Kissing Rosy In the Rain

Mason Lindahl

I have been a fan of Mason Lindahl since around 2010 when I caught wind of his fantastic album Serrated Man Sound. The more I became infatuated with his very unique style of finger-picked guitar playing, the more reclusive and mysterious he seemed to have become. No apparent presence on social media as well as some of his performance/music videos have mysteriously vanished from YouTube. I've often wondered what he was up to and whether he was even still playing guitar. Imagine my surprise one day when I find out that Mason Lindahl had released a brand new record out of the blue; his first record in twelve years. I was elated, especially because the record does not disappoint at all.

The guitar playing is still breathtaking and the production I think has been stepped up from his last record. It is a little more stripped back, focusing on mostly just his guitar but does occasionally feature other supporting instruments like an organ for example. The last record did have a subtly psychedelic quality to it with some of the effects that Lindahl experimented with, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this record. Some moments are so stripped back that you can even hear the floor or chair creaking as he's playing. It feels like you are right there in the room with him half the time. Not only is the production quite bare, but the songs for the most part do sound quite depressing. The word 'desolate' comes to mind when I think of how to describe this record. Now that may not sound appealing but trust me when I say that the agility and power in Lindahl's playing makes for some of the most compelling guitar music you'll ever hear.