REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: September 18, 2021

ARIELLE – Analog Girl In A Digital World

I’m very late to the parade where this very talented young singer/songwriter/guitar player is concerned. She also has some friends in very lofty places, namely Nuno Bettancourt who apparently brought her to the attention of an American indie label, and the legendary Dr. Brian May who has signed Arielle up to make her signature two tone guitar. Now, them two guys should know what they are talking about right?

The album starts off with a weird old computer trying to dial itself to the internet, then the first track proper kicks in with Digital World. It’s a song about not being relevant on digital anything and the love of all things analogue. It’s a great tune with a great melody – and a hint of country rock of old. This Is Your Intervention is a return to the early seventies style of bands like The Who. I just love Arielle’s voice – what a superb song! Plus you get a short solo here where she shows what a player she is. You’re Still A Man is a good old country rock stomper and is a really fun tune. Inside & Outside is a beautiful track with an amazing vocal. It has a Stevie Nicks feel, and I love that guitar sound. I’m sure country radio will love this song. I’d Rather Be In England follows and has quite a folky almost medieval feel to it – it’s another really fun tune. The acoustic driven, Living In A Fortress, is next and is another really beautiful song – I really like the simple melody. The album close out, Reimagine Redefine, and starts with just vocal and synth a very sparse background, and builds into a big rock ending with some killer guitar playing.

A really great record and it’s time to go back and visit previous albums.

9/10 The Grooveman.

BIG COUNTRY – The Crossing

O

When Skids fell apart and went their separate ways, Stuart Adamson took that very Celtic guitar sound with him and formed Big Country. It was the same guitar sound, but flavoured with all sorts of other Celtic influences to form a very unique band. Weirdly enough, the record company released Harvest Home first as a single and not In A Big Country, which the American’s released as the first single over there. Of course it was huge, and the Brits had to release it over there as well.

This being the first album, it still has the raw punk edges to some of the tunes like on Inwards and Lost Patrol. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, who became synonymous with the whole new wave scene with his production. I have a Scottish chum who loves this band, as they make him feel like he’s home even though he is a few thousand miles away. This is a great album. Fields Of Fire is a great tune and my favourite from the album.

8/10 from The Grooveman.