Art Garfunkel
Scissors Cut

THE REVIEW

There are albums that can be listened to at dusk, only in that window of time can their music leave something within you. "Scissors Cut" is precisely one of these, a typical Art Garfunkel album, therefore a soft and delicate record, never intrusive. A record in which even some imperfections among the grooves, some scratches, add their contribution.

Garfunkel’s solo career is for the most part overlooked, a crystal voice at the service of transparent, balanced, clean music. But his production doesn’t pale at all when compared to that of his famous partner Simon; it is different, more personal, and much more traditionally American, indeed New Yorkish. There is that flavor of standards, of smoky music clubs where one finds themselves almost at dawn in the songs. A musical vision that penalized Art by not granting him more hits, but listened to at the appropriate moments, his records reveal themselves to be perfect, not frequent listens but savored over time, moving the needle from one groove to another.

"Scissors Cut" is from 1981, marginal before the reunion with Simon at Central Park. "A Heart in New York" is magnificent, perhaps this song alone is enough, the rest flows by until the duet with old friend Paul on "In Cars", a black and white design, inside the sleeve a young Art at school, military. On the back cover, a color photo of a girl of whom you can see only part of the smile, it’s Laurie Bird. Art’s secret love who died by suicide a few years earlier.