some original harmonies and unique arrangements, it’s a ramble worth taking. While the songs are banjo-driven, but not necessarily banjo-centric, there is an array of acoustic instruments on display. Highlights include the chugging folk-rock of Tressa’s, an intriguing story song featuring a lovely melody and some innovative harmonies, the slow country-blues of The Tiger’s Tail, and the elegant title track, resplendent in its full eleven-minute glory that never feels overlong. It’s a genuine-sounding album, featuring a rich palette of acoustic instrumentation, creative arrangements, and sometimes playful, sometimes poignant, but always enjoyable country-folk melodies. A solid album from start to finish and well worth looking into.
Finland’s Tuomas Räisänen introduces his fully-formed debut release, Ghosts of Love, an endearing crossover of Bakersfield-inspired country and americana; sometimes twangy, always melodic. The album opens with the folkish The Door and serves as a nice introduction to Räisänen’s pure vocals and assured songwriting skills. The follow-up Ghost of Love is slightly more indicative of what the rest of the album is about: a catchy, up-tempo country-rocker, complete with some Jayhawks-inspired jangly guitars. The stately All Within My Hands incorporates a classic two-stepping country sound that reveals a genuineness in Räisänen’s singing. The energy is turned up on the final track, the instrumental Twin Lakes Special that rips along on a catchy rockabilly groove. The performances are impressive throughout, and it’s clear Räisänen evinces a deeply emotional connection to the music presented; traditional country meshed with jangly Americana. An excellent debut from an emerging artist worth keeping an ear out for.
From Los Angeles, musician James Houlahan presents his latest offering, On A Wing, featuring seven originals and three covers, including a fresh and absolutely delightful version of The Cuckoo Bird. It’s a fresh take on the well-known song that builds to a frenzied pace, replete with an assortment of instruments, including guitar, flute, jaw harp, and more, many supplied by multi-instrumentalist John Kruth. It’s an energetic take featuring Houlahan’s visceral singing that utilises some Dylanesque phrasing in the way he sometimes changes the emphasis within a word. On other tracks, there is a similar mix of interesting instrumentation and inspired arrangements that perfectly support the songs. The catchy These Changes with lyrics dealing with impending parenthood is a jaunty, Celtic-influenced piece featuring a fluttering flute. The ballad That Bird & I, inspired as Houlahan notes, by “the lone call of a mockingbird” and “the notion of art as an offering…something we just give up to the air without any expectations”, is both sweet in its intention and presentation, featuring some nice mandolin. Overall, the album flirts with different styles within the americana genre as evidenced by the album closer, a rousing cover of Richard Fariña’s Joy ‘Round My Brain. It’s a fun, bluegrass-fueled romp with an unrelenting mandolin part and some scat-like backing vocals that, as the title implies, is pure joy to listen to. A nice ending to an album that is, as a whole, uniformly excellent.
From Connecticut comes singer-songwriter David Coller with When Summer Comes. Arriving thirty years after his debut, it’s tempting to believe that this might be a case of the difficult second album syndrome. It’s not the case here, though, as Coller busied himself with other endeavours during that time, finally getting around to recording new material in the past year. Coller never stopped writing and, as a result, amassed a back catalogue of thirty years’ worth of songs just oozing with wisdom, many of which show up on this splendid new release. Listening to the album, it’s easy to get the sense that you have just unearthed a musical time capsule. Coller’s singing, storytelling and inspired guitar playing certainly embody the spirit of the Greenwich Village folk troubadours, and that’s not a bad thing. The enchanting acapella opener, Let Nothing Come Between Us, featuring harmonies from Coller’s partner Diane Chodkowski, sounds like it could be a long-lost track by The Watersons or Pete Seeger, serving as a clarion call for unity and togetherness. While most songs simply feature Coller accompanied only by his guitar, others, such as Tucson, feature a fuller sound, giving the track a rollicking folk-rock beat. When Summer Comes is a gorgeous tune that perfectly captures small-town resignation, while Coller’s eye for detail is also on full display on the lovely Balance of the Season and Small Blue Island, an especially touching elegy for the planet. Throughout, the arrangements lean toward the spare, but better to focus on Coller’s gentle, relaxed singing, knack for storytelling and agile guitar playing. These are songs that could only have come from someone who’s lived them.
