Customer Reviews

The Spectrum Between

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a long time fan Grubbs' various musical manifestations (from Squirrel Bait and Bastro to Gastr Del Sol and current solo output). Personally, I feel he reached his apex as a recording artist with the memorable Gastr Del Sol swansong, Camofleur. The new release is good. Not much more of an impression than that upon two recent close listenings. I think the strongest numbers by far are to be found on the first half of the record. The most disappointing fact for me was that most of the songs sounded quite similar. However, it still one of the more consistently 'alternative' pieces of recorded music to come out this year. I am not sure if that is praise for Grubbs or a lamentation for the paltry amount of good recordings to come out this year. I recommend it for those unfamiliar with the artist's previous works and seeking something a bit different. However, pick up Gastr del Sol stuff, too.

The wordplay and poetry/lyrics are great. I was glad they were legible unlike those included in THE THICKET. I wish you could just turn on the radio and hear songs like this on "light ninety something" stations because it is palatable enough musically to mix into the mainstream, singer-songwriter genre. At times I feel the vocals even sound like Christopher Cross. The music is mostly acoustic but with inventive rhythms and instrumentation. So what separates this from something like Dave Matthews Band or Bare Naked Ladies? Right now I'm too tired to describe why. Just trust the fact that this is the same genius behind the spazz-rockers Bastro (whom I'm convinced are the most underrated band ever) and Gastr Del Sol. No matter what Grubbs is involved with, it is almost always music that has never been created before.

I don't get why this was so hard to get. It wasn't in any local record stores, and everyone said, "It's coming." Finally, it arrived in one. I'll tell you what: he's great in concert. His record is also quite good, but there's something wonderful and extraordinary about when he plays alone (or with his CD player). I like the record a lot; someone should put out a Grubbs double live album (perhaps entitled 'LIVE Killer Queens.')

Tracks that ought be played on college radio include: 1,2,4,5,6,7,9. But especially 2,4,5,6. Not as much solo acoustic steel string guitar playing as I'd like (only track 5!), but the man can write a song.

Is 'Whirlweek' (#2) a song that criticizes cartesian coordinates? Or frame of references? I think so.

Éste es un hermoso nuevo disco de David Grubbs, en el que simplifica un poco la estructura de sus canciones, basándolas en un formato más tradicional, pero sin comprometer por ello la búsqueda de detalles sonoros interesantes, instrumentaciones originales y grandes espacios para la improvisación. Generalmente parecen relatos contados con cierta distancia, pero en cierto momento deja salir la energía, de modo sorpresivo, rompiendo una emotividad generalmente contenida (en ese sentido encuentro que este disco se parece un poco a los cuentos de Raymond Carver, donde parece que no estuviera sucediendo nada y está ocurriendo todo). Los textos, como de costumbre, son bastante originales, y se podría decir que tienen alguna relación con el surrealismo y el dadaísmo (por ejemplo, las enumeraciones en la canción final del disco). En definitiva, vemos que Grubbs no teme hacer canciones que a simple vista podrían parecer ingenuas, porque sabe dotarlas de una serie de recovecos, matices, pausas, desviaciones que las hacen fascinantes; todo, además, cubierto por un ligero tono de melancolía general.

P.D.: Junto a David Grubbs participan aquí Noël Akchoté, guitarra; Dan Brown y John McEntire, batería y percusiones; Daniel carter, trompeta; Mats Gustafsson, flueteophone y saxo; Charlie O, órgano y Quentn Rollet, saxo.