A twang, and husky voiced love song. This is the closest you will get to a sweet nothing in your ear from blues stomper, Seasick Steve. Songs For Elisabeth is exactly how a collection of love songs from a past hobo-carnie-busker should sound like. A mixture of elements, culminating in the closest thing to a lovers mix tape that a man with a past like Seasick's could muster.

Thomas Dybdahl is a Norwegian folk singer with a soft tone and acoustic sound. His new single is Cecilila produced by Last Suppa Recordings.

‘Cecilia’ (Ash Howes Radio mix)

This remix by Ash Howes is a little more upbeat than the original and has changed the acoustic folk sounding track to a pop more mainstream sound. The track has an easy listening tone, a steady acoustic strum alongside Thomas’s soft tone.

The track features a repetitive chorus and the lyrics are very metaphorical. They paint a beautiful picture of a girl who is reluctant to love. I prefer the original because is feel that not only does the remix change the sound to a more pop mainstream sound but also take away from Thomas’s soft tone that suits an acoustic tone. His voice is a little lost because the music is much louder. However his voice inviting and has a very subtle beauty.

‘U’

‘U’, is another track from Thomas Dybahl. I prefer this track to ‘Cecilia’, its very soulful. Once again Thomas’s soft tone compliments the subtle composition of a steady drum, keys and horns. The track is a hopeful pouring of his feelings. IS passionate and romantic but not as obvious as a rhythm and blues sound. The composition is beautiful very emotive and uplifting and the lyrics are short but meaningful and very colourful in the sense that they paint a picture. I really like this track; it prefect for easy listening and engages your very subtly.
Thomas has a great unique blend that mixes his soulful voice and the acoustic folk compositions. His lyrics are also very emotive and engaging without too many words.

A collision of blues, soul, gospel and pop clichés; SECOND TIME AROUND is a re release of the debut single from New York singer Nell Bryden, re introducing the pop newcomer with a whimper rather than a bang.

Emerging as an Amy Winehouse, Duffy like figure here, Nell Bryden sings with that expected husky soul croon; injecting about as much life as possible into the song here, it's just unfortunate that SECOND TIME AROUND is a forgettable, bluesy pop affair that fails to leave much of an impression.

Nell Bryden has already proven that with the right material she is someone capable of impressive things, SECOND TIME AROUND is unfortunately not that proof, instead a song that sounds like throwaway fluff that's more parody than the blues, soul and gospel it so desperately strives for.

Tom Russell is a storyteller. Simply labelling the 58-year-old musician a songwriter would be selling him short, as Russell’s 26th album ‘Mesabi’ tells an engrossing story on every track. And with 26 albums under his belt, Tom has learned how to write a good story.

Following on from 2009’s ‘Blood and Candle Smoke’, Russell has been able to use the precision of modern-day production techniques to make his decade-straddling, Texas country music sound as fresh as it did in the 70s.