Author: Eric Thom

Jimmy Goodrich — The Last Bastard (self-released) If you knew nothing at all about Jimmy Goodrich, you’d learn as much as you’d need to with a simple spin of his new release, The Last Bastard. You wouldn’t necessarily know that, after 20 years of applying himself to the craft of song-writing and mastering most of the instruments […]

Derrick Procell — Hello Mojo! (Catfood Records) It’s not often that a vocalist stands out – instantly– in the blues category, but this one does – all the more because you’ve likely not heard of him. With his first release, Why I Choose To Sing The Blues (’16), Procell proves he’s got the right kind of friends, […]

Barry Waldrep & Friends Celebrate Tony Rice (Delta Grass Productions) When the world lost the bluegrass genius of Tony Rice on Christmas Day, 2020, a vast chasm in folk, country and bluegrass circles was created. As heartfelt remembrances poured in – from a widely varied audience of fans – Rice, himself, might have been surprised […]

Norman Blake — Day By Day (Smithsonian Folkways) During an interview to promote his 32nd release from 2015, Wood, Wire & Words, Norman Blake admitted that he was done, having suffered a TIA back in 2012. While this medical setback had impacted his singing and playing skills significantly, Blake – a lifelong musician – fought to […]

The Steel Woods– All Of Your StonesThirty Tigers/The Orchard As theory has it, music critics focus on reviewing the music they love – or that does something special for them – enlisting a committment to help spread the news. Not always, however. The first time I heard The Steel Woods their groundbreaking 2017 debut, Straw In […]

Dulcie Taylor — Rediscovered (EP)(Mesa/Bluemoon) You’ve heard, “If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time,” yet this old adage seldom applies to music. Rediscovered is an EP release which has afforded this artist an opportunity to look back on both fan and personal favorites – and re-work them differently. Dulcie Taylor was […]

What a clear and beautiful voice is heard across each of these five, largely unadorned, too-short originals. Clarity of sound – delivered fresh, like a spring songbird welcoming a rainy morning – making you wonder why this is the first time we’ve heard Megan Lacy’s voice long before this debut. Originally in a band called […]

Danielia Cotton is, for me, the epitome of the strong, self-made, independent woman ­– taking sh*t from no one, acutely-focused on getting where she’s going. This battle didn’t originate with A Different War as she’s been actively fighting for truth and spearheading her own personal movement for love and respect since she first giving notice […]