tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76296716838555114882024-03-12T20:45:43.600-07:00nighthawk musicIT ALL BEGINS AT THE CROSSROADS
Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-42658643300064778792017-05-15T04:26:00.000-07:002017-05-15T04:26:53.093-07:00Ray Davies-Americana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Americana, the new Ray Davies solo album is a musical companion piece to his 2013 autobiography of the same name. The album reveals a deep fascination with American culture and his own experiences traversing its endless highways as a member of The Kinks. Davies is ably assisted on his journey with The Jayhawks providing subtle and sympathetic backing, it's an inspired choice that really enhances the record.<br />
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The title track delves into Davies' fascination with American culture, reminiscing on his childhood memories of American movies and his desire to escape his inner London surroundings for the uncertain expectations of the endless American highway. "<em>Runnin high on inspiration, taken from those wile west heroes. Full of expectations of the road, on that windin trail to somewhere. Young and foolish though he did not care what dangers lay in store and so."</em><br />
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The acerbic The Deal is Davies at his best, with his tongue firmly in his cheek as he skewers the shallow falseness of Los Angeles. Even in his contempt of what he sees around him he still views the city through a romantic lens, "<em>Isn't it wonderful, marvellous, utterly surreal. Totally fabulous, fraudulent, bogus and unreal. This is my lucky day, I'll travel to L.A and get myself a deal."</em><br />
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Message from The Road is the album's highlight a poignant heartfelt reflection on The Kinks first visit to the U.S in 1965. Newly married and with a newborn daughter at home Davies ruminates on the loneliness and isolation he feels as the band travel from town to town on that endless American highway. With the glittering lights upon him Davies feels the pull of the rock and roll lifestyle and the guilt that it comes with. Davies duets with the Jayhawks' Karen Grotberg and her amazing delicate vocals add to the emotional depth.<br />
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Worn and weary from the journey along the endless highway Davies asks the question where do the rock 'n' roll cowboys go when the road runs out, is there a new horizon or do you wind up on a shaky bar stool at the Last Chance Saloon. In the twilight of his life Davis still has questions to ask and mysteries to solve. "<em>Rock 'n' roll cowboys on the ol wagon train, you had your time but it won't come again. You rode the prairie and always stood proud, so tall in the saddle and your was not bowed."</em><br />
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A Long Drive Home To Tarzana has Ray searching for stability, the endless highway is desolate and disconnected but where is home? The glorious sunshine of California beckons the utopia that is Tarzana, open space and tranquillity, it's been a long drive home but the experience has been worth it. The Great Highway is the perfect definition of the ethos of Americana, the widespread vista with its illusions of hope and promise, an intoxicating promise for a young man from North London. "<em>The great illusion it may be but always something there to see. Always some hick little down to pick you up when you are down. Another day, another shake, malted with a slice of cake." </em><br />
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Americana is Davies doing what he does best, creating a vintage panorama, where once the lens was turned towards the peculiarities of English life he now casts his light upon the great highways of America. These roads weren't often kind to him and the Kinks in the early days but they never diluted his sense of romanticism and enthusiasm for the American Dream.<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-42452655750587103952017-05-11T04:22:00.000-07:002017-05-11T04:22:51.397-07:00Father John Misty-Pure Comedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These strange, curious times are made for an artist like Father John Misty aka Josh Tillman, life as we know it is a strange circus with all manner of freaks and sideshows taking centre stage. To look at it there is a sense of bewilderment that this is being passed off as normal transmission, folks don't adjust your sets. Pure Comedy the third instalment from Father John eviscerates modern society taking aim at everything from political power to our pre-occupation with the latest mind distracting gadget. Father John has this incisive knack of tearing the modus operandi to shreds, ripping open the curtain and exposing it to his special brand of ridicule and condemnation. Pure Comedy is grandiose and bombastic in equal measure, Father John treads a highwire carefully avoiding the pitfall of self indulgence. Articulate and forthright in dissecting the current state of the human landscape Tillman is brutal in his assessment of modern society, set against a dramatic musical backdrop where the sombre tones of a piano dominate.<br />
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The title track portrays life as some sort of sadistic tragi-comedy, with humans at the centre of this dystopian nightmare from the moment we exit the womb. Tillman lights the blowtorch on the insidious nature of ideology the concept of religion being a type of moral subjugation where it's not permissible to question the content or context. The song has a claustrophobic feel to it, heightening the sense of fear at its core, producer Jonathan Wilson has stripped it all back so that Tillman and his piano are centre stage.<br />
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<em>"Oh comedy, their illusions that they have no choice but to believe, </em><br />
<em>Their horizons that just forever recede,</em><br />
<em>And how's this for irony, their idea of being free is a prison of beliefs,</em><br />
<em>That they never have to leave."</em><br />
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Total Entertainment has an Orwellian fear to it, the concept that we are becoming trapped in an alternative state of constant gratification through technology. Our reality is becoming more distorted, more controlled by the technology that we embrace there is a growing desire to be constantly distracted and entertained.<br />
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<em>"Can you believe how far we've come</em><br />
<em>In the New Age</em><br />
<em>Freedom to have what you want,</em><br />
<em>In the New Age we'll all be entertained,</em><br />
<em>Rich or poor the channels are all the same,</em><br />
<em>You're a star now, baby, so dry your tears</em><br />
<em>You're just like them</em><br />
<em>Wake on up from the nightmare."</em><br />
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The sombre Ballad of The Dying Man features stripped back surroundings with the focus on a haunting piano melody, it's a stinging riposte on all those that commentate and judge in our society, those that falsely predict and analyse.<br />
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The highlight of the album is the 13 minute epic Leaving LA, a brilliant vast landscape with an eerie cinematic tone, it's like Father John is standing under a spotlight in a suit with the orchestra in the pit below. It begins as a scathing critique of the shallowness of L.A, "<em>leave under the gaze of the billboard queen's. Five foot chicks with parted lips selling sweatshop jeans." </em>He then turns inward with a self deprecating examination of his own career and the way in which he is portrayed in the mainstream musical press.<br />
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When the God of Love Return There'll Be Hell To Pay finds Father John once again at the precipice, the looming dawn of judgement day is here and it's time to ask the question of what has mankind achieved. Within the setting of solitary piano and a ghostly choir the answer is not much, <em>and we say it's just human, human nature. This place is savage and unjust, we crawled out of the darkness and endured your impatience. We're more than willing to adjust, and now you've got the gall to judge us". </em><br />
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Two Wildly Different Perspectives is the most overt in terms of it's analysis of our current political climate, there is a certain sense of despair in the reality that we are caught in the mire of an ideological divide. A divide that is more like a chasm that no longer allows for rational discourse, Misty draws a line where the only common thread is the polarisation of both sides.<em> "One side says, "Man take what's yours", the other says "live on no more than you can afford". But either way we just possess and everyone ends up with less, on both sides."</em><br />
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For some it feels like Father John is pushing the listener to the edge, Pure Comedy is a lot to consume, the beauty of this record is it's reach is cerebral. Delving so deeply into it you start to ask questions and peak behind the curtain of this charade, what you are confronted with is unappetizing but at least you now know.<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-23989369987907875682016-05-15T01:29:00.000-07:002016-05-15T01:30:02.035-07:00The Jayhawks-Paging Mr Proust<br />
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Proust is the eagerly awaited new studio album from The Jayhawks, it’s an ambitious
undertaking whilst still preserving that familiar melodic framework of their
previous albums. With ex REM guitarist Peter Buck producing the Jayhawks create
a vast and changing sonic landscape that retains its cohesion with sterling
musicianship and great songwriting from Gary Louris. </span></div>
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Corners & Empty Spaces evokes the jangling pop guitars and harmonies of Big
Star and early REM. Louris who is now the bands principal songwriter displays a
literary bent, each song a vignette of lives passing by and a distinct sense of
isolation and withdrawal. Lost The Summer is the Jayhawks at their most ragged,
clashing guitars and defiant vocals frame a song about alienation and anger.
Lovers of the Sun sounds like the Byrds’ during their mid 60’s heyday it’s
upbeat sound beguiles a sense of the futility of running from life. Leaving The
Monsters Behind draws on a similar theme, the fallacy of trying to escape from
the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Isabel’s
Daughter is a superbly crafted tale of the possibilities and pitfalls of the
young as they stand on the precipice of adulthood. Ace sees the band exiting
their comfort zone, employing elements of electronica and lo fi distortion it
provides a nice contrast to the more bright melodic structure of the album. The
Devil Is In Her Eyes has a stream of consciousness feel, it’s inspiration
appearing in the second verse, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David
Wallace Foster said what goes on inside your head is too complicated to be
said.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Comeback
Kids is the most overt display of the REM influence, the melodic guitar lines
and the tight harmonies. Another vignette that binds itself to a thread that
runs throughout the album, this time a more exuberant reflection of the past.
