You Never Were Much Of A Dancer

Debut solo album from an already-masterful fingerstyle guitarist based in Brighton. Raymond also plays in hard rock and punk groups, and that intensity melds with her love of old delta and country blues and the American Primitive guitarists. She’s up there with the most vivid players in this style right now, and she also makes her banjo, dobro, and fiddle skills known on a few tracks. Released on Tompkins Square, the label of occasional KZSU DJ Josh Rosenthal. RIYL John Fahey &c., Daniel Bachman, Marisa Anderson, William Tyler. Favorites: 2, 3, 4, 8, 12. No words, no FCCs.

1. (0:59)—Bird and bug sounds. Violin drone.
2. *(4:50)—Fast, chugging fingerpicking. Droning intensity.
3. *(2:44)—Bobbing and pulsing banjo, played with a light touch.
4. (4:47)—Deep, dark guitar. C minor, almost a dirge. Picks up near the end.
5. (1:37)—Peppy, almost anarchically fast fingerpicking.
6. (1:50)—Gentle, warm guitar.
7. (2:15)—Rave-up banjo.
8. *(2:06)—Smooth, ringing slide guitar.
9. (3:06)—Mid-tempo, loping guitar harmonics. Deep and downtuned.
10. (4:28)—Soft, deep, medium-fast fingerpicking. Very fast finish.
11. (2:00)—More very fast banjo.
12. *(5:43)—Starts slow and expressive, becomes a mid-tempo shuffle.
13. *(3:24)—Really nice dark dobro picking. More insect sounds.