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AMaria Solheim - Behind Closed Doors
KKV FXCD 253 Reviewed by RP
Compare the artwork for this album with that eyecatching, but unflattering shot of Thea Gilmore seen on the cover of The Lipstick Conspiracies. Thea's pose, and her brilliantly abrasive lyrics, suggest a life of hard knocks. Maria, pigtailed, cute and dressed in white lace, presents a quieter and more introverted image. Yet, this outward picture of blissful naivety remains only skin deep. There's a knowing glint in those eyes that hints at the exceptional contemporary pop musician who lies within. Solheim (like Gilmore) demonstrates a considerable degree of maturity beyond her tender years, especially where matters of the heart are concerned. Behind that fortifying curtain wall in 'Hiding Place' lies a palpable sense of uncertainty; insecurity and consuming anguish waiting to be resolved, whilst on an opening, 'Two Minutes and Ten Hours', the lesson is a simple, but sobering one: if your personal happiness is placed into another person's hands, prepare to be broken-hearted. The clever angle taken by Maria on this song is an examination of the woman's feelings two minutes and ten hours before the fateful moment when she learns that the relationship is over. Gilmore and Solheim may be quite different sides to the same ironic song writing coin, but I'm grateful for the intelligence, enthusiasm, wit and conviction that they bring to the table at a time when chart music is sadly lacking in all of these qualities.

Tim Easton - Break your Mother's Heart
New West NW6043 Reviewed by AH
Looking at the front cover of Tim Easton's new album you could be forgiven for thinking that it's Ryan Adams leaning into that mandolin. Easton bears an uncanny resemblance to the ex-Whiskeytown frontman and musically isn't a million miles from Adams and his previous band. Born in New York, Easton lived in Japan for three of his teenage years where he discovered the Beatles who remain his favourite band to this day. In the 90's he spent time working in London and Paris before relocating to Prague where he cut his first album. He busked regularly, which gave him the opportunity to brush up on his finger picking and flat picking guitar skills. Break Your Mothers Heart is the follow-up to his highly regarded debut album for New West The Truth About Us (NW6823) and features Easton on an array of instruments, brilliantly backed up by some of America's finest musicians. Veteran drummer Jim Keltner, ex Bonnie Raitt bassist Hutch Hutchinson and Jai Winding from Jackson Browne's band help Easton bring the best out of an inspired set of mostly self-penned songs. Easton's musical influences include John Prine, Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams and there are elements of all those artists in his work. You can also throw Jackson Browne and possibly the Grateful Dead into the mix as well. Quality folk rock for the 21st century.

The Byrds - The Columbia Singles '65-'67
Sundazed LP 5130 Reviewed by RP
Hugely influential to successive generations of country, folk and rock musicians, The Byrd's dateless song writing (along with those Lennon and McCartney melodies that have also helped to define an era) continues to woo new acolytes and intrigue existing fans through its unmistakable electric twelve-string guitar textures, soaring vocal harmonies and solid bass lines. Here Sundazed have emptied the vaults in this return to the mono single mixes on an inspired 32-track double album which not only revisits anthems like 'Eight Miles High', 'Mr.Tambourine Man' and 'Fifth Dimension', but pulls together B-sides, rarities and withdrawn singles as well. What price do you put on withdrawn singles like 'The Bells of Rhmney' and 'Chimes of Freedom', or 'The Times They Are A-Changing' that was recorded in the presence of George Harrison and Paul McCartney? A beautifully presented gatefold sleeve opens out to reveal a host of anecdotal notes from producer, Terry Melcher and a collage of original artwork. From here it should just be a short step to any one of the first four indispensable albums that have also been lovingly reissued by this label.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Doberman - Hey Petrunko
Rotodisc ROTOCDO04 Reviewed by MC
Albums from Doberman are few and far between. Hey Petrunko is the final release from a series of three, and is their second full length album. Eagerly awaited by fans, it has been four years in the making, documenting the ongoing change in the band's direction.1999's Magic Treehouse album failed to deliver on the band's early promise, although it contained more than its fair share of hidden gems. Doberman have the ability to write pure pop, of the acoustic guitar and harmony variety. They also have the ability to record songs of outstanding beauty and emotion. However, artificially forced together on a full length release, the two elements tend to jar. Hey Petrunko brings the two elements closer together and therefore achieves a much more developed sound. The band seem to be much more comfortable with what they have become and the sound is more confident. The perfect guitar pop of 'Bluebell morning' now complements the Russian violin of 'Snakedance'. And the bands use of cinematic string sections and signature changes have matured so as not to smother the delicate refrains. Still the album feels like a work in progress, a journey and not a destination. Doberman are following a direction no one else is interested in: cripplingly unfashionable and almost embarrassingly naive. But this is their strength, the songs are no less vital for this, the album no less excellent.

