Tag Archives: americana

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Ghost, Machine Head and More!

Leave a comment

An absolutely MASSIVE week for NMM for you today, with a whopping 20 albums for us all to check out. Let’s dive in!

Ghost: Skeletá

Potentially the most anticipated rock album of the year, up alongside Sleep Token, this release has an insane amount of hype to live up to. They have morphed into one of the biggest bands on the planet in recent years, and this album may finally finish making them a household name. The singles have been utterly incredible, and as a.big fan of the band, I’m just hoping the rest of the album lives up to them.

I think, for the most part, it very much does. However, right out of the gate, I do want to say that the arrangement of this album is horrible. Having your three biggest and best songs open the album and then launch into a slower, power ballad after that is certainly an interesting choice. It would have been nice to have spread out the singles just a little. Having said that, songs like ‘Missilia Amori’ or ‘Marks of the Evil One’  would also be strong contenders for singles, so there is certainly quality throughout. Heck, I have almost all of this album on my playlist and have listened to it throughout the weekend, so it’s clearly good. The band have really carved out their own niche, not just in their style but their sound; no one sounds like this, or does the 70s/80s revival-modernised stuff quite so masterfully. The band are all insanely talented, and some of the riffs again are fantastic. Tobias’ vocals are arguably the best I’ve heard them, too, and he’s written some infectiously catchy, massive choruses that are going to be stuck in the back of the worlds collective brains for the rest of the year.

It’s wild to say, but I feel like, as much as I enjoyed the album at first, it is still a grower, too. It’s been a while since I’ve loved a Ghost album front-to-back, but this one definitely has that feel to it for me. Even the closing ballad is pretty great. Just in the three of four times I’ve had it on already, I feel like it’s gotten better. They prove here why they are such a massive name here, and very much claim their throne was this release. I’m obsessed already, and I can’t give it any less than 10/10, despite it’s minor flaws. It’s going to be very high on our top albums list in December, that’s for sure!

Machine Head: UNATØNED

One of my favourite bands of my teens, the legendary metallers dropped off big time for a bit for me, before exploding back in a major way with 2022’s ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN (I don’t know why Robb’s obsessed with the crossed O’s either, sorry!). I’m hoping beyond hope that they can keep that momentum going with this release, as they’ve had some incredible runs of albums in the past. I haven’t actually checked out any of the singles yet, but after seeing the complaints and some middling reviews, I am a touch sceptical…

I do understand the average reviews now. It’s aait. Like, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it certainly doesn’t live up to the last album, let alone their best releases. It feels more like Catharsis than I hoped it would; Robb’s attempt to try and blend together their weird late-90s sound with the thrashier 2000s output. However, when they do go full Locust, like the latter half of single ‘UNBØUND’ or even the Bloodstone-meets-Parkway-style ‘BØNESCRAPER’, it’s pretty great! Heck, I didn’t even mind the slower, dark-ballad ‘BLEEDING ME DRY’, it being another big Bloodstone-vibe. I know it’s not what a lot of their fans listen to the band for, but being a huge fan of that album, hearing more like it is awesome. However, having said that, I do feel like Robb sings maybe a little too much on this. I never thought he had the strongest cleans to begin with, so stuff like ‘SCØRN’ or, more egregiously, ‘NØT LØNG FØR THIS WØRLD’, aren’t for me. It’s a shame too, as the lyrics and composition of the former are beautiful.

I’m hoping this grows on me. It’s not bad my any stretch. I think it’s more a product of the fact that Machine Head one of the best back catalogues of any band, in my opinion, so when a release doesn’t quite live up to the best, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed. It’s still better than a good lot of other stuff out there, let’s be honest. I love a solid half of this album, and will certainly be listening more over the coming weeks and months, that’s for sure. So, for now, I’m going to give it a tentative 8/10, though it may very well get higher with more listens!

Willie Nelson: Oh What a Beautiful World

Considering Willie’s incredibly steady output still, some six plus decades into his career, this album is releasing with a surprising amount of hype surrounding it. Heck, we’ve reviewed at the very least his last couple from last year here at Overtone. However, after listening to this release, I can see what all the hype was about. I made no secrets that I wasn’t a big fan of Last Leaf on the Tree. However, this release is miles ahead of that one, in this writers humble opinion. ‘What Kind of Love’ is a fantastic opener and feels like classic Willie. Then you have songs like ‘The Fly Boy & the Kid’ and the Rodney Crowell featuring title track that are also firm highlights. Yes, it’s slower and a very traditional country sound. But it’s exactly what you’d expect from Willie; the perfect, well-written, chilled-out country album. It won’t be for everyone, but if you are a fan of the man or his particular, legendary brand of country music, give this a listen. It’s a fantastic addition to Willie’s extensive (an understatement at this point) discography, and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us. Just a damn good-time listen!

Wednesday 13: Mid Death Crisis

We’ve already checked out this awesome release! Check it out here.

Stereophonics: Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait

The Welsh rockers are back with album number 13. I’ve been a fan of the band since I was a kid, and we even checked out their previous output, Oochya!, which I remember enjoying more than I clearly did! Either way, I found myself really enjoying this album! It’s incredibly easy to listen to, fun and catchy throughout. Whether it’s slower stuff like the opener or rockier numbers like ‘Eyes Too Big for my Belly’, there’s plenty to love. It also certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, being just eight tracks at not even half an hour. Kelly’s vocals sound just as good as ever, and the lyrics and delivery throughout are fantastic. If you’re into the softer stuff, this is definitely the album for you! It may be my favourite release from them since Pull the Pin. It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Billy Idol: Dream Into It

The rock legend himself is back with his first studio album in 11 years. It’s… it’s something, that’s for sure. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting the near-70 year old to have much energy and umph left (though we do have Willie Nelson just above), but some of this isn’t great, honestly. The soft-rock opener was a bad choice to kick the thing off with, especially when the punkier ‘Too Much Fun’ is right there not long after. I think my issue more lies with the fact that the three guest tracks sound more like the guests than Billy songs, and I wanted just a fully new Idol album. Hell, the Joan Jett song arguably sounds like Coldplay than anything else! Arguably, the songs that he’s on his own, well at least some of them, are better. It was just very soft-rock, and for some reason unexpected. ‘Gimme the Weight’ is probably my other favourite song on it, and the rest may grow on me. However, it doesn’t quite measure up with the classics, or even his last album. It just feels like it’s missing something, though I can’t quite place my finger on it, aside for it having a bit more rock to it. If you’re a fan of Billy, you may still get some enjoyment out of it, but sadly for me it’s a solid 6/10. Not bad, but not too much of my sort of thing.

Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin

The experimental indie pop-rock band are back with their first release since 2023s Miracle-Level. It’s certainly experimental, that’s for sure! And while it took a little getting into, I do think I started to enjoy the heavier, math-rockier parts of the release by the end. Though it’s weird for sure, it’s hard to deny the sheer talent, especially in the riffing and instrumentation in songs like ‘Sparrow Sparrow’ or ‘Who Do You Root For?’. Sadly, it is nearly impossible for me to get past the vocals. They aren’t my thing at all, being grating as anything and honestly being a little tough to listen to at times. I hate to say it, but they ruin what could have been at very least an interesting listen for me. I know it’s certainly going to have fans, and for those people I’m sure this is a good album. But for me, it was a hard listen, and not something I’ll be revisiting. I’m very sorry, but it’s a 2.5/10

Kyle McKearney: To the River

The Canadian alt-country artist released his third album, another two years after his last. It’s been highly anticipated by us since January when we spoke to Kyle about it when we interviewed him. However, I don’t think I quite expected the sheet quality of this thing. It’s an Americana, blues, soft rock tinged country masterpiece, honestly. It’s another release I’ve had on at least twice through this weekend and can’t get enough of. And, while every song is incredible, I do have a few that I favour slightly over the rest. From the opener to ‘Broken Hearts Hide’ to ‘These Drugs’ and ‘Wedding Day’ to ‘The Man From Beaverlodge’ and ‘Hold On Goodbye’, there is some truly special music on this thing. However, as I said, every song on this thing is amazing and well worth a listen.

I know he’s technically already been mentioned this week, but this gives slight Elive Shane vibes. However, this time it’s less about the actual sound, and more about how Kyle so interestingly and authentically blends so many different styles together, forming something truly unique. And because he came out of nowhere this year for me and I’ve very quickly become obsessed! And some of the lyrics… DAMN.

So, in case you couldn’t tell, I VERY MUCH recommend this album. Don’t get me wrong, I know it won’t be for everyone, but I’d recommend anyone reading this check it out; it’s more than worth it! I’ve spun it a lot over the weekend and will continue to do so in varying capacity through the rest of the year, I’m sure. I can’t give this any less than 9.5/10, but after another listen or two it may even go up to perfect!

Employed to Serve: Fallen Star

One of the leading lights of UK modern metal, Employed to Serve returned last Friday with their highly anticipated new album. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about it, too? It’s fucking awesome, as we all knew it would be! Blending together the very best bits of the likes of Spiritbox, Poppy and even Lorna Shore, while leaving out some of the less heavy parts, the album goes hard throughout and is filled with incredible riffing and brutal screams. And, while the songs featuring Will Ramos, Jesse Leach and Serena Cherry are definite highlights, they also have plenty of awesome tracks on their own. Single ‘Breaks Me Down’ is incredible and builds perfectly, while ‘Brother, Stand Beside Me’ is one of my favourite tracks the band have ever released. The band deserve every incredible accolade they are gaining recently, and this album really speaks to why that is. If you are a fan of the heavy stuff, you NEED to hear this, they are the future of metal music. 8.5/10

H.E.A.T: Welcome to the Future

One of the leaders of the modern-day AOR revival are back with their second new album since Kenny’s return. We’ve been extremely hyped for this release here at Overtone since seeing them play a couple of tracks from it at Winters End a couple of months back. Opener/lead single ‘Disaster’ has been firmly rooted in my rotation since then, and shows no signs of leaving any time soon! It’s my favourite track of the album, but it is by no means the only standout. Honestly there isn’t a bad track on the release, but stuff like the Bon Jovi-like ‘Running to You’, ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘Tear it Down’ are all big personal highlights. I’m so glad Kenny’s back in the bad, and this honestly may be the best album he’s been a part of with H.E.A.T. The band are criminally underrated, at very least in the UK, and this album is a true testament to their sheer insane talent and songwriting ability. They do their sound better than few else, and arguably better than most bands in the 80s who inspired them! I cannot recommend this album enough, and I’m going to be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks and months. 9/10

Viagra Boys: viagr aboys

The Swedish art-punk band’s fourth album is maybe their best yet. The band very much feel like the modern day incarnation of Dead Kennedys, in their lyrics and style and attitude, but certainly have more of a lighter/popper edge to their instrumentation. It’s not going to be for everyone (heck, I had this on in the car and the Mrs was giving me some funny looks) but I found myself really enjoying it! The opener, ‘Pyramid of Hope’ and ‘You N33d Me’ are all personal highlight tracks, but if you’re into the genre it’s a solid album from front-to-back. Check this out if you’re interested, it’s a lot of fun and it’s some of the best lyrics I’ve heard this year. It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!

The Storyteller: The Final Stand

The Swedish power metal band are back with album number seven. At this point I don’t even think epic is the word. They have fully mastered the European power metal sound, easily rivalling the likes of Avantasia and Hammerfall. From massive riffing to the insane drumming to the soaring, catchy vocals and harmonies, it’s all excellent. Songs like ‘That Eyes Cannot See’, ‘This Time Tomorrow’, the beautiful ballad ‘Sweet Lullaby’ and the heavy, epic closing track are all personal highlights. So too was the quirky, almost tribal, folky ‘They Will Fear our Battlecry’, but in a totally different way. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, really. My only point I would make is that it’s odd having a power metal band where all their tracks are pretty standard length. The album is a touch long but doesn’t feel it as there is almost nothing over six minutes. I like it when power metal is able to breath a little. Having said that, it is a very minor gripe, and doesn’t ruin the album in any way, just my personal preference.

If you’re into power metal in any capacity, I’d absolutely recommend checking this album out. It’s well worth a listen and is a lot of fun! It’s a solid 8.5/10 from us, and is up there alongside the likes of Hammerfall, Sabaton and Beast in Black’s latest releases. They deserve to be so much bigger than they are currently!

James and the Cold Gun: Face in the Mirror

A band that are gaining a lot of traction in the UK underground rock scene, the South Wales quartet are back with their sophomore album. Their vague blend of indie, blues, and punk with a traditional hard rock sound is fantastic, and the bands energy throughout is infectious. From the big riffing to the catchy vocals and awesome lead lines, every track is so meticulously well crafted, and all feels massive and like it begs for mass radio airplay. Songs like single ‘Guessing Games’, ‘Twist the Knife’ and ‘A Way Out’ are highlights for me, for sure. It gives off slight Kasabian, early Arctic Monkeys, and even a bit of Royal Blood alongside their contemporaries in the likes of Those Damn Crows and Virginmarys. It’s very easy to see how the band have been so successful this early into their careers, and this album will surely push them to even greater heights! It’s a very easy just-over-30-minutes of rock music to listen to, and if you’re a fan of any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned above, I’d certainly recommend this release! It’s a very solid 8/10!

Trick or Treat: Ghosted

Time for more power metal, but this time with a spooky, halloween-like tinge. Honestly, it’s a really interesting, fun twist on the formula that I don’t think I’ve really heard before. It made for a pretty fascinating, unexpected listen, and one I enjoyed a lot. Heck, any long-term readers here know that I love it when things get a bit spoopy! Oh, and did I mention the band are all ridiculously talented, too? From the insane drumming to the fantastic riffing to the powerful, soaring vocals singing some incredibly catchy melodies and the almost Synyster Gates-like a times lead guitars, it’s all phenomenal musicianship. And the quality of the writing more than lives up to their playing talents, too. It’s almost impossible to pick highlights as every song is so good.

It’s hard not to compare it to the other European horror-inspired power metal band, Dominum, but they have a bit more traditional edge to their sound, and arguably a little more Maiden to it as well. They also remind me a lot of Fellowship, which is certainly not a bad thing! We even get an Alestorm-like song in ‘Return to Monkey Island’ feat Chris himself!

I cannot recommend this enough! It’s an absolutely incredible metal album, no matter the subgenre, and if you’re into the heavier stuff at all, give this a try, you certainly won’t be disappointed. My only slight complaint would be that it’s a touch long, but honestly it’s all so good I honestly couldn’t pick a song or two to cut, so it’s hardly an issue. The band have a huge new fan in me, and I’mma have to go back and check out the rest of their back catalogue! It’s an easy 9/10 from us!

Void King: The Hidden Hymnal – Chapter II

The US stoner-doomers are back with a sequel to their 2023 release. It’s somehow even more stoner-doom than the band name would have you believe, too. And, pardon my French, but it’s fucking awesome. Long, plodding tracks filled with incredible riffing, dark lyrics, solid drumming and surprisingly fantastic vocals; what’s not to love! It’s another album that’s so hard to pick out highlights for too, as it all feels like it should be listened to in one full listen. Just sit in a dark room with your headphones on and get lost in the epicness. It also draws together other elements that I really wasn’t expecting; like some Alice in Chains-style stuff when it drops back in the opener or Iron Maiden with some of the soring, vibrato notes. Of course, alongside everything from Candlemass to High on fire, too. Heck, they even channel some Tool energy at times, which I LOVE. And the occasional scream… DAMN. Honestly, as good as the instrumentation is, the vocals really set this apart from their peers.

The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and how they aren’t a bigger name by their fourth album at this point is beyond me. If you are into not just stoner-doom, but metal in general, do yourselves a favour and check this out! It may be long, but it is so worth it! It gets a solid 9/10 from me, and I’mma have to check out Chapter I now to see how it compares!

John Morgan: Carolina Blue

We’ve also reviewed this release! Check it out here.

