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.
If you’re looking to get schooled in some wonderful new music, look no further; this month’s collection of new releases gets top marks. Beginning with the very listenable and engaging Temporary Sun from Steve Robinson and Ed Woltil. It’s a true collaborative effort that displays their innate musical chemistry as a duo, while allowing space for their individual strengths to shine. And those strengths include some fine songwriting and playing. From the outset, it’s immediately apparent that the record is a melodic powerhouse of songs tied together by some bright, cleverly arranged harmonies and crisp-sounding, braided guitars that play off each other brilliantly. It’s a bounty of sun-drenched folk-rock that jangles in places and rocks and twangs in others. The playing is impeccable: focused, assured, and undeniably catchy, with hooks running rampant throughout. Lyrically, the songs range from the sublime Squint to the quirky The Man With the Interrupted Heart, highlighted by some wonderfully original melodies throughout. Robinson and Woltil move confidently from song to song, never letting the momentum wane, even on slightly more subdued tracks such as the lovely Mourning Mothers. The wonderfully perky I Won’t Let Go features the inimitable Dave Mattacks on drums propelling the song with some steady, inventive playing, while the infectious Take Two If You Want One displays the pair’s knack for writing pop-savvy, folk-infused songs full of soaring, indelible melodies. There’s no denying, this is a wonderful merging of talents, and the result is a triumph of an album that determinedly maintains its capacity to delight from start to finish.
Next up is K.C. Blues, the new release from Nashville-based songwriter and guitarist Kevin Coleman. It’s a captivating collection of instrumentals that touch upon country, blues, and folk, all the while anchored by some creative songwriting. Throughout, Coleman explores the limitless possibilities of utilising stringed instruments in the folk realm, and what emerges is an album ripe with stirring and inventive arrangements. Unsuspecting melodies gradually unfurl, full of surprising left turns and unconventional rhythms to create a hypnotic, satisfying sound bordering at times on the exotic. The songs maintain a delicate balance of experimentation and improvisation with accessibility, best exemplified by the striking opener 1914, where the creative mix of instruments and tempos – including drone-like strings – thrillingly leads the song into free-form folk territory. Creative in its approach and often unpredictable, impressively, no two songs sound alike. For the most part, unconventional melodies and slightly jittery tempos prevail, apart perhaps from the traditional-sounding Terrapin, which plays like a long-lost Appalachian ballad. Following the blissful pedal steel-glazed acoustic ballad, This Is A Preposterous Time in Your Life, nothing can prepare the listener for what comes next. Coleman stretches out on the expansive and innovative title track, K.C. Blues, taking the listener on a simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting musical journey lasting over sixteen minutes. It’s a wild ride and simply mesmerising.
Fronted by songwriters Deborah Crooks and Kwame Copeland, Bay Station present their latest album Mystery Ride, a satisfying collection of West Coast-inspired americana alternating between upbeat, gently rolling folk-rock with quieter, country-coloured acoustic ballads. An easygoing vibe ensues, and what’s instantly appealing are the natural-sounding harmonies that prop the songs up; soulful with a touch of world-weariness, ranging from poignant to just plain fun. The pair share lead vocals throughout, with one or the other providing complementary, classic-sounding harmonies. The bittersweet, country-inspired opener Mixed Exit introduces the album in fine fashion, serving as the perfect vehicle for what the duo offers. It’s a strong lead-off track and an indicator of the quality of songwriting that follows. The melodies don’t always jump out immediately, but repeated listening offers many fulfilling rewards as small nuances emerge. The songs themselves come across as little vignettes, with an attention to detail that adds to the compelling storytelling. There are some clever turns of phrase as well, such as “Billionaires and dictators in cahoots” from the majestic, organ-laced late-night ballad, The Times We’re In. Elsewhere, the giddy King Cake is a recipe for fun; a joyous slice of Django-inspired swing with a clever, smile-inducing lyric. There are many highlights to be found, but the lovely title track Mystery Ride is a good place to begin.
A new name to some, Mudlarks, the musical brainchild of singer-songwriter Jim Croft, release the eponymous Mudlarks, an intriguing collection of bright-sounding, mid-tempo pastoral folk, illuminated with subtle psychedelic touches. Croft delivers an album of lush acoustic-led songs that are consistently tuneful, framed in a cosmic, dreamy folk-rock soundscape. It all makes for a carefree listen that drifts by effortlessly. The hauntingly wistful opener, At The End of The World, sets the tone, wandering in on gently intertwining acoustic and electric guitars, with Croft’s eminently listenable vocals and reflective lyrics highlighting the gentle nature of his sound. There’s a quaint Englishness to the songs; sometimes mysterious and oblique as on the psych-folk-toned Bones and Fishy Tales, or honest and direct as on the touching Father. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Croft’s breezy vocals maintain a Lennon-like quality, as demonstrated on the graceful The Girl Who…, wrapped in a sweet, bucolic charm. It’s a record chock full of slightly whimsical, finely crafted songs, enveloped in a hazy ambience. Full of clever, sometimes playful, lyrics that stand out on their own, they become something more magical when paired with his consistently tuneful melodies, as on the wily Buffalo Wing. Well worth a listen.
Next up, the talented Jo Bartlett teams with Neil Haydock on their debut album, North Sixteen. Over ten tracks, the duo produce a luminous-sounding union of folk and indie pop that highlights Bartlett’s warm vocals along with some shimmering guitar work by Haydock. At times sparse, other times lush and grandeur, there’s an alluring loveliness to these songs; mature reflections on love and life. It’s a sleek, but not necessarily slick, record that manages to sound both intimate and modern, with its creative use of synths and percussion juxtaposed with acoustic and electric guitars and folk-rock storytelling. Assured, sophisticated performances prevail; the work of two music veterans who know their way around a good song. There’s a distinct warmness to Bartlett’s singing, rich and expressive, that convincingly carry the songs, most notably displayed on the gorgeous Repentant Song where an ominous-sounding electric guitar gently dances with quiet piano and acoustic guitar in a captivating fashion. It’s a relatively mellow affair, but atmospherically rich due in large part to the wonderfully dynamic acoustic/electric guitar interplay that enrich the songs, such as on the intoxicating Take Me To Water. The relatively upbeat Everything Goes Wrong shines with a sultry vocal and textured electric guitar, riding a sturdy folk-rock beat. Classy all around, the songs are elegant, the production crisp, and the playing tasteful and restrained. A very fine album.
Employing a homegrown approach, Ben Walden offers up the charming, intimately performed Home Sweet Home, an album that sees him digging into his roots with a collection of traditional folk and country blues songs, along with a handful of tasteful covers and originals. Truly a labour of love, it’s a personal album that features Walden on acoustic guitar and mandolin, joined by his dad, Von Walden, on banjo and guitar, and mom, Tina Hilding, on keyboards and vocals. Coming in well below the thirty-minute mark, it’s a brief listen that flies by all too quickly but still manages to convey the deep reverence that the musicians hold for the folk tradition. Walden’s easygoing vocals are a highlight throughout, especially on his gentle, straightforward takes on the traditional Candy Man and the CSN&Y classic, Four & Twenty. The album’s high-water mark might be the sweetly alluring Home Sweet Home, featuring some nice banjo and acoustic guitar interplay between the two Waldens. It’s a song that ably displays the close-knit familial feel of the record that only comes from musicians who have performed together for years. It’s not fancy, but then it doesn’t have to be. The timeless feel of the songs and that passionate performance proves that sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
