“From the first note I was drawn in. Malcolm Holcombe is an old soul and modern day blues poet. He is a rare find.” —Lucinda Williams

Born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, Malcolm Holcombe is being recognized by the contemporary U.S and European folk/americana community as a performer of national stature, and an uncommonly unique guitarist/vocalist about whom Rolling Stone Magazine says: “Haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet here…”A new Malcolm Holcombe CD, For the Mission Baby, is out NOW. Recorded May 2009 in Nashville at Room and Board studios, this CD heralds a return to Malcolm’s folk and country-blues roots. Along with Malcolm’s distinctive vocal and guitar performance, Tim O’Brien (mandolin, mandola, fiddle, bouzouki), Jared Tyler (dobro), David Roe (bass), and Lynn Williams (drums, percussion) round out the ensemble, with Grammy award winner Ray Kennedy (Delbert McClinton, Steve Earle) producing and engineering. For the Mission Baby is comprised of 12 new and previously unrecorded songs, and proudly takes it’s rightful place in the growing legacy of Malcolm’s estimable musical catalog.

Editorial Reviews:
MALCOLM HOLCOMBE “Few singer/songwriters hurl themselves into their music with the physical abandon that Malcolm Holcombe displays on his latest album. Beyond the gravel voice and high-intensity arrangements featuring his guitar, he moans, grunts, groans and smacks his lips, embellishing the brilliant songs of a mercurial spirit.” —Wayne Robins, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Gamblin’ House January 12, 2008

“The Deal: Roughing up John Prine, mountain man style. The Good: Malcolm Holcombe’s voice is like a punch in the face. He sounds like the survivor of a fight between Prine and Tom Waits. There are only five cuts on the North Carolina native’s latest, Wager, but that’s enough. Holcombe is so intense that he packs more into that five-pack than most do in a career. Backed by a skeleton crew of guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin, Holcombe’s theory of songwriting cuts through the crap.” —Grant Britt, CREATIVE LOAFING

…a driving mix of blues, country, folk and Smoky Mountain soul that surrounds you and stays on your skin like woodsmoke. As always, Holcombe leaves the term “singer-songwriter” woefully wanting. —Rick Cornell, THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY

“His rich rough voice rides roughshod over the sophistication and brings out the best in him. [Not Forgotten]…is like a chunk of wood in a pile of plastic.” —David Cowling, AMERICANA UK

This timeless collection of songs would fit just as easily around a 19th century campfire as in today’s alt country scene. —Mare Wakefield, PERFORMING SONGWRITER

It’s that old school blues feel, coupled with poetic images of blue-collar life, that gives Holcombe’s music so much power and has earned him such high praise…writing songs that feel as real as small-town newspaper stories and as timeless as lullabies. —Paul Kingsbury, AMERICAN SONGWRITER

Malcolm Holcombe sings in a gruff and dusty voice harsh with experience. But there’s a wisdom to his delivery, and a brittle beauty to his rootsy tunes, that makes his music a pleasure to listen to. —Jim Farber, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A musical landscape where all themes lead to home…Not Forgotten is glorious in its sublime earthiness. —Paige LaGrone Babcock, PURE MUSIC

The rare songwriter whose lyrics work as poetry as well as they do songs, Holcombe uses words to paint images that are often abstract but always connect on an emotional level. —Jack Silverman, NASHVILLE SCENE

Malcolm Holcombe, For the Mission Baby on CD