New Earth Farmers

The Good Ones Got Away

Self-Released, 2023

8/10

Listen to The Good Ones Got Away

Previously called New American Farmers, Paul Knowles and his band are now going by New Earth Farmers, and their more inclusive name certainly suits the very diverse song craft that populates this Americana rooted listen.

“Oh Mary” opens the listen with Knowles’ gospel influenced keys alongside Nigel Twist’s firm drumming and James Deprato’s thick guitar in the rootsy climate, and “My Dog God” follows with a distinct breeziness that’s vocally harmonic thanks to Nicole Storto, as the setting builds into an emotive rocker.

In the middle, “Judgement Day” jangles with a timeless charm that goes back to the early days of folk, while “Waiting Such A Long, Long Time” benefits much from Kevin T. White’s throbbing bass in the gritty, driving album highlight.

Close to the end, the brief, violin filled “Interlude” showcases Alissa Rose’s talents, and “Temporary Road” exits with much intimacy in the poetic, lush and memorable finish.

A more rock’n’roll focused affair compared to their earlier work, whether this is your first time with New Earth Farmers or you’re a returning customer, you’ll find plenty of rootsy, Americana, heartland rock to enjoy immensely.

Travels well with: Helene Cronin- Old Ghosts & Lost Causes; Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford- Still Here

Dean Johanesen

Cautionary Tales

Self-Released, 2023

8/10

Listen to Cautionary Tales

A Long Island, New York native who now calls Sarasota, Florida home, Dean Johanesen is influenced by prohibition era sounds, hot club jazz, Western swing and American roots sounds on this 3rd album.

“Good King Rex (Intro)” opens the listen with soft, warm instrumentation that leads into the soothing fiddle and cozy guitar of the Americana influenced “Step Right Up”.

Further on, the playful, breezy, horn friendly “Strike Up The Bend” flows with charming melodies, while “Walker’s Pure Extract” touches on folk ideas amid the vivid storytelling and old time feel.

Arriving closer to the end, “Mr. Delaware”, the best track, is full of agile acoustic strumming, stirring fiddle and light vocal harmonies, and “Red Eyed, Red Light, Goodnight!” continues this sophisticated approach with soulful brass alongside the mood that seems like it might soundtrack a trip to a speakeasy.

Johanesen doesn’t hide his admiration for Django Reinhardt across the listen, and his current proximity to all the circus history in Florida is present, too, as he pens a very unique and nostalgic record that’s just as enjoyable today as it would have been 100 years ago.

Travels well with: Pokey LaFarge- In The Blossom Of Their Shade; Parker Millsap- Be Here Instead

The Somnambulist

Some More Songs Lost In Themselves

Slowing, 2022

8/10

Listen to Some More Songs Lost In Themselves

The Berlin rockers The Somnambulist had attempted to record an LP, but the lockdowns due to the pandemic put a halt to that. Instead, they regrouped for these 6 diverse tunes that have Marco Bianciardi (vocals, guitar) and Leon Griese (drums) being joined by Paul Peuker on bass.

“All Strain Is Over” opens the listen with a driving, somewhat warbly version of psyche-rock that benefits much from Luca Canciello’s playful synth amid the mix of talking and singing, and “Flowers From Where You Go” follows with a dreamy spirit that’s hypnotic and full of complicated drumming alongside a rare beauty.

“Not A Song For You” and “Lametech” land in the middle, where the former is dense, dark and full of falsetto singing, and the latter welcomes alt-rock ideas into the firm, dynamic album highlight.

Near to the end, “Lowerin’ Sun” emits some glam-pop influences in the atypical landscape, and “The Freewheelers” exits with a radiant version of indie-rock that showcases the frisky bass lines quite nicely.

The first of 2 new EPs from the band, this brief listen is tense, powerful, sometimes minimal and traverses a wide spectrum of rock and pop ideas that are complicated but very accessible.

Travels well with: No Tongues- Ici; Baby Fire- Grace

Savana Funk

Ghibli

Garrincha, 2022

8/10

Listen to Ghibli

The Italian stars Savana Funk were primed and ready for this new album after finishing over 100 shows across Europe, where influences from the southern parts of the world unfold with diverse and exciting sounds.

“Agadir” opens the listen with soaring guitars, playful drumming and strong attention to rhythm in the world music meets retro-rock climate, and the title track follows with a much calmer approach of intimate guitar, scrappy drums and much attention on mood.

