Let's get one thing clear from the start: these 11 tracks, none of which made the final cut on RM Hubbert's "Ampersand Trilogy" of albums (First & Last, Breaks & Bone, the SAY Award-winning Thirteen Lost & Found), are as far from barrel-scraping leftovers as it's possible to be. Despite having been recorded over the spread of several years, they make for a nicely paced, cleverly programmed album that works perfectly well on its own merits.
Naturally, it's the collaborations that first attract attention: with Alan Bissett for the observational story about teaching, Song For Jenny; with Luke Sutherland for the heavy post-rock shimmer of Elliot; with Esperi for the vibrant beats-and-flamenco duet Cherry Blossoms; with Alasdair Roberts and Emma Pollock for the Italian moonlight serenade Mo Ve'lla Bella Mia De La Muntagna.
You might think there's nothing left to say about the flamenco-punk virtuosity of Hubby's solo style of play, but that's not true either. I don't know what was in his head when he named a tune Canine Shaped Frogs, but to me its rhythmic flow is like filling my lungs with fresh summer air, while Hanging Pointers emits subtle changes in mood and emotion from Hubby's fingers, through nylon strings, to my ears and my heart.
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