Review: Session Americana – The Rattle And The Clatter
Session Americana – The Rattle And The Clatter
Format: CD – Digital / Label: Independent
Release: 2024
Text: Pascal Wilhelm
I must admit I never heard of this outfit before, but man! If you love Americana, you really should check this out. Twenty years they’ve been around as a collective. Six years of having a regular gig in Cambridge Massachusettes where they started playing while crammed around a small table in a bar, and 14 years as a touring act.
Session Americana is a collection of musicians’ musicians. Utterly gifted in playing and songwriting. This record celebrates their 20th anniversary and contains a collection of their most popular songs from their nine (!) albums and touring hits. The album precedes the new record that will be released in 2024.
Over the years, the band took their own path avoiding the “shoulds” of the music business. The fun and inspiration kept them together while they slowly but steadily build up a dedicated fan base of music lovers and bookers.
What they do is what they do, playing real American music from early and later traditions. Folk, blues, country, swampy rock, it’s all there. This is how bands should go about their career: focusing on developing musicianship in a context of deep friendship, regularly recording progress, staying together, not giving up. Ultimately, you get what people love the most: sharing deep emotions and joy in connection with each other and the audience, celebrating everything that is good about life.
No, I am not exaggerating, Session Americana is an example of what you get if the music comes first. This record is an excellent portal to discover the work of Session Americana, especially if you didn’t know them already. If so, congratulations, you found the good stuff.
Tracks:
01. Pack Up The Circus (Cavanaugh) from Pack Up The Circus (2015)
02. Making Hay (Fitting) from Live at the Haybarn Theatre (2018)
03. Beertown (Child, Clapham) from Table Top People Vol 3: Beer Town (2007)
04. Helena (Hamer) from Great Shakes (2016)
05. All For You (Cavanaugh, Strause) from Pack Up The Circus (2015)
06. Trip Around The Sun (Bruton, Anderson, Vaughn) from Northeast (2019)
07. You Always Hurt The One You Love (Roberts, Fisher) from Pack Up The Circus (2015)
08. I Can’t Get Out (Bistline, Shadwell) from Diving For Gold (2009)
09. Boats Up The River (traditional) from Table Top People Vol 1 + 2 (2005)
10. Mississippi Mud (Fitting) from Great Shakes (2016)
11. It’s Not Texas (Child) from Pack Up The Circus (2015)
12. Love Changes Everything (Correia) from Love And Dirt (2012)
13. Air, Running Backwards (Travis, Greenberger) from Northeast (2019)
14. Doreen (Sandman) from Live 2011
15. I Ain’t Living Long Like This (Crowell) from Live at the Haybarn Theatre (2018)
16. Lighthouse Light (Cavanaugh) from Table Top People Vol 1 + 2 (2005)
Website: https://www.sessionamericana.com/