http://www.clubhouserecords.co.uk
Bright new country act, singer-songwriter Cale Tyson is set to make inroads into the music business via his combination of country Americana and dyed-in-the-wool traditional style, and in doing so delight those in the UK starved of the real thing!
Set to tour the UK later this month (April) and perform at the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival Cale Tyson could not be better set or equipped to win himself an audience in both the UK and Ireland. Born in a small town in Texas and raised in Fort Worth, Tyson’s previous EPs Cheater’s Wine (2013) and High On Lonesome (2014) make up this introductory compilation. Both releases were recorded in Nashville, and with Robert Ellis (electric guitar) and from Marty Stuart’s band, Kenny Vaughan (electric guitar) on the first and second EPs respectively, plus Carolyn Martin (see her own wonderful western swing record, A Platter Of Brownies; The Music Of Milton Brown) on harmony vocals on the opening set (and Micah Hulscher on piano) of barroom country songs, and Vickie Vaughan, Heidi Feek and Austin Manuel the second, plus pedal steel (Brett Resnick), Christian Sedelmyer (fiddle) and others as accomplished, Tyson straddles the sound of traditional country with strains of Gram Parsons’ country rock.
With his sound honest and true to the roots noted, the selection of material eases through without the hint of trouble, as with a darting pedal steel, chicken pickin’ lead guitar (Vaughan) and rhythm to match, halting to give added effect vintage 1960s country rears its head majestically on “Fool Of The Year?” There is no let up as Cheater’s Wine offers up heart-break, Gary Stewart styled tears in your beer break-up ballad “Borrowed Love (To Go)”, and with a truckin’ feel “Can’t Feel Love” (doused in honky tonk piano) and wonderful shuffle “Dreams Don’t Come True” (more poignant shades of Stewart) it gets better. As for High On Lonesome, Tyson’s traditional Hank Snr influenced “Honk Tonk Moan” he gives a fine nod to the country legend, prior to the likes of harmony vocal warmed “Is The Flame Burning Low” and simplistic “Old Time Blues” (he sounds so much better when he keeps it spare, with a sharp cutting edge and not become drowned in heavier production. Be sure to check out his tour schedule.
Maurice Hope