The Dust Of Long Dead Stars traces the darker side of Los Angeles, the broken
dreams an unfulfilled ambitions. Lies In Black and White sifts from the
personal domain to a caustic examination of what we read in our newspaper.
Referring to the more conservative strand of the American media where
information is often wrapped in a warped bias.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paging Mr
Proust is a step forward for the band, each song delicately carved with lyrics
that read like novels. Casts of characters experiencing the turmoil and
uncertainty of life against a backdrop layered harmonies and precise melodies.
There are moments where the band push beyond the ornate beauty to something
more stripped and rough and there is true magic in those moments.</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-9807446428526747002016-04-30T05:29:00.003-07:002016-04-30T05:30:57.221-07:00Charles Bradley-Changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Changes, the
third studio album from the screaming eagle of soul himself Charles Bradley is
his most consistent and cohesive album to date. Backed by the Daptone studio
house band featuring members of the Menahan Street Band and the Budos Band,
Changes is built on a bedrock of lean funky rhythms and soulful melodic
grooves. Its gritty nature conveys the uncertainty of life and there is no
better singer to capture that feeling than Bradley. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Opening with
the patriotic fervour of God Bless America with Naomi Shelton and The Gospel
Queens providing uplifting harmonies, Bradley extols the virtues of his
homeland in a heartfelt half spoken tribute. Good To Be Back Home is
barnstorming funk recalling the heady days of James Brown in the late 60’s. Nobody But You is classic mid tempo Northern
Soul, the horn refrain recalls the seventies classic Summer Breeze. Ain’t Gonna
Give It Up is a great vehicle for Bradley’s almost tortured sounding vocals,
impassioned and urgent Bradley always makes you feel a deep undercurrent of emotion
with his performance. Producer and guitarist Thomas Brennick is the master of
understatement on this album, allowing Bradley’s voice to be front and centre, he
creates a tasteful soundscape where the horns create an impact but you hardly
know they are there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The title
track is a cover of a Black Sabbath song and would seem an incongruous choice
for a cover but Bradley takes it and owns it. The song builds slowly with
Brennick channelling Curtis Mayfield in his opening guitar part before
unleashing the horns in the chorus. Ain’t It A Sin is pure party funk with an
insistent pulsing rhythm, it also displays Bradley’s virtuosity he is just as
comfortable with the uptempo tunes as he is with the slow burners. Things We Do
For Love sounds like classic Chicago male vocal group soul from the mid 60’s,
whether it’s the Radiants, the Impressions or the Marvelloes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You Think I
Don’t Know has a more expansive sound with the Gospel Queens adding their crisp
harmonies. Change For The World harks back to the more politically conscious
work of artists like Sly Stone and Funkadelic. Bradley has seen many ups and
downs in his life, it’s reflected in his music there is an aching sadness in
his voice but also a determined sense of acceptance for all that is happened.
It’s that ethos that shapes his songs, it’s perhaps part of the reason why he continues
to build a loyal and ever growing following.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-42018075718976425062016-04-29T04:20:00.001-07:002016-04-29T04:21:39.680-07:00Sturgill Simpson- A Sailor's Guide To Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Sailor’s
Guide To Earth is the brilliant third studio album from Sturgill Simpson - an
artist who deftly defies musical category. Where his previous album Metamodern
Sounds in Country and Western gave Nashville a psychedelic twist, his new album
explores the musical territory beyond the confines of Nashville or country
music in general. This is a work with a purpose. Constructed as a concept album
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth sets out a framework of life lessons for Simpson’s
young son. Simpson was partly inspired by the work of Marvin Gaye, especially
his masterpiece What’s Going On, a song cycle that ruminated on the Vietnam
War, poverty and racism. It’s a brilliant collection of songs. Simpson is in a
wistful, reflective mood. His bond with his son and his desires for his future
are palpable. Concept albums are difficult, trying to create a cohesive message
both lyrically and musically is a challenge, but it’s one that Simpson meets
with honesty and an impeccable musical vision. Not one to play it safe Simpson
continues to push himself as an artist, and the fruits of that are on display.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The opening
track Welcome To Earth (Pollywog) is a perfect sucker punch for the curious
listener, with its prog adornment you might be thinking you are at the start of
an epic ride. You are but the ride doesn’t turn out exactly like you thought.
As it reaches a mid point crescendo suddenly you are transported to the swamps
of Muscle Shoals with soulful horns and Simpson sounding like a southern soul
shouter. Breakers Roar is a lament on the life of a professional musician, “how
easy it is to drown in a dream” that becomes reality and then offers up
conflicting priorities. Becoming a father has had a profound impact on Simpson and
caused him to question the decisions and paths he has taken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The wry Keep
It Between The Lines is a sublime slice of country funk with some blasting
horns courtesy of the crew at Daptone in New York. Here Simpson provides some
guidance for his son during his formative years declaring “keep your head out
the clouds, and remember to be kind, and just stay in school, stay off the
drugs and keep between the lines”. Sea Stories provides a back story for
Simpsons’ young son detailing his time serving in the United States Navy.
Musically it shares a connection with Metamodern sounds with its strident
country rock sound. Taking risks is ingrained so taking on Nirvana’s In Bloom
seems in keeping with that method. Stripping the song away to its bare elements
gives it added effect, and slowly Simpson builds an aching soulful melody for a
song that had an enormous impact on him during his early teens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Impact is a daring mix of country and prog rock with an insistent pounding synth
line an incongruous mix that just works. Along those dark musical edges
Simpson has another message to his son, make to give a little and make to live
a little. All Around You is another Muscle Shoals throwback, Simpson telling
his young protégé “there will be days when the sun won’t shine. When it seems
like the whole world is against you. Don’t be afraid, life in unkind, you can
let go of the pain if you choose to”. The album closes with the barnstorming
Call To Arms and Simpson tells it like it is. The ills of the world are laid open bare. Effortlessly
mixing his spaced out country rock with elements of soul and funk this is an
amazing end to the record. In a similar vein to What’s Goin On the album ends
on a note of brutal honesty about the state of the world. Already this album is
generating a buzz you rarely see for an artist who is only just beginning to
emerge from the shadows. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-38695118591943340072016-04-29T04:16:00.001-07:002016-04-29T04:16:21.103-07:00Margo Price-Midwest Farmers Daughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Midwest Farmers
Daughter is the striking debut from Nashville singer songwriter Margo Price.
