Top Picks Archives - Page 29 of 34

"Flexing her singing, songwriting, and guitar ability in style": Sadie Jemmett's album has landed

Sadie Jemmett These Days: Live at the Green Note Mama’s Music Recordings **** Top work by the experienced British musician It’s very clear that the London area of Camden means a tremendous amount to Sadie Jemmett – she even has a song called ‘Five Things I Noticed as I Walked to Camden Square’ – so it’s little surprise that when she decided to release a live album, the gig would take place in that region. Jemmett delivers in emphatic style at the gig, which took place at the Green Note on the 5th July, and demonstrates with this live release just how capable she is of putting on a great performance. Taking content from her two albums, ‘The Blacksmith’s Girl’ and ‘London Love Songs’, Jemmett nails her set, and the 10 songs featured on this live album are merely an indicator as to what she’s capable of in the music world. ‘These Days’ in particular stands out, with the talented musician flexing her singing, songwriting, and guitar ability in style. Reviewed by Christian Brown www.sadiejemmett.com

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Matt Saxton: A country-rock breakout sensation

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Matt Saxton I Wasn’t Looking For Love Self-released **** An expert fusion of rock and country Returning with his fourth album, Matt Saxton appears to be someone who has largely been kept under the radar for whatever reason, even though his talent should dictate otherwise. In any case, it appears that Saxton is now doing his utmost to not only release good music, but to establish himself as a big player within the UK country scene. ‘I Wasn’t Looking For Love’ is his way of doing that, and hopefully this can be the breakthrough he needs to keep him very much in focus. The album is a lesson for any aspiring country music artists who like to delve into a more chunkier, distortion fuelled sound on occasion, with Saxton blending the two immensely well. Intro track ‘Occam’s Razor’ sets the tone very well, while ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘I Need You’ are both standout tracks from the album. Quite what happens to Saxton now remains to be seen in the aftermath of this release, but if there’s any justice, songs from this album will garner serious airplay, as this is an album that needs to be heard. www.mattsaxton.co.uk Review by Christian Brown Matt’s album was Produced and recorded by Ville and Mat Leppanen at their London Animal Farm studio. The title track “I Wasn’t Looking For Love” is about the first night Matt met his wife. This song is the cornerstone for the album. Matt says of the album “I wanted to make an album with the same positive themes about love and family which Neil Young’s Harvest Moon touched upon. I could only have written these songs after falling in love, getting married and having kids. The album is about the key and important experiences in my life.” The album blends rock, country and folk. Credits Matt Saxton – Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals. Ville Leppanen – Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals. Mat Lappanen – Drums, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion Kelly Burke – Backing vocals

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Callaghan's 'Skin On Skin' out NOW ahead of April UK tour

