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Album Review: Nightbound
David Lindsay
Cover image of the album Nightbound by David Lindsay
Nightbound
David Lindsay
2015 / Fallingfoot Records
52 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
After a fifteen-year hiatus, guitarist David Lindsay actively returns to the music scene with his new instrumental album, Nightbound. Produced by Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton and recorded at Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studio in Vermont, the album features three acoustic guitar solos and ten ensemble pieces with several of the exceptional artists from Ackerman’s studio. All thirteen pieces are very quiet and soothing, providing a little under an hour of respite from the hectic pace of life - all is calm and peaceful there. As is true of all of Ackerman’s and Eaton’s productions, the sound quality of this album is impeccable - warm, clear, clean, and very smooth. Most of the music on the album was created spontaneously during the recording process. It’s a very beautiful project and should bring Lindsay an enthusiastic new audience! It is interesting to note that from 1985-2000, David Lindsay recorded and performed in concert, live radio, and television in Canada. For the past fifteen years, he practiced law and studied lute before journeying back to the guitar.

Nightbound opens with “Bright Stars,” a gentle guitar solo that expresses peaceful contentment - a lovely beginning! “Dreamwalk” is a trio for guitar, English horn (Jill Haley), and fretless bass (Michael Manring) - again, very soothing and calming. As quiet and tranquil as a summer daydream, “A Boy And a River” makes very effective use of the spaces between the notes as well as the sounds of the notes themselves. The title track is much more orchestrated with Charlie Bisharat (violin), Eugene Friesen (cello), Noah Wilding (voice), Jeff Haynes (percussion), and Tom Eaton (piano and bass) joining Lindsay after an extended solo guitar prelude. Somewhat more energetic than the previous tracks, this piece is still understated and peaceful. “Ila’s Lullaby” is a tender trio for two guitars (Ackerman and Lindsay) and piano (Eaton). Lucky is the child (of any age) who is gently lulled into Dreamland with this music! “Unspoken” is a favorite. The first section is very introspective solo guitar; Jill Haley returns in the second section with her English horn, making the melody even more haunting. In the third section, the tempo changes and the piece becomes more rhythmic and soulful as percussion, violin, cello, bass (Paul Kochanski), and Wilding’s voice are added - love it! “Nocturne” is another favorite. Guitar, cello, percussion, voice, bass, and keyboards (Eaton) give this dark beauty a poignant sense of mystery - haunting! The album closes with an ensemble version of the opening “Bright Stars,” adding English horn, cello, voice, and bass (Eaton) and ending just as beautifully as it began!

A very warm “welcome back” to David Lindsay! I hope this is just the (new) beginning! Nightbound is available from Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby. Recommended!
December 30, 2015
This review has been tagged as:
Guitar music
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