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Mar 31, 2021 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

Each of us probably has stories of what we’ve lost or missed in the last 12 months of the pandemic, from the small to the massive and life changing. For British singer/songwriter John Smith, the last year was especially tough, containing the loss of a pregnancy and a cancer diagnosis within his family. Often, artists keep these kinds of tumultuous events private, but certainly these and other feelings of uncertainty and confusion have informed the music we find ourselves delighted by here.

Another feature of lockdown has been increased connectivity and collaboration between artists who would normally be separated by oceans, or at the very least large distances. And so here, we find Bill Frisell, Lisa Hannigan, Jessica Staveley-Taylor (The Staves), The Milk Carton Kids, and others making stellar contributions along with some sympathetic production from Sam Lakeman. All of this would mean very little if the songs all of these people had contributed to failed to sparkle, but sparkle they very much do. “Star-Crossed Lovers” is a haunting duet with Hannigan. “The Best Of Me” is a beautiful paean to….well, beauty actually, and “Eye to Eye” is a folk-pop crossover hit if ever there’s been one, but there’s not a track here which doesn’t showcase Smith’s supreme skill as a guitarist and a songwriter. (www.johnsmithjohnsmith.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10