Returning with a fresh set of country rock ditties from the Norwegian county of south Trøndelag, Bøgdabråk has steadily built up a name for themselves on the live circuit, as well as maintaining their roots with the traditional ‘trønderfest-culture’ that is particularly special to the inhabitants of Trondheim and surrounding areas. With two albums already behind them, Bøgdabråk release album number three ‘Gå som det her’ which consists of eleven tracks delivered in specific dialect from the band’s main region. Central to the creative compositions of this latest album is vocalist Leif Inge Hopstad, who has not only penned all of the songs but contributed production duties as well with producer Tony Waade. The end result is an album with energy in abundance as clearly displayed by the driving opener ‘Han der’ (‘Him There’) and ‘I kveill’ (‘This Evening’); the latter of which packs an addictive chorus and the perfect accompaniment of female backing vocals and fine guitar work that sees Bøgdabråk clearly enjoying themselves. The Bøgdabråk tempo is taken down a notch during the ballad ‘Håp’ (‘Hope’) and exquisite delivery of ‘To på natt’ (‘Two At Night’) that finds Leif Inge Hopstad in superb form vocally. The energetic and catchy guitar thrust of ‘Vinterland’ (‘Winterland’) and equally matching ‘Sånne Kara’ (‘Kind Kara’) are good enough to grace a Tom Petty album, if ever the need arises, because Bøgdabråk have a knack of churning out memorable, hook-laden country rock songs that reside long in the memory bank once ‘Gå som det her’ has ceased playing. Catch the band live on their forthcoming tour in support of this inspiring new release as Bøgdabråk cannot fail to disappoint considering the overall quality of ‘Gå som det her’.
Album Reviews
Filter :
My Silver Lining (single)
First Aid Kit
Columbia
For those who missed the much-touted album ‘The Lion’s Roar’ from sister duo and Stockholm-based First Aid Kit, then a second helping is in the offing with the imminent release of ‘Stay Gold’. Ahead of this new album release, however, is new single ‘My Silver Lining’ that is blessed with sumptuous strings, heavenly vocals and interesting turns with lyrics purporting to anxieties being “as big as the moon” as the troubles experienced seem to outweigh any hope for a silver lining. An inspired choice as far as first singles go, First Aid Kit look set to continue their previous successes judging by the quality of ‘My Silver Lining’.
Out Among The Stars
Johnny Cash
Sony Music CMG
Discovering ‘Out Among The Stars’ was definitely the equivalent of striking oil for the first time during the Gusher Age in Texas in the early 1900s. The reason for such enthusiasm marking this latest discovery of forgotten Johnny Cash studio recordings is for the simple reason that the twelve songs listed (track thirteen being a remix) here have never been released before, making this album a brand new product rather than a rehash of previously released material with the usual bonus additions of demos, outtakes and alternate versions. The songs making up ‘Out Among The Stars’ were originally recorded in Nashville in 1981 and 1984 with Billy Sherrill controlling production and contributions by way of June Carter Cash with ‘Baby Ride Easy’ and ‘Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time’, as well as Waylon Jennings lending vocals to Hank Snow’s ‘I’m Movin’ On’. The discovery itself is credited to John Carter Cash – the son of Johnny Cash – who happened to chance upon the songs in the vaults of Columbia Records after many years of neglect until now. Indebted for this wonderful find, ‘Out Among The Stars’ is a solid body of work and a welcome addition to the musical legacy left by Johnny Cash.
