The Curious Badger
Marc van Vugt
Baixim Records BR F533 (marcvanvugt.com)
Many music fans can listen to a great deal of acoustic guitar without realizing how distinctive these instruments can be. For example, I’ve played several acoustic guitars for friends who are surprised by the differences among a mid-sized Collings OM (“orchestral model”), a larger Martin dreadnought or a 1956 Gibson archtop. Marc van Vugt pushes these acoustic differences to a very happy extreme with The Curious Badger, where he lists the nine guitars used on the album’s 12 tracks.
The title piece features aggressive and rhythmic strumming on a Guild 12-string, showcasing its bold and open sound. Back to the Market Square is slower and sweeter, featuring a Lowden baritone guitar, which has a gorgeously full resonance. Black Belt has many exciting and jazzy runs and features van Vugt’s overdubbing of two guitars: a nylon string and an archtop. This piece is a virtuoso work with the guitars switching from rhythm to lead and several runs are played together adding to the excitement. Van Vugt is an excellent guitarist and each of the pieces is unique and compelling. It is a bonus that the album credits contain the complete list of guitars and tracks so that we can truly appreciate each instrument’s unique sonic properties.
Listen to 'The Curious Badger' Now in the Listening Room
