James Blackshaw - All Is Falling

(Young God)

This latest from London’s guitar virtuoso sees our 12-string acoustic hero go electric. But while the gorgeous resonance of Blackshaw’s acoustic tone is missed, the toothier tone of the electric 12-string suits this material well. There’s a courtly Renaissance quality to his latest melodies, suggesting the influence of lutist and recent collaborator Jozef van Wissem.

Blackshaw’s orchestral arrangements have been a little fussy in the past, but here the elegent string patterns have been roughed up with a touch of fuzz and some well-timed percussive thumps. The closing drone piece is beautifully immersive, a warm shimmer of controlled feedback, saxophone and violin.