There is something inherently charming about finger-picking that I am not even sure I understand. Ever since I heard Mark Knopfler in Dire Straits back in the early eighties I realized that picking at a hundred miles an hour wasn't the only way to be fast. Sometime after, I heard something that blew my little mind to bits: a DiMeola, McLaughlin and de Lucia record. De Lucia on that record was the only one playing finger-style and more than held his own with two of the most innovative and fast guitarist on the planet, out pacing them on a number of occasions.
KG Fields, while not of the de Lucia level, is a very competent guitarist that is in complete control of his instrument. Singer-songwriter is what Fields does and his love for early Americana shines early and often on this record that contains two instrumentals and two song on which Fields sings, quite competently I might add. Although, he is a good singer, the instrumentals are, to me the shining moments of this record. In those two, he shows a side of improvisation and playfulness that isn't found in the more traditional songs. In the 15 minutes Ragaragar, he clearly shows what he is all about, with some of the best acoustic playing I have heard with some interesting syncopation and quasi-time changes. This track is clearly the stand-out of this record.
In a lot of ways, KG Fields reminds me of another singer-songwriter with a taste for the unusual: Harris Newman. Although Newman is more of a technical player than Fields, they navigate the same waters. Fields' record is, either way, a very nice relaxing listen that is refreshing to pick apart if for no reason than to spot the influences, because there are many.
- Simon Thibaudeau | 2006-02-05
