7 October 2016

Review: Brenda Lee SINGS COUNTRY, ULTIMATE COUNTRY COLLECTION

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Brenda Lee SINGS COUNTRY, ULTIMATE COUNTRY COLLECTION Humphead Hump 2 stars Who knew? This is indeed the very same Brenda Lee, the saccharine rock’n’roller of Let’s jump the broomstick and Rockin’ around the Christmas tree fame, and the tale of what she did next. If you are like me you thought that once she stopped being famous she just went home and lived on the royalties that accrued each Christmas, how wrong could I be. This double album of fifty songs is the proof of what Brenda did next and, probably, sounds the way you imagine mainstream Nashville to sound between the years of 1961 and 1985, the span covered by these albums. I’m also sure that the astute among you are beginning to get the feeling that I am not excited by this at all, and you would be right. Despite songs by such luminaries as Shel Silverstein, Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury, and Willie Nelson nothing comes close to catching fire, and the impression given is that their best songs went to other people. But throughout Brenda’s voice holds up well yet, on occasion, cannot lift the second rate songs above the grasp of the ubiquitous Nashville sound, whose strings don’t come anywhere near close to the sincerity of banjo and mandolin. This really isn’t what I started listening to country music for, and my apologies to all concerned. Ian Ambrose humpheadcountry.com

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Review: Brooke Sharkey WANDERING HEART

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Brooke Sharkey WANDERING HEART Self released 3.5 stars Atmospheric and haunting; but brush up on your French! Brooke Sharkey was brought up in both France and England and spent her formative years busking around Europe. Now settled in London, her unique song writing style and incredibly controlled vocals have brought her to the attention of the likes of BBC 6s Mary Ann Hobbs. Much of WANDERING HEART, her second full length album, is delivered in French but the narratives tell of personal encounters and emotional connections, reflecting the last two years of her life. Influenced by old time French music, folk and contemporary pop/rock, the album was inspired by life living in London and travelling along the coasts of France and Italy with long time collaborator Adam Beattie who plays guitar and double bass on the album. Jez Houghton (French horn) and Sam Pert (drums) complete the line up. Brooke is comfortable with beautiful, haunting ballads but with a clever change of pace, can easily switch from a near operatic sound to the likes of the throbbing bluesy Come to Me or Bottletop Blues. With so much of the album delivered in French, it may not fire the imagination of British audiences but a forthcoming European tour ought to find her talents fully appreciated. I enjoyed the album but a lyrics insert with translations would have been helpful. John Roffey www.brookesharkey.co.uk

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Review: Shantell Ogden THE ROAD THAT DRIVES ME

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Shantell Ogden THE ROAD THAT DRIVES ME Hip Farm Chic Records **** A compelling Americana album that mostly encourages listeners to keep coming back for more September 13 will mark the release of Shantell Ogden’s new album THE ROAD THAT DRIVES ME. Not an album for fans of rockier country, nonetheless THE ROAD THAT DRIVES ME is still very strong and showcases Shantell well. Improving in quality as listeners journey through the album, THE ROAD THAT DRIVES ME is anchored by Truth About Trains and Feels Good To Get It Right. Intriguingly, Feels Good To Get It Right plays with a slight reggae feel that works surprisingly well and the track as a whole is smoothly added to with the harmonica hook that leads the rest of the instrumentalisation. In contrast, Truth About Trains feels a little pedestrian, which is a little unfortunate considering it’s position within the album. This pedestrian feeling crops up a few other times in the album which stops it from being really outstanding. Different Sides Of The Mississippi and Love Again are the softest tracks on the album but are arguably the two strongest. With nowhere to hide in either track, the focus is really on Shantell’s vocal and she doesn’t disappoint. Different Sides Of The Mississippi has a soothing blues rhythm that works well with the lyrics behind a track that also sees the harmonica used very effectively. The main production lead in Love Again comes from a delicate acoustic guitar line that manages to both feel open and unrestrained whilst still creating a strong beat to support Shantell’s vocal. The delicate vocal delivery contrasts smoothly with the following track as well as standing on it’s own well. Very strong album, it would have been interesting to see what a few further tweaks would have produced. Kasey Stone, www.shantellogden.com

