"Ghost Folk" review and interview with Allysen Callery by Westzeit

"Seit jeher den leisen, mystisch umwehten Tönen zugewandt, beeindruckt die Amerikanerin nun erneut als Sängerin und Gitarristin auf den Spuren des britischen Folk-Revivals der späten 60er-Jahre. Die zumeist solo eingespielten Songs des neuen Albums wirken oft wie aus der Zeit gefallen, ohne deshalb altbacken zu klingen. Denn Callery geht es nicht um Nostalgie, sondern schlichtweg darum, sich ihr eigenes Refugium zu erschaffen, ihre ureigene „Twilight Zone“."
Westzeit, Germany

Read the full review here

"Ghost Folk" review by OndaRock

"Breaking the silence with a few, shrewd elements, Allysen Callery's art projects itself free and decisive in its being, as imposing in its evocative profile (the distorted prayer "Our Lady Of The Highway") as it is capable of gaining strength from the canon Drakeian and transforming stillness into a great strength. Embracing her most authentic nature without hesitation, the American author records her absolute pinnacle, signing a highlight of folk 2020. Ghosts are more alive than ever."
Onda Rock, Italy

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Ghost Folk

Ghost Folk is a beautiful new album by the number one self-made woman of American singer songwriter folk – Allysen Callery. And it is New England through and through.

Her ninth album in sixteen years (counting the bootlegs) invites us to share the solitude of her writing chambers. Haunting songs lure us into the remoteness of New England, where the Old World meets the New – where myth meets pragmatism. Callery portraits restless ghosts of everyday, some are passersby, and some seem well acquainted regulars. Ghost Folk is not gothic in mode, no collection of murder ballads. The album is eerie through stark simplicity and naked honesty, veiled only by the association the title evokes and by the beautifully arranged soundscapes. Callery meets us up front and yet detached. Her matter of factness contrasts with her surrealism, portraying a world entirely her own.

Unlike most artists of the current folk scene exploring all sorts of Americana, Allysen Callery draws heavily on the British folk revival of the 60s. Her picking style is Anglo-Celtic and rarely influenced by the blues. She is a master finger picker. In her voice you may hear Sandy Denny’s hurt or the purity of Shirley Collins, however, Allysen is her own woman, with her own approach – well equipped with a healthy do-it-yourself approach coming directly from punk.

Ghost Folk is purely modern and only plays with tradition, its themes and motifs – it is never conservative. Callery’s stylistic backwards glance is part of her mysterious continuum of self-reflection and observance – her own little twilight zone. It is all well situated between the eternal lament of the traditional ballad Katie Cruel and November Man, an ode to the uncrowned king of the hidden, Nick Drake. It’s a world of cigarettes, sin and somnambulism - and sweet-bitter hope.

Ghost Folk is a beautiful mind map to help you come to terms with your ghosts – called and uncalled. May Our Lady of the Highway guide you.

"Ghost Folk" review by Das Klienicum

"diese musik hat eine ganz eigene wesenheit. man muss ihre lesart finden. man muss sich in der mischung aus entrücktheit und zwingender schlichtheit wiederfinden. einem groove folgen, der sich nicht aufdrängt, aber fortwährend an gewissheiten rüttelt. die spielerische eleganz des fingerpickings, der zurückhaltende, fast schon schüchternde gesang - im vordergrund stets das lied, ausdrucksform und präzisionsinstrument jeglicher offenbarung der allysen callery.
"ghost folk" heißt ihr aktuelles album, das am 30.10. via cosirecords auch in deutschland erscheinen wird. lange bereits hat die amerikanerin ihre fäden über den teich gesponnen und angedockt in der hiesigen musikszene, die das d.i.y.-prinzip zu einem lebendigen etwas hat werden lassen. genannt seien beispielhaft die stationen, bei welchen callery bereits veröffentlicht hatte: woodland recordings und jellyfant. während erstere weiterhin fleißig nischenbereiche auszuleuchten suchen, mussten zweitere die segel streichen. wunderbar, dass die menschen von cosirecords hier in die bresche sprangen.
unverstellt sollte die erste begegnung mit allysen callery sein. die ewig geglückten verweise auf die britische wie amerikanische (folk-) szene sowie die lange liste an möglichen und unmöglichen vorbildern sollte denen erspart bleiben, die auf eine songwriterin treffen, deren art und weise sich bloßzulegen einzigartig ist. dass sie schließlich selbst nick drake erkoren hat, auf ihrem mittlerweile neunten full length einen ehrenplatz einzunehmen - man höre "november man", spricht für sich.
nun, man darf auch mal den blick auf äußerlichkeiten lenken. lackdruck! eine exzellente pressung! aufgehoben in gefüttertem inlay! wohlfeiles design innen wie außen! ein plakatdruck beigelegt, auf welchem sich die songlyrics wiederfinden! downloadcode! allenthalben also ein begehrliches objekt, das sich bereits im vorverkauf größter beliebtheit erfreut. also, bitte beeilen beim bestellen."
Das Klienicum, 27.09.2020

Read the full review here

Die Übriggebliebenen/Valley of the Leftovers & more great stuff

The eerily beautiful folk music hit "Köhlerliesel" (Uhlisch / Storz 1957) runs as a musical leitmotif through the anti-Heimatfilm "Die Übriggebliebenen/Valley of the Leftovers". Five musicians interpret the song in variations that go far beyond cover versions and ironically comment on the film scene. This creates five independent songs that are worth listening to even without the film.

