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Howe Gelb | Confluence

Giant Sandman with a dozen suprises.
CD, Thrill Jockey/Bang!

Tekst: Maurice Dielemans

Publicatiedatum: 08 oktober 2001

Oh boy, where do I start? "Dreamy" and "spontaneous" are the two words that come to mind when you listen to this record, but it's not that easy to pigeonhole the music of OP8 and Giant Sand's front man Howe Gelb. Well, on his latest record 'Confluence' he is not miles away from anything that Giant Sand has ever done, but when Howe Gelb welcomes you to his world it's very much like embarking on a new journey that you know is always going to be strange and exciting. On his second solo record (the first being 91's 'Dreaded Brown Recluse') he takes you away to that strange place in your mind where there is no such thing as time and everything seems to be floating upside-down. Many of the songs on 'Confluence' are based on half-finished ideas, healthy experimentation, and primitive acoustic melodies, but there's also something sophisticated and mysterious about Howe Gelb's music. The journey begins slightly confusingly with '3 Sisters', one of these peculiar tracks that makes Howe's sound on the opening track somewhat like Frank Black whispering on a lost outtake from Calexico's 'Hot Rail', but with the helping hand of producer John Parish, it's an excellent example of Howe Gelb's introspective living room creativity. While most of his songs never exactly begin or end where they should, Howe Gelb demonstrates with gentle songs such as 'Saint Conformity' and the desert blues of 'Pedal Steel and She'll' that he knows how to write well-crafted songs as well. However, Howe Gelb is not a rock hero, not even a genius, but he is certainly a creator and a man with ideas. Some of his ideas are better than others, but before the musical ride ends up in Neil Young-style with 'Slide Away', 'Confluence' hides a dozen of surprises in 17 songs, and that includes the King's 'Can't Help Falling in Love'.