Conjuring up the same aching honesty and fierce defiance as Loretta Lynn and
Tammy Wynette this album blazes a new path from the more sanitised country
music that comes out of Nashville. It’s at times heartbreaking and harrowing in
equal measure. Recording at the famed Sun Studios in Memphis gives this album
an added depth. It seems appropriate that with the anti Nashville corporate
sentiment predominant throughout the album that she should find a home with
Jack White’s Third Man Records.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hands of
Time is one of the most poignant autobiographical songs you will hear. It details with remarkable candour her early
years growing up on a farm that was re-possessed. It also casts an eye on her early
days in Nashville where she was used and abused by the industry, before
settling down to raise a family only to endure the terrible hardship of losing
her son to a heart ailment. Despite all the torment she has lived through, the
one thing she truly wants is to buy back the farm for her parents. About To
Find Out is a provocative statement perhaps directed at the Nashville establishment,
or for those within its confines that are brimming over with confidence. As a
songwriter Price has mastered the economy of words and how to gain the most
impact from them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tennessee
Song is a tribute to the simpler aspects of that state, being far removed from
the hustle and schemes of Nashville. Living
off the land away from the poison of city life it’s all about the traditions of
the southern life. Four Years of Chances is a slice of sprightly country funk
with a great rumbling bass line that opens the song. It harks back to the
themes first explored by the likes of Loretta Lynn, the wife pushed to the
brink only to find her strength in her moment of despair. This Town Gets Around
is a stinging indictment of the Nashville music scene, where as a young artist
it’s clear that Price was taken advantage. It’s a story that is as old as Music
Row but it’s refreshing to hear it told like it is. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hurtin (On the
Bottle) harks back to more traditional country fare - the battle with the
bottle. World’s Greatest Loser shows Price at her most vulnerable. Her voice is
amazing against the backdrop of a lilting acoustic guitar. It’s a short song
but it links up with Hands of Time, where she had suffered so much loss there
was only the love of her life to hold on too. The album closes on the down and
out Desperate and Depressed. It’s a haunting tune that is a chronicle of
struggle, it’s emotional sentiment is very visceral.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Midwest Farmer’s Daughter is a remarkably mature
debut album, the writing is forthright and candid. Price opens up about the
challenges she has faced but she meets those challenges with resolve, defiance
and a sense of humour. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-55722460119615363492016-04-03T03:54:00.002-07:002016-04-03T03:54:53.252-07:00Jason Isbell-Croxton Hotel bandroom 01.04.16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a treat to see an artist like Jason Isbell in an intimate setting like the Croxton band room. I was immediately struck by the ease with which he makes a connection with his audience, the honesty and realism of his songs continue to build him a devoted following.<br />
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His new album Something More Than Free showcases a songwriter becoming more at ease with himself and looking at the world around him, especially the insular world of small town America. That album featured prominently in his live set, 24 Frames finds an appreciative response from the crowd. Isbell dips into the past with a powerful version of Decoration Day from his days with the Drive By Truckers. His band the 400 unit featuring guitarist Sadler Vaden, bassist Jimbo Hart, keys player Derry Deborja and drummer Chad Gamble are an exceptional backing unit, Vaden and Isbell traded guitar licks throughout the gig.<br />
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Isbell brings the temperature down with a trio of songs that capture the dissolute nature of a lot of his characters, Different Days, Hudson Commodore and The Life You Chose. Isbell performs them with a restrained sensitivity, he opens things up on Cover Me Up his voice is remarkably powerful. Another classic from Southeastern, Stockholm closes the show, I've been lucky to have caught some good Bluesfest sideshows this week and this gig was a standout. There are few performers like Jason Isbell touring around these days so if he is in your city make sure you check him out.Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-38913891251500289592016-04-02T05:05:00.002-07:002016-04-02T05:05:38.402-07:00Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats- 170 Russell 30.03.16Melbourne in March is always a good place to be for live music, Bluesfest in Byron Bay brings a lot of amazing acts to these shores and the good people behind the festival make sure that us folks further south don't miss out. I have heard good things about Nathaniel Rateliff and his band The Night Sweats in a live setting, lots of energy and impeccable playing and I wasn't disappointed last Wednesday night.<br />
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Concentrating on the material from his most recent self titled album it was always going to be a barnstorming night of raw sweaty soul and that is what Nathaniel and his band delivered in spades. Leading off with I Need Never Get Old which appropriately kicks off the album, I'm immediately struck by the energy of the band and their consummate playing, they propel Nathaniel and his voice to lofty heights. Look It Here keeps the audience bouncing on their toes before slightly taking the sting out with the superb Howling At Nothing. Wasting Time is a standout track from the album, a slow mournful slice of country soul and live Nathaniel gives a subtle but powerful performance. My favourite track from the album Mellow Out is given an almost Latin feel but still retains that floating groove. Nathaniel is a polished and engaging performer and he is certainly helped out by an incredible array of talent in his band the Night Sweats.<br />
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The band also find time to road test two new tracks from their next album, Out On The Weekend is a solid thumping slab of soul and there aren't too many bands who play soul with that level of intensity and passion. Nathaniel then pushes things back up a notch with the stomping Trying So Hard Not To Know before closing the show with the hit S.O.B in a typically rousing rendition. The encore is a terrific cover of the Band's The Shape I'm In breathing life into this old chestnut. This was a great gig getting up for a gig on a work night can be tough but seeing a great band like this makes the effort more than worth it.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-18614145410000848982016-03-29T02:24:00.000-07:002016-03-29T02:24:20.401-07:00The Wild Feathers-Lonely Is A Lifetime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lonely Is A Lifetime the new album from Nashville based The Wild Feathers sees the band consciously expanding their sound. They sound tight and focused on this record, the benefit of a couple of years of solid touring behind them. Where as their debut sounded like a bit of a mix between the Eagles and The Grateful Dead they have now added a few strings to their bow musically. Their writing has that distinct outsider feel, characters hell bent on self destruction, a sense of loss and a remembrance for the past.<br />
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One of the early signs that we are hearing a band starting to gather momentum is on Goodbye Song which takes a part of a leaf from the Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon era and Gene Clark from his No Other period. <br />
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<i>Goodbye song is what I sing</i><br />
<i>Take it as it comes</i><br />
<i>Cause it don't come easily</i><br />
<i>All I have is already mine</i><br />
<i>You got the money, you got the drugs, I got the time.</i><br />
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The defiant Don't Ask Me To Change whilst with a tinge of pop rock anthem surrounding it, swiftly veers away from heading into Matchbox Twenty territory. Happy Again is a bold country rocker, it has a darker take on what some people do to be happy. Leave Your Light On treads on familiar territory, life of on the road and those left behind.</div>
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Help Me Out is expansive, solid hooks but never drifting towards safe ground, it has the heaviness of someone carrying the world on their shoulders. This track also features some sterling guitar work from Taylor Burns who is an underrated player. The title track starts of with a doo wop style accapella vocal, the only accompaniment is a haunting acoustic guitar. On My Way is one of the reasons that I love this band, punchy melodic alt country rock with some precise guitar hooks. Overnight is another song that highlights the strength of this band, reminiscing of a happier past and looking for something positive to grab on too, it has some great melodies and harmonies.</div>
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Lonely Is A Lifetime is a great step forward for this band their sound continues to develop and their influences are starting to be more diverse, apart from the salute to Pink Floyd on Goodbye Song their are some of the cosmic influences of Gram Parsons on this album.</div>
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-82296570563437419862016-03-27T18:35:00.002-07:002016-03-27T18:35:42.024-07:00Lonesome Dreams-Lord Huron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of those better late than never discoveries, L.A based Lord Huron released this debut set in 2012. It has certain shades of the Fleet Foxes but on closer inspection it has a more grand vista. It's an album with wide open spaces, it almost takes on a visual context when listening to it. Like the Fleet Foxes it's hard to trace a discernible lineage perhaps that is what adds to the immense pleasure of discovering it.<br />
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Ends of The Earth has an ethereal feel with layered harmonies and dense instrumentation, main songwriter Ben Schneider creates a vision of a wandering pilgrim searching for all that world offers,<br />
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<i>Oh, there's a river that winds on forever</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna see where it leads</i><br />
<i>Of there's a mountain that no man has mounted</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna stand on the peak</i><br />
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<i>Oh there's a land that time don't command</i><br />
<i>Wanna be the first to arrive</i><br />
<i>No time for pondering, why I'm wandering</i><br />
<i>Nowhere the buses lay.</i><br />
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Time To Run has a deliberate urgency, reading like the pages from a western novel a man is on the run and it will all make sense if his love rides off with him into the sunset. Schneider is a great storyteller, his character are vivid with equal measures of desperation with their current situation and a yearning for something that is solid and safe. Lonesome Dreams takes us away to another dimension but all isn't as it seems going through what you once knew can be a lonely trip.<br />
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<i>I walk on a winding road</i><br />
<i>In the deep of the night, near the edge of a knoll</i><br />
<i>I pass by a moonlit lake</i><br />
<i>And a cold wind blows and my bones start to shake</i><br />
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<i>And I feel I should know this place</i><br />
<i>As a road winds on in a wide open space</i><br />
<i>The wind plays a haunting tune</i><br />
<i>As I make my way through the night all alone.</i><br />
