Evocative Music from a Unique Instrument on Debashish Bhattacharya’s ‘The Sound of the Soul’
Bhattacharya plays his self-designed chaturangui with equal parts passion and precision on this tribute to his mentor, Ali Akbar Khan
Multiple Layered Guitars Stand Out on Steve Dawson’s ‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming’
As with all of Dawson’s projects that I’ve heard, his layered guitars sit front and center, but he’s also supported by a fine cast of other players.
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Powerful Doc Watson Tribute ‘I Am a Pilgrim’ Surprises with Star-Studded Cast of Players
Diverse roster of artists reinforces the wide musical influence of the legendary guitarist.
Deniz Cuylan Returns with More Brightly Colored Cinematic Abstractions on ‘Rings of Juniper’
The soundscapes on ‘Rings of Juniper’ are increasingly complex, their palettes more varied, their themes more ambitious than Cuylan's previous works.
Jamie Stillway and Eric Skye Craft Colorful Flatpicking Duets for a Batch of Old-Time Tunes on ‘Over the Waterfall’
The duo has crafted a colorful soundscape of quietly brilliant flatpicking interpretations of classic American fiddle tunes.
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‘Living in a Song’ Is Another Winner from Dynamic Roots Duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
The duo showcases their classic country songwriting skills on their latest Compass Records release.
Elsie Franklin Offers a Mix of Bluesy, Vintage-Sounding Originals and Classic Covers on Sophomore Album ‘Miss Rhythm’
Half the songs on Miss Rhythm are originals, though if you didn’t see the writing credits, you could easily be fooled into thinking that they were pulled off scratchy 78s from the ’20s or ’30s.
Irene Gómez’s ‘Songs of My Life/Canciones de mi Vida’ is an Intriguing Nylon-String Mix of Beatles, Brel, and Schubert
The nimble and expressive Colombian classical guitarist Irene Gómez has always played a diverse repertoire, as befits a musician whose varied guitar education included programs in her native country, in France, and at Juilliard in New York, where she studied with Sharon Isbin.
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Rory Block’s ‘Ain’t Nobody Worried’ Salutes 10 of Her Favorite Female Singers
Ain’t Nobody Worried, the third installment in Rory Block’s Power Women of the Blues series, takes the acoustic slide guitar master and blues belter in some unexpected but completely rewarding new directions.
Different Cultures, Styles, and Tunings Elevate Walter Strauss’ Mesmerizing ‘For Melody, Wherever She May Find Me’
The California-based acoustic fingerstyle guitarist expresses himself in a joyous, ebullient chorus of guitar voices.
Joe Henry and Friends Collaborate on the Enigmatic but Satisfying ‘All the Eye Can See’
The songs on Joe Henry’s latest album 'All the Eye Can See' refuse to give up their mysteries, the melodies wandering like question marks with the lyrics threading a thin line between knowing and unknowing.
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Veteran Minnesota String Band Trampled by Turtles Is Still Getting Better on ‘Alpenglow’
Alpenglow is Trampled By Turtles' best-sounding album, filled with a sonic richness that keeps these songs driving forward.
Great Picking, Singing, and Songs on ‘Kin Ya See That Sun,’ a Fitting Tribute to the Late Maggie Roche
The album brings together 15 previously unreleased live and studio tracks by two of the three singing Roche sisters, Terre and Maggie, who were a performing folk duo dating back to their teen years.
The Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble Weaves a Rich Sonic Tapestry on its Second Album
A testimonial to the power of first takes, in-studio improvisation, and the post-pandemic persistence of nature and art.
Kate Koenig’s ‘Immortal Rhythm’ is a Compelling Slice of Alternative Folk Autobiography
Kate Koenig describes Immortal Rhythm as “alternative folk," and there is a folk purity to the mostly crystalline vocals and much of the fingerpicked and strummed acoustic guitar parts.
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‘Travelers Rest’ Showcases the Foreign Landers’ Transatlantic Acoustic Spirit and Soul
The husband-and-wife duo the Foreign Landers' album Travelers Rest instantly puts a smile on your face and lift your spirits.
‘Once Upon a Harp’ is a Sparkling Collection of Turlough O’Carolan Pieces by Steve Baughman
Baughman’s guitar playing on Once Upon a Harp has the perfect combination of a light touch, rhythmic surety, and deeply melodic sensibility.
John Moreland’s ‘Birds in the Ceiling’ Packed with Darkly Powerful Songs
The spareness of Birds in the Ceiling frees John Moreland to dig deeper into the darkness of these songs, to focus on a life where death is the only certainty.
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Cristina Vane’s Slide Guitar Takes Center Stage On ‘Make Myself Me Again’
On Christina Vane's album Make Myself Me Again, the slide guitarist is exploring what it means to reconnect with herself in a new, unfamiliar city where she seems to fit right in.
Bluegrass Trio The Slocan Ramblers Breaks New Ground on ‘Up the Hill and Through the Fog’
On Up the Hill and Through the Fog, the Slocan Ramblers make a clean break from their folk-trad past and establishing three distinctive voices to make the group greater than the sum of its parts.
Guitarist Scott Metzger’s Solo Debut ‘Too Close to Reason’ Is an Impressive Acoustic Tapestry
Stylistically, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger's solo acoustic album, Too Close to Reason, covers a lot of territory in what he calls his “sonic landscapes.”
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Joe Robinson Explores New Directions on the Eclectic ‘The Prize’
With his 7th full-length album, The Prize, Joe Robinson is reaching for the biggest prize of all: writing songs that are as good as his guitar playing.
There’s More Light Than Darkness on Mary Gauthier’s ‘Dark Enough to See the Stars’
Dark Enough to See the Stars is what we call a happy album for Mary Gauthier—the happiest album in her career, recorded at the happiest time in her life.
Billy Strings and Terry Barber Pick Their Way Down Memory Lane on ‘Me/And/Dad’
Billy Strings' Me/And/Dad is a happily unlikely outcome for father and son, a chance to record an album rooted so deeply in memory and gratitude, addiction and recovery.
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Mississippi Ghosts Haunt the Deep Blues of Ryan Lee Crosby on ‘Winter Hill Blues’
Winter Hill Blues is Ryan Lee Crosby's strongest work yet, alternating between hard-droning blues on electric guitar and softer, brooding blues on acoustic guitars.
