RINGO STARR fans know that he has always been a country aficionado.
With brand new full-length LONG LONG ROAD, the now 85-year-old former Beatle has released his 2nd country longplayer in two years with big help from
renowned singer-songwriter/producer veteran T Bone Burnett.
it features guest appearances from Billy Strings, Sheryl
Crow, St. Vincent, Molly Tuttle, and Sarah Jarosz.
The title track of the late great soul star MARVIN GAYE‘s
1971 classic LP What’s Going On is so painfully relevant
again.
“Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today, yeah
“Father, father
We don’t need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on)
What’s going on (What’s going on)
Right on, baby
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we’re wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply ’cause our hair is long
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Tell me what’s going on (What’s going on)
I’ll tell you, what’s going on (What’s going on)
Right on, baby, right on”
Nate Leavitt (guitarist and co-vocalist), “We’re shaped by our past. All of the experiences in our life are what makes us who we are. Good or bad, these are the things that make us who we are and it’s important to recognize that. It doesn’t mean you have to live in the past; in fact it’s the complete opposite. Live in the now but know you’re here because of your past.”
Dan Nicklin (co-vocalist, lyricist, and percussionist): “The sentiment of ‘bringing it with you’
is grabbing your baggage and taking it; you can unpack it if you want, but make sure you bring it with you because if you’re strong enough now to unpack it, it’s because of what you lived through. So don’t turn your back on those memories.”
TUTV: Warm Americana at its nostalgic best. Sonically, harmonically and
melodically. Take It With You is richly orchestrated with both an acoustic
glow and steel guitar sparkles, mellow organs and piano now and then
in the back.
Feel-good country rock vibes, early Eagles come to mind, sooth our troubled
state of mind and make us dream about much-needed better times. There’s
always an encouraging light that shines at the end of the melancholia tunnel.
American soul-heavy duo GNARLS BARKLEY got their name cemented
for eternity with their gigantic 2006 hit Crazy (more than 1,45 billion
streams on Spotify).
But they are/were quite lazy. They just launched only
their 3rd and, yes, already final LP in 20 years, baptized Atlanta.
A soul-gospel colored record featuring several highlights. One of my favs is I AMNESIA. A sing-along/foottapping/clap-along chant flavored with spiritual
vocals.
BILL CALLAHAN, the high-quality singer-songwriter from Maryland (US)
who first earned many accolades with his band Smog, between 1990 and
2005, just released his 8th solo full-length, named MY DAYS OF 58.
Callahan: “I usually just sing a melody to a horn player or let them try a few takes
and go from there. This time I thought, why not get some of the record charted out.
There’s always room for spontaneity on top of that. And we did indeed throw some off
the cuff stuff on top of the charted horns in a couple cases where they weren’t fully doing
what I wanted.
With this record I kept thinking of it as a ‘living room record.’ I’m not talking about fidelity
at all here. Living room attitude. Living room vibe. Not too loud, not otherworldly. I asked for the horns to be relaxed like someone on the couch playing, not a blast from heaven or hell.”
Lazy? Need for some quiet moments? Wanna relax? Here’s a fitting soundtrack. Here’s seasoned storyteller Mister Callahan blessed with a tranquilizing voice. Days of 58 feels
like a soothing ear massage. It feels good, really good.
TUTV: Expect an emotive lullaby driven by saddening vocals,
a slow burning torch, about a perfect pair of human monsters.
Confusing story, puzzling performance.
I am the bride, of Frankenstein
My hair shocked through with, that crazy line
Eyes wide and mouth crying
‘Better to be dead than dying’
But that wasn’t my own thought first
It just kept me from my own hurt
We are monsters, a perfect pair
You make me crazy, I make you scared
Is it the city, is it the things we chose
Was it the plague, the way the whole world froze
How do we change, how do we become real
Reanimation is a rotten deal
Artist: RYAN THOMAS SMELLE Who: Canadian singer/songwriter with an acoustic approach to storytelling, using
hook-laden songs in the areas of folk, alternative, North Americana and pop. His use of heartfelt lyrics and emotional undertones allow his music to be relatable and identifiable by intertwining his songs with everyday personal experiences.
RTS: “Some songs are stories of moments from our life. As a songwriter, this short
and sweet lyrical tale is a snapshot of a love’s farewell and how we can stew in the
feelings.
Every once in a while I’ll dive into an old song book to see if I could retool a song, and I found this gem. Simple yet visual in its story. The bones were tracked in my own studio and when I shared them with Johnny Dee at Highfield Studios, another vision was unleashed and produced with more swagger. The final product runs parallel to my normal folk singer-songwriter flair with an element of alt pop.”
TUTV: Vocally Ryan Thomas Smelle reminds me of The National’s Matt Berninger‘s tranquillising hush-hush timbre, which benefits the heartrending emotions and
the saddening nature of NothingLeft Of My Heart downright.
Acoustic and electric guitar sparks, think Mark Knopfler, paint cloudy images.
This is a melancholic reverie for silent pondering and soul-searching reflection.
A touching and moving ballad.
Verstegen: “As a songwriter, I have a love-hate relationship with the “blank page.”
As long as I don’t put anything on it, anything is still possible. It’s a promise of everything
song could ever be. But I also find that emptiness intimidating. What if I mess it up?
What if I have nothing meaningful to say?
That uncertainty and doubt reminded me of how I feel after a broken relationship.
You suddenly have to turn the page and write a new chapter. A head full of doubts
and a heart full of hope. And before I knew it, I had a page full of sentences about…
a blank page.”
TUTV: Dim the lights, sit down, relax, and let your thoughts run free. Verstegen will soundtrack it all with this new restful reverie. His near-whispering vocals and acoustic, sepia-colored sonority echo Matt Berninger‘s soft, romantic touch. Candelight music for relaxing moments. Wonderful.
Never thought that a clean page could sound so enchanting.
In the 90s, he still had some good moments, but it wasn’t the imposing Belfast Cowboy (nicknamed that by the late Robbie Robertson of The Band) of the early days anymore.
He started to play the same songs over and over again.
