Award-winning soul and blues singer-songwriter Jo Harman released her second studio album, People We Become, on February 3rd.  Recorded in Nashville with producer Fred Mollin the album consists of ten original tracks including the first single, “When We Were Young,” which features soul legend Michael McDonald.

Opening with the gorgeous gospel-like introduction of “No One Left To Blame” (which leads into a sultry bluesy tale with a wicked guitar solo) the album focuses on the myriad of emotions that one experiences in, and after, a relationship. While the piano-driven ballads “Silhouettes Of You” and “Lend Me Your Love” as well as “Unchanged and Alone” emit a sad ache that finds loneliness front and center, the funky “Reformation” and “Changing of the Guard” both look forward. The album is rounded out with the ethereal “Person Of Interest,” “The Final Page,” which offers a plea for forgiveness and the sweeping, heart-wrenching closer “Lonely Like Me.”

Harman delivers a sophomore record that is elegant, delicate, and spacious. Intricately crafted, the emotional songs, delivered with passion and soul by a singular voice, will resonate with anyone who has experienced the pain and joys of a relationship - and knows they play a large part in making us the people we become. 

What’s there to say about Guy Clark and his beautifully crafted songs that hasn’t already been said? As one of the most revered songwriters of years past, Clark created a catalog of songs that were truly stories, ones that painted vivid pictures, made keen observations, or told sad tales. Clark, who passed away on May 17, 2016, made over a dozen critically acclaimed albums with Dualtone Records and on March 3rd, Dualtone will release a new retrospective, Guy Clark: Best of the Dualtone Years. The double disc set draws from his last three studio releases:  Workbench Songs, Somedays The Song Writes You, and My Favorite Picture of You as well as 2011’s live cd Songs and Stories and includes such beloved songs as “Rain in Durango,” “The Randal Knife” and “The Guitar.”

Additionally, this best of set also includes a trio of previously unreleased songs: “Just to Watch Maria Dance,” “The Last Hobo” (co-written with Hal Ketchum) and the Marty Stuart collaboration “Time” which are sure to enthrall Clark fans. Of course, no collection would be complete without two of Clark’s most well-known songs, “L.A. Freeway” (a hit for Jerry Jeff Walker) and “Dublin Blues,” both of which can be found here.

There are very few artists of today who were not inspired by Guy Clark…once you listen to Guy Clark: The Best of the Dualtone Years you’ll know why - and want to dive deeper if you already haven’t.
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Ed note: In October, Guy Clark’s biography Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark (Texas A&M University Press) was published to universal praise. It’s a lengthy, detailed, and fascinating read - a lovingly crafted homage that is essential reading for any music lover.

Citing influences such as  Waylon, Petty, Cash and Nelson, the California-based  Robbie Davis Band released their self-titled album last September. The ten-track project includes ballads ("Tumbleweed," "Don't Tell Me You're Leaving"), roots rockers ("It's A Beautiful Day"), and  rocking contemporary country tunes including "Ride The Bull" and "Flip My Switch." Standout track , "Smoke and Whiskey," a gentle, somber ballad that emits a sad loneliness, closes the record on a powerful, emotional note. For more information visit HERE.

Recorded at Signal Hill Studio in Austin, Shawn Nelson’s latest full-length, You Are Me, was released in late 2016. The self-produced project, Nelson’s ninth, was inspired by a year-long residency at Austin’s Hole In The Wall and contains eleven tracks that flow beautifully, like the Colorado River after a heavy rain. A mix of brand new songs, covers and acoustic takes on previously released tunes, You Are Me begins with the heartwarming sentiment of Townes Van Zandt’s “Colorado Girl” which segues seamlessly into “Oh Tonight” whose delicate mandolin strikes a chord in a song about growing old and living life, “There ain’t no taking no easy road/There ain’t no shortcuts that I know/I’m out here living life you see and time keeps catching up with me.” Nelson and his stellar players - Morgan Thompson (upright bass), Fletcher Murchinson (mandolin & harmony vocals), and Matt Slusher (acoustic guitar & harmony vocals) – present a fun, jaunty take on “My Old-Time Gal,” get fabulously funky on the bass-heavy “Nobody Got A Hold On Me” and rejuvenate “P&L Midway” with a jug band feel. The album also includes the Carter Family’s “Wildwood Flower,” the soulful title track and the bittersweet harmonica-laden, “Streets of Gold.” Nelson closes everything out with “Austin” an ode to the town that, until recently, he called home. Tender and truthful, You Are Me is a well-crafted and warm acoustic collection from a singer-songwriter who  should most definitely be on your radar. 

