It's easy to see why Prodigal Son won the "Best Album" prize at the BBC's Folk Awards in 2008. Simpson has always straddled the line between trad and contemporary folk, but never before had he done so as successfully. As you might guess from the album's title, Simpson's as in love with American roots as he is with traditional British music. In this, he's closer to Richard Thompson than Nic Jones. Where Thompson flirts with cheesiness, Simpson occasionally wallows in the fluff. He never does it for long, and it's always when he's shooting for the emotional nougat at the heart of a great song like Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927."

Simpson hits deeply touching territory with his own songs — a real breakthrough for the 55-year-old artist — particularly on one tune written for his father, and another for his recently deceased mother. Jackson Browne guests on this album, but is not intrusive — in fact, unlike Kate Rusby, he is scarcely noticeable. The musicians are a "who's who" of British folkies of a certain age, from Fairport Convention bassist Danny Thompson to the High Level Ranters' concertina and smallpipes player Alistair Anderson.… read more »