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!
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!
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!
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!
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 amazing Julian Taylor is back with another folky, rootsy, country, rocky solo album. He’s had a pretty consistent output since going solo, this marking his third studio album in three years. I hadn’t heard of him much until he was announced for The Long Road for this year, but after checking him out quickly fell in love with his music. So when this came across our emails, I knew I just HAD to review this in full! Let’s dive in!
‘Weighing Down’ is the perfect, chilled-out opening track. His low, soulful vocals work perfectly over the acoustic guitars, strings and soft drumming. It’s the perfect, relaxed song, and the lyrics through it are also phenomenal. There’s honestly not much to say about it; it’s a simple yet incredibly effective track that sets the tone up for the rest of the album perfectly.
The chilled vibes continue through ‘Love Letters’, a folk track that honestly feels almost like a romantic drinking song than anything else. Like an almost more stripped-back Pogues. The vocals are fantastic again over the acoustic guitar, and the harmonies around Julian’s voice are perfect. They make a catchy chorus even catchier. We even get a fun little guitar solo part in the bridge. This was an amazing song, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!
‘Six Line Road’ is much more acoustic-blues track, having a great riff running through its core. And the lyrics are again incredible, showing off Julian’s talents as a storyteller. The harmonies are once again awesome through the choruses, it all being so simple yet so very effective. We even get a sexy, sexy sax in this, that I can’t get enough of and wish we got even more of. It added a dive-jazz bar vibe to it all which I loved. It’s another incredible song, and another that makes it onto our Spotify!
We’ve of course already checked out the single and title track of the album, and LOVE it. It’s a slower track in more of a Don McLean/Cat Stevens vein, but is a fantastic, emotion-filled track. The lyrics are incredible, as is the delivery of them, and the duet-style with Allison is truly beautiful. And honestly, this is the second or third time this chorus will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It’s the perfect song to sit and chill out with, yet still gave me goosebumps when listening to it closely. It’s the third track in a row for the playlist, Julian is on a roll!
The pace picks up with ‘Running Away’, having an almost indie-rock feel to the country sound. The closest thing I can associate it to is Red Clay Strays, who I also love! It’s a foot-stomping, rockier number that wouldn’t have felt out of place in the 60s, yet still feels modern at the same time. It’s also the longest track on the album, which was great as it gives the band chance to jam in the middle, having a rocky-blues bridge section and outro full of some great soloing. It was the perfect change of pace for the album, putting something a little quicker in the middle to break up the slower tracks. I didn’t expect it at all but I loved it. It almost had some Dire Straits to it at times! The talent of Julian and his band are off the charts, from both a writing and playing standpoint, and this track is a true testament to that! I’d definitely recommend the album version over the radio edit to get a true feel for the track!
In contrast, ‘See This Thing Through’ is the slowest track on the album, a slower blues/easy listening track packed full of more awesome vocals and harmonies. Honestly, the other two tracks have a similar relaxed, stripped-back feeling, rounding out the album perfectly. It’s just impossible to dislike Julian’s music. Usually I’d get a touch bored of a collection of mostly slower songs, but his vocals and lyrics are so incredible that I loved all three of these tracks. The perfect ending to the perfect chill-out album!
Overall: As I’m sure you can tell, I loved this. It’s short and sweet and there truly isn’t a bad track on here. I listened to it all the way through once before I even wrote anything, I just sat back and took it in and has a blast. It went by in a flash and is the perfect relaxed country album if you want to sit back and really listen. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys the slower side of country, and I’ll be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks and months!
We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Julian Taylor at The Long Road the other week. Check out the full interview below!
How was the set? Sounded good from out there!
Oh thanks man! I didn’t hear it myself!
And it’s the first of two, right?
Yeah, the first of two. We’re playing over there on the porch stage. I was just talking to Bailon and he was saying he designed that whole stage from something from his childhood. So I’m looking forward to that, yeah!
Will it just be you or the whole band?
I think we’ll do the whole thing. My stuff’s not overbearing, it’s pretty chill!
And this is show number two of the tour, right?
