Ode To the Sea is the second album from Slovakian composer/pianist/guitarist Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovič, following his 2017 debut, Ballerina (which I also reviewed). It is important to note that Ballerina is solo piano and Ode To the Sea is solo finger-style acoustic guitar, but I have to say that I love both albums and would find it very difficult to choose a favorite of the two. Oliver describes the beginnings of the very beautiful and relaxing Ode To the Sea:

“It's kind of a conceptual album where all of the compositions are tied to the same theme which is the sea. The whole project started on a summer holiday in Croatia by the shore of the Adriatic Sea where I sat on the beach with my guitar tuned to open Eb major tuning and just played what I felt in the moment…. I finished the piece after I got back home from the holiday and years later I got this idea of making a conceptual album out of it, because there were many more motifs and far more potential to me…. On the album I am using my signature 5-finger tremolo technique - specifically on the track 'Undersea' in one section, but on the entire album I am using my signature 5-finger picking all the way through.”

Ode To the Sea is made up of five acoustic guitar solos that range from 4.5 to 10.5 minutes each. The tempo is relaxed and serene, creating a peaceful atmosphere that is easy to get very pleasantly lost in. The album was recorded it in ARS Studio in Bratislava on Oliver’s Gibson L4-A Electro-acoustic guitar which was mic’ed without using the internal pickup.

Ode To the Sea begins with the title track, creating a vision of the ocean at its calmest and most peaceful. Warm and soothing from the first notes to the last, it’s a beautiful and hypnotic start. “Beyond the Horizon” picks up the tempo a bit, but is still very calming and serene, similar to the feeling of sitting on a beach and wondering what the world is like “beyond the horizon.” The second half of the piece weaves in some new themes that add more variety as well as depth to this lovely piece. Good luck staying awake for “Sea Lullaby” - it is sooooooooo peaceful, gently reassuring that everything will be okay. “Undersea” captures the movement of water at great depths - shimmering and magical as the various sea creatures move slowly and gracefully. The piece is in two movements that are quite different from each other but flow together beautifully. The last track on the album is an extended version of “Ode To the Sea” that clocks in at 10.5 minutes. This version also includes the sound of the ocean in the background, enhancing the hypnotic effect of the music.

Ode To the Sea can be streamed and downloaded on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes, and is also available on many streaming platforms including Spotify, Pandora and YouTube. Highly recommended!