Glenn Jones
"This Is the Wind That Blows It Out" CD
Strange
Attractors Audio House
Genres: acoustic folk, instrumental
Strange Attractors
PO Box 13007
Portland OR
97213-0007
Sep 26 - Oct 3 2004 |
For more than a decade, Cul De Sac have been challenging
listeners with their own brand of genre-defying contemporary
"experimental rock" music, taking elements of every genre
imaginable to create their own unique sound. No strangers to
melody, the band has always succeeded where others have slipped -
although they explore the outer edges of "pop" music, their
music rarely becomes boring or self-indulgent. Accessibility
seems to come hand-in-hand with the group's creative vision, and this
is why they've become considerably more popular than much of their
ilk. But solo projects are tricky things. If a band avoids being
pretentious and self-serving, it's often the job of the so-called
"side project" to satisfy these instinctual
tendencies. Picking up This Is the Wind That Blows It Out
for the first time, I was considerably wary - Glenn Jones, one
of Cul De Sac's founding members, and a particularly talented
guitarist, could have easily used this release to indulge every one of
his musical fantasies (deviant or not). Fortunately, he takes the high road,
instead using this album as an
exploration of one of his long-running obsessions - instrumental
acoustic guitar folk. Homage is paid to the usuals - among
others, Robbie Basho and Jim Fahey (there's a song
entitled "Fahey's Car") - and the resulting compositions are
simply stunning, performed with passion and skillful ease.
"The Doll Hospital," over eight minutes in duration,
could be This Is the Wind's best moment. It is a slow,
winding folk piece, highlighted by downtrodden, moody melodies and a
campfire-esque ambiance. The album-opening title-track is also
quite successful, based mostly on quirkily plucked chords, and
"Sphinx Unto Curious Men," Wind's longest
composition, uses its delicately low-key nature to foster
self-reflection.
This Is the Wind That Blows It Out is certainly an
exploratory release for Glenn Jones. He experiments with
his instrument, trying out different tunings and working with various moods and sounds. But what could so easily become dry
and inaccessible instead turns out entirely pleasant. This
Is the Wind is a rewarding, though admittedly inessential, listen.
86%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
8 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
