Single Review - All Of Me - Kezia Gill

There’s suddenly so much to look forward to, not just the promise of Summer, sunshine, and longer days, but also festivals – and a new EP from Silverball Country Female Artist of the Year Kezia Gill.  We’ve already had the first track from it, and now Kezia is releasing the next single – All Of Me.

Clearly, Kezia has been experimenting with cross genre music of late, and her popular Friday night livestreams with different themes each week demonstrated just what a range she has, and this latest release is part of that.

An almost dark opening guitar gives way to the recognisable vocal as Kezia starts this tale of a woman so in love with a great man that she is terrified she could never be enough for him

Kezia Gill possesses a powerful voice, and it’s a voice that can set your feet tapping or evoke strong emotions.  This time around it is somewhere between Blues and Soul but with a rock edge – it would be hard to pin Kezia down to one style, one genre, although her song writing is very much in the Country tradition, albeit with a UK slant.

All Of Me is stripped back to keep the emphasis on the voice, the words, reflecting the raw emotion of the song, the way that the story teller is opening herself up and offering her whole self to a man that she fears she is not good enough for.

A powerful song with a powerful singer needs to be matched with the instrumentation, provided by Phil Donnelly (Guitar) and Chris Brice (Drums). The song was mixed and mastered in Nashville by Grammy-Award nominated Justin Cortelyou @ Soul Train Studios who has ensured a superb, finished product without adding anything unnecessary to the mix (which seems to be the current Nashville trend)

 

Emotive, Powerful, Vulnerable – both the story and the performance.

All Of Me, the new single from Kezia Gill, will be available to download and stream from Friday 28 May 2021

You can find and follow Kezia on Facebook, Instagram, her website and on Spotify, as well as live at Craic By The Creek, Buckle and Boots and Tennessee Fields Festivals

Artist and Album Profile - Scott Southworth

If you‘ve been following our daily Livestream postings (every day on Facebook at 11am for over a year) you may have noticed the regular Tuesday posting – Scott Southworth Live From the Lost Highway.  In truth, we only came across Scott because he was on the same bill as our UK friend Ags Connolly, but as Scott has continued to stream, we have continued to list him.

 

Scott recently very generously arranged for his US distributers to send across his 3 albums – The Last Honky Tonk In Town (2016) Hey Hillbilly Singer (2018) and his most recent release These Old Bones (2020).  Our first reaction was to get the CDs into the truck and play them while driving, which is a great way to get a feel for an album before reviewing.  After only a few minutes it was windows down, music turned up live and singing along!

Scott’s music is genuine authentic traditional Country – in the singing style, the instrumentation, the themes, in fact, everything about every song is Country!

 

With 3 albums of 11 tracks each, it would be crazy to try and review each individually, but as a taster, the first album – The Last Hony Tonk In Town - opens with a lament to the loss of traditional Honky Tonk Bars with When the Last Jukebox Dies and includes the song Mama Was A Roller Derby Queen. Album 2 Hey Hillbilly Singer starts off with the title track which has the opening line “Hey Hillbilly singer sing me a song about a cold-hearted woman done a good man wrong”.  Trad country themes at their finest!  Each song is stuffed full of the phrasing you’d expect, lyrics you will pick up instantly and sing along and a melody that makes you want to be dancing on the Bar’s tiny dance floor wedged in between the stage and the jukebox!

The most recent album is These Old Bones which carries on where the preceding recordings left off.  From Steel Guitars and Broken Hearts – which almost summarises everything we think about Country Music – through Ain’t Easy Leaving You and Where I’ll Be to the single release Brown Liquor Scott leans mostly on guitar and steel, with a drummer out in the back there and occasional keys all supporting his powerful vocal which oozes Hill Billy Country!  Mixing up tempo that will have you clapping and stamping to the slower songs that will have you wanting to take someone in your arms and two-step till closing time.

Every track on every album will transport you to the traditional bar of history and Country Music folklore, and every song is sure to have you singing along, even on your very first listen.

