Kieran Kane - Somewhere Beyond the Roses

An album doesn’t have to have great lyrics for me to connect with it. A good song doesn’t need to possess deep meaning for me to enjoy it. In fact there is nothing more formulaic and boring than a guy with an acoustic guitar pretending to hold the meaning of life. However, when I come across an album with lyrics that have a genuine and distinctive reflection on life I develop a spiritual connection that goes beyond the music. That is the way I feel about the new Kieran Kane release Somewhere Beyond the Roses. It would be great if it stopped there; but in this case the instrumentation and arrangement of the songs makes the album one of the top releases of the year. Kane has been cranking out the brilliance in the last several years both as a solo artist and with Kane, Welch and Kaplan. However, with this release Kane is playing his trump card.

To begin with it is hard to even adequately describe the style of his banjo playing it is so eclectic. He combines this on the songs with a Baritone Sax that hearkens back to the alternative rock band Morphine. Deanna Varagona (Lambchop) supplies this baritone sax, Richard Bennett (Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler) is on electric guitar, and Lucas Kane (Kane’s son and contributor to Kane, Welch, Kaplin) is on drums. David Olney provides backing vocals on “Don’t Try To Fight It” and Fats Kaplin plays steel guitar on “Unfaithful Heart”. The unusual banjo and Sax combination gives the music complexity even though the production is stripped down and raw. In almost perfect harmony with this minimalist yet edgy instrumentation the lyrics are infused with a raw spirituality. The spirituality is earthy. There is nothing esoteric about the lyrics. They are deep and infused with timeless truth.

Sample Tracks

Catie Curtis - Sweet Life

Why are so many Folk Singers sad? They have broken hearts, come from broken homes and live broken lives. To be sure such angst provides the motivation for a lot of great songs but a little happiness is good for the soul too. Modern movies aren’t much different either. How many critically acclaimed movies end with happily ever after? Not many, but not many real lives involve happily ever after either. Then again an escape from reality is a good thing from time to time. So a happy ending wouldn’t hurt every now and then. Well put up your razor blades, untie the noose and please don’t throw yourself in front of the oncoming traffic, Catie Curtis is here with Sweet Life. On this album even in heartbreak Curttis finds reason for optimism. She espouses realism with hope but without being overly sentimental or Cheesy.

Now that you have come in off the ledge, let’s start your therapy. Not the Tony Robbins fake optimism variety, but the Catie Curtis realistic glass is half full variety. First, listen to the the title cut “Sweet Life” and then “Happy.” The titles alone make you feel better and the music will get you tapping your toes. The thing about this album is the lyrics and the music are both encouraging. As you listen to the songs on the album you will often find characters who encounter the same problems you do or worse, but they are still hopeful. Now listen to ”Sing.” I bet you are already starting to feel better. This song is the album’s lynch pin to me. The instrumentation and musicianship go right along with the hopeful upbeat song. In fact, that can be said for the entire album. Now for a lullaby and some much needed rest. The soothing tune “For Now” will take you into dreamspace and you won’t even need to take the Ambien.

Sweet Life is truly an enjoyable album in every way. Plus sometimes a little hope is the perfect prescription.

Pre-Order and sample at Compass Records

The Waifs and Drew Emmit

Compass Records is on a roll. Earlier this year they put out The Waybacks new release Loaded. More recently, They released The Waifs Sundirtwater. Just so things don't get stale they will be releasing Drew Emmitt's Long Road on July 15th. I have previously posted on The Waybacks. However, equally deserving of praise are The Waifs and Drew Emmitt. Both albums were co-produced by Compass Co-Founder Garry West

The Waifs release is a new direction from their earlier album Up all Night. The new record for this Australian band is more eclectic. From the electric blues of the opener "Pony" to the Jazzy title cut "Sun, Dirt, Water" to the alt-country of "How Many Miles" or even the power-pop of "Goodbye," it seems no stone is left unturned. They seem to be comfortable in so many settings that they should avoid being type cast by industry marketing execs. Sundirtwater is a diverse platform from which to launch future projects. It is also a lot of fun.



Drew Emmitt's solo projects are always all-star affairs and Long Road certainly is no exception. Collaborators include Tim O'brien, John Cowan, Stuart Duncan, Reese Wynans, Darrell Scott, Ronnie McCoury and Billy Nershi of String Cheese Incident. The album will appeal to the New Grass crowd, The Jam Band hula hoop dancers and even traditionalists. Emmitt co-wrote most of the songs on the album, including the title cut co-written with John Cowan. However, there is also one stand out cover of Supertramp's "Take the Long Way Home." On his first solo release , Freedom Ride, Emmitt did the best cover of a Bob Dylan song I have ever heard, "Tangled Up in Blue." The Supertramp cover may not beat that but it is still a great cover. There is a positive energy on this album that really cuts loose at times. The musicianship is amazing and Long Road is extremely well crafted and produced. All of which makes it Drew Emmitt's best solo project.



This review also appears on Twangville