Willow Springs - Night-Time Radio
It’s been 2 years since their first album Urban Ghosts came out and again the Belfast band has recorded in their home town’s Earthmusic studio and released on their own S’quare Record label. Now they are back with the follow up, Night-Time Radio. This album continues the band’s americana dream, crossing a range of styles from West Coast folky blues to gospel-tinged bluegrass. All 13 songs are again written and performed by Mark Crockard and this time featured performers include Richard Nelson on Pedal Steel and Lisa Brady and Jim ‘The King’ Brown guesting on vocals. Jim rose to fame on the back of his album Gravelands and multiple appearances on Chris Evans’ TFI Friday, performing songs by deceased artistes as Elvis Presley might have. Mark’s influences are clear and unashamed both in his writing and the sound he produces …Orbison, Cooder, Prine, Malo, Isbell, Rich, Earle and Nick Lowe all make their presence felt.
If you need a break from the everyday routine, this album is a perfect soundtrack to the chill-out evening when you leave all the troubles outside the door and you disappear in the beautiful world of music and words. The song have that familiar feel of being known to you eventhough you hear them for the first time. The song s move from one to the next smoothly like a well-oiled machine and you tap your feet along, cry along, dream along.
There are a few numbers that if you didn't know all of these songs are originals you would say they're sung by Elvis Presley. Hello Friend is a perfect example of the aforementioned. It's incredible how the voices can be similar, don't you think? Of course, it is not The King himself, you are listening to the voice of Jim Brown. Close your eyes and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference...
Thanks For Believing is a gentle romantic song full of love and gratitude towards that special person who's always by your side when everybody else deserted you. Simple arrangement serves the song in a way the message comes across as intended. Could very well be a Christmas song, one of the good ones.
The mix of genres is refreshing yet it doesn't disturb the listener. The versality is presented in a very pleasant fashion. It's a skill to be able to convincingly perform one genre but Willow Springs show it doesn't matter what kind of musical shoes they put on, they know all the steps.