Street Sounds: Fleetwood frontman farms a winner
Despite fronting a mega-band in his off-time, singer/guitarist Lindsay Buckingham excels in under-the-radar releases.
Seeds We Sow is Buckingham’s sixth solo album and it offers a glimpse into the musician’s creative drive. He doesn’t let his high profile alter his style.
There are Mac-isms throughout Seeds We Sow, but they’re representations of Buckingham’s personality, not derivative attempts at past creations. Illumination and That’s The Way Love Goes are pieces of classic Buckingham-influenced Fleetwood Mac, fueled by the guitarist’s slightly wild edge.
The stately guitar work of Buckingham marks him as a premier stylist; a heavy hitter who’s also a singer/songwriter of some renown.
Guitarist/singer? Singer/songwriter? Singer who plays guitar? All of these and more.
Buckingham’s one-two punch carries over onto his instrument of choice. His spidery acoustic lines crackle along at a manic, angular pace (Stars Are Crazy, Rock Away Blind) that’s at home in Appalachia.
His soaring and skewed electric work is singular and unpredictable and hasn’t showed signs of rust.
One Take updates Buckingham’s borderline frenzy against a straight ahead rhythm that’s cliché but tough.
There’s an under-current that mixes the melodic sunburst of The Beach Boys with the suggestive imagery of ‘80’s era Dylan and late ‘60’s Leonard Cohen.
When She Comes Down and Gone Too Far float this direction into both corners and She Smiled Sweetly connects the two sonic dots with cool logic.
Seeds We Sow = passion + precision.
–– Dean Gordon-Smith is the music reviewer at The Morning Star. His column, Street Sounds, appears every Friday.
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