 
Chuck Ragan is one of the most talked about and
influential punk/folk solo artists who is right
up there alongside the likes of Frank Turner,
but what makes Ragan stand out from pretty much
everyone else in the same genre is his unique
sounding gruff vocals which has helped gain him
thousands of fans throughout his long musical
career and let’s not forget the fact that
he is an amazing song writer who has the knack
to pen one catchy song after another.
Ragan is currently on the road touring with Dan
Andriano, Brian Fallon and Dave Hause on the Revival
Tour, an event which Ragan created himself back
in 2008 in the states which has since come on
to be an long lasting wide spread touring event
which has seen various different line up’s
put together by Ragan touring across the states,
Australia and now the UK and Europe for the first
time and to coincide with this tour Ragan has
just released his third solo studio album ‘Covering
Ground’.
For ‘Covering Ground’ Ragan has invited
some very special guests to help him out, first
of all we have long term helpers Jon Guant on
the fiddle who amusingly reminds me of Alan from
The Hangover film and also Joe Ginsberg on upright
bass who even more amusingly reminds me of Earl
Hickey from My Name Is Earl, and on a more serious
note Frank Turner, Brian Fallon and Audra Mae
help out with backing vocals with the later of
the three standing out in such an positive way.
The album opens with ‘Nothing Left To Prove’
and it is easily one of the best songs that Ragan
has ever created as the song is extremely accessible
from the opening mellow vocals right through to
the catchy upbeat chorus which has Ragan singing
“Silence took me fierce and blindly and
shadows became one I found the floor with the
broken boards and the grits for the mill gone”
in his finest sounding gruff vocals.
It is safe to say that ‘Nothing Left To
Prove’ is the best song on the album but
that is not to say that the album is downhill
after that moment as that is so not the case as
each song has been beautifully crafted and has
that ever so listenable vibe and before you know
it the album will be over as it breezes through
so smooth and quick with you reaching for the
repeat button seconds later.
‘Wish On The Moon’ is a top song and
also features Frank Turner on backing vocals but
it really is Ragan himself that shines throughout
the song and hardly giving Turner chance to be
noticed. ‘Come Around’ is another
big sing-a-long song, it’s the kind of song
you expect to be song around a camp fire with
everyone clapping their hands and stamping their
feet along to the melodic vibe, but it is ‘Valentine’
which really stands out and Ragan has Audra Mae
to thank for this as her backing vocals on the
song adds extra dynamics to it and shines brightly.
‘Covering ground’ adds further proof
to the fact that Ragan is the master of solo acoustic
punk/folk music as once again he has managed to
pen 10 kick arse songs which has now been added
to his already impressive back catalogue.
5/5
Review by Trigger
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