It's kind of hard to excerpt but here's a good bit:
The new album shares a good deal with older Brokeback material. There is, as before, an unhurried simplicity in the melodies, often played on six-string bass, which seems to be able to warm, polish and sustain the notes to a degree not possible on conventional bass or guitar. “Don’t Worry Pigeon,” in particular, has a lovely, languid resonance, every note rounded — no, let’s say fat — with lingering overtones. There is also a willingness to experiment with jazz-like time-signatures and textures. Check into “The Wire, the Rag and the Payoff” and you’ll think you’ve wandered over into Tortoise’s neighborhood, full of jutting, abstract architectures and off-kilter, unexpected melodic twists. It doesn’t take much to imagine the main guitar line on this track played by vibraphone, and the drumming, too, is free-form, irregular and very fine.
Read the whole thing here.
In other news, Sean had a session with a vocal coach last night to help him prepare for one musical theater audition, and he apparently has an unusually big range for a kid his age, 2 and 3/4 octaves, including a high C, which he is very proud of. I asked the coach if he had even the slightest chance of getting in, and she said "Sure, he's got a great voice, but it depends on what they're looking for." So that was a shot in the arm for Sean (and also me). He's doing the acting monologues for the head of his theater tonight in Brattleboro, so we'll see what he says and what, maybe, Sean can work on.
Also, I am becoming a little desperate about the lack of paid work I'm getting lately. I hear that we're coming out of the recession but this is the worst it's ever been for me personally in my line of work. If anyone has any ideas about what I could do for money, besides financial writing and (ha ha ha, money for this!) music writing, send them on. I have no idea what's going to happen to us if things don't turn around soon.
