It’s rather ironic that a lot of the current European artists are outdoing their American counterparts when it comes to reproducing a sincere country sound. A fine example of this transition is The Country Side of Harmonica Sam and their current album ‘Open Letter To The Blues’, because it doesn’t come much more authentic than this when replicating country music from the late 50s and early 60s. With the countries of origin for this new long player stemming from Sweden and the UK, this latest guise for Harmonica Sam (real name Chris Wilkinson) is one that fits splendidly as the honky tonk sound of the aforementioned periods in history is resuscitated and delivered inch perfectly as if it never went away! Together with band members Peter Andersson (steel guitar), Johan Bandling Melin (lead guitar), Ulrik Jansson (upright bass) and Patrik Malmros (drums), Harmonica Sam sings with a genuine authority that makes these covers sound like his own compositions whether coming from Faron Young, Skeets McDonald or Ray Price, not to mention the band’s own song writing which can be found here as well. Setting the time period from the off is the excellent ‘A Double Shot of Heartache’ with compelling steel guitar and added fiddle from additional musician Johan Malmberg. The heartache really begins though, during ‘Forbidden Wine’, where you will hear a real sense of yearning at the centre of this song and one that makes those George Jones comparisons believable. The mood is lifted somewhat with ‘It’s Such A Pretty World Today’ as it’s a lovely mellow tune, with the steel guitar providing that extra tonic and allowing for a bit of sunshine to seep through the cracks between the blinds. Such a cheerful disposition doesn’t last long, however, as the blues return with a vengeance and finds Harmonica Sam soon drowning as suggested by the line, “Just because I’m smiling, it doesn’t mean I’m fine” and you instantly know where you are in terms of the context of this particular song (‘I Regret It Every Day’). From such compelling traits so often found in country music, with its melancholic song titles and habit of finding a rhythm that is more lively than it should be considering the misery involved, The Country Side of Harmonica Sam more than masters such feats. In fact, the song delivery is so convincing that it is likely to have any listener reaching for their copy of this record to see exactly when it was produced, because ‘Open Letter To The Blues’ is definitely not from the present era, that’s for sure!

Rob Williams has taken the long route to finding his feet in the world of music. Having established a career in education, a long held passion for music eventually persuaded Williams to enter the ring of song writing, which saw the release of his debut solo album, ‘A Place In The Sun’, in 2013. Since that time, Williams continued his role within academia, but the lure of song writing proved too strong once more, and a decision was made to record a follow-up album. ‘Southern FM’ is that record which saw Williams relocate from the comfy surrounds of his hometown and head for pastures new. This deliberate action resulted in Williams setting up camp in Dallas with producer Salim Nourallah (Rhett Miller, Old 97’s) in order to bring to life Williams’ love for a Southern acoustic sound that blends traditional and contemporary Americana. What the listener receives, as a result of this process, are a number of confessionary tales concerning relationships, that are sometimes interlaced with hardships à la ‘Henry and Maria’ for example. Such storytelling reaches its zenith during the gospel feel of ‘Best I Can Do’; a clever song, full of wisdom, reflecting on those in life who are less satisfied with their lot; “Some people climbing ladders have no idea what they’re even after, They hope someday to be on track.” There’s a breezy feel to the rhythm of ‘Where You Hang Your Heart’ with Rob Williams letting in a definite Bob Dylan influence, whereas ‘Sometimes It’s A Song’ casts a more downbeat shadow that creatively mixes references to the forces of nature with the struggles found in relationships. Elsewhere, ‘Sun Gone Down’ reveals another facet to Williams’ song writing with a touch of humour and slight eccentricity in both the lyrics and music, with the latter sounding more pop and rock influenced. For the majority of its contents ‘Southern FM’ is an inspired body of work, and one that is not afraid to break from the conformities of a musical genre by adding a variety of personal touches that provides that extra flavour. It looks like the radio frequency is going to be set to a ‘Southern FM’ sound for the foreseeable future.

Coming together after the demise of a few former projects, the trio that is The Secret Sound of Dreamwalkers see the release of their debut single this week. This first release is actually a digital only offering, with the tracks being presented as a double-sided single with ‘My War’ and ‘Whiskey Song’. As far as immediate impressions go, lead song, ‘My War’, hits the senses with an arresting vocal performance, in addition to a delicate and pensive musical accompaniment that also contains a few stings in its chords, magnificently expressed by the guitar hands of Thomas Bergsten and Kristine Marie Aasvang, who is also responsible for the aforementioned. Think Mazzy Star; think Cowboy Junkies, think a darkened corner of a barroom somewhere in the vicinity of Twin Peaks, and you’re close to an understanding of where the melancholic beauty of ‘My War’ resides. The second composition,’ Whiskey Song’, is the perfect companion, beginning with dreamy steel guitar and stunning vocal that holds a real sadness inside. This sadness becomes more apparent as the song wears on, as its tone becomes more resentful, to the point of almost mumbling, as it plots its revenge on a hapless former lover. The twist at the end of this song raises a wry smile, and is but one reason why a return visit to the music of The Secret Sound of Dreamwalkers is a must the next time they’re in town.

