ROUND-UP: BLUES
Victor Wainwright & The Train Memphis Loud
RUF
Victor Wainwright’s second album plays like 12 postcards thrown from the cabin of a hijacked Old West locomotive. A larger-than-life character, with his fingers on the ley lines of American roots, the hirsute piano man hammers the old black and whites with a joyous propulsion matched by his virtuoso band. Listen to openers Mississippi and Walk The Walk and you can’t help but fall in step with the push/ pull soul groove, while the easy-come, ad-libbed chemistry suggests they’d have let the studio janitor honk a saxophone.
This coast-to-coast journey has its moments of hardship. Sing turfs us out in New Orleans for a spooky gang-chant in
Victor Wainwright & The Train: roots music
with a soul groove. a haunted jazz cellar; the wistful America wonders where Wainwright’s musical motherland took a wrong turn. Thankfully, whenever things threaten to get too heavy he returns to his irrepressible default setting with a song about his dog drinking from the toilet.
Maybe it’s the cabin fever talking, but freight-hopping this boxcar seems like a smart move. ■■■■■■■■■■
Izo FitzRoy
How The Mighty Fall
JALAPENO
British soul’s hot tip suffered a torrid aftermath to her earpricking 2017 debut, Skyline, beset by vocal cord surgery and a relationship breakdown. Both have left her stronger. FitzRoy’s deep voice has picked up an extra octave that sails over the funk of Slim Pickings, and when she puts the thumbscrews on (presumably) her ex with Ain’t Here For Your Pleasure, every twist feels real. ■■■■■■■■■■
Joe Edwards Keep On Running TINY MOUNTAIN
The Wiltshire-born songwriter has put on some miles, but all roads lead to Nashville on this assured debut. Producer, slide guitarist and local hero Steve Dawson ensures it never comes across as a holidaying Englishman, letting songs like Cross The Line and Driving Home unfold with an authentic, unhurried, pedal-steeldraped beauty. ■■■■■■■■■■
John Cee Stannard When The Time Is Right CAST IRON RECORDINGS
Given that Stannard died of cancer in March – and knew the end was coming – you might approach his swansong album expecting a plaintive deathbed kissoff. Not a bit of it. With his matter-of-fact vocal, and winning rave-ups, the veteran never wallows. Even on Biscuits At 2am, when Stannard lists his nightly medication, he’s determined to go down smiling. ■■■■■■■■■■
Sean Taylor Live! In London
SELF-RELEASED
With his back catalogue and road miles, Taylor was due a live album, and here he tames the Camden Green Note’s crowd with just his acoustic guitar and supreme likeability. Check out Heaven for the songcraft, Hold On for the guitar work, and This Is England for Taylor’s tonguetwister social commentary (‘Everyone meets on Tinder, even Romeo and Juliet/ Aren’t you fuckers married yet?’). ■■■■■■■■■■