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My review of Luke Whittemore’s debut CD posts to Elmore magazine

26 Sep

Luke Whittemore – Elmore MagazineUK folk singer/songwriter Luke Whittemore leaves listeners wanting more with his debut release, Northern Town. Across the board, these six originals feature rhythmic nuances, skilled acoustics and mournful lyrics reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s atmospheric 1982 Nebraska record, complete with metaphors about rain, wishing wells, oceans, creeks and tears.

On the other hand, “Have Mercy” speaks with dry authority: “There’s trouble in these waters that a young girl just don’t understand/’Cause what these eyes have seen I’ve done my best to hide/There’s a dusty trail of misery where the devil just don’t hide.” In another example of Whittemore’s lyricism, “Cold On The Hills” defines loneliness as four bare walls inside an empty house while outside against the windows a blue northern wind blows frigid gusts.

Elsewhere, the only up-tempo tune, “If It Weren’t For The Rain,” places bright guitar picking alongside a man’s drunken yearnings for a lover: “There’s a picture in the hallway of an old friend she says/And every now and then I catch a glance of her staring right at him…”

More and more fans will no doubt soon discover Whittemore’s rock-solid vintage American sound.

Also please read my review of Luke Whittemore’s CD on Elmore magazine’s website at:

http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2016/09/reviews/albums/luke-whittemore

My review of Dallas Wayne’s new CD posts to Elmore

13 Sep

elmore-magazine-dallas-wayne-1

Singer, songwriter, Sirius Satellite Radio on-air personality and actor Dallas Wayne, together with nine famous friends, perform 14 country classics on his newest album, Songs the Jukebox Taught Me on Heart of Texas Records. Wayne sings famous songs about heartbreak, regret and loneliness with old school music hit makers: Amber Digby, Bobby Flores, Randy Lindley, Darrell and Mona McCall, Paula Nelson, Willie Nelson, Jeannie Seely and Kevin Smith. Those familiar with Faron Young’s 1970 hit, “Your Time’s Comin’,” will enjoy Wayne’s and Willie Nelson’s duet. Wayne also revisits Henson Cargill’s successful 1967 single, “Skip A Rope,” without diluting its controversial message. With unmistakable twang, Wayne best performs Ernest Tubb’s 1968 hit “A Dime at a Time.” Kudos also to musicians: T Jarrod Bonta on piano, Tommy Detamore on steel guitar, dobro, organ and percussion, Bobby Flores on fiddle and viola, Tom Lewis on drums, Hank Singer on fiddle, Kevin Smith on upright and electric bass and Redd Volkaert on guitars. Those who need schoolin’ in the classics of country music will find some lessons not offered in Nashville here; as for fans of the genre, the song list rings like our alma mater.

Please also see my review posted to Elmore magazine’s website at: http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2016/09/reviews/albums/dallas-wayne

 

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