Brit guitar hero
Allan Holdsworth
, ex of the
Soft Machine
,
Gong
, U.K., and
Bill Bruford
and
Annette Peacock
's solo projects, has been wildly inconsistent when it comes to his solo projects. Completely bonkers for technology, he's employed every gadget he can get his hands on own records, and has gotten results that range from the near sublime to the kind of dross one usually associates with prog excess. But
Sand
is a different animal, a respite from the relentless kitchen sink approach
Holdsworth
was mired in through much of the late '70s and early '80s. Utilizing a new contraption, the "Synthaxe," a guitar that has the tonal and sonic possibilities of the synthesizer but can be played straight as well, it seems to satisfy the artist's technology jones, and allows him to compose sensitively for the instrument while not forgetting he's a guitarist first. Guitar fans might be a little put off by the sounds and textures of the synthaxe, which allows for a guitarist to subvert its limited range of tones and colors for rounded off keyboard sounds and warm textural aspects. In other words, the traditional sound of the electric guitar -- and, in particular,
's trademark sound -- is nearly absent. In place is a near keyboard sound played in the same way he plays guitar. The six compositions here range from the knotty, mixed tempo, arpeggio-rich title track to the reflective, near pastoral grace of
"Distance Vs. Desire"
to the electronically astute, fast and furious
jazz-rock
fusion of
"Mac Man."
The only time a keyboard actually appears is
Alan Pasqua
's solo in
"Pud Wud,"
where the guitarist wields his traditional instrument and rips free of the constraints of his own composition for some truly fiery pyrotechnics. The rhythm section of bassist
Jimmy Johnson
(a killer electric
jazz
bassist who has also played with
Percy Jones
Brand X
) and drummer
Gary Husband
are more than equal to the task of accompaniment, and, in fact, are creative foils for
, who allows his sidemen plenty of room to shine -- also unlike many of his earlier projects. Is
the mark of a new contentment and refined aesthetic for
? Only time will, but it is safe to say that this is one of his most innovative and texturally beautiful to date. ~ Thom Jurek