Julian Lage Explores Fertile Ground on Solo ‘gardens’ [stream]

Julian Lage – Gardens SoundCloud

Julian Lage’s critical recognition far outpaces his fame. Until this record, The Grammy- and Oscar-nominated guitarist has always collaborated, recently with such diverse artists as Nels Cline of Wilco, the emergent vocal talent Margaret Glaspy (as Rude Ruth) and also with Chris Eldridge of The Punch Brothers. From the opening seconds of “Gardens” off his new solo effort World’s Fair, though, his talent is immediately evident. With the many recent stylistic shifts in music, sheer instrumental virtuosity has come to occupy a narrowing share of the spotlight, but here, Lage clearly exhibits its value. His dynamic control allows the listener’s focus to remain on the fruits of his unerring hummingbird-like fingerpicking, while he gradually builds tension across the first three minutes. All the while, his playing remains loose and entirely under control. Be sure to get a copy of World’s Fair when it’s available on February 2.