Afrika Mamas "Iphupho – A Cappella from South Africa"
ARC Music, 2018
The first name that comes to mind when you read this album title is Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Their vocal music has resonated with us for many a decade. And there is a connection of style and production, as the studio used here was cofounded by a Ladysmith member. But Afrika Mamas is extending the history in a profound way in that they are six women handling the strong vocal range here. The themes take on the heavily male dominated life and music scene, which is timely and worldwide as Beyonce just recently made headlines as the first woman to headline Coachella. Musically, I am impressed by the counter melodies and varied voices within this group. The songs create a unique atmosphere, yet tell their tales in a coherent and subtly varied manner. ‘Thula swana’ moved me more than I thought possible. This album has a strong identity and is worth exploring even if you think you have heard enough a cappella music by now.
© David Hintz
Tim Woods "Human Race"
Own label, 2018
This classy blues-rock album is almost slick. Well in fact it is, but there are no negative connotations intended for this well-produced hook laden album. There is also a lot of instrumental jamming for those that dig that sort of thing. It may get a bit much, but the band has such a nice groove going on, that it is easy to let the minutes flow by. Unlike his namesake who went by the nickname ‘Mr. Wrestling’, he probably won’t be bold enough to call himself ‘Mr. Blues’. But based on this record, and his career accomplishments, Tim Woods can share the stage with any of the all-time greats (as he has).
© David Hintz
Matthews Southern Comfort "Like a Radio"
MIG-Music, 2018
When Ian Matthews left Fairport Convention in 1969 to form Matthews Southern Comfort, I have to admit I was not terribly excited by the transition. Granted, it made sense with what Fairport was doing, but that traditional British folk updated with rock and psychedelia is what I was into as opposed to Matthews’ traditional American style. But there was always plenty to respect over his long solo career, as well as his work with this and other bands. Present history has too often paid little attention to him along the way, but the history is long and interesting. And as for this record with a Dutch band he put together, there is a lot more history to write. I have to completely agree with the promotional blurb that this “…sounds fresh, absolutely modern and innovative.” I was quite surprised and pleased at how the songwriting takes more chances than most, yet still is invitingly easy to immerse yourself in.
© David Hintz
Tim Hart "The Narrow Corner"
Nettwerk, 2017
No, this Is not THAT Tim Hart. Steeleye Span’s Tim Hart died in 2009. Here we have the Australian drummer for the folk-rock band Boy & Bear. Here, he steps out in front of the kit and delivers a nice mostly light folk-rock record. When this works well, Hart grabs on to a pleasant pop hook and treats it with grace and care. A bit more than half of these songs worked well for me. The rest of the album was decent, but as with everyone, certain songs have just that little bit extra to grab you and take you along for the ride. ‘Water Fire’ and the quieter ‘Cool Water’ closed out the album leaving me in a contemplative mood, which ultimately made me a fan of Tim Hart.
© David Hintz
Rod Picott "Out Past the Wires"
Welding Rod Records, 2018
It did not take too many songs to realize that Rod Picott is quite the songwriter. And that he has released a double album with 22 songs presented here, shows that he may not have too many bouts of writers’ block either. His stories are interesting and the phrasing works well with his clean vocal manner. The arrangements vary from dreamy folk to blues-rock to country-tinged folk. The variety certainly helps after so many songs. Although it was the deeper, moodier folk tracks that resonated most with me. Larry McMurtry fans should take note of Rod Picott.
© David Hintz
Ajay Mathur "Little Boat"
Yak’yak, 2018
There is a balancing act here on this little boat on the big blue sea. Mathur varies from rock to heavier blues rock to lighter folk rock. It has an exciting rock feel with flourish abounding in part thanks to using such fun instrumentation including mellotron, oud, sitar, and tablas. That alone is worth a lot of extra credit points, but there are also a few good tunes in here as well. But bravo to the sounds and playing.
© David Hintz
Gregg Stewart "Twenty Sixteen"
Own label, 2017
Gregg Stewart "Gregg Stewart"
Own label, 2017
I was thinking up a glib way of querying why this record was titled as such, when a quick scan of the song credits gave me a surprisingly quick answer. David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince… hmmm, quite an eclectic bunch. George Michael, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard… Wait a minute, this is an album of cover songs by people who died in 2016. Gene Wilder is even represented here. I rather enjoyed ‘High Flying Bird’ (as I do for pretty much every version I hear) which is dedicated to original Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kanter and Signe Toly Anderson who somehow managed to die on the same day—January 28th, 2016. Although they didn’t write this song, I am glad it was included. As for the others, they are all good and done in a full band singer songwriter style, but with a light folkish touch. The Merle Haggard cut, ‘If I Could Only Fly’ is also quite nice.
