That guitar playing is definitely its own thing - it's more or less three-part counterpoint, and much more rhythmically active than anything I've heard from Carthy.

The only precedent I can think of is late Renaissance and Baroque lute playing - I've heard Jacob Heringman improvise stuff about that complicated. Bakfark and Kapsberger went in for similarly syncopated cross rhythms.

I don't like the vocals very much though. Sounds like he's desperately holding back to avoid expressing any emotion.