CHASING LIGHT Brendan James (independent) *****
Brendan’s 6th album is a breath of fresh air. Chasing Light has a sparse, relaxing sound as he explores themes like mental health, love and appreciation for all generations. It’s almost like spending an hour on a shrink’s couch but, I would wager, likely more productive.
“What I hope to do is calm, strengthen and transport my listeners to a better self, and in turn maybe I get there too” James says. Lofty ambition to be sure, but you don’t run into a pop album like Chasing Light every day. It’s one of the most soothing records I’ve maybe ever heard, leaving me feeling lighter and uplifted by the end. Brendan James has been compared to Elton John, David Gray and Ben Folds, and I suppose there’s some truth to that though he definitely has his own thing going on. He’s not trying to fill the dance floor- not a very dancey disc- he’s just trying to help you feel better in a different way.
Each song on Chasing Light is purposeful. Of Great Unknown, the disc opener, he says it “explores my continued love of nature and adventure- the thrills, the beauty, the smells, the endorphins from movement kicking in.” Clarity is the sparsest number here, just voice and piano, from the perspective of a spouse wanting to help his partner. ““It was so hard to watch, especially knowing that my friend’s husband was doing all he could to support her” he says, “but still feeling helpless too. I wrote it from his perspective, knowing all he wanted for her was to find peace and a clear mind again.” Emotionally heavy stuff, but so worth hearing.
Chasing Light is a massage for the psyche, kind of feels like an old Ray LaMontagne record. It will leave you emotionally drained and yet hopeful at the same time… great therapy.
HOT TRACKS: Great unknown, Happy Just To Be Alive, Clarity
TENSE MUSIC PLAYS Murray Attaway (Moon Ray Sound) ****+
After a short break of three decades, the ex-lead singer/ songwriter of Guadalcanal Diary is back. Tense Music Plays is a thoughtful record of accessible melodies and left of center lyrical observations. I’m just getting into this now, but I predict a long and satisfying relationship.
The aforementioned Guadalcanal Diary was formed by Attaway and guitarist Jeff Walls in 1981 in Marietta, Georgia. They quickly became affiliated with the Athens scene (R.E.M., The B-52’s) and would go on to produce 4 classic records. But why did it taking Murray 30 years to get to this point? “I kept meaning to do another record, but I’m easily distracted” he wryly notes. “It took me a while to focus.” Not being familiar with his previous band, I’d say off the cuff that Tense Music Play is kind of like R.E.M. meets Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Tense Music Plays was engineered and produced by Mark Williams (Southern Culture On The Skids, Joe Walsh), and he’s attuned to Attaway’s somewhat quirky style. “When Mark got involved, that’s when I knew it would become a real record” Murray says. “Mark is a consummate pro with countless albums to his credit, so I had to ‘get myself in shape’ and get this right. Jeff Walls, my partner from Guadalcanal, passed away in 2019. I couldn’t call him to put the cool guitar on songs anymore, but at least I could try and make him proud.”
Murray spent a couple of years writing and arranging the songs on Tense Music Plays with no timeline, so it unfolds quite naturally. Mainly an acoustic record with occasional rockers like Hole In The Ground I have to praise Williams’ production here… great separation between the instruments, clear as a bell and yet not too shiny or over processed. “I wasn’t targeting any particular listener during the sessions” he says. “I thought more of a record that, if I heard it in passing, I would want to hear more.” I know what he means- I feel the same way. This comes out May 9th, but you can hear tracks on my internet radio shows before then.
HOT TRACKS: Hole In The Ground, Never Far Away, Stars Behind The Moon
STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING Kid Ramos (Nola Blue) **** ½
Kid Ramos’s first record in 5 years is a beautiful thing. Strange Things Happening is a gospel record with a blues vibe- or is it the other way around? Either way this baby will swing its way into your heart and find a comfy place to stay.
The inspiration for Strange Things Happening came when Ramos received a call from an old friend, pastor James Rasmussen. “James was telling me about missionary work he was supporting overseas. He had lost confidence in the people he was supporting and where the money was being spent,” says Ramos. “He decided he was going to start supporting musicians that were playing gospel music and spread the word that way, and he wanted to know if I wanted to make a God record.” This feels like money well spent.
Produced by Chris Lizotte STH includes, amongst others, Kid’s son Johnny Ramos. On the surface this feels like swingin’ blues but after your first pass try digging in and really listening to the words… then you’ll find a gospel album in blues clothing. “To hear gospel music presented with a West Coast Blues vibe is such a unique and compelling approach to combining two styles of roots music with shared influences,” says Sallie Bengtson, Nola Blue Records president. That it works so well is hardly a surprise…. From most blues artists to the church itself there’s always been a deep spiritual connection between these two disparate worlds, and while I don’t consider myself religious in the least, I find Strange Things Happening quite compelling.
