{mosimage}The charismatic
ex-leader and guitar player of Dire Straits, owner of an almost
unpronounceable surname, is back with his fifth solo album.
We are not going
to discover at this point the great musical and composing skills of Mark
Knopfler, a man whose legend as creator of melodies for Dire Straits
as well as scoring music for classic soundtracks such as The Princess Bride,
Last Exit to Brooklyn or Call is
undeniable and has turned him into one of a kind.
Now, with his
fifth solo studio album, Kill to get Crimson, Knopfler achieves
his maybe more cohesive album. A record with fascinating lyrics and immaculate
guitar playing starting from the first couple of songs and spreading all over
the album. Good start with the more commercial True Love Will never Fade and
excellent guitar skills in The Scaffolder´s Wife. You will find again
excellent songwriting showing that Knopfler knows how to explore all the
greatness and miseries of humankind, turning them into simple beautiful
melodies with a touch of melancholy; perfect songs to listen in a dark corner
of a pub with a pint of beer in your hand or while relaxing in your favorite
sofa at home.
Here and there you
can perceive some glimpses to and old timely Celtic spirit in compositions
accompanied by accordions and fiddles. English pub rhythms mixed with waltzes
like In Heart Full of Holes or in Secondary Waltz, and catchy
chorus that will be part of your heart almost instantly once you listen to them.
And a tune with the exact dose of mischief that could perfectly have been
written during the Dire Straits times: Punish the monkey. Great stuff
from an unique composer and guitar player.
Rating: 5/5