On the first listen, it’s easy to fall under the sway of the sweetness of Dan Bruce’s silky guitar tone, only to miss the substance at the heart of his music. Just as similar guitarists like Ben Monder or Kurt Rosenwinkel possess a generous, accessible sound with an exploratory edge, Bruce brings a finely-polished technique that is at the same time subtly discontent, searching for new expressions and willing to take some chances along the way. His capacious compositions featuring his new group, Beta Collective, are front-and-center on his latest release, Earthshine—his first as a leader since his 2007 debut, A Single Thread.
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