What I love most about acoustic covers is their ability to reveal songs in a new light. That is certainly the case with two recent releases from Sarah-Louise and Hannah’s Yard. The former has put out a magical reimagining of ‘Simply the Best’, Tina Turner’s powerhouse vocals disappearing to be replaced by Sarah-Louise’ tender, jazz-inflected tones. It becomes a much more quietly affectionate track, as does ‘You’ve Got the Love’ in Hannah’s hands. There are few better qualified to rework instant classics, but as with ‘Blackbird’ (still a personal favourite) she manages to capture something fresh and unique, turning it into her own. In this instance, the intimacy at its centre, perhaps lost in Florence Welch’s version, comes right to the fore. Communicating a deeply devotional love which Sarah-Louise also succeeds in. Add a sunny Sunday afternoon for listening, and both songs come to represent the ideal lazy-day vibe, with the addition (if you’re lucky enough) of sharing it with the one you love.
You can listen to ‘You’ve Got the Love’ here and ‘Simply the Best’ here.
It really is nice to hear Lisa T again, over a year after her last single ‘Easy Love’. ‘Nice to Meet You… Again’ marks her debut EP, and its one which follows a similar pattern. Combining the acoustic with techno-pop to create a record that is as broad as Country gets.
It starts with an Irish twist. ‘This Country Song’ drawing on Lisa T’s roots to bring out the foot-stomping energy of that found in many a Friday night bar. Mixed in with splashes of feel-good pop, this audience-ready song really is an invitation to “let go / get on down”, whether line dancing or otherwise. ‘Mr Know It All’ continues likewise, with a punchy arrangement adorned with playful saxophone. There is an ‘80s feel to the music, whilst Lisa T’s vocals add strength and depth a la Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. The bridge in particular is wonderfully constructed, teasing the song’s protagonist in both its music and lyrics to great effect.
‘Want You to Stay’ then lends itself to a dramatic drop in tone. The production stripped back to just an acoustic guitar and vocal so pronounced that it sounds like a live recording. It pairs well with ‘Stop Lovin Me’, whose electro-beats add a seductive Soul to a narrative of push-and-pull. “You make it too hard to leave” an illustration of both tracks’ description of relationships in which breakups feel necessary, though not quite so easy to do in reality.
The EP then finishes with the title track. Its violins creating a deceptive intro, smashed within a few seconds by an electric guitar of intent. Country-Rock in all its swagger. Communicating a purpose hell-bent on being known. The lines “you didn’t think I got what it takes / here I am now singing my song / bet I can get you singing along” looking to prove someone wrong. And if anyone had any doubt in Lisa T’s ability then this will most certainly put them to rights.
A record that really does shine a light on her talent.
You can purchase ‘Nice to Meet You… Again’ from Lisa T’s online store here, or stream it here.
Can you spot yourself in the latest single from Two Ways Home? You’re either like the timekeeper of the track’s title or the latecomer scorned by their punctuality. I most definitely identify with the latter. Except I don’t make the kind of excuses that the person on ‘She Keeps Time Like a Casio’ does. Placing atop its guilt-ridden Americana, the account of “a crash back on the A40” when, really, they “just lost track of time”. The song then plays with this false storytelling to become a confession but also a reflection. On self. The other. The relationship between two very different personalities. Isi’s voice lending a beautiful sincerity to the question of how much one should change to accommodate expectations. The line “if I’m not early then I’m tempting fate / if I’m on time then I’m already late” expressing a defeatist dilemma that calls for honest self-expression in the end. Which is why I always tell people openly that my time may not be their time. But hopefully, somewhere, we find a happy medium.
Taynee Lord’s latest single reminds me of why an opportunity to move to the city a couple of years ago was worth turning down. For, against a backdrop of country-pop-rock, she pines to move ‘Back to the Country’. Her motives make sense – more affordable housing, closer connections – but these positives fail to outweigh the negatives of urban life. Noise at all hours. Traffic jams. Surrounded by concrete. No wonder she longs for better. “People can’t even crack a smile”, she observes, with “trees here and there to reconcile” proving ultimately fruitless. It really is an anthem for country living. With a subtle commentary on the difficulties of making this a reality, especially for the younger generation. For we’re not all made of the kind of money seen on Escape to the Country. Though like Taynee on this catchy track, we can at least dream.
Bergendahl is one of a few new names that have come across my path in 2025. Sitting somewhere between pop and folk on the spectrum of Country Music, her latest EP ‘Cottagecore Country’ presses firmly into the ballad.
Opening song ‘Black Fog’ is much more stylised in the mould of acoustic guitar, ideal for a narrative of self-exploration. Its emotional subject matter could have proved heavy in another guise. But through lyrical simplicity, and a vocal reverb that adds a contemporary shine, there is a lightness of touch. The effect opens up her personal headspace, allowing the listener in to properly empathise.
Second track ‘Paintbox Flowers’ then goes through a process from pedal steel dreaminess to power ballad anguish. The title’s wonderfully floral overtones spill into a set of lyrics infused with bright pastel colours that become whitewashed in a haze of questions. It really does tug on the heartstrings. ‘Amsterdam’, which follows, providing quiet relief in a stripped back production that carries like a breeze.
The third track is a beautiful tribute to that infamous city. Contrasting sun-baked resorts and Alpine excursions with a down-to-earth homeliness. Wider themes of identity and wellbeing feed into a portrait of loveliness in which “the problems I’m nursing… hurt less / in a place that’s so pretty”. Never has being “out of my mind in this city” held such positive connotations.
