Weightless: A Quick Review Of The New Album From Pullman (Chris Brokaw, Eleventh Dream Day, Tortoise)

Bringing together Ken "Bundy K." Brown (Tortoise), Curtis Harvey (Rex), Chris Brokaw (Come), Doug McCombs (Tortoise / Eleventh Dream Day), and drummer Tim Barnes (The Essex Green), Pullman is a super-group no matter what anyone says. For those who grew up listening to records by Come, Tortoise, and Eleventh Dream Day in the Nineties, the tunes on III will gently point back to an era when American independent music took risks. This material proves that there are still risks to be taken, and new vibes to be unleashed. The band's been away for a few decades, but there's something timeless here in their new music which still works wonderfully.

"Weightless" is spacious, a drone-adjacent ramble that owes a tiny bit to Brits Spiritualized, and a little more to Neil Young. Fans of stuff like Flying Saucer Attack may find this one right up their sonic alley. Elsewhere, "Thirteen" unspools easily, guitar hooks and scratches of feedback blending into something that is vaguely folk, but decidedly more post-rock. The epic "October" reveals this American outfit's debts owed to Brits Fripp and Eno.

There's a lot of space to get lost in on this record. III isn't the least bit overbearing, revealing instead a set of players intent on almost finding a tune together. There's a stillness here, and some dark undercurrents which make this compelling in an entirely surprising way. Fans of Gastr del Sol and any of the bands these musicians graced with their talents will find this new Pullman record something special indeed.

III by Pullman is out on Western Vinyl on Friday. Details below.

[Photo: Western Vinyl]