Keys and Chords, The Netherlands

“…diverse and exciting songs, produced and engineered by Schatte with a keen ear for organic yet spicy production. A lovely release!”

Michael Schatte – Conundrum
Album Review by Philip Verhaege
Keys and Chords, The Netherlands
Dec. 14th, 2020

Michael Schatte describes his sound as an original mix of rock, blues, Celtic and other electric roots music. These fifteen new tracks are all diverse and exciting songs, produced and engineered by Schatte with a keen ear for organic yet spicy production. A lovely release!

A jaw-dropping electric and virtuoso acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, and a polished singer: that’s how you can best describe Michael Schatte. And he is also a literate and witty songwriter. These are just a few of the statements taken from recently critical praise describing musician Michael Schatte. He describes his sound as an original mix of rock, blues, Celtic and other electric roots music. These fifteen new tracks are all diverse and exciting songs, produced and engineered by Schatte with a keen ear for organic yet spicy production. Michael also receives backing from renowned artists such as Ryan Spratt (bass), drummers Chad Davis and Riley O’Connor and saxophonist Carson Freeman. The rocker “Water In the Kettle” is a great opening song colored with Celtic violin arrangements. He also conjures up magic with his mandolin on “Dry Black Powder”, while “The Upper Hand”, “Genevieve” and “Daria” turn out to be airy pop songs. He rocks like no other in songs like “Silly Old Man”, “Please Don’t Dance With My Brother” and “Longtime Lover”, which is peppered with exciting Rhodes piano arrangements. The mood-setting title track “Conundrum” contrasts with the spoken word of “Bread, Water, Love” (feat. John B. Lee) and especially with the boogie “Come On Down”. The Celtic influences are clearly noticeable in “The Candy Aisle” and also in “A Mind A Mess,” which Michael embellishes with his Wurlitzer piano and tight percussion. The track “In The Cold Hard Here and Now” is a rare ballad that will eventually lead us to the instrumental closing track “Good King Richard”, an homage to Richard Thompson. 4.5 / 5 Stars

Philip Verhaege

Translated from the original Dutch.

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