Universal Favorite

On hearing this album's lyrical opener ‘Waveland’, which consists of a dainty series of arpeggiated banjo ripples, you could be forgiven for thinking that Noam Pikelny had discovered some hitherto unknown book of études for banjo by Ravel or Satie. We're left expecting some kind of solo-banjo equivalent of a Penguin Cafe Orchestra album. But then the banjo master abruptly changes tack and sings us a traditional-sounding old-time song, ‘Old Banjo’, complete with the virtuoso bluegrass riffing that will be familiar to anyone who has heard his work with the Punch Brothers. His voice is a deep, chesty baritone, which is perhaps pitched just a tiny bit low for his own comfort on that particular song. He sounds much more comfortable on the dramatically titled ‘Folk Bloodbath’, a laid-back variant of the folk standard ‘Louis Collins’ that has the ingenious (if rather morbid) idea of re-telling the tales of notable murder victims in folk songs as if they all knew each other, or were somehow connected. His voice also really suits the straight-up country guitar picking of ‘My Tears Don't Show’.

The album more or less alternates between impressionistic instrumentals (which are always pretty, if occasionally a little over-fiddly) and warm-sounding songs of a more traditional bent. There are moments of real beauty here, among a selection that never fails to intrigue and enthral.