The Breathing Universe: A Brief Review Of The New EP From W. Cullen Hart (The Olivia Tremor Control) And Andrew Reiger (Elf Power)

The tragic death of Will Cullen Hart, founding member of The Olivia Tremor Control, still stings. Prodigiously talented, the music he made for a quarter-century still rings with promise. There's something visionary about what he created with Bill Doss and others. And I'm sure he had more yet to give the world had he not suffered a fatal heart attack at age 53 last year.

In what seems like a little miracle, new music is here from Hart. This EP, recorded with Andrew Reiger of Elf Power, was made in 1999 or so. Andrew and Will were roommates and with those two fertile minds in one place, creative material was likely to result. And thankfully, Leap Through Poisoned Air by W. Cullen Hart and Andrew Reiger is now here.

While some of this -- like opener "Treasures in the Magic Hole" -- has a real buzz about it, the more languid "Through Poisoned Air" suggests a variation of the slower portions of OTC recordings. Heck, this one even sounds a little like Nirvana to me. The spry "Three Seeds" is a bit similar, though the guitar here does more work than the actual voices on the cut. It's layered like early His Name is Alive records, and creates a feeling like time stopped or something. "The Breathing Universe", the closer here, might be my favorite cut on this EP. Gentle, and with warped vocals, the piece sounds a little like "Blue Jay Way", though the guitar fills are nearly baroque. Most of this EP does sound a little like the bands where these members did their main work, but it also reveals a new shade in the Elephant 6 paint-box too. Essential.

You can order Leap Through Poisoned Air by W. Cullen Hart and Andrew Reiger here. Details below via Bandcamp too.

[Photo: Jenny Campbell]