Jonathan Smith

Nolen Sellwood cover art 'Cadence to the Flame'

Nolen Sellwood “Cadence to the Flame”

July 16, 2024 Jonathan Smith 0

Minnesota-based Sellwood channels the beauty and spirit of Nick Drake. Following hot on the heels of 2023’s debut ‘Otherwise’, comes ‘Cadence to the Flame’, the second full-length offering from Minnesota-based folk artist Nolan Sellwood. ‘Otherwise‘ was […]

More People Should Know About: Sam Baker

July 9, 2024 Jonathan Smith 3

Sam Baker is an American singer songwriter, artist and photographer. He has a feel for writing words and melodies which are sparse, full of space and humanity and quiet poetry. There is a kind of sage-like […]

Ben Vallee “Introducing…”

June 28, 2024 Jonathan Smith 0

Joyously classic country debut sets teeth grinning. The scene is set within the opening seconds of Ben Valley’s first record – a fiddle scratches the most classic of opening notes, and then what sounds like the […]

For the Sake of the Song: Steve Earle “Fort Worth Blues”

June 24, 2024 Jonathan Smith 0

Steve Earle described El Corazon’, his seventh album, as “bigger than me and faster than me”. He was certainly hitting a rich and varied seam of songwriting form, although it could be argued that Earle has […]

Blair Dunlop “Out of the Rain”

May 29, 2024 Jonathan Smith 1

A bright new slice of UK-born Americana. ‘Out of the Rain’ is Blair Dunlop’s fifth album, but the first since 2018’s poignant, somewhat downbeat ‘Notes From an Island’. As such, the new offering appears distinctly more […]