Steve Gunn’s album, “Way Out Weather”, is impressive without
being showy, catchy without a single hook, and mellow without being dull. It’s also like s whole guitar store playing
at once – many of the songs feature picking, strumming, sliding and fingering
guitars working together to build a sound that is somehow always comfortable
and controlled.
Many of the songs swell from a single guitar into a wall of
sound, but the instruments step in so naturally that you don’t notice until
suddenly you’re in the middle of a rock song jamming to a a full band. It’s well-crafted, lush and welcoming.
Unlike last week’s Dwight Yoakam album, there’s not a song
here that will make you want to belt our your own version in the car or shower. This isn’t a case of lyrics plus music
equaling a song – the lyrics are part of the sound, and the whole thing fits
together.
This is a moody album, with a hint of foreboding but not a
lot of action. It is atmospheric and
pensive. You catch an occasional line of
the lyrics murmured, but in at least 5 listens, I never caught enough to get a sense of what the lyrics were really saying.
That’s not to say that they’re not good lyrics – “Never look down at
what you need to do” appears in the final track, and you get the sense that
Steve Gunn takes pride in his workmanship without feeling the need to scream
into a microphone.
With the relaxed pacing and intricate instrumentals, this
album recalls to me long hours of sitting around a dorm room listening to Steve
Winwood or the Dead, enjoying the company of friends and perhaps a mood
enhancer. There’s nothing here to harsh
the mellow.
I read a review somewhere refer to this album as “mope
folk”. I don’t think that’s a fair
description, but I know what he means.
Gunn tends to drop his voice at the end of lines as though lapsing back
into quiet is as important as speaking.
It’s the opposite of “up-talking”, and it lends a world-weary inflection to the
songs.
Several of the songs hint at environmental concerns, and the
album cover features a huge stack of refuse, but there’s not going to be a call
to action in this mellow collection of songs.
Instead of “fight the power!”, you get more of a head shake and a
mumbled “bummer” out of this effort.
If you want an album you can shut your eyes to and just
listen to sonic layers of well-worked guitar, you will love this one. I’m going to a festival this summer where he
will be performing, and I am really looking forward to seeing him live. He’s a hell of a musician, and I bet the
crowd will be a real trip.
Over at Deliberate
Obfuscation, Robin writes an amazingly similar review. We didn’t discuss this album at all before
writing our pieces, but you could accuse us of plagiarism in our
write-ups. Too funny!
Next up: Too Bright, by Perfume Genius
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