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Jeffrey Foucault – Shoot the Moon
Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes
Jeffrey Foucault Sings the Songs of John Prine
Jeffrey Foucault is rightly respected as one of the most articulate young contemporary singer/songwriters in the US, and his previous three solo albums have all been huge critical successes both at home in the States and here in the UK.
This new, low-key release is likely to have the biggest impact of all, as the combination of great songs, emotive delivery and the spare use of some great musicians has made for a compelling collection.
Recorded over the course of a year in an old office of a now closed bank, the Prine sessions brought together Foucault with friends and touring companions including Mark Erelli, Peter Mulvey, Kris Delmhorst and Eric Heywood, and they’ve created a set of arrangements that are full of space, atmosphere and genuine feeling.
Foucault’s fascination with Prine stems back to being a 17 year listening to Prine’s first album, and he records this as the inspiration for him learning guitar, and since that time the songs have been with him, whether playing them on stage or in private.
This was always an album he was destined to put together, and the love, care and attention throughout the 13 songs is obvious for all to see.
He takes a mixture of familiar and lesser known songs that span over 20 years of Prine’s career, and has taken an approach to the recording and arrangements that captures the timeless depth of the songs.
The quality of the recording is amazingly atmospheric, there’s a dusty, lived in feel where chairs creek, amplifiers pop and heaters click on, and this creates the perfect ambience for Prine’s songs of ordinary people in ordinary situations.
The album is dominated by Foucault’s evocative delivery and precise guitar work, but the addition of occasional backing vocals, pedal steel, electric guitar and drums gives the album enough colour for the 12 songs to pass by in an instant.
Highlight’s include the great story of ‘Billy the Bum’, the classic ‘Hello in There’ and a superb reading of ‘Storm Windows’, but the consistency of the songs and the performances are what makes this disc a genuine classic.
Jeff’s own material is a naturally reflective mix of country blues, country and folk, and when he’s re-interpreting the work of one of the most celebrated artists in this genre he’s going to win himself an army of new fans who will see him as one of the brightest stars of the new generation.
FOUCAULT JEFFREY - SHOOT THE MOON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES
Foucault Jeffrey
CD (Cat No: 13435)
FOUCAULT JEFFREY - SHOOT THE MOON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES
