Quote for a fellow critic: ‘Do you feel a ripple in the space/time continuum? It’s because three of the most super powered women of country have joined forces to save country music and vanquish the forces of evil. Kelly Willis, Brennen Leigh, and Melissa Carper have officially united in what is being called the Wonder Women of Country, and we are definitely here for it.’
While I heartedly agree that this is where country is, I think that there are others out there who are repairing the damage that Bubblegum pseudo country artists like that TS Sheila and bro country and C-Rap have done.
There are those who are comparing this trio to THE trio – Dolly, Linda and Emmylou and that is a tough call, though I do agree that they are worthy apprentices.
I have always loved Kelly and Brennen is already a purple air guitar winner. I am not familiar with Melissa. I will now look her up.
Whatever the cases that are pleaded, this EEP is stupendous. 6 fabulous tracks that are really worthy of the label country music.
On the song Won’t be worried long, I can hear our country music gal, Cheryls Anderson of Andersonlane.
Aussies also had Saunders, Kane and Del – our trio. These songs are awesome. Yes, they hit the nail on the old country head. Like my fellow reviewers, I am somewhat disappointed that we only got six tracks.
I want more. Come on gals, use your super powers and give us more than six.
1. Alarm Clock 2. Digging in the Dirt 3. Do It Again 4. Love Life 5. You Can’t Change the Weather 6. Evolution 7. Where? 8. Don’t Walk Away 9. Broken Record 10. Waiting in the Wings
A few years ago, Sheryl Crow recorded an album with a cast of thousands. She said that it was probably her last album. Threads was released in 2018 (wow, can’t believe that it was so long ago!).
I am glad that she changed her mind. She didn’t produce it herself this time. She wanted someone else’s touch and perspective.
Sheryl Crow has had a life that is a country song. She’s had more ups and downs than a department store lift.
She wears her heart on her sleeve and takes the punches as well as she takes the plaudits.
Of course, it comes out in her music – which has never been able to fit into one box. It is undeniably grounded in country, the twang in her voice that can’t be hidden and the gentle strumming and storytelling will always link her to it. However, her music touches spots outside the genre.
This is full of haunting, different, multi-faceted songs with lyrics that pull you in and melodies that take you on a journey.
Mike Elizondo has let Sheryl concentrate on pouring her heart out while he does the technical stuff.
This is the deluxe version which has 10 tracks and the other version has 9.
There are some classic Crow touches here – like when she isn’t pulling at your heartstrings in a ballad, she sings a fun, uptempo track with just as much meaning.
Sheryl is not your average country music artist. She bends a few different ways but she always goes back to her roots.
Her co-singers and co-writers over the years have been as varied as Peter Gabriel (here), Vince Gill, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Richards and Lucius! She doesn’t follow one road.
Her voice is as powerful as ever and she can mix it with the best.
I think that her music, like Sheryl Crow, herself, is aging well.
The lad from Austin, Texas is only 25. He is just starting out. He supported others on an Australian tour recently and he is embarking on a European tour as well as gigs closer to home.
Dylan is not a member of the bro country brigade. He has substance. He wrote all four tracks on here and while it is obvious who his influences are, he’s his own man.
There’s a grittiness meshed with sensitivity in his songs.
He has a cult following in Ireland and it is not hard to hear why. He has that earthy, raw, storytelling quality. That’s an Irish drawcard.
The Bushwackers are one of the most unique bands in the world for a few reasons. They are definitely one of the longest running bands; they have had more lineup changes than the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL or Essendon in the AFL; and you need a stage the size of the Titanic to fit them all on.
For most of that time, however, Dobe and Roger have been there and have helped the careers of many male and female artists by featuring them on their albums and on stage. The guys don’t need last names. In country music circles in Australia, it’s like saying Reba, Madonna, Dolly or Cher.
When other bands of their ilk have come and gone, The Bushwackers have been here for over 50 years. They remain relevant, topical and they don’t pull any punches.
They can be quirky and funny like their current single ‘Friend for Life’ or Talk Around Taromeo; a picture of Aussie life like This little Town and The Great Australian Lap; another remake of the song that they share honours with The Seekers – I am Australian, or indeed another Aussie Anthem in Shane Howard/Goanna’s Solid Rock.
Duncan Chisholm’s Craskie is a beautiful way to finish the album.
The Bushwackers have always had that mix of a big bush dance style/Celtic/ political/ humorous music going on.
Their longevity is due to consistency- in relevance, being true to themselves, being authentic and re-inventing themselves when they want to.
The band is a mixture of experience, youth, fresh ideas and tried and true ones.
They are a very special treasure in our country music family and this new album just proves that they haven’t lost anything – we’ve just gained a bit more.
Lane has been around for a few years now, gradually getting exposed to bigger audiences and broader ones.
A sold out Tamworth show, nominations for big awards, chart success and exposure on a tv talent show plus a little gig with a big name American star and he’s launched to a new world.
