Banshee Reel - Orchaestrated Litany of Lies (1995)

Now defunct Wellington band, Banshee Reel, are one of the best New Zealand bands from the mid 90s. Their sound is a fusion of folk and country, with a strong Irish element. They are competent musicians, skillful songwriters and sadly parted ways. Guitarist, Julia Deans, is now a member of Fur Patrol. She is responsible for the female vocals on the album, with Chris O'Connell and Allan Clark sharing the male vocals.

The album looks pretty cheaply made. The cover is white, a simple singlefold affair. Half the cover is some sort of peasant jester, covering half his face, the other is the title set out in a not very exciting font and displaying a somewhat lack of typesetting. Inside there is a band listing and a message to the people of New Zealand, Canada and Alburqueque, as well as a threat to some folks that stole their band equipment.

The album opens with the strumming, tinkliness of "Sorrow", like teardrops dripping down a painted, wooden face. Vocals are filled with sorrow, bittersweet and angsty, with a touch of an Irish accent. Or maybe kiwi-Irish. Catchy rhythms.A rather dramatic mandolin solo.

Slower, bolder; "Never Can Tell" has a slight country-hint to the rhythms and plenty of acousitc guitar. This is a song of murder, deceit and all beautifully sung with accompaniment from Deans and the lislting flight of a tin whistle.

Vocals lead us into "Blood on Your Hands", and then the instruments bounce in with almost carnival-esque rhythms: strong and bold and fast. Fast and surprisingly bouncy given the context is, once again, murder.

There's a brief reel and then we are into the looming, haunting "Lament".  An entrancing, otherworldy piece with beautiful harmonies, backed with strings and guitar. One of the finest, most atmospheric folk songs I own - this is the song that sold the album to me. Well, the cassingle - the album came some years later.

This is followed by the most devastatingly heart-breaking track on the album. "The Miner" starts with piano, but is largely dominated by the heart-renching vocals. Listen to the lyrics - they will haunt you and linger with you and bring a tear to your eye. The music is a soft, sorrowful accompaniment.

".. I don't blame you for leaving, my lovely; I don't blame you for leaving this slum. It was no life for you, watching me die, but I wish was out in the sun..."

 Deans gets the leading vocals on "Honest to God". Not my favourite song - more old school kiwi feeling than Irish, even with the accompaning fiddles. Good pace and entirely danceable.

"In Yer Dreams" is far more rockabilly country-esque with its fast, chugging pace and catchy choruses. Same vocalist as "The Miner".

It's back to the bittersweet melodies with "40 Miles of Pain" - it has a fast pace but the vocals and the voice of the string instruments lend a melancholic air.

More traditional folk - "Burn Me" has nice rhythms and somewhat morbid lyrics.

"First I heard her screaming when I laid my head to sleep. She turned my dreams to nightmares enough to make me weep..."

I'm not sure if she's a real person, deceased or some sort of demonic spirit. Probably the second or third option.

Another with strong country influences, "I Haven't Time" rocks along at a cracking pace, mostly guitar with a hint of fiddles.

"Horses" is slower, with wonderful folk rhythms and  the vocals like a gentle caress. This is listed on the cassingle as "Equus: Fear of Tides". Another achingly haunted piece.

We conclude with "Lament II" - the same structure and rhythms, but slowed down into bittersweet melancholy and with different lyrics (I think) and possibly more strings. A majestic, beautiful piece and a wonderful way to conclude.

Banshee Reel were a talented and original band, that I wish could have been with us for longer. Their music is sublime, variable and gorgeously emotive and their songs linger with you and haunt you for hours afterwards. There are some weaker tracks on this album, but they are vastly overshadowed by the powerful ones. They definitely deserve a 9/10.

Katie Thompson - Tall Poppy (2008)

Another mild oddity in my CD collection. Katie Thompson is a West Coast, New Zealand singer, with a fine voice. One of my co-workers was a friend or associate of hers, and I purchased this CD to support local music. For a self-published pressing, it looks very professional - the cover depicts the lovely young Katie Thompson with her acousitc guitar, beside a handdrawn poppy. Inside are some quotes and the lyrics of two of the songs - with a link to where you can find the rest. My copy is, of course, autographed.

She has a charming voice and her style of music is country, with a touch of pop. The vibe is very much a West Coast one - as you shall see from the song titles as I go through it track by track.
You can purchase it through itunes.

the first track is "Do It Today" which is essentially vocals and light acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong, but with a sweet edge to it.  She sounds rather like she's smiling.

"Karamea Cowboy" has a real western coutnry sound, which is quite funny given the lyrics:

"Holed up in Hokitika, living my life on Monteith's bitter..."

Firstly, for those of you not in the know, the West Coast NZ is not even mildly like the west of the USA. It's wetter, greener and although there are cattle and it does have a wild feel, it's rather more like Washington state than Wyoming.

"Tall Poppy" is a lovey song, rather sweet, even if the lyrics are slightly bitter. Has more of a pop music vibe.

Back into the true country again - vocals and acousitc guitar, "Gone" is your standing C&W song - ie: about leaving your loved one. Except in this case, she actually is taking pride in the fact that it is she that has ditched him.

The next one I imagine is a real pub favourite - "Monteiths on Tap".  It has a rolicking, sing-along chorus:

"Does heaven have a bar, is Monteiths on tap? Why work so hard, if he can't have that?"

A rather melancholic song - "Tears Me Down" is about the loss and loneliness in relationships and how it haunts you - bruising a part of you forever. The guitars are a little more emphatic here, and the music is very empathic.

