“This is a remarkable first recording by a man who up till now had seemed quite content just to amble into his local pub and knock out a few tunes for the regulars.”

Scroll down for tracklist and reviews.

Click to read Clive’s biography.

Tracklist

One
Southbound
Passacaglia
Promise of Spring
Secrets
Clonlara
Aerial Discoveries
Lost Innocence
Marylebone Lane
Loch na gCaor
The Humours of Belle Isle
The Right Hand Man
Castle Combe/The Rude Reel/The Fly Reel
Little Lullaby
The Yearning
Snake Bite Boogie

Review Extracts

“This is a remarkable first recording by a man who up till now had seemed quite content just to amble into his local pub and knock out a few tunes for the regulars. That’s how I first heard him and I thought he was world class. Of course the regulars knew how  good he was and part of the entertainment was to watch the reaction of visiting players.

Mine was delight and disbelief. I think Chris Newman had the same experience & fortunately he didn’t just go home bewildered, he arranged for Clive to come up to his studio and record. The real story, I found out, is that Clive is a graduate of Trinity College , London , with an honours degree in composition coupled with a performance award for guitar. His technique is blissful and the compositions are beautifully conceived and mature. Clive is only just twenty-four but from his music you would think him a grand old man already. His influences are far broader than might be expected from someone fresh out of college, encompassing elements of Irish traditional music as well as rural American instrumental styles & even chordal jazz guitar. All in all it’s something that the fingerstyle steel-string guitar has been waiting for. And, having Chris Newman as producer/engineer is a great start. Not only is Chris a brilliant player himself, recognising Clive’s talent immediately, he knows how an acoustic guitar should sound and, more to the point, knows how to get that sound in the studio. Clive and Chris are an ideal combination: let’s hope that the collaboration continues for a series of recordings – a long series. But whatever happens, Sixth Sense will certainly mark the arrival of Clive Carroll and, I think, become a milestone on the journey of the steel-string guitar.”

John Renbourn

“Probably the best and most original guitar player and composer in Britain”

Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“The 1960s had Edinburgh’s Bert Jansch and Kingston’s John Renbourn; this generation can claim Belfast’s Colin Reid and now Londoner Clive Carroll as young and supremely gifted carriers of the ‘British fingerstyle’ flag…

Suffice to say that the British Isles guitar tradition could have no safer pair of hands. Compositionally assured, with a breathtaking mastery of techniques and antecedents from Benjamin Britten to Nick Drake (both specifically acknowledged, along with Michael Hedges) and from Renbourn himself through Gordon Giltrap to Pat Metheny, this is stunning and eminently listenable stuff.”

MOJO

“..Almost totally self-composed, Clive’s music reflects an unusual pedigree and talent. In the opening tracks his fingers race so lightly over the strings you could be forgiven for thinking you are listening to a seasoned concert guitarist. The effect is stunning and you know you are in for a treat…

The guitar enthusiast will enjoy the variety of instrumental techniques, styles and occasional jazz rhythms. However, the album’s strength lies in some lovely compositions played with contrasting light and shade, vigour and delicacy and supported by excellent production that really lets you hear the guitar as it should be heard. This is best reflected in the variations in the beautifully simple tune Secrets or in the relaxed joviality of The Humours of Belle Isle.”

Taplas

“It’s amazing that one so young (24) could have such a sense of melody and gentle touch, but English guitarist Clive Carroll has both in spades…

He does a masterful job of setting the mood and tone. His technique is flawless, showing an ability to play both fast and clean as well as slow and majestic. A rising star on the guitar scene.”

Dirty Linen

Technically perfect whizzkid… a delightful ear for melody”

fROOTS

“World class player”

Get Rhythm

“Blistering technique”

Guitarist Magazine

“Passionate, warm, richly organic and consistently welcoming… amazing”

Guitar Magazine