Bruce Cockburn - You’ve Never Seen Everything

Paul Simon. David Byrne. Don Henley. Bruce Cockburn? A singer-songwriter loved dearly by his fellow Canadians, but known sparingly here in the states, Bruce Cockburn follows the mold of all the above. A musician with a conscious and an itch to speak out, Cockburn’s latest release You’ve Never Seen Everything is sometimes folk, sometimes rock, sometimes spoken word, but always enjoyable. In the past Cockburn has focused on his faith for inspiration, but on this effort he puts his pad and pen towards dealing with issues of world politics, world hunger and the environment. The album’s twelve tracks vary from the straight acoustic folk of “Everywhere Dance” to the world inspired, sometimes rapped lyrics of “Tried And Tested”, but they never repeat themselves or fall into a predictable mold, which makes the album a welcomed adventure to listen to. Cockburn, follows the mold of recent Paul Simon, by letting in sounds from across the world and across the ocean into the simple melodies of a guitar. The experimental spirit of a David Byrne lies just under the surface and jumps up to say hello from time to time. And the Mother-Earth-loving activism of Don Henley shouts love and not war from chorus to verse. Combining all these, Cockburn uses a wide array of sounds an inspirations to produce an album that is both political and enjoyable - something not easily accomplished. He speaks his mind without cramming it down your throat. You’ve Never Seen Everything is an album with a voice, but also with a soul. Cockburn stands out nicely as something we need more of in this age, an artist who has a voice, a view, a passion, and can shape them into a well-written song. [www.brucecockburn.com]