Stevie Coyle – Ten In One (Fiddling Cricket Records)

OK I know this is early in the review and I barely have my feet under the table but I have to say immediately that this is The Best New CD I Have Heard In Years. I know, I know. I shall try and be more critical, but I have two more CDs to go here and neither comes close. Right, here we go, I’ll try…

Ten in One is Stevie Coyle’s first solo album, the title referring to a carnival sideshow tent or freakshow – ten attractions for one price. Having never heard Stevie Coyle before I wasn’t sure what to expect but the Sergeant Pepper-influenced intro wasn’t it. The longer I listened the more confused I got, this is a concept album for goodness sake. A folky, (mostly) acoustic concept album. I mean who records concept albums nowadays? It even has a theremin on it…The big news though is that it works so well and is so good. The CD wanders through Americana territory while never drifting too far onto predictable ground and I have still to stop playing the damn thing. Really. It’s on now.

The album is rich in material and a treat for the ears. The production is detailed and every instrument, particularly Stevie Coyle’s guitar playing, is beautifully recorded with the clarity to satisfy aficionados. There are folky fingerpicked guitar pieces backed with accordion (Rue de Romie) or mandolin (Bruno’s Revenge) and also a fabulously raw fiddle performance on Cousin Sally Brown that puts you right there in the carnival waiting in line. The Petrified Man brings some Zappa influence to the party but the piece de resistance for me is a reworking of The Cuckoo, one of my favourite old American folk tunes. The Falcon, Stevie Coyle’s version, takes the melody and adds a twist or two to the lyrics without losing any of what makes the original special. This is an excellent album and you should buy it because it may turn out to be The Best New CD You Have Heard in Years too.

Ben Shirley

www.myspace.com/coylestevie