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She Lit A Fire uses the landscape metaphor for the search for true love, more uptempo with jangling guitars but with those haunting harmonies creating an eerie echo. I Will Be Back One Day is another highlight a cross between REM and Fleet Foxes it has an anthemic feel to it. <br />
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Lord Huron have been in Australia this week and I was shattered I couldn't make the gig but by all reports it was a sensational show.<br />
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<i></i><br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-33702835511156505882016-03-27T17:22:00.002-07:002016-03-27T17:22:19.218-07:00Laney Jones-Laney Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This self titled set is the second album from Laney Jones, it's an album with a diverse musical palette and it all marries together with an easy relaxed cohesiveness. Marrying elements of Americana, indie pop and country soul it also harnesses the honesty of the classic late 60's early 70's singer songwriter sound. Having studied her craft at the prestigious Berklee School of Music her writing displays an assured maturity and innate reflectiveness.<br />
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The subdued and dream like Do What You Want features acoustic guitar and a delightful weary vocal, it has a disarming sentiment, questioning the point of doing something if it's not what you want to do.<br />
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<i>What's the point in living if you can't have any fun</i><br />
<i>What's the point of heaven if you don't know anyone</i><br />
<i>So lay with me in the magic</i><br />
<i>Breathe it in break your habits</i><br />
<i>Rest a spell then raise some hell</i><br />
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Allston (Dance Around) has a more indie pop influence with a nice opening hook that is pure ear candy drawing you in. Rather than settling into pop mode the song takes on a certain abrasiveness, a rumbling bass underpins everything and there is some great mandolin playing. Bad Luck Charm is a highlight sounds like this could have been recorded at FAME studios a very relaxed southern groove permeates this track. Jones' vocal is a standout she has an ability to deeply inhabit a song and give a suitable interpretation. Here she gives a performance that has a resigned quality to it she is bad luck charm and perhaps quietly revels in it.<br />
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<i>Baby I'm a bad luck charm</i><br />
<i>Hanging round you neck when misfortunes starts</i><br />
<i>Maybe we are just star crossed lovers</i><br />
<i>Blessed with the curse we are bound to discover is a sign</i><br />
<i>Don't need you to be mine.</i><br />
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Who Could Love is breaking ties with the past, and the pain that comes with moving forward. Anchored in uncertainty and looking for acceptance it's a rocky path forward. There is an aching in Jones' vocal and the accompaniment is subtle and restrained. Troubled Mind has a bit of a Dylan influence it rolls along finding comfort in a relationship and banishing a troubled mind. The Simple Truth sounds a little like The Band I can hear Richard Manuel singing this one, it has a melancholy feel. Endless Summer closes the album and in familiar fashion there is a tinge of unpredictability about what lies ahead, we all think at one point those heady days of youth will always remain but they remain fleeting moments. <br />
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This album just grows with each listen, it has a lot of diverse elements that just grab you by the ear. I'm sure this album will bring Jones to a larger audience and I hope she tours in Australia in the near future.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-84485471429090203292016-03-25T03:06:00.000-07:002016-03-25T03:06:06.320-07:00Mavis Staples-Livin on a High Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mavis Staples has built an impressive solo catalogue working with the likes of Prince, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and now M Ward. Each album has a distinct narrative one cloaked in positivity and the bedrock of gospel that has been her foundation for more than 50 years. Each album especially those with Tweedy focused on giving her vocals plenty of room against a sparse backdrop. M Ward has the same sympathetic nature to her voice but fleshes things out from a music standpoint. Ward has enlisted a stellar cast of songwriters to help Mavis achieve her vision, the likes of Nick Cave, Bon Iver, Benjamin Booker and Neko Case penned tunes specifically for this album<br />
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Living on a High Note is part nostalgia trip from her heady days with the Staple Singers and part commentary on the decaying fabric of American society. She is at her commanding best on Action, defiant and spirited in taking matters into her own hands.<br />
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<i>Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired</i><br />
<i>They say my words might get me fired</i><br />
<i>What a terrifying time to raise our voices</i><br />
<i>But see I'm not left with many more choices</i><br />
<i>I gotta put it into action</i><br />
<i>Doing it A-Z</i><br />
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Take Us Back penned by Benjamin Booker reflects on where Mavis came from and what there is still to achieve. It's about taking stock of the people who are important, it's also about the city of Chicago her home and heartbeat. With a lean penetrating rhythm and a solid floating groove Mavis takes us back to the windy city of Chicago,<br />
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<i>Sometimes life can get you in a hurry</i><br />
<i>I'm just gonna take it slow now</i><br />
<i>That don't mean I ain't been working y'all</i><br />
<i>I'm working on me</i><br />
<i>I'm taking sometime to see the people who keep me going</i><br />
<i>Sometimes folks can lead you down a bad line</i><br />
<i>I'm not saying that I'm not judging now</i><br />
<i>I'm just gonna tell ya what I tell them now.</i><br />
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The gospel infused Love and Trust features some great harmonies, it's a lean and sparse track with Mavis offering some pearls of wisdom but how to find love and trust amidst the chaos and debris. On If It's a Light Mavis' voice is placed front and centre her ability deliver a song with nuance and restraint is amazing. This breezy tune sounds like Chicago soul in it's heyday, mid 1960's with Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions as the city's soul ambassadors. History, Now asks the question what do we do with our collective past and have we learnt any lessons. The highlight of the album is the Nick Cave penned Jesus Lay Down Beside Me, Mavis is in familiar territory with an evocative vocal delivery. M ward shows deft restraint his guitar work channels the unobtrusive style of Pops Staples.<br />
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Livin' On A High Note leaves you with a sense of comfort after listening to it, Mavis shares with you a sense of optimism and hope. Mavis has seen it all, the decaying of community and family, the discrimination, the violence and above all the path to acceptance.<br />
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Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-36974719099537974762016-02-26T20:44:00.000-08:002016-02-26T20:44:52.026-08:00Water Liars-Water Liars<br />
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Water Liars a three piece hailing from Mississippi harness the ragged edges of rock and roll creating a raw cavernous soundscape that has a distinctive lo fi presence. Looking for a connection I immediately think of the brillant Fading Trails album from Jason Molina's Magnolia Electric Company, it has that same essence of something small but growing beyond it's boundaries to take on another dimension. Lyrically it has that similar feel of desolation and displacement but with a certain graceful sentimentality that gives the album a shade of light.<br />
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Cannibal takes on a carnal attitude to relationships, the idea that in something beautiful we find the need to destroy it. We find the need to own it, to abuse it and not appreciate the beauty of it, it's a theme that goes beyond love to our somewhat precarious entaglement with our planet.<br />
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<i>When you tatse the flesh of the one that you love</i><br />
<i>Do you feel like a cannibal, like an animal</i><br />
<i>Just like a flood</i><br />
<i>And are you made like a vampire</i><br />
<i>A walking appetite to destroy</i><br />
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War Paint has a weary sense of resignation, a life where you bet on red but black wins, trading your love and heart for anything else. It sounds a little like Gene Clark from the early 70's vocalist Justin Kinkel-Schuster has a distinctive voice similar to that of the former Byrds vocalist. Swannanoa has a restrained feel and sounds a little like the Felice Brothers, it's a dark tale of addiction, loss and displacement. There is a deep beauty to this song and it shows the maturity in the bands songwriting, never maudlin only wistful and melancholy.<br />
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<i>I woke up in Houston in somebody's kitchen</i><br />
<i>The ceiling was sweating</i><br />
<i>And I was afloat on a dirty brown river</i><br />
<i>Of heroin shivers.</i><br />
<i>So I went down to Tampa</i><br />
<i>To find me an answer</i><br />
<i>But it wasn't coming</i><br />
<i>And neither was she.</i><br />
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Ray Charles' Dream sounds like New York circa 1979, loud brash but with a hint of the past deeply embedded.<br />
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Let It Breathe shows some Big Star influences and when it comes to matters of the heart it's the most endearing and optimistic of the songs on the album. It's the contrast of light, where the healing and hope of love is bought into focus.<br />
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<i>There's a room inside my heart that no one ever goes</i><br />
<i>It's been boarded up and locked for years and everything is gone</i><br />
<i>Then you come along and cut yourself a key</i><br />
<i>Swept the floors and opened a window and said baby let it breathe.</i><br />
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Water Liars is an album that drags you deep into it's embrace from the first listen, raw beauty amidst desolation and frustration lyrically concise never drifting towards banal sentimentality. Musically diverse capturing the sparse open spaces of bands like Magnolia Electric Company, early Wilco and the ethereal Gene Clark.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-15704045671526392782016-02-15T01:59:00.001-08:002016-02-15T01:59:29.305-08:00Tedeschi Trucks Band-Let Me Get By<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let Me Get By is the fourth album from the Florida based Tedeschi Trucks band, the finest purveyors of southern rock n soul around. Led by the inimitable soul drenched vocals of Susan Tedeschi and the ferocious guitar playing of Derek Trucks. Let Me Get By is their most coherent and consistent studio set with a more organic approach, where their previous album Made Up Mind featured outside songwriters their new record is self written and self produced by the group at their Florida studio. Above anything else it sounds like the band are having fun again, embracing their own musical vision. Tedeschi Trucks are never a band that plays it safe, rather than sticking to the formula of southern rock they continue to refine it, flourishes of jazz and gospel adding to the depth of their sound.<br />
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Anyhow is a plaintive take on what it means to take stock and find a moment of clarity. It's a theme that connects the songs on this album, there is a reflective sense of resignation but also a feeling of strength and defiance.<br />
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<i>Running from a bitter taste</i><br />
