Opsvik & Jennings - Commuter Anthems
Artist: Opsvik & Jennings
Title: Commuter Anthems
Label: Rune Grammofon
Reviewed by Mark F. Turner
The seemingly unlikely team of bassist Eivind Opsvik (Norway) and guitarist Aaron Jennings (Oklahoma) continue to throw everything in to their aural kitchen sink in Commuter Anthems. What you get is a unique mix of electronics smeared with acoustic instrumentation. Their fresh ideas of composition/improvisation are creatively presented with a wiz-tech mix of samples, loops, and programming; packaged into creative and ambient soundscapes.
This is a good follow-up to their 2005 release Floyel Files (NCM East) and the evolution of their music continues. This time the music seems more organic, leaning towards the acoustic side with an almost pop feel. Jennings's banjo and acoustic guitars are prevalent on the "The Last Country Village" but there are still weirdly wonderful inclusions of synthetic sounds juxtaposed within the mix. Even more melodic is "Silverlake" with its radio-friendly persona minus new-folk vocals. But for electronic elitists the tunes still possess hypnotic patterns and toy-like sounds found in the title cut "Commuter Anthems" as the sink now contains sampled horns, and voice harmonies.
You can tap your feet to a variety of rhythms but you will also pause and contemplate on the sound textures and the way the duo puts them all together. The sense of ambience also continues on pieces like "Wrong Place Right Time" and "Ways" where mechanical sounds intertwine with strings to create unusual cinematic qualities. While there are trance-inducing tunes there are also upbeat pieces like the drum heavy "Port Authority" and the punk-jazz "I'll Scrounge Along" with acoustic bass and concertina in full swing.
Whether or not Commuter Anthems lives up to the Opsvik and Jennings' previous effort; will be left up to the listener. They have however, created something entirely different and it is once again, a strange and provocative ride.
Track Listing: The Last Country Village; Silverlake; Commuter Anthem; Wrong Place Right Time; Lorinda Sea; Port Authority; Ways; I'll Scrounge Along; The Pendler; Apology/Goodbye.
Personnel: Eivind Opsvik: double bass, electric bass, drums, percussion, piano, organ, theremin, vocals, software; Aaron Jennings: electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel, banjo, concertina, vocals, software and electronics; Ben Gerstein: trombone (3, 5, 9); Rich Johnson: trumpet (3, 9); Peter Opsvik: flute (4).
Artist Website www.opsvikandjennings.com