Inspired by the discovery of his Irish heritage, Jim Moginie set off into the bush with his recording mate, Brent Clark, and came home with this delightful album under his arm.

All sweet guitar movements and angelic harmonies, this is mellow acoustic pop of the highest order.

Bearing a pastoral cottage in the outback freshness, its identity lies somewhere between mid period Beatles (witness the Ringoesque drum fills on You Me And The Princess Highway), and the simplicity of traditional folk.

Highlights include the lilting The Rose, with its intriguing mix of Stone Roses style melody and Ed Kuepperish 12 string strumming, the ambling Messenger Birds and the strident opener, The Eternal.

But really, it's all highlights as beautifully crafted song follows beautifully crafted song.

An album that rolls along like early morning mist as it quietly envelops you, its meandering moods enchant and absorb with each listen.

An understated aural treasure, No Vans Mary is well worth discovering and exploring.

Subtly captivating.

Ancient Forward
Saritah
(Time To Shine)
(Roots)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

This is West Australian artist Saritah's second full album and it sounds like it was a joyously uplifting experience to make.

The opening Intro sets an atmospheric scene, as exotic flute lines and percussion intertwine, first mysteriously then playfully, as the song segues into Right Way Home and its rock solid bass and drums groove.

A fine beginning to what is a fine album.

Saritah's voice is full of dexterity and emotional delivery, while the backing musicians cook up some savoury musical moments as they cross effortlessly between reggae to soulful dance rhythms. Blessings even finds the band in a bossa nova mood.

The lyrics reveal Saritah to be extremely ecologically aware with her head firmly entrenched in counting the blessings this planet has to offer.

With lines like "Building madly madly higher and higher If we take our blinkers off we might just see where the skies are" (Time Will Come) she proclaims a warning, but she does so with a sense of hope and optimism - a spirit that emerges constantly throughout this album.

And all done to a gloriously danceable beat.

Which is one of Ancient Forward's pleasures - listen carefully to the lyrics and be inspired, or simply sway your body and sing along.

A splendid selection of choice cuts. Enjoy them.

A folk opera based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, whereupon Hades is persuaded by the power of music to make an exception to the rules of life and death, Hadestown is an ambitious project that is simply stunning in its breadth and focus.

Set in a Depression era boomtown, the themes of love, treachery and desperation of this ancient tale are portrayed as the timeless themes that they are, with the messages just as potent now as they were then.

The tracks feature guest vocalists Ani di Franco (Persephone), Justin Vernon (Orpheus) and Greg Brown (Hades) with Mitchell playing the role of Eurydice, all of whom add their own unique vocal personae to the telling.

Greg Brown's gravelly voiced Hades character is superb and his rugged, ragged intonation on the centrepiece, Why We Build The Wall, reeks of intrigue.

The album stands magnificently just as a collection of songs and knowledge of the storyline isn't a prerequisite to enjoying this wonderful music, which is a characteristic of this album that makes it so successful.

Embracing a variety of American folk forms, from country to ragtime and gospel, the union of styles is seamless and beautifully presented.

With doomy and mysterious instrumentation on a number of tracks, the tension throughout is palpable, without being claustrophobic, as mournful string arrangements suddenly give way to delightful Andrews Sisters style dance numbers to break up the atmosphere.

Lyrically insightful, conceptually inventive and musically fascinating, Hadestown is a daringly eclectic achievement.

Moody and sensuous.

Most famous for his multi-award winning soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire, multi-instrumentalist/arranger/composer/vocalist, A R Rahman's work has filled audiences' ears for years on films such as Lagaan, Roja and even Elizabeth The Golden Age.

Equally adept at Hindustani, Carnatic and Western classical music, his works are trademarked by their fascinating fusion of disparate elements as he incorporates traditional instrumentation with experimental electronica.

Connections is an album of handpicked favourites from throughout his career, making it an ideal introduction to the novice listener.

Containing all the elements that make his music so special and innovative, it's a wonderful collection indeed.

A startling array of sounds and styles emerges from the celebratory call of Jiya Se Jiya through the sensual bass driven groove of Dil Se Re to the haunting, orchestral Bombay Theme.

Jai Ho even features the Pussycat Dolls to complete the circle that connects Indian traditional with contemporary western pop.

