Tony Mansson - Broadminded
Soul, Melodic Funk Rock, Instrumental
Stockholm , Sweden
Overall Impression: I grew up listening to guitar virtuosos, many hours have I spent attempting to learn an Eric Johnson lick here, a Malmsteen solo there, one of my all-time favorites being Greg Howe, so I instantly found myself connected to this infectiously catchy piece of songwriting, safe to say this is right up my street! "Broadminded" is a groove-laden, riff-filled tour de force in instrumental guitar, combining great rhythm and a mature sense of melody, Tony Mansson lights up the fretboard with blistering precision, excellent!
Strongest Point(s): It goes without saying that the playing is outstanding, weaving a superb grasp of melodic control and feel with great rhythmic movement and variety. I particularly like how the main riffs are strengthened by having the lines played in unison using octaves, this really adds tonal layers to the part and creates a great contrast against the backing. There is a slight looseness to the rhythm which really helps the performance feel more natural and as if it was recorded live, which always engages the listener that bit more, having them feel as if they're watching the band directly in front of them. I like the shift in harmony that occurs at 1:42, creating a slightly tenser feel compared to the preceding section and also nicely breaks up the song to create greater variety. The ferocious solo at 2:09 is expertly constructed and as stated before, showcases a great sense of melodic control and diversity that's combined with virtuosic flair, great stuff! The mix is strong and each individual instrument has good distinction and clarity, the bass has plenty of thickness and depth whilst the guitars embody that quintessential overdriven rich tube sound, with nice bluesy scratch thrown in for good measure, finally, the drums glue the piece together nicely and provide a solid backbone to the piece.
Target Audience Appeal: This will undoubtedly appeal to blues-rock fans, specifically along the lines of the instrumental guitar artists, it bears all the characteristics and fits into the genre perfectly, there is still a big appetite for instrumental rock in the guitar community, and it's definitely seeing a strong resurgence.
Artist target suggestions: Eric gales, Richie Kotzen, Michael Lee Firkins, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Greg Howe, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Andy Timmons, Guthrie Govan, Chickenfoot, Joe Satriani, Extreme, Mr. Big, George Lynch, Scott Henderson, Neil Zaza, Cosmosquad, Wayne Krantz, Oz Noy, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Gilbert, Blues Saraceno
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About the Reviewer:
Andre is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related and strived to become a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.