Latest releases reviewed

JACE EVERETT Jace Everett Sony  ***

You can practically feel the testosterone bursting through recent American visitor Jace Everett's boisterous debut. This is old-fashioned barroom rock with a strong Nashville slant. There are lots of flashy guitar solos, bare-chested vocals and songs of lust and longing. It is entertaining as far as it goes, though much of it could be accused of being just a tad contrived. But his own song Bad Things hints at something darker, while loose-limbed rockers such as the harmonica-driven I Gotta Have It will always have a place in my heart. And he handles the ballad Half of my Mistakes with earnest intent. You can feel him being pulled two ways: the predictable Nashville angst of The Other Kind or something more leftfield. Time will tell. www.jaceeverett.com

Joe Breen

ALANA LEVANDOSKI Unsettled Down Rounder Records ***

Another Canadian and another interesting new voice. Alana Levandoski is a farm girl who has wandered far and wide, and has finally come home to make an album of her folk, country, gospel music that is appealing without ever shaking the rafters. She is a storyteller with some good stories to tell, such as Red-Haired Girl, a loving portrait of her mother and what she went through. Other strong tracks include the slow-building gospel-influenced Bring Me On Home, the jaunty rural romp Prairie Sun and the folky Don't You Remember. On the down side her lyrics can be on the slight side and the melodies could be more distinctive; but again - another debut worth noting. www.alanalevandoski.com

Joe Breen