Bad Milk Blood Robot: A EYE

The psychedelic grunge rockers follow up their debut from last year with this second slab of interesting, experimental rock music. Heck, the first wild thing to me was that we got a full 4 minutes into the opening track before we got any vocals. However, said track, ‘Humanity’, built up the bands and albums sound perfectly, setting the tone for what is to come. It’s followed by the awesome ‘Anxiety’ and ‘Man V Machine’. The latter especially reminds me of some of the weirder side of Faith No More, not that that is at all an issue! The whole album is pretty Patton-coded, with ‘Svenlana’ being pretty darn Bungle.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very odd album, and it’ll certainly be for a niche audience, but the band do what it is they do incredible well. The lyrics and vocal delivery are of course high points, but so too is the riffing and drumming. It’s a fun listen that I’d certainly recommend checking out if you’re curious! 7.5/10

Echos of the Extinct: Era of Darkness

More epicness, this time from the extreme metal Finnish. It’s heavy, that’s for sure, and is pretty fantastic. It’s easy to compare to Cradle of Filth, but it feels like there is more to it than that; also having elements of melodeath and black metal added in for good measure. I was hearing bits of everything from In Flames to Rotting Christ. I mean heck, you just have to listen to opener ‘Remedy’ to get the perfect representation of what the band are about, and there’s still another five other tracks after it! From the incredible riffing to some truly amazing breakdowns and some of the best screams in the business, the bands talent is truly underrated. And the production on the album, from a smaller band, is honestly phenomenal! The dynamics and the panning… *chefs kiss*. It’s only six tracks long but every single one is a highlight in its own right. And it doesn’t feel like it goes on too long, or is too short, really being the perfect length for the style. If anything, it just left me wanting more! It won’t be for everyone, but if you like the brutaller side of metal, check this out; you’ll surely love it as much as I do! The band have a huge new fan in me, and this is a solid 9/10 from us!

Matthew K. Heafy: True Believers

A bit out there as it’s the soundtrack to a slasher comic series of the same name; and an instrumental, more electronic sound than we usually cover. However, I never miss a chance to cover Me Heafy, and somehow we went a full year last year without any coverage of the man or his many projects, so I was definitely checking this out. It’s still pretty heavy-sounding and industrial in a cyberpunk kinda way. I’m not gonna lie, I had it on while I was cooking and had a blast listening to it! Matthew is an exceptionally talented individual and has made something that feels like a fantastic soundtrack. It’s certainly hyped me up and made me want to check out the comic, especially when it has some other incredible names attached to it! ‘Killr Theme’ was probably my favourite as it got pretty heavy and the riff was great. And of course, when he gets to include his incredible screams and cleans (and another killer riff) ‘Too Far Gone’, it’s another big highlight. It won’t be for many readers, but if you are at all curious, or a fan of more retro-style videogames, check this out, it’s well worth a listen! 7/10

Game Over: Face the End

The sixth album from the thrash titans is the start of a new chapter for the band. Going up to a five-piece with the addition of Danny on vocals and Leo on bass, it seems to have breathed new life into the band! This is a damn awesome thrash album, and metal album all round! From the expectedly awesome riffing, blistering solos and great drumming to the fantastically powerful and catchy vocals, as well as the amazing songwriting throughout, it’s a masterclass of thrash metal. The band don’t take it too seriously as well, single and highlight track ‘Neck Breaking Dance’ being a true testament to what the genre can do when slightly sillier. Still, it can get serious, and songs like ‘Grip of Time’, ‘Gateway to Infinity’ and the slower, epic, Metallica-like ‘Crimson Waves’ are all massive highlights on an album honestly packed full of them.

I was vaguely familiar with the band before this, but only a track or two. Well, this album has won me round in a massive way, and is honestly up there with some of my favourite modern thrash releases. If you’re a fan of the genre or metal in general, I can’t recommend this album enough. They very much feel like a band renewed, and I’ll be spinning this a LOT in the coming weeks and months. It gets a very solid 9.5/10!

Reviews

The Void: Taylor Rae’s Stunning Second Album!

Leave a comment

The incredible rising star in the Americana scene, Taylor Rae, released her brand new album today! I have to admit, while I love the style of music, I’m not really familiar with Taylor or her music. However, I’ve been sent it over and have spent the last couple of days blasting it and really enjoying it. So, of course, I wanted to let y’all know all the best bits!

Opening on the title track; a simple acoustic guitar sound, Taylor’s vocals still ring out perfectly and beautifully over the top. It’s chilled-out and all fits excellently together, building in more sounds and instruments as it goes on. It’s got that relaxing Roots/Americana sound akin to the likes of Julian Taylor or Savannah Conley. And her vocals are truly beautiful. By the second chorus it almost has an epic feel to it, building in more guitars and even some distortion. It’s masterfully written and producted, and the dynamics throughout are a lot of fun. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger! It’s a really interesting sound and one hell of a choice to open the album with!

‘Maybe I’m the Villain’ feels a little more upbeat and almost a touch rockier, while still having that same chilled-out vibe to it. I love the effect on Taylor’s vocals through the verses, adding a fun extra layer to it all and sounding awesome. Her vocals have a bit more of that Austin twang to them on this track too, adding more of the country sound to it. It’s a bit simpler, more radio-friendly sound and structure, too. It’s a damn catchy chorus as well! It’s bouncy, catchy and alot of fun, and a very easy, big highlight of the album!

There’s a bit of a smokey, dive-jazz bar feel to ‘Cologne’, fitting the song’s title and theme pretty perfectly. The guitaring through it is incredible, and honestly some of the little runs give big Frusciantie vibes! Heck, the guitar solo tucked away in the middle is phenomenal, and fits the tone of the song perfectly. And Taylor’s vocals and lyrics are typically awesome, too. I particularly love the call-and-response style of the final chorus. It’s another great, relaxed, almost easy-listening song!

‘Telluride’ returns to the acoustic-folk style of the opening track, but still has a bit of bounce and swagger to it akin to the other two. It builds to another infectiously catchy chorus, but then again all the vocal melodies are pretty great to sing along to! And of course the instrumentation is amazing; whoever recorded the parts for these are all criminally underrated. Heck, it feels like the song all builds towards that AMAZING guitar solo and final chorus, it again having an almost epic feel to it and honestly giving me goosebumps. I haven’t heard a solo that good on an acoustic in a while, and it definitely didn’t make me at all jealous of their playing ability… Sierra Hull has an awesome feature in the track, adding to an already incredible sound and the pair blending so well together. It’s another huge highlight of the album, and a song that easily makes it onto our playlist!

Songs like ‘Undertone’, Celebrating Alone’ ‘Not Mine’ are more chilled-out, stripped-back easy listening acoustic songs. Heck, the two latter ones almost had a touch of Jack Johnson to them, which I really love! The subtle piano behind the drums, alongside some beautiful vocals and harmonies, again give it a jazz bar or club feel, and all sounds so good. All three songs are amazing, but I did find myself gravitating towards the latter more on subsequent listens, another massive album high!

‘Hi’ has a slight bit more energy to it; another catchy acoustic track but with a bit more of a bounce. It’s another truly beautiful chorus packed with awesome harmonies and great lyric-writing. The same could be said about the fantastic ‘Trapped’, feeling like a combination of the past few songs. She’s already such an underrated songwriter, and this whole album is a testament to that.

The closing track, ‘The Airport Song’, feels like it ties elements of each song that precedes it perfectly. It’s chilled-out and packed full of incredible instrumentation and vocals and lyrics. The choruses are awesome, as are the solos, and Taylor’s vocals are so incredible and beautiful throughout, fitting the track excellently. It’s also produced perfectly, having an epic feel to it due to the arrangement and five-minute length. That bluesy outro solo is phenomenal. It’s another absolutely massive highlight of the album, and the perfect way to end things on a huge high!

Overall: I loved this! As I said in the intro, I had no idea what to expect headed into this, but I enjoyed it far more than I expected I would. Every song was awesome and thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve really started to get into this end of music recently, and Taylor does it better than few others. She has a huge new fan in me, and I’ll definitely be going back and checking out her debut album as soon as I’ve finished typing this up! I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into the softer side of Americana, country, rock or pop music.

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Nobody, Circle of Origin and Brett Eldredge: EPs Galore!

Leave a comment

Another few great EP releases this week for us to check out. Let’s not waste any time and dive straight in!