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Three-time BBC Radio 2 playlisted artist Callaghan has released her latest EP Skin On Skin, ahead one of her biggest UK tours to date, kicking off on April 17. Skin On Skin is the second of three EPs that Callaghan is currently recording in Los Angeles over the course of a year. Shortly after the release, she’ll kick off her UK tour in Liverpool on April 17th and then play a series of dates across the UK including her first headline shows at Sage Gateshead, Oran Mor in Glasgow, Lincoln’s Drill Hall and her biggest ever London show at Bush Hall on April 26th. The release of Skin On Skin is the latest chapter in the remarkable story of the UK singer songwriter who moved to the US in summer 2010 after striking up a musical collaboration with Atlanta based Grammy Nominee Shawn Mullins via Myspace. Skin On Skin was produced in Hollywood by Anthony Resta (Duran Duran, Blondie, Elton John), and husband/wife producer team Jeff Fair and Starr Parodi who have worked on scores for huge films including Harry Potter, James Bond, Mission Impossible and more. The songs were all written or co-written by Callaghan. Her writing partners include Jeff Silbar – one of the writers of the iconic song ‘The Wind Beneath My Wings’. The four track EP features songs that capture both Callaghan’s unease that politics and technology are dividing us from one another, and her hope and conviction that love and the human spirit will overcome. Lead single ‘Better Together’ is an uplifting, positive love song celebrating unity. Title track ‘Skin on Skin’ suggests face-to-face contact rather than living life through a screen. ‘Broken’ was written at the end of 2016 as a heartfelt reaction to UK and US politics and finally, ‘All Through The Night’ is a beautiful lullaby from a parent to a child. The LA recordings mark an evolution in Callaghan’s sound as she moves in a pop direction while maintaining the honest emotions of the singer songwriter. Firsts for Callaghan on this EP include using a horn section on ‘Better Together’ and a full 30-piece orchestra on ‘Broken and ‘All Through the Night’. The orchestra was led by top British conductor Nicholas Dodd who has conducted every James Bond score since 1997. The session was recorded in the evening in Budapest while Callaghan watched remotely via Skype whilst on tour on a sunny Michigan morning. A constant on all of Callaghan’s recordings remains her soaring, beautiful voice. The tour will give fans their first chance to hear the new songs live. Callaghan will also be performing tracks from The Other Side, her EP released in June, and songs from the final EP in the trilogy, which will come out in the summer. And, of course, they’ll also hear songs from her acclaimed album, A History of Now, including the aforementioned BBC Radio 2 play listed singles. “I can’t wait to release this EP and hit the road for my UK tour” says Callaghan. “It’s been amazing to get to know LA and work with accomplished writers and producers here on the West Coast. I write based on what I see and experience and the stories people tell me. I hope these songs will resonate with people’s own experiences, hopes and emotions and I’m excited to play them live across the UK”. Originally from Lincolnshire, Callaghan moved to the USA in 2010 to tour and record with Atlanta based Grammy nominee Shawn Mullins. In 2015 she recorded her second album A History of Now in Nashville and after five years of building her audience across the USA, returned to Britain to tour. Since then she’s enjoyed a hugely successful couple of years which has seen her profile build substantially in the UK. Highlights include two appearances at the massive C2C festival, multiple headline tour dates and festival appearances at Cornbury, Celtic Connections, SummerTyne Festival, The Secret Garden Party and Cambridge Folk Festival. She’s also played live sessions for BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris and Good Morning Sunday and BBC London’s Gaby Roslin and Robert Elms as well as at local BBC stations across the UK. Tour dates Tues 17 April – Liverpool – Studio 2 Wed 18 April – Cheltenham – Chapel Arts Thu 19 April – Lincoln – Drill Hall Sat 21 April – Brighton Unitarian Church Sun 22 April – York – Basement Mon 23 April – Glasgow – Oran Mor Wed 25 April – Gateshead – Sage Thu 26 April – London – Bush Hall Fri 27 April – Buckingham – Radcliffe Centre Sat 28 April – Colchester – Little Rabbit Barn Tickets are on sale now for all UK tour dates. London show ticket are available from ticketmaster.co.uk, www.bushhallmusic.co.uk axs.com alttickets.com and gigantic.com Visit www.callaghansongs.com

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Chiara Berardelli's Sea Monster: "…an emotional journey which totally absorbs the listener…"

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**** Glasgow-based musician Chiara Berardelli has just released her brand-new album, Seamonster, the follow up to 2014’s My Big Mouth and 2010’s Don’t Be So Lovely. With this release, she has taken more control in every part of the process and as such, she identifies it as her most personal release thus far. Recorded in Glasgow’s West End, the CD touches upon an unusual subject. ‘Deep Space Hibernation’ was inspired by the two-year hibernation process of the probe Rosetta on its Space mission. Through the lyrics of the title track, Chiara confronts a topic which is clearly deeply personal; not having children. This is something to which so many women (and men) can relate to for so many reasons. ‘Somewhere New’ offers the opposite sentiment; the juxtaposition of sadness, despair and hope creates an emotional journey, which totally absorbs the listener. A journey I highly recommend embarking upon. Seamonster is available at Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify and Amazon. Visit www.chiaraberardelli.com. *Reviewed by Helen Mitchell

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Not All Roses: Corey Nolen & Ashley Spurling

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On his latest release, “Not All Roses,” singer-songwriter Corey Nolen enlists the help of vocalist Ashley Spurling as he tells honest, real-life stories of heartbreak, commitment, despair and hope. The harmony-driven duet trades thought-provoking lyrics that ride on melodies that bear witness to Nolen’s southern upbringing, but the music has enough pop/rock sensibilities to keep the listener from fully nailing down its musical genre. The album was primarily recorded live in the studio. Corey enlisted the help of producer Brad Lyons (Matthew Mayfield) as well as a large cast of Birmingham and Nashville musicians including Clint Wells (Bob Schneider, Griffin House), and Jesse Suttle (Alabama Blues Hall of Fame). Together they were able to accomplish the goal of capturing the energy and dynamics of vocalists and musicians playing off of each other in the moment in order to create this unique and emotive full length album. “Not All Roses” is the fifth recording released by Corey Nolen in the past five years. Though he is not a typical touring artist, Corey is a prolific writer and consistently brings new music to the stage and studio. He is best known for his songwriting, which draws from his keen attention to the details of life and his ability to capture truths shared by almost all of his listeners. In the winter of 2017 Corey was named a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and in the spring of 2015 he was awarded first place in the statewide, “Make Music Alabama” songwriting competition. With this album, Corey Nolen further establishes himself as a compelling storyteller with a knack for bringing those stories to life by engaging skillful musicians who help him communicate his stories through well-produced, honest songs. Corey Nolen and Ashley Spurling Not All Roses Self-released **** The two have joined forces to great effect on this album Kickstarter campaigns are always dangerous, in the sense that it’s a huge risk for the artist, and the backers enter the possibility of financially getting behind something that while they should like it, ultimately, they may not. Thankfully for those who backed Corey Nolen’s Kickstarter for ‘Not All Roses’, they have every reason to be very pleased with the output, as the musician has put together a very impressive album. Teaming up with Ashley Spurling, the two combine fluidly throughout the album, with a series of excellent harmonies being fused with gentle, enticing instrumentals. Spurling’s vocals in particular are worthy of mention, as they are simply fantastic, while Nolen expertly navigates through each track with thoughtful lyrics and slick guitar work. Given how this sounds, it will be little wonder if Nolen decides once more to do a Kickstarter campaign, and could find himself with substantially more backers than he had for ‘Not All Roses’. Christian Brown www.coreynolenmusic.com

