Pop Styles - Guitar Lounge

www.kindle project cd Eos Guitar Quartet

https://open.spotify.com/album/1VxyP5RVcN8OfOnGoo4WHp?si=6Ux2qB63THW4-UyTz38-Eg

This is from the Pop Styles series, though this is the only member of that series in the pile of review books currently perched precariously on top of everything else that's on my desk.
There are guidelines on producing the two percussive sounds, and the directive for player one to use a bottleneck will only be a surprise the first time it looms into view. Player four might curse tuning the bottom string down to C for a while longer, but there is adequate fingering to keep him focussed on what's where and there aren't too many fingered notes down there. The bass line has a very laid-back. almost bossa-style rhythm, and the ability to «let go« and play the phrasing, rather than count the beats is essential. The opening sees player two lazily playing with the left hand only before the introduction gathers a little more sense of determination. Guitar One, with bottle neck, then comes in. Although there is quite of a lot of movement, it's more of a shimmering effect than one of forward motion. And because guitar one isn't open-tuned, such chords as come from the slide are minor, which itself adds a pleasing trick to the soundscape. The bottleneck disappears and a rhythmic motif replaces it, but it's still laid-back, hypnotic almost. That isn't to say that the music proceeds at a monotone - there are extensive dynamic variations before the piece returns to a reprise with the bottleneck again. Overall standard? Curiously, it's the bass player who has the toughest line, at least rhythmically and with the non-standard tuning. but once rehearsed and solid, it's probably Grade 6-7. And the other lines are probably Grade 5-6.
It's undoubtedly an interesting and diverting piece for an intermediate ensemble to try.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)