James Hindle's sophomore release shows the British folk singer hitting his stride with 11 songs of gentle, well-crafted simplicity, laced with a good deal of pop sensibilities. Each tune is held together by a variety of instruments including harmonica, organ, violin, piano, and glockenspiel. Most of the tunes have a pleasant disposition, some are more somber, others are rather rollicking. Hindle's voice is tender and reminiscent of some of the great folk-balladeers like
John Denver and
Paul Simon.
Prospect Park shows a good deal of progress for Hindle, and is much more interesting than his debut, yet still it is by no means revolutionary. Sometimes, however, folk tunes are fine and beautiful in their absolute simplicity. James Hindle has proven that point quite well on
Prospect Park. ~ Kurt Morris