Available from www.percyrobinson.com ***
When it comes to the high lonely sound of the pedal steel guitar, there are few on this island to equal Percy Robinson. From Burt, Co Donegal, Robinson is a graduate of the hard school of the showband era (Cottonmill Boys, Gloria) before he served time in bands from way back when. In recent years he’s been much in demand as a session player as well as playing in the Henry McCullough Band. This collection of soft-centred instrumentals is Robinson’s first solo foray, and very good it is, too.
With players such as Liam Bradley (drums), James Delaney (keyboards) and McCullough on board, the quality is assured, though Sean McCarron's sultry sax is a mite overused. It's a diverse collection, from Irving Berlin's Blue Skiesto Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender, but my favourites are the rootier Robinson's Windy Dreamand the wonderful, dobro- laced I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)by Hank Williams.
www.percy robinson.com
Download tracks: I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You), Windy Dream
The Watson Twins
Vanguard ***
Anybody expecting the country side of Americana from The Watson Twins’s second album will be disappointed. But this collection of early 1970s-style southern blue- eyed soul and rock/pop has its edgy moments and spacey pleasures, though there’s an unfinished feeling to it, and some songs struggle to impress.
Identical twins Chandra and Leigh Watson are possibly known more for their work with Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis. However, on the strength of such muscular and taut songs as Midnight(the best track by some distance), The Devil in Youand Forever Me, they have something to say in their own right. The trouble is that the bulk of these tracks don't say enough often enough. The fey tone of Tell Me Whyis typical, and while the sisters prefer a less polished sound, a bit more work before committing to posterity would not have gone amiss.
www.thewatsontwins.com
Download tracks: Midnight, Forever Me