<i>Took a rest from all the chase</i><br />
<i>Feeling something anchored on my soul</i><br />
<i>Played the game by all the rules</i><br />
<i>Learning lessons no one gets to choose.</i><br />
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Laugh About It is a funky blast of raw blues, with Trucks giving a pulsing solo. His guitar work on this album is more pensive but there are moment when those notes just wail into the ether. There is more space for the horns on this album which give it a more New Orleans style feel on many of the songs. Don't Know What It Means also pushes for a sense of clarity, the world moves too fast and it's often difficult to stop and take a breath.<br />
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<i>When the sun comes shining through</i><br />
<i>Lighting up what's left of you</i><br />
<i>And you put it all aside for another day</i><br />
<i>Pick it up and rearrange it </i><br />
<i>Though you know you won't change it.</i><br />
<i>Cuz you've always been a stranger anyway.</i><br />
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Right On Time has Mike Mattison on vocals and it's a standout track, sounding like it was recorded at the tale end of a boozy jam session in some New Orleans speakeasy. Let Me Get By is classic southern rock with some pumping organ work from Burbridge. Just as Strange is stripped back with a deeper blues feel to it.<br />
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I Want More is a strident funky declaration to give and gain as much from this life as possible, the possibilities are endless with an open heart and mind. Trucks as always builds a slow build solo, but the guitar solo is very mellow and restrained. There is some masterly flute work from Kofi Burbridge that gently unwinds alongside Trucks' guitar.<br />
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The wistful In Every Heart has an optimism and sense of acceptance that permeates through the album,<br />
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<i>In every heart there's a name</i><br />
<i>Under the perfume and all the blame</i><br />
<i>In every heart</i><br />
<i>In every story a heart</i><br />
<i>It won't ever leave you, so dream away</i><br />
<i>In every heart.</i><br />
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Let Me Get By is a work that shows a band maturing in their songwriting approach and avoiding the pitfalls of just being a southern rock staple. This album has great diversity and a very natural feel, their playing is always precise but this album feels like it opens up more space for the rest of the band.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-83707349167005006512016-02-13T00:47:00.001-08:002016-02-13T01:44:37.050-08:00Gillian Welch/Dave Rawlings-Palais Theatre 05.02.16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Missing out on Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings' last Australian tour 11 years ago still burned deep so there was no way I was going to miss seeing them on their return. We were treated to a sublime, spine tingling performance at the Palais that was immeasurabley appreciated by a rapt Melbourne audience. Effortlessly capturing the dark beauty of their music we were kept enthralled by the resonant grace of their harmonies, at times it felt like there were four voices not two. It seemed apt to open with the first track from Gillian's most recent studio album the Harrow and The Harvest, Scarlet Town featured some dexterous finger picking from Rawlings. Welch's voice is remarkable, so elegant and pure in capturing subject matter that is so dark and turbulent. They took the audience on a journey through the dark passages of southern folklore. Wayside Back In Time which appeared on the Soul Journey album in a more fleshed out form is stripped back to it's old time roots and to me is the better for it. Taking a more ebullient turn the classic Rock Of Ages has a beautiful weary feel to it once again the audience is mesmerised by Rawlings playing.<br />
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The Way It Goes was a highlight from Harrow and the Harvest and it's even better in a live setting, their two voices soaring in the chorus. The gospel style I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll is also an audience favourite, Dave Rawlings' voice slips a little quietly more to the fore on this song, rather than just harmonising it sounds like a true duet. The swampy Elvis Presley Blues is another highlight, I always loved that line "<i>he shook it like a chorus girl, he shook it like a Harlem queen". </i>The dark and weary Tennessee showcases Welch's southern storytelling and that sense of resignation that seeps through her songs. Hard Times is probably the standout performance of the night, it's a nostalgic view of old southern times and they way she performs it with such feeling is mesmerising.<br />
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On Six White Horses the audience is treated to a dazzling display of Appalachian dancing from Welch as she stomps and slaps her knees. In the encore they do a spirited version of I Hear Them All/This Land Is Your Land. The timeless I'll Fly Away leaves the crowd gasping for more as another encore is demanded. The classic Townes Van Zandt song Pancho and Lefty is a gentle end to what was an amazing concert. To see the true beauty of traditonal southern music performed in such a way takes you to a higher plane.Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-18280105701938368392015-12-30T21:08:00.001-08:002015-12-30T21:08:41.742-08:00Best Albums of 2015Time to look over the shoulder at the year that was, 2015 felt like a good year musically a lot of the bands I love put out albums that exceeded my lofty expectations. I made some new discoveries and as usual couldn't quite find the time to blog about all the albums I listened to. The following are in no particular order I never like to play favourites but these albums stood out for their passion, originality and integrity. Each of the artists listed to me broke new ground with their releases this year whether it was blasting off into the ether or looking at something from the past and revitalising it.<br />
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Next year I'll be taking on the role of music editor for the Northsider which is a local publication covering the inner Northern suburbs of Melbourne so the Nighthawk will be taking a back seat to some extent. Thanks to those who have read my blog and follow me on Twitter.<br />
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<b>Father John Misty-I Love You Honeybear</b><br />
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Very few artists can articulate in such a tortured manner the fear and uncertainty of love and relationships. Father John Misty did that and more his caustic wit and sarcasm was evident but so was something more profoundly affecting. His aimlessness and self doubt was replaced with the solidity of a lasting relationship, even if it did scare him half to death! Far from leading to complacency it led to him to question the nature of love and commitment and how it's judged by society. Father John created an eclectic musical backdrop, from the electronica of True Affection to the mariachi sounds of Chateu Lobby #4. The dramatic Bored In The USA took a blowtorch to the fabric of a consumerist society, exposing it's contradictions and traps. The elegant I Went To The Store One Day documents his first encounter with wife Emma. This album has a revealing honesty which you rarely here these days, it's easy to skirt the edges and never touch those uncomfortable depths but J Tillman does it in a remarkable fashion.<br />
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<b>Dawes-All Your Favourite Bands</b><br />
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Dawes are a band that with each album you can hear the songwriting and musicianship mature and develop. Taylor Goldsmith has an intimate songwriting style deeply rooted in that reflective LA sound pioneered by the likes of Jackson Browne. All Your Favourite Bands captured the unpredictably of life as an adult, leaving family and friends facing situations with a nagging uncertainty. Goldsmith reflected on the transitory nature of life, perhaps reflecting on his life as a touring musician, the title track Things Happen examined the fortuitous and unexpected nature of life. Somewhere Along The Way examined regret LA style a city that offers so much but often delivers very little. The nostalgic All Your Favourite Bands hopes that the years and distance haven't changed those left behind. An album that looked at the darker side of nostalgia and the choices we make.<br />
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<b>Courtney Barnett-Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit</b><br />
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A local release and a dynamic one at that Barnett has a wry observational style, her debut album exhibits her self doubt and antipathy towards her success. Pedestrian At Best acts as a warning maybe to herself maybe to others not to expect to much from her. She creates a panorama of life in Melbourne, coffee shops and rising house prices in the inner north. Her attempts to impress a fellow swimmer at the Fitzroy Pool on Aqua Profunda nearly results in a near death experience. Barnett's album captures the doubt and unpredictability of life and that feeling that we are never quite sure of our next step.<br />
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<b>Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp A Butterfly</b><br />
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West Coast hip hop needed a shot in the arm and Kendrick Lamar delivered with his second album, it was a masterpiece seizing the anger and resentment of a city and nation before turning inwards where Lamar waged an existential battle between Lucy (the devil) and himself. On tracks like For Free Kendrick encapsulates the anger that still permeates through a new generation of young black American's, the system still unchanged and the odds still against them. For Sale is more personal, with success comes influence and stature but with it also comes temptation. Kendrick wages that battle matching resentment with a steadfast desire not to be conflicted and to rise above the inner and outer turmoil that he faces. Not only did he push the boundaries lyrically he also drove through them musically with the likes of Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington and Thundercat delivering a bruising melange of free jazz, P funk and jagged distorted rhythms.<br />
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<b>Keith Richards-Cross Eyed Heart </b><br />
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Still defiant, still unapologetic and still deeply in thrall with musical vistas of the deep south. Sometimes you forget how important Richards was to the Stones' sound, continually pushing them to delve deeper in the legacy of blues and country music. There is a touching honesty it's as though Richards is documenting all the jagged paths of his life. Nothing On Me is typical Richards, uncompromising and bowing down to no one, Heartstopper is Richards with his heart pinned on his sleeve. The music is ragged, there are no frills just how Richards wants it but never does he fail to convey on a personal or musical level with this delight of an album.<br />
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<b>Dave Rawlings Machine-Nashville Obsolete</b><br />
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It's an interesting title because the Nashville sound we know is certainly obsolete when it comes to the work of Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch. Always unpredictable (in a refreshing manner) but always so heartfelt and honest Dave Rawlings made an album drawing less on Nashville and more on the West Coast. This album has a very literary feel to it, in my blog I likened it to a Cormac McCarthy novel because of the foreboding landscape and the desultory characters that were present in each song. I've always loved the sly darkness of their material and this album is no exception. From the southern gothic stylings of Short Haired Woman Blues to the drifting laconic nature of The Trip, the destination is always a reward in itself.<br />
