Have you ever listened to music and just felt it was soothing and took you away?  Music that gently tugs at you to drift along…music that you wish to immerse yourself in washes of acoustic harmony and finger picking goodness?  Now you will have that chance.  Two young solo artists from Kansas have combined to release a collection of instrumental acoustic journeys on “Guitar Duets” to carry us away.

Whatever you do, don’t think “dueling guitars” in a traditional sense – there is no “lead” or “front man” to the duo who is competing against someone/something.  You also won’t get the impression you are at bad dinner theater a la “Dueling Pianos”, no not at all.  You, in fact are witness to “duet” in all senses of the word; a combination of two entities, both moving in unison to create a blended but whole and complete sound.  While I am not currently familiar with Watson’s solo efforts, I know that Swearengin’s solo works also come highly recommended from yours truly.  I feel Swearengin’s slowcore/gaze leanings can be felt on the recordings and I now feel compelled to dig into Watson’s back catalog all of a sudden…

I am a also big proponent of listening to music with headphones – I find that you can better hear more than just the forefront of the music.  This may sound odd and you may not know of what I speak upon first listen.  I especially find this with the acoustic presentation from Watson & Swearengin, as sometimes it is the delicate string arrangements or that last little finger pick on the fretboard during a fade out that makes all the difference.  I am not saying we are looking at classical and overly intricate guitar work that requires headphones, but it is nice to feel embraced by this album.  So basically, get good headphones and dive in, you will not regret it.

A bit of description from the Orchid Collective site:

…simplicity is not necessarily what holds these quip songs together. They are made by musicians who can craft and craft while playing off each other. It’s impressive the way their melodies can hold one another through various gaits- some, slow and somber, others amble and proper. It’s a mosaic of guitar lines strung together as lavished and pastoral dialogue.

The album hit the proverbial shelves on Tuesday, February 17th and was released by Orchid Collective (home to Twin Cats, another Slowcoustic favourite).  With the release we also have a trend I am starting to appreciate – the “pay what you like” form of payment.  It is considered a “donation” via Paypal that will get you a copy of the album in either CD or digital versions.  It goes without saying that if you so choose to donate, please choose responsibly (you also get bonus tracks for a donation exceeding $5.00, so heads up).

Once you head over to Orchid Collective or the respective MySpace pages linked below, you will also notice the song titles of the album, or lack there of.  I am not sure if there is purpose in “numbering” the songs or if they even need to be listened to in a specific order.  This can make a track a bit easier to remember, but may make it harder to relate to it at the same time.  Some may also find the songs on the short side, with the longest track being just over 3 minutes and is actually the only track to surpass the 3 minute mark – at times I feel like I just need another minute, but you usually want good things to last, don’t you?

Take a swing by Orchid Collective to listen to all tracks and pick up a copy.
Visit Doby Watson and A.P. Swearengin on MySpace.

~Smansmith