TOM MORIARTY The Road

TOM MORIARTY The Road Driftwood Records [Release date 03.08.15]

London-based singer songwriter Tom Moriarty released his debut album Fire In The Doll’s House (2012) to critical acclaim garnering Radio 2 play listing and 4 star reviews from the mainstream press. But any momentum he’d gained stalled with a serious head injury.

His follow up, The Road, which was completed in September 2013 only now gets to see the light of day – almost 2 years later, now that he’s thankfully recovered and is able to take it on the road.

Musically, it builds on the laid back blues/folk guitar/roots rock of his debut, the focal point being his gruff vocals that have some similarities to the lower end of Joe Cocker’s range. It’s a trademark that’s also found him in demand for advertisement voiceovers.

The material though – observations and experiences of life – is for the most part somewhat dour. Not that that’s been a drawback to the likes of Ray LaMontagne who treads a not dissimilar path. Moriarty does however lift the tempo on several numbers – like the upbeat ‘Wake Me Up’, and the bluesy ‘Wheel Of Fortune’.

Not the clearest of enunciators, a lyric sheet wouldn’t have gone amiss, but figuring out what he’s singing about at least keeps the attention focused. But to my ears the material isn’t anything special and unlikely to advance his career beyond the folk club circuit. **1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

Interview (Rising Stars)

SOLEY MOURNING The Rocket Pool

This is the fourth album from these Black Country based retro rockers. They received rave reviews for their last album ‘Zaire’ and toured with Magnum amongst others.

This is not a bad album at all, one criticism though is a few songs have the same pace and sound so don’t really grab the listener. That said they pack a punch on songs like the opener, ‘Last Of These Nine Lives’ with a guest vocal from Tina V of the Wicked Tongue. This is rollicking rocker, where Tina V melds well with Mat Partridge’s vocals.

They have a bit of a rant at religion, the PC brigade and more on ‘The Unmaking of a Rational Mind’. Loving the vocal arrangements on ‘Gumstream’, and closer ‘So Long Song’ with added strings and a stirring vocal and lyric, shows a mellower side to the band. They can do footstompers too like ‘Turn Yourself Around’, where bands like the Answer come to mind.

If you like bands with one foot in the 70′s rock era and the other in the 21st century you will enjoy this. Like The Answer and Jaded Sun, good quality tunes with a retro feel. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

WE GHOSTS Decade

We Ghosts blend elements of pop, jazz, blues and folk into a sound they call blue wave acoustica.

Celebrating 10 years touring and recording, We Ghosts are, in essence, Swedish singer Jenny, aka J.J. Woodall, and English instrumentalist John Christopher who, over the last decade, have performed hundreds of gigs a year mostly in Sweden and England but also elsewhere in Europe as well in the U.S.

In style, they deliver a light acoustic based brand of pop – in a not dissimilar vein to the likes of Driving Mrs Satan and the sadly demised Oh Laura, Woodall’s Euro-tinged four octave vocals providing a central commonality.

But where We Ghosts fall short is in material. Decade is never less than pleasant, but there’s an absence of hooks that might propel them beyond the pub and club circuit. The opening track ‘Broken Sky’ has a playful almost Fleetwood Mac Rhiannon-like vibe, ‘Our Tonight’ a Police reggae style rhythm, and ‘Death Or Glory’ echoes of Vaya Con Dios. But none really get under the skin, and while Woodall impresses vocally, it’s not enough to lift the set above the ordinary. **1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

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