Probably
not what Dancing Mice had planned but the first
thing I notice as I play “Bread and Stone”, the opening
track from “
Book of Two Factors” is how much the vocals sound like
Alan Davidson (Kitchen Cynics), a pleasant surprise, and
not that surprising when I discover the band hail from
Edinburgh. Anyway,
the tune is a uptempo, pop tune that has plenty of life
and some fine lyrics, the energy continued on “The '68”,
a song that reminds me of REM in some strange way.
Slowing things down “The Kindest Cut” is a wistful song
with rippling guitar and a nostalgic gaze, whilst “Where
Is Jackson Lamb” has a reggae feel with some excellent
wah guitar touches, the band keeping things interesting
whilst maintaining a musical identity. Over 12 tracks,
the album keeps up the quality, lots of guitar jangle and
a bright production which lets the songs shine, a small
gem. (bandcamp.com)
Mixing
prog, indie, jazz/funk and touches of metal could be a
recipe for disaster but Echo Gecco manage to
make it work meaning that their “self Titled” album is
an intriguing listen that swirls all over the place and
takes a few listens to really appreciate. Opening with
“The Walk”, the band hook you right in, funky guitar,
sudden changes and tight musicianship catching your ear
and making you smile. On
“Sit Down ( I Don't Wanna)” the guitar shines out,
dynamic changes bringing the song to life as does a
soaring solo whilst on “Shapes” the band produce a
mellower vibe, at least until the noise level is raised
towards the end. Raising the noise stakes even further
“No Help Tonight” has a frantic pace and plenty of
distorted guitar making you have a bit of a groove
around the kitchen (well
I did anyway). Quite possibly an album you need to be in
the mood for, but they certainly hit the spot when you
are. I m hoping they are even better live as they are
playing the Nozstock festival in Herefordshire in July,
a festival I always attend.
(bandcamp.com)
Familiar
to Terrascope readers, Colour Haze have
been creating space, stoner, psychedelic music for many
years and are now onto “Sacred”, their 14th
album and another fine collection of heady tunes with
plenty of dynamics and some excellent riffage. Beginning
with a haze of cymbals and some gentle, west-coast
guitar, “Turquoise” takes your hand and leads you softly
up to the stars, the tune remaining light and airy until
the last couple of minutes when the guitar is finally
released in full this energy taken up several notches as
“Goldmine” crashes in, a meaty riff getting that head
nodding with joy. With rippling synths and an edgy,
relentless guitar “Ideologigi” is a fabulous tune that
demonstrates all that is good about the band whilst “See
he Fools” opens in a glorious drift of colour made sound
before revealing itself to be an excellent slice of
lysergic space rock that is easy to get lost in, the
album closing with the equally fine “In All You See” a
frantic pace set by the rythym section, the guitars
stomping above them, most excellent. (bandcamp.com)
Sounding
like a lost UK folk band with a CSNY obsession there is
much to admire in “”Sunset Over the Water”, the new
album from Paul M Cox. Hailing from Northampton,
UK, the music has a timeless feel, one of those albums
you find in a dusty shop and take home knowing nothing
about it dropping the needle on “Silver and Gold” and
being happily delighted by the sweet and wonderful
sounds that spring to life. This happiness will only
increase as the pairing of
“Take Hold My Hand” and
“Sunset Over the Water” allows you to lie back
and dream, the former a wonderfully evocative piece of
music that flows like a dream whilst the latter is
filled with wonderful playing and a dense rich sound
that beckons you in and gives you great big musical
hug. Elsewhere, “Blackbird” demonstrates some excellent
guitar technique as well as being a great song, and
“Caroline's Dreams” closes the album in fine style,
being a whimsical yet satisfying tale, a psych pop lyric
wrapped in a folk pop tune, rather enchanting. Ok, so I
didn't find it in a dusty shop but it did make me happy.
