The Hello Darlins Hit All the Right Notes

The Hello Darlins
“The Alders & The Ashes”
Continental Record Services
2024

Canadian Americana band The Hello Darlins consists of highly skilled session musicians who have spent years refining their craft by supporting other artists. In 2016, the three founding members—Candace Lacina as lead vocalist, Mike Little on keyboards and vocals, and Murray Pulver on guitar—formed the group, which often features a stellar cast of guest musicians they’ve met throughout their musical journey. The band delivers a contagious collection of well-crafted original songs with an easygoing, positive vibe.

The band’s second album, “The Alders & The Ashes,” fulfills the promise of their impressive 2021 debut, “Go by Feel.” This release features two CDs of engaging songs, highlighted by Lacina’s beautiful, expressive vocals and an outstanding group of guest musicians, including Russell Broom on guitar, Chad Cromwell on drums, and Bob Glaub on bass. Themes explored here span a wide range of life experiences and emotions, all while holding onto hope.

The collection starts with “Forgiving Cain and Loving Abel,” exploring themes of dealing with pain and conflicting feelings. This is followed by the album's best track, “What Is a Broken Heart For?”, an upbeat, sassy supplication that should be played on every country radio station. Next, J.D. Edwards lends his vocals to “Sea That Meets the Sky,” which contemplates life’s greater meaning.

The next two songs, “Lay Down Low” and “Highway 355,” are clearly very personal. While the former aims to slow down and process life as it comes, the latter is a loving reflection on a loved one lost to dementia. This is followed by Dave Fenley’s well-timed, beautiful, and humble guest vocals on “Better Days,” which is an uplifting assertion that better times are coming.

“Don't You Fall” envisions our existence from nature's vantage point, contemplating what trees have observed and "the conversations that you have overheard." It is an intriguing thought that underscores the depth of Lacina and Little’s songwriting.

Failed relationships are left behind on “Carefree Arizona,” and “Died with His Boots On” is an upbeat tribute to Lacina’s grandfather’s life, featuring her lively yodeling performance.

“Reasons to Cry” candidly expresses the grief and heavy emotions that come with losing a loved one, while “Best Worst Mistake” explores the feelings that arise after the end of a relationship. One of the album's standout moments features the breathtaking, yearning vocals of guest artist Ruby Friedman on the poignant track “Lonely Shore,” which conveys a deep sense of longing.

The uptempo “Mama Knows” celebrates drawing emotional strength through a maternal spirit. Guitarist Murray Pulver then takes center stage with his lead vocals on “Do It Up Right,” a song about living with passion and embracing life.

The album ends with “Devil in the Dark,” a blues-inspired track that examines our darker motives, and “Stranger in the Mirror,” featuring Martin Sexton's guest vocals, which expresses the discontent of losing our sense of self through pretension and compromise.

The best quality in music is authenticity, and The Hello Darlins deliver exactly that. They are honest poets and musicians of the highest caliber, whose sincerity and collective talent will continue to grow their audience. 

Finding Beauty Among the Ashes with Beth Nielsen Chapman

Beth Nielsen Chapman
“Sand and Water”
Reprise Records
1997

Beth Nielsen Chapman knows a lot about songwriting, having written or co-written for some of the most beloved artists in music. From Alabama to Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, and Michael W. Smith, she has established herself as a respected songstress and artist in her own right. Like all great songwriters, she writes about everything that makes life the wonderfully complex experience we all share. In 1994, life dealt her what must have seemed like a cruel hand with the loss of her husband to cancer, and yet, out of immense personal loss, she gave the world a remarkable gift with her 1997 album “Sand and Water.”

Make no mistake, what we have here isn’t an artist's embarrassingly sentimental indulgence. This collection of songs is entirely relatable, as Chapman’s well-executed statements reflect our own life journey. It is a beautiful, thoughtful statement that explores the many conflicting emotions we all experience during times of personal loss while seeking to find our way back to hope and joy.

“The Color of Roses" is a delicate piano piece with strings arranged and conducted by Michael Omartian that looks for meaning in loss. Michael McDonald adds lovely backing vocals to “Seven Shades of Blue,” evoking nostalgia for past days filled with love and tenderness. “Beyond the Blue” conveys a profound longing and a desire to reconnect with what has been lost. “All the Time in the World" reflects on how quickly time slips away in our busy lives, especially when we think about the moments spent with loved ones. “These precious days we experience, discarded like tissue, I wish I could offer you all the time in the world."

The eloquent beauty of the title track, “Sand and Water,” encapsulates the album's essence: love, loss, mortality, our place in this vast universe, and the hope of something more. Such matters have rarely been explored with the beauty and vulnerability presented here, resulting in an ultimately uplifting and enduring package.

Appalachian Bluegrass from the UK

Jaywalkers
“Move On”
Burnt Chilli Records
2025

The Jaywalkers released their debut album, “16 Miles,” as a duo in 2010, featuring songwriter Mike Govern on mandolin and Jay Bradberry on fiddle and vocals. They soon invited Lucille Williams, the album's guest bassist, to join the group, creating a trio. The UK-based threesome has refined and perfected their Appalachian Americana sound through extensive touring and recording.

On their fifth album, “Move On,” the Jaywalkers continue to pay loving homage to classic Appalachian bluegrass with original songs, two well-chosen covers, and two instrumentals. The songs “Move On” and “Gone Forever” beautifully capture the essence of saying goodbye. Lead singer Jay Bradberry showcases her natural versatility on Ricky Skaggs’ “Highway 40 Blues" and their refreshing take on the blues standard “Ain't Nobody's Business.” In the collection's finest moment, “The Longest Day” finds solace in love’s embrace during difficult times.

This masterful blend of folk and bluegrass is brought to life by the exceptional contributions of guest musicians Rob Ickes on dobro, Trey Hensley on guitar, Josh Clark on drums, and Stu Williams on banjo and guitar. The Jaywalkers are available on all major streaming platforms, including Bandcamp. Enjoy!