Nobody: Shadow Compaions

This is a hugely fascinating listen, as I really struggled to classify it and it combines so many influences and sounds. The main basis is that of both old-school gothic rock and folk music. However, it shares some vague DNA with everything from dark Americana/spooky banjo time, blues, and even some loose power, doom and black metal structures and sounds. It’s like a combination of Sisters of Mercy, Jethro Tull, Amigo the Devil and ASP, and I’m loving it! It’s all done by one man, Finland’s own Tuomas Kauppinen, mainly singing over acoustic guitars, but there are plenty of other elements and layers throughout. It’s four tracks that, as described by Tuomas, ‘study an old, gnarled family tree, beaten and crooked from violence and yet sprouting with new life that promises redemption’. It’s a fantastic concept that fits the music perfectly. Tuomas’ lyrics are amazing throughout, and his songwriting in general is stellar. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I loved all four tracks and found it impossible to pick highlights. Do yourself a favour and give this a listen through, you might be pleasantly surprised! 8.5/10

Brett Eldredge: Lonestar Lovers

The modern country legend is back with his first non-Christmas studio work since 2022’s Songs About You. It’s a short five tracks and 15-minutes, but is a welcome return from the chilled-out Americana artist. Songs like ‘You’ll be Mine’ and ‘Forget About You’ are awesome, and definite personal highlights. It’s a little slower than I was expecting, but is a damn enjoyable release if you just want to sit back and relax. Brett is not only a great songwriter, but his vocals are on phenomenal form throughout this entire thing. It’s not going to be my favourite EP of the year or anything, but I’ll surely be going back to this at least a couple of times throughout the year. I’d recommend it to anyone into the slower side of country/Americana, and it’s a solid 7.5/10!

Circle of Origin: Guilty ’til Proven Innocent

We this is fucking awesome! What an absolutely amazing debut EP from the Doncaster natives. Feeling like it combines everything from Black Label Society to Alter Bridge the early 2000s hard/radio rock scene of Rev Theory, Soil and Nonpoint to even a little smattering of doom, it’s an incredible sound to be hearing in 2025, and something that feels genuinely and surprisingly fresh. Heck, there’s even a touch of BFMV in some of the guitaring and writing, especially when it slows down. It’s a collection of five fantastic tracks all as good as the last, there really isn’t a bad song on the release. Plus, it was arranged perfectly, it flowing incredible well together. The vocals are amazing, as are the riffs and soloing, and the drumming fits everything else incredibly. The band have a big new fan in me, and given that they aren’t too far from me, I’m determined to see them live as I imagine this will all be amazing in a live setting! I can’t recommend this enough to anyone reading this, whether you’re into rock, metal or otherwise. It’s a solid 9.5/10!

Reviews

Solitary Tracks: The HUGE New Album from Kip Moore!

Leave a comment

23 tracks. 23 TRACKS. Strap in guys and girls, let’s do this.

Modern country legend Kip Moore is back with his sixth studio album, and my gosh is it a big one. I remember checking out his last release, 2023’s Damn Love, and looking back on it I was shocked I didn’t like it too much. That album has certainly grown on me since and I’ve always been a fan of Moore, so when this came over my desk I knew I had to dive in head first and check it out! It’s a big undertaking, but everything Kip has said about it has gotten me hyped, so I can’t wait to hear it!

‘High Hopes’ starts things perfectly, setting the country-Americana-rock vibe amazingly well. A great acoustic guitar riff starts, Kip’s powerful, amazing vocals soon coming in over the top. It builds excellently through the opening chorus too, almost giving off vibes of Drew Holocomb or even Shane Smith. It’s catchy as anything, too! I absolutely ADORE the drumming in the second chorus too, adding some pace and rock and energy to it in all the best ways. The whole song is awesome though and put together so well. It’s definitely a highlight and certainly makes it onto our playlist. What a way to open the album!

The albums title track is up next, and slows the pace down a little. it does still have the same folky-Americana feel to it, though. It’s a beautiful, lower energy song that highlights Kip’s strengths of lyric writing and the versatility of his voice. And it still builds to a huge, stadium-filling chorus! It’s another amazing song, and definitely a good choice to name the album after. If you’re into Kip or any of the genres or artists I’ve mentioned already, I’d definitely recommend checking this out!

‘Pretty Horses’ and ‘Livin’ Side’ keep the slower, folkier vibes going through the middle of the first side. Both are beautiful, good songs, but this release is massive so I can’t go in depth about every single track, or you’ll see the length of the article and click off again! They’re both worth a listen, and fit perfectly in the context and flow of the album! The strings in particular in the former are amazing.

The first (and most recent) single on the album, ‘Around You’, is a beautiful song that feels as much soft rock as it does country/Americana. It builds perfectly through the simple, folky verse into a massive chorus. It still stays pretty stripped back, but Kip’s powerful vocals really step it up a notch and sound awesome! The lyrics are also fantastic, and his vocal delivery as a whole of them is amazing, giving off slight Bryan Adam’s vibes in the best ways. We even get an awesome, vert fitting little guitar solo in the middle. It’s an amazing Americana-rock song and a very good choice for a single. It’s easily a highlight of the album!

Starting off Side-B, ‘Bad Spot’ is a very stripped-back ballad track, focusing mainly on Kip’s raspy vocals, the simple drums and acoustic guitar. It’s also another incredibly catchy chorus, fitting the tone of the track and album as a whole perfectly. It’s an awesome, emotion-filled breakup track, and another huge highlight of an album so far filled with them!

‘Rivers Don’t Run’ gives off big Police vibes, combined perfectly with Bryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen. It’s the least country and most soft rock track so far, and is another awesome song! It’s infectiously catchy and at least a little different feeling in tone to the rest of the album so far, breaking it up nicely. It’s a fun song, and yet another personal highlight.

Single ‘Like Ya Stole It’ is another beautiful ballad track, clearly dedicated to his father. It’s packed full of emotion and certainly brought a smile to my face! It was at this point that I was starting to feel the length of the album a touch (already, I know), but the track is so good it’s impossible not to love. And honestly, they’re pretty good lyrics to live by! It’s a fun, slow country song, and definitely worth checking out!

‘Southern Song’ is another beautiful, heartfelt track that is so well written that I can’t not love it, no matter how many times I listen to it. His vocals are maybe at their peak on this song, as is his amazing lyric writing. It’s a simple track yet hugely effective, and another song that I’m a little obsessed with. It’s one that will easily make it onto our Spotify alongside a lot of others on this record!

‘Learning as I Go’ was another fantastic choice for a single, and starts off side C incredibly strongly. It has a bit more of a powerful rock edge to it again, and that chorus is absolutely phenomenal. And again, that may in large part be down to his amazing vocals and delivery throughout. And the simple yet incredibly effective guitar solo in the middle is also amazing. It’s a tall tale, but it may be my favourite track on the album. I may change my mind on another listen, but for now it’s very much a frontrunner. It takes the best parts of Adams, Shane Smith and his own stuff, rolling it together into this incredible package.

Out of nowhere, we get a blues rock song in ‘Alley Cat’. It was much more in line with what I was expecting from this record, and is a more than welcome addition to it! It’s still pretty simply crafted, but has that real old-school blues/soul feel to it, making it a lot of fun to listen to. And that chorus with the subtle harmonies… *chef’s kiss*. It’s the shot in the aim this album needed at this stage, and was performed and written amazingly. It also felt like a shift in the tone of the album, as ‘Live Her to Work’ is also another up-beat country-blues-rock track. It’s crazy fun, and the lyrics are amazing, surely relatable to just about everyone these days. Both are huge highlights but the latter I think is slightly stronger, probably because it’s slightly more relatable to me! Amazing stuff!

The rock vibes continue on through the awesome, Springsteen-y ‘Love & War’ before we get an acoustic country return with ‘Flowers in December’. The side C concludes with a beautiful, slower folk ballad in ‘Forever is a Lie’. Meanwhile, the final side continues along the same vein as the earlier stuff. ‘Tough Enough’ is another big highlight, the chorus being incredible and the lyrics again being awesome. Also the higher energy, funk-rock ‘Good Things Never Last’ is yet another great song! It almost has Quo vibes to it, which was amazing. And ‘Only Me’ finishes the album off in style with another soft country-rock, almost U2-like anthem.