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<b>Tame Impala-Currents</b><br />
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On Currents Kevin Parker moved away from the noodling psychedelia of Lonerism to dense synths and 80's drenched funk, it was a grand and rewarding experiment. He used his musical progression to document his personal one, it was an album that signalled the closing of a chapter from West Australian garage band to trend setting collaborator with the likes of Mark Ronson. The change of sound didn't effect the experimentation Parker expanded and created space not completely abandoning the ethos of previous albums.<br />
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<b>Leon Bridges-Coming Home</b><br />
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This amazing album bought home the spirit of Sam Cooke but in an understated way, Coming home was lo fi, it was subtle and stripped back and provided the perfect foil for Bridges vocals. A young soul took to old soul like a veteran, Brown Skinned Girl sounded like the Impressions from 1964, Coming Home sounded like it was one of the first recordings made at a tiny studio in Florence Alabama. The dignified Lisa Sawyer is a tribute to Bridges' mother with a wonderfully laid back doo-wop feel. River is Bridges' A Change Gonna Come complete with wistful gospel harmonies this is a great song about finding redemption in the cleansing waters of the river.<br />
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<b>Alabama Shakes-Sound and Colour</b><br />
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The second album blues can be a real devil on the shoulder especially when your first album has created so much hype and expectation. Rather than play it safe and replicate album number one Alabama Shakes throughout the handbook and with producer Blake Mills created a cavernous piece of work that mixed elements of soul, garage rock, R&B and psychedelia. The highlight was the slow disintegration of Dunes which sounded like Pink Floyd at their ominous best. Gimme All Your Love had lead singer Brittany Howard channelling the great Curtis Mayfield during his glory years pioneering Chicago soul.<br />
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<b>Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats-Self Titled</b><br />
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This album was one out of left field, a burning sanctified testament to soul but with some late 60's Nashville country thrown in for good measure. I Need Never Get Old was quasi Stax soul with barnstorming horn refrains and Rateliff who at times sounds like a mix between Waylon Jennings and Otis Redding. Howling at The Moon sounded like Sam Cooke recording in a Texas garage with the local gospel choir, it was raw and affecting. SOB took things up a notch Rateliff brilliantly laid out the temptations of the bottle and sounded like James Brown in the process. Mellow Out was country soul at it's best, here he sounded like Waylon Jennings recording at somewhere like American studios. There was a relentless driving energy connected to this album that made it stand out for me during the year.<br />
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<b>My Morning Jacket-The Waterfall</b><br />
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My Morning Jacket's seventh studio album loomed large with an expansive sound, more concise than Circuitual it didn't take a step back from their melodic dense sound. Jim James is a writer who likes to explore beyond modern conventionalities but he also discussed more everyday concerns, Big Decisions concerned the frustration of second guessing while Get The Point was a poignant break up song. There were anthems and they were brilliant Believe opened the album on a grand encompassing note, In It's Infancy (The Waterfall) embraced the concept of facing life on your own terms as best as possible.<br />
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<b>Jason Isbell-Something More Than Free</b><br />
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Fast becoming my favourite artist Something More Than Free built on Isbell's inimitable reputation as a masterful storyteller. While still retaining the same personal honesty as Southeastern he broadened his scope reflecting on the struggles of life in small town America. The great thing about this album and of his songwriting in general is that Isbell never falls for cliche, the good and bad of small town life are addressed. If It Takes A Lifetime focuses on what can happen when we drift too far from our homes and families. Speed Trap Town is a classic spin on the feeling of being trapped in a small town and fearing you will never leave. I've always loved the immediacy of Isbell's music when you listen to this album you can still hear a man attempting to heal, it's a joyful heartening listen.<br />
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<b>Phil Cook-Southland Mission</b><br />
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There a lot of artists keeping the flame of early blues and country alive, many are gravitating to North Carolina and one of those musicians is Phil Cook whose Southland Mission captured the authenticity of that old time sound whilst providing it with a modern context. It's an album built around the foundations of blues, folk and old time country, it also displays a keen observation of the hard times many experienced in America post WWI. The literary history of writers like John Steinbeck and William Faulkner inform a lot of the material on the album. 1922 written with fellow practitioner Charlie Parr was very much in the Steinbeck tradition, that struggle with life on the land and the often insurmountable obstacles that are faced. Great Tide was out of that great southern gothic tradition of the second coming.<br />
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<b>Sarah Blasko-Eternal Return</b><br />
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One of the best local releases this year, it saw Sarah Blasko taking a new path dispensing with the more layered despairing sound with the embrace of synths which created a more uplifting and assured sound. Eternal Return was a sublime declaration of love and happiness. Only One was pure ear candy, taking all the great elements of 80's synth pop this was an ecstatic declaration of inner peace and love.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-70320203833237642462015-12-23T23:09:00.003-08:002015-12-23T23:09:44.061-08:00Elle King-Love Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Love Stuff is the intriguing debut full length album from Elle King, with a voice like Wanda Jackson and a passion for a melange of country/rockabilly and post punk this is an album that packs a punch. King has an interesting back story, she is the daughter of actor Rob Schneider and split her time between L.A and Southern Ohio before moving to New York in her teens. It would be easy in her situation to take the easy path but this album is assured but also with some rough edges.<br />
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The record aligns itself with the darker edges of life, it has a distinctly defiant and edgy tone, Kings' whisky soaked growl penetrates all corners. Where The Devil Don't Go has a rockabilly feel with King channelling her inner Wanda Jackson,<br />
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<i>Sing a song gonna take me over</i><br />
<i>Drown my woes in a lake of fire</i><br />
<i>Sing a song gonna take me higher</i><br />
<i>Good Lord turned his back on me</i><br />
<i>Lucifer gonna set me free</i><br />
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Ex's and Oh's is more pop influenced, heavily percussive it's something I could see a producer like DangerMouse putting together, it still retains an edginess to it. Under The Influence is a sultry southern soul number and King shows a great versatility in her voice, the rougher edges are now more refined. Last Damn Night has King as the dark priestess of the night, showing the dexterity of her voice on a more bluesy track with some great funky piano work. Kocaine Karolina features King on banjo more restrained and who knew King could do Americana, this is a haunting tune. Song of Sorrow is in a similar vein King writes with great depth drawing on a number of literary traditions, especially those from the south.<br />
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<i>Scriptures slingin man I can't seem to find my way home</i><br />
<i>It's been a hundred years I have no idea which direction to go</i><br />
<i>This is my song of sorrow.</i><br />
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The rebellious America's Sweetheart has anthem stomp written all over it, this is one for the arena's it's still well and truly a cut above the rest. Make You Smile is softer the dark priestess is somewhat more vulnerable, prepared to stay in the small town for love.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-34425754451235840692015-12-19T21:47:00.002-08:002015-12-19T21:47:47.445-08:00Natalie Prass- Natalie Prass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This one almost slipped by me even though I had eagerly anticipated it's release earlier this year, recorded at Matthew E White's Richmond Virginia studio Natalie Prass' self titled debut is an immensely enjoyable listen. Prass' delicate voice is given a dramatic and dense musical layering, swirling strings recalling the heady days of 1970's Philly soul. My Baby Don't Understand Me is a tense rollercoaster, not just from an emotional perspective but musically it has a jagged flow and the crescendo continually builds, dips and stops but it never diminishes the overall impact of the song. Prass' plaintive voice gives the song added depth carrying a sense of ache at the impending loss of a relationship.<br />
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<i>I don't feel much</i><br />
<i>I'm afraid I don't feel anything at all<br />In the name of love</i><br />
<i>I keep close but I'm gone</i><br />
<i>Such with his stride</i><br />
<i>Even when the road was long</i><br />
<i>Climbing one step at the time</i><br />
<i>Waiting for a reaosn to fall.</i><br />
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Bird of Prey sounds like a melange of Curtis Mayfield and Issac Hayes soaring strings and ear grabbing melody with a hint of darkness in the subject matter, not as grim as say Superfly. It's interesting because Prass has stated that she was looking for a more southern feel on this track an amalgamation of the Stax House band and Muscle Shoals. I hear that more on Your Fool with the horn arrangements sounding very Stax like from the early 70's. Christy sounds like pure baroque pop from the late 60's with the cascading string arrangement which is in equal parts haunting and captivating and provides an interesting counterpoint to the album.<br />
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Why Don't You Believe In Me has a Memphis groove, that half time slowed down pulsing metronomic sound. It's a bit more stripped back the loose guitar strokes are given more prominence and there is a pulsing bass line in the chorus. Personal and reflective which is a thread which stitches the album together this track ruminates on trying to meet expectations and loosing yourself in trying to please someone else.<br />
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<i>Tried to remain constant like a flowing stream</i><br />
<i>And I tried my best to be all that you need</i><br />
<i>Please don't close the door, take a step back.</i><br />
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Violently is a sweeter taste of early 70's soul once again with strings and horns creating a surging accompaniment that never becomes cliched. Never Over You has a southern feel to it and Prass' elegant restrained vocal gives it a deep poignancy. This is another album that has built a slow word of mouth presence, ignored my commercial radio it's following has been built and sustained by those on the fringes. What makes this such a great album is the aching honesty of the lyrics, Prass' strong voice which has a fragility to it that gives these songs such a powerful punch. The production of Matthew E White at Spacebomb enhances what many think of this amazing musician/producer.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-72139369256769279172015-12-12T21:30:00.003-08:002015-12-12T21:30:46.734-08:00Phil Cook- Southland Mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Phil Cook is part of a new generation of musicians immersing themselves in the musical tradition of the deep south. Hailing from Wisconsin Cook moved to North Carolina nearly a decade a go and has become a fixture of the music community in that region working with the likes of Matthew E White and Hiss Golden Messenger. His second solo album Southland Mission was released earlier this year and it's a breath of fresh air, not only in it's authenticity and lack of pretence but also in it's execution which is meticulous. It's a record built around a lo-fi relaxed groove dipping into the well of blues, folk and old time country, it captures the struggles and challenges of a different period, a time in American history when music held an important position in society, especially in the south where it was indelibly linked with its community.<br />
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Ain't It Sweet is an opening to the path you are about to travel on, some New Orleans style piano, funky guitar and the wafting sounds of fiddle. It comes across as a joyous musical expression, capturing all the musical flavours of the south, it also expresses something a little darker in that peace of mind isn't captured in the mortal world,<br />
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<i>When we were wide awake, we were dead and gone</i><br />
<i>Then we'll find a way just to carry on</i><br />
<i>And we'll carry on</i><br />
<i>And we'll never be alone</i><br />
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The sprightly 1922 was written by another southern practitioner Charlie Parr (who has graced these shores many a time). It's a tale of the plight of life on the land a rich source of material for all writers, in the tradition of Steinbeck there is the constant sense that no matter how many times you get up there is someone there to knock you back down. The young itinerant in the song just can't catch a break, from the bank wanting his deed to being in the clutches of the company store, the only thing looking good is the road.<br />
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<i>Well I hitched me a ride on the way back home</i><br />
<i>And I got me a job on a family farm</i><br />
<i>Times are hard here and I can't roam</i><br />
<i>But I ain't got nothing more</i><br />
<i>And I owe that company store boy</i><br />
<i>Road's looking good for sure boy.</i><br />
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The apocalyptic Great Tide features a scorching guitar opening, the southern tradition has always been filled with tales of a second coming, floods to fill the plains, crops and fields to burn under the withering southern sun, redemption always to follow. Belong is musically steeped in the Appalachian tradition, mandolin and fiddle weaving deftly against the low strum of an acoustic guitar. Sittin on the Fence is a great greasy slice of southern funk, Anybody Else is a highlight a driving groove with some nice vocal interplay with guest Frazey Ford.<br />
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Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-81813254242469046362015-12-09T02:12:00.000-08:002015-12-09T02:12:06.949-08:00Father John Misty-Concert Hall Sydney Opera House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not always sure what motivates the 1% of people who go to gigs, it seems that inane banal comments designed to shine the spotlight on themselves the heckler rather than the performer is the order of the day. But as usual I digress from my present occupation and that is to extol the virtues of Father John as a live performer, the show last night was exceptional in every way. His performance was powerful, he has a magnetic stage presence, dressed in black with flowing locks and scraggy beard he launches himself around the stage. I Love You Honeybear seems an apt opening, the title of his latest album which has seen him breakthrough to a larger audience. Father John opens on an intense note, writhing on the floor before leaping to his feat and mounting the drum riser for added effect! His vocal prowess is a little underestimated he has a commanding throat, very soulful indeed. The first part of his set mines the new album, Strange Encounter is given a suitably dramatic treatment, the highlight is True Affection a slab of 80's synth that is coated with soul and performed in emphatic fashion. Only Son Of A Ladies Man from Fear Fun suits itself to a live setting, it's given an anthemic treatment, When You're Smiling and Astride Me takes the temperature down a notch you also notice being in the presence of a great band, his five piece unit don't miss a stride all evening.<br />
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I'm Writing A Novel is a given a funky treatment and the vibe is continued with another I Love You Honeybear highlight Chateau Lobby 4 which has an almost reggae feel. Bored In The USA is a brilliant slice of modern sarcasm it's a haunting tune and Father John captures that sense of dread that is the thread of the song. The dark rocking Ideal Husband closes the show before Father John comes out for a brief impromptu Q&A! He lowers the notch with I Went To The Store One Day accompanied only by acoustic guitar and his tremulous voice. Everyman Needs A Companion closes what is an amazing show, Father John is a swaggering, grandstanding on stage presence no one else does it better.Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-7245814550943405052015-12-04T02:22:00.001-08:002015-12-04T02:22:43.922-08:00Jason Isbell- Something More Than Free<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I listen to Jason Isbell I'm always struck by the authenticity of his music, everything he writes about is imbued with all the travails that he has experienced in his life. It's not just personal, his ability to shine a light on the microcosm of small town America is unparallelled at the moment. Isbell captures the uncertainty of life especially in small town America where there seems to be a crisis of identity, the old versus the new.<br />
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If It Takes A Lifetime sounds a little like Joe South's Games People Play it's about drifting too far from home from the ties that bind and protect, sometimes the idea of the open road offering salvation offers only a bloody nose.<br />
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<i>I got too far from my raising, I forgot where I come from</i><br />
<i>And the light between right and wrong was so fine</i><br />
<i>Well I thought the highway loved me</i><br />
<i>But she beat me like a drum</i><br />
<i>My day will come, even if it takes a lifetime.</i><br />
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24 Frames has Isbell reflecting on his life, like a movie retracing the steps of his past, broken relationships, reconnecting with family, it's also the idea that there really is no plan in life, it's a chaotic but at time beautiful mess.<br />
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<i>This is how you make yourself call you mother</i><br />
<i>And this is how you make yourself closer to your brother</i><br />
<i>And remember him back when he was small enough to help you sing.</i><br />
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How To Forget finds Isbell trying to forget the pain of his past, it's an honest revelation of the broken relationships in his past.<br />
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<i>I was strained, I was sad, didn't realise what I had</i><br />
<i>I was sick, I was scared, I was socially impaired</i><br />
<i>It was years ago</i><br />
<i>My pasts a scary movie I watched and fell asleep</i><br />
<i>Now I'm dreaming up these creatures from the deep.</i><br />
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Something More Than Free has a melancholy sentiment, we are often resigned to our lot in life, we accept it and are thankful for what we have because there are those who have a lot less. Jason wrote this song about his father who worked six days a week and on Sunday's was too tired to attend church. In the south the idea of going to church on Sunday's to be thankful is ingrained in that part of America. Speed Trap Town is a beautiful slice of small town America where there is that feeling of being trapped, unable to leave and yearning for something more beyond it's small confines. In his hands it becomes an aching testament to how hard it is to leave, that constant fear of what is beyond the county line. Something More Than Free sees Isbell expanding on the idea of fear and acceptance, the fear of what is ahead and acceptance over regret for the past.<br />
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<i><br /></i>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-85101387472361773162015-11-28T21:53:00.002-08:002015-11-28T21:53:28.267-08:00Blind Faith-Blind Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This album came at interesting time in my musical development, by the time I was 12 I was getting a bit tired of just listening to The Beatles and The Stones and I was starting to discover different musical styles. A friend of my Dad's had an album by a band called Blind Faith who I had never heard of, looking at the album cover I was aware of the presence of one Eric Clapton, Steve Windwood and Ginger Baker, the bass player (Rik Grech) didn't ring any bells. I had no idea that they had recorded an album together and was interested to find it was the only one they ever recorded.<br />
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This album came at interesting juncture in the careers of all the protagonists involved, it also came at time when music was taking on a darker bluesier hue. Clapton had grown tired of the power rock format of Cream and longed for something more organic (in the same vein as The Band), Steve Winwood was also looking for something different having felt at the time that he had exhausted his creative opportunities with Traffic. Ginger Baker was added to the lineup at the insistence of Steve Winwood who felt that his style would suit the band, bassist Rik Grech from the band Family was added on bass leaving that band mid tour. Blind Faith eschews the hard blues rock that Cream had pioneered for something more melodic and structured. The album is inconsistent possibly due to the hurried nature in which it was recorded but there are some amazing songs, particularly the opener Had To Cry Today which starts with an ominous Clapton refrain. There is an uncertain atmosphere being created, a portent to something more sinister,<br />
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<i>It's already written that today will be one to remember</i><br />
<i>The feeling's the same as being outside the law</i><br />
<i>Had to cry today</i><br />
<i>Well, I saw your sign and missed you there</i><br />
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The more folk influenced Can't Find My Way Home has an intricate acoustic flow, Clapton's playing shows a great maturity his ability to find a more a nuanced role for his solos was an example of his growing desire to find a more ample setting for his playing than just loud blistering solos. Similar to the opening track it has an ominous feel to it, the songs seem to feed off the growing insecurity that Clapton was feeling at the time. Perhaps that feeling was affecting the band as a whole, Baker was battling a heroin problem, Winwood was still trying to find a place where his music fit and Grech was also soon to descend into addiction. There is a cracking cover of the Buddy Holly classic Well All Right which has a loose jam like feel to it, it's given a great driving treatment by Baker and Winwood is in full throat. The Clapton penned Presence of The Lord is the standout track, elegiac and thoughtful it captures the inner turmoil that Clapton was experiencing at the time and the search for contentment and meaning that he was looking for. Winwood gives an understated performance before incongruously the song opens up into a barnstorming Clapton solo before regaining it's more restrained bearings. Sea Of Joy features an exuberant Winwood who sounds like he is ripping his lungs out on this track his soaring organ work is a highlight, it also features a great violin solo from Grech. Do What You Like at 15 minutes is a cast off number written by Ginger Baker that sounds like it was hastily put together, the highlight is Clapton's solo which stands as one of the best in his career.<br />
