Art Garfunkel: Everything Waits to be Noticed

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * * )

The eccentric half of the successful firm of Simon and Garfunkel - Art goes for walks across America and reads dictionaries - will probably only rate a historical footnote for his solo career, which in public consciousness consists of that rabbit song Bright Eyes and not much else. This gentle, modest but ultimately quite charming album sees him co-writing for the first time and teamed up with the complimentary talents of Nashville's guitarist/writer Buddy Mondlock and saxophonist/writer Maia Sharp.

Garfunkel's past informs some of the most enjoyable, reminiscing tracks and some (The Thread, the title track, How Did You Know?) invite favourable comparison with the Bridge over Troubled Water period. Soft and sometimes soft-centred to be sure, but the consistently high quality of the material and his breathy, effortless delivery make this a rare, late-in-life highpoint to the intermittent solo career of a man who has often seemed sensibly detached from the music business. Like a good dessert wine.

Label: Manhattan