Overall: I know I ended up rushing through those last handful of tracks, but that shouldn’t be a reflection of the quality of the album at all. For a 23-track long album to hold my attention this well and keep me guessing on what comes next is no easy feat, and for it to have so many bangers on it too is nothing short of incredible. It feels like it builds on his last couple of albums perfectly, honestly more of a bit of a culmination of his sounds up to this point. Moore hit the nail on the head when he said that he wants to feel authentic to himself, as this feels like it took his heart and soul to write and release, and the journey it takes you on is really incredible. Not every song is my favourite, but as a whole they all work perfectly and, though it’s long, I’d recommend checking it out in full at least once.

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Killswitch Engage, Chase Matthew and More!

Leave a comment

An absolutely huge edition of New Music Mondays this week, with so many awesome releases for us to sink our teeth into. Let’s dive right in!

Killswitch Engage: This Consequence

Max: Killswitch are back with their ninth studio album and as always, it is very, very well polished and the standard that the band has are on obvious display through this release. There are some phenomenal tracks, and every song is good. The production is absolutely amazing as always and it’s great to see that the band aren’t allowing their standards to drop. There is one issue; it’s a little inconsistent. None of the tracks are bad, like I said, every song is good. But some are just so much better than others. whilst this is a somewhat bemusing criticism, I know, it just makes some parts of the album shine so bright whilst the other just seems a little… standard. I think if pretty much any other band released those songs then they would have a great album on their hands but with everything on this album, it just falls a little flat. 7/10

Chase Matthew: CHASE

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.

Sin of God: Blood Bound

Fun little behind-the-scenes fact: I first had this on in the car on the way to work. I had some industrial builders lorry cut me up and force me to reverse half-way back down the road. This album helped me get my rage out and was exactly what I needed to mellow me out before I got to work!

In all seriousness though, I fucking loved this. I went in with no expectations but from all the description of them I wasn’t sure if I’d be into it or not. But nope, I am all of the way in. It’s brutally heavy but also so well written and technical. While the main layer is death metal, there is everything from doom to black metal to djenty prog throughout, and the band pull it all off masterfully. Some of the screams are incredible, as are the riffs, and the drummer is working overtime throughout. Just something about the atmosphere they created throughout blew me away. Tracks like ‘Black Waves’, ‘Diabolical Agitation’ and ‘Obulus’ are all huge highlights. However, that’s nearly half the album, and the rest of it is also packed full of bangers! If you are a fan of the heavy stuff in any way, check this out, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. I’m desperate to see all of this live, too. It gets a solid 9/10 from me!

Kameron Marlowe: Sad Songs for the Soul

The third album from the Sony Nashville star is a bit of a departure (or rather detour) from his previous two. It’s a bit more stripped-back and simpler, focusing on more of his sombre style over the crazy big hits of his wonderful last album. We gave that one an 8.5/10, so no pressure on this one. Also, just to add to the no pressure, the album starts with a cover of one of my favourite songs by an artist I adore. However, the cover ‘Burning House’, is amazing, putting a new spin on it while keeping all the same level of emotion. It’s a highlight track for sure, but them again all the other songs are also great! ‘Hello Whiskey’ and the beautiful ‘Highway Song’ are other huge highs for me, but there isn’t a bad song on it, honestly. Yes, it’s a little slower and simpler, but Kameron’s vocals and lyrics are so captivating it’s impossible not to love it. Plus, at only 10 songs, it by in a flash. It’s well worth checking this out if you’re a fan of the man or slower country. He got this sound out of his system, so to speak and did so really well, putting out something unique in country these days and rather unexpected. I’m an even bigger fan of the guy now for taking a risk like this! It’s another 8.5/10!

ONE OK ROCK: DETOX

I remember checking out their last album a few years back when I reviewed it, and while clearly I enjoyed it, I can’t say I remember it much, if at all, so it sadly wasn’t too memorable. This one is certainly not going to suffer the same fate. Right from the opening chorus of ‘NASTY’ I was hooked; it’s really awesome pop rock! It gave off big Fall Out Boy/Set It Off/Marinas Trench vibes in all of the best ways. Then you have the almost Owl City-like ‘Tropical Therapy’, the heavier, Biffy-esque ‘Delusion:All’ and the Paledusk/ CHICO CARLITO featuring ‘C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y’ which are all huge other highlights. The latter even has screams and a breakdown, which I love! However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album. My only slight issue is that they have a bit of a lull later on with two ballad-tracks after another. Both are good, but slow the pace of the release down a little too much for this writer. I still love the combination of English and Japanese too, I’m so glad they brought that back from the last release!

Overall though, it’s a damn good album. If you’re into the mid 2000s pop-rock style, I cannot recommend this enough. There are a few tracks on here that I’ll be listening to a lot moving forward, and overall it’s all pretty great! 9/10

Twins Crew: Chapter IV

The fourth studio album from the heavy/power metal Swedes has been a long time coming, a whopping nearly nine years after their last one! Honestly though, it you’re into this sort of style it’s most likely been worth the wait, as it’s a really solid album! It of course gives Manowar and Priest in all the best ways, but also has some modernness in amongst the old-school. Tracks like ‘Never Stop Believing’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Order 69’ are all good fun and personal highlights, though none of the tracks are bad! Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty standard and expected stuff, it hardly reinvents the wheel, but for what it is it’s super enjoyable listen! If you like old-school heavy or power metal, check this out, you’re bound to love it! For me, it’s good, but not something I’d end up revisiting hugely often. 6.5/10

Silverstein: Antibloom

Max: This one is a little bit of an odd one for me I must say. It I s an okay album but that’s really about it. I think that it is a good look for the future of Silverstein as there are parts that feel like they care far more about their craft and what they are putting out rather than how many people listen to it. However, that is definitely still clear. I think the album is fun, I enjoyed it, however it is a bit more of background stimulus than attentive listening for me. I can’t really hate it and I think that it is a good sign for there next album, but it isn’t phenomenal either. 6/10

Sweetbeast: Illusions

This scratched every stoner-doom metal itch I had in my body, and I loved every second! Everything about it is awesome. The riffing; epic throughout. The vocals fit perfectly to the style of the song, sound great and have some surprisingly catchy melodies and moments for the style. The tones and production are fuzzy and deserty in all the best ways. The arrangements are surprisingly proggy, and it only adds to the epicness of it all. Heck, they even give off vague Tool vibes with ‘Dream Eater’.

Yeah, in case you can’t tell, I love this album! It’s giving off big The Sword energy, and I miss that band from their peak so much. I have to say ’70/30′ and ‘Midnight’ were my personal highlights, but this whole album is sick and a real experience throughout. It’s another album that I urge you to listen to in full if you get the chance, regardless of if you have even a slight passing interest in rock music. It honestly flows so well together. Go sit in a dark room and blast this out and thank me later! The band have a new fan in me, and this is an absolutely stellar debut album. It’s a solid 9/10 from us!

The Murder Capital: Blindness

The third album from the Irish post-punkers dropped last Friday. Sadly, I didn’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a genre I’m particularly into to begin with, but a lot of this felt overly messy, almost devoid of trying to make a melody. Again, that’s probably the point and I’m missing it, but it sadly just didn’t sound great to me, and I’m the one writing the review. It isn’t exactly all bad; I do enjoy a couple of tracks like single ‘Words Lost Meaning’ and the mid 2000s ROHP-like ‘A Distant Life’. However, outside of those two I’m certainly not rushing to revisit this album for another full listen. They’re clearly doing something right and plenty of people will love this, as they have nearly 200k listeners on Spotify alone. But sadly it didn’t hook me in all that much, and for that I can’t give it more than a 4/10

Ellis Mano Band: Morph

This blues rock/American roots combo is the fourth studio release from Ellis and Co., and is a lot of fun and an incredibly easy listen. Drawing inspiration from everything from Bonamassa to Stapleton to Springsteen to The Cult, it’s a fantastic softer rock sound and the band do it to perfection. It honestly gives slight Uncle Luscious vibes too with its combination of western sound with the soft rock stuff. Tracks like the opener, the epic ‘20 Years’ and ‘Madness and Tears’ are all fantastic and personal highlights of mine. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album and it goes by in a flash, not feeling like 46-minutes at all. It’s an easy, chilled out listen packed full of a great vocal melodies and harmonies and some awesome riffing. It’s insane that they’re not even bigger than they are, as they more than deserve it and hopefully this album pushes them to that level! I’d recommend checking this out if you’re a fan of any of the styles or bands I’ve mentioned above, you certainly won’t be disappointed. It gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us, great stuff!

