2007-10-24
Leaving aside the sonic bombast and tongue in check songs that marked his work with Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler has crafted a disc of quiet charm and reflection. With the exception of the sinister sounding, quasi-rocking, "Punish the Monkey" the songs on this disc move by at an unhurried pace allowing you to focus on the lyrics about everything from the dreaded 6th grade dance, "Secondary Waltz", to an introspective ode about finding a mate, "True Love Will Never Fade", to a wistful look at getting old, "Heart Full of Hole" and a bittersweet lament about giving up dreams, "Let it all go". Throughout, Knopfler’s elegant guitar work fits alongside all manner of woodwinds, percussion and strings to create the sort of rich sonic pallet that has led to his many successful movie soundtracks. Like J.J. Cale, Knopfler can hit pretty hard even while keeping things spare and quiet. SmittyVANESSA CARLTON
Rabbits On the Run
ERNIE AND THE AUTOMATICS
LOW EXPECTATIONS
LUKE DOUCET
Broken (and other rogue states)
THE BROKEN WEST
Now or Heaven
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS
THE BIG TO DO
The Flowbs
Grazing Like The Elephants
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.