By Chris Familton
T
his issue I thought I’d take a look at a selection of my favourite Americana albums released so far in 2021. Some you may have heard, others you may not have comes across or had a chance to investigate yet. One thing is for sure, all of them are quite superb, ranging from hypnotic folk, to cosmic country, a fresh take on the Texas troubadour sound and some of Australia’s finest alt-country releases.
Reviewed elsewhere in this issue, Suicide Swans’ latest, Reservations, is their most cohesive and concise album to date. Hailing from Toowoomba and Brisbane, the band are my favourite Australian altcountry act of the last few years. Always approaching their song-craft from a different angle on each album, they’ve found a way to frame their songs with a sublime mix of country, folk and ragged rock ’n’ roll, all under the watchful eye and astute songwriting of Kyle Jenkins. Keeping things local, Katie Brianna’s journey has been a really interesting one over the last decade. From being ‘discovered’ by Paul Kelly, time at The Academy of Country Music, hours spent honing her craft on the stages of Sydney bars and clubs, through Golden Guitar nominations and her first two albums – it’s felt like a path of discovery. Figuring out what best complements her songwriting, personality and goals. Her latest album This Way Or Some Other is the closest we’ve got to experiencing the real Katie Brianna. Eschewing the expectations of the local country scene, she’s added indie rock and pop flavours to her soulful country sound. It’s deep but it’s also fun. Above all it’s honest and wonderfully enhanced by a band that includes members of The Cruel Sea, Front End Loader, The Clouds and Spurs For Jesus. Heading further out into the cosmos, Rose City Band have again recorded a hypnotic set of songs built on the uber-laidback, languid sound of Ripley Johnson’s guitar and melancholic voice. He’s also a member of Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo so psychedelia and drone are in his bloodstream. On Earth Trip he channels it through a country filter of back porches and coastal drives, while summoning the vibe of JJ Cale and West Coast country rock. The perfect balm to ease the stress of lockdowns or life in general. Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy became firm buddies after collaborating on their first Superwolf album back in 2005 and though it’s taken 16 years to get round to the follow-up, the wait for Superwolves has been well worth it. Sweeney’s guitar and the lyrics and melodies of Will Oldham’s spectral voice make for a mesmerising and poignant sound, replete with African, American Primitive and backwoods folk flavours. East Texas songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson is causing large ripples of interest with his self-titled debut album, out now on La Honda Records. You can draw a line of influences down through the decades, from Willie Nelson to Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, John Prine and Steve Earle. Rodney Crowell produced his album, a sure sign of his growing reputation and the quality of his songwriting. He sings of the wide open plains and wild mountains, the hardships of life and past injustices to his indigenous roots (‘The Ballad of the Choctaw-Apache’). Crowell has ensured there is plenty of space in his sound, perfectly augmented with strings, organ and more. Those are just a few of my highlights of the year so far and we’ve still got plenty to look forward to, including the long awaited new album from James McMurtry, what has been touted as a potential final album from Sturgill Simpson, the new Felice Brothers record, which has already provided three exquisite singles, and the impressive debut album by Riddy Arman which we’ve been lucky enough to hear. 74