Magnificent performances and an endless succession of sonic surprises make Connections an arresting and thoroughly enjoyable listen indeed.

Wonderful stuff.

Harmony
Sa Dingding
(Universal)
(East-West Pop)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

What an absolute joy it is to hear something so refreshing and new.

Chinese electronica star, Sa Dingding, has spent the last couple of years making her presence felt worldwide with appearances at WOMAD and the Royal Albert Hall, and her second album is an enthusiastically eclectic blend of contemporary electronic grooves and Chinese instrumentation.

Over the top of it all, her voice dives and swoops like a sparrow as she sings Chinese lyrics and melodies to sew together traditional Chinese ethnic roots with modern pop sensibility.

The lyrics themselves read like beautiful little poems, with lines like "A girl on the road of hope She nods, greeting her wishes"(Girl In A Green Dress) and "Snowflakes dance like fireflies"(Lucky Day), sprinkled throughout. And it is her delivery in her natural language that makes them all the more effective, her melodic intonation, rhythmic flow and vibrant, expressive singing style imparting the message with far more clarity than simple English lyrics would do.

The production and arrangements are dynamic, incorporating an intriguing mix of traditional Chines instruments and powerful electronic beats. A highly original sounding album chock full of classy gems, Harmony is one of those rare recordings that can truly be described as unique.

Absolutely fabulous.

Dreams In America
Luka Bloom
(Shock)
(Singer/Songwriter)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

Dreams In America is a cracking title for a Luka Bloom album for, despite his Irish brogue, there's always a sense of the homesick Irish immigrant in the songs he writes.

Revisiting a selection of killer stage staples such as The Acoustic Motorbike, and some unexpected album tracks, Bloom presents a retrospective of his work by performing them again with some imaginative but subtle enhancements.

His unique vocal style - warm folk tones that are stretched ever so slightly into unlikely pitches and places (note the way he warbles the word "dreams" on the title track) - is a simple lesson in precision of delivery as he illustrates normality's intriguing, and occasionally disturbing, ways.

With a lengthy career that has seen him tour and record with consistent success, he appears to pay scant regard to changes in the music world.

Apart from his stream of consciousness rapping on the melodramatic Bridge Of Sorrow his style is that of the wandering troubadour. The storyteller with an uncanny knack for touching on the essence of humanity and its quest for warmth and comfort.

Dreams In America is a veritable treasure trove of memorable pleasures that deserves nothing but unconditional recommendation.

Enjoy it, then investigate further.

April Uprising
John Butler Trio
(Jarrah)
(Roots rock)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

A break from endless touring, the rediscovery of his roots on the Who Do We Think We Are TV show, and the replacement of his six year rhythm section has meant big changes for the John Butler Trio.

Which means that fans of JBT are going to get John Butler plus two other people.

But how important to the sound are his fellow members? That remains to be seen as his previous lineup had built up that sixth sense that comes from years of playing together and this congregation is still at the getting to know you stage.

Unsurprisingly, since the John Butler Trio really always has been John Butler plus two other people, there is little immediate discernible difference from what has come before.

There's lots of funky feels, some whiplash guitar licks, a swag of thought provoking lyrics, and a catchy chorus or two such as on the wonderful To Look Like You. And it's all highly enjoyable indeed.

Butler's strength has always been in the feel of his music, and here the grooves are pretty well on the button. But there are occasions where it seems there's too much clutter as if the band is trying to compensate for their infancy by being overbearing with their stamp.

As a recording, April Uprising is a fine listen, but you can't help but feel it's a step back from the brilliant Grand National, where it seemed his songwriting had taken that giant leap.

But maybe that's what's needed to take two steps forward. It will be interesting to see how he develops from here.

A very good album - but it could have been much more.

Maybe By Midnight
Kerri Simpson
(Mescalito)
(Country)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

Kerri Simpson is an artist of many surprises.

After the varied experimentation of Vodou Songs Of The Spirits and the intense blues depths explored on Sun Gonna Shine, she has now put out an album of country torch ballads interspersed with a couple of truck drivin' rhythmic numbers.

Gone is the raspy scratch of earlier recordings and in comes a whiskey-soaked smoothness that lies somewhere between Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. Much of the album is post closing time, boots on the porch, blowing smoke rings as you contemplate your broken heart kind of stuff.

