If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Mason Poole While we tend to think of Allison Russell as more of a folk artist, her latest single is far from that genre. "Cold April" features Kara Jackson, Denitia, and Explore! Pop Choir (Russell's daughter, Ida's, choir), and fits more into a pop category. It borders the line between mainstream pop and alt-pop, but either way it's a fun, and great single. It mixes plenty of soul and R&B into a pop sound, but pop is the dominant sound, especially once the choir kicks in towards the end. "Cold April" is anything but cold sounding. It's an upbeat and sunny track, and is going to have a strong appeal to a wide range of music fans. Allison Russell says of her latest single: "Things are rough. Things have been rough before.Cold April is not laying out the grim facts of the moment. Cold April asks if we can let the music itself restore and recharge us. The act of singing with my sisters, Kara Jackson and Denitia, is a balm for my soul,...

Photo by Athena Kulb Nashville's Allison Russell just finished up a second Broadway run in Hadestown , and is set to tour with Sarah McLachlan this summer. She has a new single out that sees her joined by Joy Oladokun and Julie Williams. "No Springtime" is this amazing mix of folk and pop, of traditional and modern sounds, and of mainstream and the more experimental. It's a soulful song that sees some breathtaking harmonizing from all three artists, which is the true highlight of the song. I don't believe I've ever heard a song that sounds so mainstream but feels like you're hanging out by a campfire with close friends and enjoying the night. "No Springtime" is a truly special song. Allison Russell says of her latest single: When I talk about reconnecting to something essential, I don’t mean grasping for the most available sunshine. No Springtime is about embracing the dark side of the moon - the blues, sadness, melancholy … Blues are activated s...

Photo by Janice Reid Kaia Kater's latest single is a collaboration with fellow Grenadian-Canadian (and Montreal resident) Allison Russell and is meant as a love letter to the banjo. "In Montreal" has all of the elements of traditional folk without sounding traditional at all. It's a captivating and endlessly compelling song that sucks the listener in almost by accident. You'll catch yourself listening closely while trying to figure out exactly what is happening, and next thing you know you're fully mesmerized by the arrangement and creativity involved. "In Montreal" is one of the more interesting folk releases of the year, and we're left curious what Kater will be doing next. Kaia Kater says of her latest single:  “Simply, this is a reflection on the gravitational pull of my hometown, Montreal.  I’ve left and returned so many times that it now feels like ghosts of my former selves haunt the city. During the deep winter of 2021 with its short days...

Photo by Ray Di Pietro The Tennessee Freedom Singers Project was started by Allison Russell out of "resistance from the rise of extremist forces" and "an unwillingness to accept the rollback of protections for historically marginalized groups." The project features a huge number of musicians:  Allison Russell, Amanda Shires, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Brittney Spencer, Brooke Eden, Denitia, Devon Gilfillian, Elizabeth Cook, Emmylou Harris, Erin Rae, Fancy Hagood, Jaimee Harris, Julie Williams, Kam Franklin, Katie Pruitt, Kyshona Armstrong, Langhorne Slim, Lilly Winwood, Lucie Silvas, Maren Morris, Mary Gauthier, Meghan Linsey, Meghan McCormick, Mya Byrne, MORGXN, Paul McDonald, Phillip-Michael Scales, Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, Sara Van Buskirk, Shelly Colvin, Tre Burt , and Wade Sapp.  The project was brought together to support Gloria Johnson and her campaign for US Senate. The artists involved have pledged to donate any proceeds they ...

Artist : Olivia Rodrigo Album : GUTS Quick Thoughts : Nothing makes me feel like an old creeper quite like my enjoyment of Olivia Rodrigo. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter is back with a poppy follow-up to SOUR and she basically proves with this album that she wasn't just a flash in the pan. Her songwriting is super-confessional, extremely in-the-moment, and has its share of funny parts to balance from the very direct soul-bearing efforts. She's basically what we all thought Avril Lavigne was supposed to be when she first hit the scene, and I'm here for it. Songs of Note : "bad idea right?" "vampire," "ballad of a homeschooled girl," "get him back!" Artist : Allison Russell Album : The Returner Quick Thoughts : Allison Russell's latest is a bit of an evolution from her very rootsy debut, exploring different themes and songwriting while still staying true to what made her first album so appealing. Songs like "Sprin...

Allison Russell is a Canadian musician who I first heard of through the Our Native Daughters project, but the solo effort here (after working with a few Canadian bands in the past) is such a great listen in spite of its heavy subject matter. Russell has spoken at length about the inspiration for the album coming from the abuse she weathered as a child, but the album strikes a lighter and more optimistic tone in comparison. I think we're all looking for catharsis these days, and Outside Child is probably an album that epitomizes that concept better than anything else I've listened to as of late. "Persephone," "4th Day Prayer," songs like that all strike the proper balance and make for not only a compelling listen, but an important and enjoyable one - yes, this is a traumatic record about traumatic things, but it is also about the strength and power to overcome those things that leave the deepest of scars. I came back to this album a lot this year. It's...

Artist : Olivia Rodrigo Album : SOUR Quick Thoughts : The running joke of the moment is that lot of us older folks are looking at this album and saying "crap, we're old." Because we are, and this is a young up-and-coming artist from the Disney starlet factory, and we all loved Billie Eilish and don't want to make it weird, I guess. But this album? Yeah, it's pretty good. I can forgive some questionable production choices (the album sounds somewhat hollow and light at times, and overly compressed at others), but the songwriting is tight and some of these are real bangers. It's a solid pop album from someone who is making music for our children's generation and that's okay. You might not relate to "drivers license," but so what? Songs of Note : "brutal," "drivers license," "good 4 u" Artist : Lord Huron Album : Long Lost Quick Thoughts : This is a really interesting album. It's rootsy folk stuff, b...