Paul Thorn
A Long Way From Tupelo

When it comes to unlikely credentials, Paul Thorn’s a renaissance man for the ages. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, he started singing at 3, dabbled in professional boxing (sparring seven rounds with Roberto Duran), worked in a factory, indulged in skydiving and somehow found time to devote himself to songwriting and release eight albums.

With that worldly experience behind him, it’s not surprising he invokes an Everyman stance, a gruff, hard-bitten defiance that alternately staggers and struts. “Everybody Wishes” suggests a countrified Bruce Springsteen in its anthemic ring, while even optimistic tunes like “It Don’t Get Any Better Than This” and “Lucky 7 Ranch” take a cautionary approach. It’s only on the gospel-tinged “When the Long Road Ends” that Thorn ultimately finds his redemption, although one suspects his unrepentant attitude won’t concede so complacently.

paulthorn.com

The Fear and Trembling
Octopus

It’s obvious from the outset that the Fear and Trembling are something spectacular, a band smitten with pyrotechnic swagger and orchestrated opulence. This Nashville outfit demonstrates oversized ambitions and creative designs which—aside from occasional comparisons to Abraxas-era Santana, Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland and the whole of Mahavishnu Orchestra—propel them into celestial realms entirely their own.

Octopus seems a challenging read even after successive listens. Songs may start in meditative mode but abruptly accelerate into a relentless assault that spirals toward the stratosphere. Mellower passages offer a transition between reflection and resolve, while titles like “Higher Than Infinity” and “The Sound of Breaking Down” reinforce a sense of epic intent. The trepidation of their moniker aside, Octopus snares the listener as a bold first attempt.

myspace.com/thefearandtrembling

Nicole Gordon
Long Time

Gordon’s no novice. That’s evidenced by the fact her sidemen include studio vets like Barry Goldberg, Jim Keltner, Johnny Lee Schell and Hutch Hutchinson. Suffice it to say, it takes a special pedigree to attract talent of that magnitude.

Then again, it’s little wonder—Gordon’s singing reflects an unflappable confidence that finds its middle ground between Natalie Merchant and Linda Ronstadt, without deferring to either. Songs like “Into the Night, Out of the Darkness,” “Lose Myself” and “Slow It Down” bear the sound of instant classics, while a sassy “The Snake” and an ode to alcohol, “Back When I Was Drinking,” bow to party-girl precepts. The common bond resides in Gordon’s savvy and sensuality, qualities that indicate stardom’s well within reach.

myspace.com/nicolegordonmusic

Henry Gross
Foreverland

It’s been over 30 years since Henry Gross scored his sole major hit with “Shannon,” a tear-inducing ode to a beloved golden retriever. Though booming album sales have waned since, his new album—a follow-up to 2006’s aptly-titled One Hit Wanderer—overflows with affable, effusive melodies that display his undiminished gifts as a singer and writer.

Foreverland boasts the unmistakable sound of earlier eras. Poco’s breezy optimism surges through “Tomorrow’s Gonna Come,” a Santana-like samba drives “Every Time She Tells Me,” and both Loggins and Messina’s good-time ramble and the Rascals’ blue-eyed soul inform “Precious Love.” Still, it’s the wistful reflection of “Heaven“ and the beguiling title track that underscore Gross’ consistent ability to delve into sweeter sentiments.

henrygross.com

Rob Jungklas
Gully

Over 20 years—and only four albums—into his career, Memphis singer-songwriter Rob Jungklas offers up his most harrowing effort yet with compelling odes to death, demons, decadence and desperation. Though he’s remembered by some for his lone minor pop hit, 1987’s “Make It Mean Something,” these new skittish songs teeter perilously, tugging loose from unhinged melodies while Jungklas rails defiantly in his stormy surroundings.

Within its chaos and circumspection there are occasional moments of clarity and purpose. A dead lover’s promise of return drives the iridescent strains of “Singing in Your Blood” while steadfast determination beckons the rustic refrains of “Mule.” Still, much of Gully is downright spooky (imagine Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Eddie Vedder convening the satanic coven in Rosemary’s Baby), and its haunting afterglow lingers as those brooding recriminations finally fade. Rich waters flow deep in this Gully.

myspace.com/robjungklas

David Lewis
Ghost Rhymes

With two previous albums and a host of famous associates (like frequent collaborator John Wesley Harding and fellow pop pundits Chris Von Sneidern and Kurt Bloch), David Lewis has traversed a pleasing career path. His latest effort provides another sterling example of his folk-friendly sound, a blend of wistful, billowy ballads and the occasionally sprightly rhythm. Lewis’ soothing vocals often reference the angelic expression of Graham Nash and Iain Matthews, but incisive songs like “Something Real,” “Water From the Well” and the title track bear an individual imprint.

