Reviews
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Charlie Worsham Bends and Blends at 3rd and Lindsley
When Charlie Worsham took the stage on Saturday night at Nashville\’s 3rd and Lindsley, a good chunk of the audience jumped to its feet. And Worsham met their enthusiasm with a heaping dose of his own as he launched into the opening cut of his debut record, \”Could It Be.\” Throughout the tune, Worsham scanned the…
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Natalie Merchant: Natalie Merchant
Even though it took 13 years for Natalie Merchant to release an album of all-new original compositions, this self-titled collection is well-worth the wait. It\’s everything any fan should want it be — as lovely and generous as the artist herself. And it\’s brought to life by her ever-distinctive, ever-haunting voice. Merchant\’s voice — in…
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Cross-County Lines Fest Stages Stellar Performances in Franklin, TN
Music festivals aren\’t my thing. The thought of spending multiple days — even ONE day — in a massive, sweaty crowd of drunk people is one of my top five worst nightmares… I don\’t care how great the line-up is. But, when Americana Music announced their Cross-County Lines Festival featuring some of my new (and…
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Indigo Girls Soar with Nashville Symphony
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Indigo Girls\’ performances numerous times over the past 25 years — in various settings and configurations — seeing them play on May 23 with the Nashville Symphony was an utter revelation. The splendor of Schermerhorn Hall, the elegance of the Nashville Symphony, and the enduring songs of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers converged to…
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elbow: The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Even after more than 20 years with the same roster, elbow shows no signs of letting up. With their latest effort, The Take Off and Landing of Everything, the British quintet has created a hypnotic and intriguing collection of mini-masterpieces. Rather than writing the songs together, as they have in the past, the band members intentionally…
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Sturgill Simpson: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
In addition to being a tip of the hat to Ray Charles, the title of Sturgill Simpson\’s new album is more than a little ironic considering that he is known to rock one of the most retro sounds out there. In fact, a quick pass of the first track might have you thinking you\’ve uncovered…
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Amy Ray Earns Her Country Stripes in Nashville
After 35 years of performing, Amy Ray should exhibit some small measure of cynicism, some slight indication that this whole thing is getting old. Nope. Not a chance. Quite the opposite, actually. Her genuine enthusiasm for music and its makers is apparent to anyone lucky enough to be in the same room with her, including…
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Joan Osborne: Love and Hate
As a singer, Joan Osborne has one of those voices (along with Susanna Hoffs, Bonnie Raitt, and Brandi Carlile) that makes any song she interprets that much better. Where she has sometimes struggled, though, has been in writing original compositions worthy of her considerable vocal prowess and in finding a musical style broad enough for…
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Katie Herzig: Walk Through Walls
Used to be, Katie Herzig was a brooding folk singer, rendering emotive ditties with little more than an acoustic guitar and the occasional cello. Nowadays, though, she\’s something of an electro-pop maven speaking with synthesizers and drum loops like they were her native language. And the evolution from then to now has really been spectacular…