Cameron Knowler - Secret Water (Worried Songs)

The Slow Music Movement
Mar 8
1 min read

Cameron Knowler is a force for guitar playing good, not just for his musical ability but also as a researcher and educator via his Rural Guitar project which focuses on the development of early American guitar styles through immersive lessons and creative research. He first came to my attention with the excellent Places of Consequence on American Dreams, it's just a shame he's a bit like the Olympics, you have to wait four years for the next one, but I'm counting down the days to April 4th and his new release on the ever interesting Worried Songs label.

"Secret Water" is the latest single to lead us to the promised LP and has swiftly followed "Felicity" into the playlists. This time, like most of the new album, he's eschewed the one man band approach of his previous LP to bring in some like minded, equally accomplished musicians, in this case Jordan Tice on mandolin, Ethan Jodziewicz on Bass and Rayna Gellert on Fiddle, forming quite the Appalachian string quartet. The tune itself has a pleasing simplicity which belies its polite insistence and hypnotic qualities, the various refrains weaving a rich, thoughtful tapestry that grows on you with repeated listens. Alongside the mellower, more contemplative first single, "Felicity" it really sounds like the wait has been worth it. Put April 4th in your diary too.