A Son

The first solo LP in six years from Mark Nelson (Labradford, Anjou) moves away from abstract soundscapes and toward warm, loose songs. Mostly very soft, with some spoken baritone vocals. Lots of gorgeous electric guitars, droning textures, and hammered dulcimer. Subtle and beautiful. RIYL Zelienople, Scott Tuma, Loren Connors. Favorites: 2, 5, 6, 9. No FCCs detected.

1. (1:45)—Instrumental. Very slow hammer dulcimer.
2. *(7:34)—Slow, bucolic minor-key guitar. Very gradual build, melancholy, low-lit. "I'm away from home, I'm away from home."
3. (3:39)—Instrumental. Gentle glitch textures, metronome beat, watery slow solo guitar.
4. (3:33)—Mid-tempo, unexpectedly upbeat for this context, but still misty in feel.
5. *(2:51)—Instrumental. Chimes, soothing descending guitar loop.
6. *(6:54)—Slow fifties ballad guitar through a Twin Peaks haze, echoing vocals. Melancholy but hopeful.
7. (4:56)—Busier and noisier, with lumbering Neil Young soloing and glitch textures.
8. (2:31)—Instrumental. More hammer dulcimer, more active than track 1.
9. *(6:32)—Instrumental. Very loose Shenandoah cover, dedicated to Heather Heyer. Slow and gentle, serene and unguardedly emotive, strong Scott Tuma feel.