Without Words
A pleasant and proficient example of contemporary flamenco, Eric Hansen's debut recording is a collection of comfortable melodies (touching on upbeat or romantic themes) and frequently intricate playing. Its refined sound is even more impressive considering that Hansen, a Florida resident, recorded a half-dozen tracks a few months after recovering from a fractured left wrist suffered in a mountain-bike crash.Without Wordsreveals Hansen to be an articulate, energetic guitarist who emphasizes melody and palatability over showmanship and technical flash, a trait he shares withJohannes Linstead, a friend and like-minded performer whom Hansen acknowledges in the liner notes. Hansen, in fact, nods to his pop sensibilities by putting an engaging instrumental spin on Bryan Adams's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" Traditional flamenco it's not, but if animated, easygoing guitar music with a flamenco influence is your thing,Without Wordsmerits your attention.--Terry Wood