Alastair Moock – Fortune Street (CoraZong Records).
Fortune Street is Bostonian Alistair Moock’s fifth album and he presents nine original songs and one cover. The album was recorded in just five days and Moock says that “it was the most fun I’ve had making an album”. The eponymous title track opens this album and highlights Moock’s slight gruff quality to his voice. It’s a sedate opener, played in the open key of E that is firmly in the Americana fold. Yin Yang Blues is a quirky blues and Woody’s Lament is Americana again. These gentle acoustic sounds blend into Moock’s understated guitar and Sean Staples’ vocal. This is a Woody Guthrie tribute with some harmony that confirms Moock’s citation that “Woody Guthrie is the reason I’m a songwriter”. Swing That Axe is old style folk blended with jazz and is a well executed good time song. God Saw Fit To Make Tears is a lovely title and is gentle Americana with a weary vocal from Moock and guitar from The Mercy Brothers’ Michael Dinallo.
Cloudsplitter is played, and sung, in a mountain style. Moock is an excellent storyteller and this song, based on Russell Banks’ novel of the same name, is one of the albums highlights. Roll On (Song For Anne Marie) brings up one of my ‘hates’. Well, I say hates but really it’s just a dislike. I’m not always a fan of ‘Song For’ songs as they tend to be a little too sentimental for me. Not this one though. It’s as gentle as its predecessors but there is little sweetness in there. Kris Delmhorst adds his own vocal talent to this. Own Way To Heaven is old style folk/barroom with a Gospel feel, but just listen to the lyric. Delia is a tale of a gambling girl and highlights a storytelling talent again but Blind Willie McTell’s this time – an epic, with leanings towards the blues. Fishing Tales is a low key finish but that was to be expected given the pace of the rest of the album. This is Country/Folk with his slightly gruff vocal showing up well. The overall feel of the album is one of intimacy and leaves you feeling that you have visited a small, private party.
http://www.moock.com/
http://www.corazong.com/
David Blue.
Fortune Street is Bostonian Alistair Moock’s fifth album and he presents nine original songs and one cover. The album was recorded in just five days and Moock says that “it was the most fun I’ve had making an album”. The eponymous title track opens this album and highlights Moock’s slight gruff quality to his voice. It’s a sedate opener, played in the open key of E that is firmly in the Americana fold. Yin Yang Blues is a quirky blues and Woody’s Lament is Americana again. These gentle acoustic sounds blend into Moock’s understated guitar and Sean Staples’ vocal. This is a Woody Guthrie tribute with some harmony that confirms Moock’s citation that “Woody Guthrie is the reason I’m a songwriter”. Swing That Axe is old style folk blended with jazz and is a well executed good time song. God Saw Fit To Make Tears is a lovely title and is gentle Americana with a weary vocal from Moock and guitar from The Mercy Brothers’ Michael Dinallo.
Cloudsplitter is played, and sung, in a mountain style. Moock is an excellent storyteller and this song, based on Russell Banks’ novel of the same name, is one of the albums highlights. Roll On (Song For Anne Marie) brings up one of my ‘hates’. Well, I say hates but really it’s just a dislike. I’m not always a fan of ‘Song For’ songs as they tend to be a little too sentimental for me. Not this one though. It’s as gentle as its predecessors but there is little sweetness in there. Kris Delmhorst adds his own vocal talent to this. Own Way To Heaven is old style folk/barroom with a Gospel feel, but just listen to the lyric. Delia is a tale of a gambling girl and highlights a storytelling talent again but Blind Willie McTell’s this time – an epic, with leanings towards the blues. Fishing Tales is a low key finish but that was to be expected given the pace of the rest of the album. This is Country/Folk with his slightly gruff vocal showing up well. The overall feel of the album is one of intimacy and leaves you feeling that you have visited a small, private party.
http://www.moock.com/
http://www.corazong.com/
David Blue.
1 comment:
When we see Alastair live, his earnest style comes through. You've captured that in this review. My favorite is Swing That Axe - I don't like sentimentality either. Thanks for posting this alert to a great folkie!
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