March 21, 2022 - STAGING Maverick

Review: ‘Popular Mechanics’ – Sam Outlaw

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Sam Outlaw is known for his unique blend of SoCal country. His first three studio albums captured hearts of fans throughout the US and Europe and led him to the stages of some famous festivals and venues. His fourth album he created with vinyl in mind and as such is split into two sides. Side A transports the listeners back in time to the 80’s, synthesizers and fretless bass dominate the instrumentation. The recording opens with the chugging of a muted electric guitar on ‘Here On A Mission’. Outlaw’s vocals have never sounded better and they shine on the laid back, upbeat ‘Half A World Away’ especially in that chorus. Side B leans more towards the Americana influences that inspire Outlaw’s music with its layered guitars. This side opens with the powerful sound of ‘Stay The Night’ which boasts an arena ready sound, the backing vocals helping the chorus to gain momentum. The real stand out is ‘Language of Love’ with it’s simple, stripped back arrangement it gives Outlaw’s lyrics and voice the space to hammer home the beautiful message. Though the album was released last year, it shall be released on CD in March of this year before Outlaw embarks on a UK and European tour.

Review: ‘Raised’ – Hailey Whitters

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Hailey Whitters is one of the most talented songwriters in Nashville right now. She has just been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards for two songs she’s written with and for other people – Brandy Clark and Alicia Keys. But her latest album will surely bring in accolades of it’s own as she teams up with fellow hit makers such as Lori McKenna, Tom Douglas and Nicolle Galyon to name a few. She draws influence from her roots on this record and gives a nod to the boys she grew up with in high school on the track ‘Boys Back Home’ which she co-wrote with Jessie Jo Dillon and Brandy Clark, it’s a stand out on the record for me, her lyricism shines through. Whilst the single ‘The Neon’ has a great beat, it is a catchy track with country-pop hooks reeling you in to that chorus. The strings in the production, subtle yet effective. The album is book ended by cinematic instrumentals which set the scene well. Though her songwriting prowess has been established, her voice excels on this album. Whitters told me she hoped to break through on country radio with songs from this album, well if country radio doesn’t play this then they don’t know what’s good for them!

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Review: ‘Down At The Crossroads’ – Steve Bonham and the Long Road

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I reviewed one of the band’s previous records last year, it was my first time listening to them and I was pleasantly surprised by their all round artistry. The band really showcase their musicianship on their latest four song EP, opening with the dramatic instrumental that becomes the title track. It has a cinematic feel to it and the intensity remains, even when the slightly laid back vocals come in. ‘Something’s Gotta Change’ is a toe-tappingly good track, upbeat, yet there’s an urgency and determination in it’s delivery. They are a band that doesn’t follow the mainstream and that’s exhibited in their songwriting with the structures and arrangements pushing the boundaries to create an original sound. I have commented before about the chemistry exhibited by Steve Bonham and The Long Road, they are a tight knit group and once again it’s a well produced, cohesive record.

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Review: ‘The Friday Night Club’ – Anna Howie

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Anna Howie is a homegrown talent who’s debut 11 track album seeks to solidify her status as one of the fastest rising stars of the scene. Howie penned some of the album in Nashville and reflects upon her time there whilst she also takes influence from family and friends and the trials and tribulations we all faced in the last couple of years. The stand out track comes in the form of ‘In The Morning’ which features a brass section, which is unusual for the genre. Meanwhile, ‘A Bird Sings In Nashville’ Howie wrote on a porch swing out in Nashville where she had planned to record the album but she made the most of the travel ban by instead recording and producing this track in the UK with Lukas Drinkwater who has kept things simple but has done a great job. Howie captured the hearts of fans with a livestream every Friday night which garnered nearly two million views and inspired the name of the album. It’s a very well written and produced record that is most certainly worth a listen.

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Review: ‘Blue in the Sky’ – Dustin Lynch

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Dustin Lynch has never quite got the respect and the attention that he deserves over the past few years. In his own words he says how excited he is to go on his headline ‘Party Mode’ tour because he’s always had to be an opener. His duet ‘Thinking Bout You’ with Mackenzie Porter was a game changer for both parties as it blew up last year and rightly so. That track, that topped the airplay charts for six weeks, features on Lynch’s latest record which is a fun loving celebration of life, inspired by the great outdoors lifestyle that he leads when he isn’t in the studio. He teams up with Riley Green on ‘Huntin Land’ a more traditional sounding country song that boasts a bit of humour when it comes to love. Meanwhile, Chris Lane joins him for the laid back, fun loving ‘Tequila on a Boat’. Arena-ready ‘Stars Like Confetti’ is a real highlight on the record. Lynch co-wrote five of the 12 songs whilst out in the country on writing retreats with friends. The end product is a superb collection of songs which is bound to be the soundtrack of the summer with a nice blend of ballads and upbeat, party numbers. In my opinion, it’s Lynch’s best album to date, I just hope he decides to bring his tour over here to the UK so we can all join in the fun!

