Browsing Tag

Fingerpicked Guitars

Explore the world on Iago Banet’s fretboard in his seminal composition, Iago’s Guitar

Iago Banet orchestrated the antithesis of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with the vivacious vibrance in ‘Iago’s Guitar’, taken from his critically acclaimed album, TRES. The musical piece is a journey through Banet’s extraordinary skill, creativity, and mind-bending rhythmic command which remains captivatingly authentic as a constant. Each strum and pluck of the acoustic guitar strings resonates with intention and artistry.

There’s a cheeky, spirited nature to Banet’s acoustic composition skills that subvert all expectations. Rather than solely melody-making, he’s weaving stories which allow you to travel around the world on his fretboard which explores a smorgasbord of cultural styles. Iago’s Guitar is just one of the testaments to Banet’s ability to blend gypsy jazz, blues, Americana, country, Dixieland, swing, pop, and folk into a harmonious and exhilarating experience.

Described by BBC Radio 3’s Sean Rafferty as “a master of the guitar” and as ‘nothing short of phenomenal’ by R’n’R Magazine, Banet’s talent is undeniable. His third album, TRES, has been a sensation, with multiple sell-out shows and sensational receptions across the UK. Iago Banet’s journey, from discovering a classical guitar as a teenager to becoming ‘The Galician King of Acoustic Guitar’, is not just a story of musical proficiency but also of passion and dedication. We can’t wait to see what accolades await him in his destined to be illustrious career.

Stream TRES in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Make your heart at home in Mark Leggett’s Latest LP, Folktown

Folktown by Mark Leggett

After two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for his music scores, orchestrating endless film and television OSTs and collaborating with everyone from Werner Herzog to Jason Lee to Kylie Minogue, the LA composer and guitarist and composer, Mark Leggett played by the rules of his own expression in his acoustic Americana LP, Folktown.

The title single is a score of Americana that is almost impossible to form an objective view of. The emotion he pulls from the fingerpicked notes overwhelms every conceivable sense as you’re drawn into the sonorous intricacies of the loose and rickety yet tightly profound progressions. That contradiction is only the start of the alchemy that awaits you within his latest album.

Words were surplus to requirement when the fretwork painted such an evocative panoramic picture that lets you feel the humbling bitter-sweet breeze of bluegrass from wherever this masterpiece of an album finds you in the world.

Stream and purchase Folktown on Bandcamp and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast