Lindsey Buckingham
Under the Skin
(Reprise)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2006, Volume 13, #10
Written by John Metzger
By now, fans of Lindsey Buckingham’s work with Fleetwood Mac likely have
grown accustomed to the quirky, experimental textures that he typically has
applied to his solo outings. In that regard, his latest effort Under the Skin
is no different. Filled with hushed, airy vocals and frantically finger-picked
acoustic guitar patterns, the collection, which has been in the making for 14
years, subverts Buckingham’s shimmering pop melodies by placing them inside a
series of lo-fi, indie-folk arrangements that are worthy of John Fahey. On the
title track, for example, he allows his melancholy intonations to glide with
wispy etherealness across his sunny strums of guitar, and the resulting
juxtaposition of light and dark, joy and sorrow creates a tension that Devendra
Banhart and Sufjan Stevens would kill to possess. Elsewhere, Buckingham sends
intricate arpeggios to skip lightly across the surface of his haunting,
Ollabelle-inspired cover of the Rolling Stones’ I Am Waiting; the darting
harmonies that grace the reggae-tinted It Was You are as richly
ornamental as those that were crafted by Brian Wilson on The Beach Boys’ Pet
Sounds; and the bent melodic structure of Cast Away Dreams is
reminiscent of the twisted, Beatle-esque atmospheres that have been proffered by
T Bone Burnett. Although several songs, such as Show You How and Down
on Rodeo — the latter of which features guest appearances by Mick Fleetwood
and John McVie — lean a little more in the direction of Buckingham’s primary
outfit, they also are stripped to their barest essence and reconstructed as
minimalist masterpieces. While Under the Skin might not be as instantly
gratifying as Fleetwood Mac’s radio-friendly ruminations, the emotional intimacy
that is painted by Buckingham’s ambient production technique transforms the
endeavor into something that is equally resonant. 
Of Further Interest...
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
John Fahey - The Yellow Princess
Mick Fleetwood Band - Something Big
Under the Skin is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box