28-01-2019, 19:21
WILLIAM TYLER ~ Goes West
![[Image: image.jpg?c=_CPClbj6-ezK2mrkBELtkZhUoDg0...oO-nA=&f=5]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=_CPClbj6-ezK2mrkBELtkZhUoDg0hsvx4F4sL4oO-nA=&f=5)
I don’t know how to describe this music – Discogs classifies it as Rock, Folk, World & Country which I suppose is fairly accurate, lol! While AMG says it’s Alternative Folk/Alternative Rock/Indie Folk – pick whichever you prefer – I’m going with them all.
Let’s see – it’s instrumental and William Tyler (whom I’ve been sadly oblivious to, up to now but who has been widely lauded for his albums Impossible Truth and Modern Country) wrote the lot and plays a superbly inventive acoustic guitar which is cleverly never lost in the mix; the drums and percussion are fabulous – really nice and lively without being over the top, there are some unusual and interesting sounds showing up and Bill Frisell appears on one track which is a good indicator of the general quality of the album, IMHO. I suppose Michael Hedges might be a close-ish ‘sounds like’ except there are additional instruments involved on Tyler’s releases whereas Hedges was just one who sounded like three different instruments at a time!
Taking a look at William Tyler’s pedigree, I see he hails from a musical family, Nashville, and that he was in Lambchop and Silver Jews before launching his solo career. I like the arrangements – this seems to me like serious music that isn’t taking itself too seriously and which is also not too flippant; melodic, modern but not contrived, refreshing and airy. I’m hearing influences from all over the place – Africa, India, Latin America, the Celts – most enjoyable, and I like his unpretentious style. Think I’m going to have to get this. The cover artwork tells a story and the title speaks to his relocation west, from Nashville to California.
Might have chosen the opener "Alpine Star", or "Call Me When I'm Breathing Again" but that's not available, and this would be my third choice …
I don’t know how to describe this music – Discogs classifies it as Rock, Folk, World & Country which I suppose is fairly accurate, lol! While AMG says it’s Alternative Folk/Alternative Rock/Indie Folk – pick whichever you prefer – I’m going with them all.
Let’s see – it’s instrumental and William Tyler (whom I’ve been sadly oblivious to, up to now but who has been widely lauded for his albums Impossible Truth and Modern Country) wrote the lot and plays a superbly inventive acoustic guitar which is cleverly never lost in the mix; the drums and percussion are fabulous – really nice and lively without being over the top, there are some unusual and interesting sounds showing up and Bill Frisell appears on one track which is a good indicator of the general quality of the album, IMHO. I suppose Michael Hedges might be a close-ish ‘sounds like’ except there are additional instruments involved on Tyler’s releases whereas Hedges was just one who sounded like three different instruments at a time!
Taking a look at William Tyler’s pedigree, I see he hails from a musical family, Nashville, and that he was in Lambchop and Silver Jews before launching his solo career. I like the arrangements – this seems to me like serious music that isn’t taking itself too seriously and which is also not too flippant; melodic, modern but not contrived, refreshing and airy. I’m hearing influences from all over the place – Africa, India, Latin America, the Celts – most enjoyable, and I like his unpretentious style. Think I’m going to have to get this. The cover artwork tells a story and the title speaks to his relocation west, from Nashville to California.
Might have chosen the opener "Alpine Star", or "Call Me When I'm Breathing Again" but that's not available, and this would be my third choice …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson