Release Date: October 6, 2023
Label:
Sacred
Love Music
Shambhu Commented: These are short songs
recorded over a weekend that embody heart and hope, songs we can turn to for
calm and focus when needed.
Based on his words, you count on a beautiful and relaxing
listen. My experience over the years has always been pleasing to the senses,
which is what I would have expected from this new release.
“Lumina” starts the recording off, and it’s very serene and
rhythmic with the acoustic guitar. I wondered what would happen next since that
is the featured instrument throughout this recording.
“Lazy Afternoon” is very descriptive as the artist pauses
between notes and continues gracefully and elegantly. His playing is fluid and
purposeful by design.
“Shades of Light” has some fast picking on the outskirts of
flamenco at times. His shades vary within the track; it has a pleasant feeling
of comfort and happiness.
“Pathway” has a very soft keyboard for the guitar’s notes to
float on. It creates a pleasurable ambiance.
“Sunscape” sounds like the brightness and energy of the sun,
mainly when it is coming up in the morning while the morning dew awaits its
rays to dry out the grass and flowers. Being one of the longer tracks makes it
even more eventful.
“Inner Light” is something we all have. And at times, we need
some help to make it shine through the complexities of the day. It invites you
in and lets it happen with a smile.
A “Winding Road” can be extended; by coincidence, this is the
longest track at 4:33. Some very soft keys come in for background support. His
playing is excellent, with depth, rhythm, and precision. It is picturesque,
with the strumming and picking intersecting. It does create the road winding in
your mind’s eye.
“Afternoon Rye” follows the previous track well, with the
different layers of the acoustic guitar providing the listener with some depth
and intricacies that he knows how to present so well. Then it fades away nicely
to introduce the next track.
“Love Garden” is the first time I could hear Shambhu’s fingers
sliding on the strings. How he managed not to do that now is beyond my
comprehension. Again, the multiple layers sound like two or three people are
playing, which is done during production. However, the artist creates a lot of
imagery and sound with just one acoustic guitar.
“Angel Blue” closes out the recording nicely. The easygoing
nature of the instrumentation holds. His playing is inviting, and the mix is
perfect on the closer and throughout this entire album.
What I find remarkable is that Shambhu cut this recording over a weekend. It is a difficult task to have an acoustic guitar and some sprinkling of keyboards over ten tracks and keep your audience interested. He does so with flying colors again, and I sincerely appreciate his talents and commitment to offering us time to relax and enjoy the peaceful sounds coming from his six strings.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder
September 23, 2023
Tracks:
01.Lumina 2:35
02. Lazy Afternoon 2:56
03. Shades of Light 2:38
04. Pathway 2:38
05. Sunscape 3:52
06. Inner Light 3:01
07. Winding Road 4:33
08. Afternoon Rye 3:15
09. Love Garden 3:45
10. Angel Blue 3:48