SETH LAKEMAN - Poor Man's Heaven EP

Relentless

This is a Four-tracker that is dead good in the sense of the flow of the thing and the whole feel which, somewhat bizarrely, has echoes of electro-acoustic "3" and "4"-era Led Zeppelin, or, more specifically, Robert Plant, running through three of the four tracks on here. The title track, for example, follows that tried and trusted Led Zep path of starting with acoustic and vocals before bringing the band in and surging ahead with this wall of intensity that really just makes you stand there open-mouthed with admiration, grinning with delight - and that's just the effect that this three minute track has. Only difference here is that, instead of a wailing Jimmy Page guitar, we have a soaring Lakeman violin - and it's just superb. "Race To Be King", features rising and ascending bass, sizzling violin flowing below impassioned vocals, as the whole thing becomes the epitome of the phrase "folk-rock", the tension held to perfection, the dynamics almost unnerving, the latent sense of possible eruption, held with its finger on the button throughout the superbly played and delivered song, that button never actually getting pressed, as this surging slice of folk heaven races ever on and that violin captures your heart, mind and spirit, the vocals so addictive as to be infectious - a truly glorious song, wondrously delivered.

But then he raises the stakes even higher, as a mandolin ushers in the next track complete with passionate angst-ridden vocals, as guitar and thudding bass are introduced, the track features a vocal that's a mix of Robert Plant and something more mid-range, its dynamics ebbing and flowing to dramatic extent, still that sense of tension at its heart, only this time letting you off with the briefest of drop-downs before returning to the path on which it has focused its unswervingly driving folk-rock gaze. Finally, more mandolin and bass, complete with violin, lead in the ballad that starts with a Bryan Adams-esque vocal, joined by Kathryn Roberts to provide heart-warming harmony vocals, a song thst is both delicious, delightful and dramatic, slowly unfolding, a mix of Zep and Fairport mixed with Alison Krauss and John Michael Montgomery, played and sung to perfection on song that is truly the stuff of dreams. This is four tracks of sheer genius, of that there is no denying - in a world of fairness, this should be required listening for anyone with a a handle on emotion, love, passion and outstanding folk-rock with a dash of country.

Andy Garibaldi (Dead Earnest)

Dead Earnest