At least once a year I like to do a little roundup of some of the Americana releases here in South Carolina that I think the readers would enjoy. The three that have caught my attention of late are as follows:
Elonzo Wesley – To Be True, is the newest from Jeremy Davis who borrows a line or two from George Straight on the opener, “Love Me, Be My Friend,” but definitely has his own sound. The vocals often remind me a bit of a lonesome Jim James.
https://elonzowesley.bandcamp.com/album/to-be-true
Cancellieri – World traveler and seemingly non-stop tourer Ryan Hutchens released 46 and Raleigh this summer. Its 15 tracks include 11 covers, from my personal favorite, Interpol’s “Next Exit†to the more traditional “Lay Me a Pallet Down.†You can stream the album here:
https://soundcloud.com/cancellieri/sets/46-and-raleigh
Brian Robert – Featuring hefty pedal steel and dark lyrics, Robert reminds me a bit of Pneumonia-era Whiskeytown. While “Under the City Lights†was billed as the single (featuring vocals from Ben Bridwell) for this 1117 Magnolia release, it strays from the overall feel of the record with pumping organ standing in for the steel, but is a minor misstep for this very nice release.
https://10footwoody.bandcamp.com/album/1117-magnolia
About the author: Producer, Engineer, Musician and all around music enthusiast.