Everything Bill MacKay's been associated with that I've heard has been a bit wonderful. There's a modest, understated force to both his playing and his vocals. Through frequent collaborations, Bill's shown his versatility, but it's on his own releases that he's really shined. This one, Locust Land, is his first in five years, and one of the rare Bill MacKay solo records where he doesn't play every instrument.
The folk-y "Keeping in Time" segues neatly into the fiery "Glow Drift", a more frenzied instrumental workout. The superb "Oh Pearl" channels Bert Jansch, while the title cut seems an experiment in blending the guitar styles of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd with the folk idiom. Throughout this record, Bill MacKay's playing is inventive, warm, and consistently engaging.
Locust Land is not a solo effort as thanks go to deft rhythmic touches from Sam Wagster and Mikel Patrick Avery (Rob Mazurek, Jeff Parker, Ryley Walker), who play bass and drums, respectively on a few cuts, and Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day) who lends vocals to "Neil's Land" here. That cut is rather moody, but most of Locust Land is affecting in a direct way, with Bill's nimble playing doing the heavy lifting here. Locust Land is more accessible than some MacKay releases, but it's no less powerful in terms of sonic inventiveness. MacKay continues to impress on multiple levels, particularly as one of this country's guitarists who's most adept in multiple genres.
Locust Land by Bill MacKay is out now via Drag City.
[Photo by Yvette Marie Dostatni]