And it's very easy to slide too far into rhinestone territory with this kind of material, but Simpson has such sincerity and sheer quality in her voice that she gives the impression that Victoria and Tennessee are neighbouring states.

It's an intonation here, a slight bend there on tracks such as I Bin Your Fool the magic that sets great singers apart.

And that's exactly what she is. A great singer blessed with an ability to get right under the surface of whatever style she chooses to tackle.

The supporting players are simply spot on too, with some delicious touches of mandolin and haunting pedal steel to colour the musical palette. The solo on Calling From Memphis, for example, is a lesson in simplicity, precision and playing just what's right for the part.

One of Australia's best kept secrets, Kerri Simpson is a talent well worth seeking out.

The cd is available on her website at www.kerrisimpson.com.

Church Of The Open Sky
The Break
(Bombora)
(Instrumental surf)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

With a little nudging from the legacy left by the likes of Joe Meek and Dick Dale, the three founding members of Midnight Oil and the bassist from the Violent Femmes have rediscovered the glory of the surf groove with this loving tribute to the mighty wave.

Not too surprising when you consider that the Oils were a surf band before Peter Garrett joined, but what does raise the eyebrows is the sheer exhilaration with which they attack the medium.

Rob Hirst's drums clatter along like a thunderous tide while Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey dismember the reverb soaked one string licks of yore and reconfigure them like only seasoned musicians of their calibre are able.

Blending in with the hammering rhythms and electrifying string bending there are a host of subtle textures added as stylophones, theremins and wurlitzers oscillate in and out of the mix.

Most tracks are named after particularly legendary surf breaks around Australia such as Five Rocks and Cyclops with varying moods to capture the band's interpretation of their essence.

Powerful, dynamic and a whole lot of fun, Church Of The Open Sky is a vigorous, shimmering set of numbers that will get your fingers snapping and your toes tapping.

You can almost feel the wind in your hair, the taste of salt on your skin and the sand beneath your feet.

A sonic thrillride.

Four Days In Sing Sing
Black Sorrows
(Head Records)
(Pop)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

There's nothing quite like a group of top flight seasoned veterans eyeballing each other as they lay down their grooves.

With Four Days In Sing Sing that's exactly what you get four days in the studio putting on tape what is essentially a live experience. And, as with all good bands, the liver you get, the better the feel and the less sterility from the endless quest for perfection.

There's an oldie in there - the horn driven Better Times - but the bulk of the material comes from the last couple of years, proving the point that the Black Sorrows are an ongoing, current unit who simply keep improving with age.

Tracks like Lonesome Road swing with pub rock power as the guitars crunch and Camilleri sings like the fourth set on a Saturday night, while, at the other extreme, Lay By My Side sways like flowers in the breeze and The Raven is a mysterious graveyard walk of a blues number.

Which is what makes it all so enjoyable - a willingness to throw all manner of instruments into the mix, from funky organ to lazily strummed autoharp, coupled with the ability to produce a range of moods from the ferocious to the smooth.

And it all sounds like a load of fun was had by all.

The package comes complete with a dvd of the performances, the album itself and a diary style booklet.

A fantastic aural document of a band that keeps quietly peaking, Four Days In Sing Sing will please fans and should win over some new ones.

Age has not wearied them.

Reveal Yourself
(Blackeyed Susans)
(Liberation)
(Pop)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

This tantalisingly epic summary of one of the 90s moodiest and most lovable of Australian bands serves as a reminder to those who were there and a fabulous introduction to those who weren't.

Though never as revered as the Triffids or the Bad Seeds, trainspotters will be delighted to spy contributions from such luminaries as Kim Salmon (Scientists), Martyn Casey (Bad Seeds), James Elliott and James Cruickshank (Cruel Sea), Warren Ellis (Dirty Three), as well as Triffids main man Dave McComb.

With Rob Snarski's sonorous and dreamy vocals delivering songs written by fellow Susans, Dave McComb and Phil Kakulas, as well as his own alongside a host of interestingly chosen covers, the journey is sometimes haunting, occasionally mesmerising and nearly always extremely cool.

