Buddy Mondlock from the album Filament

Buddy Mondlock from the album Filament

Buddy Mondlock from the album Filament available on Sparking Gap Records (By Lee Zimmerman)

In the past Buddy Mondlock’s name has mostly appeared in the credits below the song titles, given the fact that he’s a highly respected songwriter and storyteller for hire. Janis Ian, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith. David Wilcox, along with Peter, Paul and Mary are but a few of the iconic artists who have gleaned his material for their own individual endeavors. Not that Mondlock hasn’t recorded on his own; he can claim a string of stellar solo albums as well as his work in tandem with Maia Sharp and Art Garfunkel. Mostly though, he’s operated below the radar, tending to his craft and excelling at it all the same.

Nevertheless, Mondlock’s new album, Filament, deserves to bring him the fuller attention he so decidedly deserves.  It is, in every way, a radiant set of songs, and while it’s mostly of a mellow variety, the melodies resonate in such a way as to make a striking initial impression. Each of these offerings are informed by the tenderest of tones, whether it’s a tattered narrative that describes the ravages of war with “Jackson Petty,” the sparkle and sheen of “Ticket Taker Blues”, the shimmer and sway of “The Woman in the Window,” or simply the quiet caress that illuminates the beautiful ballads “Perfect”, “If You Will”, “Problem Solved”, and “The Dark”, the latter a co-write with Guy Clark. There’s not a single song here that fails to elevate the emotion through its delicate designs.
 
Credit is also due producer Brad Jones for effectively ensuring the arrangements underscore the grace and gentility Buddy Mondlock consistently imbues in each of these offerings. It’s a sound well suited to an autumnal evening, wrapped in a blanket in front of a fireplace, while given solitude and solace through comfort and a caress. Given the turbulence that characterizes these troubling times, that in itself is no small blessing indeed.
(By Lee Zimmerman)
 
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