Arriving only recently at FLW is the already available ‘Movin’ by Shaun Young and The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots. Issued on both CD and 12” vinyl, ‘Movin’ is a collection of songs split between the two guises of The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots, but with most songs going to The 3 Ringers. With the album being recorded and produced by Shaun Young at Jet-Tone Studios, Austin, Texas – “The Speed of Sound”, the quality really shines throughout this release. From rockabilly influenced numbers ‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, to an amalgamation of said genre with a strong hint of blues powering ‘When You Do That’, and then rounding off with the rock ‘n’ roll ‘Knockout’, Shaun Young with his cohorts is never one to sit still for a moment. Such a notion can be gleaned from the modern touches applied to this album, despite the album retaining a definite authentic feel overall, because ‘Movin’ never gives the impression of holding a desire to go back to the 50s as it’s a record that sounds perfectly at home in the present. With song titles and lyrics suggesting much heartache and longing for better times (‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, ‘Drink Till I Can’t Feel The Pain’, ‘My Heartaches Been Confirmed’, etc) Shaun Young (and bands) has/have a real way of convincing its audience via such tearjerkers as ‘I Plead The 5th’, to the more hopeful ‘More Than Any Tongue Can Tell’ with its mashup intro of Tom Petty meets Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue’. The contents of ‘Movin’ are a delight to behold and provide enough evidence that rockabilly is alive and well in Austin, Texas.

Described as an “experimental sound artist” is offthesky (all lowercase). Such a label is a fitting description once the contents of latest album ‘Illuminate’ begins to unravel its tapestry of piano, synths, percussion, cello, oboe, viola, violin, sax and pretty much the whole kitchen sink (!), where it soon becomes apparent that much thought and attention to detail has been considered. This becomes clearer once the background details of current album ‘Illuminate’ reveal that it began its inception during autumn 2017 and was spread out in terms of its recordings with stints in Denver and Kentucky and the European destinations of Latvia and Poland. It wasn’t until two years later that the recording of ‘Illuminate’ was completed. With offthesky presented as the solo work of Michael Jason Corder, the new album includes a variety of musicians who offer their skills. As often with Eilean Records, the music is often a purely instrumental affair, but every now and again you will hear the faintest of vocals, something of which is utilised during ‘Illuminate’. As mentioned already, the sounds are often experimental and lean towards ethereal sounding compositions (‘Eyes Like Isles’) or moody reflective numbers such as ‘Future Fire’, held together by a compelling saxophone. There is often the suggestion of late-night wonders under moonlit skies (depending on your interpretation of course) via dreamy ‘Neon Aeon’ and more tense ‘Monomystic’ with its shades of folk music. Having released a mammoth number of albums, latest addition ‘Illuminate’ is another strong and moving record to add to the catalogue of offthesky.

It’s good to be out of the comfort zone occasionally, and that’s exactly where ‘From The Void’ places the listener. A truly gritty and on the edge debut album from Finnish modern metal band Chronoform, ‘From The Void’ fills in the spaces with combined influences of traditional and modern elements of the metal genre. With this being the band’s debut LP, Chronoform make a dramatic entrance from the start via the bone crushing assault that is ‘Conquer’, which pummels the senses in a combined assault of throaty vocals (Niko-Petteri Westerholm), frenetic drumming (Vänni Panula) and dexterous guitars (Aapo Hakamaa and Eero Mäkiranta) that give the impression of providing a route away from the considerable “threat” at the centre of this track. The accompanying video referencing George Orwell’s 1984 and other similar works such as V for Vendetta, expands ‘Conquer’ further by adding a finale that floats on a beautiful segment of piano and one that is bathed visually in red smoke and a reminder of what the future may hold. Unfortunately, the distraction is temporary as the rest of the contents of ‘From The Void’ reveals. Just as ‘Conquer’ made a dramatic entrance, ditto ‘Sight of Eternity’ that continues the previous song’s theme yet really highlights those expansive elements of Chronofrom’s sound where the shift in gears is evident from the vocals to the riffs coming thick and fast, but then opening up a surprise package midway through with airy electronica. It’s utterly compelling from start to finish and a sign of major talent at work. From such details, ‘Purist’ offers further experimentation with subtle use of keys and the ‘noise’ turned down slightly, yet never loses its raw edge. Elsewhere, ‘Dusk’ highlights once more Chronoform’s skilled craftmanship as they generate a bile-induced racket that is the sound of a band turning itself inside out whilst drilling its message deep inside the listener’s cranium. The closing ‘Subatomic’ expands on its predecessor by adding traditional elements of metal via its guitars with the modern touches, but it is these newer ingredients that standout here because it’s the sign of band looking to the future in terms of direction. Despite the lengthy gestation it has taken ‘From The Void’ to finally raise its head, the wait has been truly worthwhile because Chronoform has delivered a debut record of high quality, and one that reveals genuine sparks of imagination that rub shoulder to shoulder with the modern and traditional forms of the metal genre as it bleeds from the top down in a compelling noise and revealing a real tour de force at work.

