John Illsley - VIII (Album Review)

March 04, 2022 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Singer-Songwriter

For many, John Illsley will always be the imposing figure standing next to Mark Knopfler as Dire Straits left the London pub circuit behind and achieved worldwide domination via their fifth album ‘Brothers In Arms'. The band almost singlehandedly convinced every household they needed a shiny little 5” silver disc to replace all those old and antiquated black slabs of 12" vinyl. Approximately 30 million of us did just that (which, in 2022, is pretty ironic considering the perceived cool factor of LPs these days). Alongside Mark Knopfler, John Illsley was the only other band member to do a full tour of duty with Dire Straits on their almost twenty-year run before the band slowly faded away in the early 1990s. John’s solo career actually began during his time in Dire Straits with the ‘Never Told A Soul’ LP in 1984. John has continued to release albums on a semi-regular basis, with VIII being, unsurprisingly, his eighth studio album.

Sam Outlaw - Popular Mechanics (Album Review)

March 02, 2022 by David Vousden in 80s, Album Reviews, Americana, Country, Singer-Songwriter

The press release that accompanied ‘Popular Mechanics’ referenced Kenny Loggins, Tom Petty and Cyndi Lauper, all acts that have a home in my collection, so I was intrigued to hear what exactly Sam Outlaw had in mind on his new album. Listeners familiar with Outlaw and his impressive back catalogue might find the mention of Cyndi a tad incongruous as his previous records had received positive reviews for their take on the southern California country sound. As it turned out, I was pleased to find Outlaw might have taken a left turn, but he was far from lost.

Jack Francis - Jack Francis (Album Review)

February 04, 2022 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Americana, Singer-Songwriter

Listening to Jack Francis is a bit like getting reacquainted with an old friend. The Southampton troubadour has a knack with a melody and a transatlantic approach reminiscent of 70s songwriters such as The Band, Paul Simon and Van Morrison. The route to his self-titled album might have been a long and circuitous one, but the resulting record is a triumph that should crack a smile on the most stone-faced individual.

Noah Guthrie - Blue Wall (Album Review)

January 21, 2022 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Alt-Country, Americana, Country, Country Rock, Singer-Songwriter

In 2022 everybody and their dog is making a record which can be both a blessing and a curse (as the RGM inbox often reminds me). The upside to this situation is the myriad ways to discover new artists, which brings me to Noah Guthrie. Admittedly Noah Guthrie is hardly a new name, as watchers of reality TV talent shows will already be well aware (Guthrie reached the semi-final of America’s Got Talent in 2018) and even appeared in the final season of Glee. Neither of these events popped up on my radar, but late one night, lost down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos, I stumbled upon guitarist Rhett Shull preparing for a gig with a bloke named Noah Guthrie…

Maple Leaf Christmas Special: EP Reviews

November 29, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Album Reviews, Christmas, Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Traditional

This is the time of year when I’m regularly called upon to make donations to the Scrooge Jar. Every time I say something even vaguely negative about the festive season (which I confess is quite often) I am swiftly rebuked by the rest of the family and duly relieved of a few more pennies. So, I am possibly not the best suited to reviewing a pair of Christmas-themed EPs, but these new releases from two of my favourite Canadian singer-songwriters have, I confess, begun to thaw my miserly, humbug-riddled heart.

Field Guide - Make Peace With That (Album Review)

October 09, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Album Reviews, Alternative, Indie, Singer-Songwriter

Field Guide first came to our attention back in 2019 with the Full Time EP, a disarmingly delivered quartet of songs from the open heart of singer-songwriter Dylan MacDonald. We knew that if we kept our ears to the ground, it wouldn’t be long before the Canadian returned with a full-length album and, my, my, what a very lovely thing it is. Make Peace With That mixes lo-fi elements with a spotlessly detailed vocal and a warm, careful production. Tape hisses and floor creaks are all part of the charm and, with an average song length well below three minutes, it’s also got brevity on its side, which is always alright by me.

Emily Wolfe - Outlier (Album Review)

August 02, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Alternative Rock, Blues, Pop

Imagine for a moment you have your career path mapped out. You can see the road ahead; you know where you’re going, or at least where people expect you to go. Do you drop into cruise control and take the highway or throw a hard left and take that unpaved back road? It will be an adventure, and you might initially lose a few followers along the way, but the rewards could well be worth the risk.

