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Steve Dawson, ‘Hale Road Revelation’

Jun 5, 2018

Steve Dawson, 'Hale Road Revelation'

Solo acoustic guitar is classic and captivating. Thereā€™s a balance to be struck by the guitarist, a wisdom that informs a picker that to make instrumental acoustic guitar as engaging as it can be, a less-is-more approach is often the best strategy. For audiences that arenā€™t entirely comprised of six-string aficionados, a tune written for the guitaristā€™s own enjoyment might swiftly sail over the heads of all but the most learned listeners. It follows, then, that the most masterful artisans of solo, unencumbered flat-top box reel in their audiences with the down-to-earth, simple beauty of the instrument.

Juno Award-winning musician and producer Steve Dawson demonstrates his familiarity with this balancing act on ā€œHale Road Revelation,ā€ a tune that simultaneously conjures Chet Atkins and the Delta on his forthcoming album, Lucky Hand. Like most virtuosic instrumental music — especially of contemporary, vernacular-adjacent, folky varieties — ā€œHale Road Revelationā€ has a linear trajectory, not worrying itself with circling back to cover ground itā€™s already explored. This is no A part/B part tune, but rather, when Dawson does reference a melodic hook or theme that youā€™ve already heard go by, he teases listenersā€™ ears with slight deviations and derivations. His playfulness, and deft combination of finger picking with bottleneck, never toes or even attempts to cross the line into esotericism or self-absorption. ā€œHale Road Revelationā€ itself is its own driving force, another indicator that not only could Dawson balance interesting ideas and accessibility, but heā€™s also motivated chiefly by giving the tune the effort, energy, and care it deserves — without an inkling of heavy-handedness.

 

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Steve Dawson, 'Hale Road Revelation'
Steve Dawson, 'Hale Road Revelation'