Category: Reviews

Chris Hillman’s formative solo years

Chris Hillman’s career has come full circle. A founding member of the Byrds, he helped bring an Americana sensibility to that legendary band.  And now his recent ” Bidin’ My Time” is seeing widespread acceptance by Americana radio.

Omnivore Records offers a glimpse into Hillman’s formative ’70s work with “The Asylum Years,” collecting 20 tracks from that era. There’s plenty of good work, though we’ll have to admit there’s the same search for a comfortable and cohesive sound we heard on the Byrds’ “reunion” album and the later McGuinn, Clark and Hillman records.

The title track from “Slippin’ Away:”

 

 

Michelle Malone

Review: Michelle Malone’s “Slings & Arrows”

Georgia singer-songwriter Michelle Malone puts forth another fine effort with the wide-ranging Slings & Arrows. As always, she’s equally at home with quiet, folky material and flat-out rockers, and this 10-song collection adds other musical flavors, notably funk and soul, to the mix.

Jenny Van West

New release: Jenny Van West’s “Happiness to Burn”

This week’s mail contained a pleasant surprise – the new Jenny Van West album “Happiness to Burn” due for release in April . We love this Maine-based artist’s voice and admire the sentiment of “Live in a New Way,” inspired by the protests surrounding the death of Freddie Gray.