Nick Borho - Signs Music Has Changed You Life
As Is
"Hey buddy, come on in here outta the rain ... how y'doin, man? Hey, you got a light? C'mere, lemme buy y'a drink." And the warm, dry barfly regales his new friend, dampened by the evening drizzle, with colorful tales as their world spins into the night.
At least that's what I heard while listening to "Walking Blues," and there begins Signs Music Has Changed Your Life, a CD by local guitarist Nick Borho. Note, however, that nary a lyric is sung or heard throughout the disc's 12 original songs. That's not saying no stories are told, but to get the most out of these songs, I recommend letting the power of musical suggestion reign o'er you.
"Highland Stomp" seems to be the celebration of a gorgeous, sunny day (low humidity, no doubt) in the bohemian section of Borho's hometown. It contains a short passage that seems to be straight out of the Al Stewart song, "Nostradamus." Then again, it could be that Borho's acoustic guitar work, overall, reminds me of early '70s Stewart. In the midst of your own journey through this disc, remember that Borho built this CD out of live takes played and recorded in his home. To his credit, he chose to release the more emotional or passionate takes, with blemishes intact (sounded fine to me), rather than technically flawless takes with less emotion.
Given that, a humming sound on "Wings of Locust" took me back twenty-five years to an SNL skit where Steve Martin kept saying, "What the hell is that?" When you hear the song, you'll hear what I mean. In "Kat's Song," I hear a kind, gentle and patient person tending to and playing with some tiny person in his/her first or second year of life. Though I would not recommend any and all solo acoustic guitar records, this one I do. Check it out for yourself over at www.guitar9.com/signsmusic.html
. It's unlikely that you'll hear what I hear, but I betcha what you hear will be good.By the way, Borho is also associated with the Louisville band Mylo.