Album Review- Murry Hammond- Trail Songs of the Deep

The Old 97s popped up with their break through album Wreck Your Life in 1995. The same year that gave us Wilco’s AM, the Jayhawks Tomorrow the Green Grass and Son Volt’s Trace (if any year could be called ground zero for Americana, it’s a good one with even established artists releasing well loved folk tinged albums that year - Springsteen, Earle, Emmylou, Prine,Hiatt) 

While the Old 97s didn’t get as much attention at the time, it would be less than a decade before they were at the forefront of their genre. Decades later, they are an alt country institution. The band is the rare one where it has kept its original members. Lead singer Rhett Miller is the face of the band. That isn’t a surprise. He’s had a concurrent solo career with nine albums. But Rhett ISN’T the Old 97s. There’s some proof in his solo career which is a bit more pop than the band’s output. 

If you have seen the band in concert, a highlight has been guitarist Ken Bethea’s verbal asides. Bethea is a great compliment to Miller, a Peter Buck to Miller’s Stipe. Drummer Philip Peeples hardly gets any press but is a fantastic stickman giving that country punk beat. Like REM or U2, it’s apparent that every member is important. I hate to belabor the REM comparison but bassist Murry Hammond is a bit similar to Mike Mills in many ways. A solid bassist with beautiful vocal talents who doesn’t look like a rock star On the band’s first run through 2008s Blame it on Gravity, the band usually gave Murry two songs on each album to write and sing, including the band’s classic “W Texas Teardrops”. He contributed two songs to 2020s Twelfth as well.

Hammond is perfect in that role as second vocalist, in the way Steve Diggle was a great counterpart to Pete Shelley, or Grant Hart to Bob Mould. 

Trail Songs of the Deep isn’t Hammond’s first solo album (He released his debut in 2008) but this may be his first high profile one. Unlike Miller’s albums, this isn’t an album to listen to once and make a decision. It’s laidback and a bit melancholy. 

Opening track “3:10 to Liverpool” shouldn’t be surprising but Murry is more spaghetti western than his band ever gets to be. Its references are probably more artists like the Derailers and Charley Crockett (who also shares producer Mark Neil). The title of that track gives you in a sentence the genesis of the sound that the band Hammond created- a bit of Beatles, a bit of American West cool.

In fact, there’s a bit of “country noir” vibe. It doesn’t really sound like Calexico but you could describe the music the same way. There’s a little bit of the same vibe of David Olney, especially his last album- the Goth tinged Whispers and Sighs -or the likes of Jim White who has done quite well in the genre. It might not be for everyone but give a chance and you might find a nice under the radar record for alt country fans.

My experience was that if didn’t grab me at first, but it will go down as one of my favorite albums of the year, once I realized it was a slightly different vibe than Old 97s or Rhett Miller.

Album Review: Ken Boothe & Jah Wobble - Old Fashioned Ways

Ken Boothe is one of my all time favorite vocalists. In the mid 1960s, he was at the forefront of the invention of Rocksteady. In the early 1970s, he had a handful of reggae hits in the UK that only two or three other artist could match (even getting namechecked by the Clash on “White Man in Hammersmith Palais”) So I don’t begrudge Boothe for staying busy and trying to attract new fans. 2017s Inna de Yard album with backing from the reggae collective of the same name is a five star album. 

A mix of a handful of his big hits and newer or lesser known songs performed mostly in an acoustic setting, it truly is one of the great albums of the last decade. I was already a Boothe fan thanks to the various Studio One and Trojan compilations, but this is an album that would convert new fans So you will get no complaints out of me when Jah Wobble has partnered with Ken Boothe for 2025 album Old Fashioned Ways. 

Boothe has picked some of his biggest songs- “Artibella”, “Everything I Own”, “Is it Because I’m Black” and “Freedom Street”- and some well known covers - “Just My Imagination”, “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”. Admittedly, it’s hard to take the album seriously. Besides the track list, the cover is nondescript AI generated art; but mostly everything about it (including the press kit) looks exactly like last year’s Timeless Roots - the album Jah Wobble made with reggae legend Horace Andy.

Cleopatra Records has a bad reputation recently as their main MO has changed from being known for their 90s Goth records to recent decades of mainly churning out low quality punk compilations. Last fall, the label made headlines as it appeared they were forcing out Dead Boys singer Jake Hout to replace him with AI generated vocals of the late Stiv Bators. 

But Cleopatra has had some notable releases lately and the album does sound good. I am sure Wobble legitimately is a fan of Andy and Boothe. Wobble, of course is a legend himself, bassist for the classic early Public Image Ltd albums and had a solid solo career afterwards often working in high profile projects with people like Sinead O’Conner, Bill Laswell and Brian Eno among dozens of others. 

