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Michael Jerome Browne The Road is Dark (Borealis Records)

This road is dark indeed. And blue.

A mainstay of the Canadian roots and blues scene, Michael Jerome Browne has released outstanding albums over his career, and this new project may be his finest yet. With slide guitar as primary focus, a bit of banjo and 12-string, some washboard, harmonica, and mandolin, The Road is Dark was recorded live with no overdubs.

An acoustic album, Browne explores the essence of the blues- death, steppin’ out, addiction, jail, and redemption- through 14 songs that are as powerful as they are enjoyable. Perhaps the finest blues album we’ve heard this year, there is no frivolity on the back roads Browne travels here. Highlights include Married Woman, Sinner’s Plea, and If Memphis Don’t Kill Me.

(Originally published in the Red Deer Advocate, December 16 2011)

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In my Roots Music column of two weeks ago, I featured the recent album from Maritimes Bluesman Matt Andersen and the several months old release from southern alt-grass outfit Dehlia Low. The latter album has been in and out of my listening for months and I somehow missed writing about it in a more timely manner.

Matt Andersen Coal Mining Blues Busted Flat Records

Matt Andersen, the larger than life blues singer and guitarist from New Brunswick, has released the album that we’ve known he’s had in him.

Featuring a strong, focused sound- without doubt influenced by producer Colin Linden- Coal Mining Blues is a more thoughtfully executed project than some of
Andersen’s earlier releases, albums that sometimes suffered from too much flash
and showmanship. As a result, the best songs- including originals “Fired Up,” “I Work Hard for the Luxury,” “Home Sweet Home” (featuring Garth Hudson), and the title track- are more complete in their execution, but are not dramatically superior to the songs that
‘fill-out’ the disc.

Start to finish, this is a very strong roots album. Charlie Rich’s “Feel Like
Going Home” brings the album to a powerful yet restrained close, revealing
Andersen’s growing maturity as a singer and artist. (www.StubbyFingers.ca)

Dehlia Low Ravens & Crows Rebel Records

In a year that has revealed an incredible wealth of bluegrass, acoustiblue, and jamgrass recordings from youthful performers- among them Bearfoot, 23 String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, April Verch, and Sierra Hull- the strongest of the bunch may belong to North
Carolina’s Dehlia Low.

Fronted by the beautifully-voiced Anya Hinkle, this five-piece’s sound has been described as Appalachiagrassicana and that about covers it.

With roots in bluegrass and mountain music, this smooth-sounding outfit doesn’t just sing about little cabins, faithlessness, and Glory; their approach blends acoustic country and bluegrass into a fresh-sounding, banjo-less amalgam that is bright and firm, revealing a mettle that is as impressive as it is non-traditional. (www.DehliaLow.com)

 

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A final post this evening, to round out the Favourites of the Year series.

So much good music, so little time to  allow it to actuallysoak in and become engrained within ones soul.

A top 20 list would have worked here, but a top 10 makes more sense as a concise summation of the Canadian music I most enjoyed this year. I’ve deliberately not included any Alberta talent on this list as I’ll be publishing a top 5 Alberta roots list next week in the newspaper. Yes, J.R. Shore is from Calgary; blame it on fatigue! This isn’t science- precision isn’t always necessary.

Through my participation on the Polaris Music Prize jury, I have the opportunity to listen to a tonne of Canadian music. Unfortunately, most of it is what might have once been categorized as rock; in my experience, not enough roots music makes its way to the jury discussions. Still, I was able to sample a pretty healthy dose of Canadian roots this year, and these are ten of my favourites, most of which have been reviewed, described, or discussed here at Fervor Coulee.

1. Kim Beggs- Blue Bones
2. J.R. Shore- Talkin’ on a Bus
3. The Sadies- Darker Circles
4. Jenny Whiteley- Forgive and Forget
5. Fred Eaglesmith- Cha Cha Cha
6. Ron Hynes- Stealing Genius
7. The Cowboy Junkies- Renmin Park- Nomad Series, Volume 1
8. Jim Byrnes- Everywhere West
9. The Mountains and The Trees- I Made This For You
10. The Wilderness of Manitoba- When You Left the Fire

Reissues, both courtesy of Bumstead Records: The Blue Shadows On the Floor of Heaven and k.d. lang A Truly Western Experience.

