Chimney Smoke (CD/Vinyl)
Ed Snodderly & The Shoestring Seven
7.21.23
Producer: R S Field
Engineer: Bil VornDick
Majestic Records/ Need to Know
45:35
Snodderly’s compiled 12 songs that are bright and different and all tell a story whether it’s his state of mind or nostalgic vignettes of family life in the American South. It’s the attractiveness and often sophistication of the tunes that demand repeat listens of this Americana. His biography tells you that he’s been on the Nashville scene for decades and is the proprietor of a folk club well east of Nashville in Johnson City. When not performing he’s a lecturer in song writing at the town’s East Tennessee State University. He’s been recording since the late 70s.
The songs are acoustic based and his vocals remind me intermittently of Rodney Crowell or James McMurtry. Some lyrics tell of journeys and on one such, “Gone With Gone And Long Time,” he’s joined on the chorus by Gretchen Peters. The album is beautifully arranged and “There You Are” enjoys pedal steel and piano behind the sunny and uplifting melody. “Barn” is dedicated to Michael Nesmith and it certainly has the syncopation and urgency of the former Monkees’ solo work. Amythyst Kiah, Maura O’Connell, Malcolm Holcombe and Eugene Wolf also contribute great vocals throughout this great recording.
The pace can fall and Snodderly adopts a croon as strings create great beauty on “Just Like You River.” The strings come again on “Crow’s Fever” along with some diverting electric guitar licks from Kenny Vaughan. “Before School” is a thoughtful lyric about mindfulness as our young scholar makes his way to the school bus through country lanes and an eventual entrance into a land of conflicts and challenges. This wistful tune, with a Lou Reed-esque vocal and a piano accompaniment, is exquisite and slows you to the pace of this world; you can feel the trees around you and the morning sunlight on your face. Accessible intimate storytelling and song variety with sparkling crafted arrangements make this a fine listen. I hope Snodderly gets a higher profile on this side of the pond due to this release.
Tony Ives
Americana, UK
Better Just Ride The Mule
Gone With Gone And Long Time
Chimney Smoke
There You Are
Barn
Just Like You River
Jump Dance River
Crow’s Fever
Walking In The Sunshine Again
Before School
So Far Away
Bonus Track: The Diamond Stream