Tom Caufield has recorded a lot over the last twenty-five years, even though relatively little has been released, and his name has started to turn international in 2009 thanks to an excellent album released that year called "The Times Are Never So Bad," probably his best and most significant work to date, and what I would recommend to those who want to get closer to his script. After this there have been two more discs released in short succession, "More Fire For The Firedome" and "Tom Caufield & The Calling" (both 2010), released quickly to fulfill his ambition of playing his current hand and then releasing more older tracks from his massive archives.

If the first of the two albums released this year does not put full focus on his interesting personality, "Tom Caufield & The Calling" is more convincing and poetically significant. Here, Tom is accompanied by a backup band that includes Stefano Ashbridge on drums, Sehyon Youe on bass, John Baker on electric guitar and Ted Kantardjieff on keyboard, and the set revises some of his old compositions, finding inspiration and strength through new arrangements and sounds. In addition there are four new songs that confirm the quality of his creative ability and his talent. Of note, there are songs like ’Falling Up,’ ’Rope Of Sand,’ the intense and inner-searching ’Eyes Wide Shut, and ’More Fire For The Firedome’ with a reggae rhythm that recalls some of the things Bruce Cockburn or Jackson Browne employed with their respective forays into world music. ’To See The Stars’ and ’Throw It On The Fire’ are imbued with moments of lyricism and inspiration in an environment that grows more appealing with each listen. - REMO RICALDONE