Hush now, don’t say a word . . .
Falling asleep wearing headphones hasn’t gotten much easier since the proliferation of earbuds, but it’s worth the attempt nonetheless. Despite a frantic rise in sleepy records, King Creosote and Jon Hopkins‘ Diamond Mind is one of the few worth adding to your doze-off collection.
Maybe the reason it sounds so relaxing is that it took them seven, unhurried years to complete it. Though this year’s compilation of King Creosote (a.k.a. Kenny Anderson)’s work, Thrawn (Domino), was his first stateside release, he’s released more than 30 sets since 1998 in the U.K. and the duo searched all that music to find a batch of tracks that would fit a certain ideal. Hopkins seems an odd choice for arching, acoustic work (given his role in dance and electronic music), but their match reveals a rarely paralleled chemistry, topped by Anderson’s idiosyncratic croon. As a sampler, Thrawn played very much the part, focusing on upbeat indie-pop that rivalled Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci’s more accessible charms. But Diamond puts provides a clearer snapshot of his artistry – even if it had to be photographed with time-elapse technology. (Tuesday@Schubas with Briar Rabbit.)
— Steve Forstneger
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
