Reviews
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Andrew Combs: All These Dreams
Prince was right: Albums still matter. And Andrew Combs seems to know that. He also seems to know that songs and production also matter, if the album is to be worth its weight in vinyl. On All These Dreams, it\’s obvious — even with a casual listen — that Combs put his focus on the…
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Drew Holcomb, Holly Williams: Hometown Goodness at Ryman Auditorium
Drew Holcomb is an interesting case study. Though he crafts readily accessible melodies, he doesn\’t pander lyrically to the lowest common denominator. He\’s not up there singing, “Oh, baby baby.” He\’s singing about gratitude for a lost love, acceptance of personal vulnerabilities, and respect for life\’s challenges. And that\’s how he started his sold-out show…
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Refined, Restrained, and Just About Perfect: Gretchen Peters at the Franklin Theatre
Downtown Franklin, Tenn., provided the perfect setting last Friday night for Gretchen Peters\’ album release party/performance. Like the record, the town\’s Main Street is charming, pristine, and just a little bit out of the way. And, also like the record, the performance was refined, restrained, and just about perfect. As she made her way through…
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The Bros. Landreth: Let It Lie
It\’s a little hard to believe that the Bros. Landreth hail from Winnipeg, Manitoba, because of how well they carry the Southern rock mantle of the Allman Brothers on their debut album, Let It Lie. Led by David and Joey Landreth, the foursome does an admirable job of copping a style and a sensibility foreign…
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Kristin Diable: Create Your Own Mythology
Kristin Diable\’s Create Your Own Mythology is an absolute gem of a record. Right out of the gate, the first track is equal parts Dusty Springfield, Lissie, and Neko Case, bringing the best from those renowned artists to bear in one crazy-great piece. Next up, “Hold Steady” deploys a slinky, shuffling groove and stretches out…
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Caroline Spence: Somehow
Equal parts torch and twang, Caroline Spence\’s Somehow falls squarely into the Americana wonderland between folk and country. The songs here capture the heart ache and heart break so thoroughly associated with traditional country, but they do so in a deeply introspective manner more reminiscent of the folk world. It\’s an unpretentious set, content to…
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Ryan Culwell: Flatlands
Ah, Texas. The Lone Star state. The land of long, lonesome highways and dreams as wide as the horizon that meets them. With all that space, outside and in, it\’s no wonder Texas has birthed so many great songwriters singing so many great songs. Songs crafted by the likes of Rodney Crowell, Robert Earl Keen,…
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Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors: Medicine
When you start a record out with a track as fantastic as \”American Beauty,\” you\’ve set yourself a very high bar to clear on whatever cuts must follow. Luckily enough for Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, they have the talent and the songs to do it — not every time, but enough to make their…
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Robby Hecht, Natalia Zukerman at the Bluebird Café
When you\’re a singer/songwriter armed with little more than a guitar and your talent, you have to find ways to stand out from the crowd. That\’s why the pairing of Robby Hecht and Natalia Zukerman last Friday at the Bluebird Café made for a fascinating study of contrasts that even Hecht couldn\’t help but point…
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Reflective and Redemptive: Matthew Perryman Jones with Nashville Ballet
This year, the Nashville Ballet\’s Valentine\’s program finds them teaming up with local singer/songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones for a reprisal of their 2013 collaboration, “… but the flowers have yet to come” as part of Attitude. The three-part performance also includes the Nashville premiere of both Graham Lustig\’s “Fanfare” and Christopher Bruce\’s “Moonshine,” the latter…