At the age of and on the album 33, Richard Gilpin is pondering his roots both politically and socially ("Man On the Moon & Me") and very personally ("A Stranger to Me"). He is pondering the bigger questions of faith and recognizing that Jesus was his age when he was killed ("Man of 33"). Musically it is Steve Earle's alternative country rock sound territory but since his relocation from Belfast to County Donegal, he has added the spirit of Irish folk without any fiddle-di-dee. Eddie Lynch's piano lifts the mix, Remco Rodrigues' guitar is sweet and tasty throughout, and Maire Breatnach's fiddle and vocal adds a velvety luxury. All Gilpin needs to be a major player is the courage to trespass outside the genre.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Richard Matthew SmithWith a vibe not dissimilar to Mike Scott and Bap Kennedy, Richard Gilpin's new studio project 33 is a welcome turn for those of us who can appreciate our folk music with undertones of Celtic despair. Though it doesn't furrow a particularly furrow new track, 33 is a likeable set of songs that deserves to earn Richard Gilpin some wider exposure -- but like the chairman of the board, Jackie Leven,…Similar sounding releases
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