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Boyd Meets Girl is comprised of Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd and American cellist Laura Metcalf, a couple living in Brooklyn, NYC. This album comes out of the period of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown; and this is where being a married couple pays huge dividends for us as listeners. Able to play together every day, Boyd Meets Girl has translated this time of isolation into this very beautiful, very remarkable set of performances.
As a non-musician, but simply a music lover, I stand in awe of those with the talent and commitment to perform with such remarkable skill, inventiveness and beauty as do Boyd and Metcalf on this album. As in their first, self-titled album from 2017, Boyd Meets Girl perform seamlessly in this new release, their communication as artists seemingly flowing from a single consciousness. Iโve no doubt that a lot of deliberation preceded these performances, but the performances themselves simply flow with articulate grace.
From the scintillating complexity of their adaptation of Debussyโs Arabesque No. 1 to their delightful arrangement of the Beyonceฬ song โPray You Catch Meโ to the Appalachian and folk melodies adapted by New York composer Robert Beaser in his series โMountain Songs,โ there are treasures here.
I was particularly captivated by a piece written for the duo by Slovakian-born, Australian composer Mariรกn Budoลก โ โA love letter to New York City.โ Itโs jaunty rhythms, and continuously moving energy, seem to perfectly capture the city.
Iโve now listened four times through this album, each time finding new bits of interest, new nooks and crannies to explore. I do not doubt that I will be listening to it many more times in the months to come.
Sono Luminusโ Recording, Mixing & Mastering Engineer Daniel Shores has captured these performances with his usual excellence of sound engineering. Recorded in the Sono Luminus studio in Boyce, Virginia, the sound is full, resonant, and highly resolving. It simply glows. Both guitar and cello are captured fairly close, providing immense immediacy and impact. Yet the engineering pays great respect to providing a full natural acoustic surrounding the instruments. These are performances captured as if they are live, with the performers immediately in our presence and interacting with each other in real time.
Highly Recommended.
Rushton Paul
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This is a marvelous album in the Stereo DSD 256 format from NatuveDSD. Superbly performed by this Husband and Wife duo. Some of the music was new to me and I much enjoyed every track.
Well done by all concerned.
Michael Wadge (verified owner) โ