After receiving considerable praise for their album ‘Down The Way’ (2010), namely Album of The Year at the ARIA Awards in their native Australia and recognition in countries as far afield as France, Germany and the UK, indie folk pop siblings Angus and Julia Stone are back with a brand new album. Having enlisted Rick Rubin on production duties, the quality of ‘Angus & Julia Stone’ is recognisable from the off with the entrenched sadness of ‘A Heartbreak’ that possesses a genuine haunting quality, emphasised by the trudging rhythmic pattern and downcast vocals. Previous single ‘Grizzly Bear’ sees Angus Stone pick up the mic and relay his affection for a certain somebody in his life, played out to a soulful backdrop of acoustic guitar and keys.  Comparisons can be made with the likes of Mazzy Star and, in particular, The Civil Wars during the interchanging and combined vocals of the Stone’s duo during the ongoing confessions of ‘Heart Beats Slow’. ‘Wherever You Are’ reveals the intimacy of a relationship and one almost feels a sense of prying such is the honesty expressed. The creativity button is given a nudge with the intriguing ‘Death Defying Acts’ that begins at a canter with a single guitar and Julia Stone’s engaging vocal, before the storm clouds start to loom, wonderfully highlighted by some tetchy guitar and crashing percussion, only to take a further twist with a brief spoken passage before concluding with a sting in its tail. The equal billing of vocals works wonders during ‘Other Things’, with its sleepy exchanges and ramshackle approach musically. ‘From The Stalls’ sees the duo swapping vocals once more, and again revealing much sincerity considering the cracked edges stemming from Angus Stone in particular. ‘Angus & Julia Stone’ is a remarkable record for a variety of reasons, but most importantly it is the song writing talent and manner in which the songs are presented that make this a must have addition to anyone’s record collection.

The clamour for instrumental compilations appears to be the current trend on the rockin’ circuit, with Western Star being the latest record label to serve up a sizeable amount of rockin’ instrumentals by the name of ‘Speechless: Half A Ton Of Rockin’ Instrumentals’. Where this double album release differs, however, is due to the fact that mingling with the various covers is a vast number of original compositions issued by a matching number of modern rock ‘n roll bands. The cast list is impressive with the likes of Rudy La Crioux & The All-Stars, Jack Rabbit Slim, The Sharks, The Wolftones, The Bullets, Pete Hutton & The Beyonders, The Bonneville Barons to name but a small sample. In addition, ‘Speechless: Half A Ton Of Rockin’ Instrumentals’ serves as a reminder of just how exhilaratingly good a few chords of a guitar with additional percussive trimmings can sound judging by the variety of songs on offer. Speaking of which…compiled of fifty instrumentals, this two-disc set offers great value, but more importantly the quality is consistently high with a number of bands weighing in with more than one creative effort. Pick of the bunch, bearing in mind this is likely to change day-by-day due to the sheer amount of material to choose from, is The Sharks’ Hell Riders’, due to being a tough guitar stroller punctuated with brass instrumentation. The Wolftones reveal their song writing prowess with the far from icy guitar ride that is ‘Siberian Surfer’. Everything and the kitchen sink is cast into the air once The Bonneville Barons make their entrance with the aptly named ‘Mexican Wildfire’, before eventually settling into a calmer rhythm only to let fly once more. Kill Van Helsing do their best at setting the speakers ablaze with the searing guitar noise ‘Quatermass’, leaving it to Jack Rabbit Slim to finally tear things up with ‘Dragstrip’. ‘Speechless: Half A Ton Of Rockin’ Instrumentals’ also benefits from the different perspectives given on the overall instrumental theme. Look no further than the slower tempo and heavy guitar twang of ‘Hawaiian Thang’ by Chuck & The Hulas or the massive surge of power sax that fuels ‘Chucks Mambo’ courtesy of The Frantic Flintstones. But if your ears are craving something further leftfield, then ‘Hot Dang Hee Haw’ should satisfy any such desires as it’s loaded full of eccentricities with its use of samples interwoven with pummelling bass and drums and some darn fine guitar work. Restoring order, but maintaining the general wildness, is the likes of The Cheaterslicks’ magnificent ‘Gasolina’ with Henry ‘Ruzz’ Evans taking centre stage, and the cutting inside rhythm before heading back out to the outer edges of ‘Daggertrap’ by the Kings Of Outer Space. It’s simple, everything you need to know about ‘Speechless: Half A Ton Of Rockin’ Instrumentals’ is given by its title because rockin’ instrumental albums do not come much better than this!

Vince Eager, one of the pioneers of the UK’s response to the rock ‘n’ roll sounds emanating from the United States, is back with an album that pays tribute to a number of performers from the fields of rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll. The knowing wink of the album title is, in fact, far wide of the mark for anyone fortunate enough to have seen Vince Eager perform at last year’s tenth anniversary celebrations of Western Star Records, as he peeled back the years with a standout performance. The title of the record also alludes to the reputation a lot of the original rockers held when wreaking havoc with their wild sounds and blooming popularity that was driving the local populace in any given town wild with excitement or cause for concern, depending on which side of the fence one was situated. With a nifty primal beat and sharpness of lyrics, ‘Rockabilly Dinosaur’ recollects this emerging sound and the impact felt to great effect. Much respect is given to the original compositions throughout ‘Rockabilly Dinosaur’, and there is a real sense of enjoyment from each and every song through to the memories recollected by Vince Eager in the accompanying booklet that makes for fascinating reading for those less familiar with his exploits. All of this, however, would not have been possible without the Western All-Stars (Alan Wilson, Steve Whitehouse, Liz Avent, Geoff Barker et al) adding their backing to such engaging renditions of Don Gibson’s ‘Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles’, Tommy Sand’s ‘The Worrying Kind’, Hank Snow’s ‘I’m Movin’ On’ and Peanut Wilson’s ‘Cast Iron Arm’ complete with stonking sax via Rachel Hutchinson. ‘Rockabilly Dinosaur’ is a reminder of the legend that is Vince Eager, but also one that pays homage to a variety of former artists and their songs admirably.

