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https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/reviews-jim-hynes 2025-03-31T20:11:22+00:00 The Daily Ripple Joomla! - Open Source Content Management 2023-04-21T13:35:17+00:00 2023-04-21T13:35:17+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/71-music-review-murder-of-songs-by-grant-peeples-jh Terry Ryan

26 February 2023    If you feel, like this writer has in recent years, that the outspoken folk singer has disappeared, then you’d best listen to the latest, A Murder of Songs, from Grant Peeples. His is a brutal commentary on our country’s divisive, troubled state. If only Peeples had recorded this album after learning that the Fox News hosts knew they were lying about the 2020 election, and that Speaker McCarthy turned over 40,000 hours of Jan 6 footage to Tucker Carlson, of all people, it would be even a stronger gut punch. Nonetheless, Peeples shines a light on the absurdity of our current situation. Welcome back to protest music that we’ve dearly missed. But Peeples is the exception. He’s been writing substantive songs for over two decades now through eleven albums, three books of poetry, live albums, and multi-media videos made during the pandemic called Clay Tablets. He opens in soft, acoustic style with the only non-original song, a spare rendering of Mark Knopfler’s classic anti-war anthem, informed by the Falklands War “Brothers in Arms” likely with Jan 6 and possibly Ukraine in mind- “That we’re fools to make war on our brothers in arms.” He continues in a pensive state with the co-write with co-producer Danny Goddard, “This Is the Good News,” explaining that we must stay vigilant and on-guard because – “Anything is possible, nothing is for sure, anyone can do these things, things never done before. This is the good news, this is the bad news.”  With the Pete Seeger-like banjo (Scott Anderson) and fiddle (Christian Ward) driven “Revolutionary Reel” the style and tempo go upbeat. These various changes trace to the album being recorded in ten different studios and a couple of dozen musicians and engineers over a two-year span (yes, the pandemic). “Revolutionary Reel!” was written shortly after the death of George Floyd and calls us to action with these words – “Though I’m not here to say I know what a dead man feels/ Might be time to abandon caution, a little action instead of talking/Play a little revolutionary reel. Peeples sound as if he’s fronting the rebel Irish band The Wolfe Tones or the Pogues on his tongue in cheek but still searing “Insurrection Song (January 6).” He cleverly repurposes one of Kristofferson’s indelible lines - It was an insurrection, so patriots must stand/And heed the call for justice and let leniency be damned/Cause freedom’s just another word for all we have to lose/Let the sonsabitches rot in jail for what they tried to do.” Some of these, however, are not flat-out protest songs. “Dear Sadie” is a lullaby of sorts written for his grandniece, reflecting on ancestry, and the choices one must make for a better future. Peeples considers it one of the best he has ever written. ”Elisabeth” speaks to comforting a close friend. Another standout is the autobiographical and identifiable “The Restless Ones,” where Peeples expresses his solidarity with like-minded rebellious types. The first verse is read by Scottish poet Lorna Simes, which complements the feel and raw emotion of the song. Landon Gay’s pedal steel gives the requisite gravitas to these lyrics - Artists; rebels who will pick a fight/I keep’ um close, don’t let ‘um slip away/Cause they got ‘it’ and it’s the only thing/The only thing I ever count on, cause…/I’ve always run with the restless ones. Peeples angst comes to the fore on his 2007 reworked “Liberal With a Gun” where he makes it clear it’s not just the liberals who hold the guns. We are living in a frightful culture of gun violence that has only worsened 15 years later. He closes, using his humor, wit, and sarcasm with jaunty, vaudeville-like music to share the ominous message “Let’s Start Killing Each Other” – “Got your leftwing, rightwing, your black and white/Conservatives and Liberals just itching for a fight/When you know they’re wrong and they swear they’re right/You can bet there’s gonna be trouble/So, just whip out a switchblade, pull out a gun/Pistol whip some sumbitch just for fun/And don’t stop dealing till the dealing’s done./Till we start killing each other.” Peeples is not shy about speaking his mind and has commendably put his thoughts across with an enjoyable, varied musical palette. His rather plain singing voice is emblematic of who he is – an honest, no-holds barred, rebel folk singer. He’s here to remind us that his kind is still offering vital messages.       Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here        

