Lindsey Boullt – Composition

Posting/account by Big Dave (Megadave) on 6 February 2008

In the family of the new generation of guitar players, I want a bald guy…

Euh, well yes, there are many, some French, some Americans: the one who I’m

speaking of is not well know in our country but he seems to be admired by a

circle of friends who are well established in this milieu (as the list of the invited

attests to, as we will see in a moment). Lindsey Boullt, that’s his name and even

if it’s instead a girl’s name one shouldn’t expect him to play like a chick.

The album is pretty short: 10 compositions for 40 minutes of music.

What’s amazing, is that an artist of such caliber, obviously known since he tapped

quite a number of folks [?pointures?] around him, brings out a self-produced

album… Given the number of mediocre guitar-heroes produced by certain labels,

maybe Lindsey prefered to manage things by himself.

As often in this type of musical exercise, the influences are disparate:

metal, rock, shred, jazz, fusion… This variety in reinforced by the diversity of

performers, whether in the playing style of one musician or another, or in the

particular sonorities and moods provided by this or that instrument. However, to

see it broadly, it’s possible to formulate two types of trends in this work: a first

that comes of an eastern style (sitar, percussions, violins etc…) and a second

more rock/metal (synthesizers, shred, beating rhythms, fingerboard slides …).

The eastern aspect is nevertheless the most present one throughout the album.

Thus ‘Page Revisited’ mixes Indian sounds and big riffs which alternate

with accoustic arpeggios before giving the biggest part to furious solos sprinkled

with a heavy layer of synthesizer. ‘Chasing the Whirling Dervish’ begins where

the preceding title leaves off. It prolongs the Indian flavor with a rather arabizing

theme with a violin doubled by the guitar. All the instruments combine

Lindsey with a quite dripping [?dégoulinant] riff that reminds one of an intro

worthy of ‘Speed Metal Symphony’ by Cacophany. Although the instrumentation

here is mainly electric, Lindsey all the same breaks the rhythm in the middle of

this piece with a short eastern interruption of two or three sitar notes that

punctuate the piling up of solos.

‘Aurora’s Aura’ plays on an accoustic flavor by putting the violin, in a

melacholy gypsy spirit, in the forefront. Special mention for the lightly arhythmic

drum playing, all with sensitivity. ‘Groovin with Stu’ explores dialogues between

the slapped bass and phrases in the accoustic guitar. The sitar is not in the

distance either. As for ‘Taste the Hate’, it might have been composed by Derek

Shérinian. One recognizes the mark of his keyboards and his unfurling of scales

in a rock/metal manner not forgetting the wafts of Arabic perfume. ‘Farewell’

takes on accents of a ballad, not without recalling certain well-known titles of

another bald guy named Satriani, while ‘Cleopatra’s Third Eye’ closes the album

with a fusion number that sums up pretty well Lindsey’s musical offering.

While it’s a little short, the album contains compositions that are well-

structured and well-made. The arrangements are carefully done and the

accompaniments polished. Multiple influences stand out (Jason Becker, Shawn

different passages.

A very interesting album, with multiple influences, that mixes rock and

metal with numerous eastern moods making use of characteristic instruments

and remarkable guests. It’s sincerely worth listening to!

Translation: Marc Gerstein & Eleanor Linn February 17, 2008