Ceri James
Album: Songs From The Saloon
Label: Deep Water
Tracks: 13
Website: http://www.cerijames.com

It's album number four for Welsh troubadour bluesman, Ceri James and somehow "Songs From The Saloon" seems to be exactly the right title for this slight rough around the edges, almost dishevelled cut, that does just about everything apart from say "Did you spill my pint" and look at you 'that' way.

This is a delightful roughhouse of an album, that may seem like it's hit the road hard and picked up a few drinking songs along the way. Ceri James is a man that knows how to put a fine observational song together and delivers them with a deep dose of honesty and honesty can be difficult to take, particularly when it's laid out in front of you in black and white, but that's one of the beautiful things about the blues, confession and redemption.

Ceri James is one of those artists who can play songs solo, trio or as part of a group and that means his songs have to be able to adapt to those circumstances, but by and large the recordings on this album are delivered in a band configuration, something which allows him to really explore the width and depth of a song, it also makes you wonder how something like "The Post Tour Blues" would sound in a more intimate way, rather than as a blues rocker.

"Songs From The Saloon" is a people's album, that doesn't mean it's bereft of a philosophy, far from it, actually it's an album that speaks for and of its self very well, it just doesn't use fancy words to do it.

One song on the album that really intrigues me is the comparatively romantic "Wood Wedding Anniversary", also one of the most country songs on the album. The wood wedding is the fifth and it seems like a good place to take stock of a relationship and this one seems to have had some ups and downs and still managed to come through, but leaves a bit of a doubt over year six, hmm.

Ceri James is a fine example of the troubadour tradition, "Songs From The Saloon" may take the occasional opportunity to wallow in self pity, check out "Miss You Blues" and it does it really well, but predominantly this is an album that has that self depreciating humour and wry look on life that gets most of us through it.

Neil King