As a body of work, these three albums are some of the finest I have heard, certainly from a lesser-known singer and I would hope that a festival organiser will consider bringing Scott over to the UK!  Treat yourself to Scott’s newest Album These Old Bones, and then treat yourself to his back catalogue too!

 

In addition to his (current) weekly Livestream you can find and follow Scott on Facebook, Instagram and his website, plus of course on Spotify.

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Single Review - Chaos - Stevie O'Connor

If you have seen Stevie O’Connor perform live then you KNOW you have seen him.  Stevie has what can only be described as a BIG stage presence, which is why he has already won awards – including the Silverball Country Award for Entertainer of the Year.

If you have met Stevie off stage you will know that he has a much more gentle, almost humble, personality than his on stage persona.

Those who have followed his musical journey have been waiting for him to release music – I first met Stevie playing in a songwriters round and loved his voice from his first song!

With his release of Chaos we get to see which personality come to the fore!

Chaos is not a party song, it is not a clap along sing out loud song.  It is a beautifully crafted, gentle song which not only demonstrates the range that Stevie has in his vocals but also addresses an issue that has become so very important after the year we have all had. It addresses the struggles that an individual may have when their mental health becomes strained.

Recorded following some difficult personal circumstances, Stevie chose to almost slip the song out into the world and allow it to grow.  No fuss, no ceremony.  Off stage Stevie.

Chaos is a beautiful song, relaxing, and well written and performed both vocally and with the instrumentation.  When you need to take a pause in your day, put this on, sit back and stop stressing, if only for four minutes.

If we all take just one thing from the song and the message within…

Mental Health should no longer be a taboo. It is ok to say “I need help”.

 

Chaos, the debut single from Stevie O’Connor is available on all major platforms from Friday 14 May

Stevie can be seen live on the Main Stage at Buckle and Boots on the Friday night and on Facebook, Instagram and his website 

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Single Review - Roadhouse - Jessica Lynn

If you’ve seen Jessica Lynn play live, you’ll recognise her new single Roadhouse instantly

If you haven’t seen Jessica and the band live – where have you been?  No worries, they are on the road this year, playing at Tennessee Fields festival as well as a string of UK dates in 2022!

So, for context, Roadhouse is a high energy party song which is ideal for the style of Jessica’s performance – bouncing around the stage, shaking that incredible hair and belting out a feel-good tune.  The whole band are involved in this, and when they are on stage you can see how much fun they are all having – from Husband Steve on guitar, Dad Pete on Bass, Mum Victoria on background vocals and Uncle Bob on pedal steel (an occasionally stealing centre stage!)

Lets turn this place into a Roadhouse, lets get those girls up the bar

Turn up that Country Music, clear those tables off the floor

The only concern when a live song is released as a single is whether it will translate.  No concerns here – listening to this track even through earphones (as I am doing right now) instantly takes you to the love show feeling that we have all been missing for so long!   Whether you see or have seen Jessica on a small intimate stage or a festival stage the energy is the same – and it is 100% apparent in this recording!

Having spoken to Jessica when the last tour had to be cancelled, I know just how much they miss live performance and touring – and the UK!  The whole band were disappointed to miss out on their regular trip and are all excited to be back on the road, even though it will mean leaving Audrey the wonder dog at home!

The track opens loud with guitar, keys, drums before the vocal comes in – but those musicians don’t let up!  It is energy from start to finish just as a rousing country song should be!  The bass line and drumbeat will have you tapping clapping or stamping along, the guitar breaks from Steve are, as ever, sublime, and it is wonderful to hear the input from every member of the band throughout – and be able to hear them all due to the great production mix.

With a return to normal within our grasp, and the festivals being announced this single release is absolutely perfect to get you ready for the big live shows that are to come.

See you there?

