Time: 26:22
Size: 60.4 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2017
Art: Front
[3:52] 1. Alright By Me (Mr. Fisher)
[3:02] 2. Backroads Freddie
[3:42] 3. Drop Down
[3:06] 4. Used To Be
[4:19] 5. Ramblin Man
[4:26] 6. Snake Farm
[3:53] 7. Wish I Was
There are no hard and fast rules about how the blues should sound, and aside from a few basic structures and patterns, the limits of the genre are only set by an artist’s imagination and attitude. Beth Garner is not short on either of these attributes, and her third album, Snake Farm, is both unique and adventurous. These results are possible because of Garner’s personality and energy, as well as her prowess on lead and slide guitars.
Beth started her musical career in Austin, Texas, and ten years ago she moved to a small town to the east of Nashville. From there Garner made her way into Music City to sing and play her ferocious lead guitar at the bars on Lower Broadway, and this record is evidence of the progress she has made over the years. Snake Farm was recorded “mostly live” at Slack Key Studios in Woodbine, Tennessee (south of the Gulch), and the results are vibrant and fresh. Beth Garner and Randy Kohns were producers for this project, and joining Garner in the studio were Steve Forrest on bass, Wes Little behind the drum kit, Rory Hoffman on saxophone, keyboards, and rhythm guitar, as well as backing vocalists Angela Primm and Gale Mayes. This is a short album, coming in at a bit over 26 minutes, but Beth wrote six of the seven tracks and they all tell interesting stories. For example the opener, “Alright by Me (Mr. Fisher),” is the tale of a woman who pines for Mr. Fisher, and the lively vocals are set to a laid back (yet funky) rhythm and blues score. Edgy guitar leads, honking baritone sax, and pretty harmonies complement Beth’s unique style.
Snake Farm is a short but very satisfying album, and Beth Garner has shown that she is quite a songwriter. The lyrics are funny and clever, and her musical arrangements are not built around the chords that everybody else relies on. Her website only shows one upcoming gig (Plano, Texas in June), but hopefully more dates will be added soon, as Beth’s music is a real treat and it would be cool to see her show! ~Rex Bartholomew
Beth started her musical career in Austin, Texas, and ten years ago she moved to a small town to the east of Nashville. From there Garner made her way into Music City to sing and play her ferocious lead guitar at the bars on Lower Broadway, and this record is evidence of the progress she has made over the years. Snake Farm was recorded “mostly live” at Slack Key Studios in Woodbine, Tennessee (south of the Gulch), and the results are vibrant and fresh. Beth Garner and Randy Kohns were producers for this project, and joining Garner in the studio were Steve Forrest on bass, Wes Little behind the drum kit, Rory Hoffman on saxophone, keyboards, and rhythm guitar, as well as backing vocalists Angela Primm and Gale Mayes. This is a short album, coming in at a bit over 26 minutes, but Beth wrote six of the seven tracks and they all tell interesting stories. For example the opener, “Alright by Me (Mr. Fisher),” is the tale of a woman who pines for Mr. Fisher, and the lively vocals are set to a laid back (yet funky) rhythm and blues score. Edgy guitar leads, honking baritone sax, and pretty harmonies complement Beth’s unique style.
Snake Farm is a short but very satisfying album, and Beth Garner has shown that she is quite a songwriter. The lyrics are funny and clever, and her musical arrangements are not built around the chords that everybody else relies on. Her website only shows one upcoming gig (Plano, Texas in June), but hopefully more dates will be added soon, as Beth’s music is a real treat and it would be cool to see her show! ~Rex Bartholomew
Snake Farm