Musical escapology - David Harland's 'The Escapist'

One album I’ve been playing repeatedly since its release last autumn is David Harland’s The Escapist. If, like me, you’re a fan of the music that came out of Windham Hill Records, you’ll relish this record. On previous releases, Minneapolis-based guitarist Harland has explored singer-songwriter territory alongside instrumental music but here he offers us an entire album of exquisite solo acoustic guitar. Making full use of tapping, harmonics and unusual tunings, The Escapist would not have been out of place in the Windham Hill catalogue, alongside the music of William Ackerman, Michael Hedges and Alex de Grassi. 

Harland has certainly succeeded in his intention to create a meditative record to help listeners escape from the stresses of modern life. The cover art features a Magritte-esque image of a birdcage/head with the cage door ajar, suggesting worries have flown away. 

Here and there, there are sympathetic touches of cello and violin from Cierra Alise Hill and e-Bowed ambient electric guitar from producer Matt Patrick who also deserves credit for capturing the pristine sound of the album. If you're looking for a musical getaway, I can highly recommend The Escapist and I look forward to hearing more from this talented composer/guitarist. 

(This is an extended version of my album review first published in Songlines magazine #204 in January 2025.)