Jukebox Daddy
Billie and the Kids
Rhythm Bomb
Hailing from Zagreb, Croatia, the posse that is Billie and the Kids – seven members in total – return with their second long player that is packed with even more resolve than their first outing. The impact of the Kids’ second album ‘Jukebox Daddy’ is immediate, as lead vocalist Ana Klabucar – aka Billie – bursts out of the traps with the appropriately named ‘Scorched’ in a vocal that will stop you dead in your tracks due to its immense power that sounds one moment doused in kerosene and the next dripping in honey, either way the Kids’ front figure is truly blessed because this is a vocal to die for. Where this album differs to its predecessor is the high volume of original material that is proudly announced in the sleeve notes and rightly so because there is a genuine sense of nostalgia captured as ‘Jukebox Daddy’ revives, to great perfection, a 1950s rhythm and blues sound that is moving and shaking for all to witness in 2014. The rumbling boogie of ‘Your First Kiss’ and lead track ‘Jukebox Daddy’, that once more parades Billie’s impassioned voice (Ah, the sound of those rolling notes!), are but two examples that encapsulates everything that is right about this album when it comes to recreating an authentic 50s rhythm and blues sound. Part of this magic is down to the proficiency of the musicianship, but also for the significant role bassist Jurica Stelma performs with regard to the band’s songwriting, as his prolificacy in this area is crucial to the wealth of original material littering ‘Jukebox Daddy’. If your life is crying out for a faithful rendition of rhythm and blues that has just jumped straight out of New Orleans by way of Zagreb, then you have come to the right place as Billie and the Kids is peddling a deeply rousing and rhythm shaking version of this very genre that will bowl you over.
Man O’ War EP
Orbo
Grappa
Norwegian west coast artist Orbo (Ole Reinert Berg-Olsen) reappears after a few years away with a four-track EP ‘Man O’ War’. Serving as a prelude to a full album release in September this year, ‘Man O’ War’ is the first collection of songs to make use of the English language since the critically acclaimed ‘Prairie Sun’ in 2010. With the promotional banner declaring the Orbo sound as genuine handmade rock ‘n’ roll, and this being a fair description considering the man behind the moniker Ole Reinert has written the entire contents and played a large hand in the production along with band member Reidar F. Opdal, there is definitely more than a hint of Americana, however, regarding the four songs making up this latest EP. First track ‘Deadlock’ sets the wheels in motion, bringing to mind the alt-country rock sound of Tom Petty with its acoustic guitar and pacey rhythm that has an immediate appeal set against an intriguing narrative concerning the alluring qualities of the opposite sex, but beware the honey trap. The mood is reflective during ‘Time To Move On’ with the lead vocal really claiming the song, set to a more restrained beat including piano that works accordingly while the song laments a relationship that was doomed from the start. There is much to enthuse over with the tender ballad of ‘Sleep Through The Night’ which sets up the grand finale of the title track appropriately as ‘Man O’ War’ genuinely gives the impression, by way of its rhythm section, of the initial steps of a journey that has set sail for a distant horizon of its own choosing before reaching its destination via some red-hot guitar. Judging by the consistency and quality of all four tracks making up ‘Man O’ War’, September looks set to be an important month in the Orbo calendar.
Mathias Lilja
Mathias Lilja
Rootsy
Despite a longstanding history as a singer-songwriter stretching over a twenty-year period that has seen him front The Strollers and still maintaining a working relationship with The Maharajas, Mathias Lilja is poised to pursue the life of a solo artist with his debut record. Considering this lengthy gestation period of whether to commit to a full-length album of original material plus one cover – Townes Van Zandt’s ‘No Place To Fall’ – it only seems right that Mathias Lilja should name his first solo album under his own moniker, as the songs suggest many hours of devotion such is the quality on display. With alt-country being his preferred choice as the musical accompaniment to the personal nature of the lyrical content, Mathias Lilja sets about his business with a warning shot to those preferring to remain oblivious to the very notion that ‘Evil’ could be lurking around the next corner. ‘Don’t Fade On Me’ ups the ante further by means of brushed instrumentation working in unison with Lilja’s impassioned vocal reflecting on what might have been. Any suggestion of bad luck pursuing this Swedish singer-songwriter once again rears its head during ‘Devil’s Almanac’ that presents a rougher ride perfectly summed up by the harder edge of the guitars. ‘Give It All Away’ instantly calms the waters, however, with its predominately folk roots giving way to some pedal steel that adds a lovely aching quality to the song. ‘I Will Stay’ is the perfect example of how country music should sound if there’s a formula to be found that blends its traditional elements with a commercial appeal, as it’s an infectious tune full of bristling energy and smart lyrics and a clear indicator of how it should be done. It is this blend of styles, however, that makes Mathias Lilja’s solo album a force to be reckoned with, especially when considering the lyrically bleak and flashes of distorted guitars that stands out in complete contrast with the rest of this debut.
