Recorded live in Brattleboro, Vermont, Garrin Benfield's latest is a mix of covers, traditionals, and originals. Sung and played clear and simple in the folk tradition by a man and his guitar. Ideal for a rainy summer Sunday by the lake, the voice is agile and alluring and fine company for the pristine and intricate acoustic steel string guitar. The covers include fan faves from Paul Simon, Garcia/Hunter, and Dylan with a Bowie and Radiohead tune thrown in for good measure. Benfield's originals fit comfortably alongside the well-knowns, and the two-set presentation is somehow flowing and languid. The concise pairing of one voice and one instrument, recorded straight from the sound board, manufactures a welcome respite from the swirling space and time of this malestrom in the human experiment. And, in this dearth of live music has there ever been a better time to sit on the porch and play some covers in the socially distant oblivion? If you can't play, the Columbia County-based Benfield provides a viable alternative for your portable device.
The Chronogram, 9/1/20