26 February 2023    If you feel, like this writer has in recent years, that the outspoken folk singer has disappeared, then you’d best listen to the latest, A Murder of Songs, from Grant Peeples. His is a brutal commentary on our country’s divisive, troubled state. If only Peeples had recorded this album after learning that the Fox News hosts knew they were lying about the 2020 election, and that Speaker McCarthy turned over 40,000 hours of Jan 6 footage to Tucker Carlson, of all people, it would be even a stronger gut punch. Nonetheless, Peeples shines a light on the absurdity of our current situation. Welcome back to protest music that we’ve dearly missed. But Peeples is the exception. He’s been writing substantive songs for over two decades now through eleven albums, three books of poetry, live albums, and multi-media videos made during the pandemic called Clay Tablets. He opens in soft, acoustic style with the only non-original song, a spare rendering of Mark Knopfler’s classic anti-war anthem, informed by the Falklands War “Brothers in Arms” likely with Jan 6 and possibly Ukraine in mind- “That we’re fools to make war on our brothers in arms.” He continues in a pensive state with the co-write with co-producer Danny Goddard, “This Is the Good News,” explaining that we must stay vigilant and on-guard because – “Anything is possible, nothing is for sure, anyone can do these things, things never done before. This is the good news, this is the bad news.”  With the Pete Seeger-like banjo (Scott Anderson) and fiddle (Christian Ward) driven “Revolutionary Reel” the style and tempo go upbeat. These various changes trace to the album being recorded in ten different studios and a couple of dozen musicians and engineers over a two-year span (yes, the pandemic). “Revolutionary Reel!” was written shortly after the death of George Floyd and calls us to action with these words – “Though I’m not here to say I know what a dead man feels/ Might be time to abandon caution, a little action instead of talking/Play a little revolutionary reel. Peeples sound as if he’s fronting the rebel Irish band The Wolfe Tones or the Pogues on his tongue in cheek but still searing “Insurrection Song (January 6).” He cleverly repurposes one of Kristofferson’s indelible lines - It was an insurrection, so patriots must stand/And heed the call for justice and let leniency be damned/Cause freedom’s just another word for all we have to lose/Let the sonsabitches rot in jail for what they tried to do.” Some of these, however, are not flat-out protest songs. “Dear Sadie” is a lullaby of sorts written for his grandniece, reflecting on ancestry, and the choices one must make for a better future. Peeples considers it one of the best he has ever written. ”Elisabeth” speaks to comforting a close friend. Another standout is the autobiographical and identifiable “The Restless Ones,” where Peeples expresses his solidarity with like-minded rebellious types. The first verse is read by Scottish poet Lorna Simes, which complements the feel and raw emotion of the song. Landon Gay’s pedal steel gives the requisite gravitas to these lyrics - Artists; rebels who will pick a fight/I keep’ um close, don’t let ‘um slip away/Cause they got ‘it’ and it’s the only thing/The only thing I ever count on, cause…/I’ve always run with the restless ones. Peeples angst comes to the fore on his 2007 reworked “Liberal With a Gun” where he makes it clear it’s not just the liberals who hold the guns. We are living in a frightful culture of gun violence that has only worsened 15 years later. He closes, using his humor, wit, and sarcasm with jaunty, vaudeville-like music to share the ominous message “Let’s Start Killing Each Other” – “Got your leftwing, rightwing, your black and white/Conservatives and Liberals just itching for a fight/When you know they’re wrong and they swear they’re right/You can bet there’s gonna be trouble/So, just whip out a switchblade, pull out a gun/Pistol whip some sumbitch just for fun/And don’t stop dealing till the dealing’s done./Till we start killing each other.” Peeples is not shy about speaking his mind and has commendably put his thoughts across with an enjoyable, varied musical palette. His rather plain singing voice is emblematic of who he is – an honest, no-holds barred, rebel folk singer. He’s here to remind us that his kind is still offering vital messages.       Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here         2023-04-21T13:37:24+00:00 2023-04-21T13:37:24+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/72-music-review-gratitude-by-dan-imhoff-jh Terry Ryan

03 October 2022    Gratitude is the fifth solo album for California singer-songwriter Dan Imhoff. Wait, that doesn’t do this creative artist justice. Imhoff is also an activist, a podcaster, and the author of ten nonfiction books about farming, conservation, and eco-design., the latter of which play in just slightly to the uplifting music found here. Most of these songs were written during the pandemic lockdown and even though there’s a distinct roots-rock thread running through them, the album was recorded in Spain with a host of Spanish musicians. As it turns out, Imhoff lives in Spain part-time and often records there. The album was recorded in two separate studios, outside of Valencia and Girona, with two different teams. Imhoff calls his songwriting “cosmic gospel.” Cosmic references the roots of northern California tradition of folk rock, blues, and jazz but performed by Spanish musicians. Gospel indicates that most of the songs have strong background choruses and rich harmonies. Imhoff confesses to the fact that most of these songs took a long time to write as it took a while to get to that place mentally and emotionally when optimism would flow naturally. We could have used these hopeful tunes during those weary pandemic months, but joyous music never arrives too late. The hook in the titular opener is infectious from the outset. “There There” is a snappy mid-tempo tune that alludes perhaps to the struggle in the writing process (“Gotta find a way to keep believing”). “When a Great Tree Falls” employs a great use of echo effects and likely points to his environmental activism, coupling sequoias in his native Northern California with this teeming chorus “Will we be strong enough to fight for what we believe?”)  