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Sometimes Just The Sky album celebrates Mary Chapin Carpenter’s acclaimed 30- year recording career

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Mary Chapin Carpenter’s anticipated new album, Sometimes Just The Sky, will be released in March on Thirty Tigers. A celebration of her acclaimed 30-year recording career, the landmark record features new versions of some of Carpenter’s most beloved songs as well as one newly written song, which became the title track. In celebration of the release, Carpenter will embark on a UK tour in May. Special guest on the shows (except Worthing) will be Emily Barker, winner of the UK Artist of the Year award at the recent UK Americana Awards. Over the course of her acclaimed career, Carpenter has sold over 14 million records. With hits like Passionate Kisses and He Thinks He’ll Keep Her’, she has won five Grammy Awards (with 15 nominations), two CMA awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and is one of only fifteen female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne), the 13-track album was recorded entirely live at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios outside Bath, England. Joined by long-time collaborator Duke Levine on guitar and a handpicked band of Johns’ favourite musicians, Carpenter reimagined one song from each of her twelve studio albums along with Sometimes Just The Sky. See below for complete track list. On the album title and newest song Carpenter says, ‘I read a beautiful interview with Patti Smith in which she said that you don’t have to look far or wide, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive or madness in order to find things to soothe you in life, or to be happy about. Sometimes just the sky makes everything fall into perspective.’ Most recently, in 2016, Carpenter released ‘The Things That We Are Made Of’. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton), the album features eleven new songs and was released to overwhelming critical praise. The Associated Press called it, ‘an evocative collection of songs’, while The HuffPost declared, ‘Carpenter is now at the height of her musical career, painting a compelling, relevant piece of art tinged with mixed feelings of grief and joy, all without preaching or darkening our minds with sadness’. MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER + EMILY BARKER LONDON Barbican, Tuesday 15 May & on tour across the UK Monday 7 May GATESHEAD Sage Gateshead Tuesday 8 May GLASGOW Royal Concert Hall Wednesday 9 May BIRMINGHAM Town Hall Friday 11 May BASINGSTOKE The Anvil Saturday 12 May WORTHING Assembly Hall (without Emily Barker) Monday 14 May CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre Wednesday 16 May BATH Forum (as part of Bath Festival) Thursday 17 May NORWICH Theatre Royal (as part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival) Bookings and more information: serious.org.uk/marychapin

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Upcoming country star hitches on to the Christmas bandwagon

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Sarah Darling WINTER WONDERLAND Self released Clearly a rising star, Sarah Darling has built up a significant fan base in the UK with her gentle style of country music and her three albums have all been well received. Her single ‘Home to Me’ spawned moderate success in the US country charts and now she’s decided to indulge herself with a Christmas album. She is blessed with sublime vocals and the production can’t be faulted with Micah Hulscher’s piano prominent throughout. At the end of the day though, WINTER WONDERLAND is just another Christmas album; and it’s pure easy listening, not country. Songs like ‘White Christmas’, Silent Night’, ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’, Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ are beautifully delivered but only encourage comparison with the plethora of similar offerings which inevitably appear over and over again at this festive time of year. No doubt her UK fans will have snapped up copies of the album during her recent tour and they would not have been disappointed. The album would make excellent background music whilst tucking into the turkey and plum pudding but then so would many, many others. John Roffey www.sarahdarling.com

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The sound of tomorrow and yesterday: Talk-Show blend Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk and McCartney into new pop.

