01-06-2002 Rhythms

One terrific showcase for fifteen artists, taken from over 180 events and 450 artists presented by the Club Acoustica organisers since 1998. The packaging is great and the music wide ranging.

Perhaps everything won't please everybody, but all that means is there hasn't been an attempt to bland-out, rather the differences are celebrated, be it in the innner city saga of 'Crown Street' from women in docs or the dusty alt-country of Luke O'Shea & Medicine Wheel on 'Telephone Lines'. Trips into jazz ('A Day In The Life Of Jesus' by Blue Crew) or King Curly's sarcastic 'I Wish I Was A Girl' flow easily because of the superior live recordings and ambience the producers have been able to infuse onto disc.

Ye olde warhorse Duffo, or Jeff Duff as he prefers, is presented here in all his neo-gothic glory on the very theatrically funny 'Vampire Lover', accompanied by gifted guitarist Joseph Calderazzo, and is followed by the pure acoustic country/pop of Lyn Bowtell - it works because both are fine performances.

There is world (Jigzag/Shimmer), indie (Stella One Eleven) singer/songwriter (Brett Hunt, Dominique Fraissard and Gershon) and more country/pop (Miss Radio), all milling around the common thread of acoustic instruments.

Producers Michael Hardwick, Martin Contempree, Deanne Hardwick, Beej and engineers Chris Mysinski and Konrad Skirlis are all to be congratulated. This is a project really worth supporting.