CD Reviews - Music2Your Ears

Grapevine recommends

some new releases

by East Anglian-based

bands and musicians

DOVE AND BOWEEVIL – GETTING SOMEWHERE

Dove and BoweeviL are noted as the best acoustic blues duos in East Anglia fronted by Lauren Dove and Mark Howes on acoustic and Dobro guitar. Some could easily argue that Norfolk is England's answer to the Delta where rivers and skies stretch as far as the eye can see. It is those vast and lonely landscapes that have influenced the earthy sound of Mark 'Boweevil' Howes and the soaring tones of Lauren Dove.
When listening to Dove and Boweevil you hear echoes of such artists as Eric Bibb, Susan Tedeschi, Howling Wolf and Son House.  There is smoky soul within this angelic voice well complimented by Mark Howes with rasping authenticity. Their debut album ‘Getting Somewhere’ captures the barren wilderness of Norfolk with the spirited energy of a southern saloon and the  uplifting calmness of a gospel ballad.

Tracks : Bourbon Street/Listen Up/Send Me Over/Getting Somewhere/Where Would You Be Now?/Thank You/Sky Is Crying/Lady Lavoo/Vague Man/Sun Goes Down.

Musicians : Lauren Dove and Mark Howes with gests Simon Brown and Giles King

ORIOLE EXPRESS – ORIOLE EXPRESS

New Orleans is known, among other things as 'piano town', with a fine tradition of piano players within a band situation accompanied by other great musicians, ie, Huey Piano Smith, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jonnie Johnson [of Chuck Berry Fame] to name a few. In Southend back in the late 60's, The Orioles with Mickey Jupp on piano and vocals and Mo Witham on guitar primarily creating the melodies, managed to inadvertently emulate the music of that great Louisiana town in a little corner of Essex. Other bands tried to re-create this music, but no-one could, locally or nationally Sadly, The Orioles eventually disbanded, but Mick and Mo went on to greater things. Mick with his songs, and Mo with his great guitar work. For a long time, John Potter has nurtured the idea of recording an album, and possibly a band, in this style, a true mixture of rock'n'roll, country and flashes of blues and Cajun. This is the finished product and is available via www.johnpotter-pno.com

Tracks : Mail Train/High Blood Pressure/Jambalaya/Standing At The Crossroads/I’m a Fool To Care/Don’t You Just Know It/Matchbox/You Are My Sunshine/You Win Again/Little Queenie/Long Gone

Musicians : John Potter, Gypie Mayo, Vic Collins, John Bobin, Bill Legend, Dennis Masterton, Mike Liggins and Mo Witham   

THE FUTURE KINGS OF ENGLAND – WHO IS THIS WHO IS COMING?

Ipswich-based The Future Kings of England’s 4th album is based on the fantastically creepy short story ‘Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You my Lad’ by M.R. James. It was written in 1904 and is regarded a classic of its genre. In the tale a professor digs up a bronze whistle in a Templer ruin near Burnstow, a fictionalised version of the town of Felixstowe in Suffolk. When he blows into the whistle he unleashes an ancient evil that his sceptical mind has a hard time to deal with. You could say this album forms the final part of a trilogy starting with their second album ‘The Fate of Old Mother Orvis’ and their third ‘The Viewing Point’ concerning Suffolk both in its wonderful landscape and folklore. But we hasten to add it was not intentional! The album title is ‘Who is This Who is Coming?’ which comes from the inscription on the found whistle - it’s in Latin, ‘Quis Est Iste Qui Uenit’ which translates into ‘Who is This Who is Coming? The title is in fact one long piece of continuous music with interludes and sound effects. It is broken down into various parts and follows the original story. The album is released by Steve Mann’s Backwater Records on Monday, February 13. Check out www.thefuturekingsofengland.com

Tracks :  Journey To The Coast/ The Globe Inn/ The Whistle/Watcher Part /Who is This Who is Coming?/Disbeliever/ Watcher Part 2/A Face Of Crumpled Linen/The Spectacle of a Scarecrow

Line-up : Ian Fitch, Simon Green, Steve Mann and Karl Mallett