Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby
Album: Real World
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.craigandwilloughby.com

I like this album, I like it a lot. It's a joy to listen to. This isn't entirely a surprise as Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby are one the most accomplished duos around. How could they not be when they combine one of Nashville's premier singer/songwriters together with one of Britain's best guitarists? Together they have created a superb piece of work in "Real World".

The concept behind the album is very simple but highly effective. Take five new compositions and seven favourites from previous albums and record them "live" in the studio with just voice and acoustic guitar, with no studio trickery and no overdubs. Cathryn and Brian describe "Real World"as "our most honest offering to date" and who can argue with that?

Cathryn is originally from Richmond, Virginia and has worked extensively in Nashville with such greats as Chet Atkins, Bobby Bare, Mickey Newbury and Jorma Kaukonen. Brian hails from Northern Ireland and is,perhaps, best known as guitarist with The Strawbs [ and Acoustic Strawbs], with whom he played from 1979 until 2004, when he left to concentrate on his work with Cathryn.

This album succeeds in all departments. Cathryn is an extremely fine singer and there is no question that Brian is one of the best acoustic guitarists around and plays beautifully throughout but what makes this album stand out is the exceptional quality and strength of the songwriting. All songs were written by Craig/ Willoughby apart from "Two Hearts,One Love", which is credited to Craig/Foster [this song appeared on Cathryn's solo album "Porch Songs"].

The range of subjects covered by the songs is breathtaking. The album begins with a pair of songs recalling childhood and youth ["Eastview Lane" and "Malahide Moon"].

The following song "Time Has Proved You Right" deals with the Hillsborough Tragedy and is an intensely moving [and topical] tribute to the victims of that terrible April day and their families' fight for justice [ "Still you found the strength to stand up to Goliath"]. The lyrics are, rightly, bitter but the song ends with vindication- "And time has proved you right".

On a completely different theme, "Alice's Song" is a tender, gentle song about a little girl with Asperger's Syndrome, which was previously released by The Strawbs for Autism Awareness. A beautiful song, which was an Aled Jones "highlight of the year " on BBC Radio 2 and deservedly so.

The extremely high quality of songwriting continues with "Cumberland" which recounts the torrential flood which hit Nashville in 2010 when the Cumberland River crested at over fifty feet, bringing death and destruction. This contrasts with happier memories of when the river was "the heart of childhood summers and every poet's dream". The song ends on a note of hope " together we'll build and we will heal".

"Genevieve" is a celebration of the life of Cathryn's Aunt who was a pioneer aviatrix who chose adventure over being a "rich man's wife". Written at a time when she was very ill , Genevieve " can close her eyes and she's free".

Cathryn's talent for storytelling comes to the fore on "Accanoe", which recounts events relating to the Chickahominy, a Native American nation from Virginia. The narrator is the sister of Matoaka, who was also known as Pocahontas, the daughter of the chief Powhatan, who was "created to deceive" [historical note- Pocahontas married an Englishman in 1614 in what was the first recorded interracial marriage in American history]." Accanoe" is a wonderfully atmospheric track, with some amazing vocals by Cathryn.

As you can probably tell by now, I am very impressed with this album. Come the end of 2013, this is sure to be on my list of albums of the year, no question.

Peter Cowley