Reviewed by A T Bradford

David Clifton has gone from Knightsbridge to Tennessee but has lost none of his touch. His latest EP has a strongly Irish-folk feel to it, with acoustic guitar, mandolin, mandola and tin whistle all contributing to a whirl of spiritually uplifting sound. The title track, inspired by a holiday in Galway, harkens back to a peaceful sea-faring community with an "old sea hall" at its heart, in marked contrast to the theme of "21st Century Song". Another acoustic piece, this track laments life's rush and haste - "No time to rest, it's hard to sleep, you won't believe the hours I keep." Clifton's wisdom comes to the fore in the closing line, "The more we give, the more we keep." Mark that truth. The final three numbers embody a fine Irish feel. Close your eyes listening to "Way On Home" and you can feel the craic. "The Water Is Wide" (a traditional folk song) is in a similar vein. "The water is wide, I can't cross over, neither have I wings to fly..." The beautiful lyric is masterfully complemented by Clifton's expertly finger-crafted acoustic guitar. The final track "Welcome Home", an instrumental, opens with a mandolin led tin whistle salvo worthy of Jethro Tull. All in all, 'Old Sea Road' is well worth buying though in fact Mr Clifton is generously offering this as a free download!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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