TIP OF THE TONGUE 18 OCTOBER 2009
Mark McGuire
VDSQ Solo Acoustic
Vin Du Select Qualitite No Cat
LP
OUT OF STOCK!
Edition of 500 copies solo album from Mark McGuire of Emeralds, the second volume of the Steve Lownethal (Swingset) curated VDSQ Solo Acoustic series. This one presents five solo acoustic dreamworks from McGuire that expand on previous works – “Burning Leaves” references the phased polyrhythmic loop work of Amethyst Waves, “At First Sight” rescores the electric/vocal version from Carefully Choosing Words – while pushing off into a bunch of luminous new directions. Some of McGuire’s playing here is so basement-psych focussed that it almost sounds like Wayne Rogers of Major Stars et al cutting a solo kosmische bomb. But the presiding influence would seem to be Daniel Fichelscher of Popol Vuh, that same lightness of touch and that same ability to intimate otherworldly ascensions using only clean, overlapping strings. McGuire is a master of the poignantly staggered loop and most of the material here unwinds in heavenly cogs of multi-part guitar constructs, with melodic statements exploded in slow wheels of harmonics and endless motorik rhythms generated from flashes of repeat chords. There’s a clarity to the album that gives a great insight into the mechanics of McGuire’s personal universe and an ornate purity to the sonics that is as striking and complex as any mid-period Popol Vuh LP. And when he sets up one of those endlessly pulsing bleeding-straight-into-the future acid jams that sound like walls of keyboards using nothing but a series of acoustic loops, well, it’s pretty staggering. A major release from Mark. Silkscreened sleeves. Highly recommended.
