Rating: NNN
Frederick Squire has the blues. On his debut solo effort, the folksinger/songwriter – one-half of the now defunct East Coast band Shotgun & Jaybird – sings tales of sadness, death and redemption, accompanied by acoustic and electric guitar and spare touches of piano and accordion.
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Originally released as a hand-packaged CD-R available only at shows, the album now gets a proper release on Blue Fog. And while it doesn’t chart new musical territory, there is an immediacy in its stark simplicity and bleak landscapes. It’s a quiet, unassuming debut by a talented songwriter who doesn’t require bells and whistles to make us listen closer.
Top track: Old Times Past New Times
Frederick Squire plays the Dakota December 19.
