If there's one thing I like to hear pop up on my music library from time to time, at least when I'm in one of those shuffle moods, is acoustic music. Listening to a few heavy tracks back to back is pretty awesome, but sometimes it's nice to listen to something chilled back and relaxed. Some bands make acoustic versions of their material, and some will go as far as to make acoustic EP's/albums, which is just as awesome. But what if you wanted to make an album that was meant to work strictly in the acoustic style? This is where LARS ERIC MATTSON comes in. Originally from the Aland Islands in Finland, Lars started out as a bass player but switched to electric guitar and played in a few cover bands before focusing on composing his own songs. In 1985, Mike Varney of Guitar Player Magazine and Shrapnel Records found Lars, and two years later in 1987, the four track vinyl EP "Can't Go On Without Your Love" was released. Since then, Lars has recorded and performed on numerous albums including solo and tribute albums, and with other bands including VISION, ASTRAL GROOVE, ELI, ROADHOUSE and CONDITION RED to name a few.

From 2008-2014, Lars began to toy around with the idea of releasing an all acoustic record, and over a six year period, he began composing songs that were specifically designed to be played in an acoustic style. 2015 saw the release of this all acoustic record, entitled "Songs From A Different Room". Clocking in at around 44 minutes long, this new all acoustic album from Lars Eric Mattsson starts off with a song called "All We've Got" which gives you a little taster as to what to expect from the album. Its acoustic sound, complete with soulful mellow vocals and a rather unique guitar style that sounds like a combination of Spanish and Flamenco (which I know is technically the same thing, but you get the idea). From there, we get nine more songs that show off Lars's unique and intricate sound, which is unlike anything I've heard before. Some of the songs use a variety of arrangements and styles to deliver some truly unique sounding songs. Some of which feature strings to accompany the acoustic melodies adding an extra touch to the already unique sound. Some noteworthy tracks that showcase this unique sound include: "Keep Pushing Me On", "Hold On", "Just Let It Rain", "Shadow of Doubt" and "Sweet Taste of Mystery".

As far as the songwriting goes, the songs are all well crafted and each have their own distinct sound . There are a couple of moments where it falls a little short, but only in a few areas. For the most part, it's not such a big problem as there are plenty of unique elements in the music that make you forget about any shortfalls it may have. The production and mixing are also done pretty well, bringing out the best in each of this albums 10 songs. The same is also true for the performance, which is very impressive, Lars's guitar melodies are very much in a class of their own. Bottom line, the first all acoustic album from LARS ERIC MATTSSON is an experiment that has certainly paid off well, there are some really likable songs on this album, and I would definitely be okay with a second one if it ever happened. If you've heard his previous material then you'll be in for a treat, but for newcomers to his music such as myself, this is a good place to start.