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| Andy Hill and Ren�e Safier Something unbroken Andy Hill and Ren�e Safier deliver country-folk with a rock tinge. Both sing and write their own songs except for two covers of Larry and Terry Tutor. Highlights are "Second Stay" , "After all that's passed between us", Two Trains", "Something unbroken" and "When you remember me". Remarkable is Marty Rifkin on steel, dobro and mandolin. www.andyandren�e.com |
| The Guthries - "The Guthries" Haysale Records The Guthries combine on their second cd country and folk with rock-pop elements. Songs like "Terrible thing", "We know what we're doing" and "The melodies you bring�(all sung by Dale Murray) wouldn't suit ill at all on Beatles� "Sergeant Pepper's". Great ballads like "The ballad of bucket steel", "Leave me in Montgomery" and "Careful love" vary with more uptempo songs like "Willin' and able", "Lost you in the fog" and "Tied". Ruth Minniken's voice shines on the banjo-driven "I will forget" and the Carribean influenced "Lay it all out", while Gabriel Minniken has more of a deep-throated voice on the banjo-led "Missing hatt" and the nice steel-driven "Pistol whipped". Don't stop your cd at track 14 because there's still a song following. Another gem for my top 20 of 2002. www.theguthries.net |
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| Chris and Meredith Thompson - Clearwater - Alkali Records A modern folk-rock cd interweaved with singer-songwriter elements. Like the Indigo Girls they bring their songs in nice close harmony singing. Two great voices proven by the many awards won in different contests. They vary mid-tempo songs("Clearwater","Ontario") with ballads("Forgotten","First Step") and a capello ones("Harvest Moon","Amazing Grace"). "Seize the day" is a more rockin' song. Both also play instruments : Chris : acoustic guitar, Meredith : flute, congas and other percussion. Noticeable amongst the guest players : Duke Levine a long-time favorite guitarist of mine. A brilliant cd recommended to the lovers of the folk-rock format. www.cmthompson.com |
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| Stan Martin "Cigarettes and cheap whiskey" Twangtone Records This Bostonian brings us a mixture of country-rock and honky-tonk. The disk starts off with a great up-tempo rockin' song("The wild side of life") where Stan demonstrates his brilliant guitar-work. He reminds me of the great days of Dwight Yoakam("Mayby someday", "Because of you", "Honky tonk fever") and in the slower songs of Roy Orbison("Don't tell me now"). Two great ballads("Not on me" and "Forever ended with you) give Scott Joss(omnipresent) the opportunity to shine with his eminent fiddle. The rest of the band performs superb in support of Stan's singing and playing. The disk ends with a blues song("I got the roadhouse blues") again showing what a splendid guitar player Stan is. Recommended. www.stanmartin.net |
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