The O's - Between The Two

The O's - Between The Two
2011, Idol Records

Texas rockers The O’s avoid the sophomore slump on Between The Two, getting back to their musical roots in a set of twelve modern yet classic sounding tunes.  Drawing on influences as diverse as Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and The Everly Brothers, The O’s put the finishing touches in place with the help of GRAMMY winning producer Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, Cat Power, The White Stripes).  With over 300 shows on two continents under their belts, The O’s move forward into 2011 with the sort of momentum only hard work and talent can bring.

Between The Two opens with "We'll Go Walkin'", a wonderfully coherent Americana blend of country and folk with a distinctive pop sensibility.  It's a love song that's a bit outside the box.  You can't help but tap your toes to this one, and you'll be humming the chorus for days.  "Wrecking Ball" is a well-crafted tune about living on the edge of disaster.  It's a poignant number for the modern age, when for most families disaster is only one paycheck away.  "In Numbers We Survive" is an infectious mix of bluegrass and folk that gets stuck in your head and stays there.  There's an edgy insistence in the arrangement that's compelling.

"Tryin' To Have A Good Time" is a light listen, not so much for analysis as for pure enjoyment.  The theme is all about planning to have a good time, but the song will get your feet moving and features outstanding guitar work.  "We Are Young" is a perspective on growing up from one who is looking up at the road leading to the mountain.  There is something of a melancholy feel here, but the musical aesthetics are great.  "Time For A Change" is a catchy number with a positive vibe and is very enjoyable.  "Sunshine" is somewhat confounding for meaning.  It's a love song, to be uncertain, but for or to who is never really clear. 

"Pushin' Along" rides great composition and musicianship.  The overall output is solid, but as an instrumental work it would be sublime.  The O's fall into something of a lull, re-emerging with the wonderfully upbeat and happy "Everything's Alright".  The picking here is tremendous, and the bouncy feel to the song will have crowds on their collective feet.  "No Troubles Left At All" is a downbeat number with a great outlook.  It's a love song that opines on how great life is with her by his side, no matter what else may come.  It's a sweet sentiment that avoids cliché.

Between The Two has some highs and lows, but generally stays on an even keel as a better than average album overall.  The O's seem to have an ear for aesthetics, crafting arrangements that do more than just wrap around the melody line.  As musicians, you'd be hard pressed to find a more solidly connected ensemble.  The chemistry here is palpable.  Just as in any other band, not every song works perfectly, but even the misses are worth tuning in for.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The O’s at www.wearetheos.com or www.myspace.com/wearetheos.  Between The Two is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available on iTunes.

Whitney Mann - The Western Sky

Whitney Mann - The Western Sky
2011, Mud Dauber Records

There are a number of things you might know Wisconsin for: beer, cheese, sausage and the Green Bay Packers.  The brightest light in Wisconsin might not be on your radar yet, but it won't be long.  Meet Whitney Mann, a traditional country singer/songwriter from Madison with an impassioned and pure voice (both as a singer and songwriter) who has open for such elite artists as Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn.  Without varnish or any of the Nashville sheen, Whitney Mann writes honest, heartfelt songs born of farm and country life, and combines it with a rare ability to connect almost instantly with any crowd, large or small.  On May 10, 2011, Whitney Mann will release her second EP, The Western Sky, consisting of six original songs that might just blow your mind.

Mann opens with "Been Thinkin A Ways", a contemplative love song that's also something of a come on. Mann sings the song without artifice or design, speaking from her heart in song in a refreshingly unadulterated fashion.  "Home" is a traditional country-style number; stripped down with a bit of bluegrass influence.  Mann's voice is beautiful in its unadorned splendor, conveying thought and emotion through pure melody.  "Miss You On The Farm" and "Born To Love You" are both solid entries born of or inspired by love.  They serve as a running lead in to "I'm Like", a love ballad with a touch of vaudeville flair.  Mann falls a bit into cliché here, but the effort is so honest and heartfelt that cliché is reborn as simple truth.  "All I Want" is the piece de resistance on The Western Sky, a love song destined to be covered again and again.  If Mann were to re-record this number in a more pop/country arrangement she'd be storming the Billboard Country charts.  Mann revisits "Been Think A Ways" in a reprise that takes on gospel overtones on her way out the door.

