Shapes and Shadows - Ben Ottewell

Although I would never admit to it, I think I started to play guitar to look cool and pick up chicks. If I could travel back to speak to myself at the tender age of 17 I would advise against it for the following two reasons; Firstly women are not that shallow or stupid and secondly playing the guitar, properly at least, is really hard and requires a lot of practice. And as for looking cool. Well that's darn impossible!

The image of a cool guitarist to a 17 year old is probably something like this; excruciatingly long solos using every single fret on the instrument, performed with one leg raised on a monitor speaker, long hair and leather trousers. Just think of your 'average' heavy rock or metal shredder and you'll get the picture. In practice, however, a cool guitarist looks exactly the opposite. Isn't it way cooler to not show off, not rest your leg on the monitor speaker, keep the showy stuff to a minimum but write good music and play really well? Something like Ben Ottewell. You'll never come across a more unlikely guitar hero but that is exactly what he is. I'd be surprised if he even owns a pair of leather trousers.

I've seen Ben play a couple of times; once at the Sage in Gateshead and the other in a small venue in York. And both times I have been amazed at the quality of his playing and songwriting - I sort of knew this from his playing with Gomez but to hear and see it in isolation was..... well amazing.

On this album, his debut of sorts, the playing ranges from straight forward pop to intricate acoustic fingerpicking such as on 'Blackbird'. Great stuff. But not showy. And then there is that voice - sometimes tender and other times a bluesy howl but always with great depth and warmth. So move over Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Kirk Hammett. Your time is up - the real cool guys are taking over.....