Beth Gibbons and Rustin' Man - Out of Season
Reviewed by JH
Out of Season is the first Solo LP from the Portishead front-woman and has garnered some amazingly rave reviews from other publications, Mojo going as far as to say "it's among the best albums ever made". A quick glance at the bottom of this review will tell you that I don't agree with that conclusion. This album marks a change of direction for Beth in many ways and is an opportunity for her to demonstrate her singing talents in a more varied way. This album only sounds like Portishead on one track, the rest of the time it is far less bleak and more acoustic. Beth does have an excellent voice and she tests is flexibility throughout the album, wielding it like a range of instruments. Each song reveals a different facet to her abilities and in many ways she is like an actor stepping into role. The music behind the voice is also varied. From simple small-scale accompaniment to orchestral big-band backing they further expand the range of the album. I don't think it is a truly great album because the range of emotion seems muted, lacking an up-lifting quality compared to the very best. Sinatra and Drake are cited as influences and are in evidence but it is a female fragility all its own that makes this album a very good buy. Just don't expect miracles.

Jane Weaver - Like An Aspen Leaf
Bright Star Recordings BSR16V Reviewed by RP
Local Catholic girl, Jane Weaver is one of the better kept secrets of the Manchester music scene and this, her debut seven-track mini-album, is a gently pitched showcase for those smooth alternative folk songs that she pens. While her early influences include Kate Bush and Echo and The Bunnymen, it's more the shadow-like presence of a Neil Young or, perhaps even the youthful Tracey Thorn, who lurks behind these dreamy and softly textured melodies. The title track, with it's analogous idea of an aspen tree whose leaves are noted for their trembling in the breeze, encapsulates (in a fleeting moment) those pensive and intelligent qualities of a wordsmith who can marry the swaying rhythms within her music to a delicate and vulnerable image. The deliberately wobbly instrumentation, and Weaver's stretched vocal, compounds this sense of frailty, a theme that is repeated in later songs such as 'The heart that buckled you', 'Ridiculous' and 'Why don't you smile: A brightly polished production would have been a mistake here. This recording and the mixes are simple, yet nicely framed presentations of acoustic guitar, cello, piano, drums and Jane's lightweight (but perfectly pitched) voice. To that end they reinforce the tender naivety of a musician I will be keeping an eye for the future.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Yeah yeah yeahs - Master
Wichita Webb029scd Reviewed by MC
I try to avoid reviewing anything less than a min album, because very few people tend to credit singles with the respect they deserve. But the Yeah yeah yeahs ep must surely be an exception There's not much YYY material out there, so the five-track EP represents the largest body of then work generally available. And what an EP. The yeah yeah yeahs are possibly the most important band about at the moment. Not by size or popularity, but certainly by the amount c excitement they generate. And its easy to see why Broadly speaking they are part of the same New York scene as The Strokes, but they've come much farther than that. Karen O fronts the band with the kind of unstable genius that you might associate with Blondie or The Cure. Howling and snapping lyrics with such self confidence you can almost feel her writhing and jerking. This is art house punk at its very be Dirty, fuzzed up and distorted to perfection. The yeah yeah yeahs are spearheading a movement, pushing music forward and leaving their old contemporaries behind. Uncompromising and original, spiky unpolished punk, the Yeah yeah yeahs ep could be the foundation of many great things to come.

Raveonettes - Whip it on
Crunchy Frog Tunes 510753 9 Reviewed by MC
So New York has it. All the most excellent bands of the moment seem to have some links to the Big Apple. The Raveonettes are no exception; Danish by nationality, but New Yorkers by choice, Sune and Sharin make a seriously distinctive noise. Whip it on is a mini album of eight scorching tracks. The sleeve declares the album is "recorded in glorious Bb minor" and they don't lie. It also declares "explosive stereo (mono compatible)" which is more dubious. But the sense of drama conveyed in the sleeve notes is justified by the gripping musical content. The Raveonettes have possibly the most recognisable sound ever, with double buzz-saw guitars and double male/female vocals in close harmony. They sit alongside the current New York neo-punk sound, acknowledging it whilst remaining utterly distinct from it. The sound is both their salvation and their curse. On first listening the album is almost depressingly same-y. But, once you have become more acclimatised to their sound, the subtleties become apparent. Like the soundtrack to a fifties black and white thriller Whip it on will fill you with tension and keep you on the edge of your seat. For music to achieve this is rare, and superb. Compelling stuff.

Aynsley Lister - All or Nothing
RUF Records RUF 1062 Reviewed by AH
Aynsley's been away from the recording studio for 3 years now. The last full band effort (excluding his solo live acoustic album Supakev n' Pilchards) was the fabulous Everything I need was a mixture of rock, blues shuffles, slow blues and ballads, but the title track did hint at a move towards a heavier sound. All or Nothing is that heavier recording - a big, growling beast full of potent rock n' roll. As soon as Alex Thomas' drums come crashing in on opener 'Say Goodbye' and Aynsley cuts in with some wicked slide you know the great man's in no mood to hang about. He keeps his foot firmly to the floor on 'Hero', grinding out a huge, filthy riff and laying down some quite breath-taking solo's. 'Nothing at all' shows Lister's commercial edge whilst 'What U Got 4 Me' gets deep down and funky. 'Rainy Day' has a really wild slash n' burn groove and clears the way nicely for 'Balls of Steel', an AC/DC style rocker with a full-blooded catchy riff that'll spin round your head for weeks! I haven't got enough room to wax lyrical about the other tracks on All Or Nothing, so I'll just wrap up saying Aynsley Lister is the best damn guitar player this country has produced for many, many years. Utter rock n' roll heaven.

