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review by Bill Binkelman Given how much I have enjoyed the previous two recordings I reviewed from Anthony Wright (a.k.a. Ashera), We:Gaia and Cobalt 144, I was hoping for something special on Sextant, his teaming up with ambient wunderkind Brannan Lane. After several playings, I regret to state that I'm underwhelmed with the results. Not that Sextant is particularly bad (after all, both of these artists have talent, which is obvious if you have heard their solo recordings). It's at least workmanlike and proficient. However, I have to wonder why Wright's strong suits are absent from this recording. On his two previous efforts, the Australian Wright revealed a wonderfully unique take on ambient music, crafting minimal Tim Story-like melancholy soundscapes via synthesizers, guitar, and some of the most evocative recorded wordless vocals in recent memory (courtesy of some fabulous women vocalists). So, why doesn't Sextant move me? Part of it may be how softly the recording was engineered. Paradoxically, at least in my opinion, the liner notes state: "Please play at lower levels." Ye gods! Unless you live in the middle of nowhere in utter silence, have a well-insulated listening room, or use headphones, I don't think you'll hear much of anything at low levels. It wasn't until I turned this recording's playback volume up fairly high that I heard the complexity of the CD's mix, which to be honest, is pretty damn impressive. That still doesn't take care of the fact that what is most absent on Sextant is some sense of humanity behind the music (which has been one of Wright's real fortés up to now). Lane, on the other hand, has been involved with other whispery-thin recordings in the past, but he has usually been balanced out by someone else like Zero Ohms, who infuses their collaborations with soul and life. Here, it's as if Lane and Wright decided to both submerge their musical elements beneath layer upon layer of shimmering tones, drones, textural sounds, and almost oppressive atmospheric effects. And maybe that's the point, which means that there is nothing wrong at all with Sextant, just that I don't particularly care for it. Given the track titles ("A Very Large Sail," "Old Ghost Ship," "Budd's Boat," "Sextant," and "The Navigator") it's easy to infer that the music should have a watery, floating, adrift characteristic, which it most certainly has, especially the last. The assorted washes tones, and effects (produced via Wright's keyboards and 12-string mid guitar and Lane's keyboards and treatments), all contribute to a sense of being lost and drifting on a windless sun-drenched sea. The lack of wind is communicated by an utter lack of drama or sense of movement in the music, although saying there is a lack of drama is somewhat inaccurate as some tracks (notably "Old Ghost Ship") fairly oozes eerie atmosphere. "Budd's Boat" is also dark and spooky, albeit suffused with a certain sense of beauty. The title track may be the sparsest thing here, with several types of tones breaking apart and coalescing as the fifteen-minute piece unfolds at an extremely leisurely pace. Finally, on "The Navigator" some more overt musical tracings are heard amidst the drifting tones and drones, such as twinkling bells and watery droplets of melody. Preconceptions and expectations apparently hurt my appreciation of Sextant. As I write this review, I realize that there are some valid reasons to praise this recording, including the way that the assorted ambient elements combine to produce a "whole" that is evocative and atmospheric. Unfortunately, the overall static nature of the album, and the lack of more "real" musical touches, as well as my frustration at its subdued recording level which necessitates headphone listening (in my opinion) mean that I am less inclined to reach for it now after I have reviewed it. Maybe in time I will revisit it and change my mind. I hope so, as I think the kernel of a great album is hidden in there somewhere. |
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