IF the low fidelity of early country and folk songs has you tearing down the walls, help is at hand. Watson is bringing songs embedded deep in the American pysche to a new audience.
Anyone who has delved into the dusty treasures of the Anthology of American Folk Music, the arcane world of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, or gone deeper still – take a bow Jack White – will recognise these tunes.
Watson is a talented interpreter and concentrates on communicating the simple but hardy truths in the material, not mashing it into the latest style. A fine singer and banjo player, Watson is aided and abetted by top-of-the-range producer David Rawlings to capture everything for pristine posterity.
To be honest, there can be little gained from yet another version of John Henry or the Cuckoo Bird but Watson brings something fresh to The Gallow’s Pole and amid the railroad songs and working man’s hammers is a superb On The Road Again that shimmers like Oklahoman dust.
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