Album Notes

...........CD REVIEW

"Fragile Secret" Pablo Mentessi

Pablo Mentessi's new CD for Evolve Records, "Fragile Secret" has
guitar triumph stamped all over it. But not in a flashy,
overpowering, check-my-chops kind of way. It is in fact an intimate
tableau of original acoustic guitar compositions that move serenely
from piece to piece like clouds on a Summer's day.

Mentessi is undoubtedly a technical master of the nylon strings, but,
as with all great artists, the technique is servant to an effortless
and flowing lyrical beauty. This feel permeates all nine nigh perfect
tracks on the album that has a total running time of 52.10. The music
on "Fragile Secret" has a haunting and ethereal quality. These subtle
tone poems live in the memory long after the last bar has faded.

"Fragile Secret" is high class chill out music that, when listened to
correctly, has a kind of healing and soothing quality to it. Balm for
the ears, salve for the soul. Furthermore it demands to be listened
to on a good system to catch all its exquisite nuances, to hear the
wood and the ballet of the fingers dancing over the fretboard.

Pieces like "Remembrance" (11.27) and "Hope" (11.23) showcase
Mentessi's highly developed compositional skills. It is difficult to
sustain the listener through long pieces without descending into
monotony and repetition. But Mentessi's tunes endure with great
poise, an appropriate interplay between light and shade, and
beautiful melody throughout.

There is an admirably restrained quality to Mentessi's playing that
lets the pieces breathe and evolve into a satisfying harmonic and
melodic whole. "Remembrance", the first track uses surprisingly long
tacits in its opening bars that force you to pay attention to...
silence waiting to unfold and release the music.

Mentessi's fingerstyle is contemporary, classical at its roots, yet
blended and spiced delicately with subtle influences. Actually it is
pointless to try and categorise "Fragile Secret". Just relax, listen
and let this beautiful guitar music wash over and seep into you. In a
perfect world, "Fragile Secret" should not remain a secret to fans of
acoustic music.

Steve Elliott, Acoustic Guitar Review