Nicest Distinction: A Brief Review Of The New Album From James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg

For a record that's mostly just two guitarists engaged in a series of duets, there's a lot of quiet energy here. All Gist, the new one from James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg feels like someone hit "record" on a set in a basement show somewhere. The two players offer up songs that are warm, immediate, and thoughtfully played.

"Nicest Distinction" ambles purposefully forward, while Numb Limbs" has a slight blues-inflected ramble about it. Elsewhere, the lyrical "Death Wishes to Kill" compares favorably to material from Bert Jansch and others of the era. There's folk here, but it's so gently offered in spots that a listener not attuned to the genre can still engage with this stuff.

All Gist culiminates in a surprising cover of "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry. The hook of the dance classic drawn out on guitar makes for an interesting bit of business, as do the few tracks here with a hint of strings courtesty of Jean Cook (Beauty Pill). There are many angles to approach this music from, and thankfully James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg are players adept at finding new meaning and hidden complexities in the simplest of forms.

All Gist by James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg is out now via Paradise of Bachelors.

[Photo: Joan Shelley]