21.6.2015

CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS : THE HYPNOTISER (2014)

It's a darkened country road. It's in Cash Savage's voice all the time. But it's an Australian one of now, the city lights maybe just a fading glow in the rear view mirror.

In various places, she's behind the wheel – running to or from something, or trying to sleep in the passenger seat, or looking out the servo café window wishing she was on that bus to somewhere – anywhere – else. Her voice is rightly lauded: a range of thirsts, longing and the blues in it. And the band, with deep bowed violin and occasional blares of brass to get your eyes back on those white highway lines, serve her – but strong enough to never be completely overwhelmed by the howl she can exhale.

Sure, there's classic done-me-wrong country like Five Boys One Farm (“one bad divorce”) or the grim anecdote of 95km To Sandy Point – where the Black Saturday bushfires get overshadowed by having to face that ex you can do without seeing. There's even an Appalachian-ish duet in Howling For Me – as she and guitarist Tim Neilson take a drive to bury… something, with just enough ambiguity to make you ponder what.

But the real business here is the almost hymnal ache of I'm In Love – the banjo just a pluck underneath, and a mourning trumpet emphasising the arch in her back, and the fall she knows almost seems inevitable. Or, like the Early Morning Come Down Blues has it, sometimes “My beer don't work/My wine don't work/My gin don't work/And my weed don't work”. Cash Savage provides the soundtrack for days like that.

OTIS TAYLOR : HEY JOE OPUS : RED MEAT ( 2015)

"Otis Taylor's fourteenth album presents a meticulously crafted collection of songs and instrumentals and is only akin to his preceding recordings in that the music again resists easy categorization. Blues and Folk elements are a key part of this, but Taylor's cutting edge approach also draws on Psychedelic Rock, Jazz and Americana to create a hybrid that he calls Trance Blues.

Central to Hey Joe Opus Red Meat are Taylor's musings on decision making and how these decisions can change all of our lives ? and those of our families. 

Designed to be listened to as a single piece of music in ten parts, the new album has the song Hey Joe as its overriding theme which is performed in two different versions here, both with contrasting instrumentation. Further songs and song forms are moving into instrumental sections. Often incorporating spacey textures and interlocking guitars, further spice is added to these pieces via judicious use of violin and cornet.

Helping to shape the album are four notable guests including powerhouse guitarist Warren Haynes (best known as a member of The Allman Brothers, The Dead and his own Gov't Mule), acoustic guitarist Bill Nershi from The String Cheese Incident and singer / songwriter / guitarist Langhorne Slim. Also featured is guitarist Daniel Sproul who has toured with, Eddie Van Halen, Warren Haynes, The Black Crowes and Otis Taylor.