(bandcamp.com)
Hazy
and shimmering, the sound world of guitarist Rob
Byrd is a mesmerising blend of ambience and
texture on his latest release “”What The Ocean Is Like
At Night” , the instrumental tunes created in real –
time, no overdubs or loops are used, although there are
plenty of effects in the “digital sound environments”
created by Byrd. Using the sea at night as its
inspiration, each of the 10 pieces follow a similar
sound path creating a delightful journey that soothes
and calms the mind. Within the album it is difficult to
choose individual tracks, but “Drifting Below” and
“Eventide” seemed to hit the spot for me, an album I
will be returning to when in need of a meditational
sound bath. (bandcamp.com)
Taking
real – time recording in a completely different
direction is “Willfully Ceased to Exist” a split CD
featuring Ankylosaraus / Joe+N and released on
Carbon Records. Kicking things off with “More of
an Awareness Than a Practice”
Ankylosaraus (T.Penn from the Human Adult Band)
takes a bass, an amp and a couple of pedals to create a
deep and fuzzed-up wall of sound that squirms and
writhes into your cortex, a meditation that reveals the
beauty within disorder, best played very loud, as is the
following tune “Ceased to Exist”, a fourteen minute
behemoth that messes with your perception, the droning
call of mythical demons wishing to share their secrets
and their loneliness through all eternity.
Featuring
more than one instrument but utilising the
one-take/improv method
of recording,
Joe+N also gets down and dirty on “”Terms Of Measurement”,
Phased guitar and drums, diving down into a
sludge-driven swamp and following the ghost of Hawkwind
before imploding into a cloud of guitar noise, the drums
lost in the murky waters. Towards the end the guitar
takes on a lighter tone(ish), traces of sunlight playing
over the landscape as it slowly fades from memory. With
droning violin, Tibetan bowls and strummed acoustic,
“The Deepest” reads, on paper at least, as if it might
be quite mellow and calming, not so as it reveals itself
as a squall of whining noise, the bowls rattling as if
trying to escape the chaos, the relentless pounding
seeming to last much longer that its allotted five
minutes. Intense and strangely beautiful. Carbon
Records (bandcamp.com)
Breathing
life into some wonderful Psych Pop tunes, the strangely
named Burghers
Orquestre display an ear for a good tune and
plenty of energy on their self titled, debut album.
Ushering us in with the moody riff of
“Something About You” the band hit the right note
with a shimmering organ, great guitar tones and a fine
arrangement, the tune sticking in your brain as it
should. Keeping the memento going, “Lost
in Time” is a jaunty number that gets your feet moving
whilst further in, “Don't Wake The Monster” gets a
little more Psychedelic in its approach as it creeps
from the speakers. Another great moment is found with
“Cult Me In” the band dipping their toes in a bit of
moody Exotica, the tune enhanced with trumpet and
percussion before thing get back to the Psych again with
“Private Wasteland” possibly the album's highlight as it
stomps and marches through your mind, organ and guitar
working together in swirling splendour. (bandcamp.com)
For
those of you who fancy a mellow, West-Coast, Neil Young
vibe may i suggest One Adam One, aka Adam
Reichman whose recent 5 track collection “ Where Do I
Begin” is a very lovely thing, the title track
gracefully ushering us in, a relaxed vocal delivery
flowing beautifully over the melodic backing
allowing us to close our eyes and drift away. Equally
good, but with a slightly darker lyrical theme, “Living
Between The Lines” is ll about how we make the best of
it, maybe ignoring the desperation under the surface,
the music sounding like a gentle summer breeze
sweetening the story. With a jaunty swagger and a
relaxed groove “Cold Murmurs” builds slowly into an epic
tune with plenty of overlaid
keyboard giving it depth and clarity, the collection
brought to a close with “Platte River” a perfect example
of songwriting craft, great lyrics, melodic charm,
gentle hooks and warm production that brings everything
together beautifully. Maybe not the most ground breaking
selection but just about perfect
for cruising down the highway in the sunshine your bet
girl by your side, or maybe just to make you feel better
as you are stuck on the M25 in the rain. (One
Adam One).