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With a nod to the future and a nod to the past Talk-Show make smart music: Lou Reed, Sir Paul, German electronica – a heady cocktail of influence and yet once heard it’s easy to say “that’s Talk-Show alright”. Hailing from the unlikely musical petri dish of Maidstone, Talk-Show sensed their marriage of raw guitar, honey baritone and retro synth might have legs. Taking demos of their debut long-player Permanent Honeymoon to songwriting legend Boo Hewerdine he agreed to oversee production. Boo recalls: “These bittersweet vignettes of love gone wrong, right, and everything in between were a kind of new-wave Aspects Of Love. It was clear Lawrence [O’Shea, writer] had a singular voice; an eccentric with a rare gift of making the clever sound simple.” Boo wasn’t the only one impressed. An early exercise in putting the feelers out, 2015’s appetite-whetting EP All Messed Up (And Nowhere To Go) prompted Sound and Vision to declare Talk-Show “expansive and glorious….as good a listen as the music fan can expect to have…flourishing mastery”. **** Others observed the “classy songwriting…crying out for radio airplay” (Get Ready To Rock ****), noting O’Shea (a literature major) to be no slouch in the lyric department. With expectations set, the album comprising 10 hook-laden new tunes has dropped: Permanent Honeymoon boasts a subject-tackling ambition which runs the full gamut from teenage crushes (Molly Ringwald), middle age (Time Thieves), fatherhood (Hello Beautiful), through to wartime balladry (Silent Film) and a blunt plea with the missus to get it on (Sure Thing). Kick-off radio track is Mademoiselle. O’Shea explains the choice: “Audiences are telling us they hear youthful energy, longing, regret and reflection in the songs. I like to think Mademoiselle encapsulates all these in one burst. Plus it has a chorus that goes ‘do do do’, which never did The Police any harm!

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Outstanding boundary-pushing folk music by Peter Knight's Gigspanner

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Peter Knight’s Gigspanner THE WIFE OF URBAN LAW Independent ***** Outstanding boundary-pushing folk music Peter Knight was for many years the fiddle player in the legendary Steeleye Span, the band that, together with Fairport Convention, effectively invented and defined folk rock. Nigh on half a century later he’s doing it again with his trio Gigspanner, pushing at the boundaries and expanding the possibilities and in the process making some of the most beautiful music the genre has to offer. Combined with mighty guitar work from Roger Flack and superbly judged percussion from new man Sacha Trochet Knight’s fiddle soars and flies and makes even pieces as familiar as Spencer The Rover fresh and exciting. The album title, taken from a gravestone, is referenced on two tracks, the jaunty Urban’s Reel and the complete hold your breath contrast that is Lament For The Wife of Urban Law. Both though contain the unexpected: folkies who think they know what a reel is may be surprised (but invigorated) by the former while the latter keeps the listener on the edge of their seat, eager to hear where the music will go next. As the band has developed over the last decade Knight’s vocals have become more prominent and they’ve never been heard to better effect than on a fabulous slowed down version of Bold Riley, where he leads some spine-tingling harmonies. The album also includes two live recordings, The Blackbird and Penny the Hero, the latter a reworking of Knight’s Seagull. Gigspanner are a band who get better with every outing, studio or live, and this album cements their standing as one of the most interesting, vital and exciting outfits on the scene. Outstanding. Jeremy Searle http://www.gigspanner.com

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Kate Rusby's ANGELS & MEN is a true winter warmer

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Kate Rusby ANGELS & MEN Pure Records ***1/2 Subtle and delicate tones that warm the heart This Christmas album marks Kate Rusby’s 25 years in the business. It’s no wonder the artist has had such a lengthy career, owing to her gentle tone of voice and emotive delivery. ‘See Amid The Winter Snow’ is my favourite song on the album, which captures the holy atmosphere of Christmas with the band playing to suit Kate’s peaceful and dreamy vocals, which have earned the singer high praise in the world of folk music. Another firm favourite is ‘Let The Bells Ring’, which has a sentimental feel to it, as it tells the story of Christmas coming to an end and another year emerging. It’s an original song penned by Kate herself that urges, “Let the bells ring/there’s nothing more I fear”. A perfect crescendo ends the rueful piece, making this track especially prominent. Special guests on this album include banjo player Ron Block (Alison Krauss Band) and mandolin maestro Sierra Hull, both from across the Atlantic. Produced by husband Damien O’Kane, there are a mixture of festive songs old and new, guaranteeing that there’s something for everyone (that’s assuming your not Scrooge!) This is Kate Rusby’s 15th solo album; I’ve not had the pleasure of hearing all of these but this will certainly suffice as a backing track to my Christmas. Editor.

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