Ephemera
Lyon Hill, 2024
9/10
The NYC guitarist Olin Clark is in the company of Nathan Reising, Dan Montgomery, Evan Hyde, Lily Talmers and Aidan Cafferty for these very diverse and creative 9 tracks.
The intricate and flowing “Coveted” starts the listen with Reising’s soulful sax and Hyde’s agile drumming that suits Clark’s meticulous guitar, and “There’s Always A Place” follows with Talmers’ expressive voice in the dreamy and eloquent climate.
“Knifepainting” lands in the middle and allows for Clark’s mesmerizing guitar amid much ambience and effects, while the title track places Cafferty on keyboards amid soft singing and rich textures of jazz rock ideas.
Near to the end, “Titan” showcases Montgomery’s playful bass prowess that suits the bright sax and detailed guitar in a more turbulent setting, and “Detritus” exits with waves of melody that are unpredictable, exciting and even flirt with math-rock.
A highly inventive effort that touches on jazz, rock, folk, experimental and even metal, Clark’s brand of fusion is nothing short of captivating and memorable.
Travels well with: Strat Andriotis- Exits; Gaia Wilmer’s and Jacques Morelenbaum- Trem Das Cores