Will McNicol & Luke Selby
Album: Hitchhiker
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.willmnicol.co.uk
Website: http://www.lukeselbydrums.co.uk

When you reach my age, it's funny what triggers the memory processes. Over the last couple of months or so, I've played a couple of tracks from the Will McNicol & Luke Selby album, "Hitchhiker on my radio show, but it wasn't until I heard a version of the Bill Wither's track, "Ain't No Sunshine", but a completely unrelated artist that I realised that I hadn't put finger to keyboard over it a mistake corrected here, not least because Jo Elikington, who is doing this season's Fatea Showcase Session sleeves, also contributes her artistic talents here.

"Hitchhiker" is a 12 track instrumental album that is split slightly in favour of self penned tunes over the very well chosen cover versions. It's one of the things that makes "Hitchhiker" such an interesting album, not so much that it's an instrumental album, more the genre reach of the track selection, well that and the relatively limited instrumental range.

Using a stripped back combination of Luke Selby's undoubted percussion talent and Will McNicol's equal expertise on guitar, both steel and nylon strung, "Hitchhiker" is an album that takes a rambling stroll along the acoustic spectrum, briefly pausing on folk, blues and Americana, amongst others, before exploring different sounds and genres as the album sets itself a journey to progress against.

The result is an album that will not only appeal to a wide range of listeners, it will also have the advantage of ensuring that the transition song to song remain not only fresh and vibrant, but also deliver a variety that shows of the musicianship of both players. Whilst instrumental albums aren't everybody's cup of tea, "Hitchhiker" is definitely a heady brew.

Neil King