Kelly Willis - Easy
Rykodisc RCD 10622 Reviewed by RP
Kelly Willis is a sensuous sounding vocalist who has turned heads for a couple of years now. The latest makeover: blonde good looks, a plunging neckline and an album title that manoeuvres us toward an obvious sexual connotation, does in many ways distract from a pretty voice that roams across the usual romantic themes unrequited or otherwise. In a way this brand of cosmetic country is a bit like painting by numbers and it must rankle with the many fine performers who are consistently overlooked. Some credibility is gained through the inclusion of figures like Vince Gill and Alison Krause for supporting vocal roles but Willis needs to urgently develop her own writing talent to encompass more biting subject matter, material that steps beyond those fanciful entanglements of the heart on the six self-penned songs here. Krause, who has herself undergone a similar image transformation, always has enough song writing substance, musicianship and old fashioned nous in reserve so no one would dream of criticising her in this way. The recording that was mixed by Gary Paczosa is warm and detailed. It favours Willis, which is very much as you would expect from such a carefully presented album, one that even finds Doug Sax in the mastering suite.

Thea Gilmore - Songs From The Gutter
Flying Sparks Records TDBCD 066 Reviewed by JH
Superlatives, especially from the independent press, have rightly been heaped upon the young shoulders of singer/songwriter Thea Gilmore. In the past eighteen months profile raising appearances on Jools Holland, Radio 4 and at the Glastonbury Festival have brought her inimitable and sometimes caustic brand of social observation to a an audience much wider than the few hundred loyal fans who have regularly packed themselves into tiny venues like Manchester's Life Café. Success is no more than she deserves and it seems as though this rare lyrical talent which has been so carefully nurtured by her patient and long suffering manager, Sara Austin, is now on the threshold of something bigger. Even Uncut magazine has recognised these attributes and commissioned two cover versions for their Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen tribute CDs.

Moreover, we are indebted to them, indirectly, for this the latest (and Thea's fourth) album release. The story goes something like this. Last year while she was recording 'I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine' for the Dylan CD at Revolution in Cheadle Hulme, Thea made one of those fateful calls to Sara's mobile, saying that she needed to spend a little more time in the studio. She was vague enough to leave an impression that there were some problems with the Dylan track. Ah...as they say, the truth is a beautiful thing it was just a few days late and another nine tracks, but by then Songs From The Gutter (with a little help from Nigel Stonier, Robbie Mcintosh and Paul Beavis) was conceived. Between here and mastering at Abbey Road this unplanned pregnancy became twins. Yes, this album's a double and the second CD is a generous eleven-track collection of rare or unreleased material from as far back as 1996. As well as taking music from her almost anonymous single releases, there are songs like 'Hydrogen' (1996) and 'Red Farm' (1997) that I hadn't heard before. These are finely crafted songs, which together with the repressing of Burning Dorothy are a welcome addition to the growing number of available Gilmore recordings.

That's enough of the anecdotal tales, what about the latest material? Firstly, the title itself cannot be ignored. Metaphorically it neatly pulls together those half-forgotten older songs which have been dramatically rescued from the culvert's edge, while at the same time suggesting that her newly penned ones will continue to gnaw at troubled relationships and champion the socially disadvantaged with a real vengeance. There is definitely some compositional gristle thrown into this mix with the darker and mare densely textured arrangements for electric guitar and drums dominating tracks like 'Down To Nowhere' and 'When Did You Get So Safe?'. Then there's that savage delivery of 'Lip Reading', a song which scratches away at the surface, working its nails through the skin until we feel all the bitterness and bad blood channelled from a woman on the rebound. These songs have an attritional and coarsely grained quality, which wears away at you, sapping any will to resist their message. Thematically, well it's classic Thea Gilmore, but I still missed the lovely and softly spoken vocal counterpoint that she often employs when picking at open wounds of this kind. The recording too reinforces these sentiments with an appropriately steely, rough-hewed and sinuous sound. Elsewhere, when she turns away from these acerbic rock gestures, we are treated to that melodic acoustic folk blues which goes down so well at live gigs. In, 'And We'll Dance' and 'Water To Sky', Thea is persuasive in an almost imperceptible way. One of her greatest gifts is that sculptress' eye for the gently curving lyric, one that rhythmically beguiles you with its' sheer beauty and candour, holding off, but eventually coming back at you with a clear insight into the painful certainties of love, loss, rejection or stigma. Here her softer vocal line expresses immeasurable vulnerability. Songs From The Gutter is another bold restatement of all those observations, only here it musically throws down the gauntlet in a much broader challenge than before.
www.theagilmore.com

