With John Fahey’s early work, steel-string guitar became more than an instrument; a veritable genre of solo instrumental acoustic guitar was born. But since then, from Kottke to Hedges, Bensusan to Ackerman, folk to new age, there’ve been countless imitators, too often sacrificing melody for licks and two-chord vamps.

The most negative thing you can say about an artist is they’re “uninteresting.” Thankfully, that’s not the case with Gris on this sophomore effort. Hailing from Majorca (now living in Barcelona), the Spanish guitarist injects his attention-holding compositions with jazz and classical influences, and his facility never distills into chops – at least not for their own sake. “Temps Enrere” has an almost Tin Pan Alley feel in waltz time, before shifting to powerful flamenco strums. “Clickbait” is as quirky and good-natured as its title suggests, and the only non-original, “Lonesome Road Blues,” adds bluegrass and angular jazz lines to the Appalachian standard.

Gris also proves that all one needs is a good instrument (by Barcelona luthier David Sole) and decent acoustics. The album’s title translates to “Oil, garlic, and parsley” – appropriate since Gris recorded it in his kitchen.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.