Living in the Shadows, Pt. 2: On the Edge of a Dream

Liner Note Author: Bernard Butler.
Picking up right where 2017's Living in the Shadows left off, Living in the Shadows, Pt. 2: On the Edge of a Dream delivers newly remastered versions of the late, great Bert Jansch's final recordings, as well as a lovingly curated collection of demos and unreleased material. Released in 2000, Crimson Moon saw Jansch joined by the Smiths' Johnny Marr and Suede's Bernard Butler, both of whose largely atmosphere-driven electric guitar work provided some nice accents to Jansch's equally restrained picking. The classy 2002 album Edge of a Dream expanded on his previous outing's penchant for collaboration with help from Butler, Johnny Hodge, Hope Sandoval, fellow U.K. folk veterans Dave Swarbrick and Ralph McTell, and son Adam Jansch and wife Loren Jansch. The 2006 Drag City-issued Black Swan, Jansch's 23rd studio album, would be his last, but it was also one of his finest late-period offerings, touching on nearly every iteration of his playing style, from folk and Celtic to blues and jazz. It also featured a typically diverse cast of characters, including Beth Orton, Devendra Banhart, Kevin Barker, Helena Espvall, and Paul Wassif. The Setting of the Sun concludes the four-part box set with a compelling collection of demos, most of which were recorded at home, and includes appearances from Gordon Giltrap and Johnny Marr. Ornately packaged with a 24-page hardbound book -- there are liner notes from Butler, Adam Jansch, and a listening guide by journalist Dave Henderson -- Living in the Shadows, Pt. 2 is every bit as essential as its predecessor. ~ James Christopher Monger