James BlackshawBest James Blackshaw Albums Ranked

The Cloud of Unknowing

pitchfork

8.7

“This is a long-overdue gift for fans of acoustic guitar music; Blackshaw-- growing into his prodigious own at the startling age of 25-- has finessed his abilities and 12-string acoustic guitar into a veritable solo symphony, schooled equally in complex 20th century composition and uncommon beauty.”

Litany of Echoes

pitchfork

8.3

“Often considered an inheritor of the Takoma acoustic guitar tradition-- think John Fahey, Robbie Basho, and Leo Kottke-- James Blackshaw's synthesis of acoustic experimentalism and minimalism is so complete at this point that it's possible to call it his own style.”

Unraveling In Your Hands

pitchfork

8.0

“After a nearly decade-long hiatus—including joblessness, injury, and personal loss—the UK guitarist returns with a moving, virtuosic album that communicates a rare sense of purpose.”

Summoning Suns

pitchfork

7.9

“A decade ago, James Blackshaw emerged as a leading young stylist for instrumental acoustic guitar music. Now, after years of letting the guitar speak for his thoughts and feelings, Blackshaw's made his melancholy resonate anew by giving it a more direct voice—his own.”

Love Is the Plan, The Plan Is Death

pitchfork

7.9

“The gifted 12-string guitarist's latest album-- featuring guest vocals from Geneviève Beaulieu of drone/black metal outfit Menace Ruine-- is a continuation of his tinkering with a variety of instruments as well as a return to his past solo work.”

All Is Falling

pitchfork

7.8

“Latest from the UK twentysomething, already a renowned figure in the space between folk, classical music, minimalism, and experimentalism.”