Gift of Screws originally started life fifteen years ago as a Buckingham solo record until a Fleetwood Mac reunion intervened and the guitarist was persuaded to donate some material to their ensuing album, 2003's Say You Will . But currently on something of a roll after his deservedly acclaimed 2006 set Under the Skin , Buckingham has seen fit to revive the project. On the evidence of this fine record, largely played by Buckingham himself with the odd collaborator and often less than totally polished, his decision was correct. The frantic guitar runs of the opener "Great Day" turn a deceptively sunny song into something more sinister, while the dense and noisy acoustic arpeggios of "Time Precious Time" are downright eerie. The defiantly lovely "Did You Miss Me" works well in a stripped-down form. Mac fans will be pleased by "Wait for You" featuring the unmistakeable rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and "The Right Place to Fade", which could be an outtake from their most successful era. The title track itself is a catchy two chord stomp reminiscent of REM at their most playful. Mastered so loudly that it leaps out of the speakers, even as its creator lovingly layers guitar parts and buries vocals in swathes of echo, Gift of Screws is oddly timeless yet undoubtedly contemporary. --Steve Jelbert
Track Listing
Great Day Time Precious Time Did You Miss Me Wait For You Love Runs Deeper Bel Air Rain The Right Place to Fade Gift of Screws Underground Treason
