L.A. Beat

Steve Coffey and the Lokels are back with their latest CD “Bovine World Rail.”
 This is real country music replete with haunting, hurting pedal steel guitar, a variety of instruments, lots of twang and plenty of rural imagery.
 It is a solid effort featuring some of southern Alberta’s best roots pickers including Lance Loree, Dave Bauer, Russ Baker and Ray McAndrew.
They are all multi-instrumentalists who play an array of instruments throughout the 12 tracks.
 There is a plenty of weeping pedal steel guitar, some  superb banjo, a little mandolin and some excellent songs.
  There are several really tender, touching moments, like “Fighting Days,” about a First World War veteran. There are also really peppy upbeat numbers, like the mandolin powered “Intolerance Tune.”
Throughout there are also superb background harmony vocals from Toby Malloy, Tami Cooper and Steve Relf and Mark Arnison.
 They sing about alcohol and remote logging towns, bowling and even writer’s block and a variety of other topics.
“Logging Towns” is a highlight because of the dobro.
 One of my favourites is “Rolling Over It,” which has a maritime yet bluegrass feel thanks to what sounds like an accordion at the beginning of it. It also features some very cool baritone guitar.
 “Runaway Slave” is also very cool with some hot harp playing and banjo and unusually distorted, quirky, poetic lyrics.
 They end a solid CD with  a long , slow , mournful number “The Shore.”
Altogether, if you like real authentic folk and country music, you’ll enjoy  “Bovine World Rail.”

CD: Bovine World Rail
Band: Steve Coffey and the Lokels
Genre: Country
Record label: indie

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