CD REVIEW

Pablo Mentessi's new CD for Evolve Records, "Fragile Secret" has guitar triumph stamped all over it. But not in a flashy, overpowering, check-my-chops kind of way. It is in fact an intimate tableau of original acoustic guitar compositions that move serenely from piece to piece like clouds on a Summer's day.

Mentessi is undoubtedly a technical master of the nylon strings, but, as with all great artists, the technique is servant to an effortless and flowing lyrical beauty. This feel permeates all nine nigh perfect tracks on the album that has a total running time of 52.10. The music on "Fragile Secret" has a haunting and ethereal quality. These subtle tone poems live in the memory long after the last bar has faded.

"Fragile Secret" is high class chill out music that, when listened to correctly, has a kind of healing and soothing quality to it. Balm for the ears, salve for the soul. Furthermore it demands to be listened to on a good system to catch all its exquisite nuances, to hear the wood and the ballet of the fingers dancing over the fretboard.

Pieces like "Remembrance" (11.27) and "Hope" (11.23) showcase Mentessi's highly developed compositional skills. It is difficult to sustain the listener through long pieces without descending into monotony and repetition. But Mentessi's tunes endure with great poise, an appropriate interplay between light and shade, and beautiful melody throughout.

There is an admirably restrained quality to Mentessi's playing that lets the pieces breathe and evolve into a satisfying harmonic and melodic whole. "Remembrance", the first track uses surprisingly long tacits in its opening bars that force you to pay attention to... silence waiting to unfold and release the music.

Mentessi's fingerstyle is contemporary, classical at its roots, yet blended and spiced delicately with subtle influences. Actually it is pointless to try and categorise "Fragile Secret". Just relax, listen and let this beautiful guitar music wash over and seep into you. In a perfect world, "Fragile Secret" should not remain a secret to fans of acoustic music.