Coming Home
Siri Vølstad Jensen
Playroom Music AS
With a growing trend for a pop country crossover, latest addition to this style is Siri Vølstad Jensen with her debut album ‘Coming Home’. Remarkably, this first outing is a product of Norway when, in fact, its contents sound a far closer relation to the country sounds emanating from Music Row in Nashville. Full marks, however, for the convincing sounds on display, which has been a lengthy process in the making and one which actually took in the sights and sounds of Nashville for a period before making a return home. With the trade secret therefore out in the open, the end product is one that is skilfully handled and once more utterly persuasive in the vocal department as ‘Burn Baby Burn’ blends a bit of the traditional country via Dolly Parton with its modern sisters the Dixie Chicks. Title song, ‘Coming Home’ leans on a more conventional country style, with acoustic guitar and strings and Siri Vølstad Jensen sounding beyond her tender years with the only giveaway being a slight vulnerability to the vocal during the chorus, that actually works in her favour due to the sincerity of the emotions expressed. This openness given by Siri Vølstad Jensen extends to ‘Whatever It Was’ and, in the process, proves to be one of the strong points of the album that once more calls for a bit of old-style country while retaining one foot in the present. The pop tendencies are more present in the up-tempo ‘Let Love’ but still not quite to the extent of Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’, for example, due to the heavier weighting of stringed instrumentation wonderfully paraded by the ballad ‘Almost You’. ‘Coming Home’ is the first landmark in the musical career of Siri Vølstad Jensen, and it is one that will prove to be a major step for this country songstress from Norway such is its overall quality.
Slow Me Down
Sara Evans
Sony Music CMG
Crossing the divide between pop and country, Sara Evans delivers in fine fashion with latest album ‘Slow Me Down’. Having worked in collaboration with three of the eleven songs listed here and in terms of production duties with producer Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Lonestar et al), Sara Evans offers her own interpretation of events through her own works but also by means of a cover, for example, of Gavin DeGraw’s ‘Not Over You’. Such is the impact of this rendition of DeGraw’s song – who also lends a helping hand with harmony vocals – as Evans claims it for her own by stamping her authority all over it by means of a stirring vocal and subtler use of instrumentation that is equally affecting as its original. The collaborative work also extends to a duet with The Fray’s Isaac Slade during ‘Can’t Stop Loving You’, that is a perfect combination of Sara Evans powerful and slightly sweeter sounding vocal and Isaac Slade’s gruffer tones. If it’s a more straight country sound you’re after, however, then ‘Slow Me Down’ is not about to abandon this ship, despite containing a commercial appeal, as the likeable ‘Put My Heart Down’; steel guitar of ‘Good Love Is Hard To Find’ and wonderful ballad that is built of sturdier foundations in spite of the immediate ramifications suggested by the narrative of ‘Better Off’. By combining country music with a modern sheen of pop music that leans towards its darker edges and sometimes falling into the latter category with ‘You Never Know’ as one such example, Sara Evans has expertly blended a formula that works as a whole in order to achieve crossover appeal, but in the main create a convincing and thoroughly enjoyable body of work in the shape of ‘Slow Me Down’.
The Journey So Far – The Best Of Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt
Quinlan Road
Loreena McKennitt deserves the upmost respect for a career that has spanned thirty years and one that has been guided independently due to producing and promoting her own recorded output through the Quinlan Road record label, which McKennitt is also the proud owner. With such a long and established career in the music industry, and one that is certainly not about to reach its sell-by-date as the album title suggests, the combination of Celtic and folk roots McKennitt is renowned for has been whittled down to a carefully selected twelve-track album, nominated by McKennitt’s own fans, that is ‘The Journey So Far – The Best Of Loreena McKennitt’. Mingling amongst the tracks is a beautiful rendition of traditional Irish folk song that was used as part of the film score to Highlander III in the form of ‘Bonny Portmore’, with ‘The Mummers’ Dance’ revealing a fresh makeover due to additional electronica and followed by a stirring vocal performance set to various strings of ‘Down By The Sally Gardens’. With such a back catalogue of material to choose from, the inclusion of ‘Dante’s Prayer’ was definitely wise considering its haunting beauty that fittingly brings an end to the album. ‘The Journey So Far – The Best Of Loreena McKennitt’ is a finely balanced retrospective of McKennitt’s work to date, and one that is a worthy introduction for those less familiar with her music.