Yes, we were in Shoreham-by-Sea two nights ago. Then here, London tomorrow, The Water Rats, then moving forward we’re in Liverpool and Shrewsbury, and Barnswick, and Kirton in Lindsey.
And this is your second tour out here, right?
This is the third, actually! But second with the band. First one I came out solo and did the Americana fest UK and a whole bunch of stuff in England and Scotland. Haven’t been to Ireland yet!
And, being Canadian and being country-adjacent, what’s it like being in that scene when it’s still so closely associated with the South?
Country-adjacent is a good way to describe it. It’s adjacent to a lot of things; rock n’ roll, rhythm and blues, folk music. So I call it Roots music.
Yeah, I don’t know. Like it’s kinda the same, like it is here. People enjoy it. There’s elements of storytelling and elements of just giving it. The only difference really I can see with the folk music scene, like the Americana scene, is here is really more focused towards country rock stuff, whereas in North America the country stuff is really poppy, these days at least. And if you want to dance it’s more of like a jig or bluegrass thing.
And you put out a new single just the other day, right?
Yes! Myself and my friend, Alison, put out a song, the lead single and title track from my new record, Pathways. It’s coming out in September!
Any thoughts on it?
I like it! It’s a good record!
Are you planning on any more singles for it?
Nope, the record just comes out afterwards!
What’s the writing process like for you?
It’s always a bit different, man. Sometimes I start with the lyrics first, sometimes with the chords and melody first. They’re married to each other so it doesn’t really matter what comes first. I find that if you write the lyrics first the melody kinda compliments it and it moves in a different way, rather than the other way around. If you write the melody and then the lyrics, the lyrics have to accommodate the melody. So it’s interesting! They both work in different ways but they are very much the same thing.
It’s just you mainly writing, right?
Mainly it’s me but I write with other people. The ‘Pathways’ single was written with my friend Robert Priest and Roseanne, they helped me write that. well, they didn’t help me, we wrote it together. And I write songs with a buddy of mine, Tyler Alice.
Have you got quite a busy rest of the year planned?
Busy enough, yeah! Enough to keep me away! Going to California, Colorado, doing a Western tour, and Eastern tour. I like touring, it’s cool. It is tiring though, I’m not a young buck any more!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d like to be a part of?
Anybody and everybody really. I like to play and I like to watch people play. I like to learn from people and I hope that I rub off on them too.
I think a real good tour would be me and Nathaniel Rateliff. He’s like me, he can do the acoustic thing or can go all in.
The followup to 2023’s breakthrough first installment, Drew and his Neighbours return with a loving, folk/indie rock vengeance. We somehow missed vol. 1 when reviewing (I know, I should be sacked) but LOVE it, especially live when we saw it atThe Long Road the other week. So, I knew I had to give this second volume all my attention with a full review when it came out, and here we are! Let’s dive in!
The opening track features the one and only Vince Gill, and immediately plays to his strengths. It’s an upbeat, blues/country leaning track and is the perfect choice for opening the album with. It’s simple but massively effective; a fun, foot-stomping song with an infectiously catchy chorus and some amazing vocal harmonies. We even got a fantastic little blues guitar solo tucked in the middle, which I loved. This was a great song and a perfect album opener, and easily makes it onto our playlist!
‘Soul’s a Camera’ delves into their more indie sound, but also had a bit of an old-school feel to it, not dissimilar to someone like Pokey LaFarge outside of the vocal style. It’s a slower, more ballad-like track, but is just as effective and awesome as the opening track. Drew’s vocals fit both songs so well, and the instrumentation between the two very different songs are fantastic. And again, yet another awesome, understated guitar solo. It almost has an air of Jack Johnson to it, but more epic, which I am more than okay with! The album is two for two on incredible songs so far!
‘Suffering’ brings the foot-stopping country back immediately with a very Blackberry Smoke riff. It drops out to the more pop-folk stuff for the verses, while the choruses are yet again more catchy awesomeness. It makes sense why it was picked as the lead single of the album, it’s phenomenal and a perfect radio-Americana-rock song. It feels like a combination of the first two tracks on the album, and it’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come, I’m sure. Another easily playlisted song!
