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One of our ‘Artists to Watch’ for 2020, Morgan Wallen has now released a double album titled ‘Dangerous’, which is 30 songs in length MORGAN WALLEN DANGEROUS: THE DOUBLE ALBUM Republic Records 9/10 A very bold step, but one that very much works for Wallen Double albums are always very contentious subjects. For every ‘Physical Graffiti’ by Led Zeppelin, there are countless others that didn’t work. Albums that should’ve stayed as one side and suffered as a result. It is very possible to have too much of a good thing and it’s very easy for what would be decent album cuts to be completely buried by other songs of a similar standard. Therefore, getting the balance right is crucial. The only thing is, there’s no real exact science or art to that. However, it would appear that Morgan Wallen has largely found a way with his most daring step to date – a 30 song behemoth in ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ – to the point where the quality just shines through. Some will say it’s easy for quality to shine through when you have supremely gifted special guests – and indeed, Outlaw ft. Ben Burgess and Only Thing That’s Gone ft Chris Stapleton do shine – but they are the only two features on the record. What we do get though is an expertly crafted album, that flows perfectly – it is a listening expedition to get through 30 songs in one sitting, but you’re rewarded for doing so. Wallen spoke before the album was released that there are no songs on here that he would like to skip and its very easy to see what he means by that – Somebody’s Problem, Warning, Your Bartender, Blame It On Me…it’s just good song after good song after good song, with enough variety to keep it spread enough to individually identify the standout songs. There is absolutely no doubting Wallen’s talent and the Whiskey Glasses star was always bound for huge things, but getting to grips with something like this may be his finest achievement for a fair while, purely because of the complexity of it. Nashville’s current king is Luke Combs – with a record like this from Wallen though, he’ll be looking over his shoulder.  Rob Ramsey www.morganwallen.com

Looking back at one of our summer issues from 2020, here is a review of ‘Martha’ by Dougie Burns, which featured in the May/June edition DOUGIE BURNS MARTHA Self-released 7/10 Journalist turned musician delivers with aplomb  It’s likely that no-one could win an argument with Dougie Burns in a way – if he were to ever critique someone’s work and they didn’t like what he said, to the point they went, ‘well why don’t you try?’, he can point at this! For the last 15 years, Burns has been touring around and playing his songs, supporting the likes of Seasick Steve, while he also puts on a monthly exhibition for singer/songwriters from the Velocity Café in Inverness, Scotland. To say music runs through him would be an understatement and that is hugely evident on his latest record ‘Martha’, which is dedicated to his mother. The Americana infused collection has a number of top tunes on, such as Keep Your Mad Hat On, Silver Dollar and Shrine, with Burns merging in classic honky tonk, elements of classic country and of course, that Americana influence as well. All things taken into consideration here, Burns has released a very, very good album that further magnifies the talent that is at his disposal. Not everyone can do it, of course, but Burns has found a way to do it and sound very good in the process. Fred Underhill www.dougieburns.com

After Serious Child released his album ‘Time in the Trees’, Maverick got on the case and decided to review it – which you can read below. SERIOUS CHILD TIME IN THE TREES Self-released 7/10 A vibrant record from the Sussex star  Indie-folk musician Serious Child has left a lasting impression with his latest album ‘Time in the Trees’, which was inspired by the artist spending time in the forest and soaking up nature’s surroundings. Subsequently, this has played a part in some of the song titles – namely Brambles,Oakand Off the Grid– but all there are deeper meanings attached. Brambles, for example, was inspired by a forensic botany lecture claiming that brambles tend to grow around bad people, thus sparking creative juices from Serious Child. That lyrical edge is prominent on his latest album, which is composed and structured superbly as he takes you on a journey of what his imagination can conjure, keeping you hooked on every word. Secret Child describes this record as one with “the sound I want to make” – it is certainly one worth feasting your ears on. A hugely impressive effort and one for folk fans all over the country and beyond. Rob Ramsey www.seriouschild.com

US artist Kelsea Ballerini will release her third studio album ‘kelsea’ on March 20 and it is her open – and arguably best – record to date Kelsea Ballerini kelsea Black River Entertainment ***** Maturity, honesty and musical evolution in abundance – this is a winner  It’s crazy to think how much Kelsea Ballerini has achieved in such a short space of time. At the age of 26, she’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry, had two of her albums become Gold certified, in a position where she can go on a headline tour in some of America’s biggest venues and is widely seen as someone who could dominate within the genre for decades to come. She’s also now on her third record with ‘kelsea’ and this could well be the record that cements further Ballerini’s credentials within the genre, as what she has conjured up is nothing short of exemplary. What is a key running theme is vulnerability and honesty – namely love me like a girl, lead single homecoming queen? and album opener overshare – with Ballerini using this album to make a point that’s ok to not be ok and that it’s also more than fine to speak out about these feelings rather than bottle them up. This ties into something Ballerini said in the build-up to the album being released, which was that she wanted to make a point that she was still very much a country music artist and not a popstar – tracks like hole in the bottle and (especially) half of my hometown in particular will shut down naysayers, with both tracks not only set to please purists and casual fans in equal measure, but they also carry so much more meaning than perhaps a generic pop song does. There are more country pop focussed songs, of course – notably club and needy – but that’s hardly a bad thing and both are really good tracks. The songwriting on this record is on another level, while Ballerini’s vocals sound better here than ever before – which is no mean feat, given the outrageous levels of musical ability and talent she has at her disposal. Speaking for us back for our November/December issue, Ballerini told us that she wasn’t confident of her chances at the CMA Awards as it was “not my year yet” – with this album though, she might be feeling a bit more confident when the inevitable nominations come her way. Melanie Glass www.kelseaballerini.com

On March 13, The Shires released their fourth studio album in the shape of ‘Good Years’, which has serious potential to help them make a dent in America The Shires GOOD YEARS BMG **** Bigger sound meets bigger ambition When it comes to UK acts who have flown the country music flag, it’s impossible to gauge just how much impact The Shires have had. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes’ music has seen them claim three successive Top 10 album chartings and with that, influence a whole generation of UK artists that country music is a possible outlet that won’t be dismissed. However, thus far, the duo have yet to make a real dent in the American country scene – they have had their fair share of success across the Atlantic, of course, but not to the point they’re a household name in the same breath as say, other duos like Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line or Maddie & Tae. But, they are trying to be more of name across the pond and they now have a new label with BMG, which could help them tenfold in the long run – especially with an album to promote that’s as good as ‘Good Years’. The most notable thing about this record is the sound – it’s clear that the duo have gone for a much bigger and bolder sound than they have gone for before, in particular songs like About Last Night, Independence Day and No Secrets, all of which have huge, atmospheric choruses that seem to have been designed with bigger venues in mind. Fans needn’t worry that they have abandoned their beliefs, though – the same honest songwriting is evident all the way through the album. As an example, People Like Us comes across as not only autobiographical, but also as a rap across the knuckles for those who dismiss them, with the message being that they are who they are and that they don’t care what people say as they have each other – and you know, there’s a lot in that. The duo have also opted to work with other songwriters for the first time, too – Lightning Strikes being an example of this – but it works really well for the pair. This is a very strong offering from the pair and who knows, maybe it’ll get them the credit they fully deserve in America. Melanie Glass www.theshiresmusic.com