Search - Richard Buckner :: Dents & Shells

Into the Music....Lost

J. Stocks | Kansas City, MO United States | 10/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have felt for some time that Buckner is the standard bearing for songwriters. He writes lyrics like no other artist, creates melodies and arrangements like no other artist, and for sure, delivers them like no other artist. I was a big fan of his last disc (Impasse) because I felt it displayed the depth of his musicianship--he composed all of the music and played almost every instrument. To be honest, I was afraid he would not be able to top it. I suppose I was wrong. This disc picks up where Impasse left off, but has a broader, more varied feel. The arrangements are stunning and must be mentioned. Subtle flashes of pedal steel guitar (welcome back!) and piano accent most tracks and add a dreamy quality to the songs. The lyrics are classic Buckner, but with a more direct feel. Another thing to note is that he varies his vocal approach on many of the songs. 'A Chance Counsel' is all gruff and angry. 'As the Waves Will Always Roll' is so soft, it is almost a whisper. He uses his voice like a tenor sax player...sometimes screaming, sometimes crying, but always brilliant. It is a shame that this disc was born out of another divorce (as was Devotion and Doubt), but there is no doubt that he is able to channel the emotion directly into his work. Kudos to RB for another classic recording. As one friend said, "Man, you can get lost in this record." Indeed you can."

Profound and Powerful...classic Buckner

Barry W Wray | Gloucester, Ontario Canada | 09/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You never know what you'll find in the used CD shops of Ottawa. Two days ago I found the new Richard Buckner. I'm not sure if it was stolen from Merge Records, but I grabbed it and ran home. I've been a huge fan for 10 years strong, since the original Bloomed CD was released on Glitterhouse...the one that shows the full photo of Richard and his ex. I've listened to it several times now; it doesn't take a lot of time to listen too at 34:00 minutes. It's another classic! With a complete band on about half the songs, the steel guitar and piano/keys really complement his vocals. His voice is so recognizable right from the first line of "a chance counsel" the lead off track. The other half of the songs are Richard and his acoustic guitar, with spare instrumentation to enhance the mood. My favorite song...so far, was "her". It had the full band, with nice touches of steel guitar and cello. I also enjoyed the slow acoustic song "firsts". It reminded me of Smog's Red Apple Falls. My only complaint, the album was over to quickly."

A rare, great artist -- a short, bland album

D. Darby | Seattle, WA | 07/12/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First, know that I would never disparage this artist -- Richard Buckner's "Devotion + Doubt" is an all-time favorite, and there are few artists of his authenticity and poetic stature around. But this half-hour of bland songs just doesn't stand up. They sound like unreleased material from previous sessions, without the spark and depth of his previous work. I'll be first in line to buy his next release, and will continue to catch him live every time he plays locally, but I can only recommend this CD to truly passionate fans.



For the uninitiated (and lucky You!), try "Since" or "Devotion + Doubt". You will not be disappointed.



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