Search - Martin Carthy :: Because It's There

It might seem like heresy for a folkie like Carthy to start an album with a pop song like Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Nothing Rhymed," but Carthy has always recorded material that illustrates the human condition--and this does. These are all songs that have come to him without conscious effort. "Lord Randall" is revisited, and caressed with an unaccompanied rendition. "Siege of Delhi" offers a forum for his superb guitar work, while "Death of Young Andrew" is one of those huge ballads that Carthy can perform and make human, comprehensible, and completely relevant. There are guest musicians here and there to offer texture, but alone or with others, Carthy has justifiably become the leading figure of English folk. Not a note out of place. --Chris Nickson