Bedouine: Bedouine review – elegant, honeyed country-soul
Azniv Korkejian’s gentle songs prove a fine addition to Spacebomb’s roster
Kiefer Sutherland review – trading his Glock for a guitar for a show of grizzled authenticity
The action star’s whiskey-sodden country music set is genuinely poignant. He puts other Hollywood hobby acts to shame
Steve Earle: So You Wannabe an Outlaw review – winning homage to Willie and Waylon
By the time Earle cut his 1986 debut, Guitar Town, country’s “outlaw” movement was in decline, though its architects (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson et al) had successfully challenged Nashville’s sequined orthodoxy with their rockier sound and rebel spirit. Here, Earle … Continue reading
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy: Best Troubador review – Will Oldham covers Merle Haggard
Will Oldham’s covers of the Everly Brothers, Bill Withers and even R Kelly are some of the most satisfying curios in his massive catalogue, and he continues here with an album of songs by the late Merle Haggard. Oldham’s reaffirmation … Continue reading
Ray Davies: Americana review – mooted masterwork sounds weedy
Americana presents itself as Ray Davies’ late-flowering masterwork, exploring his lifelong love-hate relationship with the US, with the Jayhawks as his backing band. Strip away this biography, though, and these songs shrivel like raisins. The Deal is a young man’s fantasy … Continue reading
Angaleena Presley: Wrangled review – country feminist mixes tough and tender
(Mining Light/Thirty Tigers)
Brad Paisley/Zac Brown Band review – country music celebrated … and subverted
Hats off to two entertaining stars of the C2C festival who take contrasting approaches to God, the south and the good ol’ US of A
Holly Macve: Golden Eagle review – hard-luck songs make like the delta blues
Singer and songwriter Holly Macve was raised in Galway and Yorkshire, but you could be forgiven for assuming the 21-year-old is from the Mississippi delta or the Appalachian mountains. The shimmering guitar on Heartbreak Blues and the doom-laden piano chords … Continue reading
Nikki Lane: Highway Queen review – boisterous, firecracking outlaw country
“Seven hundred thousand rednecks – that’s what it takes to get to the top,” yells Nashville singer Nikki Lane, having calculated exactly where she wants to be. After working with producers including the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, her third album … Continue reading
Valerie June: The Order of Time review – glorious, ethereal, sublime
Valerie June’s acclaimed 2013 debut, Pushin’ Against a Stone, was a crucial stage in a meteoric rise from selling home recordings from a car to supporting the Rolling Stones and winning a fan in Michelle Obama. Her second album finds … Continue reading
Thile/Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau review – remarkable rapport as bluegrass meets jazz
Two very different musicians hit a remarkable rapport on this double album: bluegrass mandolin virtuoso and vocalist Chris Thile, and jazz piano star Brad Mehldau. But they’re bonded (and have been, since their first partnership in 2011) by affection for … Continue reading
Courtney Marie Andrews: Honest Life review – candid country daydreaming
Entranced by the myth of the open road, Arizona songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews once spent four days crossing America on a Greyhound bus and her sixth album, which is the first to bring her to wide attention, skews heavily towards … Continue reading