David Crosby - For Free (Album Review)

July 22, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Singer-Songwriter

A mere month before his 80th birthday David Crosby returns with a new record ‘For Free’ and continues a career renaissance that would have been, at the very least, unlikely just a few short years ago. The famed singer and songwriter is undoubtedly one of the greats. His role as a founding member of two of the seminal groups of the late 60s (The Byrds/Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) and his contribution and influence on what became known as the Laurel Canyon sound confirms Crosby’s status. Unfortunately, Crosby’s career has been dogged by personal tragedy, ill health, substance abuse and a seemingly unmatched ability to annoy the hell out of people, most notably his fellow band members. With the release of ‘Lighthouse’ in 2016 Crosby was back making great music in the studio and touring with like-minded musicians who understood Crosby’s musical legacy and were intent on adding to it. The genesis of this resurgence can be traced back to Crosby’s work in CPR a trio he formed with his son James Raymond and Jeff Pevar. It was Raymond who produced Crosby’s first solo album in twenty years (2014’s ‘Croz’) and now helms ‘For Free’.

Michael McGovern - Highfield Suite (Album Review)

July 13, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

Michael McGovern’s debut album ‘Highfield Suite’ is a short but sweet introduction to the talents of the Glasgow singer/songwriter and guitarist who, at 25, seemingly has an old head on a pair of surprisingly young shoulders. Inspired at an early age by the usual suspects (Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Fleet Foxes) McGovern began writing songs while still in his teens and with the forced isolation of 2020, the time was right to embark on his debut record. McGovern commenced recording with one microphone in a small wooden cabin in Galway before enlisting Bill Shanley to co-produce. The pair subtly expanding McGovern’s intricate nylon-strung fingerpicked guitar sound into full band arrangements with the addition of a rhythm section, piano, an unexpected dash of saxophone, a smattering of pedal steel and some very pleasing vocal harmonies.

John Hinshelwood - Called Back (the poems of Emily Dickinson) (Album Review)

June 09, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz

For his sixth solo release Scottish singer and songwriter John Hinshelwood has taken a different approach to his craft inspired by the poems of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). The reclusive Dickinson, who wrote almost 1800 poems during her lifetime, conducted most of her correspondence with the outside world via letter, especially after she retreated to her bedroom in later life. The sheer volume of Dickinson’s work was not discovered until after her death and she is now considered one of the finest American poets of her generation. John Hinshelwood readily admits that his connection to Dickinson was initially limited to a mention of her in a Paul Simon song, but the purchase of a volume of ‘Selected Poems’ would spark an interest that would become an obsession (in a good way).

Jesse Terry - When We Wander (Album Review)

May 19, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Album Reviews, Americana, Singer-Songwriter

Jesse Terry is the kind of musician you could happily take home to meet your folks, safe in the knowledge that your imminent engagement would get their full endorsement. Your mother would ask, flushed, “is he too good to be true?” I don’t think there is anyone quite as clean-cut as Jesse Terry in the whole wide world of Americana. It’s just a pity for all you singletons that he is already married (to wife Jess – Jess, I know!) and has a young daughter. Unsurprisingly, then, family is at this record’s heart, as Jesse and Jess were raising their child on tour until being forced off the road by the pandemic. It’s the first time Terry has properly pulled over in a decade, having been a full-time troubadour with Jess by his side since 2010.

M G Boulter - Clifftown (Album Review)

April 21, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Album Reviews, Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Americana

As concepts for albums go, faded Essex seaside towns might not be the most likely choice but singer-songwriter M G Boulter has carefully hewn a hugely affecting set of songs from the rocks of Clifftown, a pseudonym for his beloved Southend-on-Sea. For those new to the name, Boulter has been making solo records since 2013, having cut his teeth in various bands and he’s now signed to the independent label Hudson Records, alongside Karine Polwart, Bellowhead and Jenny Sturgeon. With a vocal that is as vulnerable as Neil Young but as English as Nick Drake, M G Boulter has concentrated the promise of his first two records into an extremely accomplished third that marries his poetic lyrics with intricate (but unshowy) guitar playing.

Liz Simmons - Poets (Album Review)

April 16, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Bluegrass, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

I’m not entirely sure what it is about the best folk/roots music, but it seems to me to get it right you need experience. By experience, I don't just mean being able to play really well, as I consider that a given, it’s more about an appreciation for what has come before, and possibly the most important thing of all, is an experience of life in general. In the sleeve notes to ‘Poets’ Liz Simmons thanks her parents for the itinerant lifestyle of her early years travelling the length and breadth of America in a sky blue VW bus. From the wharfs of San Francisco to the pubs of Ketchum, Alaska before settling in New England Simmons’ early life was a whirlwind of travel and music; be it folk, rock n’ roll or the New Orleans influenced tunes her parents played nightly in the pub.

Amigo The Devil - Born Against (Album Review)

April 14, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Americana, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

2018’s ‘Everything Is Fine’ was one of that year's finest releases and marked Danny Kiranos aka Amigo The Devil as one to watch. ‘Everything Is Fine' is a terrific record full of dark imagery unhindered by genre stereotypes. It might not be quite everyone’s cup of tea but if you like a good murder ballad delivered by a heavily bearded man with a banjo then ‘Everything Is Fine’ could well become your go-to album. As it turned out the album only told half the story as the RGM team found on our last but one pre lockdown night out in February of 2020. The Amigo The Devil live experience is something else entirely, ‘Everything Is Fine’ is a fantastic record but put ATD on a stage and the results are very special. In forty years of gig-going, I’ve rarely seen an artist connect with an audience in the same way as ATD. The subject matter might often be jet black but ATD is not without humour and his followers appreciate the honesty within and can relate to his grasp of the daily problems we all face, and how we deal with those problems that have, in many cases, been exaggerated by the world around us in 2021.

Andrew Beam - Selma By Sundown (Album Review)

April 12, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Country

If you like traditional country music Andrew Beam should be on your radar. Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina as the son of a bluegrass picking preacher Beam grew up in a one-stoplight town where real progress amounted to a second stoplight (yay). Surrounded by music from an early age via the seemingly endless stream of church socials and front porch get-togethers that helped to shape the musical journeys of the likes of Don Gibson, Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Daniels and Randy Travis, Andrew Beam was no different. After graduating Beam became a game warden with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (Beam is an avid fisherman and serious bowhunter) but getting recognised playing shows in local bars wasn't entirely compatible with his day job so, in 2018, he started to explore music full time. Luckily a mutual friend introduced Beam to veteran RCA Victor/Moonwatcher Records producer and guitarist Joe Taylor and the result is Beam’s debut album ‘Selma By Sundown’.

Declan O'Rourke - Arrivals (Album Review)

April 06, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Album Reviews, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

Declan O’Rourke’s new record, Arrivals, is an exercise in less-is-more. For his seventh LP (and his first for eastwest), the celebrated Irish 44-year-old has Paul Weller in the production chair and though the songs are stripped to their bones, they want not for richness or depth.

Sara Watkins - Under The Pepper Tree (Album Review)

March 26, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Album Reviews, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

As a ground-down and curmudgeonly father of two, I am possibly not the best person to be reviewing Sara Watkins’ new children’s album. Children’s album. To me, it’s a chilling pairing of words. Having endured eight long years of inane toddler CDs on perpetual repeat, I like to think that this particular hell-genre has in some way contributed to my frankly harrowing mental and physical decline. I put it to you that children’s music is just one of the many unpleasant forms of torture visited upon unsuspecting parents the world over and therefore ought not to be encouraged.

Morgan Wade - Reckless (Album Review)

March 19, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, Americana, Country, Country Rock, Pop, Singer-Songwriter

For some artists timing is everything. Sometimes it’s because your face suddenly fits and your take on a chosen genre finds a home, but for others, it’s a little more complicated. Raised in Floyd, a small town in Virginia, Morgan Wade was surrounded by the sounds of country, predominantly bluegrass, from an early age. In later years as she began to progress as a singer and a songwriter, Wade struggled to picture her voice alongside the likes of Shania Twain and Faith Hill on the radio “Alright, well, I’m not going to sing for anybody else - but I’m singing for myself”. Wade played publicly for the first time at 19 with a band picked up via Craigslist (probably not something that I would advise all things considered) and the ball started rolling.

Creye - II (Album Review)

March 16, 2021 by David Vousden in Album Reviews, AOR, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Rock

Originally formed by guitarist Andreas Gullstrand back in 2015 Swedish melodic rockers Creye are back with (I’m gonna take a wild guess here) their second album. Since the release of their well-received debut in 2018, the band have gained a new singer in August Rauer and spent the majority of 2019 on the road honing their sound. The result is an impressive release that marries muscle with melody harking back to the likes of fellow Swedes Europe and Bad Habit while adding more than a hint of pop nous. RGM featured Creye late last year in our popular Hard Place feature and we thought a proper look at their latest album was well overdue.

Justin Rutledge - Islands (Album Review)

March 15, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Americana, Singer-Songwriter

Justin Rutledge has put out a steady stream of critically acclaimed but somewhat under-noticed albums since his 2003 debut. Eighteen years on, Islands is – at just nine songs – a lean retrospective of stripped-back, acoustic versions, alongside two new tracks. Few artists possess Rutledge’s poetic lyrical flair and even fewer can boast a career of such a consistently high quality so, for the uninitiated, Islands could be the perfect stepping stone to the mainland of his back catalogue.