Folk is a term used to describe the primarily acoustic singer/songwriter phenomenon that existed, particularly in the 1960s. Nick Drake is a great example of this trend, and this is his first album, released way back in 1969. Is it any good? Let’s take a listen and find out.

First off is Time Has Told Me which has a beautiful acoustic guitar intro that sounds hopeful. Nick Drake’s singing voice here is really unique, and the mix of acoustic guitar, piano and slide guitar is excellent here. An excellent musical listen, this sounds amazingly good, even today. This is a great piece of music, and the lyrics are really great, too. A beautiful love song of sorts, this is definitely impressive. Lovely to hear. Very catchy, too.

Next is River Man which begins with acoustic guitar and Nick Drake singing really beautifully. It is a nice-sounding song, with a deeply moving string section and a musical approach that is enjoyable, but very melancholy sounding. A great match of music and lyricism, this is another really great song to hear. Very sad sounding, this is a unique piece of excellent music.

Three Hours is a longer piece at six minutes long with more wonderful acoustic playing here. A lovely sounding piece of music, with bongo beats and double bass playing, this is definitely different. Another lovely and well-made piece of music here, this is beautiful. A wonderful listening experience, it is a great listen, and demands repeat listening, it is literally that good. Towards the end, an intricately finger-picked acoustic guitar occurs, before going back into the main section of the song. Great song. It finishes nicely.

Way To Blue comes next. It is a deep and moving piece with only a prominent string section in it and Nick Drake singing. Very moody sounding and deep, this is a definitely different listen from everything else at the time, and since, for the matter. A very unusual listen, especially lyrically, this is a great and timeless piece of music. Sounds terrific. A great piece by Nick Drake.

Next is Day Is Done which is a lovely piece of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, with strings to match. This is an awesome listen and has Nick Drake singing about surreal things. Another beautiful and timeless piece of music, this is extraordinarily good. A lovely piece of music, without question, this is great to listen to.

Following is ‘Cello Song which begins with fast and intricate acoustic guitar playing which is fantastic. Bongo beats then enter, and so does said Cello. It is an amazing and lovely listening experience and shows Nick Drake as a true talent here. Throughout, he sings beautifully and hums the Cello melody here in a lovely way as well. A brilliant and wonderful listening experience, this is awesome. It fades out gradually towards the end, leaving the sound to come in and out of consciousness. Nice song all the way through. The bongo beats finish off this great song.

The Thoughts Of Mary Jane comes next. It probably is an ode to marijuana, but all the same is a lovely song with beautiful acoustic guitar playing. A short and sweet listen, with a beautiful flute alongside the acoustic guitar, this is a great piece of music from way back in 1969. A must listen from Nick Drake, as is the rest of the album. Music that takes you places, this is excellent. It gets very frenetic towards the end, a nice song.

Man In A Shed has some rather unusual acoustic guitar playing, before launching into a song with double bass playing and piano. It is an unusual song for sure but is classic lyricism from Nick Drake. A fine and really pretty sounding song, this is very much an “urban myth” sort of tale. Catchy and melodic, this is a more upbeat piece from Nick Drake that sounds really awesome. A tale of a man and a lady who one is chasing, this is awesome. Great song, a bit weird though.

Following is Fruit Tree which begins with more intricate acoustic guitar playing. It then goes into a decent song with more melancholy string sections in it. A strange song and very moody sounding. There is what seems to be Clarinet and some other different Classical sort of sounds in this piece. Nick Drake’s singing and lyricism here matches the mood.

Last is Saturday Sun which begins with beautiful piano. This sounds surprisingly upbeat and joyful, with double bass and xylophone to match as well. A great song about the weekend and its delights, this is a nice way to finish off this album. A fine listen from a fine album, which is itself very near perfect. Lovely to hear. There is a catch at the end of it, though. Great song though.

A very beautiful Folk music album that sounds enjoyable, youthful and interesting, this is a very near perfect listening experience. From start to finish, this is really excellent. It was the start of a very short career by Nick Drake. However, it is something one can listen to and enjoy, regardless of being from any musical interest. Great album.

Beautiful.

9/10