Marching With Feathers
Western Vinyl, 2022
9/10
Listen to Marching With Feathers
Even if Rob Burger’s name is unfamiliar to you, you’ve probably already heard his work in films like Ocean’s 8, and records by names like Iron & Wine and John Zorn. Here, he’s aligned with Paul Niehaus, Stevie Nistor and Teddy Rankin-Parker for an exploratory affair that’s all at once intimate, powerful and unpredictable in an artistic sort of way.
Burger starts the listen with the sophisicated piano of the poetic and warm “Figurine”, and “Library Science” follows with much ambience, as hypnotic guitar and cinematic friendly percussion aligns to make for a mesmerizing track that’s got some psyche tendencies.
In the middle, “Still” emits a dreamy quality in its sublime minimalism that’s focused on the keys, while “Hotel For Saints” recruits plenty of ambience to the atypical, buzzing formula that’s part sci-fi, part soothing, nearly New Age sounds.
The title track arrives near the end and employs a drum machine for the glowing vulnerability, and “Night Feet” exits the listen with a bare pulse of calm keys and a chilling backdrop that adds a bit of mystery.
Burger handles piano, guitar, EBow lap steel, organ, dulcitone, harmonium, accordion and about 10 other instruments here, and the abundance of melody, grooves and artistic measures make for an atypical and enlightening experience that we could never tire of.
Travels well with: Lunar Noon- Symbolic Creature; Wing Vilma- Spirit Practice