Solitaire
PoMo, 2021
9/10
A longtime globetrotter who plays 200 shows a year either on his own or as the bassist for Shooter Jennings, quarantine found Ted Russell Kamp holed up in his home studio, The Den, where this 13th full album was fleshed out that reflects the loneliness of lockdown life.
Kamp leads with “My Girl Now”, where playful acoustic guitar complements his breezy vocal delivery that’s steeped in timeless folk traditions, and “Path Of Least Resistance” follows with bare beauty as Russell’s strong guitar work and soothing pipes emit a Bob Dylan sort of appeal.
There’s 14 tracks here, and not a dud in the bunch. Closer to the middle, the finger snapping and soulful singing of “As Fas As The Eye Can See” is a sparse album highlight, while “The Hardest Road To Find” recruits some classic rock swagger to the intimate climate. “Western Wind”, another really strong track, then benefits from vocal harmonies amid its poetic storytelling as Kamp again proves he’s as diverse as they come.
Deeper yet, “The Spark” lands in country territory, where John Shreffler’s pedal steel sets the mood well, and “Lightning Strikes Twice” exits the listen with a playful bluegrass template- a first for Kamp, and hopefully not the last.
Kamp plays 90% of the instruments here, and the minimal help he does take adds much to his inimitable brand of Americana that goes an entirely different direction than his last record, which was a full band effort, although it’s certainly no less impactful. In fact, it’s probably some of his best work to date, which is no easy feat.
Travels well with: Alastair Greene- The New World Blues; Dave Alvin- From An Old Guitar: Rare And Unreleased Recordings