TRACKER
| Mark Knopfler
TRACKER
Tracker is the eighth solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 16 March 2015 (17 March 2015 in North America). -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
2015 - Knopfler’s quicksilver guitar is understated, and he delivers stories of stoic ache like an old watchmaker on a pub stool — quietly riveting.
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All Music
significant stretches of the record are reminiscent of the moodier aspects of Brothers in Arms, while "Beryl" has just a bit of the "Sultans of Swing" bounce -- and this skillful interweaving of Knopfler's personal past helps give Tracker a nicely gentle resonance
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Absolute Sound
2015 - It’s a comfortable, if melancholy, place to linger.
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Pop Matters
2015 - You will warm up to some songs considerable quicker than others, almost to the point where slower and quieter numbers are in danger of being overlooked.
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The Telegraph
2015 - Tracker is another collection of carefully observed songs of ordinary lives, essaying folk, blues, country and early rock’n’roll forms, delivered with a low, mordant, deadpan voice.
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American Songwriter
2015 - They create timeless songs that feel organic, measured and are clearly heartfelt as Knopfler crafts music that will sound as magnificent in 50 years as it does today.
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Drowned in Sound
2015 - Still adorned in his best brown baggies and platform soles, Knopfler can still make the guitar cry and sing without airs and graces.
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Music OMH
2015 - Tracker may not quite reach the same heights as its predecessor – it features one too many misses for that to be the case – but it is another solid solo entry into his already impressive back catalogue and a record that Knopfler’s faithful following will undoubtedly delight in it.
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The Guardian
2015 - Knopfler’s music remains a reliable source of warm bluesy guitarwork; the Dire Straits-aping riff of Beryl is a familiar pleasure.
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Uncut
2015 - It adds up to a little more than just another solid Mark Knopfler offering.
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Financial Times
2015 - Mainly memories, evoked by Knopfler’s calm voice and music that flows with graceful ease: emotion recollected in tranquillity, in Wordsworth’s phrase.
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Red Dirt Report
2015 - It took me multiple listens to capture the subtle musical textures and heartfelt stories that are a mix of Bruce Springsteen and Luka Bloom.
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Live for Live Music
2015 - If you can step up to the turn table with open ears and an opened mind, what you will get is one of the most well polished albums of the sure-to-be Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s career.
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The Upside News
2015 - Tracker is a relaxing, enjoyable and engaging listen from start to finish. Knopfler’s trademark perfectionism as a producer is once again on display in this album.
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Off the Tracks
2015 - Tracker is smooth, too smooth for some, but it’s lovely. The polish, as always, leads to a handful of gems.
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Nouse
2015 - but hearing those sparkling guitar phrases that were so at home on “Sultans of Swing” and “Lady Writer” sparingly scattered over a collection of very average songs does make the heart sink and the ears grow weary
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New Zealand Herald
2015 - Ahead of everything else he's just a brilliant storyteller who knows how to make every story stand out by the light and shade of his guitar playing, and the quality of the musicianship of his studio band.
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Muso Muso
2015 - As a package “Tracker” sees no diminution in Knopfler’s ability to conjure up a set of songs that will happily repay repeated listens and which will grow in stature every time. A fine album.
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Diary of a Music Addict
2015 - None of the songs really grabbed me, but the mood of the music is fantastic. “Tracker” sounds exactly as you’d expect a Mark Knopfler album to sound, and that’s great. Light up the fireplace, pour yourself a glass of Scotch, dim the lights and press Play.
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Pop Magazine
2015 - Given the superior musicality of the album listening to the digital version of Tracker, I’d jump at the opportunity to hear it on vinyl.
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Record Collector Magazine
There’s effortless and effortless, and this is an album that verges on the predictable. Not that fans will complain – except perhaps about the slick marketing tricks.
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Sound Stage Access
2015 - Mark Knopfler has been remarkably consistent, but Tracker is outstanding even by his high standards.
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Rocknuts
2015 - I find Knopfler’s latest endeavors utterly sobering.
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Reporter Herald
2015 - Despite the album's consistently mellow mood, the musical range is wide. ... That's to be admired, so hear him out.
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Talk House
2015 - An artist who knows that less is more, Mark Knopfler isn’t getting older, he’s getting better.
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Renowned for Sound
2015 - one of the most interesting parts of this LP is the storytelling. Knopfler’s voice is heartwarming and makes the album sound coherent.
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Konitono
2018 - fantastically well-crafted while staying safety within the parameters of how fans and detractors alike imagine a Mark Knopfler album should sound.
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Acoustic Sounds
The songs contain Mark's usual wryly but accurately observed vignettes of real life wrapped up in a musical accompaniment of distinctive subtlety.
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The Punch Magazine
2015 - Just when we’re caught up with the staggering pace of life, he comes along with an album that booms, like that. His music masks itself; if only you had the time to figure it out.
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Flood Magazine
2015 - While the mid-album funk jam “Broken Bones” does add some garage-rock swagger to the mix, it’s not enough to keep listeners along for the ride.
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The Flinter Files
2018 - an album full of great tracks, with great variation in what you will hear.
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Amused to Life
2015 - further confirmation that Knopfler has long since parted with popular music and is now a bona fide singer-songwriter. Tracker is thoroughly excellent, pulling in folk, Celtic, jazz, and country influences.
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Soul Surmise
2015 - Great craftsmanship in playing and poetry.
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Lady Obscure
Luckily, Mark’s musical comfort zone is just so outstanding and appealing to me I couldn’t wish for anything else. In the light of all this power and progressive metal I’m listening to, this album is a welcome breath of fresh air.
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Sounds from the Darkside
It’s folky with a hint of blues, and lick of country music and a heap of that very distinct voice and guitar of Dire Straits. Make of that what you will.
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LA Music Blog
Overall, the songs are quite riveting, and if you set out to listen to just a few tracks, you’ll probably let the whole album play through.
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