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Jul 03, 2020 Web Exclusive By Andy Von Pip

Since first picking up a guitar in high school, Sarah Lipstate has relentlessly explored the possibilities of what guitar music can be. She is genuinely a true innovator, and when she performs live under her Noveller moniker, she is essentially a one-woman orchestra. Displaying complete mastery of her instrument combined with a plethora of effects pedals, Lipstate has employed technology to augment and articulate her creativity and enhance her artistic expression.

After being handpicked by punk godfather Iggy Pop to collaborate on his latest solo album Free, Lipstate returns with her own LP Arrow. She demonstrates exactly why she is considered a trail blazer in her chosen field of experimental, instrumental guitar rock.

Album opener “Rune” twinkles and throbs with an ethereal menace like the presage to a great storm whilst possessing the huge cinematic swell of Zimmer. “Pre-fabled” and “Effektology” conjure images of attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion like in Blade Runner, while the propulsive chiming beauty of “Pattern Recognition” is sublime. Once again, Lipstate sculpts enthralling opulent soundscapes full of widescreen grandeur, beauty, and menace. Arrow is an album that challenges and beguiles the listener with its dark, brooding beauty. (www.sarahlipstate.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10