***Amish Records is proud to release the vinyl edition of Fractures on the Horizon, the latest album from British fingerstyle guitar virtuoso James Blackshaw. Originally digitally self-released on Bandcamp by James in February 2026, Fractures on the Horizon comprises two compositions totaling nearly 40 minutes of music. The title track—a sweeping 25-minute piece performed in an open tuning—finds Blackshaw at his most commanding, weaving hammered arpeggios and resonant melody into something at once technically staggering and deeply felt. The second piece, "Three Interlopers," shifts into hypnotic drone territory, rounding out the record with an unexpected and unsettling power.The album marks Blackshaw's second release since his return from a near-decade-long hiatus, following Unraveling in Your Hands, which arrived on Amish Records in 2025. Written, performed, and recorded entirely by Blackshaw, Fractures on the Horizon confirms his place as one of the most singular voices in contemporary acoustic music.“...the 25-minute title song might be his most boldly beautiful composition yet, a bravura performance for guitar alternating between slow, Aching melody and dazzling streams of strings” - UNCUT 8/10“These two compositions add up to a gorgeous odyssey, showing off not just Blackshaw's technical prowess but his ear for drama and dynamics. And when you realize the second track is an incredible drone exercise, your appreciation for Blackshaw might grow deeper still”. - Stereogum
LP $27.75
09/04/2026
***As long-time admirers of his six and twelve-string wizardry, Amish Records is very excited to announce the release of James Blackshaw’s (kinda) new album, Unraveling In Your Hands. Originally released digitally in November 2024, solely on James’ Bandcamp.The album marks the first music James has released since his self-imposed hiatus in 2016. After much personal tumult including a broken shoulder, the loss of his job and the death of his beloved dog Dexter, James finally felt the pull back to music. He begun to work, not even knowing if his injury would allow him to play the guitar, and then, late last year Unraveling In Your Hands quietly appeared.The title track is the album’s center piece, a 27-minute meditation of precise guitar phrasings and shimmering harmonics, recorded in a single take. In UNCUT, Jon Dale says it’s “an unrelenting, hypnotic stream of shivering strings, tiny flecks of light dazzling as you plunge deep into the repetition, while following a snaky melody through the thickets—is certainly unforgettable.” “Dexter" is a somber piece with a minimal organ melody enveloped by droning woodwinds and scratching strings provided by multi-instrumentalist and long- time collaborator, Charlotte Glasson. Finally, "Why Keep Still?" moves back into familiar sonic territory with fingerpicked guitar accompanied by rolling piano notes. Pitchfork gave the album an 8.0 rating, stating, "The lucidity and beauty of this music feels hard-won, something to revere and cherish."
LP $27.35
08/01/2025