Boothe sounds great and Wobble accompanies him with generally a deep bass or dub sound. Although their are a fair number of Boothe compilations, this album pairs well with Inna De Yard as a good primer for Boothe. There’s surprisingly little crossover even though both albums feel designed to introduce Boothe a new audience. I believe the only song on both is Booth’s signature tune “Artibella”. Boothe has performed it often over the years, sometimes in ska or rocksteady, sometimes as reggae. It is one of my all time favorite songs and this point does not disappoint as his yearning vocals are perfectly matched by Wobble’s dub accompaniment. 

“Ain’t No Sunshine” is so well trodden as a cover but Boothe sings it as it is everything to him before Wobble turns it into a dub delight. “You Left The Water Running” has been performed by the greats- Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and even Boothe back in 1974- and here it invokes the greats. There’s no real clunkers here. Even “Reggae Christmas” which was written and originally released in 1984 by that noted reggae legend Bryan Adams (of “Cuts Like A Knife” fame) appended at the end is quite enjoyable It feels weird getting excited about an album that won’t get much press (Mojo magazine did give it a glowing review but only awarded three stars out of five) and maybe that’s understandable, but it’s a really great listen.

Album Review: Peter Murphy- Silver Shade

On occasion, I have sketched out the 100 bands (or so) that have influenced me the most.

I am not sure where Bauhaus falls on the list, but they surely merit discussion. Goth probably exists with or without them but they definitely created a sound and vision that was something new from what came before. The compilation Bauhaus 1979-1983 is one of the great retrospective albums of all time- drawing from their four albums augmented with essential non album tracks. It is four sides of nothing but classic songs 

After such a remarkable run, most artists don’t quite have such a successful second act, but Peter Murphy and his bandmates certainly did. In 1990, he hit his commercial peak with his third album Deep. The single “Cuts You Up” was a massive hit (it even broke the US Top 100) but is truly an all time great song. 

I didn’t expect to follow Murphy but caught a listen to 1995s Cascade and quite fell in love with it. Single “Scarlet Thing in You” was limited to scant MTV airplay on 120 Minutes but it is a great song. The album that surrounds it was no filler either. With a team consisting of producer Pascal Gabriel and guitarist Paul Statham (the two men would go on to cowrite Dido’s debut single in 1999 and cowrite a song for Kylie Minogue’s 2001 Fever album) and innovative guitarist Michael Brook (who’s collaborated with Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and the Edge), Murphy combined Goth and Pop with atmospheric soundscapes and a Mediterranean influence. 

Murphy would continue to release albums sporadically. Bauhaus would reunite on four occasions including a lengthy bit from 2005 to 2008 where they would release the album Go Away White- an album which did not quite match up to earlier work. In 2019, Murphy would suffer a heart attack during the then recent Bauhaus reunion tour. Bauhaus would start 2022 with another regrouping and recording a new single. But as the band started the tour, they had to cancel. Murphy entered rehab amidst rumors of some old demons returning.

 I have to admit that I had low expectations for album number 11, 2025s Silver Shade, but it definitely caught my ear. Co-writer and production credits are shared with Killing Joke bassist turned superstar producer Youth. Trent Reznor contributes to four songs. Tool bassist Justin Chancellor plays on five songs, Tool drummer Danny Carey on two. The closing track is Let the Flowers Grow, a duet with Boy George Age suits Goth rockers well and with a generation passing, 

Murphy has become an elder statesman. While the album falls short of classic Bauhaus, it’s still quite the success. While most songs don’t quite hit the transcendence of lead single “The Artroom Wonder”, songs like “Cochita is Lame” and “Swoon” are poppy earworms. Flamenco guitarist Amir John Haddad brings international flavor to the second side of the album. 

Bowie has always been a close comparison to Murphy but it’s hard not to bring to mind the Reznor influenced Bowie albums of the 90s. This, like that of Bowie’s Outside doesn’t quite measure up as a masterpiece, but with a measure of ambition and a legendary talent, it is a decent genre exercise. Another obvious comparison is Gary Numan’s recent work. Like Numan, it’s an update to his groundbreaking work from decades ago. The themes of futurism and apocalyptic fantasy mixed with World influences. If nothing else, it always is interesting. Genre fans should enjoy. 

Unfortunately Murphy is having health issues again and has cancelled his tour. He is 67 now but it would be great if we could get a few more records like this from him.

Album Review: David Lowery: Fathers, Sons and Brothers

1989s Key Lime Pie by Camper Van Beethoven may be my favorite album of all time. 

The previous album, 1988s Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart is more critically acclaimed (as is their 1985 debit Telephone Free Landslide Victory, and I do like both of those records quite a bit) but Key Lime Pie always seemed the perfect record to me. 

