Draw Breath
Label: Cryptogramophone
Length: LP
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Draw Breath
There are still no vocalists in the Nels Cline Singers, and the third disc from the guitarist’s latest group project again proves the much-belabored point that you don’t need a microphone to get your point across. Between Cline’s richly expressive and exceedingly adventurous guitar work and the screwy, across-the-map approach of the group’s rhythm section (Devin Hoff on contrabass and Scott Amendola on percussion), the Singers are not a cup of tea that will be easy to drink for Wilco fans who have been impressed by the guitarist’s work with that band. (Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche also shows up one track, the expansive and beautifully strange ‘Squirrel of God.â?�) Though Draw Breath doesn’t fit snugly within the sonic parameters of Wilco, it’s equally uncomfortable in the ‘jazzâ?� milieu, where many people might try to place it. Improvisation is a big part of what drives the disc, but the weird, wonky way that Cline approaches his guitar eschews much of what people associate with jazz guitar. There’s freedom and fun here; the path Cline has set out for himself makes the disc unique and rewarding, but also not an easily classifiable effort. And that’s a good thing.
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2007.