Out of Hand

Billy McLaughlin is another in a line of post-Michael Hedges, two-handed acoustic guitarists, whacking and thwacking their instruments with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and anything else to extend their range. On his latest album, Out of Hand, McLaughlin goes beyond the guitar, adding in drum machines for trip-hop grooves and global percussion from Steve Tibbetts's percussive partner, Marc Anderson. Toss in touches of electric guitar and keyboard, and McLaughlin's Out of Hand suddenly sets him apart from the Hedges wannabes. That works to his detriment on the overwrought workout of the Eagles' "Best of My Love" and the smooth-jazz bid of "Flying Dream." Those overproduced pieces are disappointing, given the way McLaughlin makes machine grooves sound rootsy with blues bends and country twangs on "Out of Hand" and "Midwatch." Yet the intricate movements of "Clockshop" and "Hold On to Forever" reveal a guitarist who is original in just picking his strings. --John Diliberto