Beyond The 45
Singles, EPs, Downloads
The Fatea office also serves as a home for our weekly Along The Tracks show on Blues & Roots Radio and as a rule singles and Eps have generally gone in that direction whilst Fatea generally concentrates on albums and live reviews for our full length feature, but with more artists going back down the single route to keep themselves in the public eye, we thought it was time to reflect that in our offerings and as rules are made to be broken or at the very least adapted, welcome to the Singles Round Up.
Elles Bailey - Long Road Ahead
www.ellesbailey.com
Local (Bristol) girl made very good, Bailey has wins awards often enough to need a new mantelpiece most years. She continues to explore her own brand of soulful Blues, with this Hammond organ dominated take on a Delaney and Bonnie tune. Apparently a one off single, it marks another stage in her evolution towards the sort of festival-friendly fare that will one day see her take her rightful place headlining the biggest US shows. My advice is see her while you can. She's an incendiary live act, but she won't be playing Stow On The Wold blues festival recently much longer… Now up there with Susan Tedeschi as the finest purveyor of this corner of the blues in the world. TM
Reid Haughton - Say Less
www.reidhaughton.com
It's clearly blues rock week, Reid Haughton is at the Americana end of the genre though, a bluesier Jason Isbell is the first comparison that springs to mind. A thumping good single with a guitar style at the mid-point between Keith Richards and Steve Cropper, the rest of the 7 song EP that this is lifted from is as good and worthy of your attention as a whole. TM
Harbottle And Jonas - Wild Goose
www.harbottleandjonas.com
One of the best folk duos currently playing. Mesmerizing when they played Downend Folk Club earlier this year. New Single Wild Goose was, they say, "written as a poem / lullaby / prayer for our daughter Rosalie when she was a few months old and would fight sleep each night. It was a musing on how we can keep the wild places with us wherever we are, even when tucked up in our warm, cosy beds. How there's a whole world to keep on exploring, in reality and through dreams and imagination". Enchanting and a bigger arrangement than much of their work. Hopefully a new album is in the offing as this is one of their best. TM
Julian Wolf - East Kentucky Morning
www.facebook.com/wolfmusic08With some pretty desperate country singles on offer recently, it's good to find something atmospheric and emotional, not just custom built for the charts. Birdsong sits behind a simple guitar and bass tune, with Wolf's gruff baritone intoning the words over the top. Takes a couple of listens then it will have wormed its way into your ear. Not to be confused with a German singer of the same name. TM
Greg Sover - Dark House
gregsover.com/home
More blues, but much darker. "There was a funeral. It was sad to let her go. I remember Auntie. Lightin' up those candles". The cover of his album His-Story shows a picture of someone looking not unlike Rober Cray, and the guitar style is in the same territory, with bits of Hendrix in the solo. An intriguing take on the standard blues guitar model. Band of Gypsys bassist, Billy Cox, appears elsewhere on the album suggesting the Hendrix influence will be a presence throughout. A name to watch out for. TM
Cash & Carter - Americana
bandcamp.com/track/americana-cash-carter
Birmingham artist Shaun Smith London singer, writer, and producer Ross O'Reilly have a created Cash and Carter, named for their heroes. Closer to Ed Sheeran than actual Americana, as a piece of modern pop this is better than much of what is the market currently. Their other available song All Of The Way is far more country, suggesting this is their intended direction. With no obvious online presence, I can't tell you much more than if you want to hear a good modern pop song try this. TM
Beans On Toast - The Golden Lion
www.beansontoastmusic.com
The always consistent Beans On Toast, produces a love song to the Golden Lion pub in Todmorden in Yorkshire. He says: "The characters in 'The Golden Lion' are real people, as is the bizarre history of the town that the song alludes to. I played a show at the pub last year and was so inspired by the town, the pub, and its people that I couldn't help but write a folk song about it." If you know his music, then you will need no convincing to hear this or the album that follows in December The Toothpaste and the Tube. Musical highlight is the guitar solo which weaves through the second part of the song. Great, buy it now. TM
Jasmine Rodgers - Dark Tides
www.jasminerodgers.com
