Volume One

With his 2012 debut album, the aptly titled Volume One, the London-based tunesmith Paul Cook reinvents psychedelic folk with a handsome restraint. Underneath the Paul Simon–esque opener “Six Places,” we hear a subtle—almost sublime—slide guitar pumped through gauzy effects. On top of this, Cook sings self-deprecating lyrics: "I’ve been fooled by love/Any trick would do/I’ve been fooled six times by a girl like you.” But the following “Candlelight” is the album’s beacon. It casts a light so strong that by the time Cook croons the chorus, you can feel it warming your skin. The semi-scratchy analog fidelity only makes the string accompaniment sound more powerful and poignant as it braids with stark electric guitar chords and lilting piano notes. It’s not until the third song, “Bullet Holes,” where we hear the convergence of a full band. As a brushed snare drum, lead guitar, and buttery bass tones seep into the song, it moves with kinetic chemistry. “I Forgive You” closes, moving like pure water flowing under an old burnt bridge.