Author: Steven Ovadia
The Lucky Losers got tight by touring. A lot. Their website has a map of where they’ve played, and it’s got more pins dropped than a tailor riding a mechanical bull.
Soars’ voice and guitar are the glue that holds the album together. Both are the common thread through the various songs, and both inject all of the tracks with a warmth and humanity.
Spencer Mackenzie exists in two worlds. His voice is pure Broadway but his music is unmitigated Austin.
On ‘City Soul,’ Russ Green creates a smooth blues album. It’s the blues, but there are no rough edges. Instead, it’s a solid album of great harmonica playing and solid vocals.
Powers has crafted a straight-forward album with an honesty and intensity that makes it feel huge.
‘Please Don’t Be Dead’ works because it sounds so natural. Every song sounds just how it should be…
Great blues is about the groove, not the guitar solo. On ‘The Cleaner,’ Toronto’s own Dan McKinnon shows a great understanding of that concept.
Venable is the real deal. ‘Puppet Show’ would be a mature album for someone twice her age.
‘Cheyenne Valley Drive’ is a tasteful, soulful album full of great songs and interesting sounds.
Paul Thorn is sharing and exploring the music that shaped him as an artist, and it makes for one of the best albums of 2018 so far.