Thanks for spending some time at Fervor Coulee today and throughout the past year. Hope to have you visit again in the new year. Best, Donald

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Jim Byrnes's Juno Award-winnning album- Blues Album of the Year

238 columns, somewhere around 500 albums and even more live shows, with today’s column Roots Music has been promoting my kind of music in Central Alberta for 10 years.

I’ve made mistakes, I’ve made a couple enemies, and I’ve fostered connections I would never have experienced otherwise. Some labels have disappeared while others remain viable. The landscape of the music business has changed greatly in a decade. What has remained solid is the core of devoted musicians and artists, publisists and label owners, and local promoters who see the importance of supporting and advancing the cause of roots music. I’ve been glad to be part of it, in my small way, for a decade. Let’s keep it going!

In today’s column I advance a few December shows and feature albums from Jim Byrnes and Jeff Morris, an Alberta musician and songwriter. I still remember the day in 1983 when I almost cracked Jim Byrnes’ debut album Burning, an album I only finally heard this past week. I was at Climax Records in Leduc, a store that gave me my first volunteer record store job. The store’s owner had fallen behind in payments to his distributor and the company had come in and taken over the shop. For some reason, they hired me to assist in running the shop and for a few staggering months of independence, I had my run of the place, not really having any clue as to what I was doing but having a heck of a time doing it.

For some reason, Burning drew my attention one day as I was unpacking a shipment and I almost slit it open to give it a listen, but got distracted by something else- How might the course of my music listening changed had I succumbed to the temptation to open that Polydor album years ago. Hopefully you’ll find something of interest.

Roots music column, originally published December 3, 2010 in the Red Deer Advocate

With this column, Roots Music marks 10 years on these pages. The area roots music scene has ebbed and flowed during the past decade, with local venues for live music coming and going in equal measure. The environment remains quite healthy with touring musicians and locals alike finding outlets for their sounds.

Jeff Morris Original Songs on a Borrowed Guitar Self-released

Hailing from Sherwood Park, Jeff Morris’s debut album is a pleasant, unexpected surprise.

An intimate recording with unobtrusive, vibrant support, comparisons to Jack Johnson are a bit too apparent- Morris’s voice has an inflective catch that is similar to the surfing guitarist, and he favours gentle introspective pieces that examine feelings and relationships. Okay, sometimes the obvious tract is entirely justified.

Morris’s guitar playing isn’t primitive but neither is it overly elaborate. Sparse strumming and delicately picked notes provide the canvas against which Morris constructs his uncomplicated rhymes and reflections. Especially appealing is the percussive element of his playing, obvious on tracks including the standout Hold On.

Blue Sky Falls is another song that captures the imagination: one is drawn into the impassioned possibilities suggested.

This recording captures not only listeners’ attention but their intellect and soul. Coffeehouse music that doesn’t slink into the background as much as it enfolds with comfort and warmth-think Dan Mangan crossed with Brett Dennam, perhaps.

2010 has been a very good year for Alberta roots recording artists. Add Original Songs on a Borrowed Guitar to the list of standouts.

Jim Byrnes Everywhere West Black Hen Music

British Columbia-based for thirty-plus years, Missouri native Jim Byrnes sings the blues with relaxed confidence, leaving no room for over-emoting or grandiose showmanship. Simply put, Byrnes is the real deal, bridging the distance of decades and space between childhood heroes like Big Joe Turner and his west coast home.

I’ve listened to Byrnes’ most recent recordings with growing admiration, and his performance at August’s Central Music Festival- where many of the tracks included here were previewed- was exceptional.

Amongst Everywhere West’s dozen tracks are a handful of fresh, original tunes from Byrnes and compatriot-producer Steve Dawson. The majority of the material comes from a previous time and place: Bootlegger Blues from the Mississippi Sheiks, Take Out Some Insurance On Me from Jimmy Reed, and He Was A Friend of Mine and No Mail Blues from the folk tradition.

Purists may not appreciate the New Orleans overtones inserted into the lively reimagining of Robert Johnson’s From Four Until Late, but one can’t argue that the tune positively shimmies. Obvious is the reverence Byrnes has for his material, as well as the enjoyment he takes from playing and singing these songs.

The four fresh tunes are all impressive with Dawson’s Walk On providing a showcase for the album’s resident band. Byrnes’s Me and Piney Brown takes us back to the 30s to explore a world that existed before his youthful excursions scouting the nightclubs of Missouri.

As he sings in the old Louis Jordan tune, You Can’t Get that Stuff No More. But for 50-plus minutes, Byrnes makes a solid argument that he is willing to bring blues songs to a contemporary audience without sacrificing the soul rooted within each number.

Thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee- Donald

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In today’s Red Deer Advocate Roots Music column, I advance the coming shows and review three very different (from each other, I mean) recent releases from Les Copeland, Putumayo, and Sara Hickman. As always, thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee and I hope you find something of interest. Best, Donald

Roots Music Column, originally published September 3, 2010 in the Red Deer Advocate

This week I’m going to try to catch up on summer releases that may be of interest to fans of roots music:

Les Copeland Don’t Let the Devil In (Earwig) With minimal accompaniment, Western Canadian bluesman Les Copeland has crafted an engaging and memorable collection of original music. He is an accomplished but not polished vocalist and his guitar playing- including bottleneck touches- is impressive. A deft touch with finger-picking blues allows him to explore the music of the rural south as ably as he does more sophisticated styles. Some of his songs could predate Charlie Patton, while others are of today. With a generous 15 numbers, listeners have much to absorb. Brings to mind Jim Byrnes’ recent appearance at the Central Music Festival.

Various Artists- Tribute to a Reggae Legend (Putumayo) While I usually want my reggae to have a bit more bite, this smooth assemblage of mostly recent cuts is of interest. While several of the compiled tunes are straight forward renditions of Bob Marley classics, others have a twist. Hawaii is represented by Three Plus performing a rich interpretation of “Is This Love”; also from Hawaii, Robi Kahakalau’s “Do It Twice” has more of a pop-jazz feel. Montreal’s Caracol contributes “Could You Be Loved”, one of several tracks especially recorded for this set, while Julie Crochetière’s “Mellow Mood” is breathtaking. Blues, folk, and bossa nova influence other selections, providing an intriguing, multi-dimensional listening experience.

Sara Hickman- Absence of Blame Having recorded in Texas for more than twenty years, Sara Hickman is a celebrated writer and singer; most recently, she was named the Official State Musician of Texas for 2010. Having flirted with the mainstream, Hickman is every inch the independent artist.

Her new album is one that becomes more appealing with each exposure. Folky, a little bit country, and frequently straight-up rock & roll, Hickman’s music has inspirational substance that is balanced by the lightness of her presentation and the power of her voice; another reviewer compared her to Christine Lavin, a connection I had intended to make until, well…I guess I just did. For me though, Hickman is a more universal talent- she has the poignancy of Lavin and, like Cheryl Wheeler, bridges the clever observance- durable song divide effectively. After a festival summer listening to many wannabes, Absence of Blame is a refreshing testament of what is possible within the folk roots world.

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I’m sure there is a more humiliating feeling than walking up to a bar and being denied admission, but fortunately I don’t get to experience such too often. But this was the case tonight in Red Deer when I strolled up to The Vat and saw a sign stating that tonight’s Matt Andersen show was sold out. After enquiring, I was forced to turn and do the walk of shame past the smokers and latecomers who had places reserved by earlier arriving friends.

Good for Matt and the bar- I’m sure the business is much appreciated on all fronts. But, geez…I really wanted to hear tonight’s show, especially having advanced it repeatedly in my newspaper column. One hopes those in the bar are going to enjoy the New Brunswick-native’s performance as much as I think I would have. Pays to get there early, I suppose.

Therefore, I’ll sit at home tonight- watch the Oilers lose and then listen to Live at the Liberty House. Maybe it’ll be just like being there- except I’ll save $20 or $30.

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New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen- who appears here in Red Deer on Saturday at the venerable Vat- took home top prize at a Memphis music competition this past weekend. The CBC staffer got paid much more than I will for writing this http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/01/25/matt-andersen-blues.html, so you may as well read it there! Looking forward to Saturday night, Matt. Congrats.

Thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee. Donald

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Continuing the journey…

Pale Imperfect Diamond Cedar Hill Refugees (Effigy Records, 2009) I can’t say John Carter Cash’s production decisions do a lot for me, but on this disc- which brings the musical influences of Uzbekistan to Nashville- he and Jack Clift get it pretty much right. Jadoo is the name of the Uzbek band featured throughout, and I’m not really sure where they stop and the array of the usual guests, including Marty Stuart, Ralph Stanley, John Cowan, Randy Scruggs, Ronnie McCoury, Harry Stinson, Dennis Crouch, start.

But the music works on a number of levels. First, the music of the Uzbeks does remind one of southern mountain music, at least as it is presented here. Second, the exotic and mysterious rhythms and unusual instrumentation which includes horns, percussion, and stringed instruments galore works as an alternative to the increasingly glossy bluegrass sounds one ever more associates with ‘mountain music.’ Not that this music isn’t highly produced, but if I’m going to listen to studio polish I’d rather find it here than in my bluegrass.

Finally, the vocals are full of treats that even the most casual of listeners will appreciate. Dr. Ralph’s contributions to “Keys to the Kingdom” are worth the purchase alone, but John Cowan shines on “Oh, Bury Me Not”. The downside is the lack of liner notes beyond general musician credits; a project such as this cries out for explanation and reflection on the song choices, the instruments featured, and the interplay of the participants.

The Record Bar Shows Bob Walkenhorst with Jeff Porter and Norm Dahlor (Internet Archive, 2009) Not an album or even a series of albums, but an ongoing archive of weekly shows performed by the Rainmakers front man at a Kansas City pub. Amongst the wealth of original material are choice country, folk and rock (“Dirty Water”) covers, many with timely significance (“Woodstock” in early-August, Ellie Greenwich’s “Hanky Panky” and “Chimes of Freedom” dedicated to Ted Kennedy as the month drew to a close.)

Walkenhorst and his compatriots are obviously comfortable performing within this largely acoustic setting. While over 300 Walkenhorst recordings are available on the Archive, this summer’s slate of shows were particularly strong, with focus and looseness apparent in equal measure. http://www.archive.org/details/BobWalkenhorst

South Mouth Robbie Fulks (Bloodshot, 1997) An unfortunately long-neglected favourite, I rediscovered South Mouth when I ran across a deeply discounted copy and picked it up for a gift. Of course, I had to listen to it in the car on the way home…and then the next day and a week later. I still haven’t passed it onto Cheryl and Ross, but I trust they’ll like it as much as I do if they ever get a chance to listen to it. Every song, except “F%&k this Town” would sound terrific within a bluegrass arrangement with “Cold Statesboro Ground” already having been given such by James Reams & the Barnstormers. When I hear songs like “I Told Her Lies”, “What the Lord Hath Wrought (Any Fool Can Knock Down)”, and “Busy Not Crying”, I remember why I love country music so much, and how rare such performances seem.

Black & Blue The Rolling Stones (Universal 1976/2009) I’ve wanted to pick up this album ever since reading Ian Rankin’s excellent novel of the same name a few years ago. I was curious not only because of the way Rankin referenced the album throughout, but because I’d heard such mixed messages about the disc. I finally purchased it when it was rereleased this year and I found it cheap enough. The album didn’t blow me away, but I certainly appreciated the mood the grooves inspired in me- good for highway driving, no doubt. Listening to the album, I couldn’t help be surprised that folks claimed the Stones went disco with Emotional Rescue just a few years later; the two albums certainly share the same DNA. I’m glad I listened to it, if only to satisfy my curiousity. Not essential, but few Stones albums are.

Songs My Father Loved Ricky Skaggs (Skaggs Family, 2009) A beautiful album, artfully rendered. And that isn’t something I say very often about a Ricky Skaggs album. Likely the last time I had overwhelmingly pleasant thoughts about a Skaggs disc was somewhere prior to the turn of the century with Bluegrass Rules and Life is A Journey. On the cover, Skaggs looks terrific- and the photo reminds me of both Guy Clark and Marty Stuart- and he appears to be accepting the passages of time. Despite all the necessary multi-tracking, the music is fresh and homely (as in simple and unpretentious) presented. When Skaggs sings country, as he does here- not commercial country, mind, but mountain inspired country- he is in his wheelhouse. Wonderful stuff!

Sylvain Sylvain/Syl Sylvain & the Teardrops Sylvain Sylvain (1980/1981/2007 Acadia) I first heard “I’m So Sorry” on a Rachel Sweet bootleg where she is playing tunes on the Kid Leo show. I picked up both of these albums over the years in delete bins (remember them?) and had been keeping my eyes open for them on disc. I was completely surprised when I (again) tripped over this 2fer in an Athens Metropolis store. I’ve written about the store elsewhere, but what a wonderboon it was- four or five stories of music, neatly if confusingly (to me, a non-Greek) arranged in a roomy and clean environment. Anyway, the second album doesn’t hold up to the first, but the first three tracks (“Teenage News”, “What’s That Got To Do With Rock n Roll”, and the perfect “I’m So Sorry) are as wonderful a ten minutes as I’ve heard in all my years. Maybe the best seven Euro I spent on the trip, although all those Orange Fantas were mighty tasty.

Different Views David Gogo (Cordova Bay, 2009) I’ll be honest. The only reason I even gave this album a fair listen was because I noticed the cover of John Stewart’s “Gold”. I’ve got a stack of CDs that I haven’t had time or inclination to listen to, and this one likely would have found a place in that pile. Do I really need to listen to another self-indulgent blues guitar album?

Good thing I noticed “Gold” because the album is very strong, not the least bit wankerish. It holds up and draws in even the most reluctant listener. The originals are power blues-rockers of the finest sort, with changes of tempo that encourage air-guitar miming from listeners and vocal arrangements that recall Tom Wilson and Carlos Santana. Different Views is soaring voices, power chords and waves of organ, tightly arranged for maximum impact.

I’ve searched for covers of John Stewart’s most famous song this side of “Daydream Believer” and they are rare; Gogo’s version, featuring Carolyn Mark in Stevie’s place is remarkable; Jim Bass may now be making $8.50 for an hour, but the rhythm in his hands is as steady as ever in Gogo’s treatment.

A reminder never to judge without listening.

Two Dimes & a Nickel David Davis & the Warrior River Boys (Rebel, 2009) Along with Dale Ann Bradley’s latest, maybe the finest bluegrass album I’ve heard this year. Beautiful, cinematic songs. Davis picks songs with more care that it appears do his higher-profile bluegrass contemporaries. Yes, they include clichés but the familiar phrases and expected treatments work for the song, not against it. See my full review at http://lonesomeroadreview.wordpress.com/

 Motorway Tom Robinson (Music de Luxe, 1994) I’m not sure when or where this collection was recorded. I found it for cheap in a bin of leftovers several years ago and promptly forgot about it. Last winter, ”2-4-6-8 Motorway” worked its way back into my brain when it was featured in an episode of Ashes to Ashes. So I dug out my vinyl of Power in the Darkness and had some fun for a few nights, and actually was listening to PITD in the car this morning before writing this piece. Re-found this disc on the shelf when I was doing some reorganizing of the CDs. A fine little set that captures the freewheeling attitude that was so obvious when these songs were first heard during university days- we can do anything and will accomplish everything. Well, we didn’t- or at least I haven’t. ”2-4-6-8 Motorway” is still one of the best driving songs of any genre of the past forty years, and while the version here is a bit restrained, it still feels right. This album encouraged me to further explore the Tom Robinson and TRB discographies, and it has been great fun.

A few more to come…. Cheers, Donald

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Originally published in The Red Deer Advocate, September 4, 2009

In today’s column in the Red Deer Advocate I was very pleased to review two outstanding Canadian blues albums. For me, it is a fine line between blues wankering and music that resonates with me. Of late, I’ve been listening to several blues albums and have reviewed a handful. I’ve also been exploring some older material, stuff like Johnny Winter, Son House, and even The Mississippi Sheiks. I picked up Joe Bonamassa’s The Ballad of John Henry and couldn’t even listen to it all. Yet, I put on some Alligator-era Johnny Winter- music that isn’t all that different from Bonamassa’s- and I’m entirely engaged. Please read my reviews of David Gogo’s Different Views and the latest live- and I believe only family authorized- posthumous Jeff Healey disc, Songs from the Road. Thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee. I hope you find something of interest, not just in my words but in exploring the music I’m recommending. Donald 

David Gogo Different Views (Cordova Bay)

Nanaimo-based David Gogo is a veteran on the Canadian blues circuit, and he returns this fall with his tenth album of electric guitar-oriented shuffles and R&B boogie dance tunes.

The originals are power blues-rockers of the finest sort, with changes of tempo that encourage air-guitar miming from listeners and vocal arrangements that recall Tom Wilson (Where the Devil Won’t Go) and Carlos Santana (Lies). Different Views is soaring voices, power chords, and waves of organ, tightly arranged for maximum impact.

A pair of crack covers- Don’t Bring Me Down, owing as much to David Johansen as it does Eric Burden, and John Stewart’s Gold- serve as recognizable anchors.  The 1979 hit receives a vital update, with Gogo’s whammy bar altering the familiar melody and Carolyn Mark holding her own in Stevie Nicks’ harmony spot.

Different Views is a blues album that holds up to repeated listens.

 Jeff Healey Songs from the Road (Stony Plain)

 During his life I largely ignored Jeff Healey, the Toronto blues and jazz guitarist who died in early 2008. While friends were grooving to his radio hits, I was busy with John Hiatt, Dave Alvin, and the Razorbacks.

This seamless set, collated from festival and club appearances during the last two years of his life, serves as a solid introduction to the bluesy side of Healey while providing long-time followers much to savour.

Showcasing the breadth of Healey’s gifts, most tracks clock in at over five minutes allowing these roadhouse jams to evolve. I Think I Love You Too Much and Angel Eyes represent Healey hits, while the catalogues of Cream, Willie Dixon, The Beatles, and The Allmans are expressively mined by Healey’s impressive band of blues brothers.

Songs from the Road is a fine addition to the Jeff Healey legacy.

Thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee.

 

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Blackburn

Brotherhood

Make It Real Records

I’m fortunate to have made some solid connections while writing over the past decade. As a result, I am fairly well supplied by independent labels and artists. The major label conglomerates ignore me, and that’s fine; I have a tough enough time finding the means to review much of what I receive in the mail. As I type, there are two knee-high piles of releases beside my desk, awaiting my attenting.  I know, thy burdens are greater than mine.

Sometimes it takes a bit of something extra to make me notice a release from artists I’m unfamiliar with. Perhaps it is a surprisingly inventive or complete press package, like that which accompanied Willie Mack’s impressive album The Journey. Sometimes, a handwritten note will get my attention, especially one written on a page torn from a vintage Canadian tretise as did Woodland Telegraph’s Matthew Lovegrove. A beautiful package- such as those designed for Northern Blues by A Man Called Wycraft- certainly cause notice. While such artful touches aren’t in themselves enough to garner a positive notice, they may push a disc to the top of the listening pile.

There is absolutely nothing to recommend the Brotherhood release from Ontario’s Blackburn. Until you listen to it! Making the mistake of packaging an album in a generic cover, the Toronto soul brothers do their funk-influenced blues music a regrettable disservice. As a result, I’ve had the disc for months and hadn’t found inspiration to listen to it until this weekend. My bad.

Bringing The Neville Brothers immediately to mind- and not just because of a timely and inspired cover of Sister Rosa- the quartet produces a sound that is fuller than their numbers would indicate. Simultaneously, the disc- whipped off in two days last fall- has a very polished effect, with well-mixed vocals and the individual instruments fully discernable.

Lead singer Duane Blackburn has a smooth soulful blues voice, while Brooke Blackburn lays down solid rhythm and lead guitar effects. Brooke’s songs- Movin’, Survival, Talk to Me, and notably Four Brothers surpass blues clichés and Duane’s Soul Searching wouldn’t be out of place on a Mem Shannon disc.

Tying together the Blackburn revue is the rhythm section of Cory Blackburn and Mark Ayee, who propel each song with idiosyncratic grooves, allowing Duane to explore his Booker T-side with furious Hammond B3 flourishes.

Blues band albums are- to me- largely a dime a dozen. Mostly, I find them a bore, seemingly produced by a neverending stream of balding and goteed electric guitar wankers. Unfair, I know, but there you go. It takes something distinctive to find favour with me. Blackburn has It in their blend of funk, soul, and blues sounds, beautifully displayed on Brotherhood.

To be fair to the art direction team, the black and white photos of the band are well-lit and finely composed. The lettering on the album is clear and sharp. It just isn’t distinctive enough to ‘grab’ the eye, or at least my eye.

Fully recommended.

Check out their sample tunes at MySpace/com/blackburnbrothers. You may have to do some searching to find the disc for sale- I haven’t seen it in any area stores- but it is readily available from CD Baby, a company I’ve dealt with without regret in the past.