"Dark Tides is inspired by the Thames, a tidal river that is the heartbeat of my city. All things rise to the surface eventually, sometimes dark things, sometimes treasures". Guitar, Cello, and a distant drum machine back Rodgers soulful vocal. A new name to me, but this is brilliant. The Cello from Danny Keane dominates the song and brings the darkness she was clearly looking for. A delicate masterpiece. TM
Matt McGinn - The Music
www.mattmcginnmusic.com
McGinn is a County Down singer songwriter and has brought us a song that talks about the effect of music on Irish immigrants to the USA, and how using the music to carry their traditions to distant places. Musically a fairly standard tune, pipes, violin, and guitar play over some traditional themes. It's the story you will want to hear on this song. TM
Ben Hemming - Lonesome Road
www.benhemming.co.uk
A blues rock song that has a touch of grunge blended in; Ben Hemmings song is a straightforward tune that has no pretensions to be anything other than what it is. His vocal starts from Cobain and the song could be Nirvana influenced by Crazy Horse. Played loud it is more than the sum of its parts. He seems to use a lot of "road" imagery in his songs, and this is one of his best from a check back through his 5-album catalogue. File under "learn more". TM
Israel Nash - Can't Stop
israelnash.comComing from the Americana end of "Heartland Rock." In an alternate universe, Nash is fighting Bob Seger and Tom Petty for the number one single. Soaring guitar, driving percussion, and a voice that matches either of those two better known singers. New album Oxarker is due out soon, and Nash is a name that you need to catch up with. If you can't wait for the new album after hearing this single, them try previous album Topaz, you won't be disappointed. TM
Hannah White - Chains Of Ours
www.hannahwhitemusic.com
One of the increasing number of truly brilliant singer songwriters operating in the Americana world in the UK. White has produced her best song yet in this song about a woman's place in the world. Fleetwood Mac are the name most often mentioned in connection with White, and Keiron Marshall's guitar solo certainly has more than a touch of Lindsay Buckingham about it. Producer Michelle Stodart has brought out the best in her voice, and if this is a taste of the new album then I suggest joining the queue now. TM
Don Amero - Go Girl
donamero.ca
Canadian singer Don Amero has produced the best of the current batch of mainstream country songs. The hint of autotune on the voice does grate a bit, but overall this is as good an anthemic country tune as you could ask for. Nothing very original about it, just a good simple song played well. TM
Chloe Matharu - Towards The Hebrides
www.chloematharu.co.uk
We praised an earlier single from traditional folk singer Chloe Matharu. She draws on her life at sea in the Merchant Navy for many of her songs. This song is about escaping the heat and noise of the summer city, traveling to the space and light of the Hebrides by road and ferry. The harp and voice together give this an ethereal quality that is more than a little beguiling. It's released in tandem will be her self-filmed video documenting a journey from Cambridge Folk Festival to EDF Festival on the Isle of Benbecula. TM
Will Page - Broadstairs
www.willpagemusic.comA song about a music festival in the Kent town that it shares its name with. Guitar and mandolin and his Billy Bragg-ish voice give this a joyful feel, and you want to get straight in your car and drive to his festival… TM
Brown Horse - Sunfisher
www.facebook.com/brownhorsemusic
Roots rock of the Neil Young sort, blended with folk accordion and fiddle might sound like a potential clash, but Brown Horse make it work. Their country rock/folk blend produces a noise that Young would be happy with, nothing dominates the sound but everything plays it's part in producing one of the best new singles that I've heard in a while. By all accounts a great live act, and on tour in October…TM
Dekel - Cartoon Movie
www.dekelmusic.com
Irit Dekel is a female singer-songwriter covering eclectic genres such as Folky pop, Jazzy, Indie, and alternative. Eclectic is the word for this mixing Latin horns, French accordion and a bouncy backbeat. Fun is the other word for it. Almost beyond describing, you need to hear this, and smile at its joyful nature. TM
Cara Hammond - America
www.carahammondmusic.com
Cara Hammond is an indie singer-songwriter from Wrexham, and while she claims influence from the likes of Lana Del Ray she is very much her own artist. She wrote America after returning from showcasing at SXSW 2022. It sounds like she has a slightly conflicted relationship with the USA from the words, but the song itself is a delight. Americana guitar slides, and soft drums give it a relaxed feel that bodes well for the album that she deserves to make. With other singles in the works, she will be a name to watch for 2024. TM
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.
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