Volume Two

Scottish acoustic guitarist Will McNicol’s first collaboration with the Innotet string quartet was lauded by Classic FM and its successor should get the same treatment. McNicol plays with excellent facility and in Innes Watson, who plays violin here as well as guitar, he chose his co-arranger wisely. Watson understands the guitar and in these mostly short pieces (only three of the 12 exceed three minutes), the guitar and string quartet are very well integrated. The compositions are attractive, if at times a bit prim, and as expected from a team of session A-listers, the playing is flawless. The detail in McNicol’s picking is impressive – notably the intricate patterns on ‘Cessna’ and the cheeky recurring twang on ‘Jupiter’ – and the cello’s drive gives ‘The Musketeer’s Approach’ a pleasing momentum.