Todd Menton's - The Dolemen Field
Review from Dirty Linen:
November/December '09 #144
Todd Menton The Dolmen Field
[New Folk NFR 0492 (2008)] Concurrent with the revivification of the
wonderful Celtic rock bad Boiled in Lead, frontman Todd Menton also found
time to cut yet another great solo album, called The Dolmen Field.
Menton cross-pollinates subtle mandolins and whistles with in-your-face
electric guitars, squeaky harmonicas, rumbling didgeridoos and industrial
percussion for a unique poly-cultural experience. There is a Springsteen-ish
take on the traditional "Peggy Gordon," (complete with "Born to Run"
-reminiscent glockenspiel), the lead-like urban dirge of "Johnny Cope/The
Kerry Huntsman." and a powerful unaccompanied rendition of "Bonny Light
Horseman." Menton's tastes are indeed diverse. He also displays his fine
acoustic playing on songs such as "Hills of Connemara," the beautiful
"Damselfly," and a set of reels called "Kevin's Carousel/Emma Bull's," the
latter dedicated to the fantasy writer and fellow Minnesotan. The album's
title track is a bodhrán-propelled, spoken-word piece about an extraordinary
visit to the Brownie's Hill Dolmen in Ireland. The CD ends with two versions
of the traditional "Bold Riley," one carried just by the voices of Menton
and the Mass Morris chorus and one entrenched in feed-back-soaked electric
guitar.
(LB)
