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Review: 'WARD THOMAS'
'From Where We Stand'   

-  Label: 'i-tunes'
-  Genre: 'Alt/Country' -  Release Date: '21st July 2014'

Our Rating:
This is the debut album by mainstream country act Ward Thomas. The only 'alt' part of this band is the fact that they are twin sisters from Hampshire farming stock and the album was written in Wiltshire but recorded in Nashville with a band of well-known session players including Vince Gill, Dan Dugmore, Chris Rodriguez and Michael Omartian. Accordingly, this means it's a very well-played album that is probably more likely to do well in the southern states than in England.

They sound a little bit honky tonk on the opener and current single Push For The Stride. It's full of double entendre lyrics about riding horses and racing and doubles as a cool love song about going after what you want. It's good fun and a little bit Dolly.

Way Back When sounds a bit Alanis Morrisette goes country but with good harmonies and decent thoughtful lyrics. Footnotes (Happy Ending) is a bit too bland for my tastes but the harmonies sound fine and it still sounds very accomplished and thankfully not overly polished.

The Good and the Right seems to be taking aim at some of those on the right who spout hate constantly. I hope it is as then this is a very brave song for any country act to put out but a damn fine song either way and not that surprising that it was popular on the Terry Wogan show. From Where I Stand is a much slower song that asks a few decent questions about the nature of life. This is a gentle song that draws the listener in before a slightly overblown guitar solo takes over. It feels a little out of place.

Take That Train is a bit like Little Feet with female vocals. I like the mandolins in the background and it's another decent song about breaking up and going to go and take a train to a better life. There's always room for one more, I guess.

Guest List is a reasonable song about one of those people who isn't on the top of the girl's guest list. Well I'm sure they did something to piss them off like this but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Try is a slow piano-led song about wanting that evolves into something like The Carpenters meets Fifth Dimension; a very different-sounding song and in many ways my favourite song on the album.

Wasted Words seems to be a cool country break-up song about the words we say but don't believe. With some lovely fiddle playing and lap steel. Very pleasant indeed. Company is a plea for Tenderness and well, love, from someone who isn't in her arms as she sings the song. Whoever this is about should just go and give her a great big hug when they hear this.

Caledonia is a song of longing for pastures old. It's longing to be back in Caledonia once more over a slow piano and acoustic guitar backing. We then go back to the honky tonk for Town Called Ugley (sic): a great barrelhouse of a tune that really sounds like it's about Ugley in the outer wilds of Essex. A fine hoe down dance tune and the ideal closer for an extremely mainstream and accomplished country album.


Ward Thomas on i-Tunes
  author: simonovitch

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WARD THOMAS - From Where We Stand