Home  Bio and History  Discography/ Music  Press  News Archive  Links  Words  Contact

Rating-- 3/2 stars out of five:

"Recorded between 2000 and 2007, Night Songs is a concept album that traces the course of one night. No narrative is specified, but song titles like "Into the Abyss" and "The Thief Is Caught" imply foul play. Using a music store's worth of instrumentation, the album's moods are varied; its tracks admirably suggest specific "times" (10pm, 11pm, etc.). The overall feel, though, is '70s psychedelia. Fuzzed-out electric guitars, delicate acoustic ones, primal drums, and moody keys bob and weave in various combinations. "Sonic Maelstrom" starts the story at 9:30pm with heavy riffs and mystical chants. The album then darkens, going "Into the Abyss" at 10:30pm with breathy vocal harmonies that evoke a drugged-out Simon & Garfunkel. Around midnight, bluesy jamming seeps in, evoking Under the Wishing Tree-era Charlie Sexton. Widescreen strings, lonely acoustic picking, and haunted house organ then place Pink Floyd in a David Lynch film. The production pans instruments in unusual locations; this is a soundtrack, not a collection of songs. Around five in the morning, the album brightens somewhat. Wickedly pulsing washes and acoustic jangles lead to gorgeous clean tones and winsome noodling. The denoument feels indefinite, woozy, like waking up from a strange dream."

Best viewed at 1024 X 768 pixels resolution

Contact: