Top Picks

Now that King Calaway have released their debut album ‘Rivers’ in the UK, we look back to our review of the record from our November/December 2019 issue King Calaway RIVERS Stoney Creek Records ***** An outrageously good debut album  King Calaway rocketed onto the scene very quickly thanks to their catchy melodies, great harmonies and fun, upbeat songs – and their debut album ‘Rivers’ has all of those things in abundance. This is country music at its most enjoyable – songs that fans young and old can put on and have a dance to while they’re getting ready to go out mixed with songs that provoke deep thoughts. No Matter What kicks things off and from there, it’s just hit after hit after hit as the group sound like they’ve been doing this for years, such is their ability to identify a song that sounds great. Obvious is another example of this, including the bass solo, while Driver’s Seat is just stupendously fun. The powerful moments on the album are very much that, too – Missing You is a real tearjerker and the piano used for that effect is also key on the title track, which is geared up perfectly for big arenas. While King Calaway are far from that point at this moment in their career, with songs like this and with an album as good as this, it may be a case of sooner rather than later before they are taking to grand stages across the States either as support or on their own – and who knows, maybe in the UK as well. Fred Underhill www.kingcalaway.com

Megson CONTRADICSHUN EDJ Records **** A fine folk album with wonderful harmonies Now on their ninth album, fans of Megson will be fully aware of what to expect from the husband and wife duo from Teeside – and they won’t be disappointed with their latest offering, ‘Contradicshun’. With expert harmonies aplenty, the gentle guitar instrumentals accompany the words in a delightful manner throughout the record. Of the 10 songs on the record, I Drew My Ship into the Harbour and Two Sides in Every Conversation are the two that leap out at you immediately, but it is the likes of Barrington Judo Cluband The New Girlthat really make a lasting impact and if you listen all the way through, it is these tracks that provide expert flow to the album. All four of the aforementioned songs feature impeccable melodies and demonstrate just how good the duo are at writing songs. For anyone out there interested in UK folk, this is a great record to get your teeth into. Fred Underhill www.megsonmusic.co.uk

Sarah Yeo THAT WAS THEN Self-released **** A lovely collection of songs from a very talented artist  As soon as the electric guitar bursts into life on The Way You Make Me Feel, the opening track of Sarah Yeo’s latest album ‘That Was Then’, you as a listener are immediately hooked. It’s not often that the first few seconds of a song can really lock you in, but Yeo has certainly managed that and the rest of the songs don’t disappoint in any way. From the delicate Flying to the comparatively fast paced What Does It Matter, Yeo displays how versatile she can be as an artist and captivates you the whole way through this eight-track album. The album closes with a very gentle and emotive offering in Easilythat builds up into a very powerful climax and ultimately caps off a very good album with a hugely impressive track. With excellent vocals, top guitar work and most importantly of all, very good songs, this is very much an album that deserves to be heard. You’ll be wishing that there are more tracks to get stuck into by the time it comes to an end. Rob Ramsey www.sarah–yeo­–singer.co.uk

