Guitar virtuoso Chris Letchford has not only been one of the integral pieces to the Scale The Summit puzzle but has now decided than the progressive side of STS is not enough. Coming from the background of having been to the esteemed Berkeley University, Letchford knows his stuff. Perhaps not being happy with his output with his other band has now put out his first solo effort, Lightbox. Joined by members of Reign of Kindo on piano, drums and bass as well as bassist extraordinaire Evan Brewer on select tracks. Although its not strictly metal I find it interesting when musicians, whatever instrument they may play decide to go out of the (light) box and try something new, rather than rehashing the same tired riffs.
Lightbox would very easily fall into the Jazz category, which in itself is a hard to access genre. Yet this is Letchford’s gift, writing riffs with a jazz feel yet making them simple enough to be memorable and having a key melody that follows you around in the song. “Rayless” begins with a piano intro yet continues with a simple well laid out riff that is memorable and even gets a bit groovy. Unheard of in the world of jazz. Where you hear licks that you might hear once and never again. By creating sometimes odd sounding riffs complimented by the grace of the piano Letchford is able to keep the listener on their toes but not so much so that they have no idea what is going on.
The album itself is a very relaxed affair, relying on simple notes to create harmonies that compliment the other instruments perfectly. Small changes in drums patterns slowly changing to add more tension, to create an overall feeling of progression. Having no vocals is hard enough to convey emotion, but as mentioned before, Letchford seems to have a gift for crafting songs that mirror exactly what it is he wants you to feel. Like the solemn sounding “In Force” or the upbeat groove of “Earthen” even the first track has a light hearted almost playful sound. Much of Lightbox is technical, with his signature tapping making several appearances but whilst sounding familiar there is something new that you wouldn’t find in his other project which makes it all more worth the while to listen.
Letchford has seemingly blended both the instrumental technique of jazz with the simplicity of his writing to make it an easy but most importantly a memorable listen. Whilst not having any distortion or other elements metal heads would grumble about, through the careful song writing and flourish of the instruments we’re treated to a hyrbid of beautiful sounds, off kilter melodies and often time signatures. But its not all about Letchford, it has to be said that there is an all star cast that without, the album would sound like every other solo musician album. Just a load of widdling. With the piano and bass never intruding on the guitar but giving it the perfect amount of lift when needed. Making some songs, lighter or heavier depending on what is required of them last song “The Gentlemen” is a great example. Moving through the musical spectrum whilst adding more rhythm when needed and taking a step back when the guitar comes to the fore front.
A great showcase of musical talent whilst being modest enough to know when less is more and focus on memorable melodies. probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but if you like your music a little more adventurous then it would be a crying shame to miss out on.
