A studious looking folk singer, acoustic unplugged guitar, the family cat and a simple title of HOME RECORDINGS; a quartet of defining features that perfectly sums up the latest offering from legendary English folk artist Martin Simpson. Not one ever short on ideas and inspiration, Simpson has shrugged off the impeding traits of 2020 and set out on a mission of which he has excelled at for many years. Expect the stripped back sound of a frugal recording environment expanded by some virtuoso blues-style finger picking, and a raft of tunes both familiar and revisited showing Simpson's ability to speculate and interpret.
HOME RECORDINGS, a contender for the most simplistic and explicit title of the year, is no short sharp release as fourteen tracks tumble across a listening time gracing just shy of three quarters of an hour. Word laden songs rub shoulders with a smattering of instrumentals, and fans of American folk standards won't argue with 'Angel From Montgomery' and 'The Times They Are A-Changin' getting an English makeover. Other covers include Lyle Lovett's 'Family Reserve' which launches the album in a gentle folk lullaby style and 'October Song' from the Incredible String Band's 1966 eponymous album. The latter adding a traditional vibe to the album.
Just to teach the guitar a lesson that it ain't the only instrument in town, the banjo makes an appearance in the mid rift of the album as Simpson plucks an effective intro and outro to book end the tuneful ditty 'Three Day millionaire/ Don't Put Your Banjo in the Shed Mr, Waterson'. For fans of imperious slide guitar listen intently to the four-minute display on the instrumental 'Plains of Waterloo' and any remnants of disappointment will extinguish.
Making interesting records has sat comfortably alongside Martin Simpson's undisputed all round talent for many years to the extent that scheduling a near rotation of instrumentals and regular songs maintains the freshness of an album that is also rich in maturity. The set is concluded in a slightly impish way with 2020's indelible date 'March 22nd' adorning the title of a short thirty second instrumental to wrap things up and lead Martin Simpson onto whatever project his antenna points to next. No rest for an independent musician.
Footnote to the release of HOME RECORDINGS is that Martin Simpson was scheduled to play a 'live' show in my hometown of Stourbridge on November 29th which inevitably fell foul to Lockdown 2.0. The curse of 2020 strikes again.