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Don Moore: Breathless
CD: Breathless
by M. Alberto Rivera
Don Moore’s instrumental guitar album Breathless plays like the soundtrack to an independent film set in the desert, with a thin plot and only two actors capable of delivering a believable line. Moore’s a capable guitar player but his songwriting is all sort of the same; 16 immediately forgettable tracks of soaring Satriani-isms, and uninspired two hand tapping.
Again if this music was set against the desert tableau of a burnt orange setting sun while our protagonist contemplates how to fix his car, rescue the girl and keep his hair looking perfect, well we wouldn’t have time to notice how non-descript and plain this all is.
Most of the songs are on the slow side of mid-tempo, presumably to add weight and an overly sincere mood to the overwhelming emotions running through Moore’s fingertips as he repeatedly subjects his guitar to the same sort of tired histrionics in each and every track.
The thumping bass which introduces and drives yet another slow song, Love Don’t Lie, works better than on the other songs. The playing on You and Me stands out, but yet again is dragged down by a tedious, backing track we’ve already heard 9 times at this point. Maybe his drum machine is broken and this is the only tempo available to Moore. This doesn’t seem to deter him from the task of filling this CD with songs.
The backing tracks are fairly basic and sound as if they were done with all the enthusiasm most people bring with them for a long overdue root canal. Don Moore’s fondness for the 80’s isn’t merely limited to mimicking the sound of George Lynch. His CD cover is adorned with really big letters, both pointy and curling, with vaguely olde English font spelling out the title Breathless.
13 tracks in, Moore unexpectedly picks up the tempo, if not the guitar playing, and burns through with Blindsided. It squawks and squeals like the 80’s rocker it is. But it’s too little too late. Breathless will leave you bored and possibly exasperated, and is as exciting as watching paint fade.
Catch up with Don Moore on any of the following: