Entre Ciel Et Terreā€¦

Olivier Giry

OMG Productions, 2008

http://www.myspace.com/oliviergiry

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/16/2009

Maybe it’s my age or the type of music I usually review, but I find that most of the independent music that piles up on my desk is of the singer-songwriter variety. Every once in awhile something stands out above the rest, but for the most part they are somewhat similar.

When I pulled Entre Ciel Et Terre… from its mailer, I was confronted by a man holding a guitar, which almost caused me to throw it onto the general stack awaiting play and review. The enclosed information stated that Olivier Giry had written all the songs, and except for bass and drum on one track each, he accompanied himself only on guitar and percussion, which was an odd combination.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 And so I decided to give it a play.

Olivier Giry is a songwriter, yes, but only a singer on one track. He is a guitarist -- and I have to say one of the more unique and creative acoustic guitarists that I have heard in quite awhile. He uses a method called guitar tapping while picking the strings, which provides the percussive effect mentioned in the album notes. I was so intrigued that I went to YouTube to try and find a visual presentation of his technique. The song “Storm,” which is not on this album, was the best example available. Other than the fascination of the technique, it provides a fuller sound overall than you would expect from one musician.

The title song contains a simple melody that is explored but to which he always returns. Giry is able to pull a perfect tone from his instrument, which creates a hypnotic effect. “Lakota” has a sound that plays back upon itself. As the upper registry reverberates and echoes, it seems like two guitarists were playing. “T42” provides a vehicle to demonstrate some superior individual picking that accentuates each note.

“Shine” is the only track on which Giry provides a vocal, and while he gets by, I guess I have to say why bother? It interrupts the flow of what is basically an instrumental album. When he reverts back to just his guitar you quickly realize that this is safe ground for him.

My only major criticism is that there is a sameness to many of the tracks, and given his style, what can be done about this in the future? Still, Entre Ciel Et Terre… is a pleasurable experience and certainly worth a listen if you are a guitar aficionado.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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