CLARENCE BUCARO
Sense Of Light (Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Clarence Bucaro moved to Rounder Records for his sophomore effort, and in the process left behind some of the back-porch country blues feeling of his debut for a jazz inflected folk-pop feeling. It's what he retained, though, that matters most - a distinctively expressive voice and a rare lyrical gift as a songwriter.

On Sense Of Light, he applies that lyrical gift to a combination of topical, spiritual and romantic material, though the lines between those categories aren't always firm. A song inspired by imprisoned Tibetan nuns, for instance, carries both political and spiritual messages, but in each case as undertones rather than as the kind of 'in your face' preachiness that mars too much contemporary topical material. When he turns to the personal side, he has the ability to infuse a seemingly simple love song with a kind of natural spirituality that offers the listener a variety of approaches to his performances.

From my perspective, Bucaro is almost unforgivably young to offer so much talent and so much depth, but the good side of that is that we should have the opportunity to hear him for many years to come, and I'm looking forward to enjoying every one of them.

Track List:

Of A Trade * Sugar Maples * Father Of Our Nation * Light Me A Candle * Wartime Prayer * All Living Things * Winter Killed The Roses * Carolina Moon * Further Away From You * Italian Skies * Sweet On You * Leave A Light On

© 2004 - Shaun Dale