There are two ways to approach this record; just lay back and feel the music or come at it from the spiritual side, but I suspect combining both is the most effective way. I’m really loving the sound and feel of Strange Things Happening, but as the sole agnostic in our household grasping the messages behind the lyrics is taking a little more work. I don’t mind, though… at the end of the day this is a really fine piece of music.
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HOT TRACKS: Jesus Dropped The Charges, Strange Things Happening, Satan’s Jeweled Crown
LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI Eric Johanson (Ruf Records) ****
There is maybe one thing better than guitar driven blues, and that’s live guitar driven blues. Recorded at the famous Ground Zero Club in Biloxi Mississippi, Live In Mississippi is a raucous Friday night good time. This reminds me of Too Slim & The Taildraggers, and that’s a band I like a lot. Guitar driven rockin’ blues, thy name is Eric Johanson.
This disc was made with a purpose in mind; “ I want Live In Mississippi to make people feel like they’re at our show” Eric says. “Whether they’ve just seen the band and want to take a piece of that home with them, or they’ve never seen us perform at all, I want it to bring across the energy and emotion of a live show. I’m really thrilled with how (this) turned out… the great thing about making a live record is you just play your heart out at the show, and the record captures where you are at that moment in your life.”
What instantly strikes you about this is the studio-like fidelity and precision of the tunes. Great rhythm section and Johanson is a fine singer, but the star here is his guitar playing. Eric is a cool rhythm player but when he steps up and digs in for a solo, that’s when the fireworks really happen. I understand and mostly support his decision to center entirely on the music, but Live In Mississippi would have been even more epic if the recording included some interaction with the audience and them throwing some of their energy back up onto the stage. In the overall scheme of things however, that’s a minor quibble… I love this record and am already planning to use several cuts on my internet radio blues show. This is definitely blues that rocks.
HOT TRACKS: Nowhere To Go, Galaxzy Girl, Just Like New
STRUTTIN’ ROUND TOWN Scott Low (independent) *****+
As much as I like to rock out to electric blues there is something about well-done acoustic blues that just gets me where I live, going all the way back to guys like Robert Johnson and Son House. Scott Low’s Struttin’ Around Town has some of that ancient mojo. It’s an acoustic record, mostly just Scott and his guitar, and it’s hypnotic.
At just 5 songs Struttin’ Around Town is really an EP. “I wanted to get back to acoustic music” Scott says. ‘The grid’s going to die eventually, and when that happens I want to still be able to play slide guitar.” The sound here definitely predates electric blues as it takes you right back down home. Aside from the simple instrumentation Low’s intentions with this record helps make it unforgettable. Of the songs, even the cover tunes, Eric says “A lot of it is non-blues chords, straight-up jazz changes being played bluesy. I look at 1927 as the year that marks the real birth of American music; you had guys like WC Handy, Charley Patton and Louis Armstrong making music whose impact is still being felt today.”
Struttin’ Around Town is an unpretentious, uncomplicated record that you will feel immediately, and therein lies its charm. Though a modern recording it takes you back to a different time when life, and the joys and sorrows were expressed in simpler ways. It goes straight to your heart.
HOT TRACKS: Nobody Knows You When You’re Down ,Going Down That River
AUGUST MOON Allison August (MoMojo Records) **** ¾
Allison August’s new record was a long time coming. After a few years of dedicated energy- interrupted by Covid of course- August Moon is finally in our hands and damn, it was sure worth the wait. She’s a powerhouse blues n soul belter from LA, backed by a band of ridiculously talented musicians. More soul than blues, August Moon is irresistible.
Allison calls on a diverse array of influences to conjure her vocal magic; from The Beatles to Billie Holiday, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. The early years of her career included collaborations with Coco Montoya and Paul Barrere of Little Feat, who also plays here. August Moon includes her longtime bandmate and co-producer David J. Carpenter along with guests that include superstar bassist Bob Glaub and percussionist Lenny Castro. The album was produced by Tony Braunagel, who also plays drums on most of the tracks. It’s a beautiful sounding piece of work, but then we’ve come to expect that from a Braunagel production.
August Moon packs an emotional wallop with songs that cover a wide range of topics. According to Allison Afraid Of Love “is a funky little jam about being torn between wanting love and connection but being too guarded to let down your defenses.” Dashboard Madonna is about her love/ hate relationship with Los Angeles, and Desiree is about a beloved cousin who passed away several years ago. “She was a bright light in this world and known to the kids in the neighborhood as ‘Mama Dez’” she remembers. “This song is my way of honoring her.” You could say this is an album about life, about internal issues as well as the world around us.
The first thing August Moon touches you with is Allison’s voice, followed by the way the music moves, ebbs and flows, then the lyrical topics of each song. This is a record of dark, soulful gorgeousness that will invite you in for a good, long stay… so come on in.
HOT TRACKS: Honey Jar, The Cure, Afraid Of Love
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