The musical alchemy of guitarist Bill Orcutt continues to be revealed. Music in Continuous Motion, his new record, offers brief pieces which are as complex as they are engaging. Playing his guitar and overdubbing and overdubbing creates tunes which are dense and yet still absolutely hypnotic.
Opener "Giving unknown origin" is spry and playful, while "Unexpectedly heavy" is more forceful and driving. At his best, Orcutt manages to find a hook, embellish it, and expand upon it. It's an almost jazz-like approach here, though this is more post-punk or noise-rock than anything else. On numbers like "Because sharp also smooth", Bill channels the same kind of brusque fire that burned in the best Band of Susans material so many decades ago. Robert Poss likely influenced Orcutt enormously, judging by the results on Music in Continuous Motion.
This is a record that's a nice entry-point into the world of Bill Orcutt. With pieces all under three minutes, the tracks nearly zoom by. And yet, Music in Continuous Motion is proof that a neat synergy can be achieved through improvisation and boundary pushing. Rough in spots, this is still accessible music that's a little outside the mainstream, or even indie circles.
Music in Continuous Motion by Bill Orcutt is out today via Palilalia. Details below.
[Photo: Bandcamp]