From the very start, Guitarscape is an album that has all the technical trademarks and diverse hallmarks of Steve Howe written across it. This is an entirely instrumental album, and Steve plays all instruments except the drums, which are masterly incorporated through the work of his son Dylan. “What I’m doing,” Steve says, “is focusing on what I do well and what I love to do.”
Steve Howe – Guitarscape (HoweSound)
Release Date: 27 September 2024
Words: Adrian Stonley
Guitarscape is diverse, showing the wide influences and abilities of Steve Howe. Interestingly, it has been approached from an unusual direction for Steve with the use of a keyboard being of particularly of note in the writing process. 
“This album has given me the opportunity to do something different,” Steve told us. “I bought a Novation Summit keyboard and found that it had a wealth of inspiring sounds. It gave me a golden opportunity to create my own keyboard structures – chordal movements and structures that I thought were a bit different.
“I think differently on a keyboard. I don’t see the chords looking the same but then I had fun playing around with the guitar to see where that goes.”
This is an album that features fourteen new pieces of music, and despite the change in writing approach, it is still clearly and unmistakably a Steve Howe album.
However, in utilising a different writing approach, it has enabled him to expand the style of writing, to explore different sounds and chordal landscapes and enable him to utilise his guitar in a manner in which it is not the main driver in the writing process. This has enabled the pieces to be developed with additional musical structuring wrapped around his guitar work, bringing it further to life and expanding the sounds and ranges of the pieces on show here.
That said, Steve utilises his whole range of guitar application in this recording, using acoustic, electric, steel and bass guitars. 
Interestingly the approach to working alongside son Dylan has produced outstanding results. Notwithstanding the family relationship, it is clear that as musicians and writers, they have a clear understanding of each other’s work patterns and respect for their abilities. The two brought together have created a fresh and stunning piece of work.
“I’ve utilised most of the colours, as I like to think of my styles, and I’m always pleased when I hear them running through [for example if] it moves from a steel, maybe, to a Spanish guitar. Because it’s a different sort of album, I’m not using terribly conventional chord sequences but things that give me a fresh feeling and opportunities to improvise and stretch out as well as be melodic and make this a nice tuneful experience.”
With fourteen songs on show here, it is unnecessary to run through each individual piece. However, looking at where clear musical elements stand out, there is much to appreciate and understand. This isn’t the longest album, with many pieces being relatively short, yet using an old analogy, this album is about quality over quantity.
Album opener Hail Storm has a rockier feel and an interesting dynamic in the manner in which the song is structured, although the key guitar-playing elements that Steve brings to his work with Yes are clearly on show here. The piece is heavily built on a driving synthesiser sound, at times reminiscent of the ’80s. This creates an interesting flavour to the sound structure, with the enigmatic and quirky Yes feel interwoven throughout.
Spring Board is a softer, gentler piece retaining a central rock feel yet in a more balladlike styling with a very specific tonal feel throughout.
Distillations sees the gentle acoustic side of Steve’s playing, with him wringing emotive moments from his guitar, while a layer of soft melody flows throughout.
Similarly, on Passing Thoughts, he remains with the acoustic guitar, though this piece is beautifully offset by the cascade of gentle semi-classical piano playing that underlines the piece.
Seesaw sees the trademark picked note style so reminiscent of Chet Atkins in the way that Steve picks out the melody and has applied so effectively at times within the work undertaken with Yes.
Suma is another short piece, but provides a gentle stroll with semi-ambient keyboard sounds filtering through whilst Steve’s guitar work dances over it.
Because of the dextrous nature of Steve Howe’s playing, the music is always going to stand out. There is always a classiness behind the playing, with an intensity and desire, even after all these years, to produce a stand-out performance.
The man still clearly has a drive and desire to produce the best that he can, and in this album, Steve Howe makes a clear statement of his intent to produce a masterclass in virtuoso guitar playing.
Steve Howe – Guitarscape – Can be pre-ordered from here.
