A collaboration stemming from longtime mutual admiration,
Iain Matthews and
Elliott Murphy find more than a little common ground on
La Terre Commune. With each contributing four songs to covers of
Bob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell,"
Bruce Springsteen's "Sad Eyes," and
Jesse Colin Young's "Darkness, Darkness," the two succeed in creating a seamlessly cohesive song cycle. Allowing each other to stake out his own territory in the recording process,
Murphy and
Matthews complement each other extremely well, not just vocally, but stylistically. Though generally soaked in a contemporary folk-rock aesthetic, their collaboration rocks with heartland soulfulness when not visiting the more pensive moments of
Murphy's "Navy Blue" and "Dusty Roses." Similarly,
Matthew's "Close to the Bone" recalls the homespun folkiness of
Neil Young with its starkly languid tones. Bertold Brecht and
Kurt Weill's "The Ballad of the Soldier's Wife" is given a menacing
Tom Waits-like feel, with
Matthews employing his best raspy growl. Overall,
Murphy and
Matthews achieve a rare synergy that is mutually gratifying for both songwriters. ~ Matt Fink