Gunk

PHELAN SHEPPARD - HARP'S OLD MASTER, CD, 2006, THE LEAF LABEL, U.K.

Cascading beauty from electro-acoustic troubadors, Keiron Phelan and David Sheppard, hot on the heels of the duo's other project, State River Widening (with percussionist Jon Steele) and their record, Cottonhead (released a year prior to this release), Phelan Sheppard have dug deep into the emotional recesses of their psyches to produce a finely crafted and gorgeously stunning long-player. Plenty of bells and whistles on this one amidst the simplicity of the acoustics and the occasional Spanish vocal contributions from an uncredited female vocalist, there is a lot of rich texture derived from a multitude of organic and electronic instruments really satisfying the palette of the 'adventuresome' listener. Nice blends of found-sound, and other twinkles and scrapes coalesce into music for both the heart and the head. Tracks like, The Weaving Song and Lady Never City create a mood of intrigue and mystery, then have it all come crumbling down with unnerving beauty. Sure there are plenty of strings, and if you're the type who doesn't want to succumb to the predictable heart-string tuggings that said instruments usually shoot for, it's never used too blatant or generically just to provoke those responses. Phelan Sheppard is a collaboration that sounds wholly of it's own, and gently carves out a nice niche in the electro-acoustic scene. I am looking forward to what this group has to offer in the not-too distant future, but in the meantime I hope they take their time at crafting something that was as free-thinking and flowy as this superb excursion.

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LANDING - SPHERE, CD, 2004, K RECORDS, USA

Husband and wife duo, Aaron and Adrienne Snow, comprise the 'core' of the 'slowcore' outfit known as Landing, and on Sphere, their fourth record and second for K, the ethereal qualities shine through over carefully arranged minimalist guitar, sparse drumming, space synths and hovering vocals. What makes Sphere an interesting record is how involved everything sounds; every synth-wash, repetitious guitar rhythm and wind-carried voice add to the construction of something supremely beautiful, and right when it peaks, the whole damn thing melts away into oblivion, only to be carried off by some acoustic pluckery or synth horizon-drifting. If you're one of the hazy types that doesn't mind getting lost in the aural blankets that this group wraps its listeners in, then Sphere might be the drug-induced answer to your Saturday post-afternoon boredoms.

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