The East Pointers - Yours To Break (25/10/19)
Artist: The East Pointers
Release Date: 25th October 2019
Genre: Folk, Folk Rock
Record Label: East Pointers Music
Tracks: 10
Website:
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Filtering by Tag: Oct 2019
Smith and Brewer - Another Shade of Smith and Brewer (01/11/19)
Artist: Ben Smith & Jimmy Brewer
Release Date: 1st November 2019
Genre: Americana, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Smith & Brewer
Tracks: 12
Website: https://smithandbrewer.com/
Review By: Gary Smith (LCM)
Since first being introduced to each other by Joan Armatrading at an industry showcase in 2015, Ben Smith and Jimmy Brewer have been making great progress on the UK Folk and Americana world. ‘Another Shade Of Smith And Brewer’ sees Ben and Jimmy creating a full band sound for their first studio album. Ben was also recently nominated in the AMA UK awards held at the Troxy in London.
We have known Ben and Jimmy for a while now and it has been very exciting to follow their musical journey. We are thrilled that LCM gave them their first duo gig after that famous meeting with Joan. They were supporting Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby along with Marina Florance at the historic St Pancras Old Church in London. A gig that was recorded and later made into a successful live album by Cathryn and Brian.
Many of tracks on Ben and Jimmy’s debut album have a real classic and classy feel with echoes of the Everly Brothers, Allman Brothers, Milk Carton Kids and Simon & Garfunkle. Their guitar playing positively sparkles along with their trademark close layered harmonies. The addition of Eric Lavansch’s drums and Tom Sinnett’s bass adds another dimension to Ben and Jimmy’s songs leading to more richness, depth, and variety.
The album begins with one of my favourite S&B tracks the lovely ‘Isabella’. It’s full of excellent guitar finger-picking and interlocking layered harmonies. The newly expanded band sound is introduced on the second and title track ‘Another Shade Of Blue’ with it’s gentle muted drums and percussion. This continues to build in the next track. the positive and life-affirming ‘Life’s Too Short’ which is an energetic retro rockabilly stomp, with an Allman Brothers vibe. ‘Favourite Photography’ slows the pace slightly into a lovely slice of 70’s US folk-rock
There is a strong sense of reflection and self-deprecation in the very tender ‘Better Than Your Father’, imparting parental wisdom and experience to the next generation. ‘Blow Wind Blow’ takes us into Everly Brothers territory. It’s smooth shuffling beat complementing the shift between standard verse and falsetto chorus. A wonderful head verses heart song. Self-reflection and being an undeserving recipient of love is the central theme of the lovely ‘Better Man’. We love the high tempo, toe-tapping and fun ‘Don’t Say You Don’t Love Me’ with its African inspired percussion and rhythms. It would be perfectly at home on Paul’s Simon’s iconic Graceland album. On ‘Julietta’ fluid guitar interplay and occasional staccato weave over a fast-rolling and catchy bassline. Some skilled twin guitar solos here showcasing their prowess. Next up is the punchy ‘Love You Forever’ with it’s brushed percussion. The rocking country blues ‘Music City’ sees another shift in style. This is a clever and funny tale of the duo’s Nashville trip with excitement and frustrations discussed in equal measure. The album closes with the melancholic and laid-back ‘Lovely Day For Doing Nothing’
The album showcases the many wonderful styles of music in Ben and Jimmy’s arsenal. From the gentle slower thoughtful harmony-laden ballads through to 70’s folk-rock, Rockabilly and Country Blues Rock The future is looking very bright for this very talented duo.
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The Tweed Project - The Tweed Project EP (18/10/19)
Artist: The Tweed Project
Release Date: 18th October 2019
Genre: Folk, Roots. Scottish Folk
Record Label: Haystack Records
Tracks: 6
Website:
The Tweed Project return with a new line-up continuing the original aim of exploring Scottish and English traditional music to create a unique fusion. Formed in 2015, when they wowed festivals across the UK, the group now finds BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award-winning duo Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar and leading young piper and whistle player Ali Levack joined by the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winners, vocal-guitar duo Josie Duncan & Pablo Lafuente, and percussionist Evan Carson. The group explore their respective traditions in an exciting, emotive and unique way.
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The Avett Brothers - Closer Than Together (04/10/19)
Artist: The Avett Brothers
Release Date: 4th October, 2019
Genre: Folk, Rock, Americana
Record Label: Republic Records
Tracks: 13
Website:
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Grace Potter - Daylight (25/10/19)
Artist: Grace Potter
Release Date: 25th October, 2019
Genre: Blues, Soul, Rock
Record Label: Hollywood Records/ Fantasy Records
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.gracepotter.com
The very talented Vermont born but LA based Grace Potter has had a very eventful few years. After dissolving her long-time band the Nocturnals, she released a more pop solo album ‘Midnight’, in 2015. Shortly after that, she divorced her husband and Nocturnals drummer, Matt Burr, and began a new relationship with ‘Midnight’ producer Eric Valentine. Grace and Eric had their first child in 2018. All of these events serve as the background for the songs on her new album ‘Daylight’.
