Knitting By Twilight

"Riding the Way Back" EP

It's Twilight Time

Genre: instrumental

Providence, RI

November 2009

How to describe Knitting By Twilight most effectively? They are an instrumental rock band, per se, though that characterization hardly does justice to their sound. Employing several different guitars utilized in several different manners, along with bells, an extensive percussion section, and some keys for good measure, the band have concocted an intriguing and occasionally sublime little record here. The release is somewhat disjointed, owing to the EP's being built out of the detritus from their last album, An Evening Out of Town, though each song seems to tell its own story. Rooted in rock music, the band often strays from that - snagging elements of (free) jazz, electronic, World, and pure avant-gardery.

On Riding the Way Back, Knitting By Twilight often touches upon sheer bliss - for example on the alternating chaos and prettiness of "Shiver," or the brilliant Tangerine Dreaming of "Blue Ink for Fountain Pens." Unfortunately, other tracks are more interesting in spirit than they are in execution, including the formless free-jazz twiddling of "She's Here" and the quickly worn-thin "Twirling Guitars and Glad Tambourines." Because of this record's haphazard composition, I have had some trouble getting into it, and ten or so listens in, I'm not sure whether I can get my head around it. There's no doubt that these folks are inventive musicians, but I wouldn't recommend Riding the Way Back to anyone except those who've already digested and enjoyed Evening Out of Town.

knitting by twilight's myspace

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]