Ashe - Rae - CASSETTES

The sun is bright and who knows how long we have been hidden from the light. Is this our first time outside or have we merely forgotten how the sun feels? Were we really that lost this whole time? When transitioning from dark into light we are unable to see clearly until our eyes have properly adjusted. Geesman plays the generous host, laying out an enticing welcome mat in the form of the Terry Riley inspired opening track 'Testify'. Synths twinkle, strings conversate, hearts capitulate. In his third LP, we see Evan Geesman both continue and elevate the sound established in his prior releases. Written over the last 2 years in a dilapidated building 10 feet from a train tracks, NEWAGESEWAGE is a story of a love lost and with that a mumbled eulogy for a future never realized. As one song turns into the next, we sense the wistful recollection of a man cherishing a newfound clarity. Through tinges of sadness and sentimentality, this album's precious sound ultimately leaves us feeling more thankful for our lessons, than distraught about our trials. Evan Geesman's heartbroken optimism is infectious. Nothing is lost for we have already found so much. Each moment a sunrise and a sunset. Plus, his effortless fusion of electronic, live, beat scene stylings, and lofi-house leanings are just icing on the cake of another day well lived. Benson Edles Dirty Merlin // GRN+GLD

Wizrd - Elements [COMPACT DISCS] date 01/17/2025

The good people at Smithsonian Folkways have put together another stellar CD full of true roots music. This time they focus on the simple harmonica and it's complicated masters such as Doctor Ross The Harmonica Boss and Sonny Terry. Bluesmen forgotten no longer, here they are preserved with their incredible harmonica stylings.