While being the original sonic format, instrumental music is still fairly unique these days. The vocals are often replaced with rhythms and arrangements while the vibe and feeling can come off as organic, but in a somewhat mystical way. It’s the art of communicating without words and it’s more open-ended and substantial than one might initially think. A solid example of this is the album “Lower Bound” by the Providence based songwriter Nolan Wells. The record that came out on December 31 (aka New Year’s Eve) simply has him playing an electric guitar with the sound quality being outstanding.

For some background info on Wells, he operates a local furniture collection and custom woodworking studio called Wellsbuilt. This endeavor is inspired by various types of furniture design, ranging from Shaker to Mid-Century to Scandinavian. He learned how to do this type of stuff at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine and he mainly works with renewably sourced hardwoods that have a natural oil finish. Peruse through his website at wellsbuilt.co and you’ll see that he’s no stranger to working with his hands while conveying his imagination through this approach. With this being said, it only makes sense that he’s also a musician.

One consistent characteristic that’s present throughout “Lower Bound” is how it’s very cinematic. Songs like “Desire Path”, “Continue As Guest” and “Sun Reunion” could easily be included in the soundtrack to a film. The type of flick could range from a drama to a romantic comedy to a documentary and I think the way this album sparks these kinds of thoughts is a testament to its effect on the senses. I enjoyed listening to “Walking Man” and “Thankful” as well and I think Wells’ approach to guitar is fantastic. To get the full essence, I highly recommend giving the full-length a listen from the first note onward.

To do exactly that, log on to Wells’ Bandcamp page at nolanwells.bandcamp.com. Half of the songs run under the two minute mark, so if you’re looking for something quick to dive into that’s also abundant in quality, then this album is ideal. It’s always cool to discover people who are multi-talented and I’m glad that I found Wells’ music while surfing the internet. After giving this record a listen, I’m sure that you’ll feel a similar way. The best way to do so is by plugging in, turning the volume up a bit and pressing play.