This is the Garden Party set, so a little explanation is in order.
After listening to the Garden Party album by Rose City Band, it was obvious I had a hole in my repertoire of music that featured the singer-songwriter with the sounds of Americana, blues, folk, and, yes, even country. It seemed this needed to be addressed. The only question was how. Garden Party had such a nice blend of earnest vocals, catchy tunes, well-played instruments - especially the pedal steel guitar - that this was going to be the target.
After listening to it on Tidal, Tidal does what it normally does, it comes up with a bunch of tracks by artists in a similar vein. So, why not? Lay it on me, Tidal, show me what you got. The results were beyond my wildest expectations. Anything that sounded interesting was put into a check-it-out list to come up with 15-18 possible artists and albums. I set aside a few mainly because that was a boatload to check out and so it was whittled down to the ten or so listed below. Nothing is the same and yet they are all connected. There is country. There is folk. There are ballads. There are ensembles. There is baroque pop. Seemingly boundless forms of presentation, yet still focused on a simpler and less raucous form of pop. Even the worst of the group is presentable.
Two things surprised me outside of the content. One of these is how each one is a 2023 release. The other is almost every release has a FLAC/MQA quality level. Wow, Tidal, you are really on your game.
Best of the Week
Natalie Merchant - Keep Your Courage
2023 10 tracks (54:43)
Merchant’s pedigree needs no introduction. Her voice is still strong and resonant, maybe now with a bit more impact than her early days. The compositional skills are still vibrant and nuanced. Leaving behind the pounding guitars for a sparse selection strings, woodwinds, and piano turns normal song structures into captivating art. A
Drayton Farley - Twenty on High
2023 10 tracks (37:53)
Quality music. Somebody plays a mean slide guitar. Farley has a strong steady voice to couple with the equally strong songwriting and musicianship. Overall, it’s a little pop oriented with a hint of Americana. A
Ruston Kelly - The Weakness
2023 12 tracks (40:54)
The first tune that popped up was “Let Only Love Remain”, a slow heartfelt song with mostly simple instruments (until towards the end) with Kelly’s earthy vocals. For the most part, he has meaningful accompaniment to augment his well-crafted song writing. A
Ryan Adams - Morning Glory
2023 14 tracks (1:04:22)
Did Neil Young have a son he didn’t let anyone know about? It isn’t only the voice (which is better than Neil’s), but the almost Crazy Horse like backing instruments. The worst you can say is that once in a while, the song is only average. Another feature is the different features in the arrangements that avoids the problem of sameness that is easy to occur with a lone singer’s output. Very exciting talent and looking forward to more. A
Interesting Finds
Logan Halstead - Dark Black Coal
2023 11 tracks (43:58)
Great sound quality gives this Loudan Wainwright facsimile an up front in your face directness. Of all these artists, this is the one that is a prototypical solo singer with only he/she playing a guitar. The songs are nice, his voice is pleasant, and there is an ease about his work. C
Margo Price - Strays
2023 10 tracks (46:22)
Not sure who did Margo Price wrong, but she puts out some mean lyrics to do bad things to them. That said, her craftsmanship is first rate and mostly delicious. B
Peter One - Come Back To Me
2023 10 tracks (41:23)
Peter One is an amazing person and story. Hailing from the Ivory Coast, he becomes a Nashville figure some thirty years ago. Now in his late sixties, he’s back in Nashville making Americana music with a West African flair. The results are impressive. If you can get by the older person’s vocals which aren’t pitch perfect, there is a warmth and genuineness that is real. B
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real - Sticks and Stones
2023 12 tracks (35:48)
Lukas is a chip off the ol’ block from father Willie. His voice is a dead ringer of dad’s from an earlier day. The music isn’t far off either which means get ready for a heaping dose of country infused music. It is well done crossover music even if you aren’t in the mood for country. B
Josh Ritter - Spectral Lines
2023 10 tracks (37:25)
Ritter incorporates a variety of rhythms, choruses, and special sounds to add depth to his tracks. He might have learned this from the Paul Simon school of production and it pays off. His music is often simple with minimalist background synthesizers. He does have the annoying habit of using the spoken word as an adjunct to his music. C
The New Pornographers - Continue as a Guest
2023 10 tracks (41:03)
This six or seven member group of singer songwriters from Vancouver B.C. have a preppy pop approach to music. Featuring multilayered harmonies and pithy melodies, these songs bounce and flow with energy and panache. With so many involved, it’s no wonder the arrangements are full and expansive. Really fine effort. B
Tiny Ruins - Ceremony
2023 11 tracks (40:18)
This New Zealand band keeps things clean and simple. Singer Fullbrook has a capable voice to carry the tunes. Because of the careful restrained nature of many of the songs, it’s a delicate album for simpler moments. B
Nick Waterhouse - The Fooler
2023 12 tracks (42:29)
Waterhouse’s voice isn’t pretty, sort of like if Lou Reed could carry a tune but still range limited. His songs are quirky with a hint of nostalgia, a little rockabilly note as well. The only problem with this style is that it seems like he doesn’t take himself seriously, which begs the question; why should we? B
Forgettable
Personal Notes:
This is a special mix created by Tidal based on the idea of finding similar artists to the Rose City Band. After listening to a tune to be judged worthy of investigating further, the “winners” were put into a mix of these albums. All of the artists were previously unknown to me at the time.
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