Wagtail
Isthmus, 2022
8/10
A Tasmanian guitarist who brings us 6 improvised solo pieces, Julius Schwing takes inspiration from a life lived on a remote island, and he even uses the scrapes, plinks and bumps the body of the guitar can make in his song craft.
“Schnitlauch Brot” starts the listen with very complicated but easily accessible finger acrobatics that is full of unpredictable patterns, and “Squint” continues this creativity with clever picking that brings a bit of mystery to the equation.
The middle tracks, “Crumbles after Rain on the Pobblebonk Dam” and “Nap”, are among the best, where the former is a swift and rumbling display of exciting manipulation, and the latter emits breezy melody in its calm beauty.
Moving towards the end, “The Mystery of Growth” could be the most complicated song, which is saying much considering the skill present, and “Heat” exits the listen aglow in a dreamy elegance of warmth.
Schwing has been performing since the age of 13, and he brings that vast experience with him to this truly unique affair, where he nearly carves out a new guitar language of sorts with his art.
Travels well with: Erika Lewis- A Walk Around The Sun; John R. Miller- Depreciated