By: Kirk Albrecht
or some, the guitar road leads from the solitary to the ensemble. For
Michael Mucklow, years of playing, learning, and developing as a musician
with other players led him to exploring the instrument on his own terms.
With the release of "The View From Here", his second solo project, Mucklow
plays songs that require the listener to stop and take in each note, each
phrase, each idea. You can tell that these songs come from some place deep
within, extending who Mucklow is and presenting it to us as a sort of
offering we gladly accept. All of the songs are aided by a generous dose of
reverb, which gives Mucklow a richer, fuller sound. The playing is neither
flashy nor overdone, but sometimes almost bare in its approach, and for
these songs, it works well. There are 11 tracks in all. "Phosphor" builds
from a simple fingerpicked melody line to a rhythmic dance accompanied by a
percussion track. "Mysterium" is a dark, haunting piece which wafts over the
listener, drawing you into its slow movement. The early sky seeps into view
on "Color of the Morning". "'The View From Here" ends with the happy
"Convertible", leaving your with a light, refreshed feeling. Michael Mucklow
gives us a warm, solid offering of solo guitar music on this disc, music you
can listen to.
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