PlanetCountry, Italy

…surprising harmonic approaches and arrangements around every corner here, demonstrating excellent form from an artist with multiple cultural and musical bases, and a guitarist who’s got all the trimmings. 

Review of Michael Schatte Conundrum
PlanetCountry, Italy, January, 2021
Review by Remo Ricaldone

“Kaleidoscopic” is decidedly the style of Michael Schatte, the guitarist, singer and composer from Ontario whose new album entitled “Conundrum” mixes rock, Celtic and blues inflections which make it endlessly intriguing and never predictable. “Water In the Kettle”, the opening track on the disc, immediately evokes the great Richard Thompson through Schatte’s guitar style and enthralling verve in moments that strongly conjure the mood of “Hand Of Kindness”, one of the best episodes of the English artist. Meanwhile, Dry Black Powder further combines rock and Scottish tales in an explosive and gritty song. Conundrum is a very well crafted work, and we find surprising harmonic approaches and arrangements around every corner here, demonstrating excellent form from an artist with multiple cultural and musical bases, and a guitarist who’s got all the trimmings. 

(Remo Ricaldone)

Translated from the original Italian.

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