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Thursday, January 28, 2016

REVIEW - JAY WARS & THE HOWARD YOUTH "Love in the Time of Fear" (2016)

Jay Wars & the Howard Youth "Love in the Time of Fear" Whisk & Key Records
Release date: February 5th, 2015
Running time: 36:42, 10 tracks



Jay Wars, the Bard of Melbourne, is back with the follow-up to their solo album “Carry Me Home”. Once again he is backed by Hayley Anderson on violin and Dan Scalpelli on drums, who, together with bassist James Crow, are The Howard Youth. The new album has a title reminiscent of a Roaring Jack song, “Love in the Time of Fear” (Roaring Jack’s song was called “Love in the Modern Age”. As Jay says, “the whole record has an overarching concept of love and fear. There's romantic love, crazy love (“A Girl Called Hope”), love of one's country (“Ballad of 1846”, "Pyne in the Closet”), and proper fear (again, “A Girl Called Hope” obviously), fear of dying alone (“Play Another Song”) and fear of one's own depression (“Done & Dusted”)".

Pyne in the Closet” is the first track on the album. From the very beginning the listener can notice that The Howard Youth are not just a backing band. Fiddle arrangements by Hayley are top-notch as usual.

Don’t Cross the Line” is a song about miners and one of my faves. “A Girl Called Hope” is a song about a stalker. Kick-ass song with banjo, piano and some female backing vocals.

Done & Dusted” has a Ramones vibe,Alive!” is in line with modern Newfie folk-punk/rock bands whileLet’s Start Again” is the Aussie answer to Lexington Field’s American Fiddle Rock.

The Ballad of 1846” is the Irish song on the album. It’s not a “far-away-in Australia-soon-will-fate-be-kind-and-I-will-be-ready-to-welcome-at-last-the-girl-I-left-behind” song; the poor emigrant is looking for a better future in the land of Oz, but he finds the same sectarianism that he left at home.

Abraham Brown” is the folkie number and “Play Another Song” an upbeat song. Both amazing numbers are some of the highlights on “Love in the Time of Fear”.

The album is over with “One Last Love Song”, an intimate song with an acoustic feel.

Love in the Time of Fear” has been produced by Jay and Dan. Dan also engineered, mixed and mastered the album “in the lounge room and under the staircase.” The following musicians have guested on the abum: Ronan MacManus (Bible Code Sundays) guests vocals on “Don’t Cross the Line”, Chelsea De Kuyper piano on “Pyne in the Closet", “A Girl Called Hope”  and “Abraham Brown”, backing vocals on “A Girl Called Hope”, Hamish Davidson (Davidson Brothers)  banjo on “Alive!” and Craig Coburn (Shadow League)  banjo on “A Girl Called Hope”. This time Jay has shifted from Slippery Slope Recordings to Whisk & Key Records and for the moment the album will only be released on vinyl and digital version.

Don’t forget to read the album review that our friends from London Celtic Punks posted recently.

Tracklist:

01 - Pyne in the Closet 4:24
02 - Don't Cross the Line 3:23
03 - A Girl Called Hope 4:08
04 - Done & Dusted 2:46
05 - Alive! 3:32
06 - Let Me Start Again 3:06
07 - The Ballad of 1846 3:28
08 - Abraham Brown 4:08
09 - Play Another Song 2:42
10 - One Last Love Song 4:46

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Review by Kinksmarkham


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