The name conjures an array of contrasting images, but none really that suggests the thoughtful country/folk created by Pete Uhlenbruch, with the help of a number of guests to his mobile studio setup. Recorded in locations across Germany, Iceland and the UK, it leads the listener to many different mindspaces, too.
Picked acoustic guitar provides the main instrumentation for the album, but the deft arrangements incorporate distant synth whispers, backed-off rhythms and countless details that bring substance and depth to the overtly sparse and inwardly-focused compositions.
‘The Hypnotist’ finds Uhlenbruch going under and exploring the monsters and demons in his mind amidst abstract images and birds in flight. What sounds very the clip-clop of a coconut gives an unusual percussion to ‘Closer Now’ and exemplifies the ways in which Uhlenbruch approaches his music-making from different and sometimes unusual angles. There’s almost a gospel element to the gently uplifting post-rock of ‘Shelter’, and ‘Restless’ subtly builds atmosphere, something the album isn’t short on.
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Owls of the Swamp Online
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