Shadow and Light

iTunes Review

A remarkable guitarist with a percussive rhythmic style and nimble fingerpicking technique, John Doyle can thrill with his crisp dexterity or break your heart with a moving ballad. With Shadow and Light, his third solo release, his songwriting has grown to match his musicianship. Historical epics such as “Clear the Way” (about the Irish Brigade during the American Civil War) and “The Arabic” (named for the ship on which his grandfather immigrated to America) have rich tales to tell and are delivered in his warm, clear tenor. “Killoran’s Church/Swedishish” and “Tribute to Donal Ward/The Currachman” are gorgeous, two-part instrumentals, and the closer, “Selkie,” features Doyle on subtle electric guitar backed by upright bass. Doyle’s command of Celtic folk is evident throughout, while his love of American and British folk is displayed in songs referencing World War I (“Farewell to All That”) and the Alaska Gold Rush (“Wheel of Fortune”). An ace backing band adds depth and texture with fiddle, lap steel guitar, mandolin, bass, accordion, flute, and percussion.