Volumes 1 and 2 of the discs contain 36 songs from throughout their history, including pretty well their best stuff such as Ocean Of You, Smokin' Johnny Cash, This One Eats Souls, and By Your Hand.

Volume 3 contains B sides and rarities and, though not as musically strong as the first two, contains some absolute gems such as the Go Betweens' Dive For Your Memory and Ricky Nelson's deathly dark Lonesome Town.

Volume 4 is a DVD of all their clips, rounding out a package that traverses an evocative and deeply rich soundscape to reveal the ins and outs of a truly outstanding and enduring unit.

A mighty fine listen indeed.

The Open Road
John Hiatt
(Shock)
(Singer/songwriter)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

Having traversed blues, country and even New Wave, John Hiatt's career has always been a fascinating one.

As a singer/songwriter, he's one of today's finest, having been covered by artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Jewel and Iggy Pop, and he has the ability to craft tunes and lyrics that are easy to grasp on to and which resonate with the human experience.

His new album, The Open Road, shows that after 35 years he's still not short on creativity as he reels off a new selection of highly memorable songs.

Returning to the elasticated groove of Bring The Family, which featured a killer rhythm section of Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner, this time he's got his hard working road band providing the crisp, distinctive musical backdrop.

Tracks like Haulin' cleverly cross the line between gritty blues and radio friendly melody, much like his earlier Thing Called Love, while Like A Freight Train is a high lonesome affair that invokes endless plains and vast distances filled with a mix of loneliness and the optimism of a free spirit.

With his gravelly, charismatic voice, ever dependable songwriting ethic and a band that punctuates the tunes with energetic performances, this album is fresh, fun and classy without being too slick.

Great stuff. Enjoy it.

Days Like These
Diesel
(Pop)
(Liberation)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

It hardly seemed surprising, then, that Jimmy Barnes picked him up and off he went.

With his handsome looks and scary skills he seemed to have been born for success but, of course, not all went according to plan.

But now, a couple of decades later, he's still making the music he loves - soul driven blues flavoured rock delivered with fire and topped with a passionate vocal delivery.

Viewed more as a class musician, his voice is often overlooked, but it really is something special, rich and full in timbre. Diesel also knows how to weave his phrasing around the music with natural twists and turns.

There are some fabulous moments here - the sock-it-to-me blues soul of Need Your Fire, the feisty and fresh title track, and the subtle sonic palette of Ain't Giving Up.

With minimal assistance - a drummer, a bassist and himself - Diesel has come up with another underrated, understated winner.

Wonderful.

Hyperboreans
Jackie Oates
(One Little Indian)
(Folk)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

It's always a bit of a brave step to venture out on your own, but on this beautiful album of pastoral traditional pieces and a few quirky sidesteps, there's not a trace of a quiver.

With her unique, quietly discernible lisp, and gorgeous purity of tone, she treats these songs with respect and a delightfully fresh perspective. And she's assisted by some classy friends.

Her brother, Jim Moray, leaves his stamp everywhere - producing the album and playing a range of instruments from bazouki to banjo and samples, his presence is a mighty force in steering the sound. Combining dexterity and ebullience in equal measure, he's an adept multi-instrumentalist with a delicate touch. Which is what an album like this requires.

Highlights include a heartstring tugging rendition of Young Leonard, an adventurous and joyful interpretation of the Sugarcubes' Birthday, and a tender and delicate rendition of an attractively arranged version of Henry Lawson's poem, Past Caring, which is sung as if the characters were personal friends of Oates'.

It's quietly lapping English brooks, sunbeams streaming through autumn leaves, the brush of breeze on your cheek as you lie in an open field. Songs and sensations from hundreds of years ago through to now, and just as enjoyable as it ever was.

Lovely.

Planet Juice
Nicky Bomba
(MGM)
(Reggae)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

Which is one reason this album works and at the same time it comes as quite a surprise, because Bomba plays all the instruments, as well as singing and writing the songs.

Unsurprising, because he's not a virtuoso, and surprising because the music sounds like a rock steady crew delivering the goods all together under one roof.

His strength is his drumming, all off beat crashes and excitingly unpredictable fills, but everything else fits in perfectly - the bass lopes like a rumbling monitor lizard on a hot afternoon, while the guitar chops like waves on a windy ocean.