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Review: Kim Edgar STORIES UNTOLD

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Kim Edgar STORIES UNTOLD Quietly fantastic music 4 stars Imaginative story-telling from the Edinburgh songstress Launched to coincide with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this latest offering finds Scottish singer/songwriter and pianist Kim Edgar delving into her innermost thoughts with a 12 strong collection that explores such diverse subjects as the impact of crime and punishment, child soldiers as well as the folk staples of loss and love. Inspired by amongst other things, graffiti in a Glasgow toilet urging us to ‘write about love’, Kim certainly took up the challenge with finely crafted numbers like Withheld where she is confused by conflicting feelings but scared to show them. Kim of course, also features in Irish folk band Cara and is joined on the album by fellow vocalist Gudrun Walther on violin and viola. Kevin McGuire (bass), Mattie Foulds (drums), Su-a Lee (cello), Fergus Kerr (French horn), Michael Owers (trombone, sousaphone) and Inge Thompson (backing vocals) also offer support. The album jogs along at a consistently gentle pace throughout but that takes nothing away from the overall quality of the music or Kim’s exquisite vocals. She embarks on a 20 date autumn tour of Scotland to promote the album as well as heading off to Germany with Cara. Her previous work has been critically acclaimed and this one should receive no less favourable treatment. John Roffey www.kimedgar.com

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Review: Birte Paulsen BORROWED TIME

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Birte Paulsen BORROWED TIME Self released 3 stars Indie folk noir with a sigh of Nordic melancholy from Brighton’s German expat Well known in the Brighton area, Birte Paulsen has been writing and performing for years but this is her full length debut where she pays homage to her Northern European roots. She finds a certain beauty in sadness and this is reflected in the dark nature of the fare on offer. Familiar themes of lost love, broken relationships and vulnerability but all exploring the darker side of life make this a listenable collection but not one for the depressed. Birte is joined by some of Brighton’s best; Brothers Alfie (bass, ukulele, percussion) and Ben Weedon (violin) and the self styled ‘queen of indie noir’ Mishkin Fitzgerald on piano and accordian. Birte returns to her roots with Berlin and Fresenhof (no translation provided) but I enjoyed Blue Winter Skies, a catchy number with a great percussive accompaniment as the artist dreams of locking her lover in and throwing away the key; happy melody but with the inevitable dark lyrics. Pleasant voice, mature song writing but avoid if you need cheering up. John Roffey www.birtepaulsen.com

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Review: Mike Smith ALWAYS YOU AND ME

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Mike Smith ALWAYS YOU AND ME EMS Records 4 stars Highly sought after songwriter/musician tries his hand at rockin’ country Well known in music circles as a premier league song writer and musician, Mike Smith has worked with many of the great names, particularly in the world of hip-hop. Now firmly part of the Nashville scene, Mike has decided to utilise the hip-model to introduce his music into the country music sector and has come up with a ten strong collection of self-penned numbers which veer from what is almost heavy rock to gentle country ballads. Production credits are shared between the likes of Gilby Clarke of Guns N’ Roses fame, the award winning Avila Bothers and top Nashville musician Nioshi Jackson who also contributes some pretty heavy percussion work. Smith is surrounded by a host of first class sides men, including the amazing Dan Dugmore on mandolin, pedal and lap steel; was it really 40 years ago when I saw him in Linda Ronstadt’s band? The album encapsulates the ups and downs of life but often returns to his primary focus, wife Erika. The single Green Eyed Girl has already made an impact on the charts and there’s little doubt the album will follow. Screaming guitar work and throbbing percussion abound on much of the album although I found his gentler work much more listenable. The Simon & Garfunkel influenced All Your Love and the soulful Keep it All to Myself were highlights for me. John Roffey www.mikesmith.net

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