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Album Review – Helene Cronin – Maybe New Mexico

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A woman, dressed in a black jacket, jeans and tall boots, sits against a red brick wall. She is smiling and looking slightly off to the viewers left.

Yes indeed…I am late in getting around to this album (and I mean really late….more than 9 months!).  I was fortunate to have Adam Dawson from Broken Jukebox Media send out an end-of-year “in case you missed it” email with this and other releases included.  There are some others that were also detailed within that comm which I hope to get to soon but I started with this one as I recognized her name from an interview I read several years ago.  

The album leads off with “Copperhill” and a great opening guitar riff that sets a little bit of an edgy vibe for the song.   There is a punchy drum that drives the music and it is joined by the nice interplay of several guitars.  The lyrics really set the scene for the story here and are delivered by Cronin in a voice that has strength and feeling behind it.  

Another favorite of mine on this is the title track which has a wistful tone to it which evokes New Mexico in a way that is hard to explain if you have not found yourself wandering around that slightly mystical state.  The guitar on this song is subdued with a slow bass line that complements the reflective mood set by the vocal delivery.  

There are ten other tracks on Maybe New Mexico which range from the uplifting power of “Maker’s Mark” to the therapeutic “Dear Life” and the immersive storytelling of “Rifleman.”  All of the songs on this album as well-arranged and highlight the skills of the musicians involved  (who I unfortunately could not find a definitive list of anywhere).  Cronin’s voice is also a major feature of course and she delivers these songs with clarity, emotion and an openness that is sometimes startling in its depth.  

You can find this on all of your streaming channels of course (and if you do please think about purchasing when you can :).  You can also check out her website here:

https://www.helenecronin.com/home

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Dhärä  –  “A PLACE IN TIME, (the entities, divided) off the upcoming album Elemental Four 

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A spilt black and white image of four musicians each of whom are playing their respective instruments.

So, a song title like that is likely to give you a second or two of pause…it did for me anyway.  Not that I do not like interesting song titles…you may already know that I am a huge fan of such things.  This one though has a bit of the mystical about it so I was caught off guard for a moment as I opened up the press release from Earshot Media.  In my mind was the question, “What the heck is this all about?”  I had not heard of Dhärä before that moment so I read on and quickly found out that they are a progressive rock band.  That genre is outside of my usual space and those opportunities always intrigue me so we were now officially at, “Exactly just what the heck is this all about?!”

I pushed play to find out the answer and wow, what a cool experience!  This is a composition with great instrumentation and quite a range of atmospheres within its 4:18 play time.  It opens with brash guitars and drums that rise up before falling away to a subtle, melodic place with a swaying bass line to carry you along.  Eventually you get to about mid-point in the song which is this great combination of guitar sound set against a rumbling drum line.  And then…a fade out to a quiet space that slowly fills with a pulsing note pattern, kind of reflective but a bit demanding also…like it is asking a question that you cannot answer.

This is available for streaming in your usual places and there is quite the interesting video here (which also includes the opening piece of the album called “the conduit”:

Musicians on this are: Austin Sandick (guitar), Chris Rodriguez (drums), Kay Tyagi (guitar) and Ryan DiPietrantonio (bass)

It is a big help to the band if you pre-save the album (due out January 11, 2026) and you can do that here: 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dhr1/elemental-four

Your community – us and you and everyone else – is powerful…remember to support and engage.

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Album Review- Calling All Captains – The Things That I’ve Lost

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Four casually dressed young men stand on a hill.

Like in many other instances over the years,  I had first found Calling All Captains through one of my sessions cruising through music news sites and blogs back in the early 2020’s.  There was an article about the band and their  Slowly Getting Better album.  I went back and tried to find this and am pretty sure it was the one still on the New Noise Magazine website.  

Track-By-Track: Calling All Captains – ‘Slowly Getting Better’

That had prompted me to check out some of their music (although I somehow never did get to listening to Slowly Getting Better) and I had picked up their 2019 EP Nothing Grows Here which is a solid five song alt-rock set.  My favorites are “Chasing Ghosts” and “Disconnected”  and they are definitely worth a listen if you have time.  On a side note, in the article I read it had referenced some co-writing by a friend of the band named Ty Elgie.  He also co-wrote some songs on Nothing Grows Here which led me to check out his band Norell and the very good 2017 album Careless which is another worthy side mission.  

The preview opportunity for this upcoming release from Calling All Captains came courtesy of Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media and it has been great to listen to for the past few days.   There is a lot of energy in the seven songs and some interesting arrangements that keep your ears alert …these are not dozing off compositions.  It opens with “Stay Away” which is hard drums and booming guitars right from go and that wall of sound is maintained at the front of this track all the way through.  They drop in a bit of a different groove on “A New Type of Grey” which has some subdued, melodic moments that rise up into loud choruses framed by anguished vocals.  As with much of their music the lyrical themes on this are about dealing with hard things in life and getting through those challenges.  They bring much feeling and power to their music and this entire album reflects that very well.  

