SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOSH HALPER – SCHLEMIEL

JOSH HALPER
SCHLEMIEL
GLAMOUR GOWNS RECORDS

Seasoned session men do not come often with their solo efforts and when they do, these efforts turn out to be rare occasions that often pass by the listeners who barely notice them.

Now, guitarist Josh Halper is one such session man who has worked with the likes of Lilly Hiatt, Tommy Prine and recent folk sensation MJ Lenderman. He released a solo effort Alrightnik back in 2020, waiting five years to come up with Schlemiel, his follow-up.

And while the album title might be hard to pronounce for some, there is nothing so complicated about his take on modern folk as heard through the ears of a singer-songwriter. Still, don’t confuse uncomplicated with Halper’s music being simple. There are some intricate, complex song structures here, and Halper’s equally complex guitar excursions, both acoustic and electric, that make this on the surface unassuming but thoroughly engaging music so enjoyable, posing just one question: why does not Halper come up more often with solo albums?

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