Mark Knopfler One Deep River
British Grove/EMI (available 12 April) A storied masterpiece from the sultan of song
There are very few guitarists whose style manages to win a place in the ‘instantly recognisable’ club, but Mark Knopfler is certainly a fully paid-up member of that particular elite. That unmistakable semi-clean Strat sound – plus, of course, the occasional Les Paul, Telecaster and sundry Stratalike six-string exotica – permeated every release by that fabulous beast that was Dire Straits. But when that enterprise took its final curtain call in 1995, Knopfler engaged upon a solo career that has seen him release no fewer than nine albums to date. OneDeepRiver is the tenth, the title song of which is a personal paean to the Tyne that flows through his beloved Newcastle.
Produced by Knopfler and long-time collaborator Guy Fletcher and recorded at MK’s state-of-the-art Grove Studios, OneDeepRiver features 12 songs in its single CD release format, expanded to the tune of four or five bonus tracks depending on which deluxe package you choose. Always the master storyteller, lyrically the songs cover everything from early days trying to make it in the music business to a daring railroad robbery in the old Wild West on Tunnel13. Aside from the signature Strat tones, there’s sensitive acoustic playing on tracks such as SweeterThanTheRain. But as is the case with every master craftsperson, it’s the songs themselves that bask in the spotlight, the guitars playing only what’s necessary and nothing more. As such, the album is a masterclass in the art of subtlety and restraint that will sit happily alongside Knopfler’s finest work.
Standout track: BlackTieJobs
For fans of: Dire Straits, JJ Cale, John Hiatt