Whitney Mann has an ability to connect with listeners.  Unfettered by pop conventions such as cynicism and what we call "polish", Mann simply writes great music, and performs it with the unaffected air of a best friend telling you about her life over a cup of coffee.  The Western Sky is the sort of EP you get comfortable with; listening to it again and again over time.  Whitney Mann doesn't blow you away, but speaks to listeners of life and love in the quite undertones of a confident.  The connection is forged, and you'll keep coming back for more.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Whitney Mann at www.whitneymannmusic.com.   The Western Sky drops on May 10, 2011.  You can pre-order downloads from Amazon.com.  Keep your eyes open for wider availability.

The Roys - Lonesome Whistle

The Roys - Lonesome Whistle
2011, Rural Rhythm Records

The Roys continue their march into the world of modern country with a traditional sound born of bluegrass and Appalachian country/folk on Lonesome Whistle.  Led by Lee And Elaine Roy, The Roys use meticulous instrumental work and sublime vocal harmonies to forward songs of love, life and inspiration.  2010 saw The Roys in their national television debut on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.   After listening to Lonesome Whistle it’s easy to imagine that appearance to be anything but their last.

Lonesome Whistle opens with "Coal Minin' Man", a generous helping of bluegrass and country that tells the story of a third-generation coal miner and his day-to-day life.  Infused with a respect for those who toil away beneath the ground, the song is full of a down-home flavor and buoyed by instrumental work that's nothing short of amazing.  Lee Roy takes the lead with his rough hewn but pleasant voice.  "That's What Makes It Love" features guest appearances by Ricky Skaggs and The Whites.  It's a sweet exposition about what love really is, and is a melodic and rhythmic treat for the ears.  Lee Roy's earthy baritone mixes with Elaine Roy's backwoods vocal charms to create a perfect blend.

"Nothin' I Can Do About It Now" explores the emotions of man who has watched his love go off on a train, never to return.  Opening with some hot banjo picking, it turns into a delicious bluegrass number that could stand on its own for instrumental work.  Lee Roy's voice evokes a loneliness that is beautiful in its loss.  "Right Back At You" is a classic-style country number with a kiss-off motif.  The song itself is a bit bland, but Elaine Roy's voice saves it and then some.  "Give A Ride To The Devil" is a morality tale based on poor choices.  In each case someone steps in with guidance to keep the listeners on track.  The song is well-written and evocative without crossing the line into preachy. 

"Lonesome Whistle" is a masterpiece of songwriting.  Told in the third person, the song lays out the story of a woman who sends her soldier off on a train.  He came home to buried, but she's still haunted by the whistle of the train that took him away.  It's a sad tale, but told in barn-burning fashion in a breakneck bluegrass arrangement that will have you dancing.  Elaine Roy takes charge here and reaches the rafters in the process.  She sticks around for "Everything I Ever Wanted", a tribute to an adoptive mom and the influence she had on Roy's life.  This is a sweet ballad with a classic country sound and a modern pop balladeer sensibility. 

Lee Roy steps forward for "Me Oh My How Time Flies", a high-speed musical chase with all hands on deck.  Banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and percussion provide the dynamic framework, with violin dancing like a dervish in the seams.  "I Wonder What God's Thinking" is a morality ballad contrasting the behavior of the world as a whole with the love of God.  It's a pretty acoustic ballad; well-written but perhaps a bit preachy.  The song works from a simple moral perspective, but may turn off some listeners.  "Trailblazer" is an energetic turn about a young woman embarking on the world at large.  The song is tailored with great energy and a positive outlook about the possibilities of a life just beginning to bloom, and features perhaps the best pure pop chorus on the album.  Lonesome Whistle winds down with "High Road", a slow ballad about making the right choices in life.  Elaine Roy evokes Loretta Lynn here with a sweet vocal that's among her best work.

