AROUND IN CIRCLES

A virtuoso guitarist with a velvety voice, DAN ARBORISE has settled in the UK and, by his own admission, basked in the aura of several British greats, notably JOHN MARTYN and NICK DRAKE, luckily without succumbing to idolatry or plagiarism. I can't pretend any sort of familiarity with Martyn, but Arborise is certainly not as dour as Drake, while still checking off the obligatory "socially responsible" and "introspective" boxes with a head shake. Most tracks on this debut plow the furrow of deceptively simple folk songs with little embellishment beyond his own substantial technique. Unfortunately at times his talent in execution leaves his songwriting in the dust, as in "Everything You've Been Taught to Love is a Lie" , and the title cut closes the disk without enthusiasm. But the superb "To the Sea", with its wave of luxuriantly plucked crescendos, and the simple yet poignant "Let me Be" both counterbalance this tendency. All in all, a mixed success and the archetypal promising debut, "Around in Circles" keeps the listener looking forward, if perhaps a little at the expense of living in the moment. 2.5 stars.