Tom Kovacevic has been in a couple of great bands over the years (Cerberus Shoal & Fire on Fire), but he has never been an especially prominent figure, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect from a debut solo album that celebrates two decades of studying Arabic music.  As it turns out, I should have expected a lot, as Universe Thin as Skin is a bit of a minor masterpiece (and a wonderfully anachronistic one besides).  While there are certainly appealing shades of Fire on Fire to be found, Tom's true kindred spirits seem to go a bit further back to visionary folks like Robbie Basho and The Incredible String Band (though he thankfully eschews any of the latter's absurdist tendencies).
I know I am on shaky ground discussing purity and authenticity in relation to an album of quasi-traditional Arabic music recorded by a white guy in Maine, but Universe Thin as Skin at least feels quite direct, timeless, and guileless from its very first notes.  While I am sure some of that sense comes from the somewhat unfamiliar modes, instruments, and timbres that Kovacevic employs, I also feel that Tom taps into something quite a bit deeper as well.  It is those vague and intuitive qualities that make Universe so unique, as these eight songs feel wonderfully comfortable and lived-in, traits that stem from Tom's unhurried pace, deep understanding of space and flow, and avoidance of anything resembling artifice.  Also, there is quite a bit of passion to be found in these songs as well–I suppose I should mention that.  Without that perfect balance, Universe would merely be pleasant rather than weirdly transcendent.
Curiously, Universe is the rare album that seems to be deliberately formulaic and all the better for it (I imagine that structural consistency is an intentional nod to traditional Arabic music).  With the exception of the nay flute-driven instrumentals "Kürdi" and "Dulab Bayati," every song begins with a brief tremolo-picked oud improvisation before settling into a lazily hypnotic and swaying groove and staying there, which is just fine by me.  Aside from subtle percussion and some occasional flute coloration, Kovacevic does not embellish his simple oud motifs with much of anything beyond his plaintive, unusual vocals.  While that tactic yields no surprises at all once the album gets going, the gain is that Universe attains a sort of languorous, quasi-ritualistic beauty.  That said, some songs still work better than others, with the lengthy, dynamically rhythmic "I’ll Ask You" stealing the show as the album’s inarguable centerpiece.  There is not weak piece in the entire bunch though, unless too much of a very specific good thing can be said to yield diminishing returns.  I do not think it does in this case though.
With the exception of a single slightly dubious Beatles reference, it is difficult to find a single flaw with Universe Thin as Skin without proclaiming Tom's entire vision to be a towering misadventure.  His idiosyncratic vocals, unusual cosmos-minded lyrics, and repeating formula certainly will not be for everyone, though fans of his Kovacevic's previous bands will likely be predisposed to appreciate them. In any case, Tom's bizarre alchemy certainly works for me, as his intense sincerity and otherness make for one of the most compellingly singular albums of the year as far as I am concerned.  I have been playing this record to death and expect to continue doing so for quite some time.
 
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