Instrumental New Age Reviews; Vin Downes-When The Sea Lets Go

Release Date: January 3, 2017
Label: Riverwide Records

Vin Downes presents his own unique brand of acoustic guitar finger picking on When The Sea Lets Go. If you are guitar fan of any flavor or pace there is something to enjoy on this recording.

In my estimation being a talented musician is a god given gift that needs to be shared. And how lucky are we as music fans to be receiving that gift every day. Well, that is if we choose to accept it daily. I certainly do and being one of the more fortunate souls to have an abundance of it at my disposal, and quite a variety no less.

So, where am I going with this? It is artists like Vin Downes that can illustrate the simplicities and complexities of one acoustic instrument in one track. He does it consistently throughout except for “Dust and Drag” where he is accompanied by the sound of Michael Manring’s bass. You know it is him as soon as you hear it. And then there is “Streets of Sunday” where Tom Eaton joins in on the piano.

It was kismet that Vin ended up having the production team of Ackerman and Eaton on his recording. The first time he heard the finger picking style on Ackerman’s Windham Hill Records Sampler (which I used to discover new artists on all the time), he put down the electric guitar. We all benefited from that decision. After hearing When The Sea Lets Go it is quite likely you will agree.

This is scenic and deeply relaxing music that has a rhythmic flow and tone. It is a solid and consistently strong release that puts the spotlight not only on the creator but the style of guitar playing he presents. Vin Downes is a fine representative of this genre of music and style. He has so much respect from the music community and his peers that will be performing at the 2017 ZMR Music Award Concert in New Orleans on May 13th. This is a well-deserved honor and validation of his talent and presence he now commands in the recording industry.

Listening to When The Sea Lets Go is all the proof you will need however the accolades and honors will most certainly keep coming for an innovative and technically astute musician such as Vin Downes. This album is one example of many that you will hear in the years to come and I am willing to bet they all will be progressively different.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 8, 2017
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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks: 
01. Entwined and Lost
02. Evening in Berkeley
03. Morning Red
04. Dust and Drag
05. Just Before You Go
06. Everything Ahead
07. When the Sea Lets Go
08. Streets of Sunday
09. The Right Words Are Simple
10. All You Left Behind

 

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