‘Coalesce’
by Pondering Judd

Pondering Judd finished tracking its latest release on Oct. 16 and rapidly turned around a fresh CD, “Coalesce.” The album title references the band’s growth into a tightly knit group of highly compatible musicians. The members have achieved a sense of unity and confidence that makes the recording sound as professional as anything you’ll find at Tower Records, and their devoted local following will surely rejoice in the new disc.

Together since 1993, PJudd has certainly had time to evolve. On its Web site, www.ponderingjudd.com, the band describes its musical mission. “PJudd’s approach is simple: songs before individual performances; the whole before thyself,” the site states. Singer-songwriter Martin England, guitarist Mark Edgerly, bassist Brian Gosselin and drummer Steve Jacques have been playing together for close to a decade and a half, and the band has really begun to pick up steam over the last couple of years, completing its first U.S. tour with Ireland’s Sawdoctors in spring 2006. The group has released six discs in the last seven years.

Based in Dover, PJudd is an Americana band that follows a standard and basic formula for guitar-bass-drums-vocals rock. England has a country boy voice that lends the music a down-to-earth, farmyard appeal, while the instrumentalists add enough pep to make each song radio-friendly. On “Coalesce,” which was recorded and mixed at Thundering Sky Studio in South Berwick, England shares hard-life stories about struggling to pay rent, relationship issues, getting nabbed for drunk driving and other day-to-day trials, all of which, at times, sound a little contrived.

But, there are inspired moments on “Coalesce,” including some rousing guitar solos and self-assured vocals. And, PJudd’s good-’ole folk-rock Americana is a refreshing treat for many Seacoast music fans. The group won Spotlight awards for best rock band three years in a row, from 2004 to 2006.

Pondering Judd officially unveiled the new disc with a performance at Horsefeathers in North Conway on Saturday, Oct. 27. PJudd has a number of other upcoming CD release shows in the area, starting with a performance at Biddy Mulligan’s in Dover on Friday, Nov. 9. The band will play an all-ages show at the Rochester Country Club in Rochester on Saturday, Nov. 17, followed by another release show at The Shaskeen in Manchester on Friday, Dec. 7. A final CD release show will occur at Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville, Mass., on Friday, Jan. 18, 2008.

‘Airplane’
by Dan Walker

A relative newcomer to the Seacoast, Dan Walker recently released his second full length independent album, “Airplane.” The singer-songwriter is at the forefront of a bass-drums-guitar trio that plays mellow but spirited blues-based folk-rock. The instruments are not loud or flashy, but they compliment Walker’s soulful singing, creating a down-home sound that would work on a back porch in Dover or at any number of small town pubs across the country.

Originally from Indiana, Walker’s songs evoke a strong sense of home while simultaneously conveying the compulsion to ramble. He has performed in at least 15 different states, and his style seems appropriate in just about any geographic context, from New England to the Midwest to the Deep South. In “Hit the Road,” the fourth track on “Airplane,” Walker rattles off a number of cities and states where he has played, including Indiana; New Orleans; Fort Collins, Col.; Nashville, Tenn.; Boise, Id.; and California.

The new disc begins with a short burst of laughter that instantly gives the music a relaxed and accessible feel. Walker quickly delves into an upbeat country-blues tune called “Stumble and Fall,” strumming his acoustic guitar and joyfully reciting rhyming lyrics.

“Save a little money, save a little time, save a little lovin’, save a little wine. If you don’t save nuthin’, just spend it all, what you gonna do when you stumble and fall?” he sings.

The CD’s 11 tracks feature Walker on vocals and guitar, Roy Wallace on drums and Luke Crawley on bass, along with guest appearances by Matt Young on pedal steel and Fred Baker on guiro.

The album ends with the soft and wistful title track, in which Walker begins by describing his young daughter’s excitement at spotting an airplane in the sky. The plane becomes a metaphor for the dreams toward which people aspire, and listeners are left with the distinct impression that Walker has boarded his personal airplane through the creation of music.

Walker has sporadic shows scheduled on the Seacoast in coming weeks and months. For a full calendar and more information, visit www.danwalkermusic.com or www.myspace.com/danwalkertunes.

‘Radical Rags’
by Randy Browning

There is nothing ambiguous about the messages on Randy Browning’s debut album, “Radical Rags.” The solo singer-songwriter pretty much lays it all out in the opening title track: “Yeah, good old-fashioned, all-American, left-wing radical, crazy and fanatical, folk-singin’, hammer-swingin’, tree-huggin’, earth muffin, homosexual agenda ... rags,” he sings at the song’s conclusion.

One verse of the song points to civil rights leaders like Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King and the NAACP as examples of liberal thinkers who altered the course of U.S. history through radical activism. The song concisely points out that, were it not for liberal-minded people who demand change, American society would never advance.

This is not Rage Against the Machine. The self-produced, self-recorded album consists of solo acoustic arrangements featuring Browning’s voice, guitars and banjo. Even the heaviest lyrics have a lighthearted, celebratory feel. It’s quintessential, blue-collar folk music. Browning mixes several covers into the CD’s track list, including his version of the groundbreaking Leadbelly song “Bourgeois Blues.”

But, this is not Bob Dylan, either. Browning’s lyrics do not provide unique insights or clever metaphors. Rather, they serve as straightforward, barebones anthems for the liberal cause. Browning repeatedly refers to a proverbial “they,” and while it is not entirely clear who “they” are, it can be assumed that “they” are the evil, upper-class, corporate conservatives who Browning believes are heartlessly crushing the nation’s spirit.  

The songs are fun to listen to, and it is not difficult to imagine Browning strumming a guitar in a parking lot in Washington DC during some kind of peace sit-in. A New Hampshire native, Browning currently resides in Southern Maine. When he is not performing as a solo artist, he makes up half of the acoustic guitar duo Late Bloomers, joining musical partner Brett Kinney. For more information, visit www.latebloomersmusic.com.