The lightly strummed, banjo infused “Coming Into View” rings with the insistent chorus “Love is the only game.” The perky, jug band-like “So Good To Be a Dog” hits at a thought most of us have likely had as we admire the oft-relaxed state of our favorite pet. There’s a similar tongue-in-cheek vibe to the piano ballad “Why I Drink The Wine” suggesting it’s “to get closer to Jesus.” Although there are some common threads to Imhoff’s lyrics, no two songs sound alike as he adeptly shifts tempos and instrumentation. Case in point is “Dark Side,” another mostly acoustic tune, but one where the lyrical tone shifts too. He’s being honest. Even the most upbeat people have moments of sadness and frustration. This kind of balancing act, which he turns to again later on “Crazy Town” of course, gives the uplifting tunes even more impact, such as the inspiring, celebratory nature song, “Lie Down With the Wild Things.” He follows with an ode to the comfort of his part-time home in “Accidentally Valencia.” Bassist Jaume Guerra Menue, the co-writer of “Factory of Tangled Dream,” adds a jazzy touch to the carefree tune. Following the bleak “Crazy Town” it’s only fitting that Imhoff end on a high note, and though he points to ultimate satisfaction in “Angel Touching Down” he does so pensively, not with the rollicking hooks heard on some of the tunes, but it is the most vocally expressive tune of the strong dozen he penned. Imhoff paints hope as a goal one must attain. It’s not readily available to those who don’t struggle and aren’t stoic when called for. When earned however, it’s rewarding. As the title suggests, he’s thankful and we should all share in that glee at least for a few moments. We’ve made it through the difficult pandemic months but just the same, we’re living in troubling times and should remain on guard.          Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here      

03 October 2022    Gratitude is the fifth solo album for California singer-songwriter Dan Imhoff. Wait, that doesn’t do this creative artist justice. Imhoff is also an activist, a podcaster, and the author of ten nonfiction books about farming, conservation, and eco-design., the latter of which play in just slightly to the uplifting music found here. Most of these songs were written during the pandemic lockdown and even though there’s a distinct roots-rock thread running through them, the album was recorded in Spain with a host of Spanish musicians. As it turns out, Imhoff lives in Spain part-time and often records there. The album was recorded in two separate studios, outside of Valencia and Girona, with two different teams. Imhoff calls his songwriting “cosmic gospel.” Cosmic references the roots of northern California tradition of folk rock, blues, and jazz but performed by Spanish musicians. Gospel indicates that most of the songs have strong background choruses and rich harmonies. Imhoff confesses to the fact that most of these songs took a long time to write as it took a while to get to that place mentally and emotionally when optimism would flow naturally. We could have used these hopeful tunes during those weary pandemic months, but joyous music never arrives too late. The hook in the titular opener is infectious from the outset. “There There” is a snappy mid-tempo tune that alludes perhaps to the struggle in the writing process (“Gotta find a way to keep believing”). “When a Great Tree Falls” employs a great use of echo effects and likely points to his environmental activism, coupling sequoias in his native Northern California with this teeming chorus “Will we be strong enough to fight for what we believe?”)  The lightly strummed, banjo infused “Coming Into View” rings with the insistent chorus “Love is the only game.” The perky, jug band-like “So Good To Be a Dog” hits at a thought most of us have likely had as we admire the oft-relaxed state of our favorite pet. There’s a similar tongue-in-cheek vibe to the piano ballad “Why I Drink The Wine” suggesting it’s “to get closer to Jesus.” Although there are some common threads to Imhoff’s lyrics, no two songs sound alike as he adeptly shifts tempos and instrumentation. Case in point is “Dark Side,” another mostly acoustic tune, but one where the lyrical tone shifts too. He’s being honest. Even the most upbeat people have moments of sadness and frustration. This kind of balancing act, which he turns to again later on “Crazy Town” of course, gives the uplifting tunes even more impact, such as the inspiring, celebratory nature song, “Lie Down With the Wild Things.” He follows with an ode to the comfort of his part-time home in “Accidentally Valencia.” Bassist Jaume Guerra Menue, the co-writer of “Factory of Tangled Dream,” adds a jazzy touch to the carefree tune. Following the bleak “Crazy Town” it’s only fitting that Imhoff end on a high note, and though he points to ultimate satisfaction in “Angel Touching Down” he does so pensively, not with the rollicking hooks heard on some of the tunes, but it is the most vocally expressive tune of the strong dozen he penned. Imhoff paints hope as a goal one must attain. It’s not readily available to those who don’t struggle and aren’t stoic when called for. When earned however, it’s rewarding. As the title suggests, he’s thankful and we should all share in that glee at least for a few moments. We’ve made it through the difficult pandemic months but just the same, we’re living in troubling times and should remain on guard.          Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here       2023-09-13T20:40:27+00:00 2023-09-13T20:40:27+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/116-music-review-stranger-in-my-town-by-nick-justice-jh Terry Ryan

