Share the post "Album review: AMY SPEACE & THE ORPHAN BRIGADE – There Used To Be Horses Here"
Proper Records [Release date 30.04.21]
This is a very personal album from Amy Speace as she looks back on a twelve-month span between her son’s first birthday and the loss of her father. The album’s lyrical themes cover childhood memories, coming of age in New York City, and losing a parent while learning to become one.
As Amy Speace states in the press release, “A month after I turned 50, I gave birth to my son, Huckleberry. My father was present for the birth and held him within hours. My Dad was 81 years old and we both knew my Dad would not see my son grow up.”
On the album she is again joined by producer Neilson Hubbard (vocals, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion), with Amy Speace requesting his band, the Orphan Brigade – Ben Glover (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Joshua Britt (vocals, mandolin, mandola) – back her on the album.
‘Father’s Day’ (a song that genuinely brought tears to this reviewer’s eyes) and ‘Grief Is A Lonely Land’ are songs that tug at the heart, especially given the emotional singing by Amy Speace. ‘I am better these days, although it still comes in waves’ encapsulates how although grief may get better over time, it never fades.
The use of a string quartet adds an extra dimension to ‘Give Me Love’, a wonderfully gentle love song, aided further by the guitar and subtle percussion. ‘River Rising’ and ‘Hallelujah Train’ add some pace to the proceedings, the latter a proper lively sing-a-long beloved of late in Bruce Springsteen’s last couple of albums.
Americana and American folk music are in safe hands with such a talented artist as Amy Speace. An album that has many moods and musical delights to savour. ***1/2
Review by Jason Ritchie
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: AMY SPEACE & THE ORPHAN BRIGADE – There Used To Be Horses Here"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
