Gordon Bok has one of those voices that doesn't seem to age. Partly that's because most men start losing their high notes as they get older, and
Bok never had any to lose -- ever since his earliest recordings (20 years prior to this one) his voice has been a rich, resonant, rain-barrel basso, so the ravages of time have had little to work with. If anything, he now sings more deeply and smokily than ever. Combine that voice with otherworldly levels of proficiency in songwriting and guitar-playing, and you have a pretty fearsome combination, one that has made him a legend on the New England folk circuit. This album departs somewhat from his earlier solo work in that it consists almost entirely of songs written by others, though the general themes of wistful reminiscence, gentle encouragement, and maritime disaster are true to form. Compared to such previous triumphs as
Bay of Fundy and
Tune for November,
Return to the Land doesn't quite measure up; though all of the songs are of high quality and all beautifully performed, few are truly memorable. Highest honors go to the gentle "A Little Road and a Stone to Roll" and
Bok's Latin-tinged instrumental "Culebra." Recommended primarily to fans.