2 Sept 2023  Nick Justice returns with his sixth full-length solo album, following his 2022 duet album, The Sidemen, which did quite well on several Americana charts and yielded almost 100 live gigs for the duo, who since decided to return to solo projects ten months ago. In his past few solo projects Justice has worked with multi-instrumentalist Richard Bredice and guitarist Richard Stekol. While the latter remains in tow, having played on all of Justice’s solo albums, Justice reached out to veterans Joel Rafael who played and produced, as well as consummate string man Greg Leisz on this effort, Stranger in My Town. Mai Leisz plays bass While Lisa Sanders and Karen “Brown Sugar” Hayes sing backup on “Save Somebody.” Note the absence of percussion which makes for a stripped-down sound and one that differs a bit from past efforts due to a new studio, producer, and engineer. The title track opens, a true story about Justice’s return to his hometown on Long Island after a ten year absence, only to find himself feeling out of place, to the extent that a high school friend didn’t even recognize him. Leiz colors the jaunty tune with his dobro and his pedal steel welcomes in “Let the Wind Blow,” about moving on rather than getting too wrapped up in reflection – “The silence below the noise/Creates a stillness in you/I keep hearing these things they couldn’t’ be true.” His true emotional sentiments emerge on “The Night My Heart Caught Fire,” about a chance meeting at McDonald’s no less, where, as a single parent he met his future wife, also a single parent at the time. Again, Leisz’s dobro and pedal steel are the add the gorgeous accompaniment. These autobiographical songs and nuggets of hard-earned wisdom imbue “Don’t You Know,” “Don’t Walk Away,” and “Living in Hard Times,” Justice blows his harmonica on the early Dylan-like “Don’t You Know” and sounds determined, if not totally convincing on “Don’t You Walk Away” – “Saw your eyes staring to stray/Stay with me one more day/Don’t you walk away.” Joel Rafael’s “Thanks for the Smiles” has long been a Justice favorite and he takes the opportunity to record it here, letting the producer play the acoustic guitar and harmonica, one of only two tracks where Justice does not as the final standout track, “America Walking By,” was penned by Stekol, who plays acoustic on the tune which is about parents mourning the death of a son, presumably a casualty to military combat. Justice turns his attention to the homeless in “Dream # 9” and tries his hand at gospel in “Save Somebody.” Although the title conjures Dylan’s song of a similar name, this one doesn’t sound it all similar. Infused by Leisz’s dobro, it’s more in the vein of white southern gospel, inspired by viewing Ken Burns’ documentary on country music. The background vocalists add that gospel touch to what is basically a simple riff. One has to admire both Justice’s perseverance and modesty. He says this, “I’m not a great guitar player, I’m not a great singer, but I am able to observe the human condition and communicate that in song. Fame is fleeting and screws with your mind. It was never my bag. If you love what you do, you do it on any scale or stage. I’ve played in front of 10.000 people, and I’ve more often played to empty houses. The performance never differs.” Spoken like the true troubadour that he is, it’s only a matter of time, given his persistence, that Justice becomes a more familiar name.         Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here      

2 Sept 2023  Nick Justice returns with his sixth full-length solo album, following his 2022 duet album, The Sidemen, which did quite well on several Americana charts and yielded almost 100 live gigs for the duo, who since decided to return to solo projects ten months ago. In his past few solo projects Justice has worked with multi-instrumentalist Richard Bredice and guitarist Richard Stekol. While the latter remains in tow, having played on all of Justice’s solo albums, Justice reached out to veterans Joel Rafael who played and produced, as well as consummate string man Greg Leisz on this effort, Stranger in My Town. Mai Leisz plays bass While Lisa Sanders and Karen “Brown Sugar” Hayes sing backup on “Save Somebody.” Note the absence of percussion which makes for a stripped-down sound and one that differs a bit from past efforts due to a new studio, producer, and engineer. The title track opens, a true story about Justice’s return to his hometown on Long Island after a ten year absence, only to find himself feeling out of place, to the extent that a high school friend didn’t even recognize him. Leiz colors the jaunty tune with his dobro and his pedal steel welcomes in “Let the Wind Blow,” about moving on rather than getting too wrapped up in reflection – “The silence below the noise/Creates a stillness in you/I keep hearing these things they couldn’t’ be true.” His true emotional sentiments emerge on “The Night My Heart Caught Fire,” about a chance meeting at McDonald’s no less, where, as a single parent he met his future wife, also a single parent at the time. Again, Leisz’s dobro and pedal steel are the add the gorgeous accompaniment. These autobiographical songs and nuggets of hard-earned wisdom imbue “Don’t You Know,” “Don’t Walk Away,” and “Living in Hard Times,” Justice blows his harmonica on the early Dylan-like “Don’t You Know” and sounds determined, if not totally convincing on “Don’t You Walk Away” – “Saw your eyes staring to stray/Stay with me one more day/Don’t you walk away.” Joel Rafael’s “Thanks for the Smiles” has long been a Justice favorite and he takes the opportunity to record it here, letting