Formed
in 1973, OHO have been sporadically recording
since, line–ups changing right up to their most recent
release “Ahora!”, a collection of three long tracks,that
form one longer piece, the music a varied prog,
experimental sound that takes a little while to tune the
ears into but is (mainly) worth the journey. Actually
the most troublesome part is the narration at the
beginning of the cunningly named “Part 1”, it goes on
too long and sounds like cosmic bollocks, once it has
ended though, the music begins to flow, guitars, violin,
keyboards and vocals all striving to lead the music down
interesting avenues creating plenty of tension and
dynamics. Sadly the narration does return briefly
although it is brief and leads us into a beautiful and
melancholic violin led section that slowly changes as
guitars and brass collide, creating some interesting
harmonies and textures. Over 36 minutes the album holds
the intention, the musicianship is excellent, and there
is plenty to keep the ears entertained, I can heartily
recommend this to fans of Progressive music, personally
I could live without the narration but that is a
personal thing, go find out for yourself. (oho)
Displaying
a strong late sixties pop influence and reminding
me of The
Hollies meeting The Moody Blues, “Sounds In English” is
a rather excellent album created by Richard Ohrn
using a variety
of instruments
including
a fine sounding Sonor drumkit that was made in the
sixties. Opening track “Seal Your Move” says it all
really, jangling guitar, melody-a-plenty, sweet
harmonies, what sounds like a dancing flute, but may be
a keyboard, and an infectious groove that just makes you
feel better.
Moving on, “5th Month Announcement”
has a definite Moodies vibe and lovely twinkling guitar,
whilst “Time's Not Running Out” has a crackling energy
hidden in its melodic coating.
A
definite favourite of mine is, “Someone To Forgive
You”, a moody tune with a quietly lysergic feel and
loads of jangle sounding like a lost sixties classic. As
with the rest of the album, the tune is greatly enhanced
by the warm production and the wonderful vocals that
bring each tune to life. Talking of jangle, “Take This
Bottle” crosses the water to sound like The Byrds, the
lyrics a wry smile to love and relationships, the tune
making you want to dance in the sunshine before “Every
Shade” slows everything down, the Sonor kit giving the
song punch and dynamics. With a country- rock feel,
“Could Have Loved You More”, is brightened by the
addition of Brass in the chorus
section, the whole album beautifully landed by “Spanish
Moon”, a pizzicato string section providing the interest
as the song rolls along under a cloud of melancholy and
sweetness. This is a rather fabulous album and gets
better each time I hear it, highly recommended. https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/take-this-bottle
Sounding
like a late-night smoker’s delight, BIGCAT hit
the sweet spot with “Atlas” a mixture of Dub, drones,
field recordings,
samples and electronics that swirls around the room
creating clouds of wonderful confusion, sounding like
the experimental side of the ON-U soundsysyem. Over 12
tracks the music takes you on a journey from the opening
ambient musings of “Karya parts 1 + 2” right through to
the closing tribal pulse of “Alpha Lyman Forest”, a
stoned slice of exotica that acts as a closing ceremony.
In between “We Only Need Wait For The Wind” hums with
electronic percussion and drones, whilst “Voodoo
Sisters” stutters and crackles with cut-up samples
underpinned with more deep drones. The more you dig the
deeper it gets, just sit back
and forget
the world.
Released on cassette and download. (bandcamp.com)
Originally
available on a
now sold out cassette “An Alchemical Gathering” is a
split album featuring Michael Plater and Enclosed
& Silent Order. Beginning with a hypnotic
guitar , Michael Plater lures us in as “The Alchemist”
weaves some magic, his deep and rich voice perfectly
enhanced by droning
violin, bagpipe and minimal ritual percussion. As the
song progresses the spell takes hold, the music
enveloping you beautifully. Treading a similar musical
path, “A Sailor's Song” has a sinister undertone, a ship
caught on the rocks, Sirens singing, the drones
mimicking the incoming storm, the strummed guitar
pulling us in. To complete his contribution, Michael
completes the perfect hat-trick as “An Alchemical
Gathering” dives deeper still, a heart-beat drum guiding
us through the drones,the sound of an organ creating
ambience and magic.
