Cameron Knowler - CRK (Worried Songs)

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's April 6th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

Cameron Knowler is a force for guitar playing good, not just for his musical ability but also as a researcher and educator via his Rural Guitar project which focuses on the development of early American guitar styles through immersive lessons and creative research. He first came to my attention with the excellent Places of Consequence on American Dreams and I’ve been eagerly lapping up the singles from this LP for the last few weeks.

After returning to the place of his childhood after many years, the LP reflects on, and attempts to “make sandcastles out of grief” caused by Knowler’s upbringing in remote Arizona where he “grew up isolated, unschooled in a desert with very little contact with children my own age.” Well these sandcastles are quite the sight.

This time round he's eschewed the one man band approach of his previous LP to bring in some like minded, equally accomplished musicians - Jordan Tice on mandolin, Ethan Jodziewicz on Bass and Rayna Gellert on Fiddle for some group therapy. Luckily they’re all good listeners with obvious respect for Knowler’s virtuoso playing, and know just when to raise their instruments in encouragement and when to sit back and let the man say his piece.

Unsurprisingly introspection abounds, but this is no pity fest. Time and Knowler have obviously moved on and there’s a warmth and glass half full vibe to many of the songs, hell there’s even a couple of hoe down party starters amongst the reflection and moments of understandable melancholy. If acoustic guitar and the folk sound of America are your thing then look no further.

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Playlist Companion

Find Knowler amongst friends in the Slow Folk Playlist.