To Emil Friis, the road to Nashville has “many bends”. To his listeners, his album could arguably use a few more.
Country
Catherine MacLellan – Water In The Ground / Dark Dream Midnight
Prince Edward Islander Catherine MacLellan turns in an album of light country pop that ticks all the boxes in the mainstream country rule book. But is it too country?
Island Line – Island Line
With their debut, folksters Island Line attempt to impress with a laid-back, country-influenced set of songs.
Bonnie Prince Billy – Beware
‘Like finding a penguin in the Bahamas’. Ro Cemm is troubled to find saxophone solos, flutes and the kitchen sink thrown into the production of Will Oldham’s latest as Bonnie Prince Billy.
Baskery – Fall Among Thieves
Three blond Swedish sisters who peddle reckless rockabilly that would leave even Wallander with a beaming grin.
Phosphorescent – To Willie
Phosphorescent turns in a beautifully selected, performed and delivered tribute to Willy Nelson on this covers album: often world-weary, sometimes cynical, battle-hardened, but always moving and honest.
Euros Childs releases new solo album
Euros Childs plans to release a new solo album, recorded in Nashville, next Monday. However, if you’re a digital fan, you can download it NOW…
Angela Desveaux – The Mighty Ship
Angela Desveaux’s second solo album is agreeable old time country infused with Californian rock.
Emmylou Harris – All I Intended To Be
The ‘coelacanth of country’. What is he on about? Emmylou Harris continues her ongoing affair with Andrew Dowdall. Only she’s never heard of him.
Farrell Spence – A Town Called Hell
Farrell Spence delivers an album of sweet backwoods ballads charting the claustrophobic relationships and stunted dreams of isolated prairie town life: “Nothing ever happens in a town called hell”. She’s no Judith Chalmers that’s for sure.
Tift Merritt – Another Country
She’s been hailed as the next Emmylou Harris, but has Tift Merritt got the chops to knock the queen of country off her pedestal? Andrew Dowdall reviews.
7th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival – San Francisco, 07/10/07
Day Three – Sunday If yesterday had been a fairly early start, by now I had learnt from the regulars what had to be done for a close up spot at the main stage for this final day. So there I was at 4am huddled up in a sleeping bag, guarding an area mapped out [...]
7th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival – San Francisco, 05/10/07
Day One – Friday Wait! Yes – that does say Bluegrass, but carry on reading. The Hardly Strictly bit is significant. Although anyone with a whiff of a leaning towards Americana would be blown away by almost any of the regular Bluegrass acts on the bill, the loose umbrella takes in everything from aging legends [...]
