Waiting For Today By Victor Towle

 

Waiting For Today

By

Victor Towle

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

In a world that seems permanently caught up in the business of rushing, worrying and searching for answers, Towle offers something rather special: an opportunity to stop, breathe and simply exist within the moment, today 6 years after the release of my first Towle album Colorado Zen comes Waiting For Today, a sublime moment of solo acoustic guitar for any instrumental fan to enjoy, Victor Towle has proved to the world that he is a master instrumentalist and guitarist with absolute ease.

From the very opening piece which is the delightfully empowering title track Waiting For Today, Towle shows his intent, he immediately establishes the album's character. Gentle, melodic and quietly uplifting, it sets the stage for a collection that understands the emotional power of simplicity.

While Coffee In Tangier ushers forth a more reflective nature and perhaps an even more quizzical tone and timbre, with its atmospheric character drawing the listener into an evocative musical landscape. The next opus Trying To Explain is utterly delicious and at times quite meditative in its aspirations. There is a lyrical quality to the guitar here that makes words almost entirely unnecessary and just happens to be one of my favourite expressive tracks off the album, the transition from acoustic to electric is also palpable.

Brisk Golden Walk gifts the listener a swift moment that is so very delightful a beautifully buoyant composition that seems to capture the simple pleasure of stepping outside, feeling the sunshine and reconnecting with the world around you. Whilst All That I Have Left has a sensitive tone and a colourful flourish about its musical nature that should be appreciated by all; we also find that the piece moves into more contemplative territory, carrying a bittersweet emotional undertone that lingers long after the final notes fade.

Mellow Mischief is well named; it’s one of those tracks that you curl up to with a loved one on the sofa and just romantically chill with, a particularly interesting excursion into layered instrumental textures, where acoustic and electric guitar colours combine to create something playful and engaging. It is a reminder that relaxation need not mean musical predictability, but a joint symbiosis of tone and textures.

This next piece would turn out to be my favourite called Lingering in the Long Shadows. Apart from it being a brilliant title, it reminded me greatly of US guitarist Robert Linton in its overall beauty. As does the piece Wandering Home, perhaps the later adding in a little Will Ackerman into the mixture, both tracks capture the imagination entirely. These compositions demonstrate the real strength of Towle's artistic vision. Rather than chasing dramatic climaxes or overwhelming the listener with unnecessary musical flourishes, he allows his melodies to breathe and unfold naturally.

Our concluding narrative is entitled Soft Furnishings. One could call this as an opus of comfort perhaps; its warm refrains are simply the perfect ending you would wish for. It feels like the musical equivalent of arriving home after a long journey, leaving the outside world behind and finding comfort in familiar surroundings.

Waiting For Today by Victor Towle is the perfect album for the modern age, it is a fine example of truly good guitar playing, and it is an intelligent and moving album that deserves its plaudits. Ultimately, Waiting For Today is an album about rediscovering the beauty of the present. It reminds us that happiness doesn't always arrive with grand announcements, that peace can be found in the smallest details, and that sometimes the greatest musical experiences are those that encourage us to slow down and listen, this one is a sure fire hit with ease.