None More Records and Arrowhawk Records are delivering the goods with a new live album from the Cosmic Country Revue, recorded in March 2023 at the Paper Dress in London. The Cosmic Country Revue was a short U.K. tour featuring genre luminaries Jeffrey Silverstein, Bobby Lee, and Joe Harvey-Whyte, who combined for a magical night of psychedelic music that is, thankfully, preserved and presented for our listening pleasure.
The live album will be released jointly by None More and Arrowhawk. It will be available on cassette through the None More Bandcamp for the U.K., Europe, Asia, and Australia and through Arrowhawk’s Bandcamp for North, Central, and South America. It will also be available worldwide on streaming services. We are told the release date is April 12th, and after listening, I can assure you this is one you’ll want to consider having a physical copy of.
Silverstein is a Portland, Oregon-based songwriter whose most recent album, Western Sky Music, was released via Arrowhawk in 2023. Cosmic Country Revue presents choice tracks from his latest album, including an energetic rendition of “Sunny Jean” and “Trip Sitter.”
Bobby Lee is a Yorkshire-based musician who has become known for his brand of instrumental ambient country psych. His last two records—Origin Myths and Endless Skyways—are must-haves for cosmic country heads. Lee’s set on this live record features tracks from both albums, culminating in a jammed-out version of “Impregnated By Drops of Rainbow” featuring Harvey-Whyte’s velvety, beautifully astral pedal steel playing.
The evening’s music opens with a mystical, atmospheric, ambient pedal steel piece by Harvey-Whyte that’s worth the price of admission alone. Over twenty-five minutes, the live improvisation consists of Joe’s trademark pedal steel mastery mixed with voice and field recordings. Joe’s first solo release, Flatland / Spaceland, was released by None More Records in 2021.
The other players featured on Cosmic Country Revue are Guy Whittaker, who plays the drums, and Mark Armstrong, who mans the bass and keys. My favorites from Bobby Lee’s set include “Reds for a Blue Planet” and “Sacred Swimming Hole.” Lee kicks up cosmic dust on “Reds for a Blue Planet” with an electric atmosphere of swirling guitar that pulsates with rich energy. On “Sacred Swimming Hole,” there’s a palpable gravitational pull to Lee’s widescreen instrumental psychedelia that draws you in.
Silverstein’s “Cowboy Grass” features his smooth, deep vocals and pedal steel playing that soars like shooting stars. It’s cowboy music for cosmonauts and dreamers, and Jeffrey plays it with relentless intensity, as he does throughout his set. Another favorite cut is “Easy Rider,” a more mellow song where Jeffrey paints the London stage in kaleidoscopic hues. Silverstein concludes his set with a rollicking version of “Sunny Jean,” cutting loose and bucking like a bronco on the galactic trails of the Cosmic Country Revue.
The night ends with Lee, Silverstein, and Harvey-Whyte running through the Grateful Dead’s traditional “Rider” as they trade solos and verses. It’s a barnstorming rendition of the song that explodes in a vortex of color and sound, taking the folk/Americana stylings and wrapping it in a neon sheen.
I’ve always loved live albums (or at least most), and I’m grateful this magical night of music was captured. The worn-denim country psychedelia of Lee, Silverstein, and Harvey-Whyte explodes from the speakers in this live performance and is not to be missed. If you like Cosmic Country Revue, check out Lee, Silverstein, and Harvey-Whyte’s previous work, including Silverstein’s recently released Lagniappe Session. Enjoy!
Check out Cosmic Country Revue on Bandcamp here.
You can support Jeffrey Silverstein by finding him on Bandcamp, his official website, or social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).
Support Bobby Lee by finding him on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter.
Support Joe Harvey-Whyte by finding him on Bandcamp, his official website, or Instagram.
You can support None More Records by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
You can support Arrowhawk Records by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).
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