Final track ‘Woodpigeon’ continues the balladeering nature of this EP. The ending of a relationship that represents new-found freedom soaring on an uplifting melody of joyous percussion and delighted strings. As with her musicality, Bergendahl incorporates the confidence of Twinniewith the vulnerability of Lisa Redfordto create a record that is totally at ease with itself. A testament to her own strength of personality and honesty in her artistry.
If the name Bethany Barrie is unfamiliar, it shouldn’t be for long. This Scottish singer-songwriter is a recent discovery for me, and her latest single has made me a fan. ‘Been Here Before’ incorporates a recognisably Celtic sound. Its positive percussion and uplifting violin playing to a message of reassurance. She goes through the emotional journey of life, charting its ups and downs with the central theme caught in the breath of the bridge – “we got through this back then / we’ll get through it again”. A reminder that perseverance is required, for the highs don’t last and sometimes we’re not as fine as we could be. Such encouragement is wrapped in the kind of Country-Folk that is having a moment. And like her compatriot, Rianne Downey, Bethany Barrie conveys her story in an engaging and congenial way.
Hot on the heels of Annie Dressner’s song comes another from Katy Hurt. ‘Rather Be’ is a fitting companion to the former’s ‘For the Thrill of It’ – both tackling the subject of misogyny in the music industry with candour and irony. The approach is classic Katy. The sound a mix of country, blues and rock, slowly building to a high energy performance that rips through its subject. The lyrics cleverly subversive and constantly playful. Three moments in particular stand out. The first, her response to words like “blondie” and “cutie-pie” with the expression “eww”. The second, a delightful plot twist, in which “I can’t wait for you to ask me to tie the knot… not!” And the third comes at the song’s end when, having laid bare her preference for anything other than this man’s affections, she literally slams a door in his proverbial face. It is all very ingeniously written, told in Katy’s own inimitable style. Having gone quite introspective with recent singles ‘Seasons’ and ‘Oh Girl’, it’s nice to see her back, in this case bringing down the “Mr Persistent[s]” of this world, with her dry wit and spirited humour.
These are exciting times for Joe Martin. ‘Strangers to Lovers’ is the first single off his next album, and it promises much. Since I last saw him live, the Lancashire singer-songwriter has honed his craft. Pushing into a troubadour identity of which this song is representative. An acoustic rendering in part influenced by his producer, James Wyatt. It gives the theme of lost love a raw edge. A bittersweet sadness shot throughout. Culminating in the final chorus line, “We went from strangers to lovers / and back to strangers again”. This is storytelling at its most basic. But in the vocal, Joe Martin imbues it with emotional depth. The result, like the rest of his set at the British Music Experience last week, is quietly captivating.
Annie Dressner is not a new name to me. But her music is. And as with Demi Marriner, I wonder why it’s taken so long for her songs to land in my ear. For her latest release led me straight to her back catalogue. To a fabulously folky 2024 album which new single ‘For the Thrill of It’ builds on. Here, the subject matter belies its boppy exterior. The prevalence of misogyny brought to task through a series of images that question its legality. She does so in a very Kacey Musgraves way – through humour and irony, but against a backdrop of punkish pop. A protest song for the 21st Century.
It was Newport’s time to shine in S4C’s latest drama series Ar y Ffin. Made much of in a Guardian article prior to broadcast, the city is often overlooked by its capital cousin, but becomes a metaphor here for the title character’s own story. Erin Richards is superb as Claire Lewis Jones, a magistrate and mother who has tried, with a great degree of success, to step out of the shadow of her unsavoury past. Yet she is still haunted by a ghost, in the form of Pete Burton (played by Tom Cullen), a shady local gangster whose criminal activities come slowly to collide with Claire’s personal and professional life across the course of six episodes. And whilst at times there are threads in the narrative which suggest too much artistic licence has been wrought, writers Georgia Lee and Hannah Daniel still offer enough entertaining twists and turns to ensure the implausible never make Ar y Ffin unwatchable.
One of the draws of this drama is the mother-daughter relationship at its centre. Lauren Morais is excellent as troubled teen Beca, whose trajectory of travel is, we come to find out, much like her mother’s was back in the day. The way that Claire seeks to protect her, sometimes at great personal and professional cost, is made all-the-more heartfelt by Richards steely portrayal. She follows in a long line of similar female protagonists in Welsh TV drama, balancing a strong exterior with a hidden vulnerability that eeks out as the series progresses. Beca is much the same, though Morais adds a stubborn teenage bolshiness to mask her susceptibility. Ultimately, both characters cast a shadow of weakness over their respective partners – husband Al (Matthew Gravelle) burying his head in the sand over financial problems whilst Beca’s boyfriend Sonny softens towards the series’ end.
There is clearly appetite from the production team to continue Ar y Ffin. Its conclusion feels far too open to simply leave it at that. Where it goes from here is open to question, but with Beca clearly emerging as a central character alongside her mother Claire, further exploration of that relationship would prove invaluable to keep viewers’ interest beyond the standard criminal fare of Pete and his boys. That might involve a trip over the border perhaps, given the final scene. But whether this drama expands beyond or keeps Newport as its central focus, it has been refreshing to see a different Welsh city as a backdrop. A reminder that urban stories are not limited to Cardiff.
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