David Michael Boyd – guitART

By Dusty Ray
David Michael Boyd has created a rich and diverse album with guitART. Everything from delta blues, melodramatic classical to free jazz is revealed in this technically impressive cut. Boyd’s guitar work is the showcase, and his talent is blatantly apparent.
Boyd fingerpicks, taps, and strums his way up and down the neck of an assortment of guitars. A 1969 Martin S28S, a Fender Strat and a Breedlove jumbo all sing through Boyd’s fingers throughout the album. Over certain tracks (“Slow Breathing” and “Zeke’s Bones”) Boyd interjects with poetry, adding a contemplative and existential feeling to the tracks.
“Peacock Freakout” stands out. Boyd adds percussion and bass to the mix, creating a dirty blues track that conjures images of weeping willows and slow muddy rivers. This track chugs along and infuses the album with a little more energy, compared to the slower, tamer previous songs. Boyd reveals his ability to weave in and out of genre; “Peacock Freakout” slowly wanes from blues into a samba with natural ease. The phrasing is beautiful, and leads the listener on into the jumbled, almost avant-garde conclusion.
Boyd’s uncanny finger picking ability drives on through “Dance of the Russian Crow”, a complex solo piece where Boyd shreds with a waltz-like classical sensibility. This song best exemplifies Boyd’s sound.
Guitar players take notice; guitART is an experiment in technique and songwriting sure to get anyone interested in the possibilities of the instrument. Boyd has certainly created something worth listening to, no matter your taste.
myspace.com/davidmichaelboyd