The bard celebrates two other fine practitioners of the art, and laments a lost brewer
Latest editorial
Hopeless romanticism as old as the hills
IAN SINCLAIR reviews albums by HC McEntire, A Grave With No Name, and Ghost Music
This right-wing conspiracy theory is used to justify the coercive measures against gender, race and labour rights that best serve capitalism, attests GAVIN O’TOOLE
KENNY MONROSE recommends a new exhibition that highlights the significance of Black British music
ANGUS REID is bowled over by an exuberant film about the making of Keith Jarrett’s legendary concert
MARIA DUARTE, FIONA O’CONNOR and ANDY HEDGECOCK review Savage House, Enzo, Madfabulous, and Erupcja
CHRIS SEARLE recommends a work of love and deep admiration for a great musician
HC McEntire
Lionheart
(Merge Records)
★★★★
THE DEBUT solo album from the frontwoman of Mount Moriah, Lionheart is inspired by the American South, the Bible and the desire to challenge the hetero-normative ideology of country music.
HC McEntire recorded the songs at home in North Carolina, with assistance from a bevy of talented musicians including Angel Olsen, Tift Merritt and guitar virtuoso William Tyler. The smouldering romance of opener A Lamb, A Dove sets the tone, with McEntire singing: “I have found heaven/In a woman’s touch/Come to me now/I’ll make you blush.”
Elsewhere, she stirs in gospel, folk, blues and rock. Quartz In The Valley swings along nicely with some great freewheeling piano, with McEntire’s vocals reminiscent of Marianne Faithfull singing The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.
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