CD Review:  "Rhythm In The Pines" by  Scott Peterson

by Jeff Trippe

 

As all of the music we made and listened to in 2007 fades further away, it would be a shame to see Scott Peterson’s innovative debut project, Rhythm in the Pines, get too small in the rearview mirror without a vigorous nod from mainefolkmusic.com.  Released at SPACE Gallery early last fall, this lovely set of songs is certainly a worthy contribution to a body of work by Maine musicians which continues to grow and redefine itself in quality, complexity, and scope.

 

Peterson’s sense of arrangement is just right for the songs he has written:  not at all overstated or overly ambitious, but melodic and filled with nuance, rather like the yearning relationships described so sweetly in many of the lyrics; guitars are woven with vocals, horn, violin, and other instruments to produce in some instances a meditative framework, in others rolling and open-ended lines.  “Song for Grandmother” is particularly noteworthy for its simple yet evocative combination of strings and vocals, and the characters in this American family story seem to cast shadows:

Giving his life to loved ones, always in generosity

His eyes spoke of kindness and freedom he gave to you and me

Oh, now he is passed, he is dead –

I miss his good hand upon my head

By contrast, “Good Round Glass” and “Trail Work Blues” take us in a slightly different direction, but the fondness for simple pleasures – the taste of wine, the sweat of the climb – is here as well.

Given Peterson’s apparent interest in all things green, this album could not be any more organic.  As he writes on his myspace page, “I used recycled cardboard Arigato Paks made by Stumptown Printers out of Portland, OR, and (slowly but surely) hand-printed the silk screen on each copy.  200 copies home-made…”  So, he wrote the songs, played and sang them, arranged and recorded them, and did all the artwork and packaging himself?  What could be next for this young artist?  If he continues to pursue his own voice and to combine his gentle spirit with a mean set of skills, whatever it is will no doubt astonish us all.

Watch for scheduled appearances by Scott Peterson at acoustic music venues around Portland, ME.

To order his CD, visit his myspace page:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=222671104