The Kills - Keep on your mean side
Domino Records WIGCD124 Reviewed by MC
The sleeve notes of Keep on your mean side credit a Mr and Mrs combination of Hotel and W Kills. Whilst W Kills is a relatively unknown New York female vocalist, "Hotel Kills" is the new alias for a Mr J. Hince. Veteran of Peel favourites Scarfo, and two years after his last band Fiji went quiet, Jamie Hince is back. The formula is simple: huge slabs of guitar, highly repetitive structures, sultry dark vocals and carnal screams. And it's good. W's vocals could be a carbon copy of PJ Harvey, which is never a bad thing, and when combined with Jamie's low mutterings they form a superb dark coalition. Jamie's guitar is beyond doubt the main force in the band. The trademarks are all still there, simple, bold guitar licks repeat and build, with unconventional tuning and bass drones. But now the band borrows unashamedly from the current spat of guitar bands, bringing to mind everyone from the Strokes to the White Stripes. Previous band, Fiji, was Jamie Hince for purists, but the Kills add so much more to the equation. They are the essential band of the moment -lets hope they last longer than his previous projects.

Kathy Mattea - Roses
Narada 72438-12485-2-2 Reviewed by RP
Kathy Mattea is a singer songwriter who along with Mary-Chapin Carpenter and more latterly Beth Nielsen Chapman is often credited with delivering a fresh melodic thread into country music's dusty old patchwork quilt. Those textures have been spun through a series of refined sub-genres, which are characteristically strong on musicianship and high in production values. Roses is an album that is not afraid to display these qualities whilst retaining a degree of conservatism at its core. Twelve exquisite songs, (beautifully conceived, arranged and executed), thematically muse over that prickly path to true love, 'Ashes In The Wind', or travel on the difficult road to redemption, 'That's All The Lumber You Sent'. They even touch upon some brutal and spirit sapping images in 'Junkyard'. Traditional values and the rose motif permeate this tableau. The conservative political thread is a matter of personal conviction, but the roses for such a well known symbol are employed with considerable subtlety. Their architectural quality, for example, its presence, layered anatomy and rich bouquet is a striking metaphor for the album's song craft. The playing of Mark Stallings (piano), Byron House (upright bass), Ed Cash (acoustic / electric guitar) and David Johnson (dobro / steel guitar) beautifully underpin Kathy Mattea's pleasing vocal line.

Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Zoe / Rounder ZOE 1035 Reviewed by AH
Expectations are running high with the release of Kathleen Edwards' debut album Failer. She's being touted as the next big thing in alternative country circles, with Rolling Stone magazine hailing her as 'The Next Wave - one of 10 artists to watch out for in 2003", and Radio 2's Bob Harris proclaiming Failer as an early contender for album of the year. Edwards herself refuses to allow the hype to get to her, telling No Depression magazine recently that "Being naive is a wonderful thing". The hype's justified though. Failer glides effortlessly between Neil Young type rockers like 'Maria' and 'The Lone Wolf and more introspective numbers, such as glorious 'National Steel' (string arrangements courtesy of Edwards) and gently acoustic 'Sweet Little Duck', a personal favourite which features some beautiful over-dubbed harmony vocals. Like all good songwriters, Edwards pulls from personal experience and can be highly prolific once something stirs up her emotions. Her close friend Jim Bryson, also a singer / songwriter, is impressed with her fearless honesty. "she's very quick to respond; if someone breaks her heart, she'll write 10 songs about it in a week". If you're into Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Early Wilco, later Steve Earle and more left field singer / song-writers such as Suzanne Vega and Ani Di Franca, you'll find plenty to admire and enjoy in this excellent release.

Joan Baez - Diamonds and Rust Universal 393 233-1 Reviewed by RP
Diamonds and Rust is a mainstream album that has grown in stature since its first release in 1975. Along the way it has become a firm audiophile favourite through the Mobile Fidelity and Nautilus Super Disc half speed mastered reissues. The superiority of those records and that of the latest Universal 1809 LP over an original ARM pressing is noticeable from the very moment your cartridge tracks out of the lead in groove and into the opening bars of a title song which is widely regarded to be one of the strongest Joan Baez compositions. But to my mind the sound quality is the least important of the finely tuned assets on display. Ahead of it I would place the fantastic musicianship of Joe Sample, Hampton Hawes, Larry Carlton, David Paich, Wilton Felder, Reinie Press, Jim Gordon and the lovely and quite distinctive sweeping soprano voice and acoustic guitar work of Joan Baez. When this is allied to the exquisitely framed song writing of a Jackson Browne 'Fountain Of Sorrow', Bob Dylan 'Simple Twist Of Fate', Richard Betts 'Blue Sky', John Prine 'Hello In There' and to Janis Ian's 'Jesse' you have an enduring classic on the platter. Indispensable.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Jimmy Thackery - Guitar
Blind Pig BPCD5083 Reviewed by AH
It's been three albums in a year for Jimmy Thackery. First up was We got it, a new studio album on Telarc and a real return to form after the disappointing Sinner Street Next was Whisky Store (also on Telarc), another excellent release which saw him link up with the mercurial southern guitarist Tab Benoit. Now he unleashes Guitar, his first album dedicated solely to instrumentals and culled from his six Blind Pig recordings. Guitar showcases Jimmy's extraordinary skills to the full and covers a wide variety of styles, from the jazzy jive of 'Jump For Jerry' to the smoky night club blues of 'Blues 'fore dawn' and the rockin' shuffle of 'Jimmy's Detroit Boogie'. There's a version of the shadows 'Apache' (remaining faithful to the original), an eight minute masterpiece called 'Roy's Bluz' (a tribute to the late Roy Buchanan where Thackery manages to sound uncannily like the great man himself) and a wild ramp through Stevie Ray's 'Rude Mood', retitled 'Jimmy's rude Mood' and recorded live in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd in Michigan, USA. 'Jimmy's Rude Mood' is one of 4 tracks recorded especially for this release, so even if you have all of Thackery's back catalogue you still need this one because the bonus songs are equally as good as the rest of Guitar. I usually get bored to tears with instrumental albums but this one's a peach and comes highly recommended.

