Trevor Jones is one half of the excellent band Miracle Mile. Marcus Cliffe who is the other half of that fine combo is very much part of this record too as co-producer in addition to playing piano, upright bass and electric guitar on the album. Notable mention for BJ Cole and Melvin Duffy who add some glorious pedal steel. It's a gorgeous album with songs of loss and love. The photography is damn impressive too care of Di Holmes.
Happy Blue is one you really should have in your collection. Worth buying for Battersea Boy and the title track alone. And yes I did include the album in my best of 2015 round-up as I was fortunate enough to have got a copy at the end of that year, however the official release is 2016 so it can comfortably sit in this list too.
www.miraclemile.co.uk
www.hissyf.blogspot.com
https://youtu.be/X_Brpv4a4P0
Paul McClure - Songs for Anyone
Paul McClure, the Rutland Troubadour, is a very good friend of the Quiet Revolution. He's played two superb live sessions on the show in the last couple of years and hopefully will be in the studio again before too long. I just loved his last album Smiling from the floor up and played numerous tracks from it on the show. I still go back to it.
The new album, Songs for Anyone is another release on the excellent Clubhouse Records. Joe Bennett of another brilliant band, The Dreaming Spires, is in the producer's seat for this one and as with Smiling it's great that Hannah Elton-Wall, of fellow Clubhouse signing (and very very good they are) The Redlands Palomino Company sings alongside Paul on some of the songs here. Masses to enjoy on this album, there's the title track, Everyday is mine to spend, live favourites I could be a happy man, Yesterday's lie's and Unremarkable me. Going back to Paul's day's as part of the Hi-Lo there's a new version of My little ray of sunshine too. Go on, check this album out for yourself, you'll find you play it lots.
www.paulmccluremusic.com
https://youtu.be/LElMAdKrFL8
Applewood Road - Applewood Road
Emily Barker has been collaborating with a whole range of different musicians since her band the Red Clay Halo were put on hold. The Australian singer songwriter based in Gloucestershire met with songwriters Amy Speace and Amber Rubarth in September of 2014. This was in a cafe in East Nashville. They recorded their first song called Applewood Road and released it as a digital download. Thankfully there was more to come and a full album emerged earlier this year.
The vocal harmonies are simply beautiful. It's an old-timey country-inflected album. Yet whilst having echoes of the past it's also very much of today, yes I know it sounds like a contradiction.
My advice is have a listen, I'm convinced you'll be hooked.
www.applewoodroadmusic.com
https://youtu.be/r8U9zlRzqaQ
Gill Sandell - Songs of our years
Neatly following on from Applewood Road, Gill Sandell is a member of Emily Barker's band the Red Clay Halo. She also happens to be a solo artist with three albums to her name, released via her own Rowan Tree label. Gill has played on the show a couple of times, once in 2012 following on from her first album's release Tarry Awhile and in May of this year. Gill is also a great collaborator and released a lovely album of mainly covers in 2015 with Chris T-T called Walk Away, Walk Away. Please check out Chris's music too if you possibly can. But I digress slightly.
Songs of our years is a gorgeous record containing 12 original songs recorded at the Livingston Studios. In common with Jones Happy Blue, loss has inspired the songs on Gill's album. Talented fellow musicians appear alongside Gill including Red Clay Halo bandmates Jo Silverstone and Anna Jenkins, Ted Barnes, Kristin McClement and Samantha Whates - fine musicians all. If you like compelling songs, beautiful soft vocals and strings and piano to accompany I'd encourage you to investigate Songs of our years further.
www.gillsandell.com
https://youtu.be/qa4OWx7K3fQ
Kreg Viesselman - To the mountain
I discovered Norwegian singer songwriter Kreg Viesellman by way of a cover of his song Share Croppers (found on his album The Pull) played by Kirsty McGee and Mat Martin when they played at the Musician in Leicester some years back. I then investigated his music further. I liked what I heard. To the light was the follow up to the Pull and then earlier this year came To the mountain. All three albums have a great deal to offer, much to enjoy.
Producer Bjarne Stensli apparently advised Kreg on the recording of this album to"just sit down, open your notebook and start playing". Clearly this advice worked as within an hour of the first session four songs that were to form part of To the mountain were recorded. Highlights on the album for me are Crazy horse, David, The inefficiency waltz and the title track. Try something new, check out Kreg Viesselman's music.
