Cover art is often a good descriptor of what may reside within an album, but it is not always the case. A prime example is Fire And Gold by Brian Bond. The cover can truly be labeled as art and gives the appearance that the original piece is mixed media. To me, this type of cover gives the vision of something bordering on the avant garde.

But Brian Bond’s music occupies a place far from the avant garde label. Instead, Bond can be labeled as modern folk. Songs like “House For An Easy Heart” and “Keep Your Eyes On Me” feature clean vocals and acoustic guitars. Backing these two primary folk signatures are various complimentary instruments, from standards like slide guitar and piano, to uniques like the Farfisa organ and the sarangi.

So Brian Bond does have provide us with some new ideas, but new ground is rarely broken. Still, that’s not necessarily a bad thing — after all, some of the greatest folk artists fit this mold perfectly.

Brian Bond: House For An Easy Heart [mp3]