Album Reviews
“impossible to not be impressed with this release”
Although this is an acoustic selection of songs, the album’s opener (Jump Cut) presents the sort of guitar chords that – in an amplified format – might also pass for rock & roll. It is one of the album’s most aggressively performed pieces. Once again, it showcases Erickson’s wide range of guitar skills. Erickson truly puts on an acoustic guitar clinic with this fully pleasing instrumental album.
When it comes to making rock & roll, many of our contemporary guitar heroes show little to no restraint. It’s all about cranking up the tunes, good and loud. However, Rene Erickson’s Silent Street proves that subtle restraint and attention to quiet detail can be just as impressive. It’s simply impossible to not be impressed with this release.
“sending us a lesson of peace”
Rene Erickson’s Silent Street is a breath of fresh, Spring air. This work entirely composed of instrumental guitar tracks sets a mood. Introspection. Serenity. Beauty. In a world of 1-hit-everything and 10-second TikTok viral noise, Erickson has put forth a work that politely asks you to sit down, relax, and remember why we’re all here.
Listen through Silent Street yourself. But don’t merely listen to log another number on a stream-counter. Play it while doing something you love. Play it with someone you love. Or have it be the backdrop for your afternoon outside with a refreshment and an old friend.
Rene Erickson is sending us a lesson of peace through Silent Street.
“incredible composer and guitarist”
Silent Street evolves into a wonderful journey and Rene Erickson’s craftsmanship as a guitarist takes us into various worlds and a landscape befitting nature’s mood. The album may best be classified as contemporary music with overtones of serenity amid its prolific sophistication.
“a world that feels gorgeous”
Rene Erickson goes for an ancient, life-affirming sound on the soulful “Silent Street.” Guitar work proves exceptional. Gestures get amplified within his rather physical approach to the instrument. Melodies feel raw, visceral, and authentic. The intimacy he shows here has a majesty.
“Silent Street” features the grandeur of Rene Erickson’s ability to craft a world that feels gorgeous.
Songs play off each other resulting in this fully immersive experience, one that opts for such joy behind it. Lots of light filters in as well, giving it an optimistic stance.
“immersive and soul-stirring experience”
Rene Erickson’s “Silent Street” is a Serenade of Acoustic Mastery. Each track tells its own unique story through intricate and evocative guitar work, revealing the depth and diversity of the creative vision.
In a world saturated with music that often overwhelms the senses, RENE ERICKSON’s latest full-length album, “Silent Street,” is a breath of fresh air, offering listeners an immersive and soul-stirring experience through the power of acoustic guitar instrumentals. Erickson’s life-long dedication to the craft has culminated in this mesmerizing collection of 11 tracks, each one a testament to the exceptional talent and versatility as a guitarist and composer.
One of the most striking aspects of “Silent Street” is its ability to convey a wide range of emotions and experiences without the need for lyrics or vocals. Erickson’s expressive guitar playing speaks volumes on its own, drawing listeners in and holding them captive from the first note to the last.
Rene Erickson’s album “Silent Street” is a remarkable achievement in the realm of acoustic guitar instrumentals. Its enchanting compositions, emotional depth, and exceptional musicianship make it an album that will resonate with listeners long after the final note has faded. “Silent Street” is not only a showcase of Erickson’s extraordinary talent as a guitarist and composer but also a gentle reminder of the profound impact that music can have on our hearts and minds.
Review of Never Gone, track 2 from Silent Street
“gorgeous cascades of notes”
The gorgeous cascades of notes and gentle melodies lend themselves to reflection, nostalgia, wistful memory and taking stock of life’s simple pleasures. But such wonderful music can take the heart by the hand and lead it to more specific, more personal places.
If music with lyrics is like a train journey designed to take you to one pre-ordained place, instrumental music is the equivalent of hopping on the train and seeing where it takes you. The former is practical and pre-planned, the latter free-spirited and adventurous. And some days, that is precisely what you need.
“an acoustic gem”
The song is off of Rene’s 2023 instrumental album Silent Street, as it captures a high level of emotionality, wherein the collaboration of sounds and instruments creates some of life’s most profound statements.