“Lipari” occupies the middle spot, and flows with a hypnotic appeal of fascinating keys and spirited guitar, while “Ayat”, a track with vocals, enters thicker areas of alt-rock, but not without plenty of global influences.

“Madagascar” and “Boubacar” exit the listen, where the former is a speedy and meticulous album highlight with animated bass lines, and the latter finishes calm, mysterious and charming with its brushed drums, poetic guitar and dynamic musicianship.

The band consists of Aldo Betto (guitars), Blake C. S. Franchetto (bass, contrabass), Youssef Ait Bouazza (drums, vocals), and Nicola Peruch (keyboards), and together they make for a rhythmic, melodic, groove-friendly and very memorable listen.

Travels well with: Fanfara Station- Boussadia; C’mon Tigre- Scenario

Chineke! Orchestra

Coleridge- Taylor

Chineke!, 2022

8/10

Listen to Coleridge- Taylor

Europe’s first majority black and ethnically diverse orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra return with a double disc that pays tribute to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor,

The first 5 movements belongs to “Othello Orchestral Suite, Op. 79”, where the string interaction is fluid, exciting and dances with the firm drumming in both booming and intimate areas, and “Sussex Landscape, Op. 27” follows with a reflective tone that quivers a bit and surrounds itself with stirring strings.

Deeper into Disc 1, the very agile “Ballade in A minor, Op. 33 “ emits a highly dreamy and animated appeal, while Disc 2 leads with “Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in G minor, Op. 80”, where Elena Urioste’s proficient violin playing won’t go unnoticed.

Closer to the end, the indeed romantic spirit of “Romance in G major, Op. 39” is full of cautious and cozy moods, and “Nonet in F minor, Op. 2” exits the listen with heartfelt, ambitious song craft that truly exemplifies all the aspects of the orchestra that have made them so admired around the globe.

Chineke! live under the motto of ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’, and that vision certainly is present and appreciated across this well executed classical listen.

Travels well with: Catalyst Quartet- Uncovered Vol. 2: Florence B. Price; Richard Wagner- The Golden Ring

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra

Voices: A Musical Heritage

Self-Released, 2022

9/10

Listen to Voices: A Musical Heritage

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra have been at it since 1997, and this 6th release brings 8 commissioned pieces that illustrate the rich musical heritage of Manitoba.

“Keeyn” opens the listen with Will Boness’ warm, mesmerizing piano and a trio of saxophones, as Fabio Ragnelli’s agile drumming anchors the very rich climate of the John Stetch original, and “Homenaje”, by Rodrigo Munoz, follows with Gilles Fournier’s skilled bass amid a busy display of brass dynamics that spread across a very diverse landscape.

Further along, Jeff Presslaff’s “The Living Mind” moves with firm and very focused playing, where Presslaff’s skilled trombone meshes well with the saxes and trumpet, while “Shadows”, by Richard Gillis, places Victoria Sparks on percussion and Larry Roy on guitar for the animated and melodic album highlight.

Residing close to the end, “Ishpiming”, by Andrew Balfour, welcomes Karl Kohut on bass and Joel Green’s well timed trombone to the dizzying, dense interaction, and “The Bison” exits with Monica Jones, Kyle Wedlake and Connor Derraugh handling saxophones for the groove filled finish.

An extremely well executed listen that recruits big band ideas and is never short on solos, there’s a whole lot of talent present, and the very developed pieces keep us engaged and enthralled for each note.

Travels well with: Will Bonness- Change Of Plans; Erin Propp & Larry Roy- We Want All The Same Things

Anthony McGill/Pacifica Quartet

American Stories

Cedille, 2022

9/10

Listen to American Stories

The esteemed clarinetist Anthony McGill is joined by the inimitable Pacifica Quartet for these works by 4 living American composers that are fleshed out with an unparalleled attention to detail.

“Four Angels”, by Richard Danielpour”, starts the listen with much intimacy thanks to McGill’s stirring playing amid the soothing strings, and James Lee III’s “Quintet” follows with the frisky string manipulation flowing across 4 chapters that benefit from McGill’s diverse prowess.

On the back half, “High Sierra Sonata”, by Ben Shirley, emits much beauty thanks to the agile clarinet and quivering strings, while Valerie Coleman’s “Shotgun Houses” exits the listen with plenty of emphasis on mood, where chilling moments are met with the sounds of a bell from the clarinet as the focus is placed on the life of Muhammad Ali.

It certainly isn’t surprising that the Pacifica Quartet have netted several Grammy Awards, and together with McGill’s amazing skills on clarinet, it makes for a poignant, rich and unpredictable body of work that will please fans of classical, chamber and orchestral music.