Bringing the blues and rhythm and blues sound up to date, yet retaining a strictly vintage sound, is Joakim Tinderholt & His Band and their latest single ‘Love Is A 4 Letter Word’. With two long players to his name, this latest creation finds Tinderholt in tender mode with a nice, clever spin on the interpretation of the “…4 letter word” at the centre of this song. Strictly limited to 500 copies, those who’ve been following Joakim Tinderholt & His Band since their inception will be fully aware of the flipside to this 45” ‘You Gotta Do More’, which offers a powerhouse in the shape of the vocals with no suggestion of it working overtime. Supporting this natural talent is a crisp, lively beat that is rock ‘n’ roll tinged with blues. Naturally, comparisons will be made with that other major namesake JD McPherson, but if you can allow space for one more in your heart, then love is a 4-letter word in its truest form.

Giving the title of this record to its creator speaks volumes about the artist because there’s no real introduction required here as the singing talent that was Larry Williams should be known by all. Outside of the music and leading up to his introduction to the world of rock ‘n’ roll, Williams life was equally compelling as he dabbled in numerous illegal activities as well as serving as a chauffeur for then Speciality recording artist Little Richard. Captured on wax are four rock ‘n’ roll burners that clearly remind of the wild talent that was Larry Williams, but also serve as a reminder of the major success this artist experienced during the late 50s. It is the two leading tracks – ‘Short Fat Fanny’ and ‘Bony Maronie’ – that proved major breakthroughs for Williams, with both songs riding high on the R&B and pop charts. Following on from these two rockin’ numbers is the pick of a very fine crop with the molten hot ‘Slow Down’. Concluding this four-track EP is ‘Give Me Love’ that sounds cutting-edge for its time due to possessing early 60s influences before reaching that decade. The rest is history as far as the music career of Larry Williams is concerned as darker days ensued where the criminal underworld proved a bigger lure than securing future recording contracts once the doors of Speciality closed shut.

These are exciting times for singer-songwriter Lisa Redford. With a new EP released by the name of ‘Edge of Love’, consisting of five tracks containing a blend of Americana, country, folk, soul and classic pop, the future certainly looks bright for the Norwich based artist. Despite any optimism felt in terms of the upward trajectory of the career of Lisa Redford, there are telling signs that all has not been well. The giveaway is the poignant quote adorning the new record sleeve where, “Tears are words that need to be written,” (Paulo Coelho). Seemingly taking this onboard, one of the UK’s closest exports to creating an authentic country sound projects such sadness through the songs gracing ‘Edge of Love’. It all begins with ‘Anything But Easy’ that is similar in style to Redford’s earlier release ‘Another Place and Time’ where the tempo is upbeat, yet lyrics reveal the complexities of an intimate relationship. The EP’s title track is a stirring ballad and one that casts a shadow over the subject matter as it approaches with caution and given further emphasis by the musical accompaniment of piano, cello and compelling vocals. With this being the sole track to offer a hint of optimism as far as love is concerned, despite its reservations as well, the remaining songs depict breakdowns in communications and the inevitable demise of relationships only for the emotional tug-of-war to continue long after such events have died in the embers. Such examples are left to a couplet of ballads, ‘I Just Can’t Forget’, which has an atmosphere of country and soul, whereas ‘Alone Tonight’ is delicately played out via acoustic guitar and gorgeous vocals drawing the listener closer and closer to its beating heart. For our money though, the late-night draw of ‘Let Go’ wins hands down with its impression of attempting to win over a hardened crowd at the local honky-tonk via an abundance of harmonies and hooks (with special mention going to the pedal steel and 12-string Rickenbacker). With ‘Edge of Love’ apparently arriving at some personal costs and despite any suggestions of cracks appearing on its surface, there remains a heartbeat at the centre of this record because Lisa Redford (plus band) has made a rousing comeback that is likely to win over new supporters here as well as overseas.