I was dumb and abandoned David Lowery when he went to Cracker. In those days, bands selling out was a big deal. The cliché was REM signing to Warner Bros. Even almost 40 years, I can’t think of anything that comes to mind as the prime example of “selling out”. (2008s Sonic Youth compilation which was sold exclusively at Starbucks is the only other thing comes to mind) 

Fortunately, I dispensed with that notion quickly, as Cracker came to play live in my town and they won me over. So like everyone else, I bought those first two Cracker albums. 

Cracker stayed busy but radio was no longer playing their new stuff. I heard some songs off the Camper Van Beethoven reunion album 2004s New Roman Times (incidentally off of Pandora, which is one of a few streaming services Lowery has fought tooth and nail over the years). While the album did not get rave reviews, it scratched my particular itch. 

In 2011, Lowery released his first solo album The Palace Guards. It’s quite a good album with some of that Camper wit, and may be my favorite of his 21st century albums Two more California themed records by the reformed CVB came in rapid succession-2013s La Costa Perdida and 2014s El Camino Real. Both are quite good. 

From what I understand, Lowery has been busy but his albums have only been released online through Bandcamp and via CDs through his website (a limited release of 1000 which have sold out). So there was 2020s In the Shadow of the Bull- covering his family and stories involving them. 2021s Leaving Key Member Clause- covering the years of Camper Van Beethoven through that third Cracker album and 2023s Vending Machine which covers a bit of everything from the passing of Mark Linkous, fleeting fame and air travel. 

These three albums are seeing a wide release as a two album set in 2025 as the autobiographical Fathers Sons and Brothers. Though I have to admit that it didn’t grab me at first, it has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. 

It doesn’t hurt that Lowery is such a fantastic storyteller and these real stories sound like the stuff of fiction. Songs like Disneyland Jail and How Does Your Sister Roller Skate sound less like a book and more like classic Camper. Opening tracks like “Frozen Sea” and “Super Bloom” are essentially an Lowery origin story. “It Don’t Last Long” is my favorite song. There are a few self referential songs in regard to how Lowery feels about his art and the fans. This song does that but in such a great way of talking about fame. It’s an insightful song in the way “Ballad of Mott the Hoople” was. 

There is even a song called “I Wrote A Song Called ‘Take the Skinheads Bowling’” which certainly deserves a chapter (“you haven’t heard of him and you’ve barely heard of me”) At the risk of repeating myself, I just want to say this body of work does what it sets out to do- in a weird way it is a Lowery autobiography. As someone who feels passionately about his work, it seems to cement Lowery as one of America’s best storytellers. He’s not the only guy who was a critical acclaim in his late 20s that has been able to pull off work just as good in his mid 60s, but that list surely has to be short. 

There are a few songs that are more traditional- the title track of the collection feels like a 1960s soul song augmented as it with help from the BellRays. There are a couple of songs like this that mix fine with the more satirical tracks. “Roll Down That Hill” is both a song that could be a Cracker single and details the night David met his ex-wife. 

This is a standout album of the year for me and if you ever were a fan of Lowery, check it out.

Album Review: Jonathan Richman- Only Frozen Sky Anyway

In 1992, Jonathan Richman released his fourth solo album I, Jonathan for the Rounder Records label.

I am not certain if this was my introduction to “Jojo” but it was either just prior or in quick succession to checking out his previous work. Specifically, the two very different albums released in 1976 that are titled “The Modern Lovers” and “Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers”. 

he former is a masterpiece that not only was part of the recipe of punk rock (“Roadrunner” was covered by the Sex Pistols among others; "Pablo Picasso" by Burning Sensations would make the Repo Man soundtrack, and be a John Cale staple) but created a genre of geek rock or "neurotic rock" that would inform The Violent Femmes, Pavement and Weezer. But it wasn’t the music Richman wanted to make. That was the latter- an album almost always described as “childlike” with songs like “Here Comes the Martian Martians” and “Hey There Little Insect”- it’s surely close to a five star album in its own right. I was immediately a Richman fan but “I Jonathan” did help accelerate it.

It seems a perfect album. While it is well in line with the second incarnation of Modern Lovers, some of that original Jonathan is there too in the observational song “I Was Dancing in a Lesbian Bar”(what has likely become his most famous non- Modern Lovers song) and the friend drama of “You Can’t Talk to The Dude” as well as the love for raw pre-punk rock n roll on “The Velvet Underground” and “Parties in the USA” Produced by Brennan Totten who had produced his previous record and would produce his next, I love the clear sound and how intimate it feels. 