The Roys turn country-pop on its head on Lonesome Whistle, getting back to the divergent roots of country music while maintaining a distinctive pop sensibility that is welcome in any musical age.  As an instrumental unit the band is top notch, able to duke it out with any group working inside or outside of Music Row.  The voices of Lee and Elaine Roy work wonderfully well on their own, and even more so when they combine.  Lonesome Whistle is bound to be considered among the top bluegrass recordings of 2011, and may even make significant noise on the pop/country charts.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

 Learn more about The Roys at http://www.theroysonline.com/ or www.myspace.com/theroyscountryelaineandlee.   Lonesome Whistle is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available digitally from iTunes.

Amberlee Sheehan - Old Love Letter

Amberlee Sheehan - Old Love Letter
2010, Amberlee Sheehan/BMI

Chicago’s Amberlee Sheehan recalls a more primitive time in country music, when it was more about the music and the personality behind it than the image projected by marketing companies. Sheehan dwells in the musical valley between old-time Nashville and Appalachia on her debut album, Old Love Letter, with songs of loves won and lost and the sometimes unsteady truces that lay between. In the process Sheehan touches on rockabilly and the Sun Records sounds, with a voice that's anachronistic but refreshingly real. Sheehan will win you with a vitality that's infectious even as she struggles at times on the slower material.

Old Lover Letter opens with "Sleep Baby", a sweet love song about an ideal love and the moments of peace found in the arms of the right person. "Old Love Letter" is a song about love and how it cools over time. Sheehan shows the effects of one who doesn't feel the same level of attention as she once knew and looks longingly back to a time when love ran hot. Sheehan pays tribute to her father with "A Good Man", done in a timeless story-telling style. Sheehan imbues the song with a great melody and a solid, comfortable arrangement.

Sheehan brings to mind Kitty Wells with "Reason To Sing", a great country love song with real pop sensibility. Sheehan struggles with some of the slower material on the album, ("January Morning", "Whole Again", "My Heart Of Blue"), but excels on "A Bird In The Sun". It's a song of picking up the pieces and moving on and sounds like a classic country heartbreaker. Sheehan breaks out of her country roots with the angry, Neil Young-esque rocker "I'm Still Here", in which she berates the man who left her behind. "I'm Still Here" is a pleasant surprise, even if it's clear that Sheehan doesn't have (or didn't think to use) the big powerful voice the song calls for. Sheehan's sound is a bit more lyric, while this tune calls for at least a dose of Joplin/Etheridge grit. Old Love Letter closes with "Clear Blue Sky", a song of hope built around a great melody. This may be the best songwriting on the disc, but the song is not well-produced. Sheehan's voice is too buried inside the instrumentation and has a tinny quality that is perhaps meant to sound antiquated but really doesn't do justice to Sheehan or the song. It would be interesting to hear this song re-recorded as the production keeps it from reaching its full potential.

Amberlee Sheehan goes for an organic sound on Old Love Letter, mostly eschewing recording tricks for a folksy, unvarnished sound that serves her well. Old Love Letter was the project of a lifetime for Sheehan, and is a definite accomplishment, particularly as a recording debut. If you're tired of all the polish and gloss in modern country music, then Amberlee Sheehan will be a welcome breath of fresh air. Sheehan's only going to get better. With Old Love Letter she'll sneak up on you. You'll fall for the album a bit more each time you listen to it.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Amberlee Sheehan at www.myspace.com/amberleesheehan. Old Love Letter is available as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Allison Moorer - Crows

Allison Moorer - Crows
2010, Rykodisc

It would be ingenuous to categorize Allison Moorer as lesser known given her Academy and Grammy Award nominations, six albums, movie and stage appearances and collegial respect she receives in the music industry, but the kid-sister of Shelby Lynne carries herself quietly for one of her accomplishments. On February 9, 2010, Moorer will release her seventh album, Crows, on Rykodisc Records. That sense of quiet is joined by a humble confidence and sense of self-exploration on Crows, Moorer's most personal and weighty album to date.

