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| The Lickerish Quartet - Tim Smith, Eric Dover and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. |
Title: Threesome Vol. 1 (The Lickerish Quartet/Label Logic)
You might like if you enjoy: Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, Imperial Drag, dada
Tell me more: While groundbreaking '90s psychedelic pop outfit Jellyfish appears unlikely to ever reform, the next-best-thing is the new musical project christened the Lickerish Quartet featuring Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Tim Smith and Eric Dover — all of whom were members of Jellyfish. The band's debut release Threesome Vol. 1 fully delivers on the anticipation that has surrounded the Lickerish Quartet from the earliest moments when the trio's formation was announced in early March 2020. "Bluebird's Blues" recalls the magic of Jellyfish to be sure, an original track as intoxicating and melodic as it is inventive — shimmering harmonies and stunning pop craft as bright as the sun. The bouncy and buoyant "Fadoodle" is pure fun, a power pop shot that celebrates rekindling romantic lust with unabashed joy. "There is a Magic Number" is a relatively quiet affair; but listen closely to the lovely luster constructed via nuanced layers of vocal harmonies and involving instrumental flourishes that embolden the cut. The ace offering on the EP is the ambitious "Lighthouse Spaceship," a 6½ minute dose of greatness borne out of the friendly ghosts of XTC, Queen, Electric Light Orchestra and "Pet Sounds"-era Beach Boys. The digital version of the album is available now, while the audio CD format is set for release on June 26, 2020. Information: TheLickerishQuartet.com.
Title: Ghosts of West Virginia (New West)
You might like if you enjoy: Phil Ochs, Johnny Cash, John Mellencamp
Tell me more: Ambitious, forceful and resplendent in ways that will excite discerning listeners of all stripes, Steve Earle & The Dukes' new LP Ghosts of West Virginia is an important and compelling tour de force. The album features six songs from the play "Coal Country" (a collaboration that Earle worked on with playwrights Jessical Blank and Erik Jensen) as well as four additional tracks. Opening on March 3, 2020 at The Public Theater in New York City, "Coal Country" was postponed after only two weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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| Steve Earle / Photo By Jacob Blickenstaff |
But it will take more than a global pandemic to diminish the power of Ghosts of West Virginia. The a capella opener "Heaven Ain't Goin' Nowhere," old-time sing-along "Union, God and Country" that addresses the multi-generational role that mining plays in coal country, and Appalachia-drenched "Devil Put the Coal into the Ground" transport the listener into a world that few outsiders know or appreciate. The Springsteen-styled "John Henry was a Steel Drivin' Man" and probing "Time Is Never On Our Side" delve further into the realities that have reduced the value of human life in coal mines. The rage from the lives lost consumes "It's About Blood," a searing rocker that finds Earle sounding off the names of every victim who died in the Upper Big Branch mine explosion in 2010 as the Dukes play powerfully in accompaniment. The gorgeous country ballad "If I Could See Your Face Again" (sung by actress Mary Bacon) imagines a miner's widow lamenting she won't see her husband again: "If I could touch you one more time / Just to Hold your Head in Mine / I'd never let you go again / I promise" — a particularly melancholic and mournful track. Other songs like the potent mandolin-adorned "Black Lung," Southern rocker "Fastest Man Alive" and sparse "The Mine" bring further power and poetic grace to the purposeful "Ghosts of West Virginia." Information: SteveEarle.com.
Title: High Times in the Dark (Forty Below Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Alabama Shakes, Southern Avenue
Tell me more: The Claudettes' sound is at once magically familiar and decidedly new, with the quartet's sound somehow weaving roots rock, New Orleans rhythm and blues, and Memphis rock 'n' soul together with a post-punk attitude blended together into a sonic brew the band has rightfully dubbed "garage cabaret." On the troupe's brilliant new album High Times in the Dark, Johnny Iguana's astounding piano playing and singer Berit Ulseth's marvelous voice vy for attention in all the right ways, while there is still room to showcase the top-tier work of Michael Caskey (drums) and Zach Verdoorn (bass, guitar). The rip roaring "24/5," lush "I Swear to God, I Will," edgy rocker "Declined" and moody "I Don't Do That Stuff Anymore" showcase the wide-ranging approach of the talented outfit. The songs are powerful, with sweeping arrangements equaled by the involving lyrics exploring the vast reaches of the modern world. The lavish "You Drummers Keep Breaking My Heart" addresses the challenges of keeping the seat behind the kit filled, while the album-closing track "The Sun Will Fool You" is a sobering account of an unfeeling lover who has everyone fooled — this selection that finds Ulseth's soprano at its most vulnerable while Iguana offers lone accompaniment with plaintive playing on his keyboard. Information: theclaudettes.com.
Title: Copy That (Born To Fly Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Sara Evans, Old Crow Medicine Show, Little Big Town
Tell me more: Country singer Sara Evans uses her signature vocals in the service of revisiting more than a dozen classic hits on her aptly-named Copy That. Revisiting iconic selections forged over the past six decades and representing several genres, the exuberant Celtic pop romp "Come On Eileen" (a 1982 hit for Dexy's Midnight Runners) and Chicago's "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" feel mostly faithful while the reworked takes on the Pretenders' "Don't Get Me Wrong" and Carole King's "It's Too Late" are much more interesting. Other surefire choices include Evans' lavish version of John Mayer's "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye," a lush reading of the Wallflowers' "6th Avenue Heartache" and a rousing modern take on The Knack's "My Sharona." Evans also has a couple of interesting collaborations, including the spirited "Whenever I Call You 'Friend' " with Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet and yearning "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" with Old Crow Medicine Show. Information: SaraEvans.com.
Title: The Outlaw Performance (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
You might like if you enjoy: Waylon Jennings, Shooter Jennings, Johnny Cash
Tell me more: Fans of the late outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings are in luck. The newly-released The Outlaw Performance (available on DVD or via digital) features a special 1978 concert featuring Jennings playing in front of a sold-out crowd in Nashville, TN. The presentation features Jennings and his band in concert, with the concert footage combined with Jennings' own words adding depth to the performance. Highlights find him recalling his connection with country music and music friends in his life; he talks about key songs, why he learned how to play lead guitar, and his admiration and connection with Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly and George Jones. After kicking things off with the uptempo opener "Are You Ready for the Country?" (written by Neil Young), Jennings delivers one great track after another including the rowdy "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean" (enhanced by his sharp lead guitar work), a cover of Robert Lee McDill's tender ballad "Amanda," Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" the confessional "You Asked Me To" and the audience favorite "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys." He closes out the set with his 1973 classic "Honky Tonk Heroes" and his 1975 number one hit "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." Bonus features on the release include "Friends Remember The Outlaw" with archival interviews with George Jones, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Jennings' long-time drummer Richie Albright. The full concert without the narration is also included. Information: eagle-rock.com.
Robert Kinsler
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