David Wilcox - 'Open Hand'

David Wilcox has long been one of contemporary folk music's highly respected singer-songwriters. His lyric-driven compositions tell stories about life's struggles and surmounting obstacles. Wrought with heartache, transcendence, compassion, and confusion, Wilcox doesn't shy from touching on the wide breadth of human emotion. His latest disc, Open Hand is no exception.

Open Hand is full of great songs, but the disc's finest moment is unquestionably toward the end, with "Modern World" (purchase/download). Here, Wilcox wonders what ever happened to the "utopia of cooperation" his generation was promised as children. The song's melody is catchy and the lyrics packed with quintessential Wilcoxian earnestness. Still, like on many of the disc's other highlights, the song features some unnecessary, distracting distant instrumental experimentation.

Wilcox is a terrific guitarist and vocalist. He's quite capable of carrying his finely crafted tunes on his own. In a recent interview, Wilcox noted this disc was recorded live to tape in one week. That spontaneity and experimental spirit is wildly present on the disc, sometimes nailing the songs and sometimes missing completely.

There are moments on this disc where his band delivered exquisite, intuitive performances, while other songs would stand more solidly on their own, without the added instrumentation. Still, some tunes—"Red Eye" (purchase/download) and "Vow of Silence" (purchase/download), for example—work well with the accompaniment. "Winter at the Shore" (purchase/download) sticks to subtle drum tracks and a well-timed cello.