Gordon Bok - Other Eyes (2010)

For nearly 50 years, folk artist Gordon Bok has made music inspired by the people and landscapes of Maine. On Other Eyes, he applies his resonant bass vocals and virtuosic guitar work to capturing the beasts, birds, and sea life of his native region. Bok sings from the viewpoint of wild creatures as he spins tales of eerie beauty and haunting tragedy, matching his original material with traditional folk tunes. There’s an ancient quality to the singer/songwriter’s self-composed songs here, suggestive of pre-modern sea shanties and hunter’s ballads. While the lyrics are timeless in language, their collective theme of man’s encroachment upon nature couldn’t be more contemporary. Bok’s august voice—ocean-deep, yet warm as a beachside bonfire—convey both the innocence and savagery of the animal world. “The Seals” (a stunning choral piece), “Gulls in the Morning” (featuring Bok’s exquisite classical guitar playing), “The Net” (a vivid invocation of Maine’s coastal waters), and “Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home” (as primal and mystical as title implies) are among the standout tracks. Stately yet profoundly moving.