M. Ward’s ‘Think of Spring’ Is a Stripped-down Take on a Billie Holiday Classic
This albums features a handful of open tunings recorded to 4-track
Album Review: Chris Pierce Writes Incisive Protest Songs for Today
Wielding his guitar like a weapon, Chris Pierce sings truth to power on his eighth album, American Silence. Though he never loses his identity, Pierce’s voice becomes multitudes on this collection, attempting to speak out for those unheard in 21st century America.
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Jesse Colin Young’s ‘Highway Troubadour’ Reimagines His Songs for Solo Acoustic Guitar
Stripped-down classics were recorded with no overdubs.
Molly Tuttle’s Essential Tony Rice Albums
Here are guitarist Molly Tuttle’s favorite Tony Rice albums.
Album Review: Pierre Bensusan Reimagines His Guitar as an Orchestra on Beautiful ‘Aswan’
Bensusan’s touch keeps growing increasingly subtle, and it’s steadily matched by the responsiveness of his 1978 Lowden, producing a variety of tones and textures along the spectrum.
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Album Review: Pharis and Jason Romero’s ‘Bet on Love’ Is Open and Imaginative
“Watch lights turn into stars,” Pharis Romero sings in “Hometown Blues,” the opening song on on the folk duo’s latest Lula Records release, Bet on Love. In a phrase, she encapsulates the album: cozy but curious, intimate but open, homespun but imaginative.
David Broza’s ‘en Casa Limón’ Moves from Flamenco to Swing to Jazz and Pop
Broza has taken a huge leap, writing and recording an entire album of music for Spanish nylon-string guitar
Album Review: Cindy Cashdollar’s Star-Studded ‘Waltz for Abilene’
On only the second album under her own name, Cindy Cashdollar draws from her collection of steel, lap steel, tricone, resophonic, and Weissenborn guitars.
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Album Review: Neil Young’s 1970s ‘Homegrown’ Spills from the Vault
The 13th release from the Neil Young Archives since 2006, Homegrown is one of Young’s famously “lost” albums, recorded in 1974–1975.
Album Review: Sarah Jarosz Digs Deeper with Multi-Instrumentalist/Producer John Leventhal
What’s most striking on this rich, satisfying album is Jarosz’s growth as a songwriter,
Album Review: Acoustic Blues Titan Rory Block Broadens Her Focus on ‘Prove It on Me’
After announcing her new “Power Women of the Blues” series, snagging the 2019 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist of the Year, and releasing a tribute album to Bessie Smith, Rory Block is back with a follow-up that’s even better. Unlike her last seven albums, Prove It on Me isn’t…
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Album Review: Hiroya Tsukamoto’s Brilliant ‘Window to the World’
Amazing fingerpicking on a Martin, plus looping pedals.
Album Review: On Steve Hicks’ ‘Rule of Thumb,’ Old Tunes Are Enlivened by Fingerpicking Mastery
As the title of Steve Hicks’ Rule of Thumb indicates, the British fingerstylist’s solo showcase of old-time music is tied together by his alternating bass thumb technique,
Album Review: Laurence Juber’s ‘The Fab 4th’ Is Full of Beatles Magic
LJ’s takes on The Beatles never get old
Album Review: James Taylor Takes a Nostalgic Turn with ‘American Standard’
In turbulent times, the mellow tones of James Taylor are a soothing balm. On American Standard, the popular singer, songwriter, and guitarist teams up with ace jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli to explore the Great American Songbook, including the rich repertoire found in such vintage musical theater hits as the Broadway…
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Album Review: Peppino D’Agostino Has Much to Say on Instrumental Tour de Force, ‘Connexion’
The ten tracks vary considerably from tune to tune in terms of style, but are unified by his wondrous playing
Solas’ Seamus Egan Casts a Wide Stylistic Net on ‘Early Bright’
On his second solo album Egan adds classical, pop and progressive rock influences.
Album Review: More Exploration on Stephane Wrembel’s ‘The Django Experiment V’
Before beginning live-on-the floor sessions for The Django Experiment V, Stephane Wrembel recorded Django L’Impressionniste, an album-length interpretation of 17 little-known Django Reinhardt solo pieces.
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Dave Simonett’s ‘Red Tail’ is Full of Revealing, Plainspoken Honesty
The lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of Trampled by Turtles has finally released an album under his own name.
Jeff Gunn’s ‘Sonic Tales’ is Full of Mystery and Imagination
Gunn draws on jazz, flamenco, and Travis-style fingerpicking to tell a series of impressionist stories
Ruminative Originals Highlight Bill Scorzari’s ‘Now I’m Free’
The New York-based singer-songwriter transcends titles like songwriter or poet.
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Album Review: The Milk Carton Kids Return to Spare Acoustic Sound on ‘The Only Ones’
The quietness of the production makes these songs feel especially brittle and heart-worn, as if there’s nothing left for Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan to hide.
Album Review: Billy Strings’ ‘Home’ Moves Beyond Bluegrass
Billy StringsHome(Rounder) Home begins with 30 seconds of down-tempo guitar arpeggio and fiddle birdsong. It ends with the full quartet—Billy Strings (guitar), Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Massat (upright bass), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin)—crashing through a cover of Bill Monroe’s “Big Sandy River.” In between, there’s an hour of bluegrass played…
Album Review: Hot Club of Cowtown’s ‘Wild Kingdom’ Goes Beyond Django, Wills
To say Hot Club of Cowtown—guitarist Whit Smith, fiddler and vocalist Elana James, and upright bassist Jake Erwin—explores the past on their new album, Wild Kingdom (Gold Strike) is an understatement: one of the CD’s 11 originals, “Caveman,” imagines a prehistoric character who becomes famous for his cave paintings.
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Album Review: Mary Flower Brings Jaw-dropping Technique to Vernacular Styles
If Livin’ with the Blues Again had been released in 1969 instead of 2019, Mary Flower might have been mentioned in the same breath as Stefan Grossman, Duck Baker, and other fingerstyle players of approximately her generation.