Quick Plays: ANDY FLANNAGAN, MELINDA ORTNER

ANDY FLANNAGAN – Drowning In The Shallow (Absolute/Universal)

Singer/songwriter Andy Flannagan releases an album of mixed melodies and written over the past six years or so. It will take a few good spins to get into, although the folk/Waterboys ‘The Reason’ is the real instant tune on here and would have been a single release back in the day.

There is a lot of instrumentation on the album with strings featuring heavily and on ‘Whole’ the sound is that of an updated Clannad, another artist who mastered the art of adding haunting music to a string vocal.

Worth your time and songs like ‘Healing’ are sure to touch a nerve with the listener. Oh and if you’re wondering where that title came from, he used to be a hospital doctor…

***1/2

Jason Ritchie

MELINDA ORTNER – Strangers (EP) www.melindamusic.com

An EP release ahead of a full album due in December, Melinda Ortner has already been picking up the plaudits and rightly so based on these four tunes. If you are after a handle, quirky pop as she has a melodious voice and the music veers from indie through to something more mainstream like Adele. ‘Somethin’ Sorry’ is the stand out with a simple piano riff and swooping backing vocals. ‘Wait Another Day’ reminded me a little of Tori Amos without the fairy references! Go check her music out now before the rest of the crowd catches up.

****

Jason Ritchie

BAD MEMORIES – Forced To Be A Stranger

Perris Records

Formed back in 2006 this Italian hard rock band sound like their debut album is a long lost 80′s album getting a re-release. It is only the modern production which gives the game away in that it was recorded in 2011. Overall not a bad album, a few memorable keyboard led hard rock tunes like ‘Tears Of Anger’ and ‘Forced To Be A Stranger’, with a decent ballad/slowie in ‘Memories’. Otherwise it is nice but hardly essential listening and there are better albums vying for your attention out there.

**1/2

Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

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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 1 December 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 3 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)