This three inch CDR is the debut solo recording from Andy Futreal, who also records with his brother Michael under the Offramps moniker. ?Like Twilight Bleeding? contains a great selection of solo acoustic folk guitar. Recorded in single takes, the first two tracks on the disc are fairly straightforward, yet beautiful acoustic pieces. Futreal?s talents as a guitar player and a composer are immediately evident, however, he does not overplay and distract from the mood of the songs. Each flourish and chord enhances the overall work. The first song, which is also the album?s title track, stretches across nearly ten minutes of melancholy atmospheres. The second track, ?Kaftan,? is faster in every way. It is only about three minutes long and is quite fast-paced, almost sounding like a frenzied classical dance piece.
The standout of the disc is the appropriately titled third and final track, ?Ghost of Twilight,? which oozes dark, supernatural sounds. Unlike the first two tracks, it was recorded on a cassette four track and features layering of guitar parts. In the liner notes for the disc, Futreal lists acoustic guitars, EBow, and ?nearly all incidental noise? as his contributions. It?s a beautiful piece that is slow and mysterious. Throughout, the EBowed guitar creates an eerie backdrop for the acoustic lead. Even the four track pitches in to lend an antique, ethereal feeling. In all seriousness, its turning gears sound like the rhythmic chirping of frogs in the night.
It is clear that Andy Futreal put a lot of thought and variety into this short disc and each song is uniquely compelling. ?Like Twilight Bleeding? is a great debut and hopefully an indication of things to come.
8/10 --
Matt Blackall (3 July, 2007)