Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#848 in the Series) is Sun Kil Moon, Ghosts Of The Great Highway Ghosts Of The Great Highway is a wondrous creation. A work of great depth, texture and perception, it is, without doubt, a masterpiece. I’ve been listening to it almost constantly now for about 3 weeks and not only do I never tire of hearing it, I simply cannot find a thing about it that I don’t like. From the cover art to the singers voice to the songs (10 of them, some long, some short, mostly acoustic, sometimes electric, engaging, compelling and enthralling), it’s all good. Great album’s come about in all sorts of different ways of course and one...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#839 in the Series) is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Push The Sky Away The advance word on this one was that Nick and the band had recorded a somewhat subdued set, their most laid-back batch of songs since 1997’s classic The Boatmans Call and I’m very pleased to report that the word was spot on. I personally feel that Nick is at his very best when it comes to (for want of a better word) ballads, the stripped-down , soul baring stuff at which he excels. That being the case, I was never going to be disappointed by Push The Sky Away but it has exceeded even my high expectations,...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#823 in the Series) is Shelby Lynne, I Am Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne had been a recording artist for quite a while by the time this album came out but I think it’s fair to say that things hadn’t been going quite the way she would have liked up until that point. It seemed the time was right for her to take control, make a stand, and get things back on track. Hence the title of this, quite wonderful, album: I Am Shelby Lynne, a definitive statement if ever there was one. It was actually her sixth album, although the first in almost five years, and not so much a comeback as...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#808 in the Series) is Dave Alvin, Blackjack David I’d like to write a little about Dave Alvin. Because I LOVE Dave Alvin. Not in a physical way you understand, I don’t even know the man after all and neither of us are that way inclined (as far as I’m aware). Nevertheless, as a fan, an admirer and purchaser of his superb music, an attendee of (sadly only) one of his shows, I love Dave Alvin. The guy’s bloody brilliant. Oh and, specifically, I’d like to write a little bit about Dave’s crowning glory, his masterpiece, and of the very best albums of the last 20 years or so – Blackjack David....

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#805 in the Series) is Iris DeMent, Sing the Delta  Well, we’re into November now (already!) and to be honest I was starting to get my head around compiling my Albums Of The Year list. There are a few weeks to go but I thought we’d had all the good stuff and it was wind down time, compilations and reissues to the fore in the bid for our Christmas present cash. Then this little gem appeared like a bolt from the blue and took me over. It’s a delightful treat which has held me enthralled all week and has, naturally, caused me to rethink that list…….. I knew Iris DeMent had to be something...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#774 in the Series) is Glen Campbell  & Jimmy Webb, Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb. This album had its beginnings in those wonderful Glen Campbell hits of the late 60’s, five absolute gems released between 1967 and 1970 : “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Galveston’” “Where’s The Playground Susie ?”, “Honey Come Back” and, of course, the ever shining jewel that is “Wichita Lineman.”  All five were written by one of the very best up-and-coming songwriters of the era, Jimmy Webb. Before those recordings both men had careers which were very much on the ascent but when Glen decided to record the first of those songs (Phoenix) as the...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#771 in the Series) is Ry Cooder, Election Special (Nonesuch) Ry Cooder’s on a roll! After an extended 18 year break from solo work, during which he was extremely busy on soundtracks and collaborations of course, he made a remarkable return to the fray with Chavez Ravine in 2005, a well-received release which was followed fairly quickly by My Name Is Buddy and then I, Flathead, completing what he dubbed his “Southern California” trilogy. Just last year he was at it again when he released the wonderful Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down, making four great albums in six years, a tremendous work rate in this day and age really. At...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#752 in the Series) is Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Rattlesnakes Glasgow, Scotland in the early 80’s was full to brimming with raw musical talent and inspiration, with new bands springing up all over the place. The independent label Postcard Records was a small but major player, they had two fantastic bands, Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, who recorded seminal singles before moving on to bigger labels where both released superb debut albums. Other acts like Altered Images, The Bluebells  and Friends Again swiftly followed and I can’t fail to mention The Blue Nile whose single “Tinseltown In The Rain” may well be the best ever by a Scots band. All of...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#745 in the Series) is Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA At the start of 1984, with a new album imminent, Bruce Springsteen’s longtime fans must have been curious, maybe even anxious, about which direction he was going to take. His last effort, 1982’s superb “Nebraska” had been a bit of a departure, consisting as it did of a fairly sombre, and stark, suite of mainly downbeat songs. Bruce had been given artistic freedom to do his own thing on that release and he delivered a majestic masterpiece which has stood the test of time and remains, for many (myself included), his best album to date. This time around though both fans...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#735 in the Series) is Beachwood Sparks, The Tarnished Gold (Sub Pop)  I have to confess, Beachwood Sparks were a new name to me but it turns out they’ve actually been around before and that this is a bit of a comeback album for them. About ten years ago they released 2 albums and an EP then went their separate ways, now they have returned in fine fine style, with one of the albums of the year so far. Musically we’re firmly in the territory frequented by the likes of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, the late 60’s/ early 70’s vibe but there’s also a distinct hint of later British bands like...