Defiled Serenity: Within the Slumber of the Mind

I felt like I was being seduced by that intro track. No idea what he was saying, but it was giving me Antonio Banderas vibes. I was expecting more of a jarring transition out of it too, but actually it build pretty perfectly and atmospherically into ‘Voices from the Void’. Don’t get me wrong, it still ended up in a blackened death metal state, but it felt fitting and earned. Speaking of the song, I wasn’t expecting us to get some melodeath clean vocals in the choruses, adding yet another layer of epicness and fitting the track rather perfectly. And we get a sick guitar solo tucked in the middle, too. It’s a really awesome song, a huge highlight of the album, and a real indicator of what the release and band are about. It sets a fantastic example too, as the rest of the album more than lives up to the bar it sets. Other highlights for me include ‘Death’, the grandiose ‘Mortal’ and single ‘Your Worst Enemy’, but every track is pretty awesome. The atmosphere created throughout is amazing too, it begging to be listened to fully as it all flows perfectly together.

Those who are regular readers here will know how much of a fan of melodeath I am, but this is truly something special within that genre. It combines so many other elements and inspirations, from a Rotting Christ-style black metal to almost prog-metal elements with the structure and cleans. And of course, plenty of In Flames and Children of Bodom. I honestly cannot recommend this album enough for anyone into the heavier end of metal. It’s another insanely high quality debut album release, and the band have a big new fan in me! 9.5/10

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band: Honeysuckle

How could I not cover an album by an artist with such a phenomenal name? His sound and writing is just as interesting as his name too, having a real old-school soul/country/blues style that I quickly fell in love with! The opener/title track is simple but the perfect setup for what’s to come. It leads perfectly into a huge highlight of the album, the sassy, Elvis-like ‘If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day’. Other highlights include ‘Nell’ featuring the awesome Billy Branch, ‘Let Me Go’ and, of course, the Dead South-guesting ‘The Good Die Young’. While the tracks with guests are generally the best of them, the Reverend’s vocals are utterly phenomenal, and criminally underrated. It’s certainly not gonna be for everyone, but I had a blast listening to this, and at just 35-minutes you really can’t go wrong! I’m definitely gonna be listening to this again pretty regularly, and it gets a solid 8/10 from me!

XIII Doors: Into the Unknown

This album has riffs for days right from the offset, and I love it! The Irish hard/rock metal quartet give off plenty of different vibes, from Black Label Society to Red Sun Rising to Sacred Mother Tongue to Prong to Alter Bridge. There’s certainly some Tremonti riffing and melody throughout, for sure. Heck, I even heard plenty of Alice in Chains too, especially with some of the harmonies later on! It’s heavy and melodic in all the best ways, and everyone in the band is working their ass off throughout to create something honestly rather unique and special. Also a huge shoutout to the production, it sounds absolutely massive, whoever did it did an incredible job.

It’s honestly so hard to pick highlights as I just kept adding more and more of the album to my personal playlist, it really is THAT good. It’s only eight tracks and each is truly as good as the last. It’s a short, easily digestible slice of awesomeness that I would recommend to absolutely anyone reading this. And what do you know, it’s yet ANOTHER incredible debut album. It definitely definitely feels like it takes all the right cues from One Day Remains, in sound, style and form, which is anything but a bad thing. I can’t not, this is right up my street, and I can’t give it any less than 10/10! Check this out immediately!

Rick Pierce Group: Brick by Brick

The old-school rockers‘ debut has been building up for nearly five years now, and was finally released last week! It’s a pretty great foot-stomping, AOR release driven by its chunky, awesome riffs and soaring vocals and melodies. It feels like it’s designed to be played live and loud in some dingy dive bar on the Sunset Strip back in the day, and that alone makes it a lot of fun! The opening couple of songs were very good choices for singles and to be so early as they really establish the bands sound. Then it goes full Night Rangers with ‘Only’, not that that is a complaint in any way! ‘Remember the Bataclan’ straight after goes in a more Priest/Manowar direction too straight after. Heck, the only complaint I can have of this album is that it’s only seven tracks long, and that we’ve heard four of them already. However, that doesn’t take as much away from it as I sadly hadn’t heard said singles until now, and they combine with the other songs to make for a damn solid album. I clearly just want more of this immediately! If you like an old-school sound, I’d certainly go and give this one a listen. They’re another band that deserve to be bigger, and hopefully this awesome release will help that. It’s a solid 8/10 from us!

The 7th Guild: Triumviro

Goddamn, I love power metal. This is the older sound of the genre done to its very best, too. It gives off big Hammerfall vibes, as well as Dream Evil and Blind Guardian. The band are all so insanely talented, the soloing and vocals/harmonies being particular highlights throughout. However, the riffing and insane drumming as amazing, too! Songs like the band’s title track, the beautiful piano-ballad ‘Time’ and the epic ‘Fairy Tale’ are all big highlights for me. Though, if you’re a fan of big, epic folky power metal, the whole album is surely going to be amazing to you. The market for the genre is rather saturated these days, but these guys are great and I hope they find a way to stand out among their peers. As for me, while I don’t think it’s the best the genre has to offer, it’s a damn good release, and a solid 7.5/10. I’m curious to hear how they build on it in the future, as it’s another fantastic debut album!

Stuka: Electronic Body Metal

This is a wild album. Creative and interesting both feel like understatements, honestly. It’s like dark-wave mixed with death metal vocals and themes, which in of itself sounds insane. It somehow combines to make this real dark industrial sound, which I kinda dig! It’s almost Rammstein-y, just without the guitars. Plus, the themes of the album, combined with the frankly awesome artwork, are pretty sick. It took me a bit of getting into, even though I do love the premise, and I think it was because of the production. If this had a massive sound like I think it needed, it could have been phenomenal and really groundbreaking. It feels like something that’s ripped right out of the darker depths of the 80s, like metal meets Warhammer meets arcade games, but the vocals in particular don’t quite hit as hard as they maybe could have. Still, I’m damn glad I listened to this and did have a good time listening to it. If anyone reading this is a fan of the quirky or just needs something different, check this out, you might be pleasantly surprised like I was! It may grow on me more with more listens, but for now it gets a 7/10

Reviews

American Man, American Music: Ron Pope’s Incredible New Album!

Leave a comment

The amazing modern Americana legend Ron Pope is set to release his brand new, studio album this Friday. We got it sent over and there was no way we weren’t checking this out in full as soon as we could, so let’s dive right in!

The album starts off strong with the soul-filled, bluesy Americana ‘Nobody’s Gonna Make it Out Alive’. It’s a bit more up-beat and boot-stomping than I was expecting, but I’m not complaining at all! The strings and organ accompaniment are awesome, and Ron’s vocals and lyrics are amazing and country as anything. It’s simple but incredibly effective and is a fantastic choice for an opener. Easily an early highlight to make it onto the playlist!

Things slow down a bit with ‘I Gotta Change’, the emotion flowing through it perfectly. It’s a beautiful, heart-felt ballad, and is a lot more what I was expecting from Mr Pope heading into this. It also fits the “American Music” mantra of the album incredibly. Both tracks so far are completely different yet compliment the country genre perfectly. It’s another great song!

While still being slow and emotion-filled,’Klonopin Zombies’ does have a bit of a rock element to it still, a touch of the likes of Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen. It also has plenty of Americana, and just a touch of Celtic folk to it, which I really love. Like Neil combined with Dropkick Murphys. And I said, it’s full of emotion, the lyrics being utterly fantastic and almost brought me to tears. I can’t recommend this track enough, and it’s another easily highlight track. So far Ron is three-for-three!

