The Little Lord Street Band hail an uncanny ability to snatch your ears out of nowhere, and a single glance at this arresting duo yells their brilliant charisma. Made up of Jimmy Rogers and Natasha Shanks, highly talented ones, this duo represents what is said in the expression, “together they can move mountains.”

Firmly entrenched in the Americana country scene, the band has stamped its authority with a swag of accolades, including three-time Best Country Act winner at the WAM awards. They have hung on Amrap charts for weeks, found themselves featured at BIGSOUND in 2018, and received accolades from the likes of ABC Country, Double J, Pilerats, Scenestr, The Music, and the list goes on over the years.

photo by Bridget Turner

And the best news of all is that The Little Lord Street Band keeps forging forward, releasing new music that continues to underpin their status in the burgeoning country music scene as the cult favourite act they’ve become. Following up their debut album, they dropped their second record, “Time and Place,” featuring 11 tracks.
The Little Lord Street Band is back with their country Americana music, mixed with Australian outback poetry. Their trademark sound is instantly recognizable. But it’s not just the style and sound of them that make heads turn. On their latest, Time and Place, every song speaks a soulful story rife with the memories of what’s been lost and can’t be gotten back. All the same, each song contains some kind of hopeful undertone for a better tomorrow.

Jimmy Rogers shares: “I guess it’s a ‘looking back’ album. It’s about when you get to that point in your life and you look back on what’s happened or what’s been going on. It’s that sort of longing for something that you can’t have back. It’s quite glass half empty, but at the same time, it’s about enjoying your memories.”

Talking about the new album, I simply can’t overlook their debut album “A Minute of Another Day.” Comparing both, I noticed that the new album sounds more thoughtful, more balanced, and philosophical. But the main advantage of “Time and Place” is that it’s a true gift for country music lovers and a significant step forward after their successful debut. Jimmy Rogers and Natasha Shanks not only preserved their unique sound but also developed it, offering listeners new ideas and emotions.

Bright guitar parts, an unmistakable groove, and a country music style imbued with extraordinary poeticism instantly make the album “Time and Place” one of the most significant releases in the country music world this spring. Each song feels like a delicate work with lyrics and melody, allowing the listener to catch and feel every emotion the authors wanted to convey. Indeed, it’s this kind of music that makes long evenings warmer and the soul lighter.

photo by Bridget Turner

Kicking things off with “Can’t Go Back,” the soft-sounding band sets a warm, pleasing temperature that they’ll maintain for most of the album, with acoustic guitars intertwining with an unusual brightness and keyboards conveying just the kind of mood you’d want from light and airy country music. Then comes the title track, “Time And Place,” a slow-gentle ballad, reflecting on past experience and a tip of the hat to yesteryear. This track showcases a mellow and catchy sound of the band that sets the music apart from everything else. It is almost like the track pulls back the details of a story, taking its time to be held with the lightness and style of its sound, all the way from tracks like “Criminal Mindest” and “Be Still.” As the album progresses, Shanks’ and Rogers’ vocals grow stronger, reaching a much more pronounced level, while the melodies develop into something very intense and vivid.

I should point out that another outstanding and amazing feature that is literally attractive in the band is the perfect combination of Jimmy’s and Natasha’s voices. Literally, they sound as one, one voice wrapping around each other’s voice gently, acquiring a single coherent resonant sound, which is already considered a better aggregation of their music.

With the combinations of tracks like “Could Have Been Someone,” along with “I Am Enough,” one tends to hear the excellent stories that are told through the inspiring rhythms of guitars, keyboards, and drums, coupled with captivating vocals. The album concludes with the track “You’re Hurt.” It’s a tender and melancholic ballad, where each note touches the heart.

Conceptually, the album is cyclical in that it’s like memories and thoughts of ‘what could have been.’ Everyone will somehow return to these eternal themes. Despite its complex life themes, this album can make you dance in your living room and perhaps even have a glass of wine to soothe the sadness. “Time and Place” is a classic country album for thoughtful listeners.

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