And Gregg Stewart did not just hit the studio for his tribute to musicians who passed in 2016. He also recorded ten original songs that comprise this album. It is a fun rocking album that shows its roots as well as influence from many of the artists he covered on the previous LP. His heart is there on display with a fine vocal style and a band that keeps the tempo pushing forward with strong guitar work and some piano to punctuate the high points. ‘Hey Doncha’ had a great old time rock’n’roll feel that Stewart also infuses into his more modern rockers. This is a feel good album.
© David Hintz
Joshua Hyslop "Echoes"
Nettwerk, 2017
From the vast folk fields of Canada, comes a fine singer-songwriter in Joshua Hyslop. There is a lot of piano in addition to the acoustic guitar leading the way on top of a rhythm section that understands restraint. All of this sets up a quiet environment for Joshua Hyslops’ delicate vocal delivery. It is all quite smooth, but he manages to avoid that vacuous sort of smooth that sometimes has my mind wandering. Instead, the songs stand out enough to warrant further listens.
© David Hintz
Gordie Tentrees "Less is More"
Own label, 2015
Gordie Tentrees & Jaxon Haldane "Grit"
Greywood Records, 2018
There is a folk style at the heart of this singer-songwriter styled album. It veers into country and folk rock and keeps somewhat of a balance throughout. The steel guitar is a bit heavy at times and really is the only connection to country aside from a twangy rural touch on the vocals. This does not quite connect with me as much as I hoped, although there is some good material here for those that like a touch of laid-back rural style.
Normally I prefer the studio recordings to be far more interesting than a live record such as this. However, the addition of Jaxon Haldane’s guitar, banjo, and occasional harmony vocals are quite the assist to Gordie Tentrees songs and playing. Or perhaps it is that on the porch intimacy that works well with this material. Whatever it is, these two have delivered a fine album and proved that they made a wise decision to tour together as frequently as they have in recent years.
© David Hintz
Lowland Hum "Thin"
Greywood Records, 2018
This local duo (local for me) has escaped my notice until now. They present a folk and light folk-rock LP that transports me back to the classic era of the late sixties and early seventies. Their songs, guitar work, and vocals are enough to do the trick as theirs is a soft approach, taking the occasion to invoke a dreamy atmosphere. The male/female harmonies bring out the magic of the moment with a superb, delicate touch that hearkens back to singers like Vashti Bunyan and Janet Jones, or perhaps Elly & Rikkert. Sparse arrangements work well when there is such quality in voice and instrument, yet somehow this seems expansive as well.
© David Hintz
Wes Swing "And the Heart"
Greywood Records, 2017
Also from nearby Virginia, cellist Wes Swing began in a rather folktronica style here, but then the cello took over and enhanced things considerably. He and his band quickly, and with assurance and subtlety, varied their arrangements again into more mysterious folky realms. The overall atmosphere conjures up shades of Agincourt, Jan Duindam, and Bob Theil merged into a more modern style. Somehow they conjured up quirky moments before moving to deep contemplative plains of sound. Their bag of tricks is quite their own, as this album offers a fascinating experience for adventurous folk fans.
© David Hintz
Rabbia Rosa "Rabbia Rosa"
Boomker, 2017
This Sicilian band is instantly becoming a favorite, second in my Sicilian love to only Detective Montalbano. This quartet conjures up an exotic sound that brings in classic rock moves along with a Balkan feeling in addition to what are no doubt local roots. It is a combination that is vibrant and exciting whether they opt for pacey cuts or mysterious and ominous dirges. The violin and electric guitar with subtle wah-wah combine for strong effects. They even pull out upbeat breezy moves that can get everyone moving their feet. This is no simple gypsy punk-folk, it is much more mannered and personally styled and it works for me.
© David Hintz
Two Hearts in Ten Bands "Soulsisters"
Timezone, 2018
Despite the confusing name (at least to me), we have two females leading the way here. They are from Osnabrück, Germany and harmonize well atop their acoustic guitars and acoustic bass (the type played like a guitar). They may have some additional musicians, but it may not be evident on this record as the arrangements are simple and clean. The harmonies are strong and vibrant, so there is nothing thin about this music. It is direct, clean, and catchy. This should attract folk fans as well as those liking the many modern singer songwriters out there. It flowed well for me.
© David Hintz
Twin Bandit "Full Circle"
Nettwerk, 2017
Hovering somewhere between light Americana and country music, this Canadian folk duo deliver a steady album. The variety is subtle and they manage to craft an atmosphere that should please a lot of music fans with their attractive vocal work. It is just a bit too countrified for me in the songwriting and arrangements. But it should garner an audience with those that lean in that direction.
© David Hintz
Talco "And the Winner Isn’t"
Long Beach Records, 2018
Wake up and get ready to move. Talco is back with their eighth album. The long running Italian ska-punk band is hard not to enjoy if you like fast paced rock music. They have great brass moves that complement the rock energy at the core. The vocals have the right amount of passion without being too over the top (at least for this kind of music). My foot is madly tapping away as I type each word and the occasional typo is worth the energy infusion that this music provides.
© David Hintz
Gil Edwards "Celebrate"
A1 Records, 2017
Gil Edwards has been at this music thing for over half a century. He leads a full band with an assertive blues rock approach. There are five original cuts and four covers of classic songs that will be very familiar, even with plenty of the band’s personality affixed. This is recorded live, which is probably the best place to experience Gil Edwards. But this recording is excellent and it is mixed well, so give this a listen if you want good old rock and roll with a few classics on the set list.
© David Hintz
Dobet Gnahoré "Miziki"
Café de la Danse, 2018
I am happy to be able to review a key artist from the Ivory Coast. Their embassy here in Washington DC was quite welcoming to me a few years back, so it is good to hear more of their culture. Dobet Gnahoré is the daughter of a well known musician and she has forged ahead with an excellent career thus far. This album shows why, as she manages to combine African rhythms and melodies with modern instrumentation. This is far from an easy formula to execute, but her abilities to marry the smooth sounds with the sharper percussive elements into a harmonious mix is the key to the success. There is some variety in the songs as well, with the title cut employing a rocking guitar that showcases the West African style well. This album is engaging from beginning to end.
© David Hintz
Zachary Richard "Gombo"
RZ Records, 2017
This veteran recording artist is from Louisiana and has named his record from a famous dish that combines many strong flavors into a fascinating concoction. That is certainly true of much of the music of Louisiana and it is of course represented here. Richard has had a fascinating career working a lot in Canada, which has the other large French settlement on the North American continent. He is keeping the French culture (filtered through generations of people living in North America) alive in his music. It is impressive enough on first listen, and even more so when you consider he is the survivor of a stroke. Thankfully, Zachary Richard is still going strong as he has shown here, he has plenty of great music in him to share further.
© David Hintz
Hayward Williams "Pretenders"
Why River Records, 2017
I had a chuckle when I quickly realized this album was not a surprise release from Chrissie Hynde and her famous band. Instead, it is more in line with Folkworld as Hayward Williams has a fine folk rock style. There is a touch of country but there is more of a strong heartland Americana at work here. Williams’ rich and weathered vocals lead the way in his songs. The acoustic guitar is solid, although sometimes the piano takes the forefront. There is a light rock rhythm section setting the scene throughout and overall this is a good collection of songs.
© David Hintz
Mike Spine "Don’t Let it Bring You Down"
Global Seepej, 2018
From the fertile and eclectic (and then some) Portland Oregon music scene, comes this tricky folk-rock album. It pretty much begs not to be classified with a song entitled ‘Hip Hop is Punk Rock’ where it also claims that those genres are folk rock. And frankly, they are all related if you put together the diverse sonic elements with the core rebellious spirit that drives them all. This is more for the daring, but ultimately it is a solid folk-rock album with a more modern than traditional style that should appeal to a lot of people. There are a few covers and enough originals to make for a good sampling of songs that are molded together into a listening pleasure.
© David Hintz
Dirtmusic "Bu Bir Ruya"
Glitterbeat, 2017
This one may not be for the purist folk fan, but if you like music that combines scenic krautrock with Erkin Koray moves, then read on. This music is mysterious and flowing with subtle driving beats ala Kraftwerk or Neu!-lite. The Turkish influence is from Murat Ertel who is also in the psychedelic band, BaBa ZuLa. The vocals vary from Joy Division-esque to female chanting. It all flows majestically and has become a firm favorite in this household. If you are a fan of Goat, definitely give this a listen.
© David Hintz
The Young Novelists "In City & Country"
Own label, 2018
There is a quiet, mannered, and even delicate touch that this band employs. Their producer has worked with Leonard Cohen, so there is that sort of feeling, even if this is a full band sound. The band consists primarily of a husband/wife duo that handle vocals, songwriting, acoustic guitar, and keys. They employ a rock backing, but it is light and atmospheric on all but a few songs. Often, an album this mannered will lose me, but this is not one of those times. There is a firm hand at the controls and the music can be quite gripping in its own quiet way.
© David Hintz
Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls "Them Old Bones"
Old Higue Records, 2017
If you like your folk music on the swampy side, you may want to check out some old dry skulls. Jo Carley is the voice and washboard among other instruments. Tim Carley handles most other instruments aside from their double bass player. From the look of this I was expecting some kind of psychobilly ala the Cramps. It was not as crazed as that, which only barely narrows things down any. There is a lot of off-kilter folk and blues moves here and it was a fun listen. The same punk attitude of the Cramps is here within, but the music surprisingly crosses a lot of genre barriers. And that is a good thing.
© David Hintz
