Son of the Velvet Rat – Ghost Ranch
This 11-track from an Austrian duo is for listeners who focus on atmospheric moody melancholy & meditative melodic significance. Somewhat on the same plain as the 1992 Ian Bickerton band Balloon & the marvelous LP “Gravity,” (“Transfixion,” “Now That The Thrill’s Gone” & “Bellevue”) that sounded like the cousin of this new LP that equally explores the inner sanctum of the soul & remain winsome. What redeems this new work by Son of the Velvet Rat is the heart-tugging melodies & their expressive lyrics.
Vocally, it’s more pastels than bright vivid colors (same as Ian). However, at times, the music does pick up & frame the pristine showcase. This is not a seed from the blues pool, country fields, or even the anvil of rock music. It’s closer to Tom Waits than Willie Nelson. The female vocalist in contrast adds dulcet tones to where it could be primarily rough going.
The band doesn’t sway too deeply into that late-career Swans/Michael Gira/Jarboe territory, but they will remind some of that era. Recorded & co-produced by Gar Robertson (electric guitar/mandolin/piano/lap steel guitar) in California & completed in Austria Ghost Ranch (Drops March 22/Fluff & Gravy Records/39:00) does have its country-easy credibility with tunes like “Deeper Shade of Blue,” — quite impressive. Nothing is corny, cliched, or commercial.
It’s a bit heavy but not that it wouldn’t penetrate the ears with listenability. The songs & performances resonate.
This isn’t created with a mainstream attraction or commerciality. It’s a mature work, a poignant appeal, with penetrating stories & vocalizing though instrumentality it’s spare. But that doesn’t miraculously strip the work of its viability. It may even have enhanced its quintessence.
I was going to suggest a noir approach to the music but that would suggest an eccentric strangeness, lots of drama. That’s not what I pulled from this. There are too many emotional textures, the country genre surreptitiously flows under the surface & there’s an appealing lift to the tunes (such as “Rosary”) that is surprisingly attractive even with its darkness.
This musical ideal is more for people who prefer their music to appeal to the mind & not the feet. While not everything will grab you by the lapels much will tug at your ears. This LP is filled with vocal imagination rather than guitar solos, piano runs & drum solos. And sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
Highlights – “Bewildering b/w Moments Captured on Trail Cams,” “Are the Angels Pretty,” “Deeper Shade of Blue,” “Rosary,” “Southbound Plane,” “New Frontier” & “Kindness of the Moon.”
Musicians – Georg Altziebler (vocals/acoustic & electric guitar/harmonica/optigan) & Heike Binder (vocals/harmonium/theremin/Omnichord/percussion), Marc Ribot (electric guitar), Jeff Bellerose & Danny Frankel (drums), Janie Cowan (acoustic bass), Jennifer Condos (electric bass), Tony Patler (B3 organ/piano), Jolie Holland (vocals/whistling/processed violin) & Bob Furgo (violin).
CD photo courtesy of Elija Kulmer. 16pp stitched lyric insert included. CD & Music Samples @ Bandcamp + https://www.sonofthevelvetrat.com/
