Multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter, Kevin Buckley rings in the new year with the honeyed melody of his brilliant fiddle on his debut solo album, Big Spring, out now. Having released 4 original albums under the name Grace Basement since the mid-2000s, Big Spring marks Buckley’s first release to feature the fiddle, as well as original arrangements of traditional folk tunes and beyond.
Buckley’s glimmering fiddle leads listeners through vibrant soundscapes on tracks like “Sweeney’s Wheel,” “Hardiman The Fiddler,” and “Marcelle et Marcel,” tactfully threading the assorted genres in a sonic masterpiece that captures breathtaking art from a variety of perspectives. In addition to Buckley’s fiddle taking the spotlight, the artist makes the space for the charm of his buttery vocals to shine on tracks like “Never Tire Of The Road” and “Miss Bailey,” where listeners find him more than at home in his folk background.
Buckley especially hooks listeners with his performance on “The Blackest Crow,” where the crooner’s voice decadently intertwines with the bouncy twang of his acoustic guitar. Listeners can expect to hear elements of artists like Martin Hayes, Chris Thile, and Tim O’Brien throughout the record.
While Buckley is primarily influenced by his Irish traditional background, the multi-instrumentalist also incorporates aspects of Old Time, Bluegrass, Swing, and Tejano music in his work. The artist effortlessly delivers masterful performances over each style of music he approached, yielding a unique, polished collection of 12 entrancing tracks capturing a timeless snapshot of traditional music styles.
Beyond the raw talent demonstrated on each of Buckley’s performances throughout the album, Big Spring was impressively recorded from Buckley’s set-up at home. The album settled into its final version in collaboration with mixing engineer Dave Sinko (The Punch Brothers, Bela Fleck), who lent his seasoned ear to bring out the best in the acoustic-driven mixes comprising this record.