In addition, the five musicians each contribute a bonus track from their own repertoire.

The highly decorated filmmaker Enko Landmann ("Centerland") assisted the directors Eike Weinreich and Alexej Hermann as musical supervisor.

Tracklist:

1. Raindance Kid - Köhlerliesel 02:47
2. Raindance Kid - The Road 04:33
3. Allysen Callery - Köhlerliesel 02:34
4. Allysen Callery - Lyonesse 02:51
5. Blind Joe Black - Köhlerliesel 04:57
6. Blind Joe Black & St. Gallus Convention Tapes - Down the Road 04:07
7. Kristina Jung - Köhlerliesel 03:43
8. Kristina Jung - The North Water 04:21
9. Ryan Lee Crosby - Tell Me 03:40
10. Ryan Lee Crosby - Köhlerliesel 03:43

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Latest Reviews & News:

"Soundtrack - Die Übriggebliebenen / Valley Of The Leftovers" review by Gästeliste

Da muss man erst einmal drauf kommen: Als "Anti-Heimatfilm" ist Eike Weinreichs und Alexey Hermanns "Die Übriggebliebenen" bereits beschrieben worden, musikalisch taucht in dem finster-skurrilen Familiendrama vor idyllischer Dorfkulisse aber ausgerechnet ein sechzig Jahre alter Volksmusikschlager als Leitmotiv auf, an dem sich - Schluck! - einst sogar Tony Marshall versucht hat. Mit bierseliger Schunkelei im Polka-Rhythmus haben die Filmversionen glücklicherweise nichts gemein, wie der auf dem Oberhausener Liebhaber-Label Cosirecords veröffentlichte Soundtrack beweist. Gleich fünf verschiedene Künstler interpretieren hier "Köhlerliesel", Langeweile kommt trotzdem nicht auf, denn die Versionen könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein: Raindance Kid aus Hamburg verfrachten den urdeutschen Song mit englischem Text und wehmütigem Americana-Flair in den amerikanischen Mittelwesten, und auch Ruhrpott-Troubadour Blind Joe Black blickt über den großen Teich: Mit seiner Banjo-und-Mundharmonika-Version schlägt er die Brücke von deutscher Volksmusik zu amerikanischem Folk. Kristina Jung dagegen findet ihre Interpretation zwischen Belcanto, Folk und einem Hauch von Dream-Pop. Die beiden ungewöhnlichsten Fassungen stammen derweil aus den USA: Allysen Callery reduziert das Lied auf Stimme und Akustikgitarre und wagt sich in ihrer Ghost-Folk-Versionen sogar lautmalerisch an den deutschen Text. Ryan Lee Crosby war genau das offenbar zu heikel. Er steuert ein sehnsüchtiges Slide-Guitar-Instrumental bei, die wie gemacht ist für den 5-Uhr-morgens-Blues. Als "Zugabe" gibt es dann noch eigene Songs der fünf Künstler, denn die nächsten Veröffentlichungen von Cosirecords werfen schon ihre Schatten voraus. Simon Mahler

"Die Übriggebliebenen/ Valley of The Leftovers" review by Westzeit

Die feine Filmmusik zu ""Die Übriggebliebenen/Valley of the Leftovers"(Cosi) besteht aus 5 Interpretationen vom "Köhlerliesel" (bes. grandios die von Kristina Jung!), zumeist als dunkler Banjo-Slide-AvantCountry, zu dem man sich Nick Cave als Duettpartner wünschen würde, und je 5 eigenen Stücken der Beteiligten.

River Music

His new LP River Music is a new step in Ryan Lee Crosby's musical development. Inspired by an intense study of African and Indian musicians such as Ali Farka Touré or Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, Ryan absorbs sounds of Mali-Blues and Indian Ragas while playing a 22-stringed Indian slide-guitar and being accompanied by breath-taking tabla playing. As a contrast the sound of the band is completed by a gutsy blues harp and some mean electric guitar as if Jerry Garcia, Charles Musselwhite, and Ravi Shankar were having a relaxed jam-session on some shadowed patio somewhere in Mumbai.

Latest Reviews & News:

"Ryan Lee Crosby Band - River Music" review and interview with RLC by Deep Blues

If blues musics are to survive this popno-tomorrow-is-already-boring-world it has to mutate and evolve, meander and stretch, and that's just what Ryan Lee Crosby does with his new album River Music by going forward into the past via India, and Malian desert music tones transmogrified via Mississippi hill country trance/drone vibes.

