Stalwarts of the Americana scene, The Jayhawks have gone through a lot of changes over the years, both stylistically and in terms of line-up, but one thing that can usually be relied upon is their ability to release a great album. From their early records full of country influences, to the more commercial ‘Hollywood Town Hall’ from 1992, to the power pop infused ‘Sound of Lies’ and Byrds-ish ‘Rainy Day Music’, each record often borders upon essential listening. Even 2011’s slightly more downbeat ‘Mockingbird Time’ – marking the very brief return of founder member Mark Olson after a sixteen year absence – represented a band somewhere near the top of their game.
Tag Archives: americana
TRAVEL LANES – On
In 2015, Philadelphia’s Travel Lanes released ‘Let’s Begin To Start Again’, a hit and miss album that mixed a few pop and power pop influences with several rootsier John Mellencamp, John Hiatt and Connells styled moods. A few wobbly vocals let the side down from time to time, but there were a few decent tracks to be found within. Five years down the road, their third album only offers eight tracks in a very succinct twenty nine minutes, but its concise approach very much suits the band. Compared to previous Travel Lanes works, ‘On’ is far more consistent in terms of quality.
Real Gone Sessions #4: House Above The Sun – Small Town
With the world in turmoil and people in isolation, there’s a good chance you have far more on your mind right now than “What are the best albums of 2020 so far?”…but we’d be happy to tell you that House Above The Sun’s ‘Time I Got Goin’ EP is one of the finest releases to emerge from the year’s first quarter.
HOUSE ABOVE THE SUN – Time I Got Goin’ EP
Three years after their ‘Five Hours North’ album, House Above The Sun make a very welcome return with ‘Time I Got Goin”, a five track EP that explores the full range of their beloved Americana sound. If you’re at all familiar with the band, ‘Time I Got Goin” does exactly what you’d expect, but if anything the new songs feel much warmer and more professional than before. One track, in particular, could be their best song to date.
MORNING BELLS – Fall From The Velvet Sky EP
Somewhere between the works of Martin Rossiter, Old House Playground, The Bad Seeds and…The Connells lies the music Morning Bells. Purveyors of the finest thoughtful indie pop/rock, this Raleigh based collective is perhaps a little restless on their ‘Fall From The Velvet Sky’ EP. The five featured tracks wander a fine line between the gothic and soulful, between the honest and mournful, before ending up somewhere unexpected. The band’s way of working on the hoof and creating music borne within a moment means that sometimes, stylistically speaking, there’s a huge variation in sound. However, whether tapping into sad sounds or something a little more lively, they often create interest from the beauty of their unease.