CLIVE CARROLL : Sixth Sense (2000)

"Prior to this, his debut CD, Clive Carroll would simply pick up his guitar, saunter down to his local pub and play for the regulars. Not much new or exiting there you might think. However, the man has an awesome technique to sit along side his degree in composition from Trinity College, London.
His style is a composite of disparate influences with classical and contemporary strands woven together into a distinctive sound that will prick up the most stoical listener. He has a metronomic right-hand reminiscent of the best classical players but he also draws from many of the Anglo-American finger pickers of the last thirty-odd years. For example, on "Clonlara" he invokes a Martin Simpson feel without any hint of copying.
He pays due tribute to others - Michael Hedges on "Aerial Discoveries" and Nick Drake on "Southbound" and "Promise of Spring" - but the tunes will impress on their own merit even if the listener is unfamiliar with any of the names above.
I remember the downbeat magazine used to run a regular feature where they would invite some star musician to listen to a handful of records and guess the identity of the performers. If Clive Carroll happened to be one of the mystery artists I wouls defy anyone to venture the opinion that this was a debut recording! Such is the level of compositional skill and technique that he sounds like a veteran of the scene.
On the evidence of this CD, this man is a world-class player who cannot be allowed to languish in his local pub or on the periphery of the music business. This really is a major talent with the unfortunate handicap (like others before him) of not having a convenient "file under pop" label to attract the public at large.
The fact that the CD is endorsed by two of the UK's finest exponents of finger-style guitar - John Renbourn and Chris Newman (who also does a great production job) - is no sop. Carroll is a richly talented player and composer who should be applauded for his eclecticism as much as his virtuosity.
If you have the remotest interest in the guitar and you are not knocked out by this man I am happy to exhibit my nether regions in the proximity of Fenwick's frontage!"

"Still in his mid-20s, Clive Carroll looks marked for greatness. Until recently, he was content to simply wander into his local pub and astound the regulars with his technique. But the twist (worthy of the film that shares the album's name) is that Clive, while happy to perform in such humble surroundings, has won a string of awards for composition and performance and holds a first-class honours degree from London's Trinity College of Music.
This album (described by John Renbourn as 'a milestone on the journey of the steel string guitar') is one of startling composition and glorious technique. Anyone with an interest in acoustic music should listen to this;
Clive spans the fields of traditional, classical and jazz, and his blistering technique comes to the fore in tracks like Aerial Discoveries. We'll have an interview and advice on composition from Clive in the very near future."


Tracklist :
1. One
2. Southbound
3. Passacaglia
4. Promise Of Spring
5. Secrets
6. Clonlara
7. Aerial Discoveries
8. Lost Innocence
9. Marylebone Lane
10. Loch Na GCaor
11. Humours Of Belle Island
12. Right Hand Man
13. Castle Combe/The Rude Reel/The Fly Reel
14. Little Lullaby
15. Yearning
16. Snakebite Boogie