Harris Newman
"Non-Sequiturs" CD
Strange
Attractors Audio House
Genres: instrumental folk, experimental folk
Strange Attractors
PO Box 13007
Portland OR
97213-0007
Feb 2 - 8 2004 |
Harris Newman is Strange Attractors' latest roster member, and
like labelmate Steffen Basho-Junghans, his focus is on acoustic,
experimental folk, à la John Fahey and Eugene Chadbourne.
Though Newman is a Montrealer, and has ties to the
Constellation label (Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Fly Pan Am,
One-Speed Bike, etc.), this album is far from the usual CST/Kranky
fare. Instead, Non-Sequiturs is a cozy, homey record that
dares to experiment with the limitless possibilities the acoustic
guitar has to offer. The pieces on Non-Sequiturs are relatively short, falling
below the five minute mark most of the time - with the exception of the
fifteen minute epic, "Forest for the Trees." As can
predicted, this is also one of the album's best compositions; it sees Newman
enlisting the help of pal Bruce Cawdron on percussion. It
is easy to see the connections between Newman and Basho-Junghans
on this piece - their styles are similar such than a fan of one will
likely also enjoy the other.
The great thing about Non-Sequiturs is the amazing
atmospheres Newman creates, despite being armed with his acoustic guitar
alone. Anyone with an inkling of an attention span should be
able to relate to these pieces, which range from mesmerizingly
beautiful to beautifully mesmerizing.
Newman's Non-Sequiturs is a must for any
sophisticated music enthusiast. Words can't express how easily
this album can find a permanent station in your three-disc CD player.
88%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
