Originally released in 1994 only on vinyl, this is the CD reissue of the first album by Alvarius B, the solo project of Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls. Despite the inclusion of over thirty instrumental tracks all performed on acoustic guitar, the album is an exercise in restraint in that the songs are brief, moving quickly from one idea to the next, and often leaving me gasping for more.
While the songs are short, the album is no mere collection of riffs. Instead, Bishop touches upon a variety of styles and moods. Some have a definite folk vibe, such as "70 Mile House," "Blue West," "Deputy Piano-Wired," and "Mr. Lonely," and others like "Mystery Altitude," "Mesarchuleta," and "Incident in Your Hair" could be ethnic songs from cultures that don't exist. Most, though, don't really pull to a genre of any sort. There are a few tracks that stick out for other reasons. "Phantom Green Light" is unusual in that its source tape warbles noticeably, if not purposefully, while "Bleak" features Bishop's rare harmonica accompaniment that hearkens back to a more nostalgic folk tradition. One of the more furious pieces is the percussive attack of "Wreckage the Julip," though the closet Bishop gets to a rock song is "Bloody Whiteshirt Handshake."
Inevitably, some of the tracks come across as incomplete sketches, but none of the time ever feels wasted. On the other hand, there are many complete songs that deserve to be longer, like "Bad Moves of Distinction" or "Mouth Pacific." Bishop proves that he can harvest numerous ideas from a single instrument and the whirlwind tour he gives of them on this album leaves me breathless. All I can do to alleviate the symptom is to play the CD over and over and hope to catch more of its elusive beauty with each subsequent spin.
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