Raised in the U.K., he sowed his ambitions—and associations—in San Francisco. “This third CD is the product of great working relationships and friendships,” he explains. “We’re all busy people, living at different ends of the world, and I have a full-time job teaching at a university, so we tend to record whenever the planets align. That’s why it takes about five years to make a CD.” Fortunately, being haunted by this Ghost was worth the wait.

myspace.com/davidlewisfornow

Lucinda Black Bear
'Capo My Heart' & Other Bear Songs

Christian Gibbs has been quite the prolific auteur of late, casting about in his guise of C. Gibbs and, most recently, the inexplicable nom de plume Lucinda Black Bear. Being something of an overachiever, this latest endeavor finds the onetime member of Modern English wholly responsible for the arrangements and the majority of the instrumentation, setting up similarities to Conor Oberst in his Bright Eyes guise. However, Gibbs knew these new songs needed a certain touch of melancholy, so Lucinda expanded into a five-piece band with emphasis on violin and cello.

‘Capo My Heart’ provides a prime example of Gibbs’ angular melodies, muted emotions and a heavy emphasis on varying tones and textures. While the lush, ethereal beauty of “Fought the Bear,” “Winterland” and “You Got It Blue” takes several listens to absorb fully, peeling away the shimmering layers makes those repeated encounters all the more intriguing.

myspace.com/lucindablackbear

Mars Arizona
Hello Cruel World

Pinpointing the exact locale of Mars, Arizona, is difficult, but the Berkeley, Calif., duo—Michael Knowles and Nicole Storto—taking this fictional namesake assures accessibility with a superb third outing. Banjos, fiddles and mandolins—alongside veteran contributors like David Grisman and Al Perkins—fuel their tales of hard-bitten heroes with a steely glimpse at America’s modern malaise, but the blues in their bluegrass is never so downcast that it deters from the album’s unabashed exhilaration.

Covers of Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away,” T. Rex’s “By the Light of the Magical Moon” and back-porch standard “In the Pines” reflect the band’s diversity, but the originals are equally embracing—an astute combination of down-home charm and rousing, rambunctious technique. Mars boasts life after all.

marsarizona.com

Carol Noonan
As Tears Go By

Growing up immersed in traditional music and gaining regional fame fronting New England’s Knots and Crosses, Carol Noonan initiated her solo career in 1995. Here she digs deeper into iconic influences, detouring from her prolific songwriting skills by covering ’60s classics, wonderfully rendering them through stark, stripped-down arrangements.

Noonan wrings every ounce of passion from these incessant refrains. Although “For No One,” “To Sir With Love” and “Walk Away Renée” are burrowed into the collective consciousness, Noonan’s emotive reads add new resilience. Likewise, she reinvents “Ruby Tuesday,” “This Girl’s (née ‘Guy’s’) in Love With You” and the title track with a subtlety and nuance befitting their delicate lilt and sway. A companion DVD, recorded at her Stone Mountain Arts Center, is also recommended for the newly enamored.

carolnoonanmusic.com

Pat Robinson
Rough and Tough Cowboy

Pat Robinson brings an impressive résumé to the rugged, restive Rough and Tough Cowboy. Since starting his career at age 11, he’s penned tunes for Joe Cocker, Percy Sledge and Glen Campbell, scored several soundtracks, and played alongside the late Gene Clark in CRY, the ex-Byrd’s final ensemble.

That may explain the new album’s wizened and world-weary perspective. “Love Is a Slow Dance” makes for a tangled, twisted intro to this set of Americana originals. His rich, resonating vocals recall forebears like Gordon Lightfoot and Bruce Cockburn, imbuing somber ballads like “Looks Like Rain,” “Shine” and “Blink” with an austere but authoritative presence. Likewise, “If I Can’t Have You” and “I Cry” parlay a pure country sound into an instant embrace.

patrobinson.net

Ford Turrell
Ford Turrell

No matter that the cover of Nashville singer-songwriter Ford Turrell’s self-titled debut is so dark in design it’s difficult to read. The music it cradles is both revealing and affecting in ways that belie any attempt at evasion. Granted, Turrell’s smoky vocals and wispy, drifting melodies convey a certain mystique, but ultimately this is an album that quietly takes hold and then proves mesmerizing in the process.

Turrell purveys an uneasy sweep of backwoods Americana with a sinewy seduction that can go directly to the point in one glance (“Go Ahead, Break My Heart”) or remain just out of reach (“The Stillest Hour”) in another. These fleeting observations culminate in the album’s sweeping finale, “Roll Away the Stone,” a song that recalls the Band in its unbridled optimism.

fordturrell.com

The Whitsundays
The Whitsundays

There’s something vaguely familiar about the Whitsundays. The sounds swirling through this Edmonton, Alberta, band’s debut conjure hints of psychedelia and offbeat eccentrics like Syd Barrett. So while vocalist/percussionist Paul Arnusch has chalked up studio time—drumming for bands like the Faunts and the Floor—this is clearly his most cosmic concoction.

Still, don’t think of the Whitsundays as just another group of lysergic wannabes. They temper their cerebral musings with clearly defined melodies, be it the quiet meanders of “Bring It On Home” and “I Want It All” or the more excitable strains of “The Ways of the Sweet Talking Boys” and “Antisocial.” This astute combination makes the Whitsundays more than just your everyday ensemble.

myspace.com/thewhitsundays