Dean Owens: Transatlantic links as the man from Leith unveils new album

Back then there was a new album and a tour in prospect, but all was abandoned when the restrictions of March kicked in.

Back then we were raving about The Man From Leith album which was a compilation of previous material from his seven albums. Admirably on vinyl and CD and featuring Al Perkins and Karine Polwart he launched the album in the Dockers Club Leith ahead of the Cash Back weekend in Aberdour with Rab Noakes, Ian Rankin and The Countess Of (Fay) Fife. Celebrating the Johnny Cash connections with Fife these shows just sneaked through the door in March just weeks before total shutdown.

Next week the new album Sinners Shrine is released and again there will be a vinyl version for fans and collectors.

The opening track is Arizona and what an atmosphere this invokes given Dean’s love of the desert culture and meeting with Calexico, a band from the Mexican border and embracing the authentic sounds from that area. It was 2019 Dean first visited with a week off touring then meeting Joey Burns from that band and here they are recording together at WaveLab studios Tucson AZ just before lockdown.

Since then, more mixing and recordings have resulted at distance and Dean was recording last December from his home in Berwick while in Nashville other musicians were adding their parts.

On this new album though Calexico add their stamp like they were consumed by the concept. La Lomita and New Mexico tracks are embracing their styles and culture and still widening the category we know today as Americana.

The folk origins are still evident though but the Dean Owens sound of today has won praises from Bob Harris and featuring on his BBC Radio 2 show as well as winning the readers’ poll last year from Americana UK magazine.

Calexico will be in Europe touring with their own album, and Dean will launch his album in the Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh on March 10 with shows in Berwick and Glasgow that same weekend replacing the Celtic Connections cancelled gig.

One haunting instrumental on the album suggests Sierra Leone and soundtracks of Ennio Morricone. It is called Here Comes Paul Newman and could have been written for his movie Hud but now there are more ready for the next spaghetti western.

There are a couple of duets here too and Land Of The Hummingbird with Gaby Moreno stands out with her high timbre in contrast.

We need to hear more from Gaby and Dean Owens.

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