When a CD comes across my path for a review, I do not like to get into speaking to each track per se, but give my overall impression of the work – maybe speaking to a specific track or two.
 
Urban Gypsies is the vision of Guitarists Gavin Libotte and Gordon Tan, out of Sydney, Australia. To say this is a “Flamingo style” recording would be to put a limit on it that it does not deserve. Certainly that influence is clearly there, and much variety resides in “Beautiful Catastrophe.”
 
The nine tracks on the CD are highly arranged and well thought out, with simple melodies that are well executed with subtle harmonies. These two guys are beautiful, sensitive guitarists who know how to play, write and record together. All the tracks are nicely recorded and mixed. “The Promise” is especially sweet with such a simple melody. Laying out the melody here with a single line acoustic guitar gave this piece a sweet soul. “Espionage” starts off with a funky riff between Libotte & Tan, nicely developing into a really fun groove between these two, with various percussion. The CD is worth getting for the track “String Theory” alone – a very beautiful composition that travels to many different places in its 5:53 time. But hear them all.
 
There is a nice variety of writing on this work, making it interesting to
listen to from beginning to end. This is really a sensitive work and the
musicianship throughout this recording is first rate – everyone involved in this project was well chosen.
 
I highly recommend “Beautiful Catastrophe”

Reviewed By Steve Barta


 

Reviews, Steve Barta Beautiful Catastrophe, Urban Gypsies