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Blind Faith was recorded in April/May 1969 at the famed Olympic Studios in London with Stones producer Jimmy Miller (who Steve Winwood had worked with in the Spencer Davis Group). Upon it's release the band set off on tour with one UK show at Hyde Park and a seven week U.S tour, during which Clapton became increasingly distant from the rest of the band. Once again chafing at the imposition of the supergroup tag Clapton left the band at the end of the U.S tour and headed back to Europe with Delaney and Bonnie who had been the support act on the U.S tour. It's a shame the band didn't regroup for another album because I think a second album would have been a masterpiece.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-87421609285237348912015-11-25T02:12:00.003-08:002015-11-25T02:12:56.845-08:00Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats- Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nathaniel Rateliff's third album and first with his band the Nightsweats is pure joy, barnstorming soul but it's not steeped in any sort of nostalgic revival, it rises well above that. The introspective sentiment of his previous albums is still there but the impact is greater with the Nightsweats supplying the enthusiastic fervour to match Rateliff's soulful growl. You always want an album to make a statement of intent early on in the piece and the opener I Need Never Get Old is old fashioned southern soul sounding like the hey day of Stax, a restrained opening with bass, guitar and piano setting up a call and response intro, paving the way for the horns to give it some drive and pulse. Howling at Nothing sounds like a tent revival with Sam Cooke leading proceedings, it's jubilant and steeped in the heartwarming strains of gospel music.<br />
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<i><br />Some were playing around</i><br />
<i>Some were dipping so low</i><br />
<i>It never seemed to matter as the night slipped away</i><br />
<i>Cause there was soul in the air.</i><br />
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Trying So Hard Not To Know is another soul burner Rateliff is in full roar I can imagine Sam And Dave singing this one. I've Been Falling takes things down a notch, it's a ruminative observation of not quite reaching the mark but still not losing hope,<br />
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<i>Well I needed you and not just someone</i><br />
<i>I've been so long failing you dear</i><br />
<i>I said I'd care for all this darling</i><br />
<i>Yet I buried it all again.</i><br />
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S.O.B reaches into the depths of gospel for some redemption, battling demons of the bottle Rateliff hollers and testify's to the troubles being faced,<br />
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<i>I'm gonna need someone to help me</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna need somebody's hand</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna need someone to hold me down</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna need someone to take care</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna writhe and shake my body</i><br />
<i>I'll start pulling out my hair</i><br />
<i>I'm going to cover myself with the ashes of you</i><br />
<i>And nobody's gonna give a damn.</i><br />
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Wasting Time is more restrained, an acoustic opening it has a gentle wistful lope but of course with a deeply embedded sense of soul. With a plaintive pedal steel meandering alongside Rateliff's relaxed vocal this tune has a late 60's country soul feel. Mellow Out is another country styled track about finding a better way against all the turmoil of life. Rateliff is one of those vocalists who doesn't need to over sing to get his message across, the feeling in his voice is undeniable. The Nightsweats are tight, bold and soulful when needed but also more relaxed and able to lock into that meditative groove that fits Rateliff's songs so well. Further more catch these guys live they are in Australia for bluesfest and a just announced side show in Melbourne at 170, I will be there.<br />
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<i><br /></i>Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-50282673360747978932015-11-19T20:52:00.000-08:002015-11-19T20:52:11.046-08:00Sarah Blasko-Eternal Return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sarah Blasko is in love my assertion being unequivocally supported by the release of her new studio album Eternal Return. Whereas her previous albums were always a tad dark in subject matter, Eternal Return basks in the glow of new found contentment. Musically it still retains some of the gothic stylings but with some lighter more melodic shades, the album is awash with synths very 80's new wave in it's approach courtesy of Blasko's purchase of a Prophet synthesizer. I Am Ready is an assertive pronouncement in Kate Bush style she announces "<i>I am ready to be revealed" </i>the curtain is about to be lifted for all to see.<br />
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Better With You is another song that reflects on the changes in Blasko's life since she met her partner Dave Miller,<br />
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<i>I think I finally found me feet and I hardly recognise</i><br />
<i>Who I was without you, like I wore a disguise</i><br />
<i>You can say I waited for you all this time</i><br />
<i>I won't deny the change I'm feeling, I cannot hide</i><br />
<i>It's better with you.</i><br />
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I'd Be Lost has a timeless quality about it, very much steeped in the 80's with punchy synth lines and pumping yet restrained bass line that harks back to early New Order. In all the joy of new love this track hints at something darker in acknowledging all that has changed what could happen if was to be lost.<br />
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<i>Finally I found someone to call my own</i><br />
<i>When I thought I'd always be alone</i><br />
<i>Face is so familiar in this crowded room</i><br />
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Luxurious has a more soulful bent to it, it's one of the more emotionally revealing songs on the album and it's a song that has a strong connection, her voice sounds bare and more stripped back. It's the pinnacle of the album in that the true sentiment of the album is revealed. This is not a love album per se it's about experiencing light when dark has generally prevailed and being able to bloom as a person.<br />
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<i>There have been loves before that only held me down</i><br />
<i>Made me feel that I was never enough, or I felt</i><br />
<i>But your gentle way with me brings out a lighter side</i><br />
<i>Feeling somehow I can open up and bloom</i><br />
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Only One is as close to a pop song as this album gets, it's a vibrant and ecstatic ode to love,<br />
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<i>Yeah I'd do anything for my love</i><br />
<i>Now I got you by my side going to show you off</i><br />
<i>Holding hands will make a mark won't fear it, it's alright</i><br />
<i>We are together in this one I'm sure of it</i><br />
<i>My only one, I'm in love</i><br />
<i>I'm going to give you everything.</i><br />
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Eternal Return is one of the best Australian releases this year, it's a blissful listen.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629671683855511488.post-22911848130648848452015-11-08T01:26:00.000-08:002015-11-08T01:26:19.144-08:00Free-Free Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Live albums became especially popular in the late 60's early 70's sometimes they were released to try and achieve commercial breakthrough for a band that might have a solid live following but have yet to have mainstream success. Often these albums could be hit or miss or subject to creative editing before they released so often what you ended up hearing was not exactly live!<br />
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Free Live is exactly that, live, raw and uncompromising it showed the impeccable talent of one of the best blues rock bands to emerge from the U.K in the late 60's. Unfortunately their signature tune All Right Now seemed to eclipse everything else they did, Free Live displays a tight road hardened band who unfortunately burned to bright to early. The album was released in September 1971 by which time the band had split due to internal differences and the worsening drug addiction of guitarist Paul Kossoff, the band would reform a few months later to record two further albums before splitting in 1973. The material on the album was taken from live shows performed in 1970 at the Locarno ballroom in Sunderland and at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. The bands introduction before they hit the stage in Sunderland is hilarious, the impresario obviously not enamoured at having a rock band playing the venue somewhat tersely announces "the group are now ready, lets have some order" all delivered in a thick Geordie accent. Free then launch into a blistering version of All Right Now, coming to the fore is Kossoff's guitar work his ability to hold a note without losing any of its potency had attracted admirers like Eric Clapton when they supported Blind Faith on their 1969 American tour. Rodgers possessed a powerful soulful throat that matched his onstage swagger, he comes across even on record as an enthusiastic performer willing and pushing the band on during their solo's. There is also the ever present heavy bass work of any Fraser that had a great melodic feel interweaving alongside Kossoff and anchoring the pounding skin work of Simon Kirke.<br />
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Their live set at this point was featuring a lot of the heavier material from their debut Tons Of Sobs, the funky I'm a Mover features some aggressive fret work from Kossoff who seems to be channelling the great Jimi Hendrix during his solo. Fraser keeps everything anchored with his resounding bottom heavy bass sound, Rodgers at one point in the second verse slight over extends himself with his octave range! The brilliant Be My Friend from the underrated Highway album has a sublime solo from Kossoff his rich tone and ability to stretch each note for maximum impact is perfectly demonstrated on what was one of his favourite Free songs. The band then launch into darker waters with Fire And Water where his solo on Be My Friend was more restrained, here Kossoff is almost apocalyptic in his playing, it's wild and flowing with Fraser slowly snaking his way through the minefield. Mr Big from the Fire and Water album is given a thunderous opening by Simon Kirke on the drums before Fraser and Kossoff slowly descend into the mix, Rodgers had this uncanny ability to convey a sinister tone in his voice which always added to the drama of each song. Another song from their debut closes the album, The Hunter seems an appropriate closer, it's raw blues, a four to the floor barnstormer that was especially popular live. once again the almost frantic fret work from Kossoff shows what a supreme guitarist he was. In thinking back you can only imagine what Free might have become had the pressure of fame not affected this young band.<br />
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<br />Nighthawk Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05638042983194621824noreply@blogger.com0