Ones that got away - 2014 albums I missed

As I've said before, it is impossible to hear every new album release and consequently there are always going to be some gems that pass you by. And such is the case with a couple of albums that were released in 2014 but have only come to my attention since the new year.

The first of these is 'Paradise Outlaw' by Pieta Brown. Incredibly this is her sixth studio album and I have not heard the previous five. In fact I thought I had never heard of her yet it appears that she is the daughter of Greg Brown who has released a host of albums, some of which I own, and who featured heavily on Anais Mitchell's folk opera, 'Hadestown'. Also it turns out that Pieta guested on the wonderful Calexico 2008 album 'Carried To Dust', which is also in my collection. I must begin paying more attention to album credits!

'Paradise Outlaw' reminds me somewhat of the aforementioned Anais Mitchell in some of its musical textures though her voice is quite different. Backed by herself on beautifully picked banjo, with husband Bo Ramsey on guitar, Brown creates some lovely sounds across this album most notably on the gorgeous 'Ricochet'. Incidentally the album title comes from the title of a book of photographs and essays on the American 'beat' poets. 



Hers is most definitely a name I shall be watching out for in the future and maybe I will even get round to exploring her back catalogue.

The second album I regret missing last year is 'Heigh Ho' by Blake Mills, a guy whose name has appeared on the credits of scores of albums in recent times. While his session work may have revealed him to be a very very fine guitarist, this album demonstrates that he is also a damn good songwriter. While his first album ('Break Mirrors') may have slipped under the radar, I believe that this one could set him on the road to becoming a major artist in his own right. I will steer clear of delving into each song but strongly recommend that you give this album a spin if you have appreciated the best works of Ry Cooder, Lowell George, Randy Newman or David Lindley. I trust you will not be disappointed.