the producer play the acoustic guitar and harmonica, one of only two tracks where Justice does not as the final standout track, “America Walking By,” was penned by Stekol, who plays acoustic on the tune which is about parents mourning the death of a son, presumably a casualty to military combat. Justice turns his attention to the homeless in “Dream # 9” and tries his hand at gospel in “Save Somebody.” Although the title conjures Dylan’s song of a similar name, this one doesn’t sound it all similar. Infused by Leisz’s dobro, it’s more in the vein of white southern gospel, inspired by viewing Ken Burns’ documentary on country music. The background vocalists add that gospel touch to what is basically a simple riff. One has to admire both Justice’s perseverance and modesty. He says this, “I’m not a great guitar player, I’m not a great singer, but I am able to observe the human condition and communicate that in song. Fame is fleeting and screws with your mind. It was never my bag. If you love what you do, you do it on any scale or stage. I’ve played in front of 10.000 people, and I’ve more often played to empty houses. The performance never differs.” Spoken like the true troubadour that he is, it’s only a matter of time, given his persistence, that Justice becomes a more familiar name.         Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here       2023-09-15T14:44:48+00:00 2023-09-15T14:44:48+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/117-music-review-i-just-cant-call-it-quits-patterson-barrett-jh Terry Ryan

23 June 2023    Patterson Barrett built his career of playing Americana music long before the term became in vogue. His resume reads like a who’s who of roots legends, past and present, from Jerry Jeff Walker to Nanci Griffith, to Al Kooper to Jim Lauderdale, among many others. In one sense, he was pivotal in building the careers of Buddy and Julie Miller who met him when they lived in Austin, and were members of his band, Partners in Crime. Barrett is a multi-instrumentalist who shows up as sideman on many albums by Austin artists but aside from several solo albums, he generally shuns the limelight. He’s back with a solo album, I Just Can’t Call It Quits, ostensibly contemplating retirement, as stated in the opening twangy track, a string of modest statements mixed with the will to keep moving forward. He proves he can uniquely interpret covers as he takes Sam and Dave’s mega hit “Soul Man” into a sparse back porch guitar and harmonica (played by Doc Simons) boogie, reveling in the choruses and not sounding at all like one pondering hanging it up. Barrett doesn’t have an especially distinctive vocal style but offsets that with a weathered, lived-in style characteristic of many of his fellow Texas singer- songwriters. The warm, undulating “Where Do We Go” exemplifies such. Here as well on most tracks, Barrett plays all the instruments, featuring the mandolin on the idealistic “Dream Geography,” which imagines a world without borders where children of all nationalities can gather in a proverbial backyard and play universal games such as kick the can and circle game. “Who’s Left to Keep the World Turning” similarly pleads for unity as Patterson plays a wide array of stringed instruments as well as keyboards. The album takes a turn with the standout track “Longing for the Sun” where the protagonist is reaching for hope - “I’m as blue as you say, made darker by you, I can’t be saved by the things you do.” Yet, he escapes this morass of despair immediately with the jaunty, Cajun infused “Another Beautiful Day,” imbued by accordion, fiddle and piano. The two longtime pals, Barrett and Buddy Miller, evoke the classic country Louvin Brothers sound on Buddy’s “I’m Pretending,” clearly a top track with Barrett’s weeping pedal steel and lush instrumental accompaniment of electric piano, fiddle, and snappy drums. These two sound as if they’ve been singing together for years, despite a 30-ish year hiatus. The third cover song is Juliann Banks’ “Somewhere in South Austin,” delving slightly into a Doug Sahm vibe with a nostalgic look at South Austin in its heyday of a couple of decades ago, boosted by fine vocal harmonies. The acoustic ballad, “Just a Moment” expresses one of the salient themes of the album, being grateful and marching forward optimistically. With the passing of his heroes and contemporaries such as Billy Joe Shaver and Jerry Jeff Walker, it would seem that Barrett is only casually flirting with the idea of retirement, instead feeling an obligation to carry on the Texas songwriting tradition. Hopefully, that’s his course.     Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here  

23 June 2023    Patterson Barrett built his career of playing Americana music long before the term became in vogue. His resume reads like a who’s who of roots legends, past and present, from Jerry Jeff Walker to Nanci Griffith, to Al Kooper to Jim Lauderdale, among many others. In one sense, he was pivotal in building the careers of Buddy and Julie Miller who met him when they lived in Austin, and were members of his band, Partners in Crime. Barrett is a multi-instrumentalist who shows up as sideman on many albums by Austin artists but aside from several solo albums, he generally shuns the limelight. He’s back with a solo album, I Just Can’t Call It Quits, ostensibly contemplating retirement, as stated in the opening twangy track, a string of modest statements mixed with the will to keep moving forward. He proves he can uniquely interpret covers as he takes Sam and Dave’s mega hit “Soul Man” into a sparse back porch guitar and harmonica (played