By Brandon Schlia
Last July, Christopher Bell made the usual folk tour across New York state’s finest coffee houses, but by very unusual means. Both eco-friendly and cost effective, he decided on canoeing down the Erie Canal from Buffalo to New York City, with stops all along the way. Immediately I appreciated his uniqueness but I was even more pleased when I found out that he uses digital effects pedals and bell loops to compliment his acoustic guitaring and viola fiddling.
This isn’t just the guy you kind of hear through the haze of coffee machines grinding and mouths flapping. Bell’s style is noteworthy for its flexibility, as evidenced by his diverse instrument choice and their corresponding arrangements. Guitar and voice are primary in this rooted folk sound, but a sudden alt-country percussive rhythm or female backups and a toy organ can add interesting elements to that solid base. For example, my favorite Bell creation, “Death” opens with swelling Radiohead organ-synths and is later joined by what sounds like dual harmoniums, xylophones, and an eboed electric guitar. All of these are carefully layered on top of a what was already a standalone acoustic track, and that’s how strong compositions are put together.
Come hear Christopher’s unique brand of acoustic folk at the Caz Coffee Cafe at 688 Abbott Road this Thursday, February 26th, at 7:00 – 9:30PM. IT’S FREE!