Deviations

Dominic Frasca has been dubbed “Guitar Hero of 2005” by Guitar Player Magazine, so despite the virtuosity on display, his first solo outing—originally a self-release but now being given a second pressing on Cantaloupe Records—might not really need the disclaimer that the entire album was performed “on solo guitar in real time, with no loops, overdubs, or other instruments.” Until you get to the fourth track, where there is so much going on at once I’m quite sure a Hindu god with a few extra hands must be helping him out. The hard-driving, 23-minute Deviations definitely owes some debt to the postminimalist camp, but there’s a little swagger to the line mixed with a fresh take on some classical guitar chops that set Frasca’s work apart.

—MS