|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
review by Bill Binkelman Acoustic guitarist Young offers up sixteen solo instrumental tunes on this album, most of which are originals. He displays lots of talent, no matter what mood, tempo, or style he plays in. This is unpretentious yet sometimes adventurous music, so guitar aficionados should enjoy this as much as the more casual fan of the instrument. You can sit and listen to this and absorb the different tunings (listed in the liner notes, as well as each song's lineage and inspiration) and techniques that the artist is using or just play it in the background and let the variety of songs either invigorate you or ease your mind. There are uptempo numbers, like the opening "No Two Ways About It," which is spirited but with a slight edge to it (and featuring adroit work by Young as his fingers seem to be everywhere at once) and the lively toe-tappin' "Red Rock Rag." There are also pensive quiet songs here as well, such as the aptly titled and softly romantic "Missing You," the gentle "Night Whispers," and the haunting "Shadow Lake." Among the covers that Young performs are an excellent version of the Beatles "I Will," which plays superbly as a low-key ballad, as well as a fiery and snappy take on Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," which I don't care for but only because the song is totally played out for me. There is nothing inherently wrong with Young's cover of the song (it's quite good, actually, full of nuance and unique touches), I'm simply sick of the track having heard too often on the radio. Other cuts worthy of mention are "Cat Dance" which offers up some playful fingering and whimsy on Young's part and "A Well Thumb" which displays a rockin' yet rural side to the artist's composing. However, honestly, all of Laurel Mill is enjoyable and I looked forward to repeated listenings of the album during the review process. Even the cover of "Rhiannon" went down easy with me. I want to especially commend the nice layout and graphics of the album; it's nothing fancy but the photos convey a good sense of what the music portrays. The liner notes are also noteworthy (it's always a kick to read what's behind a song). Laurel Mill is worthy of a strong recommendation and fans of this kind of music can't go wrong picking it up. |
|
