Intensifications

Ignore the cover propaganda about Marin raga-folk (whatever that is). Banjo and guitar produce music that is solidly rooted in an American bluegrass tradition, with occasional blues and (okay) Indian inflections. According to the liner notes, these guys exist on some far-out vibrational plane, but don’t be afraid; they can play music good anyway. I especially like track 4.
1: Amorphous beginning segues into bluegrass-style guitar pickin’, with occasional barely detectable Indian inflections. (2:53)
2: Slow, soft, and meditative. Pleasant, but lacks unity and direction. I guess the little slidey guitar flourishes are supposed to be the raga part. (5:15)
3: Less quiet, more upbeat. Nice bad-ass bluesy rhythms going on. (3:44)
4: Like the guitar part of some Scotch-Appalachian ballad. Minor, fast, and tense. Harmonies gain density, then music subsides pleasingly at the end. (6:26)
5: Begins softly but jauntily, with tinny pluckings. Appalachia again, but not so minor. (4:16)
6: Sounds like a more ornamented “Black Jack Davey.”(4:25)
7: Sparse and plucky. More use of non-western scales. (9:06)
-Kathryn