Critics of the ‘Nashville/ Taylor Swift effect’ often argue that it has led to an identity crisis in country music. Debates over the last few years have centred around the idea that the genre has moved so far toward pop that it has somehow lost its soul. Songs such as ‘Meant to Be’ by FloridaContinue reading “Country-Pop Music: Chet Atkins and the Nashville Sound”
Category Archives: UK Country Music
Caitlin Mae – Tunnel Vision
Fresh from winning Song of the Year at the ARC awards for ‘Take My Demons’, Welsh singer-songwriter Caitlin Mae releases her brand-new single ‘Tunnel Vision’. It posits much of the same heady mixture of attitude and vulnerability as her prize-winning track whilst conveying a strength and confidence that were only just emerging in the former.Continue reading “Caitlin Mae – Tunnel Vision”
Elles Bailey – Sunshine City Tour
It may have been a feast of fireworks in and around Liverpool on Friday night, but there was a different kind of bonfire blazing inside the Royal Philharmonic Hall. The venue’s Music Room was set alight with a blistering performance from Elles Bailey, who is fast becoming the queen of UK Blues. On this, theContinue reading “Elles Bailey – Sunshine City Tour”
Rachel Jane – You & Me
‘You & Me’, the latest EP from Rachel Jane, is a much lighter affair than her last. This is perhaps not surprising given its themes of love and romance. She manages to avoid the schmaltziness associated with such topics however, particularly at this time of year, by retaining an essential RnB sound which, when coupledContinue reading “Rachel Jane – You & Me”
Pistol Annies – Leanin’ on Jesus
It wouldn’t be a Pistol Annies album without a little bit of gospel – though the surprise here, for a Christmas album, is perhaps that ‘Leanin’ on Jesus’ contains no references to the most wonderful time of the year. Instead, it offers a diversion into the purely devotional, avoiding any mention of snow, sleighs, orContinue reading “Pistol Annies – Leanin’ on Jesus”
Eleanor Nelly – The Best is Yet to Come
The new EP from Eleanor Nelly is nothing short of superb. The Liverpool-based singer-songwriter has produced a record that is full of catchy tunes. They exude a new-found self-confidence that has emerged from the ashes of a previous relationship. No wonder the title declares that ‘The Best is Yet to Come’. On opening track ‘Colour-Blind’,Continue reading “Eleanor Nelly – The Best is Yet to Come”
Katy Hurt – Sounds Good in a Bar
‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ is already a fan favourite. But we at Belles & Gals think it might just win over a few more converts to the music of Katy Hurt. This, her new single, and the first to be released from her upcoming debut album, ticks all the right boxes. It offers theContinue reading “Katy Hurt – Sounds Good in a Bar”
Dan Jordan and The Warbirds – Road to Ruin
Dan Jordan and The Warbirds evade categorisation. They are poetry. They are music. They are outlaw country. They are moody blues. They are folk storytelling. They are heavy metal vocals. The only seminal thread that runs through their latest album, Road to Ruin, is main man Dan’s clear connection to the music of Bob Dylan.Continue reading “Dan Jordan and The Warbirds – Road to Ruin”
The Rising – No Hope Without Love
One of the privileges in discovering new artists is witnessing their progression from early single releases to a later, more refined sound. Over the course of time, the raw material with which they start out matures into something that comes to represent their core identity. And it is this identity, once found, that allows themContinue reading “The Rising – No Hope Without Love”
Jess Setterfield – Burned and Bruised
Jess Setterfield has gone straight for the honesty button with ‘Bruised and Burned’. She hits one of country music’s hallmarks with this, her debut single, about a failed relationship that was her own. It is full of sadness in the genre’s own inimitable way, expressed touchingly through such poetic lyrics as “I’m holding onto brokenContinue reading “Jess Setterfield – Burned and Bruised”
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