So viruses, life and any number of other excuses conspired against part 3. But it’s here now and worth the wait as you definitely need the following albums in your life…
Awkward Family Portraits – “Dear Old West”
This is my first exposure to the Glaswegian roots combo Awkward Family Portraits. Bits of jump blues, mixed with Western Swing (2 sides of the same coin some would say) and a Gypsy violin make songs like ‘Can You Set This Demon Free’ great all round fun. They then add some Mariachi, and pretty much any other musical style that you can find at home on the range. They say “A collection of songs written and recorded throughout lockdown and our ode to the Western genre’s colourful pallet of sounds and stories”The ballad ‘Sugar, Honey, Coca-Cola’ features a Theremin solo, or something that sounds very close to it at any rate. ‘All Out of Luck’ is a wry examination of why preparing for the worst means you are never disappointed by life. A sentiment I totally endorse. This is music that pulls together lots of elements of old timey, and classic styles, but it’s all good songs and while nearly everything here has a sense of humour it never ends up as a Louise Prima style novelty record. If you think Dan Hicks, mixed with Louis Jordan by way of Bob Wills then you are pretty close. They have just finished a tour but I’ll be keeping an eye out for dates where I am…
Celtic Connections said “Awkward Family Portraits distil wicked musical moonshine from rockabilly, bluegrass, vaudeville and Western swing influences” Quite so.
Buy it now and buy it at Bandcamp.
Paddy Buchanan Band – “The Jabberwocky EP”
There’s a theme developing here. Paddy Buchanan is based in Aberdeen. His music is for the most part straight Scottish folk music, but with a twist in places. All of the five songs here are traditional pieces, except for the title song which is an arrangement of a few verses. Lewis Carroll’s poem. They have specialized in reworking traditional works and these are five that have gone over well live. The Band consists of Buchanan on Guitar and Banjo, Percussionist Davy Cattanach, Claire Hawes – Bodhran, Craig Spink on Drums, Euan Reid – Accordion, and Craig Dyke on Mandolin. They have all been on the Aberdeen and wider Scottish scene for a good while. What sets this EP apart from the sort of folk you can hear in your local pub is their “drum circle”. The contrasts of Bodhran, and variety of “world” percussion is effective, especially so on ‘The Jabberwocky’ and ‘The Bonnie Earl O’ Moray’. If you have even a passing interest in Folk music then this is a great EP to pick up on some new interpretations of classic songs. I’m sure the Paddy Buchanan Band are another great night out and I’m looking forward to them popping up at Downend Folk Club… Hint!
You know where to buy it. Bandcamp link here.
Possil Mor – “Tales from the Garscube Road”
And we’re still in Scotland but this time the heart of Glasgow. Possil Mor open their album with a great piece of Celtic Soul, ‘Love in the Shadows’. A review elsewhere described this as “too radio friendly”, whatever that means. Driven along by bass, Clavinet and a Sax solo I’m not going to complain about this appearing on the radio. If anything it’s the more folk based songs like ‘Letty’s Song’ that have been getting the airplay. Letty’s Song tells of a Girl emigrating to Canada but thinking of her brothers fighting in World War One. The main members of Possil Mor are singer Edith Casey and Bill Alexander on guitars, with a variety of Scotland’s better players in support. The album is a series of stories of of life in Glasgow. Garscube Road is just north of the M8 in an area of Glasgow that includes Port Dundas, an area that has been “regenerated” in recent years with apartments occupying former grain warehouses. The, uncredited but very good artwork shows the area (which also includes Possil Road) as it was at the turn of the twentieth century. The best songs are those that are what the press describes as “solid chunks of classic Glasgow soul/rock ‘n’ roll”. ‘Broken Dreams’, ‘Other Side Of Me’, and ‘Saint Catherine’. This is very Scottish with echoes of bands from Stone the Crows to Deacon Blue. Edith Casey has more than a touch of Maggie bell to her voice, which I hope is a comparison she would like, it’s certainly meant as praise.
The Possil Mor website quotes influences including Emmylou Harris, Free, The Beatles, Abba, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, and if the word in your head is eclectic you would be right. There are no two songs alike here, but Casey’s voice ties it altogether.
Contender number 3 for album of the year… But not on Bandcamp. Their website is here however.
Part four of the album reviews catch up will appear soon (no really) as there is just too much good stuff out there at the moment.