Offering
one long track, Enclosed & Silent Order takes us deep
under ground
with “Gethsemane” a piece recorded live using, Synths,
Bass and Violin. Harsh and filled with low tones, the
music envelopes the room, the synths adding points of
light and energy to the sonic rumble, the textures so
dense it is difficult to differentiate each instrument
from the whole, the track rising to almost unbearable
tension as it moves forward until slowly dissipating
into nothing. I do like a split release and this one is
filled with quality. (bandcamp.com).
Thanks
for those wonderful reviews Simon, and for going above
and beyond the call of duty.
A
pretty cool tape has arrived; a compilation cassette of
the three EP’s released by Opel,
The Complete “Wicker
Hymns”, one of which was issued on 12” and the
other two being available online to download. I really
like this tape, which should really receive a full
release either on vinyl or CD, tapes are still very
niche and this deserves to be heard by more than the
handful of people it will reach. It is classic
acid-folk, I have found that a lot of what passes for
acid – folk has very little in the way of acid, but this
certainly does. The usual tropes are firmly in place
with haunting vocals by Claire Colley,which along with
the lead guitar of Warren Wilson liberally poured over
vast swathes of the music, these two really elevate it.
There are also some fine organ playing, which when
combined with the lead guitar, makes me think of early
Country Joe and the Fish. It also falls firmly into the
pagan, folk -horror field, snatches of ghostly mellotron
and laughter percolate through at times. If you like
bands like Trees and Fresh Maggots, then you may think
that you have died and gone to heaven. It is available
soon via the Future Wizards Bandcamp, site although it
is actually released on the ‘Doomshire Tapes’ label. www.futurewizards.bandcamp.com/yum.
“Rubber Chicken B Sides”,
by Rob Clarke
and the Wooltones is out on Memory Lane Records.
This collects some of the recent songs by Rob onto a CD
EP. With both feet firmly in the sixties bag,
specializing in Beatle’esque songs, we are treated to
fine renditions of ‘Last Train To Clarkesville’, a
terrific ‘Love and Haight’ a ramshackle Brown Paper Bag
and the more straightforward ‘Better Times’ you can find
it here at www.robclarkeandthewooltones.bandcamp.com.
Ex
Norwegian
“Spook Du Jour”
This album came out about a year ago and for some reason
it got missed. It is a fine album of 90’s style indie
rock with hints of sixties music especially the kind
made by The Velvet Underground. From the catchy glam-
rock of “For Your Conveniences” to the playful strains
of closing track “Center Mario” they quietly impress, I
also like the harmony pop and adventurousness of songs
like “Paging Lisa”. You can find it at www.thinklikeakey.com
It
wouldn’t be Rumbles without a few releases from the ever
dependable Sound In Silence record label and true to
form a couple have recently arrived. First
up is the returning solo project of Michael Cottone, The
Green Kingdom “Voyager”.
This is third album on the label and this one takes as
its theme the Voyager spacecraft and is recommended for
all lovers of the kind of ambient sounds achieved by
artists such as Helios, July Skies and Harold
Budd. With a palette of electric and acoustic guitars,
synths and electric piano Michael does a great job in
creating melodic soundscapes, which prove to be highly
relaxing and
at the same time immersive. Also out on the label is
Gavin Miller
and Sophie Green’s project Marta
Mist “Eyes
Like Pools”. Gavin is also known as
worriedaboutsatan and Sophie spent time in the band Her
Name Is Calla. This is their third
album and over the course of half an hour we are treated
to songs dripping with ambient atmosphere. Instruments
include violins and guitars but also have drones and
glitches with synths and field recordings. It is firmly
in the post rock genre and would appeal to fans of bands
like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Eluvium. They are
both available from www.soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com
Nat
Brookes
“Cormorant”.
