New York-based nylon string guitar instrumentalist Mason Lindahl takes his time over albums and is meticulous in his recordings, which makes the release of this pair of albums, a follow-up to the inimitable Kissing Rosy in the Rain, an exciting event.
For this project, Mason chose to do two recording sessions, one (Joshua) in California and the other (Same Day Walking) in Iceland, with the climate and character of the locations becoming intrinsic to the sound of each record. The compositions and production on Joshua is therefore softer, ‘woolier and warmer’, the notes say, while Same Day is appropriately starker and windier. In a way, it’s a simple device, but one that very effectively presents us two sides and a broader experience of Mason’s unique sound of electrified nylon string guitar, subtle organs and synthesizers.
While both albums have their own style, the focal point throughout is unmistakably Mason’s loose yet complex picking, with tricky chord shapes and progressions and the distinctive sound of the nylon strings providing a different point of interest. Opening Joshua, Joshua Underwater continues in the vein of Kissing Rosy in the Rain, with Mason’s reverby arpeggios caressed in places by soft synths and darker organ notes. What I immediately loved about the recording is hearing both the electronic studio sounds gently washing over the guitar, giving the music a more ethereal sound, and the sounds of Mason’s chair creaking as he leans into his playing. The contrast brings both intimacy and an otherworldly feel to the sound.
Another contrast, then, is Anticipation of the Passed Baton, which opens Same Day Walking. The warm and intimate sounds of the organ opening Joshua are replaced here with a colder, sparer synth sound that cuts through Mason’s playing, with less reverb here, making the notes themselves starker. This difference in sound, while maintaining the clear personality of Mason’s music, immediately brings home his and producers Robby Moncrieff and Sam Slater’s vision of the albums.
Elsewhere, Violence in Repetition highlights Mason’s flamenco leanings, with flowery guitar playing, hammer-ons and fast notes shrouded in a soft haze in places. This eventually gives way to a more jagged style that conjures a spookier electronic sound, emulating the wind across a tundra. It’s really something and, when compared to a piece like To Each his Own Remark on Joshua, dramatically different in mood to the California sound. Here, the playing is brighter, with an ease in the approach that is in keeping with the studio sounds. Indeed, the light beams of synth at the halfway point that Mason mirrors are quietly euphoric.
I loved and still love Kissing Rosy in the Rain and have often wondered what Mason would do to follow it up. The concept behind this project is simple yet inspired. The sound that Mason has developed over time (there were certainly signs of it on his 2009 album, Serrated Man Sound) is the lifeblood of this double album, with the studio embellishments throwing up points of difference and interest throughout. This is outstanding guitar music.
Joshua / Same Day Walking (September 24th, 2025) Mt. Brings Death