But by the end of 2017, Grace began to feel the call of the studio and soon started laying down tracks in the Topanga Canyon home she’d recently settled into with her husband, ‘Midnight’ producer Eric Valentine. Unsigned and entirely free of any pressure to appease, Grace slowly carved out the songs that now make up ‘Daylight’: an album that emerges as her most emotionally revealing, musically daring, and exactingly realized body of work to date. “When I finally started writing songs again - I did it for me.”
Grace’s seventh full-length and first release for Fantasy Records, ‘Daylight’ mostly came to life through a series of live-to-tape sessions at Valentine’s Hollywood studio, Barefoot Recording. Along with capturing the undeniable vocal power Grace’s previously shown in sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, and Neil Young, the album unfolds with an irresistibly vital sound birthed with the help of guests like Benmont Tench and Lucius. “Having all these incredible musicians playing live in the room with me gave the recording an urgency—like, this matters right now,” Grace recalls.
‘Daylight’ sees Grace moving away from the sound of her former band. Highlights include the stunning ‘Release’ a slow piano ballad driven by a beautiful vocal performance. The bare and personal, reflective and raw lyric mines the very depth of her soul. It's charts a broken relationship and serves as a watershed moment not only for this album but probably for the rest of her career. It feels like the ending of one important chapter and the start of the next chapter begins with the second half of ‘Daylight’.
After the wonderful "Release", Grace continue with a group of songs that directly address her breakup. These have the most honest and open lyrics. They are accompanied by perfect musical compositions that is reminiscent of her earlier Nocturnals work. This is the style that really suits her stunning and powerful voice. The second half of the album also features three more fantastic appearances by Lucius (‘Repossession’, ‘Desire’ and ‘Please’) adding to of my favourites on the album the powerful soul/blues future classic ‘Back To Me’.
Grace Potter has been on the threshold of great things and a massive breakthrough for many years. The release of ‘Daylight’ is definitely an important and giant step on that journey.
A beautiful and high quality album full of raw emotion and heart & soul. Highly recommended.
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Wildwood Kin - Wildwood Kin (04/10/19)
Artist: Wildwood Kin
Release Date: 4th October, 2019
Genre: Indie-Folk, Americana
Tracks: 10
Record Label: Silvertone
Website:
Wildwood Kin is the self-titled second studio album from the West Country trio, sisters Emillie and Beth and their cousin Meghann. Self-titled because it captures the band’s artistic vision so completely, the most striking thing about the album is just how natural it sounds. The voices of three young women harmonise effortlessly - there are shades of Simon & Garfunkel, Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, and the churchy cadences of the first Fleet Foxes album in the beautifully gentle folk rock melodies. Lyrics address profound themes like love, loss and spirituality in an unforced fashion. Above all, there is a spirit to the record that is as wild and free as the moors that Wildwood Kin grew up on. Produced by Ian Grimble (Bear’s Den, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Viola Beach, Daughter), the album features a number of co-writes from sessions in Los Angeles, Nashville and Oxfordshire, including Gabrielle Aplin, Angelo Petraglia (Taylor Swift, Lissie, Kings of Leon), and Alex Davies (Sigrid, Birdy, Kodaline). Lead single, ‘Never Alone’ was written with and produced by Ed Harcourt. The album is a beautifully reflective body of work, characterised by the band’s distinctive harmonies, evergreen folk rock melodies, and moments of riotous energy.
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Chosen Daughter - Maz O'Connor (25/10/19)
Artist: Maz O’Connor
Release Date: 25th October, 2019
Genre: Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Restless Head Records
Tracks: 11
Website: http://mazoconnor.com/
Singer and songwriter Maz O'Connor has been described by The Guardian as 'one of folk's brightest young talents'. Now based in London, her Irish roots strongly influence her lyrical story-songs, and her pure, clear singing style. After releasing three albums, being nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Horizon Award twice, and performing at major festivals including The Cambridge Folk Festival, WOMAD and Glastonbury; Maz has spent three years writing and recording her latest album, 'Chosen Daughter', which explores the stories of her foremothers.
'Maz O'Connor's ace, apart from her remarkable songwriting talent, is her captivating voice ****' (Q Magazine)
'There is an inquiring intelligence as well as an emotional sensibility at work here...she plays and sings beautifully *****' (Songlines)
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