The songs themselves are strewn with fairly typical reggae language, savouring the delights of relaxing and imbibing, and the choruses are nigglingly catchy things that lock on to your ears and don't let go, leaving the listener with an appetite for more.

It's all light, bright and breezy and thoroughly enjoyable indeed.

Relaxed, undemonstrative music making up a particularly impressive standard.

Highly pleasurable.

Go Forth Find Mammoth
Whitley
(Universal)
(Pop)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

The lyrics are full of references to it - "And we're becoming shadows And we're becoming silhouettes" (Poison In Our Pocket), "The sun will not be here And I know my life has an end" (Head, First, Down) - but it's by no means what one would call a dark record.

It's more an album of acceptance and of the sheer wonderment at the whole "life, universe and everything" mystery.

Musically speaking, it's pure dynamite - an excellent set of top quality songs full of magnificent peaks and troughs.

The abnormally tight rhythm section of Luke Bolton and Andy Reed on bass and drums has been bolstered by the imaginative input of Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie, and a little drumming help from the Oils' Rob Hirst.

And the sound is just fabulous.

As an artistic statement, it stands as a solid, unified piece which should be listened to in its entirety - varied in styles, thoughtfully arranged, and tied together with a thought-provoking lyrical thread.

A slow-burning selection to savour, Go Fort Find Mammoth is an album that grows more embraceable with each listen.

Marvellous.

Essential Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
(Universal)
(Bluegrass)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

Probably most known for her contribution to the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, it’s quite surprising when one realises that this person, who could quite easily walk untroubled down the Hay Street mall in Perth, has won 26 Grammys - more than any other female artist ever.

And she is still effortlessly churning out music of the highest quality, something which she will, no doubt, be doing for a very long time to come.

If you haven’t already latched on to this stunning talent, this album is a fine introduction.

Handpicked by Krauss herself, the songs are drawn from throughout her catalogue, demonstrating not only her silky singing, but also impressing with the crisp, fresh and punchy musical performances by her musical allies, most of whom form the outfit Union Station, with which she officially alternates her releases.

Equally adept at uptempo boot tappers and tear duct pricking ballads, Krauss and company have recorded some absolute crackers here.

“Let Me Touch You For A While” with its dramatically shifting chorus chords, “Every Time You Say Goodbye” with its rootsy mandolin plucking and glove tight harmonies, the straight as an arrow soprano singing on her live rendition of “Wish I Still Had You”. The highpoints just keep coming.

Distinctive, memorable songs, delivered with sheer class by a singer with the voice of an angel.

Just magic.

Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House
Wailin’ Jennys
(Shock)
(Roots)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

The Wailin’ Jennys are a three piece female vocal group from Canada, big on folksy Americana and close knit harmonies. Featuring a well-crafted combination of spiralling voices, scraping fiddles, plucked banjos and driving acoustic guitars, this live set captures the outfit on a fresh high as they welcome newcomer Heather Masse into the fold.

There’s a nicely balanced song selection, with uptempo songs offset with bittersweet ballads and moody medium paced numbers.
Highlights include a sensually charged Summertime, which is performed acapella, the harmony lines wispy and rising like smoke from a distant chimney, and the Celtic footstomp of Deeper Well which opens the show.

Stage chatter is interesting and intimate, providing some relaxed explanations of some of the songs’ sources, while the performances themselves are slick and smooth with a healthy dash of naïve excitement.

Buoyant and down to earth, this is a charming listen and is a fine example of the outfit’s beautiful harmony singing.

A laid back delight.

Get Lost
Alucidnation
(One World) (Ambient)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

This is Bruce Bickerton’s (arranger, producer, performer, vocalist) second album and it’s absolutely ideal for nestling down into your couch, closing your eyes and drifting away on its various sonic highways.

There are traces of Tangerine Dream, Dark Side Of The Moon era Pink Floyd, and pretty well anyone who delves into ambient recordings throughout this drifting, dreamy album and the moods evoked are beautifully warm and reflective.

Delightfully downbeat numbers such as 15 Below and Meantime are peppered with intriguing sonic effects and hefty doses of delay, a device which is used to powerful effect as a groove setter on most of the tracks.
The fast moving exception to the laid back rule is the jittery Rediscovery, the aural equivalent to a fast ride down a midnight freeway, neon signs and flashing headlights whizzing past you.