This is an album of instrumental folk music, often with
sweeping dramatic passages. The original tunes on the
album compliment the traditional ones, and form an
exploration of traditional dance
music from the British Isles with various reels, jigs
and hornpipes. Opener ‘Mushroom Vent/ Cormorant’, gently
impresses and is very traditional in feel, it sounds for
all the world like an unknown Irish air. For the record
Nat is joined by Deb Chalmers who plays violin and
viola, Sam Partridge playing Flute with Tom Evans
playing guitar and bass and it was produced by Josh
Clark who says of it “ The sound of the record is more
‘live’ than many live records I have been involved in”.
Nat’s instrument of choice is the accordion and the
instrument is the basis for most of the songs on the
album, Nat also plays piano on some of the tracks. Nat
will be touring in the spring of this year and the album
is available at www.natbrookesmusic.co.uk.
Seamus
O’Muineachain
“Isthmus”
Seamus is a musician from the far west of Ireland; he is
an ambient composer and multi
instrumentalist whose latest release positively reeks of
the sea and of the wild Atlantic.
It is a gentle, immersive record which
has a calming, soothing quality. Seamus plays piano,
synth, percussion and adds field recordings and is
joined on half the tracks by Akito Goto playing cello.
The songs are purely instrumental in nature and reflect
the topography and the rugged wild windswept coastline
of his native County Mayo. Isthmus is his sixth full
length release and is a treat for these troubled times,
a gentle, unhurried set of songs which demand to be
taken as a whole and when done so prove to be a balm for
the soul. It is available at www.seamusomuineachain.bandcamp.com
Jalayan
“Floating
Islands” This album arrived last year without a
press release or any information about it and it took a
while for me to find out anything about the band. It is
firmly in the instrumental space rock/progressive rock
genre and after checking appears to be by a bunch of
Italian musicians, who have come together to create an
album influenced by the ancient primitive people;
although it sounds more like standard space rock to me.
Keyboards and electric guitars are the main instruments
of choice for the melody’s and the rhythm section of
drum and bass is very tight, helping the guys navigate
through some fairly labyrinthine, progressive rock
tracks which are always about one step away from full
blown space rock. Album opener ‘Tilman’, sounds like a
meeting between Gentle Giant and Porcupine Tree, this is
followed by the metallic rock of ‘Nemesis’. The songs
all have plenty of twists and turns and prove to be
somewhat of a roller coaster ride; some of it works and
some of it is a bit overblown. Available from www.jalayan.bandcamp.com
Lore
City
have a quality 7” out called Under
Way, it follows on from two previous full length
releases Participation Mystique high quality dream pop
and Alchemical Task which is slightly more focused and
this new single finds them on fine form, Animate is a
slow builder full of atmospherics, a sepia electro ride
and the b side Very Body is even more dense with a
shimmering quality, with a hazy quality, shot through
the fog. www.lorecity.com
The
Neverland Branch Davidians
S/T have a new album out on Heavy Medication Records.