The Lights From The Chemical Plant
Robert Ellis
New West Records
The music of Robert Ellis resides in two camps when hearing latest album on New West Records ‘The Lights From The Chemical Plant’, and that is one that lovingly embraces the past in terms of country music, and the other is one that resides in the present by means of various modern methodologies providing it with an up-to-date edge. Working like a well-oiled machine but without the added gloss due to enough frayed corners, Robert Ellis proceeds with ‘TV Song’ that is full of fancy in its efforts to escape from the tedium of the everyday as it plays out to an atmospheric soundtrack. If ‘TV Song’ offered some hope in terms of its wishful thinking, then proceeding track ‘Chemical Plant’ is more grounded in its narrative as it traces the phases of a relationship and the differences this brings. Once more there is great technique in the instrumentation as guitars and various strings are gently caressed providing more of the same atmospherics that compliments the reflective tone of Ellis’ vocal. There is not much in the way of happiness to be found in the piano-driven ‘Bottle Of Wine’ as it hints at loneliness, only to be confirmed by the alt-country ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ that sounds as if it’s playing to an empty barroom. Nearing its end, ‘Houston’ sheds the last teardrop with intimate lyrics depicting the end of a relationship with both home and heart as there really is nothing left apart from ‘The Lights From The Chemical Plant’ for company.
Between The Bars EP
The Civil Wars
Columbia
The Civil Wars return with an interesting choice of covers in the format of an EP. The decision to include Portishead’s ‘Sour Times’ is testament to the Bristol band’s creative talents but also lasting appeal considering their debut album, which ‘Sour Times’ is lifted from, is now in its twentieth year. The Civil Wars certainly do the song justice by means of guitars rather than electronica, naturally, but use of the word ‘haunting’ is problematic to describe their rendition of this trip-hop number because such a description was reserved for the original composition. Elliot Smith’s ‘Between The Bars’ seems the most obvious choice of cover due to the lingering vulnerability held by both parties when it comes to their music. The Civil Wars turn such similarities to their advantage by not only paying homage to the original, but issue it with new life by creating a roomier version and therefore providing a fresh perspective as all good cover versions should. Surprise choice between the covers is an interpretation of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ that is handled with the bare minimum of acoustic guitar and the vocals of Joy Williams and John Paul White, who claim the song as their own such is the difference between the two versions. ‘Between The Bars’ might be a stopgap depending on The Civil Wars current hiatus, but nonetheless it’s a very engaging one that shows them in a slightly different light.
High Top Mountain
Sturgill Simpson
Loose Music
There is much heart and soul permeating throughout Sturgill Simpson’s debut release on Loose Music that runs a gauntlet of emotions ranging from failed relationships to hardships of the working kind before paying tribute, with genuine affection, during ‘Hero’. Having recorded ‘High Top Mountain’ – a reference to a particular site with significance in Kentucky close to where Sturgill Simpson grew up – at Falling Rock (Nashville) under the watchful eye of producer Dave Cobb and later Hillbilly Central; the latter of which featured such country legends as Waylon Jennings and Tompall Glaser, the desire to create an authentic sounding country record was evident from the start having also enlisted the skilful talents of Country Hall of Fame pianist Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins and steel guitarist Robby Turner. Where others may have buckled under such self-induced pressure, Sturgill Simpson has taken in his stride as ‘High Top Mountain’ is a cast-iron collection of archetypal country that evokes memories of a period in music confined to the history books. That is not to say that Sturgill Simpson is without his own identity because the wild and passionate ‘Poor Rambler’ and exquisite delivery and honest admissions of ‘Water In A Well’ are but two songs that suggest otherwise. In fact, it is not difficult to comprehend where such emotions stem from, having spent years drifting in and out of unfulfilling occupations which, in hindsight, has led to the position where Sturgill Simpson now finds himself as ‘High Top Mountain’ is deserving of high praise indeed.