ALBUM OF THE MONTH [February 2025]
(5 / 5)
What does a lion tamer, a 400-year-old farmhouse in the Italian hills and a buzzard, a crow, a buffalo and a black dog all have in common? The answer is Scottish singer and songwriter Dean Owens and his wonderful new album, “Spirit Ridge”.
His 12th album was crafted at Crinale, a 400-year-old farmhouse in the hills of Emilia-Romagna, Italy – the land of Dean’s great great grandfather Ambrose Salvona, who was a lion tamer.
The dozen tracks all penned by Dean were co-produced by Italian producer and musician Don Antonio and Dean, who came into Dean’s world from an introduction by Calexico member John Convertino; after Dean had worked with the celebrated band.
There is a very tasty array of top end musicians assembled for this project, with Dean on lead vocals, nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals and “whistling”. The core band named The Stone Buffalo Band is Don Antonio – guitars, lap steel, mellotron, piano. Luca Giovacchini – guitars, dobro. Piero Perelli – drums and percussion. Danilo Gallo – double bass, bass. With: Nicola Peruch – piano, organ, keyboards. Vanni Crociani – horns arrangements. Francesco Bucci – trombone. Michele Vignali – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone.
Plus “very special guests:” John Convertino – Second drummer on “Light This World” and “Spirit Of Us”; Marimba on “The Buzzard & the Crow”, Vibraphone on “Spirit of Us.” Martin Wenk – trumpet on “My Beloved Hills” and “Light This World.” Tom Hagerman – strings and string arrangements. Kirsten Adamson [daughter of Stuart Adamson of Big Country and The Skids] – backing vocals. Christopher Stout – fiddle on “Sinner of Sinners.” Nuala Kennedy – Flute on “The Buzzard & the Crow” and “Sinner of Sinners.”
Dean says this album’s for family. “Those who are long gone, those who’ve recently passed on, those who are here right now and those whose spirits will be forever present in our lives… all around us on Spirit Ridge.”
Producer Don Antonio adds: “I am Italian, Dean is Scottish, these are stories and sounds written and played in a way which deeply reflects who we are, the places we’ve been, the seeds we planted and the fruits we harvested. These songs are monumental!”
“The Buzzard and the Crow” imagines the world from the bird’s perspective; inspired by three last three years living out in the border country of Scotland, and Dean’s fascination of all the bird life locally – watching regular tussles between buzzards and crows.
“Face The Storm (Buffalo)” was penned when Dean was in Wyoming and Montana touring with some friends, and he got his wish to see the Great American Bison in real life when he visited Custer State Park in South Dakota. “I love it that the buffalo face into the storm and never back down, that they manage to struggle through some extremely hard conditions. I’m lucky that I have some very special people who have supported me in my life displaying that same strong spirit”.
“Wall Of Death” has big production on an upbeat song about living with, “the black dog of depression, that pays me and many others in this world an unwanted visit from time to time.”
The final track of the dozen, “Tame The Lion” nods to Dean’s late great great grandfather. “It really got me thinking about how it can often feel that the spirits of people who are no longer living are somehow still right there beside us as we wander along the ridges of our lives”.
My personal favourite of the songs assembled here is “My Beloved Hills”, which you can hear via the video above. It’s a really gorgeous job and the strings and brass add huge value. A track crying out for ‘sync’ deals for TV and film soundtracks.
Dean Owens’ fans include authors Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) and Ian Rankin (whose iconic character Rebus has Dean’s CDs on playlist). BBC legend “Whispering”Bob Harris is also an admirer.
Dean’s 11 previous solo albums, mostly recorded in the US, have seen him collaborate with some of the most respected musicians and producers around, including Al Perkins, Will Kimbrough, Neilson Hubbard, Grant-Lee Phillips, Gaby Moreno and Latin rock legends Calexico.
Currently touring Australia before a bunch of gigs across The Netherlands, Dean has toured with The Mavericks, Grant-Lee Phillips, Will Hoge and opened for artists including Roseanne Cash, Jason Isbell and Patty Griffin.
This is a class collection of finely crafted songs, lush string and brass-soaked arrangements, superb performances, spot on production and Dean’s soothing voice [which puts me in mind of The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft] at its very best.
Hard to peg this collection into just one category. “Americana ” does not do it justice. Songs from the heart and the soul of a gifted artist being totally true to himself, no matter what. I believe that does…
By Christopher Weston
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’ (5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
