Chris Velan was trained as a classical guitarist as a child, and his instrumental skill is evident in the finger-style guitarwork on his new record, “Solidago,” a singer-songwriter’s collection of light, bouncy folk tunes. The music is so sweet and easy, as a matter of fact, that at first I wrote it off as fluff. But as the album continued, I found myself drawn in by songs that felt comfortable and familiar. Neither overly serious nor annoyingly whimsical, Velan’s songs might make you smile, might make you tap your toes, and might make you think of mint-rasberry iced tea. “Solidago” was produced by Tim Bluhm of The Mother Hips, and is named after late-blooming Goldenrod.