You can check out the video for the single “Blood for Blood” off of this upcoming album (out January 9th on New Damage Records) here:

Musicians on this are:  Connor Dawkins (guitar, vocals), Tim Wilson (drums), Luc Gauthier (vocals) and Brad Bremner (guitar, vocals). 

You can get more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://callingallcaptains.bandcamp.com/album/the-things-that-ive-lost-2

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Album Review- Valerie Smith – Maggie’s Journal

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A sepia toned photo of a middle aged woman whose head it turned slightly from the camera. She looks a little shy or uncertain.

Denise Kovalevich from dmk Publicity was kind enough to give me an advance preview of this upcoming album (on Bell Buckle Records) and I owe her many thanks as this release is quite the unique experience.  Prior to getting her email I had not heard of Valerie Smith which apparently has been a blind spot in my Americana / bluegrass experience.  A little poking around on the Interwebs revealed a long discography which I will be attempting to catch up on in the future.  

As for this album…it was crafted over 12 years by Smith after the journal of her great-grandmother was discovered in an attic.   As described in the press release:

“A true labor of love, Maggie’s Journal seamlessly blends bluegrass, Americana, and roots traditions into a vivid sonic tapestry. Original songs intertwine with spoken-word excerpts taken directly from Maggie’s handwritten journal—discovered decades after her death by Smith’s cousins, Kathy Eaton and Fonda Wells, tucked away inside a “Car Load Tablet” buried in an attic trunk.”

Now for a history and music buff like me, that description is like solid gold especially as Maggie was living in the post Civil War times which are a particular interest of mine.   Add in the bluegrass component and we are officially on a good path.  

So it was with some real anticipation that I hit play and was met with “Introduction – The Dream Story” which is a reflection by Smith on a vision she had after reading her great-grandmother’s words.    It gives background on the inspiration for the album and is followed by the first journal excerpt (there are 15 of these out of the 30 total tracks on the album).  Through those selections you really get to know Maggie’s story and her rather hard path through life.  These readings are set against subtle musical backgrounds that seem to be crafted to fit the mood of each part of the story.  

The 14 original musical tracks on the album are all strong and well composed.  Lyrically they are stark and poignant, telling simple stories while providing many little details that really allow these songs to live in your mind.  A few standouts for me were:

“That Was A Long Time Ago” – the slow pace of this song leaves a lot of room for some great instrumentation that features a nice mix of stringed instruments that play masterfully off of each other.   There is also a strong bass line that is like a heartbeat of the remembered life told by the lyrics.  

“Misery of Green” – the violin on this track weaves in and out of prominent place at just the right moments, sitting behind for atmosphere in some places and then soaring up to bring the tender, sorrowful mood needed by the story.  There are also some great mandolin sounds here. 

“When You Aint Got Nothin’” – I love to listen to a composition where great musicians can bring a clear, specific vibe with their vocals and instruments and this one is a perfect example.  It has attitude and feistiness throughout with energetic vocals, a sassy violin, punchy guitar and a subtle but true boot-stompimg rhythm.   For a cool side mission, strap on those good headphones and pick out the banjo on this one as there is much awesomeness going on there. 

A technical note also that this album is exceptionally well done by Tim Carter & Scott Vestal (engineering), Donna Ulisse (producer) and Chris Latham (mixing, mastering).  You can tell the care that went into every step of the process when you hear the results, especially when you take some extra time to really listen carefully.  There are some truly exquisite moments in these songs that take a very dedicated and skilled team to achieve. 

Musicians on this, in addition to Smith are: Cody Kilby (acoustic guitar, mandolin), Stephen Burwell (violin), Evan Winsor (upright bass), Scott Vestal (banjo) and backing vocals by Donna Ulisse, Josie Smith, Mike Rogers, Rosa Vestal and Aaron Vestal.

This album is one of those unique experiences that are hard to come by and one that I was fortunate enough to be able to preview.  I would recommend this one to you and it will be out for purchase on January 1, 2026 via Smith’s website  https://thevaleriesmith.com

Let me know you think! 

And as always – appreciate the great community you have surrounding you 🙂 

Song Review- Wanted Noise- “Burn the Time Away” from the upcoming album Easy Listening

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Four casually dressed men standing in front of an orange and green wall with a large "You Are Beautiful" sign above them. They seem pretty happy and relaxed.

At some point, somewhere along the course of many trips to California I had heard some music from this group, probably around 2019 or 2020.  After getting the press release on this from Earshot Media I had to go back and listen through their Bandcamp portfolio to try to figure out what I had heard back then and I think it was “Every Time” (off 2017’s Plate Lunch).  That album is a pretty decent offering on its own and combines some hard rock vibes with punk and a little reggae groove to good effect.  Much of their prior press highlights this multi-genre style in their music and it is definitely a strength for Wanted Noise.  

