Chris Wood - Handmade Life

Another batch of new songs from multi-award winning Chris Wood - whose musical journey from being the bass player with the Oyster Ceilidh Band continues to fascinate. His songs are amongst the best being currently written - they veer more towards the style of Lal Waterson rather than Richard Thompson.

Poignant - downright miserable at times, but thoughtful and thought-provoking. Spitfires is a terrific response to the BNP's use of the image in their publicity, whilst his song Hollow Point, about the killing of Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube, is one of the most powerful songs I have heard for ages and the way it utilizes the Awake Arise You Drowsy Sleepers song and tune makes it even more telling. It would be great to have had some more background to the songs: I know some of the background to Two Widows and this makes a considerable difference to the way I approach the song, but lack of sleeve notes in the extensive booklet, even though the lyrics are given, doesn't give anyone else the same chance. A dark album, mostly minor keys, with the sombre tones of cello and trombone, drums, adding tenor and bass textures to the superb guitar playing, but (alas!) no fiddle.
Great, but challenging and uncomfortable - as great music should be.
Paul Burgess
R.U.F CD12 www.ChrisWoodMusic.co.uk www.EnglishAcousticCollective.org.uk