This Kiwi who moves back and forth across the ditch from NZ to Australia, has achieved everything from a billboard in NY to be the most streamed Australasian artist.
Her country pop sound can flex a few ways. Her catchy country pop songs are accompanied by slower and deeper songs firmly entrenched in country.
Kaylee’s strength has always been in her voice. She can swing a few ways.
Her best track on this EEP is the title track, Silver Linings. It showcases her voice to the max and yes, it is a ballad.
There are three collaborations, with the best of them being with The McClymonts – Before I met you.
The more uptempo songs are catchy and fun.
This is a teaser in many ways. I think that there is much more to come from Kaylee. She has been around for a while but she is only young.
The three things that I loved about Sunday School as a kid were the songs, the stories and the craft. No surprise there. Here, Willie takes us to the Nelson Family Church. There are songs, stories and he’s one of the legends of his craft.
Here, he is joined by sons Lukas and Micah and daughters, Paula and Amy and nearly 91 year old big sister, Bobbie on piano. Mates Mickey Raphael, Kevin Smith, and brothers Billy and Paul English are here too.
The gospel country songs are a mixture of traditional songs, hymns and more recent contributions. I didn’t realise that Willie wrote The Family Bible back in the 50’s. It has always been a favourite and I like our own Brendon Walmsley singing it.
George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Kris Kristofferson’s Why Me (Lord) and Hank’s I saw the Light are here.
That signature Willie Nelson guitar sound is not understated here.
I saw the light is quite a big family sound and it is all on a fast pace.
There are some songs that you may not have heard, and a lot of familiar ones.
Keep on the Sunnyside , the old Carter Family song is another oldie but goodie. The traditional In the Garden – often on American gospel albums is a given.
Lukas steps up to lead on a few songs, doing, as one reviewer suggested, grabbing the torch from his Dad and carrying on.
This is a timely album with Christmas coming and a time to spend with family.
It goes quickly and it mellows you out. Onya Willie, and the fam does you proud.
Heading to the Americana Carnival on the weekend – there was one name that seemed familiar but I couldn’t place amongst all of the others that I knew so well. Sherry Rich. My friend told me that I would love her music. Of course, I did. I had intended to listen to the iTunes download before going but I didn’t have the time.
I didn’t get to read about Sherry until last night, but I didn’t really need to, the music spoke for itself, LIVE. When you read about her, though, she has had quite the journey, working with some of the best. I started to join the dots – ah yes, that Sherry Rich.
At the gig, Sherry spoke of her love of country music and sixties music and I said softly – snap.
Sherry and her band, The Grevious Angels (the band name may give you a clue), are one well oiled piece of machinery.
Standing in the rain has a nice groove that starts the album off well.
Tumbleweeds has some cool 60’s twangy guitars and a bit of a Ringo like drum beat. The harmonies have that 60’s vibe too.
Sunbird slows things down a bit and it puts you into a little dreamlike state.
Life goes on is a sad, slow song. A getting on with life song.
Car Crash is a pure country song. Another one of those songs that sounds happy but it is actually sad.
Lotus – starts off very zen like then folky. Perfect imagery.
Walk in the sun is extremely 60’s surfie music. It has that Ringo drum beat again.
Half Moon Bay – you could be in Hawaii or Fiji with this song as well as Victoria. It transports you to a beach on a summer day.
Jessie has a cool groove – lots of guitars and percussion with a Harper Valley PTA vibe.
The last song is Like nothing ever happened which is probably the best song on the album, although there isn’t a runt in the litter. Slows things right down.
Sherry’s vocals are so easy to listen to and the harmonies are awesome. This is an amazing album and a pleasant surprise. The steel guitar adds a fine touch.
Love you and Leave you by Corey Legge is a very catchy fun song. A beauty.
Soundtracks by Jade Gibson is pretty much a summary of our lives these days – cool country pop.
Silent Night (River of Stars) by Susan Muranty is a unique interpretation of the Austrian Christmas Carol
God took his time on you- Casey Barnes. Everyone knows that I love a meaningful country ballad. I am a bit late on this one. I am glad that every so often, Casey comes up with these ones. A rippa.
Tis the season and Jetty Road together with their kids have released jingle Bells. I think after the year that we have had, it is a tonic
One of my fave gals have released Truth Juice. Della Harris is never backwards in coming forwards. She has a way of delivering a message without forcing it down your throat.
Brew’n have released a new song – in my opinion, their best ever – Paper Aeroplanes. They haven’t had any releases for a while and this is a great way to re-enter.
Shyanne Irwin releases a single which many of us can relate to in Australia- It’s just a house. The devastation of fire.
Amber Lawrence doing what she does best, Her latest song, I’m Coming Home is a song that a lot of us nomadic Aussies understand. As much as we love travelling, we love coming home to family and Australia’s simple pleasures.
One of my favourite young Aussie artists is Mason Hope – in Redemption – he gets super serious and hard hitting. He has a unique voice and I think that together with blokes like Brad Cox and Blake O’Connor, our country music future is in good hands.
Gina Jeffreys and Tania Kernaghan are sending out a teaser to an album that will be released in 2022. The song is My Old Friend. To anyone who has had a longtime best friend, this is for you. Two of Australia’s finest come together for a special song.
Baby I’m gone is a long awaited single from The April Family. This is a very cool track with a beaut vibe. Oh yeah.
