Now a member of Frenchy and the Punk (formerly the Gypsy Nomads) and once a member of punk groups Deep Wound (with Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis and Lou Barlow) and Outpatients, Scott Helland worked for a time as a solo artist, writing and performing intricate acoustic guitar pieces with and without various guitar effects. It’s an intense, mystical world he creates. Elliptical guitar lines that reflect a Celtic-medieval influence float into the night air. “Travelin’ Band of Gypsy Nomads” has a British folk feel. “A Free Ride to the Sun” features thrilling guitar weaves and a headstrong rhythm. “Spanish Castles Made of Magic Sand” evokes Jimi Hendrix in its title and then presses on in its own direction, a provoking tune of hearty fingerpicking. “Harry Callahan Meets Josey Wales” hints at a Western showdown. “Celestial Reasons” trips towards a meditational pose, too muscular for New Age, but still an easeful, restful piece. Helland is that rare instrumentalist who can be both pleasing to the ear and challenging to the mind. He doesn’t fit into easy genre categorization. He’s a self-made original.