by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media [album released August 14, 2022]
I've been a fan of instrumental guitar-based music since the 80s.
Guitar Player Magazine Hall of Fame member
Steve Howe (of
Yes) is one of my faves. He has an extensive discography of such pioneering guitar-based albums dating back to 1975. The one and only missing thing I pined for from Howe's works were more modern guitar distortion tones.
Enter Capermote (a tasteful solo project of Tom Pearce) and his 2022 EP release Echo Chamber Puppeteers. As this album unfolded before my ears, I felt flashbacks to my favourite Steve Howe instrumentals as if they were being transformed into contemporary creations.
I'm not comparing Tom Pearce to Steve Howe as a guitar player per se, as much as comparing the 'complete package': a lovely balance between being a player that doesn't play fast just for fast's sake, and is also a serious and creative song composer.
Despite the EPs limited size compared to a full LP release, it's surprising how far and wide the landscape of sound varies. Pearce enlisted the help of guitarist James Ivanyi to co-produce Puppeteers, and clearly they work well together. The 3 songs of this EP are focussed yet spacious, and the vision is solid.
Pearce's compositions deliver subtle tensions, glancing beauty, and sweeping hugeness with plenty of tasteful synth awesomeness and tight drum production. With his guitar being the main featured 'voice' on the album, he has plenty to say, and it's melodic, expressive, clear and confident. There's a conservative amount of shredding (of course!), but it's all song-driven. His guitar-ego, if he has one, is kept in check. There are multitracked tasteful guitar backing parts as well- string pinching cleans, airily picked reverberating cascades, octave pedal use, and toying with some odd time signatures.
It would be cool to hear Pearce pull out the acoustic guitar here and there, as Howe is known to do. Or maybe on future releases he would dare re-employ his old violin which he played when he was younger- to broaden the palette of sonic colours even more.
I immediately hit 'repeat' at the conclusion of every listen to Echo Chamber Puppeteers, and look forward to hearing more from this Adelaide-based Australian guitarist.
The Prog dog score is 4.5 / 5 . Take note of Capermote...Tom Pearce knows how to strike beauty and tone both as a composer and a guitarist.
I interviewed Tom recently on a Prog Chat linked HERE
https://capermote.bandcamp.com/album/echo-chamber-puppeteers
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