The Civil Wars – Live at Eddie's Attic.

There's no reason to include this review as this is actually the debut from The Civil Wars and it's nearly four years old, but I've been listening to it a great deal over the last few days and....well I just want to share it with you all.

It's a free download.

So you can jump in and take it as a gift from the band to you, and for my part I will say that it's as good as anything that I have ever shelled cash out for.

Anyway, deep breath.

I've always thought that John Paul White had a voice that sounded like Jeff Buckley.

If Jeff had come from Nashville of course.

There's a warmth to it, and a strength that can take it wherever he wants.

That's not to detract from his singing partner Joy Williams and her contribution to the music in anyway though.

There a yin and yang element to what the Civil Wars do.

Two separate approaches that have a distinct sound that can then be joined together to allow their voices to neatly spoon.

It's when you slip on headphones that the real magic begins to reveal itself.

An enveloping warmth fills your head.

No great heat, but a warm glow that permeates deep and eases stress away.

It gently pushes its way forward and creates a moment in time that holds sway and disallows the sharpness of life to tear at you.

It's an aural respite from the world outside the door that's similar to a long and uninterrupted soak in the tub to candlelight (Yeah. Even us guys like that. Don't let anyone tell you different.)

By the time the set reaches the Cohen cover tension has left the building.

If you aren't aware of The Civil Wars then you really should do yourself a favour.

I sincerely doubt that you would regret taking the time to hit a download button.

http://thecivilwars.com/music.php

Sam Doores, Riley Downing and the Tumbleweeds – Holy Cross Blues

I have no idea what authentic means. Well that's not strictly true. Of course I know what it means, but what I'm really getting at is that when people bandy the term about I don't really get what 'they' mean.

If it's the fifties and an artist uses the technology and instruments available to him or her to record a handful of songs, then why is that strictly authentic while someone doing likewise in the present using the same technology and such, is described as 'sounding' authentic?

If it's the same process, the same approach and the same final outcome, then what is there to hang your hat on to claim a difference?

Maybe it's a pedantic point, but also maybe worth mentioning as this takes me to the debut album from Sam Doores, Riley Downing and the Tumbleweeds, a release that can't seem to shake the 'sounding authentic' tag.

I've got news for people.

It sounds authentic because it is.

Between them the band stir a pot pourri of influences and embrace their love for country, the blues and American folk music as each floats to the surface.

There's something quite magical about it all.

I can never really describe what the attraction to me is when people get together and make music that I feel this comfortable with.

I've used the term aural alchemy before, and that's exactly what I hear.

Individual musicians taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that and weaving gold out of it.

This doesn't so much sound as if it is from another time, but more so from outside time.

When music is played so well, and with this amount of heartfelt passion, then it really does transcend when it was recorded, and this is an album that does that with a great deal of aplomb.

I sincerely do hope that Sam Doores does manage to get back to the UK in 2013 with the rest of his band mates by his side this time.

If they do I'll be front and centre to experience this in all its glory.

Buy it here (European CD release coming soon)

Facebook link

The Nebraska Sessions - a tribute

Thirty years ago Bruce Springsteen took a fork in the road that led him to release the the darkly sparse Nebraska.

An album that to this day still manages to split the opinions of fans young and old.

For some it was their introduction to the man and his music.

For others it's the album that cemented their love of 'the boss', and then there were, are, and always will be, those who struggle with how their hero had dispensed with the blue collar bombast of the Born to Run era and embraced a more simplistic and direct style of story telling.

Yet regardless of the myriad of opinion that the album lends itself to, it is without a shadow of a doubt an album that has inspired.

So much so that earlier this year Clubhouse records arranged for the artists that are on their roster to play a one off live show paying tribute to all the songs recorded by Bruce on his little four track.

As part of this live treat the acts all recorded and filmed their chosen songs and a short run of CDs were created to be distributed at the actual live show.

When I initially became aware of the event, and had immersed myself in the youtube footage of the artists performances of the material, my elation at hearing such wonderfully personal interpretations of the songs was tempered with a degree of disappointment as I wouldn't be able to attend the gig, and therefore it was unlikely that I would be able to grab myself a CD.

Thankfully my disappointment was rather short lived when the label announced that there was a very limited over run of the CDs and those that were left could be purchased from them.

Obviously minutes after being made aware of this my finger was hovering over the paypal link and days later I was sliding the CD from its very nicely packaged envelope and letting myself drift off to the strains of a collection of superb musicians paying homage to an iconic star.

It would be unfair of me to try and focus on high points or low points as the songs are all equally superb, and after repeated spins I have yet to hear one singular moment that detracts from the whole.

Springsteen fans will of course be the harshest critics of the material, but I sincerely doubt that even his most staunchest and hyper critical fan will find anything on this to complain about.

As an addition to their record collection filed under miscellaneous material this is a gold star release.

Acts represented - Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou, The Dreaming Spires, Danny George Wilson, The Cedars, Case Hardin, The Redlands Palomino Company (whose album I bought on the strength of their Mansion on the hill cover), The Hi and Lo, Mad Staring Eyes, The Arlenes and Michele Stodart.  

Buy it here (but be quick)  

Nebraska Sessions footage.