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Review: ‘Somethin in the Water’ – American Blonde

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For those of you who remember the group Southern Halo, you’re bound to enjoy American Blonde as the two older Morris sisters return to the spotlight to form the duo. The songs are grittier and edgier than Southern Halo’s but with a new producer on board the pair feel they have found their true sound. Their vocals still soar though and the songwriting is still gripping. ‘Blackwater Creek’ is a stand out as it discusses the themes of reckless hearts set to a mysterious and eerie production reminiscent of some of the Civil Wars music. The quietness of the verse is juxtaposed when the chorus hits allowing their vocals to become explosive and powerful. The rockier ‘Hurricane’ keeps the energy high whilst the emotionally charged ‘Dust On my Wings’ tugs on the heartstrings as the pair pay tribute to their grandfather in this beautiful song. Their harmonies throughout are what set this duo apart from the rest of the field. I loved Southern Halo but American Blonde have rediscovered themselves and have gone from strength to strength with their beautiful vocals and well written, authentic songwriting.

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Review: ‘Givin’ a Damn (Don’t Go with My Outfit)’ – Pamela Hopkins

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Pamela Hopkins’ has had a successful career in law enforcement and as an English teacher, the latter of which has no doubt helped her when it comes to crafting lyrics. For this latest EP, Hopkins tries to establish music as her full time job and why not? Her voice is unique, a slight southern twang to it reminiscent of Jennifer Nettles country drawl, giving the music an authentic tone from the off. In the opening track ‘Crankin Up The Crazy’ we hear a lot of personality flowing through the lyrics and melody and you find yourself tapping along on first listen. One of the highlights for me is her duet with Matt Dame, ‘Little Things’. The love ballad is uplifting and features a really strong production whilst the pair’s voices really work together. ‘Givin a Damn (Don’t Go with My Outfit)’ the title track is more of a country rock track and we see a whole new side to Hopkins vocals as she belts out that chorus. Packed with power, we see a fiery side to Hopkins and this is the side I want to hear more of! The guitar solo is also a welcome sound in a song like this. It’s a great collection from the Arkansas native.

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Review: ‘Tumbling Down’ – The Nashvillains

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I love a good concept album, although they don’t pass my desk too regularly in the country music scene and certainly not as a debut album. However, The Nashvillains seem to be a group that goes against the grain and defies the norm. The nine track album was written completely by the members of The Nashvillains and aims to take you on a journey. The record tells the story of a man trying to get his life back on track after a series of bad decisions. It opens with the eerie ‘Devil Don’t Sleep’ the long sustained notes are well executed in the verses whilst the production perfectly compliments the story. It is a strong opener that introduces us to the group. The stand out track is the title track, with it’s sombre tone it speaks to us all especially after the last few years. Melodically it’s beautifully crafted as that chorus becomes memorable but it’s the lyrics that truly shine ‘Memories in your head you can’t forget’. The trio have all had prolific careers writing and composing music for artists such as Keith Urban, The Chicks and Travis Tritt to name a few but have united as one to bring this outlaw-country flavour back to the genre. It’s a really strong record for the trio and I look forward to where they can go from here if they stay true to their sound.

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Review: ‘Until The Sun Comes Back Around’ – Hannah Bethel

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A trained hypnotherapist and Reiki master, there are many different levels to Hannah Bethel’s personality. But above all, she is a master storyteller, transporting you to a singular, detailed moment in her music and with this record she takes things one step further. Bethel’s voice is reminiscent of Ashley Monroe mixed with early Taylor Swift, she has a sweetness to her tone and I love the falsetto as she reaches for those notes in album opener ‘Bad News Baby’. The lyrics are vivid, you can see the scene and smell the scene in those opening lines ‘I always loved the smell of a cigarette, ever since I was a kid, always wanted to taste it on my lips.’ In the production, she uses the pedal steel/slide guitar to great affect. ‘Godspeed, Los Angeles’ has an energy about it, it’s upbeat and the melodic hooks get stuck in your head. Meanwhile, the stripped back melancholy album closer ‘On The Way Down’ leaves space in the production for the emotion to really pour out of her voice as she trades snippets of a conversation that occurred during a break up. Lyrically she doesn’t hold back or craft it into some poetic rhyme, it is true, honest, real and to the point. To summarise, I think it’s a brilliant EP from Bethel who is certainly going somewhere with songwriting as good as this!

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Review: ‘Hard Truth’ – Paul J Bolger

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Paul J Bolger has been keeping himself busy since his 2020 self titled album and has released a collection of ten songs in tribute to his Uncle who Paul says was a great singer and sportsman and a huge inspiration to him when he was a kid. The record opens fittingly with ‘The Start Of It’, his voice is full of soul and has a unique tone to it whilst the song itself has a rock n roll element to it. Bolger has pushed the boundaries of his sound with this record, recorded in Ireland, he has used less musicians than his previous release yet expanded sonically. There are a number of stand out tracks from the stripped back nature of the opening of ‘Hard Truth’ with Bolgers’ soft vocals accompanied by acoustic guitar and percussion to the rousing nature of ‘See Love Shine’ with it’s positivity and bright guitars bringing the track to life. To summarise, it’s a really strong album from Bolger and beautiful tribute to his Uncle. The lyrics take you on a journey through the emotions and there is a good balance of upbeat and sombre tracks. I look forward to hearing more from Bolger.

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21 March 2022