This new single has a subtle and melodic lead-in that goes on just long enough for you to give that head turn of curiosity before it slams into a wall of guitars and furious rhythm.  This track has a definite message to convey as explained by lead singer Suri Sherman:

“’Burn The Time Away’ was written about life with our crew in Goleta, where I grew up—capturing the duality of living the dream while also facing the tragedy that can come with life on the edge, but experiencing all of it together.”

This is a solid and energetic song and a nice advance peek at what is coming from the band.  You can pre-save here and this is due out on January 6, 2026:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wantednoise/burn-the-time-away?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=Email+&utm_source=SendGrid

Musicians on this (other than Sherman who also plays guitar): Taylor Wagner (drums), Matt Lappin (bass) and Caleb Adkins (guitar, vocals).

As another random and cool thing to know and check out – Sherman is a close friend of Mendeleyev (https://www.levsongs.com) who has a rather interesting project going on.  I also read about this in the Earshot Media press release and then poked around on Apple Music to find the IN WAVES concept album.  I have failed to properly absorb this collection of pretty cool takes on his “In Waves” song but will be continuing to work on it – you might find it interesting also.   Additionally, there is a version of this by Wanted Noise being released today as part of a second project from Mendeleyev.

You and your community are powerful – get out there and explore it 🙂 

Song Review- The Modern Era- “Dear Anyone”

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Five men standing in shadow beneath some vines.

Somewhere back in 2013 a friend of mine had seen this band at the Fine Line in Minneapolis and gave me a heads up to check them out.   It took some poking around but I did eventually find their EP The Holiday (although I never did find their debut EP The Swag back then…eventually tracked down on Bandcamp years later).  That Holiday album had a pretty cool song on it that I liked called “Everyone We Know Is A Ghost.”   They do have a few other releases out there and if you want a nice set that covers music from some of their other albums I would suggest picking up Too Loud? Too Bad!  A really nice rocker on that is “Citizen Zero” or you can slow it down with “Where Was I? (When I Needed Me)”.   They faded away in 2016 but are back now with a new single!

The Modern Era style of music has always been a little bit hard for me to explain – it is definitely rock-style but has this unique mix of punk and classic and sometimes almost anthem to it that keeps it pretty interesting.  This new offering starts with some steady drums and quite prominent bass before adding great screaming electric guitars that bring the attitude way up before dropping down into a more subdued vocal track.   Those vibes trade off throughout the song before finishing on a sweet extended fade out.  This is a solid track, full of energy and well produced, and a nice teaser for the anticipated full album in 2026.  

Musicians on this are: Jack Swagger, Josh Ripley, Ben Pelowski, Nick Pelowski and Chris Fister.

There is a video for this but when I checked it was time locked to 11 am December 28th…but maybe you will have more luck 🙂 

Steaming on your usual places and if you can please think about purchasing it – streaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.  

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Release Alert! Bicycle Inn – Long in the Tooth 

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Back in September I had the opportunity to preview the single “Longsword (4th Place)” off of this new album.  I enjoyed that track especially the harder guitar riffs and some of the subtleties of the melody.   This full set just dropped on November 21st and is a really solid collection of edgier-than-usual emo music.

Right from go the lead-off song “In the End, It’s Just Starting Again” brings much energy from a cycling, buzzing guitar riff and a prominent but simple drum line.  That track also features a really nice down-tempo moment right around the 00:40 mark before rising into some anguished vocals.  Other stand-outs on this for me were “Ordinary Hell” (cool drum / bass interplay) and “I’d Bet My Life On It”” (nice, subtle guitar melody and a bit of a sonic buzz groove).

You can stream it in all of your usual places and if you have the inclination please think about purchasing it as streaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.  

Song Review- Double Tiger- “Love Garden”

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A man wearing a leather jacket and cap stands looking out at the viewer. His hands are clasped in front of his chest but are held away from his body.

This single just dropped courtesy of Easy Star Records and was definitely one I wanted to check out right away.  Double Tiger (who is AKA Jay Spaker) had a long run with seminal American reggae band John’s Brown’s Body, adding his guitar and vocal skills to their sound.  That group, which was started out in Ithaca, New York back in the mid-90’s, has some great albums you can check out if you have any interest in listening to their music.  A good starting point is All Time which was their 1996 debut but it is hard to find.  I was fortunate enough to have someone play a CD copy for me back in 2005 which I believe was some kind of a re-release of the original.  For an easier to find suggestion check out This Day from 2000.  

This new song from Double Tiger is a very melodic reggae style tune with some great horns adding warm textures right after a short rhythmic lead-in.  It carries a slow, groovy tempo throughout the track and has a great bass sound that provides a nice counterpoint to the drums.  Also featuring a mellow vocal line that still delivers poignant lyrics this single is a good listen and worth a spin when you are ready to indulge in some peaceful contemplation about keeping life a little more simple.  

The video for this can be checked out here:

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Please remember to support your locals – community is powerful!