Man & Myth is the twenty-third studio album by legendary and highly influential English singer and guitarist Roy Harper who has been recording lyrical and intricately crafted music since the 1960’s. For a slice of classic progressive folk check out The Enemywhich features mysterious lyrics, driving acoustic guitar, soaring vocals and a neat and expressive guitar solo.
The dramatic instrumentation on The Stranger which incorporates bouzouki is a real treat that will appeal to anyone who has enjoyed the exotic cross-cultural sonic experimentation of bands such as The Tea Party. Interestingly, Harper collaborated with The Tea Party in 1995 on the song Time. It’s a mark of Harper’s authenticity, congruence and gravitas that when he sings about skipping “across the prism of the biosphere”, “walking with the gods” and “talking to the trees” in the epic and complex Heaven Is Here, the listener happily buys into the amazing and fantastical themes being conjured before them. With Man & Myth Harper has demonstrated that his skilled musicianship and poetic sensibility remain both vital and finely tuned.
BY GRAHAM BLACKLEY
Best Track: The Stranger
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Goodbye and Hello TIM BUCKLEY
In A Word: Progressive
