The unknighted Sir Richard Bishop is a folk guitar virtuoso whose solo work after Sun City Girls has spanned a broad range of worldwide influences. His keen ear for harmony provides even his most repetitive motifs with colorful complexity. On this record, the almost entirely unaccompanied Bishop delves into a blend of Indian raga, Saharan music, American folk, and even jazz, with a humble yet vibrant approach, prompting comparisons as diverse as Chet Atkins, Jack Rose, David Gilmour, Steve Gunn, and Omar Khorshid. Most tracks are beautiful; those that aren’t are fascinating nonetheless.
33rpm

A1. Bright and energetic Arabic-flavored tune, deep and hypnotic ostinatos
A2. A drifting electric haze of vaguely raga-esque half melodies wandering around, aimless but entrancing
A3. A joyful and bombastic Saharan jam, definitely sounds like an oud + some Berber percussion
A4. Epic acoustic raga contemplation, pure meditation bliss… if Steve Gunn wrote a lullaby, it might sound like this.

B1. Cheesy, old timey bluesy jazz romp, total Chet Atkins / Les Paul worship with a rich, surf-like electric tone
B2. Haunting electric meditations, sparse and melancholy. David Gilmour suffering from altitude sickness in a Tibetan monastery.
B3. Gentle, dreamy ballad. Delicate, bittersweet arpeggios stumbling in a somnambulant haze.
B4. Frantic, cluttered dissonance—totally incoherent sliding up and down the frets.
B5. Shimmering raga textures—some exotic scales over sparse, droning bliss