Twilight Hotel – Highway Prayer (CoraZong Records).
Twilight Hotel is Canadian duo Brandy Zdan and Dave Quanbury who play a multitude of instruments between them and they also show their songwriting abilities on this album of 12 original songs plus one bonus. They open with Viva La Vinyl, which shows an early indication of the good vocal harmony that the pair produces. Their dual fragmented guitars set up the song very well and make it strangely likeable. No Place For A Woman is slow, rhythmic Americana and Impatient Love, with Colin Linden on guitar, is acoustic and remains very slow -- this nu-country song shows how well they work together. The eponymous title track is music direct from the American heartland and very strong. Slumber Queen has jangly guitars much in the style of Chris Isaak and it harks back to the 60s whereas Iowalta Morningside is pounding Americana with menacing overtones.
The Ballad Of Salvador And Isabelle has added accordion but the pleasant tune hides the sad tale of illegal Mexican immigrants. Pure Americana and Richard Bell provides telling organ backing. This album was the last recording that he ever made and capped a career of some 400 albums. Shadow Of A Man is a strange one with its Latin execution but a few listens will confirm that it is a grower. The Critic is a bit ragtime and a bit jazz. It works ok but it is just missing something. If It Won’t Kill You is barrelhouse style Americana. There is a St Louis feel to Sometimes I Get A Little Lucky, which is slow and heartfelt and is one of a few songs on the album that could become future standards. Sand In Your Eyes is slow again and Brandy Zdan takes on most of the lead vocal. This is lyrically excellent and is very much in the vein of Krista Detor. Fire is played on slide guitar and piano. It is hard to categorise and a slightly strange finish. However, a quick read of the album sleeve tells you that Colin Linden and Richard Bell played this together and is just two friends playing together and catching a groove. One thing that can be said is that Twilight Hotel is not orthodox in any way. It’s an instrumental finish and not one that I would have chosen but they do keep you guessing right to the end.
http://www.twilighthotel.ca/
http://www.corazong.com/
David Blue.
Twilight Hotel is Canadian duo Brandy Zdan and Dave Quanbury who play a multitude of instruments between them and they also show their songwriting abilities on this album of 12 original songs plus one bonus. They open with Viva La Vinyl, which shows an early indication of the good vocal harmony that the pair produces. Their dual fragmented guitars set up the song very well and make it strangely likeable. No Place For A Woman is slow, rhythmic Americana and Impatient Love, with Colin Linden on guitar, is acoustic and remains very slow -- this nu-country song shows how well they work together. The eponymous title track is music direct from the American heartland and very strong. Slumber Queen has jangly guitars much in the style of Chris Isaak and it harks back to the 60s whereas Iowalta Morningside is pounding Americana with menacing overtones.
The Ballad Of Salvador And Isabelle has added accordion but the pleasant tune hides the sad tale of illegal Mexican immigrants. Pure Americana and Richard Bell provides telling organ backing. This album was the last recording that he ever made and capped a career of some 400 albums. Shadow Of A Man is a strange one with its Latin execution but a few listens will confirm that it is a grower. The Critic is a bit ragtime and a bit jazz. It works ok but it is just missing something. If It Won’t Kill You is barrelhouse style Americana. There is a St Louis feel to Sometimes I Get A Little Lucky, which is slow and heartfelt and is one of a few songs on the album that could become future standards. Sand In Your Eyes is slow again and Brandy Zdan takes on most of the lead vocal. This is lyrically excellent and is very much in the vein of Krista Detor. Fire is played on slide guitar and piano. It is hard to categorise and a slightly strange finish. However, a quick read of the album sleeve tells you that Colin Linden and Richard Bell played this together and is just two friends playing together and catching a groove. One thing that can be said is that Twilight Hotel is not orthodox in any way. It’s an instrumental finish and not one that I would have chosen but they do keep you guessing right to the end.
http://www.twilighthotel.ca/
http://www.corazong.com/
David Blue.
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