Rain Shadow by Spencer Elliott: Review
Acclaimed instrumental progressive rock guitarist Spencer Elliott released his third studio album SE3 on April 8 this year and the fifth track of the album Rain Shadows is a perfect storm of melodies.
Accompanied by Sean Sydnor on bass and Chris Hudson on drums like the rest of the album, the song is as technical as it is melodious. The masterful blend of various techniques to produce different sounds and atmosphere throughout the song is nothing new to them and they’ve proved it again. Spencer Elliott’s fingerstyle guitar draws inspiration from classic and contemporary progressive metal, funk, rock, neo-classic and acoustic music to create an immersive chain of melodies.
Spencer Elliott incorporates a diverse set of techniques such as hammering, tapping, pinch harmonics, sliding and percussive techniques in his acoustic fingerstyle guitar playing. The riffs and melodies are captivating and immersive. This song is no different. We hear different guitar melodies playing in different time signatures at the same time to create a mesmerizing tune– one creating tension and the other sweet and soothing. His percussive style of playing is further amplified by the accompanying drums and bass. If you’re a Mike Dawes or an Ewan Dobson fan, chances are you already watched the guitar-only music video of him playing the song in rain released on YouTube. Give this album version a listen, you’ll know what I mean. My introduction to Spencer Elliott was by the song The Battle of Wonderland. If Rain Shadow was the first song I’ve heard from Spencer Elliott I’d still be a fan and I believe you too will be inspired to check out the rest of his discography if this is the song that is introducing you to this brilliant inspiring artist.
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Photo credits: Spencer Elliott
Review by: Gabe Finch