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review by Bill Binkelman Playing on an assortment of guitars (12-string acoustic, electric, bass, E-bow, and a mandolin) as well as drums and percussion (via Loops for Acid), Rich Marcil has recorded an uptempo collection of ten tracks that showcase an ability to blend his assorted strummed and picked strings and drumbeats into cohesive musical statements. Hewing closer to instrumental folk rock or even acoustic prog rock, this album will probably not appeal as much to fans of minimal artists like Will Ackerman or more adult contemporary musicians like Jamie Bonk. In addition, there is a lack of "polish" present, but not in a detrimental way, more in a style where the CD is more informal and personal and less "slick." Some of this may be the album's engineering, which emphasizes the glistening tones of the 12-string acoustic guitar and mandolin, so that their notes sparkle like sunlight off of waves on a lake. Marcil is comfortable and proficient on all his instruments, such as on a song like the title track where he mixes rural mandolin with a heavy bass, fuzzy electric guitar chords, and thundering trap kit drums, yet nothing seems misplaced or inappropriate. I particularly like the way he submerges the electric guitar and uses it more for texture and allows the 12-string and mandolin to share off the lead. While all of the songs are accessible and offer up melodic content and refrains, don't expect an overtly commercial-sounding album. "Persistence of Time" has Marcil doing some intriguing things with his playing technique on the acoustic guitar, as well as throwing some polyrhythmic beats into the song, too. "Ghost Town" has an urgency to its opening before it emerges as a folkish/mildly country-rocker, featuring solid rhythm work on the 12-string and atmospheric swirling electric lines, as well as evocative mandolin picking. There is an unmistakable continuity (some might call it "sameness") running through the album (since there are no keyboards, only the string instruments for melody), but Marcil varies the tempos and moods enough that the music shouldn't get stale any time soon. From the powerful and celebratory "Castles" to the closing ballad-like track "Passage," whatever mode the guitarist is in, his music offer up catchy tunes, toe-tapping rhythms, and a flair for the dramatic side of acoustic instrumental rock. From the Edge is a recording in a subgenre that I don't often get the opportunity to hear. For someone who has done his share of prancing around playing air guitar or pounding the air drums, this CD "felt good" to crank up and indulge in. If you like the sounds of (particularly 12-string acoustic) guitars and drums, I bet you'll have the same reaction I did. |
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