The young, gifted guitarist returns. After the revelation that was The Cloud of Unknowing , the 12-string bandit James Blackshaw has delivered a startlingly beautiful record with his follow-up, Litany of Echoes .Much has been made about the addition of a piano to his repertoire, and it makes a welcome, yet sparse, appearance on the songs that bookend the album, 'Gate of Ivory' and 'Gate of Horn'. Simple and repetitive piano echoes around your mind, forever hinting at deeper and darker music hidden in its depths. It adds an extra dimension to the music. Where The Cloud of Unknowing played on the repetitive nature of his simple guitar pieces, Litany is much more expansive record. The playing is pitch perfect (as you'd expect), exploring various rhythms and ideas, never outstaying it's development but always unfurling these ideas to their natural conclusion. I seem to have found myself reaching for this record almost every day since I first received it and yet, every time I listen to it, something new reveals itself to me. Whether it's picking out more instruments in the sparkling 'Past has not Passed' or finally hearing the repetitive guitar of 'Infinite Circle' splitting into two, fragmenting the circle in question and sounding like two concurrent, but opposing, movements revolving around the same achingly beautiful core.It's hard to describe the music contained on this simple silver disc. Words fail to do justice to the six songs that float over you like a blanket of sound. It's a spiritual adventure of noise that, with equal measures, challenges and soothes your mind. Perhaps I'm just not very good at this writing thing, but, suffice to say, all you need to do is listen to the works of James Blackshaw and you'll fully appreciate the wondrous music that he crafts. 90% Links James Blackshaw [myspace ]