Music Reviews: Contemporary Folk

For any readers who are pressed for time - buy this record. The only category of readers who should think twice are ‘people who do not like Autechre’, and the parallel category of ‘people who do not like acoustic guitar music’, because Autechre Guitar is precisely that, nothing more, nothing less. If you have no money right now, begin saving, otherwise, buy this now. If you have a few moments, and you would like to know why you should own this remarkable LP - read... Read More

No apologies need to be made for this musically and sonically attractive collection of contemporary Irish guitarists and their music, yet the compilation producer Cian Nugent, who also contributes a tune, felt it necessary and does so in his annotation. "Passing a Dublin tourist trap pub, the sound of a plastic piezo strum can elicit horror in the passerby". "But", he adds "the guitar can also be a tool for dreaming and mystery". And... Read More

(This review, written by Carl E. Baugher, originally appeared in Issue 5/6, Winter 1995/96.)It’s taken him some 20 years or so but Bruce Springsteen has finally delivered his masterpiece. Make no mistake: he’s done a ton of good work over the years. But, this is the album he’s been working towards his whole career. And there’s not a single rock song on it! Here’s evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that the lineage which runs through Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan... Read More