Richard Buckner – Surrounded

Richard Buckner’s best songs are simple affairs. Usually it’s a simple, plucked guitar accompaniment and a smattering of keys and harmonies. His voice ghosts in and out of his arrangements with a weariness that suggests he’s been through the wringer more than once. So it is on the title and opening track to album number 10: a gentle number that sets the pace for what’s an enjoyable, well-crafted record.

Having over egged the pudding on previous outing Our Blood, there’s been much talk of Buckner going back to basics and Surrounded has a DIY feel to it. The slide guitar on Portrait recalls the Drive By Truckers’ haunting Sounds Better In The Song, but more often, his sweet, lilting guitar arpeggios nestle nicely beneath his placid vocals. A change of pace might have elevated Surrounded from a good album to one that’s excellent, but it’s not difficult to enjoy it for what it is: an uncomplicated, serene affair. [Finbarr Bermingham]