Short Attention Span Record Reviews - Feb 2022

ROB ALDRIDGE & THE PROPONENTS – Mind Over Manners
A very good, soulful “southern rock” album by an exciting relatively new band loosely associated with the wider Drive-By Truckers/Jason Isbell universe. (8)

BEIRUT – Artifacts: The Collected EP’s, Early Works & B-Sides
A double album of odds and sods, also serving as a career snapshot for a guy who started out playing exciting Balkan-influenced indie pop and ended up in somewhat generic electronica doodling. (7)

BRENT COBB –And Now, Let’s Turn To Page…
Country singer goes Gospel, which is where country music’s rooted anyway. (7)

JAKE XERXES FUSSELL - Good And Green Again
Folkie’s fourth album offers some magical acoustic moments. (8)

IMARHAN – Aboogi
Twareg desert rockers take the baton from Tinariwen and run with it. (8)

ANAÏS MITCHELL – Anaïs Mitchell
“Young Man In America” is a 21st century desert island disc and it’s hard to compete against that, but folk singer/songwriter’s new album comes close. (8)

SPITFIRE – Denial To Fall
Greek metal veterans still at it and solid. (7)

RILEY WALKER – So Certain EP
The guy’s unstoppable, this is like his 37th release in the past 12 months or something, and it’s a proggy EP in the style of last year’s excellent early Genesis rip-off “Course In Fable”. (8)

THE WHITMORE SISTERS – Ghost Stories
Americana sibling duo offer some great tunes and even better vocal harmonies. Not to be confused with the Secret Sisters, although you’d be forgiven for falling into that trap. (8)

YARD ACT – The Overload
Riding 2021’s wave of excellent British post-punk/talk-singing bands and throwing in a health dose of Sleaford Mods wit and Arctic Monkeys hooks, Yard Act have created a winner debut that you’ll see on many year-end lists come December. (9)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews - 2021 Leftovers Plus A Few New From '22

EVE ADAMS – Metal Bird
I missed it the first time around when it came out a year ago, but now it’s out on vinyl again and it’s excellent – a dark and smoky folk/americana/dream-pop hybrid that’s been on repeat on my stereo for several days now. (8)

ALL HAIL THE YETI – Within The Hollow Earth
Southern fried metal a-la Down, band name’s better than the songs. (7)

THOMAS ANDERSON – Ladies And Germs
Idiosyncratic singer/songwriter sings weird and wonderful tales of meth dealers, oil rig workers, ancient volcano explosions, and Hitler’s sister. (8)

JERRY CANTRELL – Brighten
It sounds like Alice In Chains gone classic rock. (7)

COLDCUT - @0 (Ahead Of Our Time)
Electronica pioneers and Ninja Tune bosses do excellent ambient mixtape. (8)

PISTOL ANNIES – Hell Of A Holiday
Country supergroup does originals and covers. One of few holiday records that’s actually listenable, you can get it now and play it next Christmas. (8)

EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON – American Siren
Country-folk singer/songwriter and an interesting storyteller, on her third album she proves to be a good fit on the roster of the late John Prine’s record label. (7)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Highway Butterfly: The Songs Of Neil Casal
I never really paid attention to this guy while he was alive and I haven’t heard the originals, but apparently he has left his mark on Americana if it takes a 3-CD set filled with people like Aaron Lee Tasjan, Hiss Golden Messenger, Shooter Jennings, J Mascis, Warren Haynes, Steve Earle etc. to pay tribute. (8)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Late Night Tales Presents Version Excursion: Selected by Don Letts
I love the Late Night Tales mixtape series and this is an interesting addition – all dub cover versions and remixes of hits from different eras (White Rabbit, Love Will Take Us Apart, Ain’t No Sunshine…). Excellent late night listening that goes a long way towards shooting down the old adage that Hell’s radio station plays only reggae versions of all your favorite songs. (8)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Sacred Soul Of North Carolina
Great collection of unknown gospel artists, almost made me go to church. (8)