Various Artists – Rockin’ At The Barn Volume 5 (Dusty Records).
Swedish roots label Dusty have a knack of unearthing new talent and this series of albums allows them to showcase some of those artists. This volume opens with new band, Blue Sky Forever who gives us the rootsy Last Man On Earth. The vocalist has a deep voiced Kenny Rogers kind of thing going on. US singer Lazy Ike provides I’ll Be Damned, a jaunty, old style country song. Next up is the Rock ‘N’ Roll Torpedoes with Get A Move On Baby. This is a bit of boogie with horns in full flow. The vocalist may not be up to scratch but the chorus is good – short and sweet. Gary Cooper, no not him, gives us Troubles, quite literally. He has a strange vocal delivery and not the best on offer. He doesn’t do himself any favours on his other contribution, King. The faraway voice just doesn’t sell the song. Why they gave him two songs I don’t know. Alt. Country gets a chance with Tattoo by American band, High Cotton. Although it is fine the vocalist is just a little too American, if that could be possible. Their other effort, Dollar Store, which finishes the album is slightly humorous but does little. Lee Marvelous contributes the wonderfully titled Right Now Is The Time To Fall Apart. This is in the Country field again and he has a good band backing him with the pedal steel guitar in particular. He also has Jack And Joanne on the album. He treats this as Country verging into Rockabilly and has such an exaggerated vocal that you will want to listen again and again. English group Sadler Dale provides some energetic punk Country on Fingers In A Pie and give us a surprise hit in the process. They also deliver I’m A Lover Now in a jug band, Country Rock style, much akin to early Dr. Hook and very reminiscent of the Pub Rock era. This cements them as one of the best bands on offer. The Howard Way gives us modern Americana on Chantal Lane and there are those that may hear the influence of Steve Earle in there. Swedes, The Stu are another Country band and another good one at that. They could easily slip into the USA and pass for one of their own and their forthcoming debut album should be well worth hearing. I’ve reviewed Svensson & Dafgard’s album, Rootation, and consider them to be the class act on offer. Their contribution, Take Me As I Am, is rootsy and very catchy. Linus Johnson & Stillhouse conjure up images of Appalachian life on Miner’s Blues and this Americana is a favourite of mine. Contemporary Country is also featured and erstwhile Blue Sky Forever member Tomas Larsson’s other band Larsson’s Fly is well sung and has some classy mandolin playing. Back to classic Country for Irishman Jim Cahill’s House For Sale but it also reminds me of a slowed down I Knew The Bride by Dave Edmunds. Moonlight Wranglers contribute 77, a good example of energetic Country Rock. Broken Records offering is The Silver Plate and it harks back to the classic Country Rock of the 70s. This is a harmony-laden highlight. Wasted Away by The Turnpikes is another is the same vein but with a world weary vocal. They lose it a bit at the chorus but that doesn’t detract too much from their performance.
All in all, a very good sample of what is going on in the roots capital of Sweden.
http://www.dustyrecords.se/
David Blue.
Swedish roots label Dusty have a knack of unearthing new talent and this series of albums allows them to showcase some of those artists. This volume opens with new band, Blue Sky Forever who gives us the rootsy Last Man On Earth. The vocalist has a deep voiced Kenny Rogers kind of thing going on. US singer Lazy Ike provides I’ll Be Damned, a jaunty, old style country song. Next up is the Rock ‘N’ Roll Torpedoes with Get A Move On Baby. This is a bit of boogie with horns in full flow. The vocalist may not be up to scratch but the chorus is good – short and sweet. Gary Cooper, no not him, gives us Troubles, quite literally. He has a strange vocal delivery and not the best on offer. He doesn’t do himself any favours on his other contribution, King. The faraway voice just doesn’t sell the song. Why they gave him two songs I don’t know. Alt. Country gets a chance with Tattoo by American band, High Cotton. Although it is fine the vocalist is just a little too American, if that could be possible. Their other effort, Dollar Store, which finishes the album is slightly humorous but does little. Lee Marvelous contributes the wonderfully titled Right Now Is The Time To Fall Apart. This is in the Country field again and he has a good band backing him with the pedal steel guitar in particular. He also has Jack And Joanne on the album. He treats this as Country verging into Rockabilly and has such an exaggerated vocal that you will want to listen again and again. English group Sadler Dale provides some energetic punk Country on Fingers In A Pie and give us a surprise hit in the process. They also deliver I’m A Lover Now in a jug band, Country Rock style, much akin to early Dr. Hook and very reminiscent of the Pub Rock era. This cements them as one of the best bands on offer. The Howard Way gives us modern Americana on Chantal Lane and there are those that may hear the influence of Steve Earle in there. Swedes, The Stu are another Country band and another good one at that. They could easily slip into the USA and pass for one of their own and their forthcoming debut album should be well worth hearing. I’ve reviewed Svensson & Dafgard’s album, Rootation, and consider them to be the class act on offer. Their contribution, Take Me As I Am, is rootsy and very catchy. Linus Johnson & Stillhouse conjure up images of Appalachian life on Miner’s Blues and this Americana is a favourite of mine. Contemporary Country is also featured and erstwhile Blue Sky Forever member Tomas Larsson’s other band Larsson’s Fly is well sung and has some classy mandolin playing. Back to classic Country for Irishman Jim Cahill’s House For Sale but it also reminds me of a slowed down I Knew The Bride by Dave Edmunds. Moonlight Wranglers contribute 77, a good example of energetic Country Rock. Broken Records offering is The Silver Plate and it harks back to the classic Country Rock of the 70s. This is a harmony-laden highlight. Wasted Away by The Turnpikes is another is the same vein but with a world weary vocal. They lose it a bit at the chorus but that doesn’t detract too much from their performance.
All in all, a very good sample of what is going on in the roots capital of Sweden.
http://www.dustyrecords.se/
David Blue.
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