Mark Knopfler
Kill To Get Crimson

If when discussing Knopfler's discography, we wanted to refer to the numerological aspect that sees the velvety "Last Exit To Brooklyn" for soundtracks and the masterpiece "Brothers In Arms" with the Dire Straits, we could say that this fifth album of his solo discography represents a work that, perhaps, cannot be easily compared to the aforementioned records. Knopfler's solo musical path has obviously distanced itself from creating those musical settings closely connected to big-screen images as well as the irresistible and multifaceted sound of the Dire Straits.

KTGC is a record where the simplicity of the tracks instills feelings of calm, highlighting a regained creative streak more akin to a sentimental exquisiteness of British roots, rather than an expansion of those musical landscapes that find a constant in the typically hillbilly agrarian atmosphere of recent releases. It's a sound that (perhaps) will not win new listeners, guided by the tranquility of someone who now even more reserves autobiographical events for their narrative spirit and who understands thoroughly how to let a sophisticated combination of notes flow, highlighted by a singular search for that timbral value we are well acquainted with.

The ballad "True Love Will Never Fade" opens the album in a simple way with a smooth flowing of notes that showcase how a sweet melody and an intimate text can contribute to crafting a lovely track. "The Fizzy And The Still" is another slow piece where we find pleasant arpeggios that enrich the track also thanks to a delightful chorus that nevertheless leaves room for the enjoyable plucks of the our strings. From the melancholic "Heart Full Of Holes", one cannot help but be carried away by the storyteller Knopfler, who finds in the well-fitting accompaniment of an accordion the missing link to make a track that only after several listens will try to reveal itself in all its enjoyable charm. Violins and (again) accordion manifest in "Secondary Waltz" the desire to show how important it is today to express a humble inner restlessness in notes, like in "The Scaffolder's Wife", where good Mark makes every effort to convey the narrative love that distinguishes the penchant for those serene atmospheres that stand out in his recent works.

A listen that up to now does nothing but reveal a personal and tenacious vision of the soul, where Knopfler guides us through those rural landscapes on which we had the opportunity to place ourselves as nostalgic consumers by listening to the records of Kenny Rogers or the masters Chet Atkins or J.J. Cale, real pioneers (and masters) in creating these kinds of scenarios.

"Let It All Go" is one of those tracks with a traditional folk flavor where the swinging sequence of chords fits perfectly with a narrative rhythm of times gone by. "The Fish And The Bird" certainly bears the not easy task of raising the appreciation for this album, where a caressing arpeggio properly underlines a vocal performance by a perfect storyteller. The exotic "Punish The Monkey" - which in its way recalls the famous "Ride Across The River" - is a beautiful concentration of velvety sounds where the guitar passages clearly depict what can be fully defined as a landscape made of simple notes, also characterized by bright tones. The subdued tone of "Behind With The Rent" continues the thread of music intended as an expression of personal sensations, which in "Madame Geneva's" reaches the non plus ultra, aspiring to become one of the most successful compositions of the entire CD. In "We Can Get Wild" it is pleasant to be swayed by a gentle alternation of chords where a sparkling guitar, politely accompanied by a keyboard background, generates sad sentiments in the listener, while "In The Sky", as much as it proves to be lovely and enchanting, reveals to us in the best way that even this enjoyable musical excursion is about to come to an end.

The CD in question is the offspring of an artist who has audaciously set aside the ability to delve into the creation and personalization of a refined sound capable of standing out in the vast musical production of that historical-musical context which saw so many identities emerge, for an equally mature sound sacrificing that polish to which today's listener (.. who often is also the one from the past..) has formally renounced. A record that on the cover carries a fine work by John Bratby (the famous "Four Lambrettas and Three Portraits" of Janet Churchman from 1958) almost to indicate that desire to feel more drawn in by soft colors, just as his guitar takes a sideline compared to the melodies and settings that constitute the central elements of the musical dialogues that can be listened to here. Undoubtedly a record more oriented towards territories that have in European popular folklore a steadfast reference point; a piece made in the fullest respect and enhancement of the song form that would never lead us to think we are facing the usual Knopfler, something that frankly, I would wish from here to the next fifteen years.

The Deluxe Edition is an exhaustive and honest compendium on the making of the album, for those who do not settle for the audio CD but also for those who want to fully get to know one of the most complete artists the musical universe can showcase.