by Doc Simons) boogie, reveling in the choruses and not sounding at all like one pondering hanging it up. Barrett doesn’t have an especially distinctive vocal style but offsets that with a weathered, lived-in style characteristic of many of his fellow Texas singer- songwriters. The warm, undulating “Where Do We Go” exemplifies such. Here as well on most tracks, Barrett plays all the instruments, featuring the mandolin on the idealistic “Dream Geography,” which imagines a world without borders where children of all nationalities can gather in a proverbial backyard and play universal games such as kick the can and circle game. “Who’s Left to Keep the World Turning” similarly pleads for unity as Patterson plays a wide array of stringed instruments as well as keyboards. The album takes a turn with the standout track “Longing for the Sun” where the protagonist is reaching for hope - “I’m as blue as you say, made darker by you, I can’t be saved by the things you do.” Yet, he escapes this morass of despair immediately with the jaunty, Cajun infused “Another Beautiful Day,” imbued by accordion, fiddle and piano. The two longtime pals, Barrett and Buddy Miller, evoke the classic country Louvin Brothers sound on Buddy’s “I’m Pretending,” clearly a top track with Barrett’s weeping pedal steel and lush instrumental accompaniment of electric piano, fiddle, and snappy drums. These two sound as if they’ve been singing together for years, despite a 30-ish year hiatus. The third cover song is Juliann Banks’ “Somewhere in South Austin,” delving slightly into a Doug Sahm vibe with a nostalgic look at South Austin in its heyday of a couple of decades ago, boosted by fine vocal harmonies. The acoustic ballad, “Just a Moment” expresses one of the salient themes of the album, being grateful and marching forward optimistically. With the passing of his heroes and contemporaries such as Billy Joe Shaver and Jerry Jeff Walker, it would seem that Barrett is only casually flirting with the idea of retirement, instead feeling an obligation to carry on the Texas songwriting tradition. Hopefully, that’s his course.     Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here   2024-05-07T13:44:00+00:00 2024-05-07T13:44:00+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/125-music-review-sparrow-by-jeff-talmadge-jh Terry Ryan

January 26 2024   We welcome back an old friend, Jeff Talmadge, who we haven’t heard from in over a decade.  The storytelling, finger-picking guitarist was quite prolific in the early part of this millennium and while mostly under the radar here in the states, amassed a significant following in Europe. With its typically spare acoustics, and Talmadge’s half-sung, half-spoken songs Sparrow is in the vein of the great Texas singer-songwriters and while we’re not putting Talmadge in the same conversation as Guy Clark, the tone and mood of the record evokes a similar vibe. While the soft, well-mixed sonics and Talmadge’s voice are easy on the ears, they belie the underlying tension in so many of these songs. Also, there’s a clear symmetry and a common thread to these ten songs, based on the protagonist’s need to escape his current fate. The use of wind and storms graces at least half of these tunes as Talmadge paints stark imagery of loneliness through his lyrics. These economical and eclectic arrangements supported by Austin guitarist Bradley Kopp and multi-instrumentalist J. David Leonard, who co-produced with Talmadge, are often brilliant touches. Take for example the rolling drums, slide guitar, and keys signaling the onset of a storm in the title track. These instrumental elements, though never intrusive, are in fact quite varied as percussion includes cajon, djembe, kick drum to cardboard box and electric guitar, synths, piano, dobro, slide guitar, midi strings, and a few harmony vocals all factor into the mix. The central track is the opener, “Hurricane” which forms the thematic and metaphorical thread to these songs. Here, the narrator ignores the evacuation warnings and decides to stay put, as the synching line “And sometimes you just have to choose/What you’re willing to keep and what/you’re willing to lose” is the character’s rather fatalistic hope that the storm will wash away not only the physical but the sins and missteps along the way. He’s made the clear choice to go it alone. The title track is finger picked in open tuning as this narrator reflects on a past love, and the mistakes made in youth, concluding that despite all, he’d “do it all again.”  “Devil’s Highway” is a third person narrative of one heading down the destructive path with several impactful lines – “Now he lives along and he’s down on his luck/Life came at him like a semi-truck/He looks in the mirror doesn’t know the man/With the Halloween eyes and the midnight tan.” “Forgiveness” is a provocative tune that in an indirect way, answers the previous songs with an “if only” notion. “Katie’s Got A Locket” is yet another sad remembrance tune from the female point of view. Talmadge grows even darker, revealing his European influence in “The Night Train from Milan” where “everybody’s traveling alone” as the narrator is obsessed with a search for elusive, and mythical Maddalena. A similarly dark cloud looms in “The Sound of Falling Snow,” where Talmadge casts a couple, no longer able to share any sort of convivial conversation, left to recall only the small details of late-night imagery in a desolate town. “Little Speck of Dust” is the bookend to “Hurricane,” that reminds the narrator that acting on impulse isn’t always wise - “Do you build the place back up or do you knock it down/The choice is not as easy as it seems.”  While we’ve come full circle in one sense, Talmadge leaves us with the gorgeous imagery of mountains painted in white and the hopes that will come in “Maybe Next Year,” with gorgeous harmonies from Jaime Michaels, hits the totally relatable aspect of procrastination but in a lighthearted way leading to the upbeat closer of dueling acoustic guitars in the instrumental “Top of the Hour.” Talmadge is a poet with few peers, embracing these dark tales but delivering plenty of provocative thoughts in the process. His co-producers, Kopp and Leonard frame his songs and fingerpicking stylings beautifully with their clever touches.     Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here  

