Artist: Martin Barre
Album: Roads Less Travelled
Label: Cleopatra Records
Release Date: 10.12.2018
It’s near-impossible to talk about Martin Barre without mentioning Jethro Tull, so let’s get that part over with. That band will always be the key part of his musical legacy, and rightly so, considering how his guitar work made so much of their quirky folk-classical-blues-prog catalogue possible. Barre has also done a stellar job handling some of those songs on his own—not living in the past by any means, but reinventing complex folky tunes as heavy-hitting blues-rockers (or vice versa). Nonetheless, he’s just too restless to keep sticking to the same paths. Roads Less Travelled is an all-original outing with his trademark fretwork sounding both familiar and fresh.
“Lone Wolf” sets an eclectic tone, blending the leader’s jaunty mandolin with fuzzy guitar from Dan Crisp, and soon they’ve hit a driving rock groove that stays in place throughout the set. Despite that opening title, though, the whole band is key to its success here. The affair benefits from several years of played-in chemistry between the string-slingers and bassist Alan Thomson. Meanwhile Crisp’s unassumingly gritty lead vocals are balanced with the lovely voices of Alex Hart and Becca Langsford, whose roots (in country and blues, respectively) make for a sweet mix of tones.
Fitting enough from such an under-the-radar virtuoso, Roads Less Travelled is a smart grower of an album that settles in without needing to show off. Barre’s acoustic strums and powerful electric licks provide just what each song needs while keeping the simple joy of playing always at the center. Thumping hard in rough spots like “On My Way” or cruising through the charming “Seattle” with the windows down—and don’t overlook the jig/ballad of “Trinity,” which makes a charming sleeper highlight—Barre’s bright travelogue makes for a fun ride with surprises around each bend.
—Geno Thackara
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