FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
OP8
Slush
Thirsty Ear· Side project by Giant Sand members Howe Gelb, Joey Burns and John Convertino features Lisa Germano as co-producer, songwriter and performer.
· Bookend tracks are stirring renditions of Lee Hazlewood's "Sand" and Neil Young's "Round and Round."
It makes perfect sense that Slush be recorded out from under the Giant Sand moniker. This collection of 11 songs is easily the most focused, most coherent recording in recent memory that Howe Gelb has been associated with.
This doesn't diminish anything he's done with Giant Sand. It does, however, demonstrate that Gelb is not a slave to the fractious, devil-may-care attitude that, more often than not, manifests itself in Giant Sand's studio and live work.
The mere presence of Lisa Germano seems to have tempered Gelb's propensity for musical freakouts and the result is a recording that sits nicely in the realm of the tuneful yet atmospheric. OP8 lines Slush with spaghetti western melodrama, moody roots-pop and bachelor pad interlude, with Gelb's confident drawl trading from song to song with Germano's wispy vocals to maintain a sense of balance that is the strength of the CD.
Start to finish, it is not as gripping as Germano's solo efforts, nor is it as fiery as Giant Sand's. Yet it fulfills the purpose and promise that most side projects fail to achieve: a diversion from the artists' usual repertoire and something that doesn't insult their fans' sensibilities.
Hector Litorco
4 out of 5
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