"RYAN CROSBY BAND – RIVER MUSIC" by Terrascope UK

Ryan has been inspired by African and Indian musicians, like Ali Farka Touré and Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya. These influences are keenly felt, and as such have invested these country folk/blues with desert rhythms and Indian ragas. The songs sing out with a clarity and determination that work so well, the album should be listened to as a complete piece. The title track is in itself magnificent, driven along by tabla and harmonica with Ryan’s guitar ringing out, the press release says “It’s like Jerry Garcia, Charlie Musselwhite and Ravi Shanker, having a relaxed jam session on some shadowed patio, somewhere in Mumbai”. I would also add that in places I’m reminded of the sorely missed slide guitar maestro Bob Brozman and the relaxed singing style of Geoff Muldaur. This is an excellent album, that I’m also pleased is available on vinyl, as it sounds particularly great in this format.

"Ryan Lee Crosby: River Music" by Rootsville Blues Jazz & Roots Info

Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lee Crosby is ready for his sixth full CD with this "River Music". Most of the time this Boston based bluesman plays with an intercontinental formation. The album is released for Europe by the German Cosi Records and for his homeland by Knick Knack Records from Seattle.

Crosby mostly plays on an electric 12-string guitar and chaturangui (the 22-string Indian slide guitar designed by Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya) and is accompanied by fretless guitar, tabla, harmonica and gourd (West African percussion). The influence of the raga is heard through the band's hypnotic, almost trance-like motifs, and the blues seeps through Crosby's dynamic vocals and masterful one-line guitar lines.

Latest Reviews & News:

"ALLYSEN CALLERY: The Song the Songbird Sings" review by African Paper

Ihr aktuelles Album “The Song the Songbird Sings”, das vor kurzem auf Vinyl neu herauskam, kommt auf sehr leisen Sohlen daher, und der Opener “It’s not the Ocean” hat mit fließendem Saitenspiel, entspannten Twangs und der leisen Melancholie des Gesangs etwas von einem Schlaflied. Doch nicht nur die Verse über das Ertrinken, auch eine leichte Brüchigkeit in der vielleicht etwas zu trostreichen Stimmung liefern einen kurzen Blick ins Bodenlose mit. Ohne zu stark vergleichen zu wollen, vermute ich, dass Hörer, die Ähnliches bei Marissa Nadler oder in etwas subtilerer Form bei Josephine Foster schätzen, auch an Callerys Songs Gefallen finden werden.

"Allysen Callery - The Song the Songbird Sings" review by Fatea Magazine

Allysen's a songwriter and (self-taught) guitarist from Rhode Island who produces what she herself terms "quiet music for a loud world", and what's been dubbed by others "ghost folk". Certainly the latter tag can seem particularly accurate, in that Allysen's music often seems familiar from somewhere you can't quite place, the ghost of a song you might know perhaps, and also in that she sings almost exclusively in a tender, hushed tone, if not exactly pianissimo. However, this doesn't mean her music lacks expression, or that her writing lacks substance. Her music doesn't need to shout or force an entry into your mind; it casts its oblique spell without overwhelming the sound picture.

"Allysen Callery - The Song the Songbird Sings" review by OndaRock

Books, plants, shadows, lights and cats: Allysen Callery, one of the most peculiar and fascinating voices of the current American folk scene, does not hesitate to betray the domestic setting, the daily essentiality, the deeply earthly nature of her inspiration. The warmth of small things, of those rituals that are repeated unchanging day after day, that environment of intimate familiarity that has made the strength of many, more or less great, in the history of traditional song, and that continues to offer its evils to those who want to find comfort and support: it is not necessary much more to the author of Rhode Island to outline her rich artistic vision, which to the limitation of the instrumental compartment reaffirms again with his fourth album "The Song The Songbird Sings" the extraordinary variety of harmony and writing which is endowed with.

"Allysen Callery: The Song the Songbird Sings – Review & Album Premiere" by Folk Radio UK

“Ghost Folk” artist Allysen Callery is back with a new release that reaffirms her reputation as a leading singer-songwriter. The Song the Songbird Sings is the Bristol, Rhode Island guitarist’s first full length album since Mumblin’ Sue, her outstanding 2013 release that caught the ear of American and European audiences. The new release highlights her trademark British folk revival sound of the 60’s and 70’s which this time includes layers of sonic colour from guitar wiz Bob Kendall.

Songbird is the sixth album from Callery, who is a veteran of the Newport Folk Festival where she sang last summer with Haunt the House. In 2014, she played SXSW where she was recognized by NPR’s Bob Boilen as one of 50 “intriguing unknown artists.” She’s an astute songwriter and a clever guitarist, creating gentle atmosphere while not overwhelming her listeners.