Campbell, Neil: eMErgence

One can never discover enough new music. I have had the pleasure of hearing some fine guitarists lately, each with their own technique and unique style. My latest discovery in the tradition of solo guitar is from Liverpool musician Neil Campbell and his new album titled eMErgence, his sixteenth in total.

The music encompasses jazz, classical, electronic and minimalist styles. Although Campbell's guitar work can be heard all over these tracks, he often employs a subtle and gentle touch although he does choose to rock out a few times. It is this contrast that makes the album so compelling.

The album opening "Morphogenetic Fields" is a jazzy piece with '60s inspired vocals from guest artist Perri Alleyne-Hughes. The bass heavy groove and snappy percussion slows down and dreamy keyboard textures ensue. Campbell delivers some excellent string bending propelling the music into a more fusion/progressive territory.

Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 is referenced in two tracks "MC2" and "E=". The former has a futuristic sound built from electronic elements and walls of keyboards and synths while the latter is more gentle featuring flutterings of classical guitar and generally having a minimalistic approach.

The four part "Private Collection", broken up by the gentle acoustic guitar track "Teilhard de Chardin", is highlighted by the outstanding backing vocals of Alleyne-Hughs and Anne Taft. The style clearly stems from the '60s/'70s and if you can recall the vocalizations in the original Star Trek series intro you will get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Another cool tune is "Fields Within Fields" where electronics, acoustic guitar and synths come together and give us one of the more melodic pieces on the album. The bass playing of Roger Gardiner is exceptional.

Fine musicianship and a diversity in sound makes eMErgence a must listen for anyone appreciative of jazz and electronic music. And the melodies are pretty good too.

Track Listing:
1. Morphogenetic Fields (7:00)
2. MC2 (5:21)
3. Private Collection 1 (4:04)
4. Private Collection 2 (3:10)
5. Teilhard de Chardin (4:18)
6. Private Collection 3 (3:48)
7. Private Collection 4 (4:05)
8. Fields Within Fields (4:54)
9. E= (4:21)

Added: April 26th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1646
Language: english

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