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Appleseed, 2022
8/10
An active songwriter for 50 years now, John McCutcheon spent his forced time from live music due to the pandemic to pen these 18 tunes that take help from Seamus Egan (flute) and Pete Kennedy (guitar), plus many others.
“The Ride” opens with McCutcheon’s warm vocals and crisp musicianship that unfolds with a timeless folk quality, and “The Troubles” continues this formula with Jon Carroll’s keys adding much beauty to the calm, expressive landscape.
Deeper into the listen, “Sorry Land” showcases Robert Jospe’s diverse drumming in the frisky and upbeat demeanor, while “Touched” offers a bare, intimate display of emotive singing alongside Stuart Duncan’s strategic fiddle.
Approaching the end, “Nobody Knows” lands in piano balladry, where the mature keys complement the eloquent wordplay, and “Kora In The Subway” exits the listen with McCutheon’s powerful pipes alongside keys and strings that finish on a very high note.
This is actually McCutcheon’s 3rd album constructed during Covid, and while the themes are often heavy, there’s also plenty of light moments to populate his well thought out and universally enjoyable folk songs.
Travels well with: Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer- All New; Trout Fishing In America- Safe House