Gillian Welch - Revival
Acony Records ACNY-0101 Reviewed by RP
The title, its monochrome artwork, that photo of Gillian Welch with those rouged lips and sporting a Forties style dress more than suggest this is an album which has the traditional country blues genre in its blood. And, sure enough, ten songs penned by Welch and guitarist David Rawlings are from the outset tapping into subject matter that lies at its core: rural poverty, family and spiritual strength are their targets. An opening 'Orphan Girl', the track 'Annabelle' which quickly follows and later in 'By The Mark' all thematically reinforce these principles with their emphasis on faith and kinship set against a back cloth of share cropping communities in the deep South. The musical debt to the country blues of the past is further repaid by employing open and pared back acoustic arrangements for guitar and voice. Her writing is as exquisitely poetic as ever and lines like, "Oh the night came undone like a party dress and fell at her feet in a beautiful mess" (Bar-room Girls) colourfully extracts meaning when set against this honest acoustic instrumentation. We are also reminded that music is an organic living thing as the focus shifts gear to dwell on the pleasures of "...an old V-8 from the year I was born" (Pass You By) then the introduction of an upright bass and electric guitars instrumentally keeps pace with this newer theme.

David Gogo - Skeleton Key
Cordova Bay Records CBR026 Reviewed by AH
David Gogo might not be a household name in the UK, but that's not the case in his native Canada where he's just won the prestigious Maple Leaf award, the country's equivalent to America's W.C Handy's. Gogo was given his first guitar at the age of five and became totally obsessed with the instrument, practising relentlessly. At high School he shared the same music teacher as Diana Krall and by the age of 16 was well on the way to becoming a pro musician. Skeleton Key is his fifth release and shows him flexing his muscles on a diverse set of originals and hand picked cover versions. Opener '(Just Ask) Jesse James' is a powerhouse blues rocker which really sets the mood, and that's hotly followed by the first cover, Albert Collins' 'Backstroke', Gogo stays pretty close to the original, scarily reproducing Albert's tone and texture. The title track is a lovely mid-paced soul rocker showcasing Gogo's strong, earthy vocals, which are again to the fore on the slow burnin' blues number 'Reap What You Sow'. Gogo gives us a sterling cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' and then surprisingly covers Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus': not what you would expect to find on a blues/rock album but it works well nonetheless. David Gogo isn't afraid to go to the outer extremities of blues/rock. He's a great singer and exceptional guitarist who's well worth checking out.

Linda Thompson - Fashionably Late
Rounder Records dbk 103 Reviewed by RP
After nearly twenty years in a recording wilderness Linda Thompson has returned with an exceptional folk rock album often sensitive and romantically tinted songs whose simple lilting cadences are graced by outstanding musicianship of a kind that reawakens memories of those halcyon days back in the Seventies. It's wonderfully acoustic, with just a touch of electric guitar (Richard Thompson) for an opening 'Dear Mary' and Mike Rivard's electric bass on 'All I See'. Martin Carthy and Dave Pegg's old acoustic chords are featured as are Kathryn Tickle (pipes), Eliza Carthy (fiddle), Van Dyke Parks (accordion) and the lovely Kate Rusby harmonies. Strength in depth then but who can resist those beautiful, delicately framed and occasionally double-tracked Linda Thompson vocals that caress these mainly self-penned melodies to a finely wrought conclusion. The cradle-rocking tempo, together with the relaxed and intuitive evolution of this music creates a beguiling atmosphere in the typically English (typically understated) way. Linda proves that despite an odd wrinkle or two she has lost none of that poise, timing and control which makes tracks like 'Weary Life', 'Nine Stone Rig' and 'Paint Et Powder Beauty' evocative and enduring.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Allen Dobb - Bottomland
Skipping Stone Music SSM10072 Reviewed by AH
The opening track and title song of Allen Dobb's new album begins with a strummed mandolin and you half expect him to break into a cover of Steve Earle's 'Copperhead Road'. He doesn't of course, but that gives you an idea of the kind of territory he presides in. Dobb grew up in rural Alberta, Canada and then moved to South Africa for a few years to study agriculture. When he returned he started honing his songwriting skills, performing not just in Canada but in important roots hotbeds like Austin, Texas and Nashville. Dobb's an expressive songwriter who uses the storytelling style favoured by the likes of Springsteen and Earle. His voice doesn't have the southern drawl of Earle but it does have a charming lived in, dusky quality and it lends itself perfectly to songs such as the gorgeous 'Like an angel', the lyrics telling of a steamy encounter with a beautiful Mexican girl ("its hot down here in the state of Sonora / I am melting like snowflakes on your tongue"). The playing throughout the 10 songs is first rate. Dobb has assembled a crack band featuring the cream of Canada's musicians and they all deliver the goods, although special mention must go to guitarist and pedal steel player Luke Doucet, whose contribution is exemplary. Bottomland heralds the arrival of an important new talent. The future of roots music never looked healthier.

