ALBUM PREMIERE: Van Larkins - Cinder Moon

28 June 2017 | 10:52 am | Staff Writer

Brisbane fingerstyle virtuoso Van Larkins is set to unleash his fourth studio full-length, Cinder Moon, this weekend, and theMusic.com.au is stoked to be bringing you the premiere listen of the exceptional new 10-tracker.

Set for release this Saturday, 1 July, via the US-based CandyRat Records — home to fellow finger-pickin' heroes such as Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour and more — Cinder Moon is a delightful and dexterous adventure into Larkins' multi-faceted playing style, the inventive and enchanting musician wringing more out of a lone acoustic guitar than some full bands can muster between several members.

According to the man himself, this is entirely by design: "If you close your eyes and listen to Cinder Moon, you can hear a full band and a melodic vocal line," he said in a statement. "And if you open your eyes to see what's going on, it's a real show — all the sounds are there without the safety net of technology."

Larkins displays mastery over his instrument with an impressively casual air, dotting in hanging harmonics, swift switch-ups, percussive pulses and all manner of fancy little tricks to fill out his songs' soundscapes, the simple nature of his instrumentation belying the record's obviously broad musical influences, with even unlikely elements such as electronica and retro funk peeking through the foundations of his technical yet incredibly accessible tunes.

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"Aussies tend to associate the acoustic guitar with genres like bluegrass, country and blues, but fingerstyle covers every genre on the planet," Larkins said. "You can play funk, EDM and heavy metal on an acoustic now; it's the next big thing in the live music industry, people just don't know it yet."

Larkins will be hitting the road for an east-coast tour to welcome the new LP in the near future, though those dates are yet to be announced — keep your eye on his website for that information when it lands.