Personnel: Mark Knopfler (vocals, guitar); John McCusker (cittern, violin); Chris White (flute, clarinet, saxophone); Ian Lowthian (accordion); Steve Sidwell (trumpet); Guy Fletcher (keyboards); Frank Ricotti (vibraphone); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Danny Cummings (drums, percussion).

Recording information: British Grove Studio, London, England.

Photographer: Fabio Lovino.

KILL TO GET CRIMSON, Mark Knopfler's fifth solo album since folding Dire Straits in the mid 1990s, continues the trend of his solo work back to the sound and feel of the British folk revival of the 1960s and '70s. While Dire Straits was a very British version of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band circa BORN TO RUN, specializing in well-constructed epic pop-rock tunes, KILL TO GET CRIMSON suggests that Knopfler's true heart is in favorites like Pentangle and Fairport Convention. The songs on KILL TO GET CRIMSON are all originals, but they build upon old Scottish, English, and Irish folk forms, as on the ballads "The Scaffolder's Wife" and "The Fish and the Bird." Those expecting a new "Money For Nothing" might be disappointed, but KILL TO GET CRIMSON shows a new depth to the guitarist and singer's recasting of vintage British folk-rock.

Given that Kill to Get Crimson follows Mark Knopfler's yearlong collaboration with Emmylou Harris -- inaugurated by the album All the Roadrunning and followed by a tour, subsequently documented on the live set Real Live Roadrunning -- it might be reasonable to presume that it bears a slightly heavier folk influence, as if Emmylou had rubbed off on the guitarist. And that's true to a certain extent: "Heart Full of Holes" has an old-timey carnivalesque lilt to its middle section and "Secondary Waltz" is simple, low-key two-step driven by accordions, while "The Fish and the Bird" is a spare allegory that recalls old folk tunes, as does the stately grace of "Madame Geneva's." Also, "Let It All Go" (the song that bears the lyric that lends the album the title) is a minor key dirge that could be seen as a winding folk tune, but it hearkens back to the evocative mood pieces that often up ate up large sections of the second side of a Dire Straits album, and that's hardly the only time either Knopfler's old band or his solo works are brought to mind here. Despite the few folk trappings, most of Kill to Get Crimson resembles nothing so much as another tastefully low-key album from Knopfler, one that resides comfortably in his mellow Americana niche, where country, blues, and rock gently blend into a sound that resembles no particular style but evokes plenty of past sounds. Knopfler rides this soft groove as easily as he ever has, maybe even a little easier than usual, but the big difference here is although mood is key -- as it always is on a Knopfler solo album -- the emphasis is not on guitar; it's on the song. Thing is, the mood tends to trump the sound unless the album is heard closely, which is something Knopfler's dedicated cult will surely do, but less dedicated listeners can't be blamed if they enjoy this merely as background music if they choose to enjoy this at all. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (p.77) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's a gem....Knopfler has dedicated himself to making music that blends the deep resonance of traditional folk with the off-kilter edginess he brought to his former [group]..."

Uncut (p.93) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] more studiedly English collection, full of easy folk melodies sung in an attractive burr and burnished with classily restrained guitar licks."

Dirty Linen (p.73) - "The collection is varied, layered, and rich, a good substantive listen."

No Depression (p.99) - "The songs on KILL TO GET CRIMSON are sharply drawn -- most notably 'True Love Will Never Fade'..."