Various - TWO A.D, A Waveform Compilation
Reviewed by MM
I find it best to do my most critical listening late at night (or early morning for that matter). The earth is dead quiet and the suburban noise floor has dropped into nothingness. The night provides the most conducive environment for true listening. I also enjoy the lack of daily distractions during these waning hours. No cell phones, fax machines, or land line ring tones. It is just my playback system, the room, and the media of my choice. This brings me to the magnificent ambient dub compilation TWO A.D., which was released on Waveform sometime in the early 90's. This album is worthy of the term. Too many artists these days are releasing records that, if you're lucky, contain two listenable tracks and the rest are strictly filler, fulfilling their contractual obligation to the record label of course. This album however is brilliantly sequenced, and the story which results is pure sonic science fiction. The Starseeds open up the journey with the dreamy-drum loop infused 'Behind the Sun'. A didgeridoo blares through whispy vocals and wildly panned synth pads. The sexy vocal sets the pace for the evening. Coldcut's 'Autumn Leaves' just leaves you breathless. Ethereal string arrangements and airy chimes fill the soundstage like flowing water. The vocal from this record was sampled on Way out West's 'The Fall', which was a tremendous club hit in the progressive arena. 'Late Night' is appropriately titled. I can't imagine listening to this cut before tam; Sweeping melodies and drum hits surround this eerily pleasant static-like breeze. I hope the mastering engineer has had a busy schedule since this release. He or she has a golden ear for certain. I remember listening to this on one of Harry Pearson's super reference systems in Sea Cliff. The presence, air and space in this compact disc is staggering. 44.1 k doesn't get much better than this to these ears. The realness of the electronic textures is sublimely articulated. It's almost as if these were true acoustic instruments creating this noise! Seek out this compilation if you're into ambient, space, whatever it is that they are calling it these days. It's a great joyride - and a mental surge suppressor.

Asad Rizvi - Silverlining Exposures
Reviewed by MM
Ok, yet another house music release being reviewed in the pages of this months Sonic column. So sue me. There is reasoning behind my choice to tackle yet another sublimely mixed and produced house music compilation. There seems to be what some people are caking a musical renaissance happening within this glorious subculture. Some call it "Electronica'' (please, they needed a term to appeal to the lowest common denominator - the MN generation). True appreciators and artisans within the actual dance music community know there is still great music being played, written, recorded, and produced. The mainstream media only catches a glimpse of what true dance music has to offer to people. Despite the exploitation of the associated drug use, and other political bashing, the community has taken the massive criticism in its stride. Like they say; the music lives on. Anyway, enough of my seemingly endless drivel. Asad Rizvi is well known as a fine collector of music, producer, label head, and even a great live DJ. His latest CD; Silverlining Exposures is a complete looking glass into all his mighty talents. The mixing is fluid and progressive. He adds his own musical touch to Cutlab's 'Loudkissing' providing a remix that will rock any dance floor or large scale audio playback system. This album plays out as a late night venture to your favorite underground nightspot (oh, did I use an overly saturated term there, my apologies). Be warned, this is not the average 50hz bottom end, this is the real thing, 40hz and below! Its clubland brought to your home via compact disc (or you can actually buy the sampler of the CD on Vinyl, which is of equal musical quality). The sonic merit of the CD is surprising. The tonal balance was certainly one of his concerns, and he nailed it according to my reference system. The sound is detailed, but not edgy. The bottom may be heavy, but not mucky or distracting. The synths are beautifully textured and reproduced with such accuracy it's like having a Kurzweil 2500x in your listening room! This album is great for driving, or dancing around the house/apartment with your loved one. Go out and support Asad, buy a bottle of nice red wine, and let all the stress go. This is one for my permanent collection. Bravo. Bravo.

