New West 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Steve Earle's Jerry Jeff is truly poignant album. The third in a series of tributes to what the main man describes as "first-hand teachers, the heroes I was lucky enough to sit across the room from so I could listen and learn up close," in this case he's talking about Jerry Jeff Walker.

So this is a record about paying homage to those that inspired and influenced, while also presenting another fine example of why Earle himself is considered one of the contemporary greats, no doubt inspiring and influencing the next generation of folk and Americana troubadours. And by that we mean one of the finest vocalists to ever grace those canons, and a master instrumentalist to boot, capable of delivering tracks at once powerful and thick with atmosphere, yet also delicate and vulnerable. Utterly captivating, you might say.

Review: Having just recently made his major acting role debut in Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, what an opportune time to reissue the debut solo album from former Drive By Truckers lead guitarist Jason Isbell. Originally released in 2007, Sirens Of The Ditch awarded the songwriter a chance to put his own voice front and centre, with a bluesy concoction of neofolk/alt-country meets indie-pop. Working with former bandmates as well as the iconic Spooner Oldham, in an effort to capture a balance between primitive folk aesthetics and modern pop sensibilities, Isbell managed to craft a startling debut that weaves its deft narratives around saccharine compositions, while charting out an immensely successful solo career with even his latest, exceptional ninth full-length Weathervanes landing earlier this year.