Karl Broadie

Second long player from Oz based Caledonian continues to set the critics tongues wagging about precisely how do we get him into one of our pigeon holes? And it isn't getting any easier. Following the sweeping success of 2003's beautifully titled 'Nowhere Now Here', 'Black Crow Callin' consists of thirteen more Broadie originals that defy category. 'It Lasts' sweeps & flows with tough guitars & an anthemic chorus that Adam Duritz would kill for. The title track is a country folk ditty that could have flowed from the fingers of Guy Clark, while ‘The Millers Daughter’ is the kind of Courtly English jaunt that will surely be covered by Edie Brickell before long. Tying all these seemingly disparate styles together is the vocal – Broadie’s Brogue. Realising the strengths of his singular, rasping delivery, it instantly becomes the fireplace of this record. The arrangements, mixes & particularly the backing vocals are set to best serve Broadies singing. They are left simple, often just repeating the melody, allowing tonal differences themselves to make their point. Broadie himself is recorded clearly & free from any obvious reverbs, then set high in the mix - pride of place like a trophy on a mantelpiece. It is this ethos of serving the songs that is the strongest point of 'The Karl Broadie Band' throughout these performances; as has been mentioned elsewhere in this piece, Black Crow Callin' touches on many different styles, all are played perfectly, the band never sounding like they are being stretched beyond their limits. As well as powerfull guitar solos, there are subtle touches of flair; The banjo track that underpins 'On The Road' or the xylophone percussion that livens up the 'Stumblin' Around' as well as understated cameos by Michael Roberts dobro, banjo & mandolin. The problem with not being able to pin Karl Broadie's style down is the towering strength of his records. 'Black Crow Callin' makes for a refreshing, stimulating ride through the Americana landscape. These love songs, road songs and drinking songs will repay the faith shown in his debut, reassure those who knew all along they were onto a good thing and win him countless new fans along the way. On 'What Makes A Man', Broadie confesses' 'I finished my novel, it didn't get published, but it felt good to get it all down' - well long may it continue that his recorded works are made available - making us all feel good for a while.
- BLACK CROW CALLIN’

BLACK CROW CALLIN’
KARL BROADIE (Universal)

If you're lucky enough to hear Karl Broadie on the radio you could be excused for thinking Steve Boyd or Alex Legg had released new albums. But the Sydney-based Scot, who arrived here in 1997, has 13 originals on his second album, produced by multi-instrumentalist Michael Roberts.

Broadie has a fragile vocal style reminiscent of Todd Snider without the off the wall narratives. But the singer, who shared stages this year with Canadians Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund and Shannon Lyon, is more esoteric. Some critics erroneously dumped him in the alt-country ghetto but his ruptured romance requiems have a melodic magic worthy of a wider audience.

Entrée Diamond In The Dark and jaunty The Millar’s Daughter – passionate paeans to foreign frauleins – set the melancholic mood swings. Rain and tears are wed in simplistic but powerful imagery: “that rain drop on your face in the photograph / coulda been a tear, I don’t know, I didn’t ask."

Broadie’s character loses the San Franciscan femme fatale in It Lasts but pain fades fast as it segues into the rollicking bittersweet title track. The singer is also adept at injecting lachrymose leaving songs with sweet solace. What Makes A Man, replete with an unfinished novel stanza, has a haunting beauty, fuelled by Graham Griffith on pedal steel and producer Roberts’ mandolin. So does the loping mandolin- and- banjo-daubed Stumblin’ Around and the steel-drenched uplifting wanderlust anthem On The Road.

Equally accessible is triumphant sing-a-long To The Core with Tim Wedde’s accordion and Roberts' slide guitar, banjo and dobro driving the train and Long, Long, Way. Sequencing is important – the pedestrian but evocative Poor Old Lonely Me and finale Sad Eyes are punctuated by the seasonal joy of Not Long For Springtime.

It’s no surprise Broadie is booked for international music festivals; his credible love songs are a palatable package.

DAVID DAWSON
- Beat Mag Australia

“slow-sad meditations - set adrift on a raft of mandolins, banjos, dobro and fiddle - are closest to Jeff Tweedy's Wilco circa Being There." - UNCUT (UK)

"A Scots-born Oz-based singer-songwriter whose chops are in the right place. His voice comes nicely cracked, his folksy songs often worth an instant replay” - MOJO (UK)

“Dylan, Francis Dunnery, Steve Forbert , the most important quality that Broadie shares with all of the above is a passion and sincerity that differentiates the influenced from the mere pretenders” - Amplifier (US)

"Imagine the pure, raw power of whatever it is that makes Wilco amazing, taken back to its roots via some smokey pub in the Scottish highlands and even the odd thunderstorm, and you have the charming world of Karl Broadie” - Record Collector (UK)

“Karl Broadie makes americana like he's about to start a third full on movement of the genre. Broadie's voice is quite simply amazing….. You get the feeling about something almost magical when you're listening, making it very difficult to move on quickly” - 4.5 / 5 Americana-UK

“Perhaps Broadie's refusal to sing in a classic country twang might prevent him from the establishment. Whatever happens, though, you won't hear a better locally produced country artist” - 8 / 10 - Juice Magazine

“rivals anything by Ryan Adams for the king of sadness’ crown. Just when you thought there were enough sensitive singer-songwriters in this world, another leaves you gasping for his return.” Maverick Magazine UK Everybody's Gold 5/5

“Stick a pin anywhere in the lyric booklet and you’re going to read some of the most excellent lines to grace a song for some time" - Pennyblack Music (UK)

“Listening about the fourth or fifth time in I suddenly just started to smile one of those satisfied smiles you give off after a particularly fine meal or glass of wine.”- 4/5 AltCountrytab.com

“Intense roots charm: marked with ideas of travel and wide space which are the spirit of the best part of our music….. this quality is certainly the winning choice. Delicious.” - 4/5 RootsHighway (Italy)

“Beautifully crafted songs. Its haunting quality and resonance capture attention immediately. Broadie is obviously going to be around for a while.” - Rhythms Magazine

“remarkable for both its honesty and its depth….. a timeless album” - AllMusic.com - Various