Emboldened by a lifetime of practicing his craft and a lengthy collection of original work to show for it, English-born classically trained guitarist Martin Lloyd Howard has relentlessly pursued excellence in every fascist of his creative process. His latest composition, rapids, proves itself as a marquee standout in the artist’s robust repertoire, as it reflects the deep and pensive nature of Howard’s creations from start to finish. Originally conceived as a part of an exercise to strengthen his left hand fretboard work, the tune quickly began to take on a life of its own as the melody invoked strong imagery in the artist’s mind of a rushing river, pooling into a smoother flow.
The piece begins as the artist quickly plucks with great authority and tonal variance within the individual notes, creating a sense of suspense and intrigue between the introductory stanzas. With every passing verse, we are drawn deeper and deeper into the intricacies of the work, curious as to the variations in the pattern, while still being simultaneously relaxed by the comforting vibrance of the composition that motivates its direction.
Threading the needle between dark and ominous while still remaining meditative and peaceful, the track’s merit is anchored in the strong tonality of its composition, as well as the vivid feelings it proves to foster in the minds of the listener. Having accomplished so much with this latest release, fans can only wait with anticipation to see what could possibly be coming next from this artist’s mind and studio.
Written by Nick Gumas
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