Aaron Russell recorded all seven songs on solo debut Red Guitar with the same instrument, amplifier, and tuning. Bearing a folklike fingerpicking style, the ex-Weird Weeds/current Moonsicles guitarist utilizes space, feel, and repetition to flesh out his minimalist compositions. It may seem like not much is happening in “Breathing, Head Turning,” but that’s the point. There’s a pure quality to these pieces, as any excess falls away – no ripping solos, digit-twisting licks, or complicated chord structures. As such, Red Guitar finds the essence of each strum and every note played.
This article appears in April 6 • 2018.
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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.
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