 

Roadhouse, the new single from Jessica Lynn is available to download and stream from Friday 14 May

 

You can find Jessica online on Facebook, Instagram, her website and on Spotify

You can see Jessica and the band at Tennessee Fields Festival and on her 2022 Lone Rider Tour UK 

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EP Review - The Table - Emma Moore

After releasing a teaser single Husbands or Kids, Emma Moore is back with the full EP release of The Table.  This is a body of work that Emma is clearly proud of, and she has sent out a press release with almost her own review attached – showing the level of attachment she has to her music!

Speaking of the EP as a whole Emma says

This record is full of life - full of stories, opinions, realisations, decisions, reactions, emotions, confessions and so much more. In the end, or in short, I put all my sh*t out on the table.

The EP opens with the single Husbands or Kids which we previously reviewed here It’s a rocky song, displaying Emma’s powerful vocals, an attention grabbing kick off!

Late to the Table gives the EP its title.  Slower paced, calmer, it is a tale of the reality of womanhood contrasted against cliché.  The melody softens the delivery of the message – because not everything needs to be shouted!  Waiting For You continues the gentler style, and both of these tracks show that Emma has a softer side to her performance, a powerful yet controlled voice.  She makes the song sound very personal and emotive as she sings of the feelings around falling for someone who doesn’t fall for you!

The tempo increases with Blinded.  Whether you are a country music lover who loves to dance or one that loves to drink this song gives you the villain figure and fires you up. It’s a good country song.

When brings all the emotions!  It is the obligatory cheating lover song, but with Emma’s vocals and the stunning instrumentation it is an absolute heartbreaker of a song. Although it is from the perspective of “the other woman” you will still find yourself siding with her, and remembering that there is always another side to every story.

To round off the EP brings back the rock with Match Made In Hell. Heavy drum line and Emma’s slightly grittier vocals combine in a tale of not waiting around to see if you’re a perfect match!

It would be tough to try and pick a “best song” from this collection, and to do so would be unfair.  Six songs that are Emma at her absolute best – in performance and song writing.  Capturing the traditions of Country Music with a modern style the EP deserves a wide audience – and so does Emma. 

As it is an ep featuring a lot of female empowerment and female emotions, the last word has to come from our own Francesca

It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but the instrumentation also makes me feel like I am travelling – travelling along with Emma!

 

The Table, the new EP from Emma Moore is available to download and stream from Friday 7 May

 

Find and follow Emma on Facebook, Instagram, her website and on Spotify

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Its an emotional rollercoaster of an ep but I also feel I’m travelling due to the instrumentation

 

Blinded

Single Review - Stuck Behind a Tractor - Tommy Atkins

We love a decent Country reference and a bit of imagery – and the new track Stuck Behind A Tractor from Tommy Atkins gives us both in the title alone! 

We nominated Tommy in the Best Song category in last year’s Silverball Country Awards for “Cinderella’s Had A Drink”, and whilst it wasn’t the winner, it showed how far Tommy has come whilst still possibly being under the radar of a lot of UK Country fans and festivals.

Tommy’s voice and style seem to have matured a little since his previous, more up tempo/poppy releases, which is appropriate with the song being a coming-of-age type, reflective release. 

As Tommy himself puts it

Out where we live, we get stuck behind tractors all the time, and I thought that was the perfect metaphor for where I’m at right now. Between the Covid lockdowns, turning 30 and moving out to the country, I’ve learned to slow down and not lose my shit when things aren’t happening as quickly as I’d like.

Undeniably Country, with a twangy guitar in the intro and the instrumentation you would expect from a Country song, Tommy again shows his skill at writing a Country song with a very UK slant to it – although getting Stuck Behind a Tractor is probably a worldwide hazard!

The song and imagery is about turning thirty, and life under Covid, two things that have possibly encouraged a lot of people to stop and take stock of themselves and their life.  Tommy includes some wise words in the song

Take a breath, destress learn to take it slow

Which is good advice for us all!

Our advice – if you haven’t heard Tommy’s music yet, take a breath and check out both his new single and his back catalogue of work.

Stuck Behind a Tractor, the new single from Tommy Atkins is available to download and stream from 6 May

You can find and follow Tommy on Facebook, Instagram, his website and on Spotify

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