Just thought I’d share this review as it makes the interesting point that Australia has “more old west” territory than the USA. I guess in pure territory it actually does – not sure. However I certainly come from an area that was very Wild West and lawless in the 1860’s, with bushrangers (outlaws) like Ben Hall, Frank Gardiner and Johnny Gilbert. They were wild days indeed! Poor Ben was shot 30 times at his capture in 1865 and is buried in my hometown cemetry. It’s still an area of wide open spaces and that geography has certainly influenced my songwriting and music. It’s a harsh climate at times with for me a strong sense of being on the edge – the horizon visible, the edge of the great “outback” of Australia. Further west is endless plains and eventually desert. It has, I think, influenced my sense of borderlines and my interest in all sorts of borderlines – good and evil. sanity and insanity, love and fear and so on.
Spike Flynn “It’s Alright”
Own label, 2009
www.spikeflynn.com
A lot of people try to capture that lonely, desolate feeling of exploring the American West. Spike Flynn with his blues-folk stylings here, has captured that feeling. That he is based in Australia makes even more sense as there is even more “old west” territory there than in the USA. Flynn has a good voice and writes songs that flow steadily allowing his voice to quietly make his points along the journey. There is a touch of mandolin within a bluegrass-folk hybrid style at times, but this is one of those rare times where I actually prefer the even, steady pace of his folk-blues without a lot of variety. This record has a lot of rootsy, gutsy appeal and should satisfy listeners who enjoy good western singer songwriters who keep it simple.
© David Hintz
http://www.folkworld.de/44/e/cds7.html#flyn