Never Gone is an acoustic gem that relishes in a rapture of guitar strums that is reflective of life’s past experiences and its transcendent future. The track begins with a loose introduction of chords before evolving into a bright hypnotic memory engulfed in the serenity that is equally poetic as it is enchanting.
“one of a kind listening experience”
A peaceful and serene song, “Never Gone” is an emotive instrumental piece. This track’s sole instrument is an acoustic guitar but that guitar is able to say an incredible amount by itself.
I found an incredible amount of beauty within this song and it provides an absolute one of a kind listening experience.
I think like you will be impressed “Never Gone” and, more importantly, I think you all will be quite moved by this piece.
“intimate, direct sound”
Rene Erickson is a singer-songwriter with an intimate, direct sound.
The sound of the acoustic guitar is very immersive and melodic. The deep down-tuned drone of the lower string accompanies the harmonics and gives way to a very vibrant and powerful sound.
“testament to the power of instrumental music”
The track is an instrumental piece beautifully crafted with intricate fingerpicking and subtle nuances that create a calming and soothing atmosphere. The acoustic guitar melody is captivating and draws the listener in.
“Never Gone” is a stunning display of Erickson’s talent as a musician and a testament to the power of instrumental music to evoke emotion and create a connection with the listener.
“true masterpiece”
With a mesmerizing combination of delicate acoustic guitar progressions and subtle harmonics, this track captures your attention from the very first note and holds it until the end. Rene Erickson’s skillful musicianship and compositional creativity are on full display throughout the single, with captivating melodic shifts in intensity that will leave you awestruck – check out 1:40 to 1:50.
As the single draws to a close, you’ll find yourself fully immersed in the captivating soundscape, eager to hit that repeat button for another listen.
From the perfectly balanced production to the creative instrumentation, this track is a true masterpiece.
Rene Erickson’s latest single is a must-listen for fans of exceptional music.
“Quite stunning”
His ability to make the guitar sing is outstanding, as is his dexterity. He allows minimalism to gain an emotional resonance by keeping things to the essentials. Completely vocal-less, he manages to tell a riveting story. Everything about it goes for a tender, touching tribute. Full of peacefulness, the evolution of the chords feels highly tactile.
In the beginning, the instrument’s hushed whisper gives way to full-bodied vistas. He ensures that the rhythm set constantly builds itself ever larger. Colors mingle throughout the journey, allowing this power to unfurl throughout the rest of the scene. Quite stunning, there is a rebirth aspect, with the sound cycles playing off each other. They have a great wash of different elements in this careful, considered tenor. His ability to magnify even the smallest of details has a vivid realness. A sense of rising and falling action lends a narrative presence, pure poetry without words. He gradually unfurls the composition for the final stretch, returning full circle to the song’s roots.
Done with dignity, Rene Erickson delivers a poignant atmosphere on “Never Gone.”
“soothing beauty put to music”
The beauty of Never Gone lies in its simplicity–an arpeggiated chord progression on guitar with harmonics dancing lightly overhead. An additional guitar track offers occasional gentle strums and plucks accentuating what is otherwise an exercise in soothing beauty put to music.
Silent Street is an entire guitar-only album. The feel this focus creates approaches more of soundtrack style. The soundtrack not necessarily of a film, but rather the day and time-of-day you hit play and begin your own listening period. With only guitar to hear, the listener is treated to the nuance of the instrument and the details within each track.
“listen to over and over again”
Never Gone creates a calming aural atmosphere. It’s like the eye of a hurricane, in that once you put this track on, you soon forget all the noise of the world. Both the literal and figurative variety. Do listen to it with a good pair of headphones, so you can completely block out the unwelcome sounds of the busy planet. It also creates a kind of mental quiet and peace, though, too. There’s something comforting about an expertly fingerpicked acoustic guitar that just brings one a contented sense of well-being.
Never Gone is a lovely piece of acoustic music. Like all stellar instrumental tunes, it begs the listener to use his/her imagination. It will paint whatever picture you invite it to make. Erickson is both a skilled and creative guitarist, and this short piece – with its pleasurable simplicity – is the sort of track one can listen to over and over again, never getting tired of it. Put it on, and see if it doesn’t immediately calm your nerves.
| Silent Street streaming here | ||
 |  |  |