28 May 2019

DADDY LONG LEGS LOWDOWN WAYS Yep Roc Records **** A fine fusion of Americana, country and blues  A band with fine prestige, DADDY LONG LEGS (yep, capitals are on purpose) have just released their latest offering in ‘Lowdown Ways’ and it’s everything you’d expect from them. Harmonica aplenty, gritty guitars and with a fast paced rhythm, time flies by when listening to this album, but the quality remains a constant throughout. Tracks like Winner’s Circle, Ding Dong Dangand Back Door Foolshowcase how versatile the band are, with all three songs incorporating different strands of country, Americana and blues – merging all three together in superb fashion. All in all, this is a great listen. The band have just wrapped up a tour in the UK and are in the final stages of their European dates, but those who were in attendance would have been in for a treat going by the nature of these tracks. Rob Ramsey www.officialdaddylonglegs.com  

Felix Hatfield BOUNDARIES Self-released **** Unadorned love songs delivered with the roots showing Recorded in a basement in Portland, Oregon, ‘Boundaries’ features Felix Hatfield and an acoustic guitar on a set of deceptively simple songs about unrequited love. Hatfield, originally from Vermont, kind of tumbled his way to Portland some years ago believing that in a past life he was an Oregon outlaw and that he could now make amends living in what he calls, “The mossy side.” Calling himself a creative enthusiast and a romantic humorist, he paints and sculpts in addition to being a songwriter and on the evidence here he is excels in at least one of these fields. There’s evidence here of his admiration for old folk blues artists such as Gus Cannon and Uncle Dave Macon in the playing and arrangements but there’s also a wonderfully absurdist sense of humour and pathos in the lyrics, all capped by Hatfield’s fine hangdog voice. Casting around for a comparison the best bet is to consider Hatfield as existing in a universe not a million miles away from that supreme exponent of cartoonish weird folk, Michael Hurley. The Hurley comparison is apt as a song such as Roll On sounds like a lost Hurley song down to the guitar playing which just about apes Hurley’s style. The lyrics also recall Hurley but it takes real talent to write like that and Hatfield manages this without ever breaking sweat. There’s joy to be had in just surrendering to the sound of these plaintive laments but the words deserve attention throughout. All of the songs here relate to a woman, a muse who has Hatfield variously reminiscing, apologising, pleading and debasing himself. Boundaries, the opening song, set to piedmont blues picking, sets the scene as Hatfield lays out his romantic conflicts, his boundless love for a woman who only quite likes him along with a host of others. It’s a lengthy song, almost seven minutes, but it encapsulates his dilemma which he goes on to examine in the following songs. I Love You Blues is a good old fashioned folk blues country song (with Hatfield adding harmonica to the mix) which is miserable in the best Hank Williams way while The Day I Cried In Your Car is a tremendous and tremulous account of an encounter with his gal at a gig (and which wittily references the previous song). Once again this results in an impasse, his yearning, her indifference, all packed away into Hatfield’s memories as he sings, “Like every day with you, that day was a painting by Renoir/more wonderful artwork to hang in my dreams, the day I cried in your car.” While this romance might not be going anywhere Hatfield can recall and fantasise with the closing songs intimate and sensual. Take Care Of That Ass Darlin’ finds him reminiscing of their intimate moments and hoping for a rematch although the song is suffused with ennui. Lioncasts him as an alpha male who just wants to, “Sink my teeth in like I used to do. It don’t have to be love for it to be true,” but the closing Sex Addiction finds him as confused as ever. Here he pines so much he’s forgetting daily chores but he’s also wary of getting back together fearing that he’s just another notch on her stick. ‘Boundaries’ is an almost perfect collection of ruminations set to magnificently spare arrangements and is highly recommended. Paul Kerr http://www.felixhatfield.com/  

Chase Rice will be returning to the UK and Europe in January 2020 for his ‘The Pint of Anything’ tour, which includes a date at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. Tickets are available from May 31 here. Rice was a Main Stage act at C2C 2019 and will be gearing up for his first full band headline shows in the UK and Europe, where he will be performing gigs in core touring cities such as London, Manchester and Glasgow, before venturing into Germany and the Netherlands to do some acoustic shows. Speaking about the tour, Rice said that he is really looking forward to being back in Europe – where he believes he and his band have been treated really well –  and fully admires how passionate the residents are when it comes to their music. “European fans are so passionate about music and they’ve been really good to us over the years,” Rice said. “I can’t wait to head back across the pond for this tour and even get to visit our fans in some new places. It’s gonna be a party!” Rice’s single Eyes on You has recently been generating a lot of buzz, with the single topping the US Country Airplay charts for the past two consecutive weeks. Chase Rice will be playing: Jan 11 – St Luke’s, Glasgow, Scotland Jan 12 – Empire Music Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland Jan 14 – O2 Academy 2, Newcastle, England Jan 15 – Gorilla, Manchester, England Jan 18 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, England Jan 19 – Thekla, Bristol, England Jan 22 – Luxor, Cologne, Germany Jan 23 – Hansa 39, Munich, Germany Jan 24 – Bi Nuu, Berlin, Germany Jan 25 – Mojo, Hamburg, Germany Jan 27 – TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands