The Ballad of Sissy & Porter, The Whitmore Sisters (from the Red House Records release Ghost Stories)
There’s a throwback quality to the Whitmore Sisters’ Ghost Stories. Sure, sisters Eleanor and Bonnie have magical familial harmonies that recall The Everly Brothers. It’s the songs and arrangements, however, that hearken back to a bygone era when songs were built around simple yet catchy melodies.
The opening “Learn to Fly” is a string-laden beauty that sets the tone for the album. Later songs like “By Design”, “Friends We Leave Behind”, and the title track are brooding and subdued. The sisters kick it up a notch with “Sissy Porter” (inspired by the loss of musician Chris Porter) and the wonderful Everly’s style country of “Hurtin’ for a Letdown”. The Aaron Lee Tasjan-penned “Big Heart Sick Mind” veers into 1960’s pop territory and, punctuated by organ and an electric guitar, is ripe for dance hall fun.
Both sisters keep busy with their own projects but here’s hoping that there are further collaborations in our future.
Borrowed Time, Goodnight, Texas (from the self-released How Long Will It Take Them To Die)
Most of Goodnight, Texas’ earlier releases were brilliant period pieces that told acoustic stories of the Civil War and rural Appalachia. While a number of the new songs would fit well with these earlier releases, they open up the musical and storytelling aperture with How Long Will It Take Them To Die.
The constant is the group’s rich and detailed storytelling. “Neighborhoods” reflects on the vagaries of small town life while “Hypothermic” is a murky tale of life on the lam, Alaska-bound on an icy highway.
“Jane, Come Down From Your Room” is a moving centerpiece – the tale of an alcoholic father reflecting on his mistakes and their impact on his daughter, hoping that she isn’t scarred by his mistakes yet knowing that she will. “My baby should never have to carry that weight,” sings Avi Vinocur.
“Borrowed Time” and “Don’t Let ‘em Get You” kick things up a notch. The former may feature a banjo but it’s a glorious rock song while the latter is an ambling sing-along, with Patrick Dyer Wolf leading the group in a rousing chorus of “don’t let ‘em get you, don’t let ‘em get you anymore.”
Talkin’ To Myself, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers (from the release Nightroamers)
Sarah Shook stretches into indie rock territory on her latest release. Sure, there are some honky-tonk gems like “No Mistakes” and “It Doesn’t Change Anything”, not to mention a healthy dose of pedal steel throughout the album. But then she throws in tracks like “I Got This”, which recalls the Pixies or a more mellow The Breeders. “If It’s Poison” opens with a Richie Valens’ style guitar lick and then throws in a touch of Buddy Holly vibe. She and the Disarmers close out the album with the gloriously rockin’ “Talkin’ To Myself”.
Dead Man, Ryan Culwell (from the Missing Piece Records release Run Like a Bull)
Ryan Culwell may live in Nashville but he’s got Texas in his bones. His music is infused with the dusty Texas plains, the characters that inhabit them world-weary. The arrangements on Run Like a Bull are spare, letting the anxiety in Culwell’s songs reverberate.
Culwell lulls the listener in with the seemingly tranquil “Colorado Blues”, yet the lyrics capture a drifter trying to find a peaceful life. “I just prayed the Lord would straighten out my path,” sings Culwell.
His quest for contentment continues on the more upbeat “All I Got”. Before confessing his shortcomings he kicks off the song with a lyric both entertaining and astute:
We all laugh
When a young calf struggles to his feet
When an old bull falls
Down on his ass I guess it ain’t so sweet
Run Like a Bull is gloriously filled with hard livin’ and minor chords.
Break Right In, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard (from the Missing Piece Records/Communion Backhand Deals)
Cardiff, Wales band Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard were one of my picks from last year’s virtual SXSW and I’m excited that they are finally unleashing their debut release. There are lots of great touchstones from the 1970’s, from the blend of power pop and T-Rex rock that fuels opener “New Age” to the Steely Dan vibe of “Faking a Living”. There are moments where singer Tom Rees lets his vocals soar in a manner that recalls Freddie Mercury. Add it all up and it’s an immensely fun pop smorgasbord reminiscent of the late, great Jellyfish.
Fishin’ Hole, Charlie Sutton (from the Chuckwagon Records release Trout Takes)
What’s not to like about a concept album filled with fishing tales? Idaho-based Charlie Sutton surprisingly keeps away from the frustrations of fishing but not catching. Instead, he mostly focuses on the intangibles of the experience – the tranquility of the endeavor and the peacefulness of the outdoors.
Not surprisingly, the collection is chock full of Sutton’s finger-picking, wonderfully complimented by pedal steel and the occasional harmonica and fiddle.
Big Spaceship, Jesse Adelman (from the self-released Strangers)
There’s a long history of artists quietly crafting pop gems almost entirely on their own. Add New York’s Jesse Adelman to that list. Strangers is a charming pop album, filled with well-crafted songs and fanciful arrangements.
The dreamy “Big Spaceship” kicks off the album, politely ushered along by piano and acoustic guitar. Adelman adds harmonies to his own vocals to further the ambient feel. Electric guitars gently fuel “Sweet Release” and “Indians”, recalling the earthy rock of classic Jayhawks.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.