Being named after the senator that help bring down Richard Nixon in the year he was born, Samuel Ervin Beam has had a tough legacy, choosing to ignore it entirely by recording as Iron & Wine. Beam has released LORI, a collection…
Author: Bob Fish
EP | Susie Merry – Body in Time
There are points in life where things don’t seem to match up, for example the photo, Susie Merry on the cover of Body in Time and the lyrics to the album, where this seemingly sweet thing takes a harsh look at life…
Album | Loudon Wainwright III – Lifetime Achievement
While Loudon Wainwright III has won a few awards, Lifetime Achievement downplays that aspect of his life. Justifiably so. It’s never been about the awards. Or the press for that matter, even though Time Magazine named him the “new Dylan” back in…
Album | Lauren Balthrop – Things Will Be Different
Nothing ever goes as planned, be it records or relationships, and for Lauren Balthrop her latest long player, Things Will Be Different, is no exception. This isn’t a record about nostalgia as some have suggested, rather it is about pain and…
Album | Chastity Brown – Sing to the Walls
When hope is in short supply the question becomes who can you turn to? Chastity Brown turns to hope, it permeates her latest release, Sing to the Walls. Even when everything appears bleak Brown has faith that there are still reasons to look to the future feeling…
Album | Angel Olsen – Big Time
From Jonathan Wilson’s opening drum roll on ‘All the Good Times’ one feels glad that Angel Olsen never offered the song to Sturgill Simpson like she planned. Although the song has sat around for a while it’s a perfect place…
Album | Steve Earle and The Dukes – Jerry Jeff
Three men had a huge influence on Steve Earle; Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Having made tribute albums for the other two, it’s only natural that Earle and The Dukes should record Jerry Jeff. In some ways…
Album – Mavis Staples and Levon Helm – Carry Me Home
Levon Helm and Mavis Staples were always a match made in heaven, from their first meeting at The Last Waltz in 1977, to their final performance in 2011, captured live on Carry Me Home. Despite that fact that she was born…
Album | Jenny Berkel – These Are the Sounds Left From Leaving
In some ways Jenny Berkel is wrapped in mystery – These Are the Sounds Left From Leaving is her first album in almost six years. Along the way she concentrated on her poetry while still performing live and creating a set of…
Album | Dana Gavanski – When It Comes
Since the release of Yesterday Is Gone in 2020, Dana Gavanski has been through the wringer, making When It Comes virtually a new beginning, albeit one that almost didn’t happen. During the pandemic Gavanski lost her voice. With no tours, writing a new album…