Exceptional and unusual, these are
carefully crafted, highly musical,
compositions, like puzzles but deeply
satisfying, performed by their author on
guitar, bass, banjo, harp, marimba,
melodica, piano, accordion, vibraphone and
sampler and a wide range of percussion
(including snare, tablas, ocean drum,
timpani, woodblocks, berimbau, cabasa,
claves, shakers, gong, guiro and flexatone),
economically disposed in a linked
programme masquerading as a radio
broadcast. As the title has it, such skilled,
considered, non-aligned music (it's not
rock, jazz, folk, contemporary) addressing a
more universal notion of musicality, is a
dying art. That this is the work of one
person, instruments and a studio is
impressive in itself, since it sounds like a
group of people interacting, with a quiet
complexity (the percussion parts are
particularly inventive and intriguing). I can
think of nothing quite like it. Anyone waiting
for something a bit different, not loud or
chaotic, something that pays attention to
detail and doesn't repeat itself but is
unequivocally 'musical', will not regret
taking a chance on this. Individually made
and packaged with credits and text, signed