Three Hours South

Edwin Derricutt

This album is distinguished by Derricutt’s lovely guitar playing and warm vocals.

He is backed up with firm percussion, elegant bass, and occasional spare accompaniment from piano, mandolin, and others.

There is good dynamic range from the relaxed celebration of solitude in the title track, the comic shuffle (sung from the perspective of an infant) of “2 Feet Tall”, the delicate declaration of love in “Kowhai Tree” and the devoted cry of “Soldier”.

There is nothing overtly religious about Derricutt’s lyrics but they invite the listener to a deeper and largely delighted attention to the pleasures, and sometime the struggles, of ordinary life.

If Derricutt has one complaint, it’s that “there’s not enough music in this life” — and yet he puts that into song, too, so who can complain?

This is a great little album (coming in under 45 minutes) full of winning music that hops up on your knee, paws your lap winningly, and encourages you to settle in with it for a while.

Andrew Irvine