Things get even simpler with ‘In the Morning With the Coffee On’, it being mainly just Ron’s vocals and guitar, the occasional beautiful string swell and subtle female backing vocals through the choruses. Much like the previous tracks, it’s incredibly beautiful, and between the arrangement and the lyrics it’s very powerful, giving me goosebumps. I have nothing more to say about this song other than it’s truly phenomenal, and well worth checking out. Another huge highlight on an album packed full of them so far!

Tracks like ‘I Pray I’ll be Seeing you Soon’ and ‘Where You’re Kept’ are more simple, folk-Americana tracks akin to a mixture of ‘Klonopin…’ and ‘In the Morning…’. It’s just true Americana-folk music, and again fits the theme of the album so well! Both are amazing songs, and the production on them make them so powerful when combined with Ron’s incredible vocals. The latter in particular is fantastic, and yet another huge highlight on an album full of them!

‘The Queen of Fort Payne, Alabama’ picks up the pace and rockiness again, finally and perfectly. The hallmarks of country are still there, like the strings and organ, but it certainly is more rocky, giving big Kyle Daniel vibes. It’s a really excellent song, filled with a great riff, catchy chorus and some awesome harmonies! Shock horror, it’s another huge personal highlight on the album, and yet another to make it onto our playlist!

‘I’m Not the Devil’ swaps out the acoustic guitar for a piano, another beautiful ballad and duet with the incredible Taylor Bickett. Their vocals work so perfectly together, and her vocal performance in general is another insane high point of the album! However, the song as a whole is excellent, and another that’s well worth checking out!

‘Mama Drove a Mustang’ is another up-tempo, semi-rocker. It’s generally slower and more Americana than the other two rock tracks, but does have some great distorted guitars in it to bulk out the chorus. Meanwhile the closing track goes back to the beautiful acoustic ballad to finish things off in style. I cannot get over how good Ron’s vocals sound over the top of these tracks, this being maybe the best example of his power and rasp.

Overall: I absolutely loved this. I went in without huge expectations as I’d only ever really heard his big few songs, never a full album. This was excellent from start to finish, though. It has plenty of variety of style and pace, each one pulled off to perfection, and for once I honestly found myself wishing a country album was longer! As I’ve said before, his vocals were incredible throughout, and his lyrics and delivery packed the album full of emotion. I’m going to be listening to this a lot moving forward, and clearly need to go back and listen to the rest of his albums in full! I’d recommend to any country or rock fan out there!

The Score: 9/10

Interviews & Features

Kyle McKearney: ‘As I get older, I really notice the value of time and how it’s very important to be selective with how we spend it!’

Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Kyle McKearney the other week about his new music and plans for 2025. Check it out below!

Firstly, how would you describe your sound? It’s certainly rooted in country but there’s rock, blues, Americana and all sorts I heard in there! 

Yeah, I think you are hearing most of what’s in there. I would chalk it up to calling it alt country, but who knows really. I have loved so many different kinds of music through the years that I guess pieces of each come through in what I do.

You’ve had a busy year releasing singles. Are you sticking to the single model, or are they building up to a third album? 

Yeah, we will be putting singles out until April. My third album To The River is set to drop on April 25. I’m really looking forward to it. We also just announced a tour, in support of the new album, through Western Canada.

Is there any particular theme through the singles this year, be it via the sound or writing? 

There is actually. It wasn’t intentional but after listening through the album several times, I see this thread of redemption. Also, as I get older, I really notice the value of time and how it’s very important to be selective with how we spend it. I think that comes across on the record as well. 

What’s the writing process like for you? Spoke to a lot of people in country who do big writers retreats, while others still write primarily solo!

I have a few different approaches. Some songs I will take to my cowriting friends to finish. Others I write on my own. It just depends on the song and how easily and quick it comes.

So we still very much associate country music with the South of the US, what’s it like being a country musician in Canada? 

It’s cool. Canada has its own form of country and its own country culture. Lots of farms, lots of fields, lots of beef and western culture here. I don’t try and emulate what the US is doing, but love so many of the American artists. I’ve spent time in Nashville and really enjoyed it.

Have you got much planned for next year? I imagine you have some shows lined up! 

Yeah, I plan to play a ton in 2025. There are lots of things on the books and lots in the works. Live is going to be my main focus after releasing the album.

Any plans/hopes to come over to the UK? 

There’s nothing in stone yet, but I will jump at the chance. I loved being there and cannot wait to come back.

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or bring on the road with you?

I’d love to tour with Aerosmith lol. Chris Stapleton, Sierra Farrell or Jason Isbell.  Any of those would be incredible!

Features, Interviews & Features

Uncle Lucius: ‘When we started hanging out more it was like, we really should make an album!’

Leave a comment

We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the Roots legends Uncle Lucius at their show in Nottingham the other night. Check out as we chat about their tour, latest album and future plans!

How would you describe your sound?

I’ve always said American Roots, it’s kind of a big umbrella. And then now they’re trying to label that Americana, which is also a wide umbrella. But I understand people need to, especially with the commodification of music, put it in plain sight.

Yeah, there’s that many different sub-genres these days!

Exactly! And our influences are just from American roots. Country, blues and soul and all that!

And how’s the tour gone so far? Australia first, right, that looked cool!

Yeah, it was really cool! Around the World in 30 Days! And we’re almost finished, it’s been great!

It sounds a little stressful but fun!

You know you’ve got your ups and downs when you tour this much! The 15 hour drives aren’t the best. The travel from Australia to Europe was really bad. It was 30 hours travelling with that one.

Is this the first time in the UK for a while, then?

It’s the band’s first time in eight years. But it’s good, the crowds are actually showing up, which is very surprising!

Are there any differences between the crowds over here compared to back home?

I like it over here. A lot of people get it! And the same in Australia, as well. Talking to the people that come out to the shows, a lot of them are into the same people that we’re into. They’re asking us about Guy Clark and Kris Kristofferson… that’s who we love, it sounds like we’re a lot alike! It’s the same over here.

I’d say attention spans are… better, over here! I’m not gonna judge that but…

Yeah, a few of the people I’ve spoken to from the country scene (like Randall King!) have all said it’s a lot more standing and listening here!

Yeah, back home it might be like half the crowd on their phones or talking, the other half yelling and hollering!

And it’s been a couple of years since you reunited, right? How’s it been so far?

Yeah, we reunited in March of ‘23. Overwhelmingly positive, it’s been great!

Was it always a goal to write new music when you came back, or was it more coincidental, you sort of fell into it?

When we got back together for the first time it was religious to hang out, just to see each other! After the second time we got together and hung out we said, with the placement of one of our songs on a big TV show, and a spike in overall numbers for a lot of the songs, it was like well, it might be fun to play some gigs. We didn’t really think past that.

When we started hanging out more it was like, we really should make an album. Our original bass player had a bunch of songs he had written, and he showed Kevin, who was really down to sing them. And we were really down to play them. So the album is a mixture of his songs and Kevin’s songs, and Mike and Doug and… it was just a really good vibe! It was not something that we planned to do at all, it just felt like the right thing to do.

Is there any comparison you can draw between this new stuff and your older material?

I’d say it’s familiar to what we’ve always been, but also think it mirrors all of us evolving as musicians, and as people. Maturing with age and having done other projects when we were off for five years. We’re all just better, honestly!

Is there any more songwriting going on already?

Oh yeah, no doubt. I think we’re about to work on the next one. I have quite a few I’m gonna present, and there’s others that other guys in the band have written, that’ll all get put on the table and we’ll get a feel for it.

It’ll happen soon. We’re all pretty anxious to get back in the studio. Making the last one was a lot of fun, and super easy. You get older and you learn how to get your brain out of the way and just play. Cooperate a bit more!

And you’re pretty busy in the coming months too, right?

Yeah! When we get back we’re gonna do a Midwest run, from Kansas City up to Chicago and back. That’s in like two and a half weeks. We’ll have a little bit of rest in between. Then a bigger US tour in February. Staying busy!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

I’d love to open for the Stones, man. And there’s still time!

There’s just so many. And that’s one of the best parts of getting to do what we do, is playing shows on the same stage as some of our hero’s, and actually getting to hang out with them or sometimes play songs with them. It’s amazing. I hope it happens a lot more!

Features, Reviews

Uncle Lucius and The Exile Club Rock The Bodega!

