Larry Ludwick - Cold Heart Mountain

Hear The Track Here

I know that Larry is away right now on vacation so he probably won't see this for a while. Mind you, the man needed the break. As someone who contributes some splendidly accurate, and very well written reviews to Soundlcick's Critics Corner, Larry has gathered a lot of attention. It shouldn't ever be forgotten though that every reviewer on Soundclick is there for the same reason, we all need the oxygen of publicity in whatever form. It's amazing how quickly you become known as a reviewer as opposed to a musician, and that can often cause problems. Also, like a lot of good reviewers, Larry brings his own years of experience to the table and that experience is shown to great effect on the tracks he has online.

So far he has given me some smooth jazz (Nod's Ascent to Dave - July 2008) and an excellent rock waltz (Weary Waltz for Reuben - August 2008) and now comes up with the folkie goods on Cold Heart Mountain. If you went crosseyed at the very mention of the F word (Ed: he means folk, not the other F word), let me say one thing in its favour. Acoustic Folk is always based on the song, whether traditional or otherwise and getting it right is never as easy at it sounds. But surely, you splutter, it's just some hairy geezer with a beard down to his knees caterwauling about his fated love or somesuch? Not so, varmit. Folk, especially traditional folk as this track unashamedly is, harks back to a simpler, gentler sound that is uniquely American. Even so, I can hear just an echo of traditional English country music in there too, and that is very much the element that won me over to this track.

Larry, AFAIK, is not a hairy geezer and I wouldn't care if he was. So long as he can write and perform to this level I wouldn't care if he claimed to be Santa Claus. Cold Heart Mountain, as you can imagine, is replete with the kind of images you would expect, huge lakes, dense forests and all manner of supernatural happenings. Larry is that rare thing, a singer who can actually vocalise ALL the words clearly (yeah there's a thing) so you won't need recourse to the lyrics unless you need to. Just sit back, relax and let this gently flowing track take you off on a small vacation of your own...

Excellent production, less IS more. Highly Recommended Folk (yes folk aiight!!)