Elles Bailey - Blacktop Companion (08/11/19)

• Artist: Elles Bailey

• Release Date: 8th November 2019

• Genre: Blues, Americana, Soul, Rock

• Record Label: Independent

• Tracks: 9

• Website: https://www.ellesbailey.com

‘Blacktop Companion’ is a special 9-track companion disc to Elles’ second great studio album ‘The Road I Call Home’. This wonderful new album features three fully produced unheard tracks from the 'Road I Call Home' recording session in Nashville, 3 'live in the studio' alt band versions of songs from ‘Road I Call Home’, two acoustic versions of ‘Miss Me When I'm Gone’ and ‘Medicine Man’ and a cover of Levon Helms 'When I Go Away'

Elles won't be releasing the album digitally however the CD album is available from her website. The first single release is a fully produced cover of John Prine's 'Angel From Montgomery' released on 13th September.

Elles comments “For me, 'Blacktop Companion' marks the continuation of this epic “Road I Call Home” adventure that I have travelled for the last year or so, and it tells a lot more of the story! It also highlights the incredible live band that I have had the pleasure of touring this record with, and I am so grateful for their talents, humour and for just being wonderful human beings!' Elles Live band are: Joe Wilkins - Guitar and BvsMatthew Waar - Bass and BvsJonny Henderson - Organ and BvsMatthew Jones - Drums and Bvs

You can order Elles’ new album below >>>

https://www.ellesbailey.com/product-page/blacktop-companion

Aaron Watson - Red Bandana (21/06/19)

• Artist: Aaron Watson

• Release Date: 21st June, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Rock, Americana

• Record Label: Big Label Records

• Tracks: 20

• Website: https://www.aaronwatson.com/

We are big fans of West Texas native Aaron Watson and his last album ‘Vaquero’, so we were very excited to review his brand new album ‘Red Bandana’. Very rare for modern Country music, all twenty new tracks are written by Aaron himself and he comments that it’s ‘an album I've been working towards my entire career. There are 20 songs and they represent each of the 20 years I've been blessed to play shows and make country music'.

This is an excellent album with wonderful songwriting and arrangements from one of the hardest working independent Country artists in the US. Highlights include ‘Ghost of Guy Clark’, ‘Dark Horse’, ‘Old Friend’ and ‘Riding With Red’. But the entire album is very strong and you can probably find your own personal favourites. Every track of this super album is also underpinned by strong narrative storytelling.

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Ilse DeLange - Gravel and Dust (06/09/19)

• Artist: Ilse DeLAnge

• Release Date: 6th September 2019

• Genre: Americana, Country Pop

• Record Label: Universal

• Tracks: 10

• Website:

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Orville Peck - Pony (22/03/19)

• Artist: Orville Peck

• Release Date: 22nd March 2019

• Genre: Country

• Record Label: Sub Pop

• Tracks: 11

• Website:

Combining the lulling ambience of shoegaze with the iconic melodies and vocal prowess of classic American country music, enigmatic outlaw cowboy - Orville Peck, croons love and loss from the badlands of North America. The resulting sound is one completely his own, taking the listener down dusty rose-colored desert highways, through a world where worn out gamblers, aloof road-dogs and lovesick hustlers drift in and out of his masked gaze. Orville's upcoming debut album, Pony, delivers a diverse collection of stories that sing of heartbreak, revenge and the unrelenting tug of the cowboy ethos. Warm lap steel guitars and echoing drums move through dreamy ballads, campfire lullabies and sometimes frantic buzzsaw tunes, all the while paying homage to his country music roots. Orville's music has been featured by Nylon magazine, ID mag, Vice, The Needle Drop, as well as numerous Apple Music and Spotify playlists. He has also had magazine features in New York's Hello Mr. and the UK's Notion.

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Miranda Lambert - Wildcard (01/11/19)

• Artist: Miranda Lambert

• Release date: 1st November 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Pop, Country Rock

• Record Label: Sony Music CMG

• Tracks: 14

• Website:

This is an excellent seventh studio album by one of the US country music superstars. 'Wildcard' moves from fraught, taut rock & roll to gentle folk, classic Wurlitzer country and a bit of funky gospel, with Miranda’s signature wit and tongue-in-cheek humour permeating throughout.

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Midland - Let It Roll (23/08/19)

• Artist: Midland

• Release Date: 23rd August, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Rock, Americana

• Record Label: Big Machine Records

• Tracks:

• Website: https://www.midlandofficial.com

‘Let It Roll’ is the excellent second album from Austin based Country Rock trio Midland. One thing that really stands out on the album is its wonderful production quality coupled with retro style Eagle’s harmonies and well written songs with memorable hooks.

Midland hark back to to the days of real Country Rock music and they have a great time doing it. Their songs are infectious and the trio ooze’s charisma. Penned by Jess Carson the opener and title track ‘Let It Roll’ puts their harmonies to the fore while providing an earworm melody. The rockier ‘21st Century Honky Tonk American Band’ moves them in a new direction. and is one of the highlights on the record.

As with their debut album ‘On the Rocks’, ‘Let It Roll’ showcases Midland’s versatility and strengths. The sumptuous ‘Cheatin’ Songs’ reference a trope of the Country music genre and it sounds wonderful. One of my favourite tracks ‘‘Put the Hurt On Me’ proves that the band are adept at stirring ballads as they are uptempo jams. Mark Wystrach’s vocal is so good on the track, showing a little more soul than we’ve heard in the past.

Elsewhere on the record the breezy ‘I Love You, Goodbye’ is destined to become a live favourite, ‘Cheatin’ By the Rules’ sounds like a lost gem from the golden age of Country music, and ‘Playboys’ pretty much sums up the band’s work hard, play hard ethos. Cameron Duddy takes the lead vocals on the dreamy ‘Lost in the Night’ while Jess Carson gets a chance to shine on album closer ‘Roll Away..

Another of my favourites on the album is ‘Every Song’s a Drinkin’ Song’ is almost the follow up to the bands breakthrough hit ‘Drinkin’ Problem’. The vocals are on point, the instrumentation is perfect, the harmonies are excellent and the bands personality drips from every single lyric.

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Road I Call Home - Elles Bailey (08/03/19)

• Artist: Elles Bailey

• Release Date: 8th March, 2019

• Genre: Country Blues, Country Soul, Blues, Rock

• Record Label: Outlaw Music

• Tracks: 11

• Website:

The excellent second album from one of the very rising stars of UK Americana and Country Blues. Highly recommended.

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Katy Hurt - Unfinished Business EP (22/03/19)

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Artist: Katy Hurt

Release Date: 22nd March, 2019

Genre: Country, Country Rock, Country Pop

Record Label: Katy Hurt

Tracks: TBA

Website:

King Calaway - King Calaway EP (25/01/19)

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• Artist: King Calaway

• Release Date: 25th January, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Pop, Country Rock

• Record Label: Stoney Creek Records

• Tracks: 5

• Website: TBA

The brand new debut EP from a fast rising new Nashville based Country band.

Six unique voices. Six top-notch instrumentalists. Three different countries. Featuring a half dozen musicians from both sides of the Atlantic, King Calaway is proof that there's strength in numbers.

Before coming together in 2018, bandmates Jordan Harvey, Chad Michael Jervis, Simon Dumas, Chris Deaton, Caleb Miller and Austin Luther all pursued their own solo careers, racking up a long list of milestones, including American Idol golden tickets, CMA Awards performances, international tours, session gigs, and BBC TV appearances along the way. They could all sing. They could all play. And one by one, they all found their way to Nashville, drawn to the city by its rich, diverse music scene.

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