ON THE RECORD

Country

Drink The River

By Gabe Lee

A fresh, perceptive take on country music best describes this nine-track album, Gabe Lee’s fourth studio creation released via Torrez Music. While it has all the trappings of the heart-warming genre such as raspy vocals in a Southern accent and the freestyle strumming of the banjo, it also offers a modern take on this style, with instruments such as the violin and cello.

All I Can Do Is Write About It features the steel-cold tunes of the harmonica, offering a unique blues touch. On Merigold , undulating, stringsy notes lend the track a native American-type vibe; the sound rings deep, sending you into a trance-like state.

Lidocaine steers away from the usually peppy country style; the result – a soothing ointment for the troubled heart. On this song, Gabe takes a walk down memory lane, making amends with his loved ones.

The Wild is a number for the road, the lyrics showcasing the thoughts of someone who is on his way home, dreaming of what he expects to see. The music, easygoing although with impatient beats, complements the words.

A thought-provoking monologue, the title track features Gabe thinking aloud. Childhood memories and more are interwoven with banjo tunes. A unique sound that also offers the comfort of familiarity, Drink The River is a musical wonder to behold.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE

Eye On The Bat

By Palehound

The American band’s fourth album, released via Polyvinyl Records, is in keeping with their characteristic ‘journal rock’ style – like writing a diary but musically. The album is said to be informed by the stress and tension of the time when the pandemic hit in early 2020. However, one can expect more than just angsty rock.

Right About You is a slow-paced, pensive song with soft acoustics and toneddown drum beats to match the mood.

On the title track, lead member, vocalist and guitarist Ellen Kempner, spins the well-known phrase: “all tell you to keep watching for the ball/ But we know better than that/ Keep your eye on the bat”.

The Clutch is a rock anthem with punchy electronic guitar sets and ballistic cymbals. They complement the theme – heart-break, a recurring inspiration throughout.

Independence Day is a track in the same vein, dealing with breakups. Music-wise too it showcases rock elements.

On Route 22, Zoë Brecher counts the band in with three clicks of the drum sticks and what ensues is a teenage love song; there’s playfulness, highlighted by the shakers and tambourine, a bit of insecurity and more.

All in all, Eye On The Bat offers Palehound’s signature blend of raw emotion and great music, while keeping things diverse, which makes it a fun musical offering.

THRILLER/MYSTERY

Good Bad Girl

By Alice Feeney

We like the tagline on this “Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things.”

In a novel from Alice Feeney, we’d expect nothing less than a page-turner full of twists and turns as we try to unravel the 20-year-old case of a stolen baby which is somehow linked to the modern-day murder of a care home resident.

Fellow oldie and reluctant care home resident Edith, her estranged daughter, Clio, and dishonest but lovable carer Patience, must work together to solve the mystery.

ROMANCE/FICTION

The Blonde Identity

By Ally Carter

This has beach read written all over it and we’ll be taking it on our hollybobs. A road trip rom-com starring the titular blonde who wakes up in Paris with a splitting headache and no memory. She soon discovers she’s the identical twin of a rogue spy, which, of course, leads to all manner of trouble with a criminal gang trying to kill her and the world’s intelligence agencies trying to catch her.

Her only option to save her skin and, hopefully, clear her sister’s name is to team up with a grumpy but gorgeous very secret agent.