The band are lead by charismatic front man Tex Mosley a
former member of Pure Hell. He has joined forces with
guitarist and singer Will Bentley plus drummer Max Hagan
who together make up the excellently monikered The
Neverland Ranch Davidians. It’s a sleazy rock n roll
trip to the heart of LA, songs such as ‘Rat Patrol’,
‘Aqua Velveteen’, ‘Fat Back’ and ‘Hen House’, take no
prisoners, it’s high octane stuff and worth checking
out. www.heavymedication.com
Tim
Grimm
The Little In
Between is out
this spring on Cavalier Recordings. The Indiana born
singer storyteller has a world weary kind of rambling
style and is some 14 albums into a long career, his
delivery is reminiscent of say John Prine or Bob Dylan,
the subject matter is varied and the choice of
instrumentation used to frame these tales, errs towards
the less is more approach, a few guests which sees cello
played by Alice Allen and telecaster maestro Sergio Webb
adding electric and steel guitars, with the drums and
bass played by Mark Clark and Justin Bransford
respectively. Highlights are the tumbleweed drifting,
high lonesome tones of ‘Lonesome All The Time’, not
unlike Guy Clark. ‘Twenty Years Of Shadows’, a great
road song and for me the highlight of the album. Of
particular note is ‘The Breath Of Burnin’, a delicate
pastoral song with a fine, yearning quality. The album
ends with a wistful ‘Bigger Than The Sky’. www.timgrimm.com
Lynn
Miles
TumbleWeedyWorld
is also due out this spring, Lynn is a Canadian singer
song writer, the posseser of a fantastic voice which she
uses to fine effect throughout this excellent album. It
starts with the impossibly beautiful ‘Night Owl’, an
opposites attract kind of song, acoustic in nature with
fine mandolin by Joey White. Her band is James Stephens
playing violin, Stuart Rutherford playing
Dobro, Joey Stephens handles acoustic guitar and
mandolin and Michael Ball on stand up bass, a few guests
also contribute, other highlights are the creeping jazz
of ‘Moody’, ‘Cold Cold Moon’ and the jaunty bluegrass of
‘All Bitter Never Sweet’. www.lynnmiles.com
The
Bluest Sky S/T
This be the solo project of one Chuck Melchin he
of the Bean Pickers Union. Aiming for something a little
more upbeat than the Bean Pickers Union traditional
fare, Chuck has recorded an album of original songs and
it’s a pretty fine record. From the twangy brightness of
opener ‘Belly to the Bar’, straight into the kind of
song that wouldn’t be too out of place an an album by
Steve Forbet, just to give you an indication of the kind
of style. Indeed it is a fairly varied album on the
whole. ‘New Berlin’, an album highlight has some fine
pedal steel and electric guitar, ‘I Am James’ is more of
a heartland rocker, a yearning ‘Drive Through
Confessional’, another well observed
song, a fine mid paced ‘Bunkhouse’, with added Hammond
B3. It ends with a fine and rousing ‘Bulletproof Man’. https://www.facebook.com/BluestSkyBand/
Angus
McOg
Cirrus
Following
on from Beginners comes this new album. Recorded at
Sonic Temple Studio, in Parma. Angus
is the alter ego of Italian musician Antonio Tavoni. It
is another gem in the ever expanding catalogue of Gare
Du Nord. The sound of the album is very good, recorded
live. The instrumentation includes synths, harmonium and
trumpets amongst the guitars and pianos, the bass is by
Luca Di Mira, who also co-writes one and drums are
played by Luca Torreggiani.
‘Cirrus’ sets out his stall, with a piano led
song highlighted by a string section adding drama. ‘Lou’
is a shimmering early highlight, all spangly guitars and
electric piano. At times it’s all a little over dramatic
as on ‘Currents’. ‘Sirens’ is an album highlight, I’m
reminded here of John Howard, a lovely piano led song.
‘Communist Party Party’, is a quite bizarre song, a glam
rocker, with a churchy organ towards its climax. The
record ends with ‘Say My Name’, a haunting piano led
reverie, with ethereal vocals. www.angusmcog.com
Also
out on Gare Du Nord is the new album by Boa
Morte The
Total
Space. Boa Morte for this new album have
incorporated a few more drones and atmospherics, with
Juno 106, Deepmind 12 and TC Plethora X5 encroaching and
informing the songs to fine effect. This is the bands
fourth full length record; the last one Before
There was Air was released in 2019. Their first
release was on Teenage Fanclub’s Francis MacDonald’s
small record label, he took an early fancy to them.
The
songs are all given room to develop and it flows well.
