Looking Glass
Elastic/Occdav, 2026
9/10
The Canadian guitarist and composer David Occhipinti has been making music since 1997, and this unclassifiable effort puts him in some excellent company for 11 songs that focus on strings and guitar, but reel in some additional help, too.
“Six Bagatelles” starts the listen with Occhipinti’s radiant guitar alongside the alternating soft and tense strings, where Aline Homzy’s strategic violin is quite luminous across the 6 chapters, and “The Frumious Bandersnatch” follows with 13+ minutes of unpredictable behavior that spans dreamy moments, cinematic bouts and even eerie gestures.
In the middle, “Sonyshnyky (Sunflowers)” recruits Beverley Johnston’s rich vibraphone for the cautious and lush climate, while “Sotto le Stelle” enlists Alex Hetherington’s stunning mezzo-soprano that complements Steven Dann’s precise viola.
Even later, “Who’s Your Dada?” benefits from Charlotte Mundy’s playful soprano that complements the meticulous string interaction, and “You Stepped Out” exits with Hetherington’s pipes making an impression alongside the ambience and Maria Zachariadou’s strategic cello.
A record that spans many different emotions and ideas, Occhipinti touches on chamber, classical, jazz and avant-garde traces via his unconventional vision that is as exciting as ever.
Travels well with: Stranger Still- We Might Not Tell Everybody This; Ensemble Infini- Volume