Tracks like ‘The Sound of Moving Water’ and ‘Imagination’ are more acoustic, ballad tracks. Both are fantastic slower songs, and work to split the album up perfectly. The former is very Country/Americana, giving off Willie Nelson vibes for sure. Meanwhile, the latter goes a bit more down the indie route again, the piano adding a lot to the already awesome sound. They’re two more incredible songs, with the former being another huge highlight of the album as a whole.
‘Easy Together’ is another slower on, but this time a stripped-back, easy-listening piano track, yet still packed with plenty of swagger. It’s amazing, honestly. It has a swing to it even at its slower pace, and somehow fits Drew’s voice just as well as the other tracks. It’s jazzy yet somehow still fits the band’s style and feel perfectly, and I love it. It also once again is something completely different, braking up the pace of the album perfectly. The band are such insanely talented songwriters and musicians, and that shines through on this just as much as any.
Drew’s wife Ella joins the band for single ‘Burn’. It’s again a very acoustic-led, folk-Americana track, performed beautifully by the duetting couple. Their voices work surprisingly well together, with Ella hitting some impressive high runs over her husband’s powerful lower ones. And we get some more awesome Frusciante-meets-Slash guitar soloing throughout, which I of course loved. It’s just, much like all the songs the band put out, a damn fun, chilled-out listen in all the best ways. And the lyrics are also pretty fantastic throughout this, too. It almost gives off Primal Scream vibes by the final chorus/outro which was amazing. It’s yet another that makes it onto our playlist, wow!
Both ‘Shelter’ and ‘Forgiveness’ go back to the band’s country-Americana roots. Both have almost an air of Red Clay Strays to them, especially the latter; almost touchingly lightly on gospel elements. It goes without saying at this point, but both were excellent songs. And while the latter is typically a touch more up-beat and more up my street, I think I actually preferred ‘Shelter’. Its epicness and Drew’s incredible vocals were fantastic. Still, that shouldn’t take away from ‘Forgiveness’ at all, it’s a great song with an amazing message and a very catchy chorus.
The closing song is another beautiful piano ballad, made even more epic by the inclusion of the strings and the powerful parental lyrics. It almost had a Randy Newman air to it, which I couldn’t not love. And, while I typically am not too into the slowest track closing out the album, it’s hard to deny how utterly phenomenal this song is. I don’t even have children and it hit me hard, giving me goosebumps. God, I want to see this live so much, it nearly brought me to tears. Drew sung it absolutely masterfully, delivering so much emotion. What an amazing way to close out an amazing album!
Overall: I can’t get over how good this is. I know I loved vol. 1, but this is just as good, if not even a smidge better! Every song on it is amazing in its own way, and yet the album flows together perfectly. It’s certainly a worthy successor to their last album, and one I’ll be listening to for months to come still, I’m sure. As if they aren’t already a massive name at this point, I can see this album shooting them to the sky!
The Austin Red Dirt Country band, Shane Smith & The Saints, have finally released their highly and anticipated fourth album just yesterday, nearly half a decade after their previous. After having heard at least a couple of the singles, I’m very hyped for this release, and you just knew we had to do a full review of it! Being a more recent fan, only discovering them last year after they were announced for The Long Road, I’m curious to hear where they go with this release!
The album opens in slow, atmospheric style with ‘Book of Joe’. The swell of the fiddle lead to the rest of the band coming in, picking up the energy and epicness with ease. It’s an awesome little folky, rocky riff. Shane Smith ‘s iconic low vocals soon come in over the top, sounding perfect over the strings and simple bass drum. It all builds to a huge, arena-filling chorus too. The vocals are incredibly catchy and the instrumentation just makes it all feel massive. It’s so simple yet so incredibly effective. We also get an awesome guitar solo tucked into the middle of this, which I loved. It drops down before building up in impressive, epic fashion into a fiddle solo for the outro. This was an awesome way to open an album, and an amazing track in general. It easily makes our playlist!
‘Fire in the Sky’ keeps the ball rolling in similar fashion, some more awesome riffing and dynamics. No matter how much I hear it, I cannot get over just how good Shane Smith ‘s vocals are. I LOVE his low, raspy voice so much, and it fits over the top of the bands Americana style. It again builds to an absolutely fantastic chorus, the harmonies this time adding another incredible layer of catchiness to it all. The first chorus leads to another great guitar solo, channelling a southern rock influence perfectly. The bridge and verse again build us back to that infectiously catchy chorus, and another huge outro takes us home. I love the bands way of songwriting, and it is at its best here. So far, the band are two for two with playlisted tracks on this album!
Single ‘Adeline’ slows things down a tad. It’s got more of a ballad feel to it and, honestly, I fucking love it. From the fiddle and Shane’s amazing vocals, to building in the harmonies in the first chorus, to it dropping into their massive, full sound afterwards, it’s incredible. It means the second verse feels completely different, but it feels like the perfect build and evolution of the song. I honestly cannot get over how well this song is put together and written. It’s a massive sounding song, filled with awesome instrumentation, catchy vocals and some amazing parts. It is not only one of my favourite tracks on the album, but one of my favourite tracks from Shane Smith and co., period. It’s three for three, ladies and gents!
Check out our interview with the man himself here!
Another single, ‘The Greys Between’, thankfully breaks the streak. However, that isn’t at all saying it’s a bad song. It’s more the fact that after three absolutely incredible tracks, this one feels a slight bit more of a breather, in this writer’s opinion. Having said that, it still packs a punch, following the usual Shane Smith formula of the awesome folky verses building into the huge, memorable choruses. I love the chorus, and the romantic lyrics are incredibly well written.
The same could be said for the likes of ‘Navajo Norther’, ‘Field of Heather’ and ‘Wheels’. All three are good tracks, but definitely feel like other songs on the album. However, when listening to them as part of the album as a whole, they fit perfectly. The latter in particular is an amazing song and another big highlight. I simply don’t want this review to get too boring and repetitive, so if stuff sounds similar I want to spare you reading the same gushing over and over!
Recent single ‘All the Way’ changes things up, being a beautiful piano-led ballad. It’s the closest Shane’s voice has gotten to later Johnny Cash that I’ve heard, and that’s certainly a compliment. It really had ‘Hurt’ vibes, despite it being a piano instead of a guitar. But still, the beautiful simplicity of the song, and it’s placement closer to the mid-point of the album, are both amazing decisions. It’s an incredible song and one I’d certainly recommend anyone go and check out!
Single ‘Hummingbird’ picks up the pace again, returning the band to their typical style and tempo. It’s a track that I’m very familiar with, and one that has been on pretty heavy rotation for me since the day it was released. I’ve had the chorus stuck in my head for a cumulative total of easily a day in that time, too. It’s an amazing song, and one I’d put up there with ‘Adeline’, honestly. For anyone not already familiar with the song, check it out immediately. It’s everything great about Shane Smith & The Saints, all rolled up into a nice 4:45 ball.
The final few tracks are all also awesome. ‘It’s Been a While’ is my favourite of the four tracks to end the album, it having a bit more of a rockier vibe, especially in the chorus. And some of Shane’s vocal delivery is incredible. The lead single and closing track, ‘Fire in the Ocean’ is also… well… fire. The band have done a fantastic job of picking the singles from the album. Every single one has certainly been a highlight. ‘Fire in the Ocean’ is another epic track and the perfect song to close this truly grandeous album with. Damn, I wanna see this band live again so bad!
Overall: This is an amazing album. There really isn’t a bad song on it, while some of them stand up there with some of the best the band have ever produced. And as an album as a whole, it is arranged fantastically, flowing perfectly together. It all feels so cohesive and unified, and it really deserves to be listened through from front to back at least once. The band have gone from strength to strength recently, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this is the album that catapults them to the top, it is truly that good.
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays this week, with everything from country to extreme metal, and plenty in between!
Blackberry Smoke: Be Right Here
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Check out what we thought of it here!
IDLES: TANGK
I have never quite ‘got’ this band whenever I’ve tried in the past. Surprisingly enough, that didn’t change with this release. They’re somehow Avant-garde indie/punk, like the Dillinger Escape Plan of the indie world. I don’t get it. Then again, as a country/metal fan, I doubt I’m exactly their target audience. They certainly have fans, and I’m sure they’ll love this album. And heck, at least they look good fun live. Maybe that’d win me over, but on track they do less-than-nothing for me. The closest thing to something I enjoyed was ‘Gift Horse’, but it was in there with a lot of very questionable music. 3/10, sorry lads.
Middle Kids: Faith Crisis Pt 1
The Australian alt/indie rock band are back with their third album. Honestly, though it’s not typically the sort of music I’d go for, it’s a good, incredibly chilled album. It’s very similar in sound to the likes of Cold War Kids and Young the Giant, that early 10s radio-indie, Life is Strange sound. I’m a fan of the sound for sure, and this is maybe the best release it has had in years.
Tracks like ‘The Blessings’ and ‘Terrible News’ are awesome. However, as an album as a whole it’s a good listen, from start to finish. There’s nothing bad on it! It’s perfect to stick on and relax to or have on in the background while doing stuff. My only slight issue is that it doesn’t have that single on it, nothing stands out as a massive radio hit. Then again, that’s not exactly a bad thing when talking albums! Nothing quite gets Twenty-One Pilots quirky enough to make it to that. But they are clearly a massive band with a huge following, who will no doubt all love this! 7.5/10, good stuff!
Kalah: And Yet It Dreams
Honestly, I have no idea what to think of this album, aside for the fact that I love it! It’s chaos in the best possible way. I’d classify it as extreme metal despite the vocals, it definitely has clear influences from old Cradle of Filth. However, there is also deathcore, and symphonic metal, and electronic influences that all mash together surprisingly perfectly. The two-part opener ‘This World Factory’ is the perfect example of what I’m talking about, and is very much a highlight track of the album! It’s heavy, insane and yet also somehow structured and catchy. And there is no denying everyone involved’s talents and writing ability; they are all on full display just in this track alone.
Other highlight tracks include ‘Runtime Error’, ‘Gentle Gears’ and ‘Helichrysum’. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, I could name any of them as highlights. The former even brings in more of a prog/djent sound to the mix, while ‘Helichrysum’ has more of an epic power metal ballad feel to it, and I love it! And yet it still gets heavy, of course! There is not a second of this album that is boring and I didn’t feel the length at all, happily listening to it from start to finish and it was over in no time. I completely understand it won’t be for everyone, but I thought it was a fantastic album and if you’re into metal, you should check this out! 9/10
Mother Mother: Grief Chapter
Even more indie rock for this week, though I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It’s an odd one, that’s for sure. It’s like early 2000s radio-rock meets the weirdness of Queen or Muse’s stranger discography. Sometimes it works and is cool and a lot of fun. Other times it doesn’t and is jarring and odd for the sake of it. What I can say is the band are certainly all talented. There are some insane, math-rocky guitar licks that are far too good for indie music, and vocalist Ryan Guldemond almost has an air of Mika at times, that’s how good a singer he is. Heck, some of the pop elements like in ‘Explode!’ are VERY Mika.
The aforementioned track is actually a big highlight of the album, and a real turning point for me. Tracks like ‘Days’, ‘Normalize’ and ‘Matrix’ after it are also interesting and fun enough for me to love, with the latter again being a massive highlight for me. But yeah, when I finally ‘got’ it, I loved this album. Everything after ‘Explode!’ had me hooked and hanging on every weird turn and note. It’s not all fantastic, but it is all interesting enough to enjoy, and there is enough truly incredible tracks on the album to make me love it. If they put on a good show too, I feel like I’d LOVE to see this live. They remind me of AJR or early Twenty-One Pilots in their creativity, and I can’t help but love it. There are easily four or five tracks here I’m going to be listening to a lot moving forward. So, it’s gotta be at least an 8.5/10 from me!
