Trails and Tribulations

Trails and Tribulations is consistently both beautiful, and beautifully crafted. It has an ambience of wistful, weary experience, thanks to Simpson's quiet and intimate signature vocals, and his immaculate guitar work that sounds as if it were being shaped by more powerful forces. Then there's the choice of songs. His own predominate, alongside a fine Emily Portman song, ‘Bones and Feathers’, a setting of Charles Causley's ‘A Ballad for Katherine of Aragon’, and a handful of traditional songs. But most of the power lies in his playing, the feel and dexterity on acoustic, resonator, lap steel and electric guitar, as well as banjo and ukulele.
His supporting players are A-list talents – Nancy Kerr, Andy Cutting and Ben Nicholls among them. From the album opener, a version of Jackson C Frank's celebrated ‘Blues Run the Game’, to the hardscrabble economy outlined in ‘Rufford Park Poachers’, there is much to enjoy, ponder and reflect upon. ‘Reynardine’ closes the set, with a vocal that turns a tale of seduction, stalking and sex into an almost wistful paean, not entirely convincingly. That aside, this is a near-faultless album.