Inamorata

Guy Fletcher is a long-standing bandmate of Mark Knopfler's. Having first worked with him on the Cal soundtrack in 1984, Guy subsequently joined Dire Straits, and has continued working with Mark as a core member of his band throughout Mark's solo career. After some years of waiting, Guy has finally decided to release a solo album himself. And all credit to him for doing so — this debut is thoroughly enjoyable right from the opening acoustic rhythm guitar on Love is Coming Round until the soft, haunting instrumental which is the Black Sand Theme. There are many different influences on this record — standard rock-pop, folk, country, Hawaiian-Guy seamlessly mixes all these sounds together. Although many of the instruments are played by Guy himself, he has enlisted the help of several of Mark Knopfler's musicians, such as Danny Cummings on drums, John McCusker on Cittern, fiddle and pipes, as well as Robbie Macintosh on guitar, and indeed Mark Knopfler himself, who plays in his own unmistakable style on Different World and Inamorata. Inamorata is a superb debut from a highly experienced and seasonsed musician, and I should hope there will be more to come from Guy in the future.