Julien Lacharme Project: Out Of Bounds

For an artist to make his guitar sing in so many varied ways as Frenchman Julien Lacharme does on Out Of Bounds is impressive, that the album in question is his debut is bordering on ridiculous. I can't pretend that guitar instrumental albums are for everyone but for those open minded enough to let the instrument that makes the best music take the lead in the way a singer usually would, then there's simply no denying that this is a six-stringer you need to take notice of.

The slower moments on this album reveal a touch and tone reminiscent of Satch himself and the ability to take that skill and craft it into atmospheric outbursts is ably demonstrated on the likes of "If You Want", which is utterly beautiful. However where Lacharme really comes into his own is when he opts for a different, or in fact many different approaches. "Talk With The Devil" funks with the best of them, Ben Lecomte slapping his bass into submission, while a classy brass section adds generous splashes of colour. "No One Is There" repeats the trick, brass sounds laying a foundation off which fret flurries bounce and cavort madly, the bass again galloping along impressively. Drums are handled by Seb Rambaud, his dexterous sticksmithery dazzling, while never dominating; a precise style adding to the Bluesy Jazz edge this track reveals. Elsewhere "Could You Help Me" is an electro enhanced burst of laid back beats, synthesized voices and playful, tasteful guitars, "Thank You Steve" thumps confidently, yet melodically via fluid fret work and bursts of notes that paint pictures rather than dazzle the mind. The fact that both of these songs ably demonstrate the skill of the musicians involved, without the need for speed, or flash also displays the song writing prowess involved. The closing "Silver Storm" reinforcing this ideal, even if the end results are a little more boisterous and forceful in places.

Out Of Bounds finds a guitarist unveiling his wares and doing so in a way much more mature than any debut, especially in this genre, has the right to be. "Shred" may be a dirty word these days but the very fact that new talents like Julien Lacharme are engagingly illustrating that guitar instrumental albums can be equally rewarding, if not more so, than the "how many notes a minute" brigade would have you believe, shows that the future for this genre may actually be brighter now than ever before.

Track Listing
1. Out Of Bounds
2. Talk With The Devil
3. If You Want
4. No One Is There
5. Could You Help Me
6. Thank You Steve
7. Monster's Party
8. Never Stop
9. New Life
10. Silver Storm

Added: January 6th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Julien Lacharme at Grooveyard Records
Hits: 4298
Language: english

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