Seed

This is Nick Harper's follow-up to his acclaimed 1994 debut EP, Light at the End of the Kennel, which was entirely acoustic. This release adds some band arrangements to the mix, a tactic that often backfired when his father, Roy Harper, employed it during his career. However, it works on Seed, making the album surprisingly listenable. "Glittering Eye" and "Radio Silence" both highlight Harper's fingerpicking style on acoustic guitar, which is even more accomplished than his father's impressive work on the instrument. There are a couple of songs that don't completely work, and the exotic"Building Our Own Temple" has become more successful in its subsequent live arrangement, but this is quibbling. Harper is an obvious fan of his father's work, but he also brings a whole range of original elements to the table that are totally his own, making him a rarity: a musical offspring of a musician who can be considered to be in the same league as his parent. ~ Brian Downing