“Beyond The Clearing” provides a most peaceful and relaxing listening experience. The sound of Robert’s fingerstyle nylon string acoustic guitar exudes a softness and warmth that is different from the brighter tone of a steel string guitar. His compositions are visually and emotionally evocative and exhibit enough diversity to keep it interesting, while maintaining the overall ambiance of the album. The album opens with a track called “Aside the River Bend.” Robert’s mellow guitar, accompanied by violin creates the mood and sets the stage for the overall ambiance of the album. On the next track, “Gathering Over the Surface,” Robert is joined by one of my favorite pianists, Heidi Breyer. Her contribution is both supportive and understated, allowing Robert’s guitar to be the primary voice. I particularly liked his chord progression on this piece and the dreamy atmosphere it creates. Another of my favorite artists, Jeff Oster, is heard on track 3, “Lingering Rustle,” adding his trademark ambient horn playing which drifts peacefully over Robert’s pastoral melody. While all of the songs on he album are exquisite, one that especially appealed to me as a guitarist was “A Distant Storm.” This track featured Robert in a duet with fellow acoustic guitarist Adam Miller, whose graceful lead lines intertwined so beautifully with Robert’s melody on this impressionistic composition. The piece also exhibited a perfect blend of sound and space. Long time Will Ackerman collaborator and studio musician Jill Haley adds her haunting English horn parts to the expansive “Stretching Across the Horizon.” I also greatly enjoyed the final track with ambient guitarist Jeff Pearce on ethereal electric guitar. Among the standout aspects of this album, as I’ve been mentioning, are Robert’s musical interactions with the various accompanists. I liked the way he chose just one musician to play with for each song. Each duet has its own unique characteristics, while maintaining the general tone and consistency of the album. I appreciate the subtlety and understatement in Robert’s songs, which are like pastel portraits in sound. Robert has the artistic acuity to convey a particular mood in a way that envelops the listener and draws them into his space for the duration of the recording. His guitar playing is sensitive, deft, and evocative, providing a gentle journey you'll want to embark upon often. In fact, if you are looking for the perfect soundtrack for a mellow Sunday morning, you couldn't do much better than this. To read a full-length feature article on this album, as well as others, please visit: MichaelDiamondMusic.com