Tucson

Howe Gelb propels Giant Sand further with a large band and adds an additional Giant to the name. It’s apt, as he employs a string section and horns. And he names the album after the Arizona town he’s lived in for years - Tucson. Giant Sand has been around for 30 years. This is an amalgam of sounds, rooted in Americana, alt-country - but much bigger that that - it’s Tex-Mex, jazz, spacey, Unique. Howe Gelb is a master songsmith. All songs are fantastic. No FCC’s.

*My Favorites*: All. Pick your own...

1. (3:21) Slow / Mid. Waltzy, mellow, ethereal, echoey vocals, nicely picked guitar, perc.
2. (6:26) Mid. Upbeat driver, big sublime sound w/ strings, horns, big drums, echoey vocals. Dramatic change, gets a bit mellower, then back. Tex-Mex.
3. (3:14) Slow. Spoken intro. Dreamy w/ pedal steel, shaker, back vocals.
4. (3:41) Mid. Big alt-country sound w/ plodding beat, pedal, great guitar.
5. (4:47) Slow. An amalgam of jazz, country - spacey. Very sparse and beautiful.
6. (4:04) Mid. Lots going on - country, tex-mex, rock, ethereal and challenging.
7. (4:21) Slow / Mid. Wow! WTF? Really ethereal-ish - heavenly - pedal, piano, brushes, strings, great, great vocal. Phenomenal....
8. (3:09) Mid. Driving, alt-country-ish, has that classic Johnny Cash beat.
9. (4:12) Mid. Dark vibe - Nick Cave-ish, harsher voice, hip drums, horns, guitar.
10. (3:30) Mid. ’50’s r’n’r, rockabilly, tex-mex, echoey, tambourine, female back vocals, spacey end.
11. (2:29) Mid. Late-night loungey jazz w/ sexy female vocal, fingersnaps, jazzy beat, piano, bass.
12. (1:40) Slow / Mid. Distant vocal start, then upfront w/ plodding berat, bluesy.
13. (2:29) Mid. Dreamy vibe, percussion, guitar.
14. (5:06) Slow / Mid. Pedal, brushes, hipster cool vibe, late-night jazz-ish.
15. (3:58) Mid. Cool understated reverby guitar, really hip, noir-ish. Killer.
16. (4:03) Slow. Piano dirge, very dark but hopeful lyric. Brushes, male / female vocals, trumpet.
17. (5:00) Mid / Fast. Rockin’, drivin’, lyrics in Spanish. Kick ass.
18. (3:23) Slow / Mid. Mellow, pedal, plodding beat. Beautiful.
19. (1:09) Slow / Mid. Mellow Lo-fi bluesy garage.