Andy Stochansky - Five Star Motel
Reviewed by MM
I must confess my bias towards anybody who has been involved in the evolution of Ani DiFranco's musical career. I believe she is simply brilliant. A great poet, an extremely magnetic live performer, and a tight musician (yes, and she runs her own label, which, to this reviewer, is a pleasurable middle-finger-in-the-air to money sucking big label land). Now, Ani has stated time and time again that she is only as good as the musicians she surrounds herself with. Enter Andy Stochansky, her former drummer (maybe he still works with her; I plead ignorance to their current working relationship). Stochansky has released his first full-length album, entitled Five Star Motel, an appropriate title as this is surely a five star record. The writing exudes vulnerability, and is purely emotional. '22 Steps' is a heartfelt story of a man facing his own fear of facing a woman who has caught his fascination. The man has literally counted the steps, from the street to the woman's door, but has not been able to reach that door and speak to her. Lyrics like " If I were him, I'd know your birthday" reveal with great potency Stochansky's inner conflicts with love, fear, and resentment, the very things we all face every minute. 'Stutter has the hook, and boy is it a wonderful one. Poppy, but honest and thoughtful, the chorus speaks about obliviousness, how someone (obviously another pined-after woman) simply cannot see how "blissful" it could be if they were to come together. This record is what rock-n-roll, pop, all the endless genres of music, is all about; Pure expression and self-truthfulness. Tracks are not overproduced (or should we say over-Pro Tooled). It's a real pleasure to sit down and bask in a rock record that is sparsely, yet tastefully put together. I mean, how many times can we take the same power cords, followed by the same of drum patterns? Radio has become the enemy. Doesn't it all sound the same? The musical nuances in this record are free to roam around the soundstage, and free is what this record seems to be about (his new found freedom as an artist in his own right). Audibly it is sparse in the lower octaves, which tends to drain the intensity a bit, but it's tolerable. As for the guitar production, it's rock/pop without a robot at the console. There are faults, but they work to enhance the music, not subtract from it. Sonic properties aside, this record pleases on all fronts.

Swayzak - Snowboarding In Argentina
Reviewed by MM
Minimal tech house, sounds like a skeletal description or a blue print for an architect. I call it good music. Continuing to label, dissect, and classify new music only detracts from the actual message of the medium itself. The electronic music community has inundated itself with endless genre specifications and divides. I can only share what I deem to be good music (or bad for that matter). If you want to discover the section in which to find this album you'll have to ask for help at the local music store (and please, support your local retailers). It's Swayback's Snowboarding in Argentina, and that's exactly the virtual journey it provides. This record has this reviewer searching for new adjectives to describe intense fluidity, an endless quality that is liquid in music. It's rare that an artist can maintain their vision throughout an entire album but Swayzak has done so masterfully here. The introduction via 'Speedboat' opens up like a hot air balloon. It's swooshing (a word, no?) synths and slowly escalating drum pattern is infectious. This is followed by the airy clicks and stabs of 'Burma Heights': What a way to begin. Drivy tracks like 'Low-rez Skyline' and 'Fukamachi' continue the transisting, and finally, you're left with 'Bueno', an appropriate title for a closing indeed. This track seals the package with a funky, simple bassline and smoothly escalating synth cords. Again; seamless progression, my definition of what an album should be. Well, the sonics now: Stupendously transparent and textural. The frequencies at both the high and low end of the spectrum are represented beautifully. The stereo imaging is particularly engaging. The transient attack is sharp and fast. Sparsely produced it seems, and that was right choice. Snowboarding was executed with absolute precision. I've been told by many greats that music is in fact a visual experience. This effort by Swayzak proved that theory to me. This record actually made my short stay in Worcester Massachusetts tolerable (I was there for some Eastern AcousticWorks training). Please, do your mind a favor, find this album, wait til Friday night's early morning hours, and throw this at your home audio gear. It will give you what you've been looking for.

Various Artists - Verve Remixed
Universal / Verve 589 606-1 Reviewed by RG
Verve follow the Blue Note lead and open the vaults to the rapine hordes. The results have to rate as one of the most mind bendingly stimulating experiences short of chemicals - and all strictly legal too -copyright and everything! Not so much When Harry Met Sally, more When Willie Bobo Met Richard Dorfmeister, if you ever wondered what those deliciously seductive Astrud Gilberto vocals would sound like accompanied by a really seriously dirty soundtrack then now's your chance to find out. Featuring the work of mixmeisters as diverse as Thievery Corporation, Tricky and De-Phazz (what the latter does with Ella's 'Wait 'till You See Him' has to be heard to be believed) and the cream of the divas in Verve's back catalogue, the mix of inventiveness and quality raw material proves explosive. With less than an hour of music spread over six 180g sides there's plenty of room for impressive deep bass dynamics, but don't get confused. Modern it may be but this is definitely jazz. Progressive development of melody and theme, those great vocals, all underpinned by throbbing, complex, living bass shapes: buy, play loud, enjoy - and shame your children's lack of adventure along the way! Great music, well served by great sonics makes this a must own record (and I do mean 'record').

Sarah Vaughan - You're Mine You
Classic Records / Roulette SR 52082 Reviewed by DD
Recorded in 1962, and accompanied by lush orchestral arrangements by Quincy Jones this is perfect Sunday Morning fodder. Vaughan as ever is in lovely voice, full of expression drawing you in and soothing your soul from the very first notes of the eponymous opener. Add in a slinky 'The Best Is Yet To Come', a sultry 'Witchcraft', a sensuous 'Baubles, Bangles And Beads' and you get the idea. Despite the closing 'On Green Dolphin Street' this set ain't jazz. It is however very superior pop consummately performed and very nicely produced with her voice full-bodied and centre stage and plenty of weighty punch from the brass (on an excellent Quiex SV pressing from Classic), evoking the '60's New York I always associate with favourite Jack Lemmon movies like The Apartment and The Odd Couple. No bad thing that! Whilst far from her amongst her greatest (that honour, for me, is shared equally between Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown and How Long Has This Been Going On both of which are straight jazz sets, the second of which I've also covered here), this is a nice contrast and is another great showcase for one of the 20th Century's finest voices.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Sarah Vaughan - How Long Has This Been Going On?
Pablo Deluxe 2310 821 Reviewed by DD
This album is something of a stranger to the second hand racks (I should know judging by the many hours I spend browsing them), but with good reason. It's one of Vaughan's (and Pablo's) very best recordings and well worth searching out. Supported by a stellar band featuring Oscar Peterson; Joe Pass, Louie Bellson and Ray Brown, she's in particularly fine voice throughout. Closely recorded, Vaughan's every vocal nuance is captured in this relaxed session where she and the band breeze through ten standards. The title track features some outstanding work from Peterson, the band romp through 'I've Got The World On A String' and bring the best from the slower more sensuous numbers like 'You're Blase' and 'Midnight Sun'. All involved are on top form and their enjoyment is palpable. This really is a faultless set. The only drawback is that 'the cover shot does bear an unfortunate resemblance to James Brown in his more 'bouffant' mode, but I won't hold that against her. This is an essential album that any serious jazz collection is incomplete without and is worth getting hold of in any format you can lay your hands on.

Coleman Hawkins - Night Hawk
Acoustic Sounds / Prestige 2016 Reviewed by DD
Recorded in 1960 this is a good-natured quintet session with Hawkins trading tenor phrases with Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis. The album title tune was dreamed up on the spot by Hawkins during the recording session, typically forgetting the next day that he'd done so, but it makes a great opener. Trading laid back blues drenched phrases, the immediate thing that grabs you is that Hawk and Davis are not about competing to outdo each other in a battle of the tenors, but are joining in a warm and leisurely conversation with Davis' smoother tone offset beautifully with Hawk's weightier style. A fine piano solo from Flanagan on this track too. The second number There Is No Greater Love' is much faster paced, with the two trading some great licks and again the empathy between them brings the best from the number. And so it goes through three more standards, including Ellington's 'ln A Mellow Tone' completing the set. It's impossible to pick a favourite from the set, the band are clearly having a great time and it shows. The recording is good and full-bodied and the Acoustic Sounds pressing exemplary. Whilst not ground breaking this is a very fine set indeed and one I suspect I'll be returning to regularly. Recommended.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Coleman Hawkins and his Confreres
Speakers Corner / Verve MG-VS 6110 Reviewed by RG
When the "Confreres" in question include the Oscar Peterson Trio, Roy Eldridge and Ben Webster then there's the promise of something special in the offing, and this record doesn't disappoint. Perfectly flat and silent surfaces (a feature of recent Speakers Corner releases after a sticky patch a couple of years back) merely serve to underpin the superb playing on offer. From the deceptively simple opening track with its repeated motif and understated development, things pick up through 'Sunday' and a superb 'Hanid', yet despite the stars on show there's a refreshing lack of competitive strutting, Webster and Hawkins in particular only to happy to work in conjunction, leaving space for others and each other. The rhythm section is just as good as you'd expect, with some particularly fine stick work to savour, while Oscar is happy to drive the groove rather than hogging the limelight. The result is subtle, thoughtful jazz, played with intelligence and dexterity by musicians whose respect for the music and each other runs deep indeed. It's a beautifully balanced set that allows everyone a chance to shine and shine they do. There's an appealing grace and gentleness to the slower numbers, zipp and poise when things move up-tempo. I can see this becoming a firm, firm favourite.

Scottish Guitar Quartet - Fait Accompli
Circular Records CR 1001 Reviewed by DD
Having enjoyed their 2001 debut recording Near The Circle (Caber Music 023), I was pleased to see this their second release which is, to quote the sleeve notes 'the distillation of many miles of composition, rehearsal, travelling and performance'. This tells since this is an even more accomplished and wide-ranging set than their first release. Opening with the title track, composed and led here by Malcolm MacFarlane, it's a gentle, rolling introduction to their style as they trade the tune between the members of the band. 'Dance of he Gypsy King' is a flamenco influenced piece that really highlights the virtuosity of this ensemble which features solos from four of the players, trading licks but not competing for attention, each taking the tune a stage forward. On gentler numbers like 'The Romance Within You' the group achieve an almost orchestral feel as their picking gently both carries and extemporises around the melody. More abstract, offbeat numbers like 'Sidewardly Mobile' are carried off with equal aplomb. All the tracks here are strong, and well programmed for forty minutes of un-flashy, melodic enjoyment. The recording, as in the first release is good with the players set in an arc between the speakers and very much 'in the room'.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

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