Day in the Sun

Utilizing steel-string acoustic and classical guitars on this sequel to his previous, similarly-conceived album of 2017, Alleviations, this Danish instrumentalist/composer creates altogether entrancing music during tracks such as “Daybreak” and “Mosaic.” And whether he is picking or, as on “Over The Hills,” vigorously strumming the strings, what is otherwise readily-discernible exertion nevertheless sounds absolutely natural and, on the whole, effortless. The nuanced reverberations are readily apparent within Martin Bue’s recording, mixing, and mastering, so, the end result of the duo’s technical expertise–plus their obvious emotional investment in evidence during cuts like “April” and “Rosette”–make for an intimate forty-nine minutes. It’s an experience comparable in its intensity to solo piano works of, among others, Bent Sorenson, the author of “Barcarola.”

The Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug recorded this collection of 14 pieces for solo acoustic guitar last December. I loved every track on this album: introspective, inventive, tasteful and positive. If you enjoy playlists like “Acoustic Guitar Chill” but you wish the tracks were just a bit more intellectually satisfying, this album is for you.

The style is, as Ploug himself says, genreless: it sits somewhere near the intersection of jazz, folk, minimalism and classical. In fact, one of the pieces is Ploug’s take on a nocturne by the contemporary Danish composer Bent Sørensen. The playing is nuanced and heartfelt and I’m happy to say the producers kept things real by not trying to cover up the sounds of finger slides and the occasional twang.

Most of the tracks are recorded on Ploug’s steel string guitar but on two of them he uses a flamenco guitar with gut strings: gorgeous. The title is perfect; this album feels like a sunny day spent with a good friend.