Francis Doughty (Dow-tee) of Wendell, Massachusetts is unlike any other guitarist I have heard recently. His influences can be catalogued for the listener (John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Edward Gerhard, James Taylor), but the sound emanating from his guitar is something all his own.

His debut album, Among Trees, produced by Doughty and Bruce Kahan is one of the more remarkable acoustic guitar albums you will find and hear. Among Trees was a self-release in 1998.

Not too surprisingly, this low-key artist operates well below the radar screen of the record label machine, and that of the casual fan. But if you look hard enough in smaller stores, acoustic music cafes, and other areas where acoustic music has a chance to be heard, you will find yourself among friends of Mr. Doughty.

A steel-string guitarist, Doughty has a likeable style and a repertoire of acoustic instrumentals that approach the spiritual. There’s a decided pastoral influence here, possibly due to Doughty’s embrace of the homesteading lifestyle. Among Trees is appropriately named.

The songs are nature oriented, organic, and quietly graceful. The album has a meditative quality to it that some listeners will find relaxing, but this is not to disparage Doughty’s compositions. His songs are concise slices of sound, fully realized, but not overdone.

Other reviews posted on his Web site (www.fdoughty.com) consider his compositions to be impressionistic landscapes which is an appropriate categorization in my view. His pieces set a mood and invoke an image in the mind’s eye to match the music.

For those interested, an interview is posted on his Web site with Jason Bovian of WBUR (90.9 FM) in Boston on the “Hear & Now” show which illuminates some of the songs and includes audio samples.

Tracks:
By Lantern Light/Flau Song/Dream Song for a Walk on a Sunset/Gandalf's Guitar Garden/Christmas Birds/Lilac Sunday/Jasper's in the Window/The Cowyard/All the Beautiful Girls and Boys/Hermit Thrush/Button-Girl/The Elm Tree/Anticipating You

There is not one bad track on the album. All the songs celebrate the natural element in our lives, from a walk in the woods (By Lantern Light), an aspect of nature (Lilac Sunday, Hermit Thrush, The Elm Tree) or a visit with an old friend (Cowyard). Doughty includes songs about the beginning of new love (Flau Song, All the Beautiful Girls and Boys) and the deepening of a current relationship (Anticipating You).

Three tracks (Gandalf’s Guitar Garden, Jasper’s in the Windfow, and Button-Girl) are specifically targeted at the feline influence in our lives. These tracks are all dedicated to specific cats in Doughty's life or memory, and are ones where his guitar seemingly captures the feline character very well.

Doughty’s guitar work (using Taylor guitars) is nimble, evocative, and stirring. This is one of the stronger acoustic guitar debuts you will hear. This is a perfect record for the acoustic guitar fan or player. Among Trees is quite an accomplishment from Francis Doughty (five stars). His audience will surely grow from here. You just have to hear it.

Among Trees can be found at select stores in Massachusetts and online through www.cdbaby.com,or through Doughy’s site.

Cat Rating Scale
An album both Freddie and Chester easily agreed on. A truce was declared in their daily battle for global apartment domination and purrs reigned. Two paws way up.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Waking up