Newton Faulkner
"Hand Built by Robots"
Aware/Columbia Records
www.myspace.com/newtonfaulkner
By Sally Schwartz  weavingdreams@cox.net

The first thing I realized when I first received Newton Faulkner’s CD, “Hand Built by Robots,” was that the cover reminded me very much of the Peter Max art which graced the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine."  My friend, however, thought it looked more like a Monty Python "Meaning of Life" illustration. Whatever... the influence for the album cover wasn’t half as interesting as the music that awaited inside. I fell in love with this album almost instantaneously.

Music that is arranged in this style can include chords, arpeggios and other elements that you can pull off with the fretting hand and it allows the musician to use the body of the guitar in a percussive manner as well. Because it refers both to a means of making music and the music thus produced, finger style is best understood as both a technique and as a key element in musical genres. This adds to the overall acoustic ability and magic of the songs within this CD and is brilliant.

I spent many hours listening and re-listening to this CD and each time I listen, I find things that I enjoy and things I hadn‘t heard before. I like the fact that “Gone in the Morning” has a reggae sound to it, while “People Should Smile More” tells of how we are taking life too seriously and not taking time to laugh. “Dream Catch Me” is one that I tend to play over and over in my head. The song is catchy (no pun intended) and just leaves me feeling uplifted and good. “I Need Something” touches home when we all stop to question ourselves. This song actually made me pull my car's sun visor down to read the note that I have posted there asking myself, “ How did I make I difference today?”