When
Phil Sheeran burst onto the instrumental scene in 1990 with the Top 5 radio smash
Breaking Through, his melodic, Brazilian-tinged strings seemed to perfectly capture the subtle intimacies and breezy boisterousness the acoustic guitar is noted for. After a several year layoff following the similar success of his follow-up
Standing on Fishes,
Sheeran is back for the long haul with the eclectic excitement of
It's a Good Thing, a collection that also marks the debut release from the artist-friendly label Passage Records. One of the most identifiable strands running through his first two albums was
Sheeran's great love for Brazilian music and rhythms, which were cultivated through years of studying the greats like
Luiz Bonfá and
Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as a six-month stint living in the South American country. But on
It's a Good Thing, which was co-produced by keyboardist
Gregg Karukas and features key all-star contributions from saxman
Eric Marienthal and percussionist
Luis Conte,
Sheeran reflects different inspirations in his life, as well as the fact that he hasn't been to Brazil in over ten years. An effective addition to the
Sheeran sound is the textural element of soundscaping throughout tunes like the multi-phasic "More Questions," which shifts tempo several times as it winds from romantic to edgy and improvisational, and "Sounds Like Rain," a pensive, reflective gem opening with thunderstorm effects and capturing moodswings with the far-off muted trumpet flavors of
Jay Thomas. The warm, breezy smoothness which became
Sheeran's trademark takes over from there, with a healthy spray of tunes ranging from uplifting ("Everything's Alright," which features the guitarist sparring with
Marienthal's alto in a silky duality) and high gear frolicsome ("Telephone Tag" co-written with
Karukas) to coy and subtle ("One Left Slipper"). A live, organic feel prevails, with the frisky edges of "The Spin" -- featuring
Marienthal,
Karukas,
Luis Conte, and
Elektric band drummer Gary Novak -- summing up all-star interplay at its finest. The tender "Friends," on the other hand, strips down to the lush duo of
Sheeran and the beautiful ivory sound of
Tom Kellock. ~ Jonathan Widran