Deep in Simplicity

Music criticism is as much about timing as anything else. One’s likes and dislikes change over time and even one’s moods can determine what one likes today or tomorrow, even hour by hour. Beat Lizard’s Dylan Orchard has tweeted how on some days the music just doesn’t catch him which I think has to be a common problem for music bloggers. How does one write day in and day out about music, listen to much more than he/she writes about, and still make it fresh? I’m still trying to figure that one out. It is  a constant battle to stay vibrant.

Enjoying Swaying Smoke’s High Tension Wires (Doma Data) is a direct result of me pushing my musical listening to many genres, for instance dub yesterday. I first reviewed James Lowery’s (aka Swaying Smoke) back in September with the PublicSpacesLab release, From Ruin to Bliss. In that review I said that From Ruin to Bliss was “a big album. Big in length, big in sound and big in ideas.” High Tension Wires is minimalist in comparison. Only 13 minutes long, the ambient drones are smooth and haunting. James Lowery teases the track to a fullness of ambient flavor, deep in simplicity and softness. I look forward to Lowery’s two(?!) upcoming releases on PublicSpaces Lab.