2014-04-27
Justin Currie is best known for founding
the Scottish band Del Amitri in Glasgow in the early 1980s. With Del Amitri,
Currie released six alternative rock albums between 1985 and 2002. The band had
not toured in over a decade, but in January/February 2014, the group surprised
fans with a UK tour. During the bands hiatus, Currie toured the UK as a solo
artist. As his career as a solo artist grew with the releases of 2007s What Is Love For and 2010s The Great War, those tours extended to
North America and the world. Currie's new album, Lower Reaches, is the follow-up to critically acclaimed The Great War, which prompted Mojo to
call Currie "a songwriter's songwriter." Currie wrote most of the songs on Lower Reaches during a solitary
songwriting retreat on the Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland. The album
was recorded in Austin, Texas with producer Mike McCarthy (Craig Finn of The
Hold Steady, Spoon, Patty Griffin). "Bend to My Will" begins a light country
tune and fills out with a rocky sound by the end of the song. Though the instrumentation
uplifts, upon closer scrutiny, the lyrics may be darker than expected. "On A
Roll" is a rock tune with electric organ and metal guitar interwoven with
Currie's moody melody. The songs
dark tones make space for the muddy guitar solos.
Richard Martin
LEONARD COHEN
Selections From Live In London
BREATHE OWL BREATHE
BREATHE OWL BREATHE
Michael Franti
Songs from the Front Porch
COWBOY JUNKIES
RENMIN PARK
ALLISON MOORER
Mockingbird
Clarence Bucaro
Pendulum
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