Leave a comment

A bit of a different one for us today, especially for the Bodega, as we headed along to see the American roots icons Uncle Lucius. The band’s first tour of the UK in eight years, and another album released since then, they certainly had a lot of catching up to do! They’re currently still on their Around the World in 30 Days tour, and had not long flown from Australia, with Europe up next, but still made a couple of stops off in the UK to show off their talents. So we knew we just had to come down to the show and see just what they were like live, especially after enjoying the album so much! Check out what we thought below!

First of all, supporting were a band I’d never heard of before, but quickly fell in love with. The English soul-roots-rock-country fusion band were somehow not on my radar before now, but they have a big new fan in me! The Exile Club have had a massive year in 2024, and deserve everything they’ve gotten as they are five insanely talented songwriters and players. And not only that, but they are born performs too, each having their own moments to shine both in the solo parts and outside of them. And the combination of Abbie Middleton and Joe Hazell practically fronting the thing is awesome, them both playing off each other well vocally and in their performance, and they are captivating to watch. However, that shouldn’t take away from the other three, who are just as great. And not only that, but their stuff packs a punch live too, even more so than on track. They won the crowd over in a big way, and are sure to be a massive name in the scene sooner rather than later!

And then we swiftly moved onto the headline act of the evening. The club was quickly packed out by the time Uncle Lucius took to the stage, making for an incredibly warm experience, to say the least! However, that didn’t matter, and didn’t stop the band from utterly blowing me away. The professionalism and tightness of this band are off the charts, every cog moving like a well oiled machine and making it seem like such a smooth show. They are all insanely talented individuals and players, and it all combined together perfectly. And they sound just as good live as they do on track which, speaking as a musician, is no mean feat!

Kevin, however, is truly on another level. Again, I don’t want to take away from the rest of the band as they are all insanely talented in their own rights, but Kevin is an effortlessly magnetic frontman. His Southern drawl and charm make him captivating, and he is honestly one of the most underrated vocalists around today, especially in a live setting. I loved every single member of the band for their playing, but Kevin really nailed it for me.

And of course, the band played an incredible set list of older hits and newer bangers. My favourite off the new album, ‘All the Angelinos’, was an early-set highlight, while tracks like ‘Holy Roller’ and ‘Mockingbird’ had the crowd hooked throughout. We even got a couple of covers snuck in for good measure, both of which were great! It was a great, chilled out set of US roots music!

And there we have it, folks, what an excellent night! Both bands more than delivered, and had the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. I love that this sort of music is starting to take off in the UK, and really can’t wait to see how far Exile Club climb, I’m gonna have to see them again soon! I cannot recommend either band enough, be it live or on track, so go away right now and listen to both! And thanks again to the amazing Lime Tree Music as always for hooking this up for us!

Uncle Lucius are Kevin Galloway (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Doug Strahan (lead guitar), Jonny Grossman (keyboards and lead vocals on select songs), Josh Greco (drums), and Drew Sherger (bass) and honestly they barely fit on the stage of the Bodega!

Reviews

Welcome to the Plains: Does Wyatt Flores’ Debut Album Live Up to His EPs?

Leave a comment

I’ve become a rather massive Wyatt Flores fan over the last year. From reviewing his last release (apparently an EP, but I will go down swinging otherwise) to seeing him live at the amazing Long Road this year, he’s done so much awesomeness. So, to be able to sit here and review his debut album (again, ugh) a couple of days early is amazing. This guy is one of country’s fastest rising names, so let’s see how he fares with a full-length release!

The opener and title track sets the tone for the album perfectly. The great acoustic guitar chord progression explodes into a fantastic traditional country/Americana sound, it immediately having me hooked. Wyatt’s iconic, powerful vocals come in over the top, his lyrics immediately being fantastic. And damn, all the strings add so much to the sound and are a huge highlight throughout, especially the amazing fiddle solo. Everything picks up for a damn catchy, foot-stomping chorus that is just begging to be danced to! And yet still, the lyrics for it are profound and pretty emotional. Wyatt has the profound ability to make a bouncy and fun sounding track still weighty and meaningful, and it’s a real testament to his songwriting ability. It’s such an incredible way to open the album, and is definitely a track that makes it onto our playlist!

‘When I Die’ has a bit more of a subdued feeling and a slightly slower pace. However, that only amplifies the powerful, emotion-filled lyrics. Two songs in and I already have goosebumps, this isn’t going to be good for my emotional state! It’s a truly beautiful song that builds perfectly throughout, featuring some incredible lyrics and vocals from Wyatt (coupled with some great harmonies) and once again some of the best instrumentation in the genre today. The talent on show is phenomenal, and it is yet another utterly incredible track!

The chilled-out vibes continue on through the folky ‘Oh Susannah’ and the beautiful love song ‘Only Missing is You’. Both are fantastic tracks that, while being more stripped-back and slower than other tracks by him, still feel completely different and unique to each other. The latter is honestly incredible and is easily another highlight and playlist-maker. And it can easily be a massive radio hit if it gets the single treatment.

Single ‘Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight’ is another amazing, western-style up-tempo country track. It’s the perfect choice for a single too, as it reflects everything that Wyatt does so well. The lyrics are amazing, the instrumentation is incredible throughout and won’t get the credit it deserves, and the chorus is massive and catchy, a real stadium-filled. And, remembering seeing him playing it at The Long Road earlier this year, I can confirm it’s INCREDIBLE live. We also get an absolutely phenomenal outro, a minute of build-up and amazing playing, creating something truly epic and special. If you listen to any track coming away from this review, let it be this one. WOW!

‘Habits’ is the closest thing to a ballad track on the album. While there are multiple slower tracks throughout the release, the main focus of this is very much Wyatt’s guitar and vocals; a simple, beautiful arrangement. We get some strings in the back and light drums halfway through, but it’s still an incredibly stripped-back track. And of course, Wyatt gives it his all with some more powerful lyrics. Another amazing song!

Tracks like ‘Right Here with You’ and ‘Angels Over You’ start off slower and acoustically but build up into huge, epic soundscapes by the end. Both are fantastic tracks, the former being my favourite of the two but it was definitely close. Meanwhile ‘Forget Your Voice’ has a similar vibe to ‘Habits’, but slightly more up-beat and with a touch more going on. The drums are more present and driving, but it still has a major focus on the acoustic guitar above most other instrumentation. It’s another beautiful song, and the solo in particular is amazing. And it feels redundant at this point to say just how amazing the lyrics are.

‘The Truth’ and ‘r’ have a bit more of a southern rock tinge to them than other tracks on the album. Don’t get me wrong, they still very much feel very Wyatt, but it’s amazing to hear how varied his styles and sound can get while still being unmistakably himself. Heck, that guitaring in the former even gives the track a 90s grunge/pop rock edge to it, too. And that solo at the end… *chef’s kiss*, it’s so very Lynyrd Synyrd in all the best ways!

Another single, ‘Little Town’, is yet another excellent song, and one I’ve been obsessed with since its release. It somehow combines the western, 90s pop-rock and country styles perfectly, his vocals and lyrics maybe being my favourite on the album. That chorus is incredible, sounding huge and fitting the tone of the song and album perfectly. It’s another very good choice for a single! It’s another infectiously fun track, and another massive highlight of the album!

The final tracks on the album have a surprising amount of swagger and bounce and attitude to them all. Both ‘Stillwater’ and the closer have this dark western edge to them that I really love, while ‘Falling Sideways’ has a rock edge on top of all of it too, almost giving TC3 vibes at times. All three tracks are amazing, and somehow flow perfectly to create an incredible finale. ‘Falling Sideways’ in particular is another masterpiece that I’ll certainly be listening to a hell of a lot moving forward.

Overall: I was certainly not disappointed, that’s for sure! This release is packed full of awesome song after awesome song, a large number of them being hits in the making. I LOVE the fact that he’s had more room to wiggle here as he’s expanded his sound out so much compared to his EPs, giving various different styles and tempos throughout. And this is coming from someone who loves the EPs too; both have done their jobs perfectly. Wyatt’s stock has been steadily rising over the last couple of years, but it’s bound to explode with this releases. In a year packed full of incredible country releases, this stands out among them for sure!

The Score: 9.5/10