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By PAUL ZOLLO
 eff Gold is a powerfully poetic songwriter, a seasoned and fluid guitarist, and a wonderfully resonant singer. He writes sometimes somber, often exultant contemporary-folk songs about the progression of love, the passing of time and other shared aspects of being human. The Journey is his second album, a rich collection of pensive journeys through the peopled pathways of post-modern times. At once colloquial and eloquent, his lyrics employ conversational language to great effect; poignant songs of genuine ardor abound, such as "Open Your Heart (for Holly)," which has a lovely, lilting melody, and "Melanie's Song," a sweet ode to his eldest daughter. An accomplished producer, Gold etches a subtle soundscape that impeccably frames his gentle baritone. The Journey is replete with delightful, delicate instrumental ingredients, such as Gold's fine acoustic counterpoint of finger-picked guitars on "Taking My Time Going Home," Lynn Angebrannt's plaintive cello punctuation on "Leaves Are Falling," and Gold's own clarinet flourishes on the jaunty "Come Back Again To Here." A rousing rendition of one of Gold's most evocative songs, "Three Strangers," closes the album - recorded at New York's famed Folk City (where Gold both used to perform and do sound), it's delivered in three-part harmony with the rootsy, robust dynamism of a modern-day Weavers. The result is a song that resounds with an earthy elegance, and like much of his work, lingers for a long time after the music is over.
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