Back with her new album ‘Running Wild’, Stateside resident Ruby Ann continues where top seller ‘Mama’s Back’ left off as far as quality control is concerned and, of course, an abundance of great tunes. It’s there in the details, having set up camp at Chicago’s Hi-Style studio and enlisted the help of such fellow rockin’ musicians as Eddie Clendening (‘The Rage of the Teen-Age!’) and Joel Patterson, as well as a number of the songs included in this latest release being penned by other songwriters including Mark Winchester, Big Sandy et al that sit nicely with several, carefully selected cover versions. There is a real sense of nostalgia every time Ms Ann steps up to the mic and opens up the vocal chords with an authentic take on a 50s sound, which is not simply about up-tempo rockin’ numbers but mid-paced setters (‘You Gotta Pay’) and others that incorporate elements of country or presented in the style of soulful balladry. With ‘Running Wild’ appealing to an established fan base, as well as acquiring a considerable number of new followers, Ruby Ann marks her return with a variation of musical styles that is finely tuned to a perfect twelve that consists of nothing but the highest quality. Mama’s definitely back, and back with style!

Describing The Wolftones as the real deal is an accurate description as they remain a unit that is emotionally driven which, as a result, can produce some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll music one is likely to experience depending, however, on which mood decides to reveal itself on any one particular occasion. There is no doubting that The Wolftones rockin’ blues is best served up in a live setting, as when this five-piece are on their game there are not too many contenders. Such a description can be applied to the band’s current album ‘Red Light Blues’, due to moments that really enthral whereas on other occasions the band sounds lacklustre when they should be soaring. Such occasions can be gleaned from the album’s title track and next in line ‘Only You’, as both numbers give the impression of a band warming up for the main event rather than an explosive force considering their entry in the pecking order. Fortunately, salvation arrives once the dynamic guitar intro of ‘Blues On My Mind’ presents itself and The Wolftones jolt into action with a rumblin’, red-hot number that is captured to great effect as it goes someway to realising their live, raw sound. ‘Shake It Baby’ teases the senses with its initial guitar pickin’ and one can sense the emergence of something special beginning to edge its way out of the speakers, which duly arrives via James Jimbob Sullivan’s harmonica and Sully’s directional guitar playing. The duo of ‘The Stooge’ and ’21 Nights In Jail’ offer more of the same as far as the rhythmic blues mingling with rock edges goes, before taking a darker twist with the intriguing gothic tinges of ‘Devil Prowler’ that positions The Wolftones in slightly unfamiliar territory and all the better for it. Lead singer Jay Bircumshaw definitely preserves his vocal chords until the final cluster of songs – namely ‘Rooster Blues’, ‘Insane’, ‘Shot Down’ and ‘No Matter’ – by providing a commanding presence throughout as one can hear the frontman loosening up and letting his emotions pour out. It would appear The Wolftones is balancing a delicate combination of emotions that on one hand can provide moments of inspiration that propels them to greatness, but on the other hand there are occasions where they appear to epitomise the very sentiments of one of their songs (‘Blues On My Mind’) that hampers their progress with less inspired works. If The Wolftones can channel the positives of ‘Red Light Blues’, then their next creative venture could be the album that realises their full potential.

The breakdown of communication seems to be a recurring theme for Algerian/Australian singer-songwriter and musical producer Ilias when it comes to his second effort ‘All The Way Up’. With one given the option of choosing which artwork should represent this sophomore album consisting of three space themes, any notion of a trial separation from a current relationship is either being taken to extremes or alternatively suggesting that such an option has long since departed. Beginning where previous long player ‘Somewhere In Time’ left off with the reflective guitar stroll of ‘Someone Like You’, there is enough suggestion, musically, that the windows of opportunity are opening for the first time despite the lyrical severance at the heart of this song. Such optimism gathers further momentum with the breezy indie-pop ‘My Girl With Blue Eyes’ that continues to have links to its predecessor ‘Somewhere…’ but also provides the first indicator of a departure from this former album due to being consistently tighter in its execution and offering a more full-bodied approach. ‘All The Way Up’ deviates truly from any former path once the atmospheric ‘Picture The Sun..’ glides into view and sets up the much-touted, in these very pages, of former single ‘Fire Away’. It was the manner in which ‘Fire Away’ seemed to dramatically dispel any former guidelines by throwing itself to the lions and undergo a major transformation with its film score concept and flitting rhythmic pattern that suggested only one word, DRIVE. From this neon lit landscape of LA, the influence of Radiohead can be heard with the melancholic ‘It’s All About Her’ that exists in its own shell of atmospheric electronics and quiet acoustic guitar and is complimented by the memory held during ‘Turn The Clock Back’ with a nice touch of glockenspiel. ‘Jet Glow’ is the proceeding vapour trail and provides further room for reflection with its emerging and often moody guitar reflexes. Despite suggestion of a future direction involving film scores, Ilias continues his love affair with indie music as ‘She’s Someone Else’s Problem Now’ pays homage to The Smiths, whereas elements of Radiohead spring to mind once more during ‘Finding You’ considering its somewhat improvised guitar with a rather nasty bite. The reprise of ‘Someone Like You’ is a fitting finale not only for surpassing its former incarnation with a vocal that gives an honest account of personal loss, but also for being the last tear shed on a body of work that is consistently better and creatively richer than its predecessor. ‘All The Way Up’ is a magnificent achievement and one that offers plenty of scope for future directions.