The subtle infusion of Bickerton’s sweet, high pitched vocals on Solitaire and his spoken word on The Infinite Variety add an extra dimension and, as with each carefully selected sound on these pieces, they serve very much as just another piece in the musical jigsaw.

Get Lost is a masterfully crafted, slick and spacious work, which takes you away on a bewitching and deeply rewarding trip.

Hypnotic.

Home
Peter Broderick
(Bella Union) (Folk)
Reviewed by Phil Bennett

This somberly gorgeous album by 22 year old multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, Peter Broderick, is a wistful, gentle journey, deliberately and cleverly evoking a gradual sense of movement towards the inner peace of home.

Based around richly layered terraces of vocals and acoustic guitars, the sound is at times ethereal, occasionally quite eerie, and always deeply atmospheric.

Previous to this recording, Broderick’s work was instrumental, his most recent venture being as violinist for Danish ensemble Efterklang, and this is the first time he’s put his voice to tape.

And it’s with this background that he presents his voice as yet another instrument, the words themselves becoming sounds rather than lyrical statements.

This is most effective on the marvellous Games Again and the beautiful Below It, where a multi-tracked vocal refrain skips gracefully over the lead melody with the grace and elegance of a butterfly. The phrases he uses – “And with his fingers he would push And with his fingers he would pull, And with his fingers he would glide” – are more descriptive of the vocal treatment itself than of anything specific to the song.
Intriguing? Definitely.

The album is full of quietly shifting moments like these. It’s warm, it’s endearing, and it’s somehow comforting.

Just like home.

Belle Roscoe
(Pollyannaism)
(Folk-pop)
Review by Phil Bennett

Built around jangly mandolins and guitars, pulsing rhythms, and imaginative harmony blocks, Belle Roscoe's self titled debut is a memorable collection of dreamy pop songs. Everything's warm and friendly, a result, no doubt, of the three vocalists' lifetimes together as siblings and then as musical partners.

The smoothness of their harmonies is nicely frayed with a reasonably tough edge in the musical department, where, on tracks like Shot Gun Love and Young And Fearless, dramatic tensions build as electric and acoustic instruments rub together with enough friction to produce sparks.

The unsung hero of the outfit is Michael McLintock, whose fabulous mandolin plucking and violin scraping add a whole new dimension to what essentially are straight ahead pop songs in the 70s Fleetwood Mac mode. "Folk-pop" scarcely scratches the surface of the sound produced. And here lies the strength of this album - the subtly adventurous instrumentation.

Simple but effective atmospheric touches are everywhere. Take Come Back Jimmy - a driving beat and a catchy melody. But in the mix you've got spiralling trumpets, echo laden electrics and plucked acoustic riffs, all combining to add surprise after surprise with each listen. An album imbued with glowing charm and a musical approach that burns brightly from start to finish, Belle Roscoe is likeable and addictive. Pop par excellence.

Rattlin Bones
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
(Liberation)
(Country/folk)
Review by Phil Bennett

Happily married duo, Chambers and Nicholson, prove that you don't have to dwell in the depths of heartbreak to produce pure, heartfelt music of the soul and spirit. With a penchant for story telling and reflective narrative, the folky fusion of these two songwriters is something quite special indeed, with the co-compositions standing out as the strongest on display.

And, as singers, their voices intertwine as if they'd been performing together their entire careers, with each slipping like fingers into the glove of the other's lead lines. There are songs that ache ("I'm an old man, growing tired Getting used to the pain" - Wildflower), songs that chill ("I had a dream I was crucified Hung my head as the townfolk cried" - The Devil's Inside My Head), and songs that warm the heart ("If I wasn't all you wanted...I only hope that I made you smile" - Once In A While).

With a troubadour spirit, these songs, though falling within the sphere of alt country, bear a strong resemblance to traditional English folk, particularly in their structures, where verses and choruses are often separated only by their lyrical content. But there is a delicious twang and an instrumental sensibility that blurs the lines, which makes the listen all the more interesting. A duo album that extends beyond their respective solo work, Rattlin Bones is a recording that could probably teach a lot of vocalists a lot of new tricks and win a whole new territory of fans in the bargain. Top stuff.