Single Review - Give Me A Song - Lars Pluto and The Reavers

There is often a discussion about “What is Country” or whether a song actually is “Country”.  When Lars Pluto sings, it is 100% Country – with that voice of his, it can’t be anything else!  Passionate about his music, passionate about the genre Lars Pluto is certainly a character on the scene, and his performances – whether on stage, in a stage show or in a recording studio are also always 100%

 

Lars has released his new single Give Me A Song which is following the well-known theme of Heartache – but he has recorded it in an up tempo 90s Country style, because of course he has!  Lars has also chosen to release the track on a Tuesday, because of course he has.

While the song musically has all the hallmarks of a bouncy 90s country track it is very well written, treating Heartache as though it is a person, and Lars is talking directly to her/him/it.

If you’re gonna hang around too long, Heartache give me a song

A broken heart is a blessing in disguise to a songwriter – let’s face it, it’s the backbone of Country song writing, and Lars takes that idea and makes the theme into the theme of the song.  I guess this is the musical equivalent of putting a brave face on things.  It is no great surprise for this bad boy of UK Country to put his own twist on things, and to also show off his abilities and the talents of his band The Reavers – Tom Wright on Electric guitar and backing vocals (as well as producing the track) Phil Bloomberg on bass and Mikey Cinacio on drums.  It’s a sad tale but a fun song, which no doubt will get people dancing, smiling and thinking about heartache all at the same time!

As Lars describes it

The boys all played the hell out of this tune.  I hope y’all like it as much as we do

Reckon we will Lars, reckon we will.

 

Give Me a Song, the new single from Lars Pluto and the Reavers is available to download and stream now

Follow Lars and the boys on Facebook, Instagram and on Spotify

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Single Review - Along The Hippie Trail - Richard Gregory

We were intrigued when we recently received an email that said “I humbly submit” and went on to describe the song as “Country and Eastern”

How could we not take a listen? The polite artiste is Richard Gregory, the song All Along The Hippie Trail

Richard Gregory is not a familiar name to us, so the next step was to take a look at the bio.  Intriguing?  And some!  To say that Richard has “done some things in his life” would be a massive understatement!  It looks like he has packed several lifetimes into his mere 65 years on the planet, stretching from his native Shepherds Bush all the way to Kathmandu.

A signwriter (a real one), writer, editor, IT genius, father, “always a freak but never a hippie” and a musician, you feel that Richard could write albums of music about his life, but for now we must content ourselves with a single song about his 1974 trip from west London to Kathmandu by bus (the 207 from outside Shepherds Bush Market?).

Richard says the song includes a little poetic licence – I think it was also written and recorded with a little tongue in cheek too!  It has what can only be described as a unique sound, combining guitar, harmonica and eastern influenced pipes.  Its not a slick recording, but that adds to the charm.  It certainly includes the country tradition of storytelling.  There’s travel, there’s a girl, there’s reminiscing – truly country, whilst not necessarily being country!  The repeated “Far East Far East man” and reference to the green eyed yellow idol will make you crack a smile!

Without a doubt, this song is not quite the usual music that we are sent or listen to, but it is different, its fun and you will be singing along to the chorus before long.

If you don’t write the full album Richard, can we have a drink and hear some more stories from you?

All Along the Hippie Trail, the new single from Richard Gregory is available to purchase from Bandcamp or stream now on Spotify

To read more about the fascinating Richard, check his website

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Single Review - It Took A Woman - Tommy Atkins

Silverball Country Awards nominee (song of the Year) Tommy Atkins is back for the beginning of Pride month with a single from his forthcoming debut.  Album.  It Took A Woman is a love song – but as you might expect from Tommy, there is a twist. The object of the song is not his partner (In Tommy’s case, his husband) but the Grandmother who raised him.  The song tells us how great the husband is, how proud Tommy is to be married to him, but there is the acknowledgement that he wouldn’t be the man he is without the woman who raised him.

It took a woman to raise the man of my dreams

The lyrics reflect  a wedding day speech (how were the speeches at your wedding Tommy?) and musically the pace and tone of reflects that and match the love that you can hear – for the husband and the woman who raised him.  As a song this will make a fabulous Father/Daughter or Mother/Song dance at weddings.  Tommy has a soft and gentle style when the song calls for it, and the instrumentation of guitar and strings complement that almost perfectly.  To add depth there are beautiful backing vocals provided by Rissi Palmer – an artiste that Tommy has long looked up to.

I hope that I measure up

You do Tommy, and so does the song.  We can’t wait for the album.

It Took A Woman, the new single from Tommy Atkins is available now to download and stream.

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

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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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