Sharif Sehnaoui - Recoil / Relent [Al Maslakh Records 023 Promo]

Released via the Lebanese label that is his very own Al Maslakh Records as their cat.no. 023 on March 4th, 2k22 is "Recoil / Relent", the latest two track album effort created by Beirut-based guitarist x improviser Sharif Sehnaoui. Comprised of two extended cuts both exceeding the 29 minutes mark Sharif Sehnaoui takes another, the second, go at his approach to provide unprepared acoustic guitar solo works, diving deep into the instruments sonic possibilities after years of including external devices and preparation techniques into his performances in the studio as well as all over the globe. The results of this new approach are as fascinating as they can be overwhelming with the heavy, barely tamed improvised strokes and riffs at the very beginning of "Recoil" which make way for both tender, captivating melodies as well as intricate experimental sequences further down the line, yet continue to break through like a storm, a whirlwind of raw creative force every now and then whilst the second cut "Relent" provides more of a Desert Blues-informed journey before splitting off into myriads of cascading guitar rhythms sparkling in brightest colours, dying off into minimalist near silence and re-emerging as a kind of soft, touching, yet melancholia-inducing Post-PostRock affair for the lack of a more suitable description. A deep listening affair, this.