Attention Escalier is a solo album.
Philippe Deschepper plays all kinds of guitars, from the banjo and the acoustic to the electric. Going through 23 tracks in 50 minutes implies a short average duration; indeed, most pieces stay in the 30-second to three-minute range. A few cross over to four minutes and one, "Le Bénéfice du Doute," exceptionally stretches to seven. Here, shortness equals frequent changes in settings and styles. The only rule applied to the set list was eclecticism. Some tracks feature straight free improvisation, while a few are written compositions, like the acoustic guitar "Étude" or "Le P'tit Quinquin," the only piece not credited to
Deschepper. But most of the music features electric guitar and the use of loops and delays to thicken the plot. Yet, no piece sounds like it has been multi-tracked (unlike
Bernard Falaise's solo guitar CD, Do, first and foremost a studio work). These pieces often evoke a freer incarnation of
Richard Pinhas and feel like excerpts of longer studio improvisations. "Graph" is definitely too short: It cuts abruptly just as the listener's interest grows stronger. The same can be said of many pieces. On the other hand, this quick succession of styles and techniques illustrates
Deschepper's multiple talents. The resulting kaleidoscope provides an interesting listening experience in itself. "Le Bénéfice du Doute" presents the complete construction sequence of a soundscape but, paradoxically, also shows the limitations of the guitarist's inventiveness. He can be more captivating in group settings, such as the trio session
(un)written (with Laurent Hoevenaers and Olivier Benoit).