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The preposterously prolific and thankfully gifted Gavin Baker provides four short acoustic tracks, the first, When It Comes Alive, being the longest. It's a typically melodic instrumental showcasing Baker's adeptness away from the electric for which he's better known. The Meets Guitar string to his busy bow reveals an empathy with traditional British folk, exemplified by the brief, wordless A.L.S. (you figure it out) which closes his side of this split 7". Between them the mandolin and guitar duet, Uphill Ride, is a snappy little idea that would be worth revisiting for a longer piece, and The Old Place sees Baker behind the mic for a rare vocal excursion. "A voice only his mother could love," was once said of Keith Richards and it's applicable on this evidence to Baker too. Let's just say that as singers go, he's a great guitar player. On the flip, German duo Taunus are similarly blessed on the strings, joined on the first of their two tracks by drummer Wilm Thoben. Both Festa and the following Akkurat Her Akkurat Nå feature exemplary playing, reminiscent of an overdubbing David Pajo.

Matt Dornan
June-July 2003

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