Album opener In ‘Diagonal Light’ is both unsettling and
expansive and draws you in to their world. It has been
very well produced by Daniel Presley at Black Mountain
Studios in County Louth. There are added instruments
from a few guests who contribute viola, violin, trumpet
and vocals. Highlights include ‘Dark Is’, ‘Under Stars’
and ‘A Cloud of Stars’, but really the record deserves
to heard in its entirety, it is an immersive, sombre,
atmospheric album, which draws you slowly in to their
world. www.garedunordrecords.com
file under slowcore.
Chris
Church
Radio Transient
This new album
from Chris follows hot on the heels from his last one Darling
Please, he is also some fourteen albums into his
career and certainly knows his way around a studio. It’s
a power pop smorgasbord, with a tailor made hit single
in ‘Going ‘Til We Go’. There are plenty more where that
came from too with ‘One More Chance To Get Over You’,
‘Flip’, which is simply pure pop perfection, ‘Far Too
Late’ and the Duran Duran moves of ‘Already In It’.
Chris is from North Carolina and has a soft rock heart,
citing both Lindsey Buckingham and Hall & Oates
work. This is a very strong album; chock full of clever
pop songs, with hooks to die for. The guitars sound
particularly fabulous (think Rickenbaker’s) and the
whole thing is as polished as can be.
www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com
Burnt
Paw
Levitation Songs
Andy has a new tape out which is accompanied by a 16
page booklet of drawings, which he has entitled Star
Portals. He is primarily a finger picking guitar player
who for this album played finger style electric guitar.
This album has been recorded by Scott Mclean and is in
memory of his close friend Paul Green who Andy cites as
being the brother responsible for introduing him to so
much weird music over the years and who sadly lost his
life in 2021. He has a cracked, deep voice and on these
elemental songs his guitar playing shines out. It
deserves to be heard as a single piece of music, with
the seven songs all following on from each other.
Highlights include Feast Of Shadow and Reawakening. It’s
a fine album, limited to 40 copies, available from https://burntpaw.bandcamp.com/album/levitation-songs.
Canadian
songstress Meredith
Moon has a new album out called Constellations
on the True North record label. Meredith plays banjo,
guitar, podorrythmie and glockenspiel accompanied by the
fiddle playing of Tony Allen with double bass by both
Alex Merchand and Rachel Melas and drums by Will Fisher.
It was recorded and mixed by Andrew Collins. The songs
are all originals bar a couple of traditionals. On first
hearing I am reminded the early drawl of Lucinda
Williams, she is very much in the independent Americana
field, with songs of her fondly remembered childhood
such as Brokenwing Bird and That Town. It’s very much in
the Appalachian style, oh and Gordon Lightfoot is her
dad, but really this lady does not need to rely on such
things as she is a strong, independent country artist in
her own right. Find it here at www.meredithmoon.com
A
new album out on Golden Hum records sees Constant
Follower team up with American primitive style
acoustic finger picking whizz Scott
William Urquhart Even
Days Dissolve. Scottish group Constant Follower
and Scott have put together an absolute belter of an
album, which takes as inspiration the words and poetry
of the grand old man of Scottish poetry Norman MaCaig
and frames them with music. These often atmospheric,
moving songs of quiet beauty are introduced by the
rather lovely album opener ‘Waves Crashing Here’. On
‘Watching The Black River Run’. Fellow Scottish musician
Mark Tranmer of GNAC adds piano and Tom Hutchison adds
electric guitar. Collaboration is the order of the day,
and on songs like ‘Wildlife Cameraman’ and ‘Song For A
Willow Tree’, works very well indeed. Highlights for me
are the slow winding ‘Watching The Black River Run’, the
mystery of ‘Space Between Stars’, and the deeply
atmospheric title track ‘Even Days Dissolve’ where
guitar notes hang like dust motes in the air. You can
find it here https://constantfollower.bandcamp.com/album/even-days-dissolve
Well
that’s about it for now - happy trails until the next
time.
Terrascopic
Rumbles for Spring 2023 was brought to you by Andrew
Young and Simon Lewis.
Artwork,
layout & direction by Phil McMullen - © Terrascope
Online, 2023
|