Irish Times & Tribune Reviews
The Irish Times. Feb 6th.
CHARLIE PARR
Roustabout Independent ★★★★
With Seasick Steve stomping the blues on centrestage, perhaps the world
might also wake up and listen to the remarkable Charlie Parr. Parr plays
folk and rural-style blues, accompanying himself on National resonator
guitars, 12-string guitar and a fretless banjo. That’s the bones of it: but
Charlie Parr is much more than that. The way his songs mark the comings and
goings of his local community is fascinating, while his love affair with
country-blues is reflected in his timeless sound. His music can sound like a
field recording, and sometimes actually is, as with this new collection, his
seventh. It can also sound quite stark and rough. If this all sounds too
much like the economy, fear not, Parr is not out to tax your ears. You can
catch him supporting Mundy at a venue near you shortly and in a solo show at
Dublin’s Crawdaddy in February. www.charlieparr.com JOE BREEN
Download tracks: Far Cry From Fargo, Midnight has Come and Gone, God Moves
on the Water
The Tribune. Feb 1st.
Review by Una Mullally
Charlie Parr - Roustabout - Independent
Rating: 4/5
Maybe Parr is the Seasick Steve that never was. A working musician from
Duluth, Minnesota, the influence of the stories his father told him of
riding freight trains during the Depression, and Parr's own roaming,
continue to ring through and true here. Arguably the best blues guitarist of
his generation, the aftermath of Parr's live shows have more than once been
marked by accomplished guitarists approaching him and saying they can never play again having just witnessed his technique. This collection of songs
showcases more of Parr's excellent guitar and banjo skills, along with a
tenderness in his vocals, lyrics and melodies that his peers often miss.
It's primitive, but that doesn't make it not beautiful.
Download:'Warmin' By The Devil's Fire', 'Midnight Has Come and Gone', 'God Moves On The Water'
ROUSTABOUT IS OUT NOW ON INDEPENDENT RECORDS IRELAND.
[06 February 2009]