This EEP is a collaboration of generations – much loved and amazingly diverse singer/songwriter Darren Coggan and his 17 year old daughter, Olivia.
There isn’t much that Darren hasn’t done in the music business, so maybe introducing us to another generation of Coggans is something new!
Some of these songs are familiar to us – This Flower, Rainbow Connection, If I had a boat, for example. These are songs that you can imagine the Coggan family singing around the house.
Dear August is a beautiful song and probably the best on the album. The harmonies are amazing.
A life that’s good is a terrific song too, kind of the song that you need these days.
The last song turns the clock back a bit with a young Olivia. It is a cute father and daughter song.
While Darren will be around for a long time yet, giving us his own songs and those of Cat, James, John etc. it is nice to know that the torch will be carried on.
There are 44 songs on Vol 1 and 41 songs on vol 2. Even with this amount, they can’t cover all of the songs that won, there are some striking omissions but there are many amazing songs and Aussie Legends.
In a way, these two volumes pretty much cover the soundtrack of my Australian country music life. In 1973, Dad and I listened to a scratchy 2TM radio coverage from how farm in Taree. You had to sit on the verandah on hill where our home was to even hear that much. A year later, we moved to a farm near Tamworth and the rest, as they say is History.
In 73, Queen Joy wrote a song for King Slim called The Lights on the Hill. Aptly, the first volume starts with this song.
The first volume has many legends, and it is nostalgic looking back at songs that marked my childhood and teenage years. These were the years when the top 40 was a mixture of styles. A novelty country song like Slim Newton’s Redback on the Toilet Seat was as high on the charts as a rock song.
Col Joye, Johnny Chester, Rex Dallas, Reg Poole, Evelyn Bury, Tex Morton, Queen Dee, John Williamson, Barry Thornton, Brian Young are all there.
Grand Junction, the first winners of Toyota Starmaker and Redgum and Bullamakanka anthems are here. There are some instrumentals, Bush ballads and then the new wave with James Blundell, Allan Caswell, the Kernaghan siblings and Queen Anne and Troy and Colin Buchanan. Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody, The Wherl and many more.
On this volume and the 2nd one, they have tried to cover most of the 95 types of country music.
There is a mixture of legends and contemporary artists. Duos, bands, male and female artists.
In the second volume, it opens with Ted Egan but it is more of a shift to latter day heroes like Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes, Travis Collins, Aleyce Simmonds, Amber Lawrence, Melinda Schneider, Shane Nicholson, Fanny Lumsden, Beccy Cole, Kasey Chambers, Brad Butcher,Dean Perrett, Catherine Britt , Luke O’Shea, and The McClymonts, Kirsty Lee Akers and Andrew Swift.
If someone from overseas or indeed those in Australia who think that we don’t have country music artists in Australia or who judge by a couple of songs, picked up these albums and had a listen, they would get a quick education.
I am sad not to see the likes of Pete Denahy, Carter and Carter, Brendon Walmsley and others on these volumes, but there are lots of amazing artists and a good variety.
Tamworth is well represented with a fair few locals – including Felicity and Ashleigh and Lawrie and others already mentioned.
If you mixed my Dad’s collection with mine, you would probably have all of these songs. It’s my family’s history as much as it is the history of the Golden Guitars. There are families well represented here – Dallas, Kernaghan, Davidson, Chambers, Dusty, Coster, etc.
This album is more like a bunch of pals getting together for a party and jam session than a more structured studio album. What joy!
You can hear them all having fun and yet, it is still polished and shows quality skills.
Some of the best in the biz contribute here and it is equal parts upbeat and relaxing.
I taped my feet to the floor while I was listening as I kept making typos. My feet broke the tape.
I would recommend having this album on in the background at a party as much as listening to it curled up on your lounge.
There is some fine picking and the music colours a little outside the lines of bluegrass. There’s classical, folk, Celtic, blues and mountain music here too.
The banter in between each tune is fun too.
This album will appeal to a wide audience, particularly those who love instrumentals and soundtracks as well as bluegrass fans.
There are a lot of talented people here, making music and spreading the joy.
One of my fave Aussie artists in the last few years has been Emma Dykes – walk a Mile is just making things even more sure for me. A fabulous song.
Brad Butcher has released a quirky song about how he has been making a life during Covid. Cutting People’s Grass is a totally different style for Brad but I love it.
Another one of my fave gals from the last couple of years is Katie Brooke. Wanted Man is a beaut song. It is catchy, showcases her cool vocals and I just can’t say enough good things about this gal.
My gal, Bubbles has released Amazing. Shower song material here, Cassidy-Rae!
Courtney Keil has released a catchy song with a bit of a different style change – Little Heartbreak.
I feel a change is the latest from the prolific Brendan McMahon. He said that it is one of his wife’s faves. I think his wife is right!
Sounds Like Country to me by Diane Lindsay and Peter Simpson is a you beaut Aussie traditional country music song. It is a bit of an ear worm. It does get in your head! A singalong song for sure!
Australia’s Country Music Home deserves a special mention. Lawrie Minson has put together some of Australia’s finest to sing a song about my hometown for the 50th Anniversary. It is a great song full of apt images of Tamworth. It is going to be on the CD which comes with the Tamworth guide, but even though it has been sent to radio stations for airplay, it is not available as a commercial song. It is really a cool song.
Cowgirlup 