Chequerboard – Souvenir – Album Review
by Killian Laher

This is John Lambert’s fifth album, recording under the name Chequerboard.  Not a man who likes to move quickly, it’s been ten years since The Unfolding, a highpoint in his discography.

Koyo starts off quietly with wintry, looped guitars, which develops gradually into a gorgeous piece.  It’s followed by the stately The Art of Friendship, which does its thing quietly yet it’s highly uplifting.  There’s plenty of space in the music, Vermilion allows in some ambient noise, and Red Admiral is pretty sparse but Lambert weaves his intricate guitar patterns into a soul-stirring melody.

In the middle of the album, True North is a proper epic and one of the finest things Lambert has done.  Layering guitar parts onto each other, just when you start to succumb to its charms, he adds a keyboard part that lifts it to even greater heights.  Lambert is an accomplished musician, it’s hard not to marvel at his guitar technique on Imperial Finery.  Later, some gorgeous strings accompany his guitar on The Raised Glass.  The final track, Military Road is a bit of a departure, after two minutes of guitar and strings, propulsive keyboards get louder and louder, taking the piece into a post-rock direction, ending with the sound of the wind.

Take time out to sit with this one, away from the noise and hubbub of the ‘day to day’.  Although instrumental, it’s absolutely not background music.  More subtle than the Unfolding but take your time with it and it’s just as rewarding.  It’s available here.

Vermilion