Travels well with: Dover Quartet- Beethoven Complete String Quartets: Volume 3; Anthony McGill & Gloria Chien- Here With You

Tatiana Paris

Gibbon

Carton, 2022

8/10

Listen to Gibbon

A highly creative listen, Tatiana Paris brings us a solo guitar effort that welcomes objects and a radio cassette player that helps place some electronic moments along the way.

“préfixer” gets the listen off to mesmerizing start, where haunting manipulated strings are met with much ambience, and “le rouge-gorge aime la t110” follows with a strategic rattling that segues into an oddly dreamy, bare climate of cinematic exploration.

In the middle, the buzzing “chant VI” welcomes Pierrick Pagé’s distinct vocals to the mechanical landscape, while “muréne” showcases Paris’ pretty pipes amid a very minimal, stirring album highlight.

The title track and “marisa” exit the listen, where the former offers a blurry flash of firm electronic prowess and the latter emits a gorgeous guitar tone and highlights the agile playing from Paris.

A record that utilizes wooden and metal objects, raw bouts of electronics, and poetic guitar and singing, Paris is well versed in pop, jazz, tango and African music, and all those influences are present and appreciated here.

Travels well with: No Tongues- Ici; Rifo- Betel

No Tongues

Ici

Carton/Ormo/Pagans, 2022

8/10

Listen to Ici

A French outfit who are highly experimental and superbly avant-garde, No Tongues use their instruments in unorthodox ways across these 8 intimate and exploratory pieces.

“Kulning” opens the listen with Isabel Sorling’s wordless vocals alongside the quivering brass and manipulated contrabass in the very iconoclastic climate, and “Chien Chien” follows with Linda Olah Et Isaie’s contributions making for a uniquely haunting, cinematic delivery that’s shrouded in mystery.

Halfway through, “Parrandad de entroido de canizo” welcomes Elsa Corre’s expressive singing amid the drumming by way of found objects that’s quite pretty and cultured.

Moving towards the end, “Onze heure trente et une” moves with a mechanical feel that’s also a bit tribal in nature, and “Finis Terrae” exits with dense waves of sci-fi like song craft that’s ominous yet charming.

The band consists of Alan Regardin (trumpet, objects), Ronan Courty (contrabass, objects), Ronan Prual (contrabass) and Matthieu Prual (sax & bass clarinet), and together they birth a noisey, ambient and field recording friendly affair that’s quite captivating.

Travels well with: Gilles Poizat- Champignon Flamme; Rifo- Betel

The Heavy Hitters

The Heavy Hitters

Cellar, 2023

8/10

Listen to The Heavy Hitters

An aptly titled outfit, 6 of the best in the area of jazz come together for 9 tracks of lively and meticulous song craft that’s modern, but still takes influence from jazz’s past.

“Hub” starts the listen with Kevin Washington’s vibrant drumming alongside the bright brass in the animate jazz climate, and “New Day” follows with band leader Mike LeDonne’s warm piano guiding the reflective and agile melodic gestures that are quite dreamy.

In the middle, “Un Dia Es Un Dia” flows with Jeremy Pelt’s playful trumpet amid plenty of rhythm, while “Big Richard” focuses on Vincent Herring’s soulful alto sax to create an intimate mood.

Landing closer to the end, “This Is Something New” benefits much from Peter Washington’s skilled bass and Eric Alexander’s finger acrobatics on piano amid the swift melodies, and “Bluesit” exits with the meticulous rhythm section and stunning brass making for an exciting and timeless finish.

Certainly indebted to the sounds of old Blue Note sounds, LeDonne and company tip their hats to their heroes, but also create their own distinct version of contemporary jazz that truly embraces the immense skill of all the players.

Travels well with: Billy Drummond And Freedom Of Ideas- Valse Sinistre; Aaron Seeber- First Move

Howdy Glenn

I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn

Omnivore, 2022

8/10

Listen to I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn

This is the first time we’ve seen a collection from Howdy Glenn made available, and it includes 8 of his singles, plus 6 newly-mixed, previously unissued tracks from the Warner Bros. vaults, plus an outtake from his Fire Records sessions.

“I Can Almost See Houston” opens the listen with dreamy guitar, warm drumming and Glenn’s beaming, soulful pipes, and “You’ll Remember Me” follows with some honky tonk fun that’s steeped in classic country and isn’t short on expressive singing.

Deeper into the first half, “Where Did The Years Go” brings a stirring intimacy that benefits from light backing vocals and eloquent strings, while “That Lucky Old Sun” emits a gospel spirit that comes with plenty of emotion.

Residing closer to the end, the atmospheric harmonica of “Cowboys Ain’t Supposed To Cry” is complemented by thick bass and crisp drums as Glenn’s firm enunciation helps make this one of the record’s best, and his version of Merle Haggard’s “White Line Fever” (take 2) certainly does justice to the original with Glenn’s inimitable presence a glow with timeless country sensibilities.

Even though Glenn spent six weeks on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, and was nominated for Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music, most people have no idea of who he is, despite him paving the way for other black performers to make a dent on the national charts.

After the success of his singles, a formal LP never materialized for Glenn, which seemed odd since he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. He went back to being a fire fighter, and his music made its way into obscurity. The 23 tracks here, along with the extensive liner notes and updated restoration and mastering, preserves his brief music career, and with country music being more popular than ever, I bet Glenn will finally get the attention he deserves.

Travels well with: The Shootouts- Bullseye; Matt Hillyer- Glorieta

Matthew McCright

Hanging By A Thread

Self-Released, 2022

8/10

Listen to Hanging By A Thread

A Minneapolis resident who is a member of the piano faculty of Carleton College, Matthew McCright brings his inimitable piano playing to this solo affair that spotlights the work of Dorothy Hindman, Alican Camci, Andrea Mazzariello, Takuma Itoh, Kirsten Soriano and Paul Dresher.

“To Spill Oneself Away” opens the listen with twinkling keys, where much attention is paid to mood in the mysterious, intimate climate, and “Olgun Bit Meyvenin Sesiyledüserken” follows with the bare keys emitting much beauty amid the sparse versus firm gestures.

In the middle, the calm, reflective “As Far as You Can Stretch a Web, Mvt III: Prelude, Refracted” showcases McCright’s agile fingers in the absorbing album highlight, while “Intermezzo" showcases a very distinct tone thanks to the skilled and cautious progressions.

“Your Hands, As They Are” and “Blue Diamonds” exit the listen, where the former turns minimalism into a refined science thanks to its meticulous nature, and “Blue Diamonds” finishes with bouts of busier moments in between the vulnerable rhythm and fleeting meters.

An album that began at the inception of the pandemic, McCright wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to complete the project, but the hurdles he had to jump through only made the body of work that much more emotional, exciting and memorable.

Travels well with: Dave Flynn- Irish Minimalism; Alexander Tchobanov- Eclectic Sounds

Renée Fleming

Greatest Moments At The Met

Decca, 2023

9/10

Listen to Greatest Moments At The Met

The soprano extraordinaire Renée Fleming documents some of her stunning performances at The Met on CD and digital for the first time, and it’s spread across 2 discs that cull together 19 years of appearances and includes duets with Cecilia Bartoli, Susan Graham, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Samuel Ramey, and Bryn Terfel.

Mozart’s “Le Nosse Di Figaro” opens the listen with Fleming’s soaring pipes hitting some very high notes alongside the dancing strings, and Verdi’s “Otello” follows with much intimacy as a stirring atmosphere surrounds the poetic and expressive singing.

Deeper into Disc 1, “Faust”, by Gounod, recruits strong baritone vocals alongside Fleming’s distinct pipes for the very animated first half highlight, and the back half opens with Floyd’s “Susannah”, where mood is key and the vocal acrobatics are quite captivating amid the majestic strings.

Further yet, Handel’s “Rodelinda” emits swift string manipulation and very melodic singing in the dreamy demeanor, and “Die Tote Stadt” exits with Fleming interpreting Korngold’s vision with much emotion and grace.

A truly spectacular collection of performances, anyone with an ear for opera would be wise to spend time with these indeed great moments at The Met.

Travels well with: Richard Wagner- The Golden Ring; Víkingur Ólafsson- From Afar

Sunny War

Anarchist Gospel

New West, 2023

9/10

Listen to Anarchist Gospel

The Nashville singer-songwriter and guitarist Sunny War never does anything conventional, and on this aptly titled 4th album she welcomes some excellent musicians and guest spots from names we all know, too.

“Love’s Death Bed” opens the listen with agile drumming, spirited harmonica and plenty of R&B flavor that’s soulful and not lacking grooves, and “No Reason” follows with a swift, thumping folk-rock appeal that’s full of expressive singing and meticulous acoustic guitar.

Further along, the bluesy nods of “Swear To Gawd” make a strong impression amid Chris Pierce’s flowing harmonica and fluent melodies, while “New Day” highlights War’s poetic and intimate voice that’s got a hint of grit in its stirring delivery that spotlights Dennis Crouch’s precise upright bass.

Approaching the end, “Higher” emits a distinct dreaminess that comes with a dense backdrop that’s slightly ominous alongside Jo Schornikow’s mellotron, and “Whole” exits the listen with Maureen Murphy, Nickie Conley and Kyshona Armstrong’s charming backing vocals and John James Tourville’s swirling guitar making for a gorgeous, captivating finish.

An artist who possesses a punk spirit, but is quite sophisticated in her inimitable formula that's touches on folk, blues, Americana and rock, there truly is no bad place to start for the first time listener, but you may as well get acquainted here, cause it’s some of Sunny War’s best so far.

Travels well with: H.C. McEntire- Every Acre; The Bad Ends- The Power And The Glory

Publiquartet

What Is American

Bright Shiny Things, 2022

9/10

Listen to What Is American

The Grammy Nominated PUBLIQuartet create another exceptional listen here, where their modern chamber formula steers us through 20 tracks of blues, jazz, free and rock influenced sounds.

The quick “Fifth Verse: Prelude” starts the listen with minimal warmth and many spoken voices, which sets the foundation for “Improvisations on Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12, Op. 96”, by Rhiannon Giddens, which showcases strings that nearly sound mechanical in their erratic screeching, as well as gentle in a soothing way.

Elsewhere, Fats Waller’s “Improvisations on “Honeysuckle Rose” recruits narration from A’Lelia Bundles in the musically animated and lyrically powerful climate, while Vijay Iyer’s “Dig the Say” is a lively album highlight that manipulates the strings with fasinating progressions that are quite colorful.

Landing near the end, “CARDS 11.11.20” spends 8+ minutes mesmerizing us with its bare ambience that can be as haunting as it can be eloquent, and “Wild Women Don't Get the Blues”, by Ida Cox, finishes with meticulous plucking and expressive bowing that leaves an indelible impression.

Not so surprisingly, What Is American made its way to the top of the charts, and PUBLIQuartet’s Black and Indigenous music roots are still very much intact across this rich and diverse affair.

Travels well with: Catalyst Quartet- Uncovered Vol. 2: Florence B. Price; Dover Quartet- Beethoven Complete String Quartets: Volume 3

Steve Fidyk

Red Beats

Blue Canteen, 2023

8/10

Listen to Red Beats

The drummer and composer Steve Fidyk returns to his roots with this big band effort, where 9 original pieces are fleshed out by arrangers from the DC and Philly regions.

“Bebop Operations” opens the listen with bright brass and frisky drumming, as the arranger Regan Brough brings the tune to a very swing friendly place, and “The Flip Flopper” follows with Joseph Henson’s arranging skills making for a rhythmic and bluesy affair that uses organ strategically.

“Churn” lands in the middle and shakes and bounces with acrobatic drumming amid the lively horns thanks to Michael Kramer, while “Food Court Drifter” brings a bit of restraint with its soulful brass and thumping drums that builds into a dense, glorious album highlight under Andrew Carson’s arranging.

“Loopholes” and “Good Turns” exit the listen, where the former doesn’t lack any melody thanks to the meticulous brass, stylish keys and lively drumming, and the latter finishes with a swift and playful demeanor that’s Big Band at its finest.

The musicians on hand includes alumni from The Buddy Rich Big Band, Count Basie Big Band, Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau, The Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Army Blues, The Navy Commodores and The Airmen of Note. Also in attendance are soloists like the tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, organist Brian Charette and guitarist Jack Wilkins, and under the skilled vision of Fidyk, it makes for a big band effort you don’t want to miss.  

Travels well with: Steve Fidyk- Battle Lines; Shawn Purcell- Symmetricity

Rune Most

Flute Concertos

Bridge, 2022

8/10

Listen to Flute Concertos

The inimitable flute player Rune Most interprets the work of C.P.E. Bach here, and he’s got The Danish Sinfonietta-Randers Kammerorkester ensemble along for the 3 well developed pieces.

“Concerto in D minor Wq. 22” opens the listen with the dancing strings emitting much grace and warmth alongside Most’s well timed flute prowess that, later on, moves with a brisk and dynamic pace.

The middle piece belongs to “Concerto in A minor Wq. 166”, where soaring melodic gestures unfold with a meticulous nature that allows Most’s dreamy flute to emit much beauty.

The final track, “Concerto in G major Wq. 169”, exits with intimate ebbs that are strategically placed amid the animated string manipulation, where each of the 3 movements highlights much skill and agility.

An extremely well executed affair that enlists David Riddell as artistic director and conductor, Most’s flute is played precisely, and the orchestra display a strong collaborative appeal as they do justice to the Bach compositions.

Travels well with: David Starobin- W.T. Matiegka's Six Sonatas, Op. 31; George Walker- Five Piano Sonatas

H.C. McEntire

Every Acre

Merge, 2023

8/10

Listen to Every Acre

An artist who made quite an impression as the front woman for Mount Moriah, these days H.C. McEntire is making excellent solo records, and this 3rd one contains plenty of harmonic and melodic folk-influenced sounds.

“New View” starts the listen with warm, radiant guitar alongside McEntire’s soulful, poetic singing that’s raw and gorgeous, and “Shadows” follows with S.G. Goodman’s stirring backing vocals helping guide the intimate, reflective climate.

In the middle, “Dovetail” recruits Luke Norton’s moving keys that complement McEntire’s absorbing pipes, while “Rows Of Clover” benefits much from Daniel Faust’s agile drumming that helps cultivate fuller delivery of well thought out song craft.

Near to the end, “Wild For The King” emits soothing vocal harmonies in its lush textures of sublime beauty, and “Gospel Of A Certain Kind” makes great use of Casey Toll’s strategic bass for the dreamy exit.

Primarily a slow burning affair, Every Acre is a wise, emotive and honest body of work that continues to reveal the seemingly boundless creative spirit of McEntire.

Travels well with: The Bad Ends- The Power And The Glory; Sunny War- Simple Syrup

Joe Henry

All The Eye Can See

ear, 2023

9/10

Listen to All The Eye Can See

The 3 time Grammy Winner Joe Henry brings us his most personal record to date, which was recorded in his own home, where he took on the producer role and welcomes his son Levon Henry on saxophone and clarinet, guitarists Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot, bassist David Piltch, pianist Patrick Warren, Daniel Lanois on organ, and singer Madison Cunningham.

“Prelude To Song” opens the listen with an atmospheric instrumental that’s calm, mysterious and warm, and “Song That I Know” follows with much focus on piano, as Henry’s eloquent imagery unfolds with a sophisticated and inimitable version of Americana.

Further on, “Near To The Ground” showcases Henry’s husky voice amid pretty guitar and much attention to mood, while “God Laughs” emits meticulous picking and poetic singing in the bare but impactful song craft.

Deeper into the listen, “Pass Through Me Now” offers an intimate duet that’s filled with agile guitar and touching lyricism, and the album highlight, “Red Letter Day”, from the Downtown Owl soundtrack, exits the listen with a distinct dreaminess that’s rugged yet tuneful.

An extremely stirring body of work that’s lyrically moving and musically delicate, Henry has always found a sound entirely his own, where blues, rock, jazz, country and folk are all important pieces to the very literate and thoughtful, artistic qualities that have surrounded his lengthy career.

Travels well with: Giant Giant Sand- Tucson; Grant-Lee Phillips- All That You Can Dream

Bandits On The Run

Bandits Live At The Power Station

Self-Released, 2019

8/10

Listen to Bandits Live At The Power Station

Recorded live at New York City’s legendary Power Station, the trio of Bandits On The Run offer us a quick listen of fan favorites on this hook heavy, vocally harmonic and instantly charming affair.

“Potted Plant” starts the listen with soothing cello as vocal harmonies settle in to the nostalgic folk atmosphere that also embraces Latin influences, and “Sweet Thing” follows with playful picking as ultra-melodic vocals invade the warm rhythms and intricate interplay.

The last 2 tracks offer “Cowboy On The Run”, where a vintage feel and more forceful guitars make this the EP standout, and “Back To Black”, an Amy Winehouse tune, ends with plucked cello in the harmonic and gorgeous reworking that does justice to the original.

An outfit who spent their formative years busking in NYC subways, the hard work has certainly paid off in spades as Bandits On The Run recently toured Europe and are seeing plenty of praise internationally. This strong EP, recorded in their preferred environment, i.e. unplugged, live and with only their unique chemistry that binds pop, folk, soul and punk guiding them, is a fitting way to end out a banner year indeed.

Travels well with: The Lumineers- The Lumineers; Sylvan Esso- Sylvan Esso