CD Review: Tasteful and
Bittersweet guitar playing make even Steven Palmer's Morning Road Glow
by Brooke Curtis, Acoustic Reviews
The title is apt because, if you’re traveling for an extended
period of time, Steven Palmer’s Morning Road is what you want
playing in your car. There are miles in Palmer’s voice; you
can almost see the scenery that his mind has captured through the
decades of his life. I love how the title track recalls Blind
Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way
Home” at one point. Is it intentional? Perhaps or maybe
unconsciously. Nevertheless, it fits the mood and meaning of the song.
Palmer is no hotshot acoustic gunslinger; this is a man that, if he had
started recording albums such as this early in his life, we might be
looking at him differently, such as an icon in his autumn years.
Palmer’s songwriting and guitar playing are tasteful and
bittersweet; each cut is crafted with feeling and poetic flair. The
tropical “A Simple Man Needs a Simple Plan”
invigorates with a summer glow while Palmer’s cover of
Charles Johnson’s “The Dill Pickled Rag”
has some stunningly beautiful crystalline riffs. Lovely Published in:
June 20, 2008
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CD Review: Steve Palmer soothes the ears
with folk, blues, and even jazz on Morning Road
by Kit Burns
You feel at home listening to the music of Steven Palmer. It has a
cozy, soothing quality, like the soundtrack of childhood memories,
voices from the past given a ghostly spell from the years gone by. On
the opening title cut, Palmer sounds like three of the most popular
singer/songwriters of all time - John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, and James
Taylor - in one song. His voice shifts emotions throughout the track,
but the consistency of his heart never wavers. Erynn
Marshall’s fiddle soars on “Going Home”
as Palmer’s warm vocals are pushed to the front of the mix.
I’m reminded of another acoustic icon, Gordon Lightfoot.
Palmer has exquisite taste in influences if my ears are accurately
pinpointing them.
Palmer is a terrific guitar player, most often aiming for cinematic
prettiness as on “Educated Touch,” wherein you can
savor every affectionate moment of his 12-string. Although
Palmer’s foundation is in acoustic folk, he never limits
himself to it, flirting with jazzy sensibilities on
“I’m in Love” and the blues on
“Walk On.” He covers the multiple genres so well
that you can easily imagine him recording a separate album for each
one.
‘Tasteful and bitter sweet guitar playing make Morning Road
glow’. Brooke Curtis ‘Twang Town’ June
2008 The title is apt because, if you’re traveling for an
extended period of time, Steven Palmer’s Morning Road is what
you want playing in your car. There are miles in Palmer’s
voice; you can almost see the scenery that his mind has captured
through the decades of his life. I love how the title track recalls
Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way
Home” at one point. Is it intentional? Perhaps or maybe
unconsciously. Nevertheless, it fits the mood and meaning of the song.
Palmer is no hotshot acoustic gunslinger; this is a man that, if he had
started recording albums such as this early in his life, we might be
looking at him differently, such as an icon in his autumn years.
Palmer’s songwriting and guitar playing are tasteful and
bittersweet; each cut is crafted with feeling and poetic flair. The
tropical “A Simple Man Needs a Simple Plan”
invigorates with a summer glow while Palmer’s cover of
Charles Johnson’s “The Dill Pickled Rag”
has some stunningly beautiful crystalline riffs. Lovely.
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