I don’t know Lane, personally, but I shook his hand and wished him well when he started out as a guest at a well known country muso’s gig.
That was a long time ago. Or at least it seems it. He was young and raw and obviously he showed great potential.
This is 6 songs and lasts just 18 minutes all up. It is enough to show those who don’t know Lane that he is the real deal.
It is also enough time to confirm to us who have heard his music before that we were right in cheering him on.
I can’t compare him to other Aussie artists, he has more of an American sound. He’s more Tim McGraw than Luke O’Shea. He mixes it up a bit, varying his country stylings and his country roots are showing clearly and purely. His voice is strong and proud.
There have been singles released with Love In A Country Town the strongest. My favourite track is Yours.
In ten years we will look back on this 18 minutes and I will look back further and we will smile. He’s gonna be a big star.
I am not one to jump on bandwagons. I tend not to like what is trendy. So, I will tell you this, I liked Kaylee years ago, long before the overseas fame and the big hits.
She’s no overnight sensation. She has worked hard and she has been brave. The Kiwi who spent more time in Australia for a while and thus we adopted her.
Both countries can be proud of our girl and her success on the international stage. Yes, I went to gigs, played her music – on and off the radio and supported her when she was just kicking around in NSW.
Her style changed course a bit and I must admit, it wasn’t necessarily my kind of country – it was a bit too poppy for my taste. However, there was one thing that never changed, er two things – the voice and the hard work.
Kaylee always had ‘it’. As per usual, some folks just have to go to the USA so they can be appreciated in the Southern Hemisphere. It is wrong, it is somewhat hypocritical of fickle fans but it is the truth. Evidence is in the hoards of Australian and Kiwi artists living and being appreciated in America. It is not a new thing.
It happened in the 60’s and 70’s with a lot of our bands and solo artists.
So, Kaylee has been successful on the International scene now. So, she is awarded a Golden Guitar for Female artist in Tamworth.
That’s the way the world works. There are 94 types of country music. If Country pop is done well then it sounds like Shania Twain, Jade Holland, Christie Lamb, Tori Darke or Kaylee Bell. There’s also an occasion or three that they can slip back into cowgirl boots and a hat and be the countrified purists that are underneath the surface.
Kaylee has a voice that soars and that deserves to be celebrated. She has a style which will brand her as a crossover artist.
If you listen to Where were you – you just know that this gal is as good as it gets.
Keith, (stripped), You Learn are other songs which have a contemporary country feel. There’s enough torch and twang there to identify the songs as country.
This is a well produced, strong album which has me cheering her on from the cheap seats but in another role now than the fan who did the same way back when. The world is your oyster.
He always thinks that he is out of his comfort zone singing rather than playing or producing. I think that his work with Allan Caswell in Lynchburg has given him some confidence to step forward. This is a sweet, down home song and proves that Waddo is more than capable of singing his own songs.
Sara Storer – Under Darwin Stars
This is a change of style and tempo for Sara. Subject matter is still there but the mood and feel of the song is very different. I like it….a lot.
Brewn – Hands Up – this rock anthem harks back to their older style. I like it, it is catchy but I do prefer their slower style. It’s a bit like Charlie Daniels on steroids and without the fiddle.
Tori Forsyth – All we are
I am getting excited for the new album, given the singles that have been released so far. This is a beauty. This is the real Tori Forsyth folks, not all of the ones out there who are trying to copy her. Great stuff.
Route 33 – One Thing Right
The boys just get better. Like all good artists, they are learning as they evolve. They are making every song different and whether it is a slower song or a rockier one, there’s a substance to the songs. Good stuff.
The Bushwackers – Friend for life
Anybody who has had a dog will get this song. My dog buried my new custom made school shoes in a ploughed paddock on our farm. Dad found them but they were never the same. We all have those stories! In the end, our dogs are part of our family. Roger always manages to hit a nerve with his songs. Woof.
Sinead Burgess – Always gonna break my heart – there are a few Aussie country music girls who don’t get the credit that they deserve. Sinead is one of them. This is fantastic. Hopefully, people will sit up and listen.
Casey Barnes – Mayday
Can’t do the Texas two step to this one but you can stomp and get the air guitar out and riff it up.
Katie Jayne – Do it like a man
Katie is the reason for me starting The Single Life. This is the artist at her best. A song for the times and it is, I believe, the song that will be her big breakthrough song. She has a cult following, which I am a part of, but this will show the broader audiences what she is about. Gold.
Warren Kearney – The Hill
What a variety of songs we have this week! I think that we are covering a few of the 94 types of country music! Warren is more traditional- he is a storyteller. A thoughtful and timeless narrative.
My brother from another mother, Col Finley, has released She’s Country. He knows how to mix the gentle banjo with the thumping guitars. This song is part of an album coming soon which is a mixture or reboots and lost songs, from what I can gather. Intrigued? You should be!
