However, there are times when I feel that, even allowing for the impact of Jon's commanding vocal delivery, I find it hard to concentrate on the lyrics due to the genially sumptuous backdrop that's been conjured out of relatively minimal resources. The character of these individual musical contributions - indeed, of all the participants involved - has been expertly brought out by engineer Ron Angus. Aside from Jon's own prominent guitar (and sometimes piano or mandolin), we hear quite a lot of Adam Brown's piano (and occasional Hammond organ), but the principal interest for folk enthusiasts will be the superbly contoured and highly musical contributions from Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian pipes) and Tom McConville (fiddle), on three tracks apiece, and Chris Sherburn (concertina) on one other: not lending the songs an especially folky atmosphere, granted, but very pleasing and satisfying nevertheless. His vocal delivery is assured and slightly flamboyant, often reminding me much of Rufus Wainwright and almost equally often of Robert Plant - though without any sense of showing-off or torchy histrionics.
#Collide with the sky pierce the veil full album torrent full#
Having said all that, the album still sounds good: bright, forward and full of presence, with Jon's voice placed well in the foreground throughout. Perhaps the problem lies with Jon's lyrics? Jon concerns himself with life and relationships generally (much in the manner of the contemporary pop lyricist), and yet often seems to lack the deeper sensibility that is born of wider experience and further insights, that deeper sensibility which we tend to have come to expect from a singer-songwriter outside the pop mainstream they don't appear particularly striking, either in terms of having anything profound to say or in terms of poetic expression. which is strange, since his music is very much wide-awake, both immediate and easily digestible, and his melodies intelligently crafted.
All of which leads to a certain quandary on my part, both as a listener and as a reviewer - for the above attributes should really have led me to react more positively to Jon's work than I actually did, at any rate at first.
He evidently also has some important friends: musical heroes who've been readily persuaded to contribute to the album sessions. Jon is one of those contemporary singer-songwriters with a very definite, bold, confident presence - that much is clear from the outset on this, his debut CD. Jon Lacey - Lost In This Beautiful World (Winding River) Reflecting the volcanic nature of the island itself but in a benign way, the music of Digdig erupts with a fiery vigour that's most stimulating. Some additional percussionists are drafted in on a handful of tracks, enhancing the already enticing crosscurrents of rhythmic possibilities.
Bob's slide guitar - that distinctive, typically vibrant blend of Hawaiian and Mississippi Delta - weaves in and out of the shuffling rhythmic textures most delightfully, while René himself brings his spicy, unpretentiously expert accordion and cool, deep and somehow insouciant vocals to the mix, also occasionally picking up the (Bolivian) charango to strum. The island's location, along the trade routes between Asia and Africa, allowed for the development of a rich mix of cultures, which may explain the more than occasional Arab inflections in the music. The infectious rhythms of the indigenous Réunion grooves are intriguing - they owe as much to African as to French (predominantly Creole) influences, and swing with a joyfully laid-back spontaneity that you might think deceptive. Whatever culture Bob decides to explore, you just know the results will be enterprising and enchanting, and this disc proves no exception, but I still think it's one of my favourites after four months of listening. Brozman, genre-defying guitarist and veteran of countless collaborations with artists as diverse as Mike Auldridge, Ledward Kaapana, David Grisman and Djeli Moussa Diawara (to name but four), here teams up with Réunion Island master accordionist René for a surprisingly varied menu of pieces. René Lacaille & Bob Brozman - Digdig (Riverboat)
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