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“Musically, A. P. Meister presents himself as a folk musician in “Beggars and Kings” or “Sycamore Street”, delivers acoustic blues in “The Company of Snakes” and conjures up a sometimes desolate, sometimes morbidly dreamlike atmosphere in songs like “Nightsong” or “Wonderland. “Slow Burn”, with its distorted electric guitar and acoustic slide, and also the melancholy “Lost At Sea” are grandiose, simple and expressive at the same time (…) The right music for night-time drives through rain and fog, “idle” Sunday afternoons or staying up all night out on the porch.”
Read the whole review by Achim Hennes in German on Folker here (or click the Review link to the right)!
“Singer/songwriter. Man kan ta den lätta vägen, man kan ta den svåra, eller så traskar man bara rakt ut i skogen utan att se sig om. Det är det som är så sympatiskt med den här forne Fat City Blues-gitarristens solodebut; han följer inga förutbestämda stigar.
Om musiken kan sägas vingla runt i folk-, singer/songwriter- och rentav countrykvarter ligger bluesen alltid vibrerande strax därunder. Som grundton, inte som lag. Och han ger sig lika gärna ut i drömska, nästan psykedeliska landskap.
Det är suggestivt och förbaskat vackert. Trots att mörka moln tornar upp i horisonten och trots att den ruffiga rösten, som inte tycks ha upplevt dagsljus på ett tag, mässar texter mättade med poesi och pessimism. Tacksamt nog lättas det upp av slirigt luftiga slideslingor och sommarspröd akustik. Det är som att gå vilse i den där täta skogen men hitta en ljus glänta. Det är mycket gitarr, men aldrig bara för sakens skull. Aldrig i något ekvilibristiskt försök att skriva någon på näsan. Nog för att han vet hur man fingerplockar en sexsträngad låda – Meister har säkert studerat mästarna – men han låter tekniken bli ett redskap, ett hjälpmedel för något större. Jag är glad att jag fått skymta det.”
Johan Kronquist/Lira Musikmagasin
And in English…
“Singer/songwriter. You can take the easy way, you can take the hard way, or you can just walk straight out into the woods without looking back. That’s what’s so appealing about this former Fat City Blues guitarist’s solo debut: he doesn’t follow any well-trodden paths.
Though the music might be said to straddle the lines between folk-, singer/songwriter and even country influences, the blues is always there like a vibration just beneath the surface. Like a basic tone, not some formal law. And he’s just as likely to head into dreamlike, almost psychedelic landscapes.
It’s evocative and damn beautiful. Even though dark clouds are on the horizon and even though the rough voice – which doesn’t seem to have seen daylight in a while – delivers lyrics saturated with poetry and pessimism. Thankfully things are lightened up by slippery airy slide-parts and a delicate acoustic sound. It’s like getting lost in that dense forest and suddenly seeing the light of a clearing.
There is a lot of guitar, but never just for the sake of it. Never in any equilibristic attempt to ram anything down anybody’s throat. He certainly knows how to pick a box with strings on it – Meister has probably studied the masters – but he uses technique as a tool, as a means to achieve something bigger. I’m glad I got a glimpse of it.”
Johan Kronquist, Lira Musikmagasin
If you want to read the review online at Lira, click here (or click the Review link to the right)
“This may be the closest you are going to get to hearing Tom Waits singing along to John Fahey. Meister manages to capture the down-and-out abstract lyricism of Waits and Fahey’s exploration of the American folk tradition.”
Read the whole review by David Harry on Americana UK here!
“With fingerpicking and a bluesy style of playing, Meister brings us wonderfully laid-back songs where his poetic lyrics play an important part and the rugged voice is an unmistakable trademark. Ebba Dagdotter contributes tastefully restrained backing vocals, and it has to be said that A. P. (who is responsible for production as well as playing all the instruments) presents us with a perfect example of pure art.”
Read the whole review by Johan Schoenmakers in Dutch at altcountryforum here (or ckick the Review link to the right) or read an excerpt in English in the Press section on my website!