Recent Favorites

Here are some of the records I have been loving recently:

First, Hillsong United may have made their best record yet with Aftermath. This is only the second time that they have done an all studio album and the freedom that affords them has paid off in many wonderful ways. The songs are great, lyrically rich and melodically and texturally beautiful. They have approached the sounds from many new angles and have still been able to have music that at once sounds fresh and classic. Now that is an achievement. I loved this album on the first listen!
Of course, I am a guitar music fan and so here are a few great releases I've been enjoying.
Jeff Beck is a legend and is only getting better with age. This album has some beautiful interpretations of some classic music like Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Nessun Dorma with full and lush accompaniment of a 64 piece orchestra! There are also some great guest appearances - my favorite being Joss Stone singing on a couple of tracks.

Joe Bonamassa has been at this for a while. This is his twelfth album! To be honest, this is the first album of his that I have bought, but I love it. Great blues rock (and some country too). The boy can play and has some tone dripping on this record.
Oh, this boy can play too! Matt Schofield is a british bluesman who obviously has been strongly influenced by Robben Ford - and that can not be a bad thing. Tasty, smokey, bluesy guitar lines all over the place. Very nice.

OK. This one I "discovered" while looking for something else. It's one of those albums you come across every couple of years that really impacts you. This record is absolutely beautiful. I could listen to it over and over for a month. This completely took me by surprise because it is a piano album with some string quartet and a little bit of ambient guitar and that's about it. But the beauty of the notes and the richness of the tones is sublime. Check it out on iTunes.
Enjoy!