Track List / Song Writers 1. TEARIN’ UP THE TAR 3.30 Lance Friend, Neil McArthur, Mick Waddell, Sandra Friend & Barry Dickerson 2. MISSING YOU 3.40 Lance Friend 3. WINDSCREEN VIEW 5.30 Lance Friend, Neil McArthur & Sandra Friend 4. NED KELLY SAID 3.12 Lance Friend 5. LONGREACH SKY 4.05 Lance Friend, Neil McArthur 6. HARD TO BE A MAN 2.37 Lance Friend, Darren Schmidt 7. JUST MET AN ANGEL 3.32 Lance Friend 8. MY HOME AUSTRALIA 2.41 Lance Friend 9. WHERE HE WANTS TO BE 4.43 Lance Friend, Mark & David Henderson 10. DON’T RING THIS RINGER 4.28 Lance Friend, Neil McArthur 11. ANGEL RIDE OF LOVE 3.43 Lance Friend, Neil McArthur, Brad Maclean 12. MOMENTS 3.54 Lance Friend 13. YOU PUT MY FAITH BACK 2.56 Lance Friend
Musicians
Brendan Radford – Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica & Backing Vocals Glen Hannah – Guitar James Gillard – Bass & Backing Vocals Mark Henman – Drums Steve Fearnley – Drums (Angel Ride, Longreach Sky, Hard to Be a Man) Mick Albeck – Fiddle Michel Rose – Pedal Steel Vaughan Jones – Piano & Keyboard Lawrie Minson – Banjo & Harmonica in Windscreen View Camille Te Nahu – Backing Vocals Troy Cassar-Daley – Didgeridoo in My Home Australia
Engineered by Dave Neil Mixed by Geoff McGahan Mastered by Don Bartley @ Benchmark Studios Produced by Brendan Radford Recorded at Airlock Studio & RadMusic Studio
This album has been a long time coming. Like all musos in Australia, Covid had a big effect on getting recorded and live music out there. If you are an indie artist, it is twice as hard.
Lance Friend’s album has some pre-released singles on it, with every song either written or co-written by Lance.
While at its core, the music on this album is very traditional Aussie Country Music in both its subject matter and its sound, there is a bit of fusion going on.
Given some of the legendary Aussie country musos on the album, who are well versed in both traditional and contemporary country music, he is in good hands.
The diversity was something that I didn’t expect. It was a pleasant surprise to experience the variety. Lance has a voice which can adapt to different styles. It is an authentic Aussie voice, nothing American sounding about him, however, the songs are universal.
Sure, there’s some Aussie humour which probably needs some explaining to overseas fans, and that includes our slang. However there’s some songs which have Aussie language that go a bit deeper, like Where he wants to be, which is a very touching, heartfelt song.
It is a well balanced album with up tempo songs and some slower ones.
While, essentially, this is an Aussie album about our country and our characters, I think that it has a broader appeal considering themes and subjects which are included in the songs.
The production on this album is first class. Brendan Radford is in the driver’s seat and takes us down every road, highway and around every bend. Lance could not have a better band with him. The musicianship on this album is top shelf. I am excited about Lance’s songwriting abilities and his talent for mixing it up and writing and performing in so many different avenues of country music.
Like any good songwriter, he has you laughing one minute and crying the next. The stories are real and relatable.
Tracklist: 1. Cardinal 2. Deeper Well 3. Too Good to be True 4. Moving Out 5. Giver / Taker 6. Sway 7. Dinner with Friends 8. Heart of the Woods 9. Jade Green 10. The Architect 11. Lonely Millionaire 12. Heaven Is 13. Anime Eyes 14. Nothing to be Scared Of
After the last couple of albums, I nearly gave up on Kacey. The first few albums were sensational. Fun, clever, quirky, sometimes sweet, tender when she wanted to be.
Then, I lost interest. With the release of this album, I was going to give it a hard pass. I read 10 reviews and none of them were complimentary. Even one critic whom I normally agree with was totally against it.
Then I read a regular reviewer who wrote some compliments amongst the driftwood.
So I listened. Yes, it is different to those first ones, but thankfully t is a good different and nothing like the ones that I didn’t like.
It is softer, more mellow. It is not funny or quirky. It is a different place in her life and the mood fits the place. Heaven is is a beautiful song – it will be hard to beat come awards time.
This album has a whimsical quality to it. It is romantic, bitter sweet, zen like.
Her voice is at its best, gentle and moving. There are some lyrics that are still Kaceyesque, that is, that they tend to push the envelope a bit, but they are a bit more subtly placed than in previous recordings.
I don’t understand the wrath that she has copped, there have been some really hard hitting reviews. Some of them, like me, had it been keen on her last couple but this is so different to them.
I really like it. It is more like Woodstock than Nashville but it is more in the zone than the last two.
Cowgirlup 