Beautifully presented with the upmost care and attention to detail is the latest album by Finn Coren with ‘På Jorden et sted – Utvalgte Nordiske dikt’ (‘Somewhere On Earth – Selected Nordic Poems’). With this being his seventh solo album, and the third in a separate series that focuses on Nordic poets, Finn Coren has arranged his songs to provide an interpretation of the poetry from fourteen different Nordic poets. The poems selected will be familiar to those who grew up in such surroundings, or those who simply have a taste for Nordic culture, as the poetry centres on a selection of well-known classics from these regions, in addition to a few lesser known choices. Considering the level of detail gone into making these songs, it comes as no surprise that the majority of these tracks have been under construction for some considerable time. That’s not to say that Finn Coren has not received additional help in order to bring this latest album to life, as no less than four other musicians including Øyvind Fossheim (piano), Gjermund Kolltveit (Hardanger fiddle, kanklės), Stian Omenås (trumpet) and Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Mellotron, Chamberlin) contributed to the making of ‘På jorden et sted – Utvalgte Nordiske dikt’. With the chosen poetry relaying themes – three core themes in fact – concerned with life, love and death and inspired by classical and folk music, Finn Coren breathes the poetic words in a hushed manner that complements the often pared back sound of the instruments. ‘Salme’ is one such example where the vocals and largely grand piano provides an intimate experience that, in its combined state, drowns out all other external interferences such is the song’s alluring power. The intimacy grows even further with the pairing of acoustic guitar and faintest of horns during ‘Innbying’, that sees the vocals flit between the already mentioned whispered tones to spoken word passages making for a stirring piece of work. Finn Coren blossoms somewhat during ‘Sång’ and is accompanied by gorgeous sounding strings, only for the mood to blacken with the funeral procession feel of ‘Alle veier bort fra dig’ that, musically, could find a home on a Tom Waits album. With jagged edges all round adding to the compelling narrative of ‘Havet’, and the opening ‘Salme’ given another outing via an instrumental reworking, ‘På jorden et sted – Utvalgte Nordiske dikt’ is an absorbing experience full of light and shade, and one that is skilfully managed by way of its musicianship and chosen poetry that marks out album number seven for Finn Coren as really rather special.

There are personal and external issues at stake when it comes to the debut album from Cashavelly Morrison. With the title of ‘The Kingdom Belongs To A Child’ playing a significant role here, the album explores issues of loss whether relating directly to this songstress or reflecting upon those around her, as well as tackling issues of a sociological and political nature relating to inequality and empowering women for example. It’s powerful, emotive stuff that really deserves to be heard. Another part of the persuasion here is the Americana and folk roots ‘The Kingdom Belongs To A Child’ pays reference to. More specifically, it’s the darker edges of these particular genres; explored by their narratives and quoted here as ‘Southern Gothic’ as portrayed by artists such as Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and Neko Case. By meeting her now husband, Ryan MacLeod, who was in the process of earning his stripes in classical guitar performance at UNC-School of the Arts, it was this meeting of the minds between Morrison and MacLeod which sparked a genuine creative process between the two once their love of authentic folk songs and admiration for Hank Williams had been expressed, and therefore a form of common ground established. Within a brief period of time, the songs making up the debut album ‘The Kingdom Belongs To A Child’ were recorded by use of vintage equipment at the renowned Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC, and the rest is now history. Musically, the songs are of a delicate nature, with beautiful vocals and acoustic guitar often leading the way, and accompanied by the minimalist of instrumentation; notably upright bass and the occasional outings of pedal steel and banjo. Equally sensitive are the subjects Cashavelly Morrison voices concern over in terms of the contents of ‘The Kingdom Belongs To A Child’, with songs reflecting harrowing tales of loss including miscarriage, police brutality and the working conditions of miners in one particular town (’29 Bells’). In addition to this, there is a real sense of emotions conflicting with each other, and expressed between the lines of these narratives with grief and guilt weighing particularly heavy, with a suggestion of dirt on the hands in some instances. With the entire album being played out exquisitely and evoking memories of an old-timey sound brought to life by the banjo during ‘Emory’ and ‘May 5th’, Cashavelly Morrison has created an album of genuine beauty, but one that is touched by much sadness and personal loss yet never shies from such sensitive topics; something of which is to be commended because in her own words, “exploring your grief can lead to empowerment with the ultimate empowerment being the freedom to speak these things through music”.

The creative juices just keep on flowing for Tenement mainstay Amos Pitsch, only this latest release falls under a different heading that goes by the name of Dusk.  By pitching this as a single release, and one that is backed with the song ‘Too Sweet’ featuring the soulful voice as well as keyboard skills of Julia Blair, the punk roots of Amos Pitsch’s formerly mentioned main project are traded for more of a traditional rock and roll and rhythm and blues sound that is befitting of his Wisconsin background. With Colin ‘Wild Man’ Wilde joining on drums, Tyler Ditter taking up bass, and Matt Stranger on guitar and backup vocals, the two songs making up this single were largely a self-produced affair, with the record being engineered and mixed at Crutch of Memory in Appleton, Wisconsin, by Amos Pitsch and then mastered by Justin Perkins at The Mystery Room in Milwaukee. The main track itself, ‘(Do The Bored) Recluse’, is a dynamic little ditty that has a bit of early ‘Stones boogie about it with its nods to bluesy rock ‘n’ roll but also one that takes in references from The Velvet Underground to 70’s country rock via The Flying Burrito Brothers. If this single was created out of a state of genuine restlessness in relation to Dusk’s frontman Amos Pitsch, then may those days of boredom continue to plague his soul because this two-track record is a sheer joy from start to finish, and one that sits up there with the best of his creative works.