COUNTY Gazette music columnist Kevin Bryan reviews new albums from The Haar and The Pawn Shop Saints and a remastered offering from Steve Ashley.
The Haar, Where Old Ghosts Meet (Under The Eaves)
The second exquisitely crafted offering from innovative Anglo-Irish quartet The Haar serves up their admirably spontaneous renditions of eight of the most memorable songs in the entire Irish repertoire.
Acclaimed musical improvisers Murray Grainger and Adam Summerhayes on accordion and fiddle respectively share the responsibility for creating the album’s evocative instrumental backdrop with bodhran wizard Cormac Byrne, as vocalist Molly Donnery breathes new life into much loved ditties such as 'Carrickfergus,' 'She Moved Through The Fair' and 'Danny Boy' in performances which were all captured for posterity in a single take.
The group also completely revamp The Dubliners’ rabble rousing 'The Wild Rover,' transforming this warm-hearted crowd pleaser into a deliciously dark and eerie rumination on the perils of excessive consumption blessed with a distinct flavour of the music of the Middle East.
Lend it an ear and enrich your life a little.
Steve Ashley, Steve Ashley’s Family Album - Remastered (Talking Elephant)
Ashley’s subtle, sensitive and witty approach to the art of music-making graced several critically acclaimed albums during the seventies but the London-born singer-songwriter remained a fairly shadowy figure as far as the mass of the general public were concerned and difficulties with obtaining releases for his work meant that this 1979 recording didn’t actually see the light of day on record until 1982.
Family Album was actually one of the first offerings on Fairport Convention’s Woodworm label and several members of this venerable folk-rock institution help to underpin Steve’s efforts musically here including Simon Nicol, Bruce Rowland and bassist Dave Pegg.
The finished product has now been remastered and expanded a little with the inclusion of two excellent bonus tracks, and newcomers to his sound would be well-advised to lend an ear to classic Ashley creations such as 'Once In A While' and 'Feeling Lazy.'
The Pawn Shop Saints, Ride My Galaxy (Dollyrocker Records)
The latest long-playing creation from New England Americana specialists The Pawn Shop Saints may have been two years in the making but creative mainstay Jeb Barry and his talented cohorts have done their level best to inject a healthy dose of rough hewn spontaneity into the proceedings nonetheless.
Ride My Galaxy is a little more wide ranging and expansive than its critically acclaimed 2020 predecessor, Ordinary Folks, which spent three months on the Euro American charts, and this eagerly anticipated follow up should enjoy a similar fate in the near future.
Jeb Barry’s fascination with lost love, wasted lives and disappearing innocence continues to inspire the best of his freshly minted new repertoire, with 'Diane,' 'Jenny Why?' and 'I’ll Be Missing You Again' supplying ideal introductions to the Massachusetts outfit’s skilfully crafted blend of power pop, punk country and world-weary psychedelia.
By Kevin Bryan
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