And as you’d expect from a band named Assembly of Dust (think Dust Bowl, think dust-unto-dust mortality, think down-to-earth and back-to-nature), there are acoustic guitars and moaning pedal steel guitars and a wheezy organ, and a decidedly American inflection in Genauer’s vocals. But this is one versatile band: on tracks like “Honest Hour,” lead guitarist Adam Terrell gets downright country, though elsewhere (dig the opening of “Truck Farm”) he gets a little psychedelic fuzztone. Keyboardist Nate Wilson can do honky-tonky piano as easily as trippy organ solos, and he gets doggone funky on my other favorite track on this album, "Whistle Clock" (Wilson’s nimble riffs are one of the best things about this record, by the way -- most of all because they never overstay their welcome).
It makes me wonder why this album hangs together as well as it does – how do all these disparate elements fuse so well? It’s not a new sound they’ve got, and not a retro sound either. It’s just …
Oh, maybe I should just shut up and enjoy it. When I listened to it intently, in Diligent Reviewer mode, this record puzzled me. But when I put it on in the car and just drove? It made perfect sense. When I put it on in the kitchen to help me chop and dice, my other other favorite track, "40 Reasons", got me dancing around the stove. Life suddenly seemed good.
Recollection works the way music is supposed to – through the right brain. Take it out for a spin and you’ll see what I mean.
Article comments
1 - your wiki guide
when was the Assembly of Dust - Recollection released? you say, it's kinda' old fave?
But nice review, i would love to hear their songs...
2 - Holly Hughes
It just SEEMS like an old fave, but the CD is brand-new, released March 6, 2007. In fact, AOD is touring to promote Recollection right now, so you may be able to catch them in your area.