Following it is the equally bittersweet, "Is It Ever Gonna Change?" There are some male vocals in this song too, ghosting alongside Katie's sweet, sorrow-filled tones.

"Better Left Unsaid" is a wee bit more upbeat, but still has the haunting sorrow-edge typical of light acoustic guitar and very low bass lines.

Now we get into the slightly more pop "Not the One for You" which has a stronger guitar and a slightly electronic/keyboard edge, which sounds a little out of place, but somehow also works.

This is followed by her rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"* She does manage a bit of power and aggression, but for the most part, it's sweet and delicate. Even when the lyrics are a bit sinister!

The twisty guitar leading into "This is Goodbye" is beautiful and delicate, like petals falling. The vocals are soft and gentle, like tears in the morning rain. The general mood - heartbreaking. Haunting. Lovely.

We conclude with a duet "A Long Time Ago" which as advertised as "acoustic" but I think most of the album sounds acoustic (they might be electric-acoustic). Again, this song is all about the voices, the music more as a support to  than a force of its own.

At the end, we get a repeat of "Monteiths on Tap" so we can 'rock' out to it again. The lyrics have been changed to first person. This is another acoustic duet.

After listening to music where the instruments create a vast cascade of sound, this is a very gentle, very light album, it is sweet and somewhat soothing. Very pleasant to listen to. As far as country goes, it is blended well with the pop stylings. There is an innocence and naivette to her voice - not because it isn't powerful - (it is) but she feels fragile, like a flower, the sort of young lady who has yet to be hardened to the hardships of life, to truly feel love and pain and loss. Long may she keep that innocence!

Country music is "not really my thing" but I'm going to give her 7/10.

Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/katiethompsonz/
Looks like she's moved into more blues now and away from the country, her voice has gotten stronger, the music more sophisticated. She has opened for Elton John.

* I am so proud of myself for recognising this! It probably helps that I listened to Johnny Cash a few weeks ago.

Johnny Cash - The Best of (1991)

I have had to backtrack to J, remembering that I have this CD - which may seem a bit out of place in my collection - for although Johnny Cash did some awesome stuff - like a cover of  Nine Inch Nails (that was better than the original) - this one is very much old school and very much country. It is one of two country CDs in my collection (regretfully, I do not have any Handsome Family).

This was a spur-of-the-moment, impulse purchase of a bargain CD, acquired entirely because of the first track. The album may have been released in 1991, but most of the songs are from the 60s, marking this as the oldest music in my collection. The recordings are the original ones, which means the sound quality is not great (it actually contains a warning fro the CD store that the disc surface isn't perfect but it should play fine).

"Ring of Fire" which is an awesome track and best played loud - from the distinct opening horns and into the chorus. Cash's baritone voice is magnificant, and portrays emotion very well. This is a song about falling in love, despite the ominous title.

"A Boy Named Sue" follows it up, with its ridiculous (funny) lyrics and as it is performed live - you can hear the laughter in his voice and the cheers of the crowd. The lyrics are rather violent though. Vocals and guitar, rollicking rhythm.

And then we have a song about drinking too much - "Sunday Morning Coming Down". He had such a wonderful voice, so deep that it is like a force of nature and laden with emotion. The music helps here too.Quite a melancholic song. Also live, but the audience are well behaved.

In fact, much of this album seems to be live. I guess that was the way things were recorded in those days?

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a goodly paced country song, one of those rockabilly numbers that isn't too depressing - although it does have some rather violent lyrics too:

"I shot a man in Reno, just to see him die..."

Another one that is familar - "I Walk the Line". Great vocals, supporting by a chug-chug-chug of guitar.

"I admit that I'm a fool for you, because you're mine - I walk the line"

Another love song, I'm guessing, and of course, the song the movie was named after. I have not seen the movie - maybe I should? The lyrics are actually quite romantic.

Back into the rock-inspired country "Ballad of a Teenage Queen". This is a true "Ballad" - that is to say - an actual story - about a girl who falls in love with the boy next door then leaves him to become famous. But don't worry, she comes back to the boy next door.

Ah, the old songs had lyrics that were actual narratives and that you could hear the words to.

"Guess Things Happen That Way" contains some elements of  acapella, although it also has guitar.

"The Way of a Woman in Love" is another country-ish number, as is "Get Rhythm". Both have a hint of rock n roll to them, however.

"That Old Wheel" is another rollicking song,

A more heart-felt number - "The Long Black Veil" has harmonica, and encompases the feel of the wild open spaces, the great plains of the US of A. Had I made a soundtrack for our US adventure, this would have been a perfect addition.

This is something of an anamoly in my CD collection, and I'm pretty sure this isn't the true Best of Johnny Cash - or at least, it doesn't include anything created in like the last 30 or so years, It certainly would not be my choice of Johnny Cash CD had I set out to actually buy one - the songs are decent, and display his fine vocals, but aside from "Ring of Fire" and "Walk the Line" (and maybe "Boy named Sue") none of the songs have lasted through to the modern day. If I was to actually say "I am going to buy a Johnny Cash CD" it would definitely have had "Hurt" on it. God, that's a beautiful rendtion - better than the original (which is saying a lot - because I really love the original too).

Please understand that I respect Johnny Cash, and admire his wonderful voice, his creativity and originality, but that for the quality (which is poor), the relative obscurity of most of these songs (at least to someone who was not born when they were released) this particular album by Johnny Cash is only going to get a 5/10 from me.