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If there were to be a second volume of Wooden Guitar, I'd hope James Blackshaw is at the top of Locust's list. He's amazingly proficient at the acoustic guitar, but beyond that, he's able to convey a wide range of tones and feelings through the frets and pick, just like Basho and Rose on the first installment. "Transient Life in Twilight" is able to calm the room, following the timing of a sunset, starting off slow with much anticipation, then slowly and delicately building to a nimble joyful climax - filled with bold but mellow colors. At the other end of the spectrum, "Spiralling Skeleton Memorial" is a fragile, trembling piece that comes off very somber, like a quieter Twin Peaks soundtrack. While both those tracks follow a slow pace, the title track that closes the album comes off almost as pop music - the harmonium progression giving the song a steady pace and likening the music to L'Altra or a less glowy American Analog Set. The harmonium on this song is great, however I'd really rather Blackshaw focus on the guitar because he's so skilled at it. Perhaps the different instruments add a variety of tone, but Wooden Guitar proved that's not necessary. The fourth song on this album, "The Elk With Jade Eyes," suffers from the extra instrumentation. Blackshaw uses a version of a psaltery (similar to a harpsichord) to plink out a fast melody that's pretty but pseudorandom that dominates much of the song. The use of this instrument hurts the pacing of the music on this song, making it more free form and less structured. Regardless, the album flows together really well and is a great accompaniment to a sunny spring afternoon.

james blackshaw at Amazon & Insound