The music is visceral, moving and very atmospheric. (Review by Keith Millar)
Tony
Cox, the virtuoso South African finger-styled acoustic guitarist, has just
released his 23rd album. He was, in fact, born in Zimbabwe and has recently
relocated to the UK – but I think we can still claim him as our own.
The album entitled The World Went Quiet, was influenced by the very different world we have found ourselves in since to start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. It features Cox at his inspired best. With everything that has happened, life can be rather emotive but if we had to put a soundtrack to it all, I believe that this collection could be it.
The music is visceral, moving and very atmospheric.
Cox engineered and recorded this album at home. He also played all the instruments heard on the album. He started it while he was still in South Africa last year and completed it recently at his new home in the UK.
Three of the items have lyrics. All the others are instrumentals. One of the songs, One and Only, is a duo, with Cox’s daughter Thuli joining him. Her beautiful, sweet voice intensifies the impact of this song which is about gender based violence.
The title song, The World Went Quiet, as well as Empty Dance Hall perfectly illustrate the eerie, haunting inertness which seemed to permeate our world during the lockdown, while in Never Forgotten, Cox pays homage to the many who have lost their lives as a result of the pandemic.
On the lighter side, there is the bluesy fingerpicker Elephant Stomp, TauBoy my CowBoy, inspired by Cox’s son, and Sho Left which for me is reminiscent of a wandering minstrel playing on his oil tin guitar.
It may be obvious from my comments that I am a big Tony Cox fan. However, with this album one does not only get to experience his brilliance as a musician and composer, but also to reflect on the difficult times we have all experienced in the recent past.
The World Went Quiet as well as a selection of Tony Cox’s previous work is available as follows:
Hardcopy CD and Flashdrive (flashdrive comes encased in Elm wood with full artwork, extra TC albums plus vintage video) www.tonycox.co.za
Download (comes with full artwork) www.yonycox.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-went-quiet.
Direct
from Tony: Order from tonycoxacoustic@gmail.com
Review by Keith Millar
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