by Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder
Shambhu’s Acoustic Oasis is produced, composed, arranged, and performed by Shambhu on acoustic guitars, bass, and keyboard. Mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos sound, it will be a treat for the ears.
Shambhu Commented: These are short songs recorded over a weekend that embody heart and hope, songs we can turn to for calm and focus when needed. Based on his words, you count on a beautiful and relaxing listen. My experience over the years has always been pleasing to the senses, which is what I would have expected from this new release.
“Lumina” starts the recording off, and it’s very serene and rhythmic with the acoustic guitar. I wondered what would happen next since that is the featured instrument throughout this recording.
“Lazy Afternoon” is very descriptive as the artist pauses between notes and continues gracefully and elegantly. His playing is fluid and purposeful by design.
“Shades of Light” has some fast picking on the outskirts of flamenco at times. His shades vary within the track; it has a pleasant feeling of comfort and happiness.
“Pathway” has a very soft keyboard for the guitar’s notes to float on. It creates a pleasurable ambiance.
“Sunscape” sounds like the brightness and energy of the sun, mainly when it is coming up in the morning while the morning dew awaits its rays to dry out the grass and flowers. Being one of the longer tracks makes it even more eventful.
“Inner Light” is something we all have. And at times, we need some help to make it shine through the complexities of the day. It invites you in and lets it happen with a smile.
A “Winding Road” can be extended; by coincidence, this is the longest track at 4:33. Some very soft keys come in for background support. His playing is excellent, with depth, rhythm, and precision. It is picturesque, with the strumming and picking intersecting. It does create the road winding in your mind’s eye.
“Afternoon Rye” follows the previous track well, with the different layers of the acoustic guitar providing the listener with some depth and intricacies that he knows how to present so well. Then it fades away nicely to introduce the next track.
“Love Garden” is the first time I could hear Shambhu’s fingers sliding on the strings. How he managed not to do that now is beyond my comprehension. Again, the multiple layers sound like two or three people are playing, which is done during production. However, the artist creates a lot of imagery and sound with just one acoustic guitar.
“Angel Blue” closes out the recording nicely. The easygoing nature of the instrumentation holds. His playing is inviting, and the mix is perfect on the closer and throughout this entire album.
What I find remarkable is that Shambhu cut this recording over a weekend. It is a difficult task to have an acoustic guitar and some sprinkling of keyboards over ten tracks and keep your audience interested. He does so with flying colors again, and I sincerely appreciate his talents and commitment to offering us time to relax and enjoy the peaceful sounds coming from his six strings.
~Keith Hannaleck, New Age Music Reviews
Tracks:
01.Lumina 2:35
02. Lazy Afternoon 2:56
03. Shades of Light 2:38
04. Pathway 2:38
05. Sunscape 3:52
06. Inner Light 3:01
07. Winding Road 4:33
08. Afternoon Rye 3:15
09. Love Garden 3:45
10. Angel Blue 3:48
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