January 26 2024   We welcome back an old friend, Jeff Talmadge, who we haven’t heard from in over a decade.  The storytelling, finger-picking guitarist was quite prolific in the early part of this millennium and while mostly under the radar here in the states, amassed a significant following in Europe. With its typically spare acoustics, and Talmadge’s half-sung, half-spoken songs Sparrow is in the vein of the great Texas singer-songwriters and while we’re not putting Talmadge in the same conversation as Guy Clark, the tone and mood of the record evokes a similar vibe. While the soft, well-mixed sonics and Talmadge’s voice are easy on the ears, they belie the underlying tension in so many of these songs. Also, there’s a clear symmetry and a common thread to these ten songs, based on the protagonist’s need to escape his current fate. The use of wind and storms graces at least half of these tunes as Talmadge paints stark imagery of loneliness through his lyrics. These economical and eclectic arrangements supported by Austin guitarist Bradley Kopp and multi-instrumentalist J. David Leonard, who co-produced with Talmadge, are often brilliant touches. Take for example the rolling drums, slide guitar, and keys signaling the onset of a storm in the title track. These instrumental elements, though never intrusive, are in fact quite varied as percussion includes cajon, djembe, kick drum to cardboard box and electric guitar, synths, piano, dobro, slide guitar, midi strings, and a few harmony vocals all factor into the mix. The central track is the opener, “Hurricane” which forms the thematic and metaphorical thread to these songs. Here, the narrator ignores the evacuation warnings and decides to stay put, as the synching line “And sometimes you just have to choose/What you’re willing to keep and what/you’re willing to lose” is the character’s rather fatalistic hope that the storm will wash away not only the physical but the sins and missteps along the way. He’s made the clear choice to go it alone. The title track is finger picked in open tuning as this narrator reflects on a past love, and the mistakes made in youth, concluding that despite all, he’d “do it all again.”  “Devil’s Highway” is a third person narrative of one heading down the destructive path with several impactful lines – “Now he lives along and he’s down on his luck/Life came at him like a semi-truck/He looks in the mirror doesn’t know the man/With the Halloween eyes and the midnight tan.” “Forgiveness” is a provocative tune that in an indirect way, answers the previous songs with an “if only” notion. “Katie’s Got A Locket” is yet another sad remembrance tune from the female point of view. Talmadge grows even darker, revealing his European influence in “The Night Train from Milan” where “everybody’s traveling alone” as the narrator is obsessed with a search for elusive, and mythical Maddalena. A similarly dark cloud looms in “The Sound of Falling Snow,” where Talmadge casts a couple, no longer able to share any sort of convivial conversation, left to recall only the small details of late-night imagery in a desolate town. “Little Speck of Dust” is the bookend to “Hurricane,” that reminds the narrator that acting on impulse isn’t always wise - “Do you build the place back up or do you knock it down/The choice is not as easy as it seems.”  While we’ve come full circle in one sense, Talmadge leaves us with the gorgeous imagery of mountains painted in white and the hopes that will come in “Maybe Next Year,” with gorgeous harmonies from Jaime Michaels, hits the totally relatable aspect of procrastination but in a lighthearted way leading to the upbeat closer of dueling acoustic guitars in the instrumental “Top of the Hour.” Talmadge is a poet with few peers, embracing these dark tales but delivering plenty of provocative thoughts in the process. His co-producers, Kopp and Leonard frame his songs and fingerpicking stylings beautifully with their clever touches.     Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here   2024-09-09T13:44:00+00:00 2024-09-09T13:44:00+00:00 https://thedailyripple.org/index.php/art-music/cat-blog-reviews-jim-hynes/138-music-review-marfa-lights-by-marfa-lights-jh Terry Ryan

