Track listing: Flicker of the Forgotten, Room for Me, Room for You, Still Here, The Shape of Silence, What I'll Never Hold, Within the Flame, Maria

So many albums come across my desk and into my Inbox--all genres, styles, quality, eras. Something I enjoy most about having kept Coyote Music running for the past 30 years is the continuing opportunity to hear new sounds. So when Δƒ appeared, I wasn't sure what to think. I recalled from school that "Delta F" translates into a 'change of frequency,' but what would this mean in the context of an album? A mask-donning guitarist from Sweden piqued my interest, though. I wrongly assumed something in the EDM realm. But when I hit play on "Flicker of the Forgotten," what I heard absolutely floored me.

The Δƒ album on YouTube includes words with each track. Not lyrics; more along the lines of a few sentences, phrases that provide insight into each song's meaning. "A quiet memory fighting to stay alive. This is the sound of something beautiful slipping away before it ever had the chance to begin." Holy shit! Gorgeous piano, soaring guitar leads, aggressive drum tracks, ebbs and flows of extreme musical dynamics. I'm immediately transported to the first time I listened to Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare. I'd never heard anything like it. Part Metal, part Prog, bits of Classical and Jazz. Maybe a dash of New Age?

What is clear is that Δƒ (the artist) is a private person. Very behind-the-scenes. Creating music for the sake of the music. There's no ego, no marketing campaign, and no desperation to be "the best" (whatever that means in the world of music). What I hear is self-expression in its rawest form. And musical excellence. Years of practice and training. Years of studying, be it formal or informal, the nuances of the guitar. The beauty of Jeff Beck's tone, the eccentricity of Buckethead's melodies, the licks of Kirk Hammett. Bits and pieces of the past 50 years of modern guitar virtuosity make themselves known throughout Δƒ (the album).

While only 8 songs and just over 35 minutes, Δƒ speaks volumes. Sadness, hope, loneliness, comfort, solace, survival, self-confidence and self-worth. It is an album worthy of your time and attention. Worthy of a share across social media. There is so much to be said in this day and age about the "fake" music--AI contrived artists, bands lip synching their arena shows. But what keeps us sane and helps define humanity is the creation of art that only our species can do. Whether it's a child's crude crayon drawings or a Renoir masterpiece, there is a beauty in the genuine honesty of a human expressing themselves through their art...merely for the sake of its expression. I'm reminded of this upon the conclusion of the album on YouTube, when we are left with Δƒ's closing statement. A simple and genuine:

THANKS FOR LISTENING