Reviews


 
UK Folk Music
United Kingdom
Review of "Long Roots"
June 2014

by Alan Morley

Even before you begin to listen to this album from David White, your expectations are raised by the presentation and packaging of the CD.The sleeve notes include a long list of people who have contributed their musicianship to the project and these include one dobro player by the name of Jerry Douglas.

My UK Folk Music website and indeed the UK Folk Music – Radio internet show is usually dedicated to featuring and promoting artists based in the British Isles but my attention and curiosity had been captured. The first few bars of track one instantly reminded me of the excellent Transatlantic Sessions which have been a feature of folk and country music on television for a number of years. What happened next had me hooked….

Immediately I heard the first few lines sung by David White, I was transported back to the best years of the master singer songwriter James Taylor.

David’s song-writing and style of delivery is pure quality and very easy to listen to, and you get pulled in by the lyrics. As I write this line I’m listening to the second track on the album ‘Wheels’ which to me is the stand-out track with a great story which I won’t spoil by telling you what it’s about. Buy the CD.

Every now and then I receive a CD which just HAS to be featured on my folk show because of the sheer quality of the song-writing, musicianship and recording quality. Long Roots by David White is an outstanding example of well crafted entertainment which should appeal to lovers of relaxed and well presented, highly listenable music.

To sum up, this is an album is an amazing debut for David White, who on this showing has an exciting future ahead of him. ‘Long Roots’ should be in your CD collection to listen over and over again.

Alan Morley is the host of UK FolkRise Radio Show and the UK Folk Music website