David Grubbs
The Thicket
»
David Grubbs
The Thicket
Drag City, 1998
RiYL: Gastr Del Sol/Jim O'Rourke, Archer Prewitt, Nick Drake |
The Thicket, his first solo album since the Gastr Del Sol breakup, rewards the fanbase with a album that uses difficult experimental pieces to temper the fabulous regular songs rather than vice versa. Throughout his career, Grubbs has always shown a strength for adapting his lyrics to match the nature of his music. Squirrel Bait's were anthemic, Bastro's dark and angry, Gastr's (of course) arty. The Thicket could almost be Grubbs' folk-rock album. These songs are anecdotal ("any fool can summon a train / you just climb on a platform") and occasionally, self-parodying ("the wicked space cow upended the candle generator.")
The new, folksy Grubbs is supported by a crack, mostly acoustic band which includes longtime pal John McEntire, bassist Josh Abrams (also of Sam Prekop's backing group), and violinist Tony Conrad. Grubbs lead this cast through some country stomps ("Fool Summons Train"), a tense, melodic, piano-led instrumental ("Orange Disaster") and some more complicated constructs like "Two Shades Of Blue" and "Amleth's Gambit" which don't really adhere to any one defining sound.
Then there's a few less instantly rewarding pieces. "40 Words On 'Worship'" and its even dronier sequel "On 'Worship'" will test even the most hardened Gastr-head with their screeching violins. Opener "The Thicket" is carried most of the way through by Grubbs solo on banjo and vocals, not the most ear-friendly combination. You do become more patient with Grubbs' experimental side, however, since the rest of the album so emphatically confirms that he can write good traditional music. And as with Gastr Del Sol's more bewildering moments, The Thicket's progressive stuff will grow on you with repeated listens.
The Thicket not only confirms that the song-heavy Camofleur was no fluke, it proves David Grubbs can seduce you with a good pop hook even without that record's heavy production. You have to wondering listening to the album which way Grubbs will go next record -- more folk songs? More instrumentals? More pop? More noise? Of course, there's absolutely no way to tell. That's one of the main reason I keep following David Grubbs' career.
MARK T.R. DONOHUE | Mark T.R. Donohue is a prolific freelance writer whose areas of expertise include Rockies baseball, video games, genre television, English soccer, and pub rock. He lives in Colorado, where he cultivates the largest and creepiest private collection of Alyson Hannigan memorabilia in the Mountain West.