Mark McGuire – Get Lost review

Guitar player for the electronic band Emeralds, Mark McGuire is not shy when it comes to solo work. Boasting a back catalogue of over 30 releases, the 24 year old shredder takes the perceived notions of guitar playing to a completely new level. Many of the sounds present on this record are made through loop and delay pedals, all translating through a guitar. It’s always interesting when a musician finds innovative ways to utilize his or her instrument, this is a perfect example. On this solo record, Get Lost, we are introduced to some very vibrant material that stays with the listener for quite some time afterwords.

Ontop of very bright layers of sound, there are also vocals thrown into the mix on select tracks. The vocals aren’t as dominant as one might think, they’re more of a background noise, or another layer ontop of the pre-existing ones. The song Alma is a good, if not the best example. Many of the songs transition very slowly into one another, creating some anticipation. I thought this was clever in contrast to songs abruptly weaving in and out from one another, something I have come across many times before. Sequencing is very important. The final track clocks in 5 seconds under 20 minutes long. My love for the 10+ minute tracks can only go so far, and I believe they should stay exclusive to more progressive/experimental artists. There just isn’t a whole lot to hear in this song that can’t be heard in a trimmed down version. I appreciate the ambience that leads up to the more memorable parts of the song, but really, its a wasted effort in my opinion.

I think that Mark McGuire’s solo work is better appreciated by fans of his main project Emeralds, as people who are new to his work may not have the patience for it. I won’t lie when I say I was much more interested in trying to understand and experience this music after I learned of how it was made, and where it came from. Someone without this knowledge may not be as attentive.