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review by Bill Binkelman As someone who loves acoustic guitar instrumental music, when I received the new release from duology (the guitar duo of Joseph Brunelle and Barry Coggins), the marketing phrase for a brand of gum entered my head, "Double your pleasure, double your fun..." That's what like water falls does for me. It yields double the enjoyment since I heard not one but two excellent artists spinning out tunes that cover moods both uptempo and cheery and evocative and serene. Brunelle and Coggins display an almost uncanny sense of musical sympatico as they each wend their way in and out of each other's lead and rhythm lines with a grace, wit and charm which is positively endearing from the first playing and only grows over time. The overall vibe of like water falls is rural Americana, not in the way that the pieces sound like a certain type of music, but more that the feel and nature of the music evokes two-lane backroads, small towns, mountain trails, lazy rivers, and other characteristics of the vast countryside in America. The music itself borrows from the folk tradition with other influences here and there, such as a smattering of Appalachian, delta blues, and maybe a little bluegrass. However, these genre-classifications do not do justice to the fluid sense of the music nor the hybrid nature of the ten tracks on the album. The most natural association to another artist, to my ears at least, is to Ken Bonfield who also manages to blur the boundary lines a bit. Both he and Duology come up with an accessible style of acoustic guitar music that is engaging, warm, and friendly, yet never too much so that it becomes trite or insincere. Singling out tracks for special mention is an academic exercise, since the entire recording is excellent. However, so as to give you a feel for the CD's diversity, I'll mention a few. "charades" opens the album with its relaxed pace as the two artists exchange leads in a piece that unwinds leisurely. "eazy" has a more jaunty feel, albeit subdued due to how quietly the two artists play their instruments (even though their fingerwork is dexterous) and the notes sparkle like dew on the morning grass. "drop the other shoe" is a whimsical good-time tune with a natural bounce to it as well as an even more pronounced "country" feel to the melody itself. The title track hews closer to the quieter side of a style similar to the late Michael Hedges or Rob Eberhard Young. Here, the music contains some dramatic tension and force, although the softer method of playing by both musicians is still employed so that the song doesn't upset the mood created by the other more laid back cuts on the album. The tender ballad "as you wish" almost feels like a lullaby as the gentle dual lead lines delicately circle each other in soft smooth melodic grace. The album concludes with "sunday driver," the longest track (5:23) on the CD, an impressionistic tone poem that traverse several tempos and moods as it winds its way in the same fashion that a rural two-lane blacktop may pass through farmland, forest, and prairie all within the same ribbon of road (at least in my native state of Wisconsin this can happen). Higher energy stretches meld into sprightly yet subdued ones and those become more introspective and slower before emerging in a relaxed yet lively fashion. When one realizes that these songs were all performed live in the studio with no overdubs, the true mastery exhibited by Brunelle and Coggins becomes self-evident. These are two musicians are not just expert craftsmen, but also musical poets with integrity, passion and heart. like water falls is literally essential, nay required, listening (and purchasing, of course) for anyone who considers him or herself a fan of acoustic guitar music. I doubt you will hear a more enchanting or friendlier recording this year. These guys deliver the goods in high style. Be sure you place this in your car CD player when you head out for the open road. My highest recommendation. |
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