(Cavalier Music) After listening to Andy Gorwell's debut album Uprooted, I was surprised to discover he hails from Melbourne, Australia. Andy sings with a twang with nary even the slightest hint of an Aussie accent in his voice. His influences are apparent- hints of Gram Parsons, lots of  greasy country-blues Beggars Banquet era Stones and visions of Son Volt- fronted by Adam Carroll instead of Jay Farrar.

Andy is backed on Uprooted  by Ed Yates (pedal steel guitar), Neon Leon (guitar), David Isaacs and Rod Jennings (drums), Jonathon Lickliter (bass), Jeremy Fogarty (harp) and Jeff Samlin (bass and backing vocals). Besides his vocals, Andy plays the harp, piano and dobro and wrote 9 of the album's 10 songs.

Uprooted opens with the raggedly rustic tale of his grandfather's truck drivin' days in "Diesel." The Gram Parsons' influence is strongest on the mournfully beautiful, weeping steel driven ballad, "Old Trains." "Take You Home Tonight" is another strong ballad, this one a lonesome country-blues with some nice slide guitar work, as is the mournful acoustic "My Old Friend The Blues" that features some fine harp playing. "Hit The Road" is a more uptempo harp driven acoustic country-blues, while "Send Me In A Woman" has a hint of a slapping Bakersfield groove to it.

The balance of the songs sound like they could've fit perfectly on any of the Stones' classic Beggars Banquet through Exile On Main Street albums. Andy perhaps lifts the melody (and even a phrase here and there) of their "Dead Flowers" for his own song, "Diamonds," a little too closely, but it nevertheless has the same infectious catchiness and charm of the original Stones' song. "Anticipating" is a ragged, rough and tumble country-blues-rocker full of greasy slide guitar. "Low Down Stinkin' Bars" has the same feel to it, though this one is harp driven. The lone cover on the album is none other than a cover of The Stones' "No Expectations." Andy delivers a strong version that substitutes steel for the slide guitar used on the original version.

On Uprooted, Andy Gorwell doesn't break any new ground and much of the album sounds (pleasingly) familiar. But that may be Uprooted's charm. Andy has just the right amount of 'unpolish' to his vocals and despite the familiarity, he knows how to write and deliver a good song which makes this one an album you'll find yourself reaching for time and again to pop in the player and just enjoy.

Standout Tracks: "Old Trains," "Anticipating," "Old Friend The Blues," "Take You Home Tonight," "No Expectations"

OnTheWeb:  http://www.geocities.com/andygorwell/index.html  http://www.cavaliermusic.com/

AnnMarie Harrington TakeCountryBack June 2004