Aly Cook
Album: Horseshow Rodeo Hotel
Label: Rodeo
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.alycook.com

Two gems in a month for me and not from the US or Canada but from New Zealand. Having thoroughly enjoyed Tami Nielson's recent Dynamite! offering I am especially pleased to listen to Aly Cook.

This is Aly's sophomore album (the follow-up to Brand New Day) and just like the first album, Horseshoe Rodeo Hotel is produced by Alan Jansson who's most famous for producing songs by OMC of 'How Bizarre' fame.

Aly has made many appearances in the Tamworth country music festival, travelled through Australia, New Zealand and around the World. She has visited the UK on several occasions and is gaining many new fans with her unique variety of country, blues, soul and Australian sounds! In fact this album is heavily influenced from Aly's time travelling across Australia and you can get a distinct original feel to this throughout the short nine tracks on offer here.

'Home' is the opening song of the album and it is very catchy with a sing-along chorus and it is no surprise that it was chosen as one of the singles from the album. The title says it all about someone who aches to be where they feel most content and on familiar surroundings. No doubt this is a very true feeling expressed by many artists who have busy touring schedules which takes them travelling on the road all over the World.

Up next is 'Midnight Cowboys' that has a little country twang complete with harmonica. The first Australian influences show up with lyrics that quote the album title like "Horseshoe Rodeo Hotel, Lizard ate the flys, can't seem to make the darkness bright, snakes stand, united on the right". You get the distinct feeling that Aly has definitely experienced things first hand possibly on her travels camping out in the Outback.

There's another train song but it is a change from the usual US train lines we are used to as this time it's about the 'Western Line' that's "leaving Sydney on a cloudy day". It still has a country feel just like railroad songs from yesteryear with Aly describing the sights she is seeing on her journey home.

A clever title for the fourth track is 'Love Is A Fool Time Job' and this definitely has an early Sheryl Crow flavour to it vocally and with the slightly rocky guitar parts. The album speeds through in super fast fashion. Next up is some very effective didgeridoo and aboriginal clapping sticks heard throughout 'Kimberley'. Aly sings about the peaceful area mentioned in the title and it is sung in a very powerful way with more descriptive lyrics about the open terrain and landscapes she has encountered "where the 5 rivers join, and flow to the sea, o'er vast baron lands".

If there's one part of the album that stands out it is the song writing "did you ever think you saw a smiley face or a UFO out in space" are very imaginative and thought provoking lyrics from 'Message In A Cloud'. What would it would be like to be without 'No Phone, No Mail, No Internet' is a very interesting modern day thought and these are 21st century items Aly strongly believes are not needed and she probably could live without. The song comes complete with a very memorable, laid back and hummable melody.

'Unknown Memories' is definitely a sombre reflective ballad that shows how good Aly's vocals are and what a fantastic voice she has. It is nice to have the minimal instrumentation on this and to allow Aly's voice to be shown clearly.

The final track 'Sassenay' is similar to recent releases by Australian country artists Luke O'Shea ('Three Brothers') or Lee Kernaghan ('Spirit of the Anzacs') with themes of war and soldiers around the Gallipoli commemorations. Aly sings "for the lives of men, who bought freedom today, far across the World" which is her own emotive take on a family relation leaving for war and the feelings that this creates. There is also help from a children's choir singing in French which adds a very touching and sad ending for the soldier who sadly wouldn't return from the fields of 'Aotearoa so far away".

Despite its short length this is an interesting and intriguing collection of ditties with the highlights being the Australian sounds and themes along with Aly's vocals. It is refreshing to see Aly using a variety of styles throughout and this is a pleasant change to some of the unvaried and similar sounds coming from other country related artists. I'll definitely be interested to find out what type of sounds or themes will be on Aly Cook's next release but in the meantime I will definitely hit the loop button on my player for this one.

Craig Parry