Choosing favourite songs of the year is always an enjoyable experience where you get the chance to savour and celebrate the music that has been the soundtrack to your life over the last twelve months. What I find tricky is trying to rank the songs in some kind of order, as if art can be reduced to a competition. Still I think it’s an interesting challenge to try and compose a chart so I have made an attempt to play favourites. There were so many golden songs this year that really I could have written this tomorrow with an entirely differently order! Continue reading “Favourite Songs of 2018”
Musical Lowlights of 2018
I am an advocate of reviewing music with kindness, positivity and respect. Nothing upsets me more than people ripping through artists and songs just for the sake of it, or to further their own narrow vision of what is ‘good’ music. Still that doesn’t mean it’s possible to like all the music you hear and I think it’s important from a critical perspective to be honest about what you didn’t enjoy or what disappointed you. So, with a heavy heart, here are my musical lowlights of the year. Continue reading “Musical Lowlights of 2018”
Album Review: Dolly Parton – Dumplin’ (Original Soundtrack)
The new Netflix movie ‘Dumplin’ begins with the heroine Willowdean Dickson in her car, singing along to Dolly Parton’s debut single ‘Dumb Blonde’, a song about subverting the expectations of those who judge you unfairly on appearances. The film, based on Julie Murphy’s wonderful novel, concerns a plus size teen who decides to enter a beauty contest as a protest and finds out she really is pageant material after all. Continue reading “Album Review: Dolly Parton – Dumplin’ (Original Soundtrack)”
Album Review: Rosanne Cash – She Remembers Everything
On Rosanne Cash’s first album in five years, She Remembers Everything, the Grammy winning songwriter explores themes of time, death and suffering. Her world-weary wisdom is channeled into songs of unflinching realism and stark truths. Continue reading “Album Review: Rosanne Cash – She Remembers Everything”
E.P. Review: H.E.R. – I Used to Know Her: Part 2
Part 1 of H.E.R.s ‘I Used to Know Her’ project was released earlier this year – six tracks which mixed rap and soul, using electronic beats and classic neosoul sounds like a modern Lauryn Hill. The second part of the project combines her previous style with real instruments, to carve out a soulful sound that is distinctly her own. Continue reading “E.P. Review: H.E.R. – I Used to Know Her: Part 2”
Album Review: Marissa Nadler – For My Crimes
On the cover of her new album For My Crimes Marissa Nadler has painted a darkly gothic scene, rich in texture and featuring momentary glimpses of light. Her music too immerses us in the darkness of empty seaspaces, foggy skies and flickering fires. Winter is approaching fast, and this is a perfect soundtrack to the cold, fading light of the year. Continue reading “Album Review: Marissa Nadler – For My Crimes”
Book Review: ‘Every Night is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ by Wanda Jackson
The subtitle to Wanda Jackson’s engaging memoir signals an important conflict at the heart of her career: she started as a country singer but found herself serendipitously transported to the world of rock and roll, firstly thanks to her boyfriend Elvis and more recently due to the dedicated fandom of the rockabilly scene. Yet she never left country music behind and you can tell as you read her life story that in her heart she wishes for more recognition from the genre she began singing in. Continue reading “Book Review: ‘Every Night is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ by Wanda Jackson”
E.P. Review: Rachel Baiman – Thanksgiving
Rachel Baiman released one of my favourite songs of last year, the stunning Shame from the album of the same name, which exposed the hypocrisy of men and religion in a fiery three minutes. On this follow EP, Thanksgiving, she continues to explore modern life and ideas, in an old timey folk style. The honesty and urgency of her message and music is as engaging as ever. Continue reading “E.P. Review: Rachel Baiman – Thanksgiving”
Dolly Parton’s Discography: ‘The Bargain Store’ – Album Review
In 1975 Dolly Parton found herself at the high point of her country music career, being in the middle of a run of four number one singles and finally winning the CMA for Female Artist of the Year. Her first album of that year was the controversial classic ‘The Bargain Store’, one of the strongest collections of songs Dolly was to release in this impressively productive period. Continue reading “Dolly Parton’s Discography: ‘The Bargain Store’ – Album Review”