Mike Stinson & Johnny Irion – Working My Way Down (Blackwing Music) Mike Stinson and Johnny Irion started working on a record together years ago. And, well, sometimes life gets in the way and projects get put on the backburner. In this case, this one sat on the stove for almost 30 years. In the […]
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David Heatley – If… Recorded in Arnaudville, Louisiana, this David Heatley sophomore LP features 10-cuts & from the start If… is reminiscent of the 60s melody-makers Burt Bacharach & Hal David. They wrote many songs similar to this for Dionne Warwick, Herb Alpert (“This Guy’s In Love With You”) & others. But the song itself […]
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December Friend – Splendor Never Dies This collection has a pop edge in the tradition of the old 70s English bands like Stackridge, Korgis, Klaatu & New Muzik. With their upbeat, melodic storytelling style it’s actually refreshing since it’s modernized & contemporary. It’s rock’s easy listening. Produced by Jeff Victor & John Wlaysewski the 43-minute […]
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Dom Flemons — Traveling Wildfire Calling oneself The American Songster (“since 2009,” his website helpfully adds) places one large heap of expectations on the shoulders of the man brave enough to adopt the moniker. But Dom Flemons doesn’t carry that nickname out of braggadocio – it’s because he’s put in the work. His explorations of […]
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Having a new Nickel Creek album out is beyond comforting. Just hearing Grammy winners Chris Thile, Sean Watkins and Sara Watkins again brings warmth, but it is the message of Celebrants, a post-pandemic concept album with 18 interconnected songs, that makes hearing them again an experience. In many ways it’s more a theatrical production than […]
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The Scarlet Goodbye – Hope’s Eternal While not as brightly vocal as the Everly Brothers as a duo, Jeff Arundel & Daniel D. Murphy fall between The Eagles, Foster & Brooks & Blackhawk. There is an edginess under the surface & even with their high-pitched vocal treatment, they whip out some effective aggressive melodies (“Panic […]
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Michael Johnathon – Garden of Silence Twenty albums deep would solidify the fact that Hudson Valley-born folk singer Michael Johnathon has a loyal following. With the first strains of his latest accomplishment, the acoustic guitars chime confidently & the mature songwriting is original & has lots of sustenance. Both opening songs are beautiful. “Garden of […]
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Eric Bibb has a brand new release, Ridin’ (Stony Plain Records), which was produced, mixed and arranged By Glen Scott. Crisp meandering banjo notes open the album’s opener, “Family,” and then quickly settle into a groovy, layered, gritty bluesy song. “I am like you, woman born… someone making’ money by keeping us afraid of each […]
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Tipps & Obermiller – Love (and Other Mysteries) This is the debut album of this duo of Hilary Tipps & Steve Obermiller & it’s an interesting, light-hearted collection of 11 songs produced by Stefan Prigmore, Hilary & Steve. Track 2 “Rewind, Repeat,” spills from the speakers in a Broadway-soundtrack type imaginative production since the melody […]
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Wilder Woods – FEVER / SKY The opening song from this sophomore LP from Nashville-based Bear Rinehart of Wilder Woods (the first names of his 2 older sons) gets off to a sure-footed soulful start. Though packed solidly with 60s ingredients the sincere approach decorates these songs with percolating R&B with dashes of rock to […]
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