SONGS FROM THE LABYRINTH - STING
Given his eclectic predilection, the idea of Sting doing a lute album is not really that far-fetched — and may seem inevitable from the guy who hit big with something like “Fields of Gold.” On “Songs From the Labyrinth,” the former Police frontman teams with Sarajevan lute master Edin Karamazov for faithful but certainly modern-tinged treatments of works by 16th century composer John Dowland, along with one song by his contemporary Robert Johnson (no, not that Robert Johnson). It’s a quiet listen and one recommended for the open-minded and classical-leaning among us. And some of the selections, including “Come Again” and “In Darkness Let Me Dwell,” do have touches of pop familiarity to make them more accessible to Sting’s usual listeners. Billboard