1995s You Must Ask the Heart follows a similar pattern- there’s a song about early baseball legend Walter Johnson, an upbeat cover of Tom Waits’s “Heart of Saturday Night”, “Let Her Go Into the Darkness” is a bit of the drama, a Spanish ballad and even a cover of “The Rose”. Looking at Wikipedia, the contemporary reviews are quite harsh but I think that while it is not as good as I, Jonathan, it belongs in the same conversation. 

Richman has never stopped making records but his career seems to be a difficult one to follow. I would always try to check out his new album but often would not have known about them until they showed up in some kind of Year- End conversation. Although I have my disagreements with Pitchfork.com, they seem to have consistently reviewed and championed Richman. Recent releases are hard to find though. Richman moved from Rounder to Vapor (home of Tegan & Sara and Acetone) and then to the small Blue Arrow label. 

I did a fairly good job keeping up with 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2010 records. They were typical Richman fare- more mellow and less immediately accessible than I Jonathan, but that’s my problem not his. 2016s Ishkode Ishkode and 2018s Sa we’re under my radar, but it’s not just me, their online presence is negligible.

In some ways. 2025s Only Frozen Sky Anyway seemed significant from the moment it was announced as a rare July 4 release. This came in tandem with the announcement that Richman’s albums were coming to streaming services. Not just the recent two largely unheard records but all of his 21st Century albums (Most of which, if not all, had not been online). Only Frozen Sky Anyway is a fantastic album. It follows a similar template to those great 90s albums. 

There’s a couple of songs that sound like classic Richman like “O Guitar” and “The Dog Star”. There’s the Spanish language “Se Va Pa’voler”. The album is bookended by two songs of Richman zen- the near album title opening track “I Was Just a Piece of Frozen of Sky Anyway” and closers “The Wavelet” and “I Am the Sky”. There’s biographical fare like “David and Goliath” and is that a cover of…. The Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” which sounds like an old Richman classic. 

Richman’s current band is Jerry Harrison, the ex-Talking Head who was part of the proto punk Modern Lovers from 1971 to 1974 with Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins who’s been with him since 1996. The album is also dedicated in part to Andy Paley who produced the albums Rockin and Romance and Surrender to Jonathan and appeared on many of Richman’s albums through the years Only Frozen Sky.. is one of the truly great records of the year and though there are some serious moments, 

I can’t help but think there is something ageless about Richman. He seems perpetually on the cusp of middle age- the intersection of youthful innocence and elder wisdom. It felt that way on his Bezerkley Records debut when he was merely 25. It felt that way when it was quite accurate on I Jonathan at 41, and it still feels that way though on the new record now that he has reached 74 years of age. 

Album Review- Half Man Half Biscuit: All Asimov and No Fresh Air

Half Man Half Biscuit are one of my favorite “recent” discoveries. Though they are going on over 40 years since forming, 

I have to admit that the name and style was a bit of a barrier to me. But like so many worthwhile bands, they were worth the extra time.

Album number 16 is All Asimov and No Fresh Air, and it is the first new offering from them in three years. Prolific and fitting in some kind of slot that is wit but not humor, I can’t help but compare them to Sparks. On paper, they should have been out of new ideas long ago but continue to delight their core audience. All Asimov.. starts with the difficult to love “Horror Clowns are Dickheads”. While I agree with the sentiment Pennywise is no Edgar Allen Poe, and I tend to agree that people who like Horror Clowns (as well as people who say they hate clowns) are well…you know. 

But things have settled to normal on the second song where our hero tells of the time he saw Badly Drawn Boy in a badly parked car with a badly grazed elbow. 

While it’s not the masterpiece of the year, there is a lot to like about this album. For starters, you can be funny but if the songs aren’t fun to listen to repeatedly then what have you got? And All Asimov is strangely satisfying. One would think the initial shock of “Falmouth Electrics” would be lost after the first listen and yet I am always compelled to hear this story of the ventriloquist’s dummy who looked “like Peter Murphy a bit” and couldn’t pronounce the letter B (“He said his name was Gary I said: “Do you mean Barry?” He said: “Yeah”) It strikes me that there is a bit of a comparison to Luke Haines’s recent work. HMHB are full of wit but they still seem to put the song first. 

I have glommed two things from online reviews and that I would agree strongly with both. One is the album is back loaded. The album reaches its stride with “National Album Day” and then takes off. “Going out of my Mind to get into Yours” follows as a frenetic rocker. 

Also, the album isn’t an immediate classic, it’s a grower. It’s not a lot of things. It’s not their best album. It may not be the best album they are capable of making right now. It’s not like those latter-era The Fall albums that serious people will write serious words about. But at the same time, I can’t think of many albums that came out this year that I will likely enjoy more than this one. Long may the Half Man Half Biscuit banner wave.