Erik Mongrain - AirTap

Song of the Day
I have always had a soft spot for melodic instrumentals whether it is Godspeed You! Black Emperor or something a bit more tame like the Beatles. When I came across Erik Mongrain this evening I wasn't quite sure what to make of him as I can honestly say the last artist I could clearly recall fretboard tapping was Eddie Van Halen on "Eruption." Certainly Mongrain's stylings are completely different than all of the aforementioned artists/bands, but there is something unique about his brand of "lap tapping" that draws the listener in. A melody that almost seems comprised of a half-dozen harmonics weaves its way between the string slapping and bass line plucking to the foreground of the song before abrubtly returning to the back (see 40 second marker for an example of this transition.) With the focus of the song constantly shifting Erik grabs your attention and forces you to hear it all the way through. For more info on Erick see here.