Moorer opens with the haunting Abalone Sky; rife with melancholy and remembrance, this is an emotionally powerful song, even if the true force is always deep beneath the surface. Just Another Fool is an admonition; an indication that the object of the subject's affection is entirely out of reach. This could be a conversation from one good friend to another done in song. It's fairly well done, although perhaps a dichotomy exists between the urgency of the words and that in which it’s voiced. The Broken Girl is a decent Country/Rock tune, generic enough to have mild chart aspirations in both genres, but probably not the breakout single you'd hope for. Should I Be Concerned sounds as if may have started out as a classic Country heartbreaker, but somewhere along the way turned into a deliciously Progressive Cabaret Rocker. Moorer's voice is incredible through, velvety smooth and full of emotion, but it's never better than in the diva performance she gives on Should I Be Concerned.

Moorer explores a childhood memory on Easy In The Summertime with such simmering grace in her imagery it's as if you're standing there by her side. The arrangement is a bit repetitive with a hint of a dream-like quality, but the story-telling is priceless. On The Stars & I (Mama's Song), Moorer offers up a memoriam to her mom through the eyes of herself and her sister. The song is a brilliant tribute to mothers and the power of their love to bind and protect us even once they've passed beyond. Still This Side Of Gone is written from the depths of heartache, exploring the landscape to find a way to begin the process of hurting and trying to replace the "love sized hole" left by the loss. It's not a torch song, but Moorer shows some of the same emotive qualities and ability to craft a performance that marked the best of that era.

Sorrow (Don't Come Around) has a classic feel to it; an update on what would be a classic country sound. You could almost hear Loretta or Dolly trying on this song for size. It's Gonna Feel Good (When It Stops Hurtin') starts out as an innocuous number but transitions into a soulful tune that can only be described as fun melancholy. Moorer winds up Crows with the title track, which on first blush sounds like a paean to superstition and paranoia. But listen closer and you're likely to become as excited as I was. Crows is one of those rare moments when a songwriter transcends song and character and creates a living moment in song. In a Randy Newman-esque stroke, Moorer takes us away for a moment into a mind that is riven with fear over the commonest of occurrences, a crow in the yard. Moorer infuses life and humor into the song and just might catch you napping with an incredibly brilliant song.

Allison Moorer exudes that quiet confidence that turns good performers into great ones, and great performers into legends. I'm not willing to give her that last title yet, but if she writes a few more transcending songs like Crows and she'll take it up all on her own. Crows is an exclamation point in a career full of quiet highlights. Make sure you check it out.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Allison Moorer at http://www.allisonmoorer.com/ or www.myspace.com/allisonmoorer. Crows drops on February 9, 2010. You can pre-order copies from Amazon.com. Expect wide distribution via bricks and mortar, e-tail and digital download sites such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Review: Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane & Sugarcane

Elvis Costello – Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
2009, Hear Now

Elvis Costello is a pretty nuanced songwriter and performer for someone who started out his career as a punk rocker. Costello was never truly punk, and quickly became one of the pioneers of the style called “New Wave”. From the perspective of thirty or so years later, it’s very clear that there is no single, viable classification for Costello (nee Declan Patrick MacManus). Costello is a musician first and foremost, and in the same vein as artists such as Sting and Billy Joel, has continued to create himself (and his own musical cannon) with each successive album. Costello’s newest album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, returns to the acoustic roots of a genre known as Americana. Mixing country, bluegrass and folk, and working with super-producer T-Bone Burnett, Costello has managed to create an instant classic.

Secret, Profane & Sugarcane opens with Down Among The Wine and Spirits, with Costello sounding like he was born of a union of folk and country styles. Complicated Shadows is presented here in much the same fashion, but sounds like classic Costello with a string-band arrangement. The snappy hooks, muted anger and mild rock swagger are all here. I Felt The Chill is a bit more traditional in sound, and marks Costello’s second recorded collaboration with Country legend Loretta Lynn. My All Time Doll sounds a bit like something you’d expect from Kurt Weill if bluegrass and country were his genre. It’s an especially dark song of obsession. Costello offers up a special treat with Hidden Shame, a song Costello originally wrote for Johnny Cash (released on Boom Chicka Boom).

Her Handed Me a Mirror is from the project “The Secret Songs”, songs Costello has written about Hans Christian Andersen for the Royal Danish Opera’s bicentennial celebrations in 2005. This particular song is about Andersen’s fascination with singer Jenny Lind. How Deep Is the Red stays with this topic in a song of deep longing that is touching. Lind rears her head again on She Was No Good, a musical look at the reality behind her somewhat beatific reputation.