September 09 2024   On the surface, this would seem to be an odd one, based on the figure dressed in a spacesuit with stunning lighting and onlookers which could be a choir of some sort. The story itself is ‘out there’ too but the music, mostly a kind of folk pop that blends elements of horns, Latin music, and classical guitar is eminently accessible, even infectious at times.  The band, making their debut digitally, adopts the small West Texas town, Marfa, in their name, making light of it this way - an indie Americana band from a UFO slowly orbiting Fort Worth, Texas.  Well, Marfa Lights is a real thing and the album cover may not be so odd after all. There is a Marfa Lights Festival and its own website that offers this: Ranchers, Native Americans, high school sweethearts, and famous meteorologists alike have reported seeing seemingly sourceless lights dance on the horizon southeast of town, an area that is nearly uninhabited and extremely difficult to traverse. The mystery lights are sometimes red, sometimes blue, sometimes white, and usually appear randomly throughout the night, no matter the season or the weather. This concept album unfolds as a soundtrack story of a Gen X’er driving from Colorado through Texas to Mexico City in his dad’s old Ford Ranchero that’s equipped with 8 track tapes and the spirit of  Jack Kerouac. When he reaches his destination he’s excited about finding a partner and embarking on life’s second act.  The band name is certainly not unique, however as Kaitlin Butts released a single of the dame name and country heavyweights Jack Ingram, Miranda Lamber and Jon Randall issued the Marfa Tapes. The band takes the oblique approach of only named the core band by first names - Brian, Daniel, Shawn and Mark. They tapped additional talents - drummer Pete Coatney (Jack Ingram), bassist Aden Bubeck (Miranda Lambert), accordionist Abel Casillas (Squeeze Box Bandits), keyboardist John Ginty (Allman Betts Band) and producer Phil Pritchett.  The initial part of the story is narrated in “Ranchero Squire” which segues directly to  the Tex-Mex stomper, horn slathered “Heart Like a Bruise.” “The Wolf (Bossa Nova)” “Mexico City” continue this West Texas sound, the latter imbued by bright Tex-Mex horns.  The latter part of the album is devoted to reprises of these songs and the kind of Tex-Mex sonics and varied instrumentation that coursed through these tracks. These tracks stand out. The heady, flowing ballad “Nobody Reads the Paper” has lines like “nobody reads the Bible any more” and “nobody takes the wrong way anymore,” citing the decline of religion and the dominance of technology. The lustily strummed “Tulum” is subtler but oozes its own sneaky charm.  The pure folk ballad “Dreams Are Dreams” carries an hypnotic but comforting vibe while the steady “One More Time” is dramatically strong.  So, this imagined travelogue may ostensibly seem silly on the surface, but when one digs in, there’s a colorful, varied musical palette that’s both evocative and provocative. Easy on the ears, this is well worth a concentrated listen.       Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here

September 09 2024   On the surface, this would seem to be an odd one, based on the figure dressed in a spacesuit with stunning lighting and onlookers which could be a choir of some sort. The story itself is ‘out there’ too but the music, mostly a kind of folk pop that blends elements of horns, Latin music, and classical guitar is eminently accessible, even infectious at times.  The band, making their debut digitally, adopts the small West Texas town, Marfa, in their name, making light of it this way - an indie Americana band from a UFO slowly orbiting Fort Worth, Texas.  Well, Marfa Lights is a real thing and the album cover may not be so odd after all. There is a Marfa Lights Festival and its own website that offers this: Ranchers, Native Americans, high school sweethearts, and famous meteorologists alike have reported seeing seemingly sourceless lights dance on the horizon southeast of town, an area that is nearly uninhabited and extremely difficult to traverse. The mystery lights are sometimes red, sometimes blue, sometimes white, and usually appear randomly throughout the night, no matter the season or the weather. This concept album unfolds as a soundtrack story of a Gen X’er driving from Colorado through Texas to Mexico City in his dad’s old Ford Ranchero that’s equipped with 8 track tapes and the spirit of  Jack Kerouac. When he reaches his destination he’s excited about finding a partner and embarking on life’s second act.  The band name is certainly not unique, however as Kaitlin Butts released a single of the dame name and country heavyweights Jack Ingram, Miranda Lamber and Jon Randall issued the Marfa Tapes. The band takes the oblique approach of only named the core band by first names - Brian, Daniel, Shawn and Mark. They tapped additional talents - drummer Pete Coatney (Jack Ingram), bassist Aden Bubeck (Miranda Lambert), accordionist Abel Casillas (Squeeze Box Bandits), keyboardist John Ginty (Allman Betts Band) and producer Phil Pritchett.  The initial part of the story is narrated in “Ranchero Squire” which segues directly to  the Tex-Mex stomper, horn slathered “Heart Like a Bruise.” “The Wolf (Bossa Nova)” “Mexico City” continue this West Texas sound, the latter imbued by bright Tex-Mex horns.  The latter part of the album is devoted to reprises of these songs and the kind of Tex-Mex sonics and varied instrumentation that coursed through these tracks. These tracks stand out. The heady, flowing ballad “Nobody Reads the Paper” has lines like “nobody reads the Bible any more” and “nobody takes the wrong way anymore,” citing the decline of religion and the dominance of technology. The lustily strummed “Tulum” is subtler but oozes its own sneaky charm.  The pure folk ballad “Dreams Are Dreams” carries an hypnotic but comforting vibe while the steady “One More Time” is dramatically strong.  So, this imagined travelogue may ostensibly seem silly on the surface, but when one digs in, there’s a colorful, varied musical palette that’s both evocative and provocative. Easy on the ears, this is well worth a concentrated listen.       Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues. To Read All of Jim's Reviews, Click Here