Edinburgh singer songwriter Richard Haswell has amassed over 20 albums during his career without ever becoming an overly well known figure. Most of his music makes for very good listening without ever being excellent and this release is another one from that particular stable.
The album is solid from start to finish, with some fine acoustic work. There isnt a bad track on the album which is always a good thing and a few of the tracks standout as clear highlights, including Magnetic North, Arise and the excellent Driftwood.' The albums main failure is in its production. Apparently it was recorded on his laptop which actually makes it quite a good result the fact that it sounds this good but unfortunately at times, especially without vocals, the album is mired with a tinny sound that distracts and annoys. I will say now it is not nearly enough to ruin what is another good release from the Scotsman but it may annoy people who like their production values high.
Overall though this is another fine set from Haswell, and his level of consistency over the years without any major financial backing is something that can only be admired. Acoustic fans could do worse than to pick up this long player.