Joseph Arthur's production brings a "Dizzying, Whimsical, Heartfelt, and Simple" collaboration
by PARODISTA!
A lot of words come to mind when trying to write a review for the new Greg Connors CD: dizzying, whimsical, heartfelt, simple. If the late Syd Barrett had recovered and let Beck produce his comeback album, this is probably what it would have sounded like: a mishmash of styles, moods, sounds and colors, forming a gooey center that is hard to describe.
There are three main components to the songs: simple guitar, complex (but earthy) lyrics and eclectic musicianship. For example, the track "Amasakist" features a simple Lou Reed riff, Casio drum machines and lyrics that deal with masochism and Benadryl, among other things. To add to the schizoid feel of the song, the lyrics are spoken in one speaker and "sung" in the other, all topped off with a drunken cheerleader punctuating the really groovy parts. “Heading Home from a Funeral” is a YouTube classic waiting to happen, with trashy, garage drums pounding out a beat that is just begging for someone to groove in front of their webcam.
It should also be noted that Connors’ collaborator on the album is producer/friend Joseph Arthur. The two men met while Connors was working at a burrito joint in Atlanta, and their conversations progressed from salsa and heartburn medication to relationships, drugs, and music. Arthur’s subtle pedal steel playing on the dreamy “Lodge” proves that he is more than just a knob twiddler on this project, much in the vein of the Daniel Lanois/Bob Dylan collaboration on 1997’s “Time Out of Mind.”
The album has a good sound, while retaining the feel of two guys recording in their apartment on a reel-to-reel. There is an intimacy in a song such as “Regards” that would have made Nick Drake take notice. The programmed drums and beats that permeate the album add a bit of kitsch value, while simultaneously making the songs seem more personal, and untouched by too many hands.
--------Jon Dawson, Performer Magazine
