58. James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing (2007)
I saw James Blackshaw play live in Brighton and it was a sit-down concert, where you could take your own alcohol and close your eyes in wonder of the beauty of the music played by a 12 string acoustic guitar. Blackshaw works without the use of vocals and his tracks can exceed 10 minutes in length. With so many strings and such quick-picking, it sounds like multiple instruments playing at once, and it's 'The Cloud of Unknowing' that best demonstrates this. There's something crisp and autumnal about the opener and title track that reels one into a new realm of green marvel. The pure speed at which Blackshaw plucks his strings and yet the unhurried nature of tuning his guitar between songs that is truly mountainous and this fifth album of his is the summit.
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