Joel Robson of The December Flowers offers his latest solo release, Breadcrumbs, a mellow, guitar-based affair filled with exquisite-sounding tunes. Robson wrote all the songs and played everything on this intimate release. Built around guitar demos initially recorded a few years ago during lockdown, Robson rescued the songs and added an assortment of subtle flourishes, including additional layers of guitars, keyboards, and percussion. At the core of the songs, though, are the beautifully played acoustic guitar parts and the lovely tones that radiate from them. The opening track, Zeitgeist, sets the tone: a hypnotic slice of cosmic folk, with vocals low in the mix, creating a detached, ghostly effect. The slightly more uptempo Colours of Love is an engaging folk number featuring Robson’s easy-going vocals, while the Cross The Line coasts along on a lovely melody and arrangement. Elsewhere, the brilliant Wanderlust, with its menacing, eclectic guitar and organ lurking in the background, is an album highlight, while the galloping, folk-rock feel of Rest concludes the album on a high note. Overall, it’s a charming, cosy listen where the tuneful melodies sneak up and grab you with their quiet beauty. Highly recommended.
Another musician relishing a second act is Matthew Ryan, who, after 35 years working as a professional chef, puts forth his debut release, A Little Imperfect. It’s a singer-songwriter affair featuring mostly Ryan and his guitar, but with some tasty adornments including banjo, mandolin, violin, and lap steel, that nicely complement the track and provide some variety. The style is mostly simple coffee-house folk, with subtle excursions into jazz, blues, and Celtic territory, with Ryan’s pleasant voice leading the way. Branches is a lovely ballad with an enchanting mandolin part and some insightful sentiments about a homeless outreach program in his home state. Indeed, the lyrics throughout the album show a depth and perceptiveness beyond standard singer-songwriter fare. The affecting Everywhere I Go, stripped down to guitar and violin, is a reflective number about personal growth and tolerance, while the countryish A Lot To Learn and the Dixieland swagger of Through Your Life showcase Ryan’s skill at comfortably handling an array of musical styles. All in all, a pleasing collection of songs.
Nashville-based newcomer Sammi Accola arrives on the scene with her debut album, A Candle On A Busy Street, a sleekly produced collection of seven original songs moving from indie-folk to country-pop, and places in between. Accola is to be commended for tackling some tough topics, and she handles them with a maturity and directness that belie her age. Opening track, Beginning of An Apology starts off as a quiet acoustic number before slowly building in intensity, where Accola’s vocal prowess is put on full display. Turning The Tables, one of the more upbeat numbers, is another showcase for her powerful vocals and features a big, anthemic chorus that shows up on some of the other tracks as well, steering them slightly into country-pop territory. Holy Woman has a straight-up gospel feel, while Survivor’s Guilt displays a charming country-folk sensibility. Overall, it’s a quick listen, but it serves nicely as a musical primer for this promising artist.
Finally, we have folk roots duo, Mills & Farrell, with their latest record, Crooked Path. Adopting a stripped-down approach, the songs feature two voices and two guitars recorded live on the floor. Currently based in the Northeast of England, many of the songs on the record came to be as part of the process of relocating from their previous home base in Nova Scotia. The result is a splendid record, spare and teeming with understated songs that, regardless, insist on grabbing the listeners’ attention. All tracks were co-written by the duo, David Farrell and Janet Mills, and despite being originals, the songs, in their hands, take on a traditional feel. It’s a quiet album, but the intimate setting showcases the natural blending of their voices and their crisp playing. Check out the opening track, See the Stars, a gentle acoustic ballad featuring Mills’ clear, rich singing over a gorgeous guitar pattern that projects a natural warmth in this ode to quiet spaces. An album full of casual charm.
