Bardo Pond – Set And Setting
This group of Philly cheese steaks first mitted my attention back in ’95 (19, that is) with their coming out party platter of yore, Bufo Alvarius. Seems that most every member of the band had bought out the complete remaining stock of effects pedals from every guitar store east of the Mississippi and proceeded to slather layers of distortion all over the slow, plodding rhythms ebbing out most nicely throughout my bedroom. In fact, the aural cloud they’ve created is way thicker than the coat of Ben Gay your grandma is applying to her joints at this very moment. That’s pretty much been the story for each following album over the years ever since, including this new one, Set And Setting.
But you know, it’s a nice, rather progressive story and probably one you don’t want to miss all of. The recording quality is “better” now, but the female vocals, flute and violin are all suitably subdued in the mix, which is perfect for any and all shawl-wearing, hot cocoa-at-midnight in the rocking chair pleasures you may want to pursue. “It’s the one you put on while sleeping late in your parents rec room basement, soaking up air conditioning and watching wrestling on mute,” someone once quipped. Yes, exactly. I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Label: Matador Catalog Number: OLE 364-2 Format: CD Packaging: Jewel case Tracks: 8 Country: United States Released: 1999 More: Bandcamp
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