Back catalogue: Folk/Americana

Review: The announcement of Johnny Cash's posthumous album Songwriter, has sparked a debate about the ethics of releasing music shelved during an artist's lifetime. The album, featuring 11 unreleased demos from 1993, sees Cash's vocals and acoustic guitar, with new instrumentation by musicians like Marty Stuart and Dave Roe. The first single, 'Well Alright,' exemplifies Cash's clever, humorous style, reminiscent of lesser-known gems like 'Country Trash.' Produced by Cash's son, John Carter Cash, and David Ferguson, this release aims to highlight Cash's songwriting. Some critics argue against releasing music the artist did not originally deem worthy. However, the album's timing during a commercially rough period and Cash's subsequent career reinvention suggests the demos' initial shelving wasn't due to quality concerns. One listen will confirm that - this is top drawer material from a master of the genre.

Review: Before the legendary Johnny Cash would embark on his mid-90s resurgence with the help of producer Rick Rubin, the country songsmith had already been hard at work on a collection of tracks recorded at LSI Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. These sessions were ultimately shelved in favour of the subsequent American Recordings, until three decades later, they were to be discovered by John Carter Cash, son of Johnny and June Carter. Stripping away the bells and whistles from the takes to get down to the core of Cash's sole vocal and acoustic guitar tracks, long-time producer David 'Fergie' Ferguson was tapped to help helm this accidental new project. Handpicking a collective of artists close to Cash, including guitarist Marty Stuart, the late bassist Dave Roe, drummer Pete Abbott, as well as a plethora of contributors such as Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys; the team retreated to the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, known for being a place of solitude and inspiration for the timeless songwriter, in order to do these forgotten gems their due diligence. Aptly titled Songwriter, these are the resulting never-before-heard, and likely final newly released songs from a legend whose looming presence still continues to resonate to this day.