This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen Magazine #100 (June/July 2002). the magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

The Reel World
by Tom Nelligan

As ubiquitous as the guitar may be in accompanying 21st century interpretations of Celtic and English music, across the full spectrum from acoustic traditional bands to folk-rock, it's relatively rare to hear it used as a featured lead instrument. Hot fiddlers, flute players, squeezebox squeezers, and pipers abound these days, but rare is the group that features a standout lead guitarist. It's as if guitars just aren't traditional enough to stand alongside electric bass and drum kits.

The Minneapolis duo Lehto & Wright is a welcome exception. On Ye Mariners All [Narnian Records 0012 (2001)], Steve Lehto and John Wright, joined by drummer Matt Jacobs, have put together a brilliant collection of mostly English and Irish material in guitar-grounded arrangements. They're equally versed in acoustic and electric modes, with sparkling acoustic tracks like "The Butcher Boy" that feature interlocking licks from multiple guitars alternating with crunchy electric power-trio numbers in which Wright switches to eight-string bass, like "Four Drunken Maidens." There's plenty of fast jig-picking, tasty string-bending, and clever cross-genre colorings, like Nick Drake's classic "Pink Moon" interwoven with "Banish Misfortune" played on resonator guitar. The title track is a 10-minute wonder, an eerie nautical tale followed by a multi-instrumental excursion that brings in zither and harp guitar, among other things, and a cover of Drake's "Black Eyed Dog" is a scary, screaming fury of strings. This is fascinating, creative music.

There are nine more recordings discussed in this column from Dirty Linen #100 (June/July '02). Read the full text in the magazine, available via subscription or on newsstands and in bookstores.