Costello wrote two songs with producer Burnett for the album. The first, Sculpture To Sugarcane sounds like the theme song on an old-school southern politician and fits in well with the sort of material Randy Newman has been writing for years. The other Burnett collaboration, The Crooked Line, is a song about fidelity that lacks Costello’s usual vitriol or ironic slant on the subject. Costello closes out with an interesting selection, a Larry Coleman and Joe Darien waltz entitled Changing Partners that Costello first heard performed by Bing Crosby many years before. It’s done as a classic country tune here and is better for the treatment.

As a music fan I caught on to Elvis Costello quite late. In his 1980’s heyday I had my head stuck firmly in the clouds of arena rock, but the man is a consummate performer and musician. If you just look at the list of people he’s written songs for and with you’ll understand the sort of esteem Costello has from his contemporaries. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane is the sort of album that no established artist has to make. It’s brave; a risk. It fits perfectly with the profile and persona Costello has built/cultivated over the course of his career, and it’s a smashing success. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane is a smash; a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc, and yet another reason for artists of this generation and the next few to follow to cite Costello as an influence.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Elvis Costello at http://www.elviscostello.com/. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane will be released on June 2, 2009. You can purchase Secret, Profane & Sugarcane at any Starbucks store, at Amazon.com, or download it through iTunes.

Review: Evil Farm Children - Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling

Evil Farm Children – Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling
2008, Dad’s Favourite Records

When Evil Farm Children step on stage it’s like introducing alcohol to a party, literally anything can happen. The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada power trio segue from Punk to Surf to Metal to Americana like runway models change their outfits and nothing ever sounds out of place. Dave Kerr (DeadBeatDads, WizzleTeeth) plays guitar and sings on most tracks, while Janice Fitzsimmons (The Ambassadors, Revv Engine) plays bass and sings; Jeb Bond (The Restless Virgins, Screaming Bamboo, Fenton Brothers, Purple, Evil Knievel, Tall, Freudhammer) beats the skins and keeps Evil Farm Children on track. Any of the three members might be musically impressive, but when they come together as Evil Farm Children something special happens. 2008 saw the release of their second album, Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling, which raises the bar from their self-produced debut EP Knuckleduster. When playing live EFC has been known to cover such diverse artists as Dick Dale, Black Sabbath, Tom Waits, Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, Link Wray or Alice Cooper. Their original material is as unpredictable and fun to listen to. You’ll come to the conclusion that either they’re mad, or Evil Farm Children is a product of collective genius. We’re not ruling out either one.

The Evilling opens with Code Of Silence, a classic surf guitar rock song with a hint of rockabilly swing, like something from a Ventures session. Border Blaster follows a similar retro vein, getting back to Roots Rock N Roll in a classic party song. Booze Can is an interesting Garage/Punk/Surf hybrid that its feet firmly planted in the 1960’s. Much of the material here is fun to hear on CD but seems like it would be much more vibrant live. Valley Justice is interesting; written like a trail rider’s song to the slow beat of a plodding horse. The song has a dark and vaguely ominous quality with a bit of a “pulp fiction” sound to it. The highlight of the disc is the cover of Max Webster’s Hangover. While lead vocalist Dave Kerr isn’t quite as dynamic as Kim Mitchell, he manages to capture the gritty drunken essence of the song. Other songs of note are Knuckle Duster and Straight ‘N Narrow.

Evil Farm Children have a unique sound, call it punkabilly if you want; its close but not a complete description. I can’t say I was blown away by Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling, but it was a fun listen. I strongly suspect, from all that I’ve read about the band, that the live show is the thing here. Evil Farm Children did an excellent job of capturing a live sound on The Evilling, but the charisma of the live show is much harder to translate to a CD. Nevertheless, the songs presented here are bound to whet your appetite for more from Evil Farm Children.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Evil Farm Children at www.myspace.com/evilfarmchildren. You can purchase a copy of Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling at www.cdbaby.com/cd/evilfarmchildren.