The Obsessed: Gilded Sorrow
I feel like we don’t cover enough doom metal on this site, so whenever a band like this comes along and releases a killer album like this, I instantly love it. Of course the riffs are top notch, but so is everything else. The songs are very well crafted, the vocals fit perfectly and are catchy in the choruses, and the drums and bass hold everything down perfectly. It’s old-school, plodding doom metal in all the best ways. The whole album is packed full of incredible tracks, but my favourites include the opener, ‘Wellspring’ and the title track. I also have to bring up the fantastic production, something a little rarer in the genre but whoever mixed this NAILED it. Honestly, there isn’t much to say, it’s a solid doom metal album through and through. No frills, no crazy prog or genre changes, just a great album for fans of sludge. 8/10
ILLUMISHADE: Another Side of You
The Swiss metal band released their sophomore album last week after a near four year gap, and their first with Napalm. The band have been making waves since their inception in 2019, and look to continue their momentum with this release.
They’re symphonic metal for the most part, but are definitely on the heavier end of that spectrum. The combined intro track into ‘ELEGY’ perfectly encapsulates the band’s sound and style, and I personally love it. It has an edge and moderness to it that the big bands in the genre, Nightwish and Epica, do not have. It feels like the next step in the genre for sure, this band spearheading the way for the 2nd generation of symphonic metal bands alongside the likes of Metalite and Ad Infinitum. The guitars are chunky and almost have a prog/djent style and feel to them. The drums and bass are heavy too, while the synths, keys and operatic vocals ground it firmly in symphonic metal. It’s a really cool listen!
Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album, either. Songs like ‘ELEGY’, ‘ENEMY’, ‘Here We Are’ and epic ballad ‘Fairytale’ are certainly highlights, though. The band are incredible players and songwriters, and it’s no wonder they feel like they have a rocket strapped to their backs. They are going to be a massive name in the metal scene sooner rather than later, and this album will play a big part in getting them there. It’s an awesome release, and worth checking out for any fans of the genre. If I had but one complaint… it is a tad long. However, when it’s all this high quality, that’s hardly an issue! 8.5/10
Volucrine: Etna
The modern melo-death band released their first album in half a decade last week, and third overall. I have to say I wasn’t familiar with the band before this review, but found myself loving it. It had just as many elements of metalcore and hardcore as it did melo-death, and blended the genres together perfectly. The mixture of low growls, hardcore screams and great clean vocals are all great and hugely impressive. That’s not to take away from the rest of the band too, who all work their asses off here with some fantastic riffing and drumming.
It’s yet another album this week packed to the brim with awesome songs, too. Though every track is amazing, personal highlights include the opener, ‘Old Friend’ and ‘Godsized’. This band deserve to be so much bigger than they are, especially with the genre having a bit of a resurgence currently. I would 100% recommend this album to any metalheads reading, and I have my fingers crossed that this helps push them into the mainstream, they more than deserve it with their incredible songwriting skill! 8.5/10
Frontier Ruckus: On the Northline
This is not at all what I was expecting from this album. It was advertised to me through a country site, so I was expecting that, folk, Americana etc. Instead what I got was closer to The Presidents of The United States of America, Lazlo Bane or Pinegrove. It’s quirky, early 2000s indie-radio-rock, and while not at all what I was expecting, I did enjoy it! Don’t get me wrong, there are some elements of Americana to it; there’s a pretty prevalent banjo throughout and the opener is pretty folky. But yeah, mostly it’s more strange indie stuff. Highlights for me were ‘Magdalene’ and ‘Clarkston Pasture’. It’s another great album to sit back and relax to, and some of the lyrics are really interesting and well written. If you’re into the slower, more chilled-out stuff, this is definitely the album for you! 7/10
The High Hawks: Mother Nature’s Show
A much more traditional country/Americana sound now, from the debut of the supergroup. Featuring members of Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth and Hard Working Americans and boasting a sound akin to The Grateful Dead, the band are of course going to have a hit on their hands with this release. And after listening to the album, I’m sure they do. It’s packed full of highlights, from the singles to tracks like ‘Fox River Blues’ and ‘Backwater Voodoo’. It’s a very fun album for someone who’s into folk, Americana, rock and blues, as it combines all together perfectly. And yet again it’s another album to stick on and simply chill out to. It’s all simple yet hugely effective, and written and performed by some of the best in the genre. 7.5/10