Recorded at Ramble Creek Studios in Austin, The Merles debut album, Hate To Say Goodbye brings the classic country sound of yesteryear to a new generation. Released on February 10th, the fourteen-track project puts forth tales of heartache, lost loves, and drinking in the stories of a man who hits rock bottom and does some terrible things – often more than once.

Front man Todd Deathrage and company - Loren Tarnow (vocals), Derek Tarnow (guitar), Matt Winegardner (drums) and Phil Spencer (bass) - kick things off with the shuffler “I Told You So” before turning to the title track which deals with the push and pull of the road and family, and current single “Room 242” which conveys the tale of a down and out man who now lives where he once loved. Meanwhile, The Merles juxtapose melody and  lyrics in the piano-centered “Six Pack of Heartache” which will have you ready to two-step as he drowns his sorrows, the jaunty “Alcohol and Issues,” which documents his relationship with bottle, and the sorrowful “My Payback." The album is rounded out with “If the Walls Could Talk” where a victim of love recalls being fooled, and the rockabilly “What the Hell I Did Last Night” before closing with the up-tempo, yet firmly (and sadly) decisive, “She's Leaving Me.”

Basil McJagger (The Derailers), Geoff Queen (Hayes Carll), Eddie Dickerson (Curtis Grimes), and Michael St. Clair (Polyphonic Spree) all lend their talents to the project, complimenting the five-piece’s sound centered on male-female harmonies, pedal steel, and brush drum that put forth that traditional country and rockabilly sound making for an enjoyable listen start to finish.

Cincinnati-based Americana Family Band, Edward + Jane emit an uplifting, warm folk spirit on their new EP, As Family We Gather. Released on February 24th, the brief collection (five tracks) begins with the delightfully irresistible “Days” a song that proclaims a surprising positivity in that no matter how big one’s problems are in life, we have to keep moving, “Never thought I’d feel this way, everything will be okay.” The duo’s glorious harmonies and knack for crafting charming melodies shine on every track including “Little House” a song that reminds one that wherever you may be, home is with the one you love, the delicate “We Will Meet Again,” the spirited “Blood and Bones” and the string-filled closing track “The Table” which stresses the importance (on many levels) of fellowship.

As Family We Gather is a heartwarming, welcoming, truth-filled record that focuses on the importance of closeness of family and the ones you love. Purchase/Download the EP HERE

Hailing from Texas, Charlie and The Regrets released their new album Rivers in the Streets on February 25th. The story songs in the all original nine-track collection put forth a realistic portrait of life in the place they call home, Houston. Kicking things off is the irresistible “Proud Man,” which injects humor (a la Shinyribs) into a rousing tune that takes on relationships and how they change a man, “I will fry you a potato/I will bring homes slabs of meat/I will get you fancy lotion I will rub it on your feet…and if we ever disagree, you will be right/I will be wrong.” That’s followed by the dance floor ready “The Gavel,” which through its swinging melody tackles the tale of a middle class guy in prison for weed possession “Now the state has got my body and the county just sold my truck” while the blunt “Baytown” (which recalls the Georgia Satellites) with its gritty guitar riffs, addresses that part of town you can go to maybe get a little crazy - and puts forth some serious truth, “Sometimes to stay sane, you gotta lose your mind.”

Front man Charlie Harrison (who co-wrote all the tracks) has a knack for balancing somber topics with welcome doses of humor such as in the jaunty “Last Time I Was Here” which tells the tale of a man getting out of prison after 25 years - “For the life of me I don’t know why I drove the car that day but you know Bill did all the shooting and the clerk lived anyway” - apologizing in his own way and asking the one he loved years ago to take him back; and the frenzied “What Can I Do” (really listen to those lyrics!) which relates how a down and out guy tries to get over his blues by running all over town.

And  while Rivers in the Streets is a lot of fun, he and his stellar band display a different, more serious side on the record with tunes such as the gentle, guitar-centered “Houston Rain,” the moody, heartbroken waltz, “New Night,” and “No Good News” which closes things out on an incredibly somber note. “Ain’t no good news in this town/Hope lies buried in the ground.”

Rivers in the Streets is gritty, tender, humorous, sad, and sometimes irreverent…. but there's a sincerity that flows through each song. It's a well-balanced, solid listen, that will undoubtedly find it's way to music lovers ears well beyond their beloved Houston. 

Mark McKinney returned January 20th with his new album, World In Between, which is the singer-songwriter’s fifth release and first since 2013. The album contains eleven tracks, all written or co-written by McKinney, that center around life, love, struggle, and resilience and include recent TRRR #1 “Sunshine” a touching song about his wife’s strength as she battled illness.

