"When it comes to acoustic folk, there is a fine line between the sublime and simply samey. Advances in technology has meant anyone with a guitar can now post their music online, while television talent shows have persuaded a generation of talentless teens they could be the next Jose Gonzalez. With more music knocking around than ever before, it has become increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Paul Goodwin falls somewhere in the middle. His debut album ‘Scars’ – the result of ten arduous years writing and recording in studios around Cambridge – has moments of captivating beauty but sometimes falls into a directionless dirge. Admittedly, opening track ‘Take It All’ sets the bar high. Rippling guitar flutters into frame as Goodwin’s quietly impassioned voice flickers in a morbidly contemplative half-light. Lyrics such as “staring down a barrel” and “every ounce of flesh I give” could sound self-indulgent if sung by a less accomplished singer, but Goodwin’s understated acerbic tone is perfectly judged. The strengths of ‘Scars’ lie in the intelligent guitar-work and expert instrumentation. ‘Watertight’ with its urgent melody and sparse yet stirring tom-tom riff is brilliantly executed, while fervent violin and swirls of growling guitar drive the cacophonous ‘Soaked To The Skin to a feverish denouement. The tumultuous ‘60 Miles With A Slow Puncture’ is a riotous knees-up that clatters unabashedly along, while ‘In Sure And Certain Hope’ is a melancholic ode to lost love. Goodwin’s emotively faltering voice is both the album’s strength and limitation, however. On some tracks the vulnerability sounds affected, yet on others – including standout track `Losing Out To Bullethead’ – Goodwin soars. ‘Scars’ is perhaps one of those albums that needs to be heard live to appreciate its full impact, with Goodwin himself an artist whose talent only becomes fully realised in a live setting. Noteworthy, but not necessary." - Gemma Padley