ROUTES & BRANCHES
featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
March 17, 2024
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
Returned from vacation abroad, where I was driving on the wrong side of the road and alarming the natives across the Scottish Highlands. As typically seems to be the case when visiting such rich cultures, we end up hearing a pale adaptation of American pop radio as opposed to more trad sounds from the immediate environs.
As we've mentioned previously here at R&B HQ, americana music really has nothing to do with America, at least not in the sense that the country really owns the sounds that cobble together to make our kind of music. We pay regular visits to blogs that focus on roots music in the UK, in Finland, Norway, Canada, and Australia.
When time came to create their fifth full-length record, The Hanging Stars departed their London home for a studio in northeast Scotland. There, the four-piece outfit, fronted by singer-guitarist Richard Olson, brought to life On a Golden Shore, a glimmering roots-pop gem with veins of psych and cool California folk. I got you under a cold, dark spell, Olson sings on the sessions which partner a bright ambiance with moody lyrics.
With a recurring, good-natured acoustic guitar and flute (or pipe?), "Raindrop In a Hurricane" plays like the Kinks in their more pastoral moments, one of a couple of nods to Hanging Stars' UK influences. The song also establishes the sessions' habit of daydreaming: I've been dreaming of another country / A warm place where the lemons grow / And I've been thinking 'bout a girl so pretty / She doesn't want my loving no more. The album's closer, "Heart In a Box" adds horns and a bouncing bass for a shimmering, swaying anthem, Olson conceding: I guess I'm blessed with you. The Stars' British allegiance carries through as well on one of the LP's strongest tracks, the swaggering "Let Me Dream Of You". A chunky electric guitar and an understated glam sneer hone the song's Brit pop edge.
Like Gary Louris' Jayhawks, a strong melodic streak speaks to Hanging Stars' dedication to pop expression. "Sweet Light" recalls a lazy lost afternoon, chiming guitars and the group's trademark harmonies deliver the tuneful chorus. Those harmonies are deployed throughout On a Golden Shore, playing to the record's psych sound and spirit. Longing is the greatest gift / Waiting is her evil twin, Olsen sings on "Happiness Is a Bird", bearing Jerry Garcia-inspired cascading guitar lines alongside those breezy vocals. It's a sound the band has evocatively termed cosmic heartbreak boogie.
Pieces like "No Way Spell" bear a country stamp, with banjo added to the lush mix. Pedal steel, courtesy of special guest Joe Harvey-Whyte colors the proceedings throughout, an essential element to the overall vibe. On the overcast "Disbelieving", the instrument peals alongside chiming guitars and a rattling tambourine: Is it true that you're leaving / That you're gone / I have a hard time believing / That we're done. Elsewhere, "Silver Rings" encourages a beach vibe with a piano bossa, while "Golden Shore" meshes the band's flute and hand percussion with a perennial blues reference: Make me a pallet on your floor / Make it soft and make it pure.
Frontman Richard Olsen can sound like the Church's Steve Kilbey at times, his measured baritone well-suited for the dreamy, downcast lyrics. With producer Sean Read, drummer Paulie Cobra, bassist Paul Milne, and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Ralla, Hanging Stars weave an intoxicating musical spell that matches the Sadies' instrumentalism with Woods' eclecticism. Like Brown Horse, reviewed a couple episodes ago, it's accomplished with a distinctly British sensibility, with daydreams of California beaches and expansive cosmic country horizons.
Finally, a quick glance at A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster, our fully appointed new release calendar. Longtime producer and instrumentalist to the stars T Bone Burnett returns his attention to his solo career for the first time in twenty years. Due April 19 via Verve, The Other Side offers contributions from Lucius, Rosanne Cash, Weyes Blood and more. Adeem the Artist's 2022 White Trash Revelry brought the songwriter's essential work to a wider audience. The follow-up, Anniversary is scheduled for a May 3 release (Four Quarters). Heavy garage-blues duo Left Lane Cruiser are set for their first collection in five years. Alive Natural Sound has announced a June 7 date for Bayport BBQ Blues. That same date marks the return of Good Looks, whose Bummer Year drew a good amount of debut attention. Keeled Scales has landed on a June 7 date for Lived Here For a While. Avi Vinocur and Patrick Dyer Wolf have readied their next Goodnight Texas record. Signals drops July 19 on the 2 Cent Bank Check label.
ROUTES-cast March 17, 2024
- Tennessee Freedom Singers, "Tennessee Rise" single (TN Dawn, 24) D
- Waxahatchee, "365" Tigers Blood (Anti, Mar 22)
- Joe Kaplow, "Rock and Roll" Posh Poodle Krystal and Toe (Fluff & Gravy, May 17) D
- Eels, "Time" Eels Time! (Eworks, Jun 7) D
- Louisa Stancioff, "Cigarette" When We Were Looking (Yep Roc, Apr 12) D
- Scott Ballew, "Old Fashioned" Rio Bravo (La Honda, Mar 29)
- Old 97s, "Magic" American Primitive (ATO, Apr 5)
- Good Looks, "If It's Gone" Lived Here For a While (Keeled Scales, Jun 7) D
- Lostines, "Neon Lights" Meet the Lostines (Gar Hole, ,Apr 26)
- Kacey Musgraves, "Lonely Millionaire" Deeper Well (Interscope, 24)
- Emily Nenni, "Changes" Drive & Cry (New West, May 3)
- Willie Nelson, "The Border" The Border (Sony, May 31) D
- Wonder Women Of Country, "I Have Met My Love Today" Wonder Women Of Country EP (Bismeaux, 24)
- Katie Pruitt, "Worst Case Scenario" Mantras (Rounder, Apr 5)
- Secret Sisters, "Paperweight" Mind Man Medicine (New West, Mar 29)
- Tim Easton, "Everything You're Afraid Of" Find Your Way (Black Mesa, May 17)
- Deep Dark Woods, "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue" Broadside Ballads Vol 3 (Victory Pool, May 1) D
- Arlo McKinley, "Watching Vermont" single (Oh Boy, 24) D
- Dustin Kensrue, "High Scalers" Desert Dreaming (Vagrant, Apr 5)
- Kyle Kimbrell, "Bar Rat" Easy Truths (Cornelius Chapel, Apr 5)
- Hermanos Gutierrez, "Low Sun" Sonido Cosmico (Easy Eye, Jun 14)
^ Hanging Stars, "Disbelieving" On a Golden Shore (Loose, 24)
- Left Lane Cruiser, "Turkey Vulture" Bayport BBQ Blues (Alive Natural Sound, Jun 7) D
- Quinn Pilgrim, "Time Ain't Going Nowhere" A Few More EP (6001, 24)
- James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg, "Buffalo Stance" All Gist (Paradise Of Bachelors, Apr 12) D
- Myriam Gendron, "Long Way Home" Mayday (Thrill Jockey, May 10) D
- Mitski, "Coyote My Little Brother" Spotify Singles (Dead Oceans, 24) D
- Brennan Wedl, "Fake Cowboy" single (Kill Rock Stars, 24) D
- Raelyn Nelson Band, "Which Jesus" Let's Go Dancing: Celebration Of Kevn Kinney (Tasty Goody, 24)
- Glen Campbell, "Long Walk Home (ft Hope Sandoval)" Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost On the Canvas Sessions (Big Machine, Apr 19) D
--------------------------
To enjoy our weekly Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:
No comments:
Post a Comment