Album Review: Tracyanne & Danny – Tracyanne & Danny

On the title track to Camera Obscura’s masterpiece My Maudlin Career, Tracyanne Campbell sang ‘this maudlin career must come to an end / I don’t want to be sad again’, a line heavy in irony for a singer whose music had always captured a bittersweet Scottish melancholy. Their next album Desire Lines seemed to take this line to heart with its more upbeat pop feel on songs like Break it To You Gently and Do It Again. However the lighter sound hid a devastating reality: band member Carey Lander was suffering from cancer and tragically died in 2015. Since then the band have been on an indefinite hiatus, dealing with their loss.

Therefore this new collaborative project between Campbell and Danny Coughlan of Crybaby is a chance for a fresh start, a way to sing again without the memory of what has gone before weighing too heavily. Taking the controls for the album is producer Edwyn Collins, a man who understands much about overcoming adversity. Maybe what you need to get back on your feet is just a little help from your friends. Continue reading “Album Review: Tracyanne & Danny – Tracyanne & Danny” →

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Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs

The cover of Erin Rae’s new album is a painting by Nashville artist Harry Underwood, depicting a barroom scene – in it a woman puts a song on the jukebox, a man sits at the bar and the space between them is both small and vast at the same time. The painting, and the songs contained within, capture that sense of alienation and sadness which exist in everyday moments. ‘Putting on Airs’ is an album of breathtaking beauty, an intimate impression of American life. Continue reading “Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs” →

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Album Review: Shannon Shaw – Shannon In Nashville

Shannon Shaw and her band The Clams have been producing great garage rockabilly albums since their debut in 2009. Now stepping out on her own for this solo album, Shaw is embracing a more polished sound inspired by a mix of soul, classic girl groups and vintage pop. Produced by label boss Dan Auerbach ‘Shannon in Nashville’ is a dramatic and engaging collection of songs which display a real raw vocal talent. Continue reading “Album Review: Shannon Shaw – Shannon In Nashville” →

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Album Review: Neko Case – Hell-On

On the startling front cover of her new album, Neko Case’s head is covered in cigarettes and she starting to catch fire. It is somewhat alarming on first inspection, especially considering her house actually burnt down recently, but maybe using the violent imagery is her way of accepting such an unlucky fate. Hellion is a word for a rowdy or mischievous person and you feel that spirit and don’t give a fuck energy radiating out of her very core. Hell-On was mostly recorded before the fire so don’t except songs to directly reference that incident but Case has always made art out of life’s disasters and these songs continue in that vein. Produced by Neko herself, with Bjorn Yttling, this album offers no simple narrative and makes no concessions to genre or trends. Because of this sense of originality, Hell-On feels like a vital addition to her already impressive discography.  Continue reading “Album Review: Neko Case – Hell-On” →

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Live Review: Belly @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

The great thing about loving a band is that obsessive fandom gives you a nice excuse to travel to places you would never normally go. So when personal circumstances meant I was unable to attend the Belly gig in Glasgow this upcoming weekend I ended up buying tickets for the only other show I could attend, which was in Portsmouth – literally the furthest away gig from where I live. But hey when you’ve already waited so long to see your favourite band reunite then things like distance and cost no longer matter. Continue reading “Live Review: Belly @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth” →

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Album Review: Natalie Prass – The Future & The Past

On her debut album Natalie Prass embraced her feminine side, releasing music that was lush and syrupy in the best way. Some (male) critics compared the songs to Disney music as though that was a bad thing, but mostly the reviews were as sparkling as the sound. Only a few years have passed but the world has changed irrevocably – it feels like a darker place where harsh truths can no longer be sugar coated, for better and worse. Prass scrapped her original recordings for this album and started again in order that the music better reflect her feelings about this new reality. On the cover of The Future & The Past she has deliberately chosen to wear a suit and stand defiant, looking towards us with a serious stare. This album will say something about the world, and she will not be silenced. Continue reading “Album Review: Natalie Prass – The Future & The Past” →

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Under Her Influence: Songs Inspired by Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Ode to Billie Joe’

Since it’s the 3rd of June I thought we’d take a walk down to Tallahatchie Bridge and contemplate the influence of Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ on country music and beyond. I wrote about this song, and Bobbie herself, at length last year in my post ‘Bobbie Gentry and the Power of Mystery’ but today I wanted to focus on how she has inspired the songwriting of so many others.

Continue reading “Under Her Influence: Songs Inspired by Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Ode to Billie Joe’” →

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Dolly Parton’s Discography – Coat Of Many Colors

With hindsight it feels incredible to think that Dolly Parton had to be convinced to record what would become one of her signature songs, ‘Coat of Many Colors’. The song was written on a tour bus in 1969, on the back of a dry cleaning receipt ironically for one of Porter’s Nudie suits (the receipt was eventually framed by Porter and can now be seen at Dollywood) but was not recorded until 1971 on this, her eighth album. Two years might not seem like a long time but Dolly had written and recorded many other songs in the interim. Porter himself actually recorded the first version, with Dolly on backing vocals, but he knew that there was only one singer who could do this song justice – the girl in the song. So why did Dolly hesitate to put this one on tape? To understand the answer we have to go back through the years, once again returning to her childhood in Tennessee. Continue reading “Dolly Parton’s Discography – Coat Of Many Colors” →

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On Chvrches & The Problem With Negative Reviews

This week Lauren Mayberry from Chvrches responded to a negative review the band’s new album received from Stereogum by posting a long reply on social media. In the post she discussed her own experiences as a critic and expressed her frustration at the writer’s condescending take on the album, before asking ‘If you shit on something and the people who make it, then ‘pin’ it to your profile what does that say about you?’ As a blogger that question, and also a recently published anonymous article about the mental health of artists, got me thinking about the role of the critic and the problem with negative reviews. Continue reading “On Chvrches & The Problem With Negative Reviews” →

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