Harmonica leads (and pulls you right in) on the opening track, “90 Miles” on which McKinney’s vocals convey a strength, warmth, and resolve on a tune about life as a troubadour while things take a darker turn on “Bridges” whose ominous undertones (courtesy of banjo and fiddle) compliment the story of a woman who keeps stoking the fires of an old relationship, and “Alright” which tells of a man whose idea of fun keeps getting him into emotional trouble “Cause I’m all yours on beer, weed, and good whiskey and right now you’re exactly what I need.”

While McKinney deals with grittier parts of love, he also deals with the sweeter as well. Written with his wife, “Bacon & Eggs” is a delightful ode to being with someone and having each other’s back “You’re my twin soul and two hearts make us whole” while “Yours” is upbeat and romantic and “Close” brings the heat “When my pillow talk turns to a whisper, she knows it’s time to get close.”

The album is rounded out with the humorous “Mondays,” the practically perfect “Stories” where he sings “Every day is another page, another 24hour gift/And there’s no such thing as growing old aw hell that’s just a myth” and “Revolution.”

World In Between is a strong collection of well-written songs that reflect and elicit a myriad of emotions, just like life itself. For more information visit HERE. 

Sometimes when you have a famous family member or two, it’s difficult to forge your own way, but Jenny Gill has no issue doing just that on her debut project, The House Sessions. Merging the Blues, Country, and more, the six song self-penned autobiographical collection begins with the incredibly sweet and soulful “Lonely Lost Me,” which with its divine 70’s groove, conveys the contentment of finding the one, “Like a broken record I was stuck in a groove and skipping over the scratches instead of changing the tune, but that vinyl now is shining, it’s like I’m all brand new.” The romantic “Look Where Loving You Landed Me” continues, and captures, that theme with picture perfect lyrics, “I was a bluebird flying around in circles with my head in the clouds, then I found you and couldn’t wait to get my feet on the ground” while “Lean on Love” (recalling Bonnie Raitt) infuses bluesy-gospel influences on a tune that encourages following the heart, and letting love lead the way.

Gill rounds out the short set with “Whiskey Words,” an airy ballad that finds her wishing an ex would reach out when he’s sober, and the intensely personal “Your Shadow” on which Gill opens up about her insecurities growing up with her famous father [Vince Gill] and pursuing her own musical career, “… terrified that I’m reaching too high and someone will say I’ll never compare and I’ll pour my heart out and no one will care/So I’ve got to find a dream that’ll shine on its own in the light of your shadow,” before closing with the funky, “The Letter.”

With The House Sessions, Gill delivers a genuinely lovely EP that finds her successfully carving a place for herself that’s individual as she is.

Released on February 10th, Chuck Prophet’s latest full-length, Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins is a thirteen-track set dealing with death and violence, lost love, and dreams set in an atmosphere Prophet has appropriately dubbed, “California noir.” The all-analog project, which was recorded at Hyde Street Studio in San Francisco (the same spot he did his very first recording session), kicks off with the jangly title track, a nostalgic look at the one hit wonder (“I Fought The Law”) before turning sexy and suggestive on the gritty “Your Skin” - where he delivers seductive lines like “Like a spoon of honey dripping down my throat kinda makes me wonder what you’re hiding in that coat;” and stunningly tender and romantic on “Open Up Your Heart” a ballad where feelings are bared “I don’t carry anything unless you count this torch for you.”

Along with his band, The Mission Express - Stephanie Finch (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Kevin White (bass), Vicente Rodriguez (drums, vocals) and James DePrato (guitar) – Prophet takes you down an ominous path on “Coming Out In Code” and goes darker in the tale of a girl who encounters a “Killing Machine” before taking a somber tone remembering those we’ve lost in 2016 in the undeniably catchy “Bad Year for Rock and Roll.” The album also includes the groovy harmonies of “Jesus Was a Social Drinker” (cowbell!!) which compliment a tale of that “all around decent dude” in relation to a contemporary coupling, “We Got Up and Played” which shows the less glamorous life of a musician: a night in a club “wondering who will show” yet doing your job nonetheless, and personal favorite “Rider of the Train” before closing out with “Alex Nieto” a hardcore tribute to the Bay Area security guard who was killed in 2014.

Although I have listened to isolated tracks, I have never given a Prophet album a listen in its entirety until now – and that’s definitely something to be rectified. Prophet brings heft, heart, and honesty to songs with dynamic melodies and lyrical depth. Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins is Prophet’s 14th album. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.