Dave Ellis & Boo Howard GREAT PLEASURE Doghouse Records *** A long and winding career still going strong…   Dave Ellis is a seasoned performer who has been making records for more than forty years and has had a few brushes with fame along the way. His first album, imaginatively titled ‘Dave Ellis Album’, released in 1973, was seen at the time as an acoustic classic and saw him touring with the late great Bert Jansch and appearing on the legendary ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’. His prowess on the acoustic guitar at that time saw music rag Melody Maker declaring that he was “one of the six best guitarists in the world”. Since then, he’s released nine albums and toured consistently and recently had some songs featured on US TV show ‘Wet Hot American Summer’. He was joined in 2000 by Boo Howard and together they have an agreeable, if a little bland, sound. The album kicks off with a bright and breezy Great Pleasure, which has a nice open sound and a positive message about getting along with people and being nice – and, in our cynical messed up world, what could be better? The arrangements on the songs are simple and straight forward and nothing really leaps out at you. The music here is rooted in folk with a pop slant buried somewhere in the mix. The musicians are, for thermoset part, laid-back and understated. However it’s all pleasant enough and there’s no doubt that Ellis is a fine guitar player and Boo Howard has a sultry melodic tone to her voice that pulls you in. Perhaps the most interesting quality on display here is the fact that whilst the music is sweet and the melodies are charming the lyrics really do have some bite. Walking Wounded sounds gorgeous, but the tale of sadness and loss belies the sweetness.  Likewise, Refugee has a sweet languid guitar figure and Howard’s voice is again lovely, but the lyric is full of a shimmering anger at the way the west is dealing with the refugees fleeing their homes right now. This is one of those albums that sounds pleasant enough in the background, but you’ll need to listen really closely or it won’t pull you in for repeated plays. If you make the effort to engage with the songs songs over the music, it’ll repay your best attentions – so go on, give it a go. www.daveandboo.com Greg Johnson

JP Harris SOMETIMES DOGS BARK AT NOTHING Free Dirt Records **** A great way to return after a four-year break The last album we had from JP Harris was back in 2014, when he released ‘Home Is Where the Hurt Is’, which was released to critical acclaim. His latest effort, ‘Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing’ picks up exactly where he left off, with Harris on scintillating form. JP’s Florida Blues opens up the album, and is something of an anomaly on the album with its fast paced structure, but the country vibes soon start pushing their way through, and they are remarkably impressive. I Only Drink Alone and Miss Jeanne both demonstrate this, with Harris’ excellent vocals narrating through his stories. Interestingly, the album pretty much goes full circle with the upbeat closer in Walk on By, as Harris reaffirms that he is very much a talent in the genre, and has the flexibility to be able to deliver excellent guitar driven songs, as well as fast-paced tracks that can get a crowd going.   Rob Ramsey www.ilovehonkytonk.com

Eilidh Patterson SUNSHINE Self-released **** A very impressive release from the Northern Ireland star Fans of Eilidh Patterson will know that one of the notable characteristics from her songs is warmth – her vocals in particular wrap around you like a blanket in the winter. Now on her fourth album, that hasn’t changed in the slightest. Opening with the upbeat title track Sunshine, Patterson takes you on a journey that’s finely woven by gentle guitar strings and a superb voice. This is epitomised on True Love is Returned – perhaps the standout track on the album – and it’s very easy to find you being swept away by the structure of the song and the “a-woo” element of the chorus. It’s been almost a decade since Patterson released her first album, ‘When the Time Comes’, but she sounds better than ever on her most recent release.   Rob Ramsey www.eilidhpatterson.com  

David Leask Six in 6/8 Self-released ✭✭✭✭ Six of the best from the award winning wordsmith Originally from Scotland, David Leask is now regarded as one of Canada’s leading song writers and numerous awards have made the music world sit up and take notice. His work draws from roots rock, Celtic and country although this rather short offering focuses very much on story-telling, anthem-like ballads, all played in his favourite 6/8 time signature. No less than 19 musicians add their talents to the album which was recorded in various studios from Toronto to Montreal, Nashville to Alabama. Justin Abedin’s excellent electric guitar is prominent on four of the six tracks but Leask appears to have selected specific musicians to suit particular numbers. This is certainly apparent on Red Balloonwhere Loretto Reid (flute, whistle, concertina), Rob Ikes (Dobro) and Doug Romanow (accordion) elevate this to the stand out track on the album. A charming tale of a child letting a balloon slip out of her hands and then remembering her mother’s words, when her first love deserts her; ‘let it go, let it fly’. All the songs are however, superbly crafted and David Leask possesses fine vocal talents although at times he attempts to sing slightly out of his range. When You Think No One Loves You, with its simple piano arrangement, is another superbly written ballad. This one’s certainly worth checking out; such a pity though that only six tracks, spanning just 23 minutes are featured. John Roffey www.davidleask.com