Owen Moore
Album: Songs For Passing Strangers
Label: PJO
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.owenmooremusic.com

A familiar figure around the West Country's folk clubs and pubs as well as busking on its high streets, drawing on largely country influences Irish-born/Bournemouth-based Moore plays a mix of self-penned originals and songs by names as diverse as George Jones, Donovan, Jerry Jeff Walker and Butch Hancock. Although he's been performing for a fair few years, his first album didn't appear until July 2011; however, since when he's been pretty prolific, releasing the follow up within months and his seventh, 'City Streets And Country Songs', last year. Indeed, this, his latest, also came out towards the end of 2015, although this time there was none of his own material, but rather a collection of songs he's sung over the years.

A totally solo affair but with plenty of instrumentation, it again brings together folk and country numbers, sung in a relaxed, warm and gentle manner with a discernible Irish lilt that's been likened to Charlie Landsborough, though, having said that, the opening track in particular, a warbled, twangy guitar cover of Billy Joe Shaver's 'Freedom Child' sounds much more like Roy Orbison spliced with Frankie McBride.

There's a diverse choice of material that embraces names both familiar and not. Of the former, the best known is undoubtedly Chris Rea whose 'Standing In Your Doorway Now', taken from his debut album 'Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?', fully extracts its country flavours and has a far better guitar solo. Gallagher and Lyle will also be familiar, Moore offering a strummed, almost reggae rhythm shuffle through 'Stay Young', as will J.J. Cale whose 1974 'Okie' album is mined for 'The Old Man And Me', a somewhat sunnier bluesy version than the spooked whisper of the original. A legend of the English folk scene, Bill Caddick's classic 'John O'Dreams' has proven a popular cover among Irish folkies, The Clancy Brothers and Christy Moore among them, and Moore's deserves to rank up there with the best.

Although best (and perhaps only) remembered for 'Love Song', a version of which she recorded with Elton John for 'Tumbleweed Connection', Lesley Duncan never achieved commercial success and remains one of the best unknown singer-songwriters of the 70s. Moore welcomingly sheds a little light on her overlooked talents here with a gently jogging Irish country take on 'If You Won't Be Mine' from her debut album 'Sing Children Sing'.

The other featured writers will be rather more obscure to mainstream ears, although with his forthcoming support to Fairport Convention, rising Yorkshire folkie Roger Davies is deservedly set for a wider audience given songs such as the infectious 'Into The Sun' given a Don Williams feel here. Terry Smith was named America's Traditional Music Association Songwriter of the Year in both 1995 and 1996, his 'The Far Side Banks of Jordan' being covered by over 150 artists, including twice by Johnny and June Cash, Moore's version hewing close to that featured on the latter's 2000 Grammy winning 'Press On'. Born in New York in 1937, Bob Coltman was another traditional folk singer and a major influence on America's 60s folk revival, leaving behind several self-penned songs that became folk standards, of which, featuring some nimble fingerpicking, 1971's nostalgic 'Before They Close The Minstrel Show' is included here. Going further into the past, 'Aghadoe', a story of the 1798 rebellion, was written in 1900 by Irish poet and playwright John Todhunter. Moore's reading is marginally more uptempo than the version made famous by Liam Clancy, substituting the strings for mandolin and restoring the verse that identifies Shaun Davey as betraying his sister, who was hiding her rebel lover in the County Cork glen, for "traitor's gold".

A more contemporary figure is Cambridge's Penni McLaren Walker, showcased here with waltzing shanty 'Song Of The Fisherman' from her 2010 album 'Shelter In The Storm' with Brian Causton, while the album closes with a song that has long been part of country tradition, a train rhythm rolling 'Hobo's Lullaby', first popularised by Woody Guthrie but written by Goebel Reeves. Moore clearly knows and appreciates his music. It would be good if more people knew the music he makes too. Don't be a stranger.

Mike Davies