Melancholy, weird-fatalistic humor, Latin grooves, ragtime blues, sunny folk pop, impressionistic brittleness, British pastoral sounds – the recording debut of the guitar-maker Ernie Rissman is a surprise. He performs his own songs, on his own instruments, in his own style. The tragicomic demented waltz “Gone”, for example. The resigned “Rain”. The airy-effervescent “Fleury”. The ornery ragtime blues about a screwy game of soccer (“Soccer”). The intro of "Satie At Sea” demonstrates what binds the album. A fingerstyle that other songwriters can only dream of. It replaces entire bands and each cut has an unmistakable character and flair. Jazz, chanson, folk, always fluffy and on point. Beatles-like chord sequences: catchy, but full of bolts from the blue. Beautiful, exciting, deep – and different from any other songwriter.
