Quick Before it Melts

Wednesday 30 November 2011

The deepest end

I can’t imagine what “a psychogeographic map of an invisible city” would actually look like, but I do have a pretty good idea of what it sounds like.  The above cartographic encapsulation of Doug Tielli‘s new LP, Swan Sky Sea Squirrel, caught my eye when checking out Blocks Recording Club’s page about the new record.

What you have to know about Swan Sky Sea Squirrel is that it was recorded while Tielli imposed a 3 month solitary stay for himself on Toronto Island, where he wrote and recorded the disc.  With nothing but the natural environment around him and the inner workings of his own mind for inspiration, Tielli ends up creating a remarkable document–almost a travelogue–of his journey to and from a world most of us are oblivious to.

It’s not all pretty and it’s never all pleasant, but what emerges from Tielli’s tales is the true experience of solitude: you discover more about your internal world while surveying the physical world around you.  Album opener “Yes I Am Lonely” starts off sounding like one man’s attempt at filling the deafening vacuum of silence encountered when you first realize that you’re truly and utterly alone, but by it’s end the panic subsides, the pace begins to slow, and the other senses heighten.  There’s wide-eyed wonder on “When The Sky Opens”, as Tielli sees a familiar firmament from a new perspective.  His arrangements branch out into some unconventional textures, perhaps inspired by running his fingertips over bumpy bark or smoothed-over stone. By the time the album slips into it’s final movement, Tielli becomes more introspective, more reflective (see the haunting “Dear Gone One” and “Let Go Of The Vast Dark”), and begins to bring the journey full circle.

As I listened to Swan Sky Sea Squirrel, I kept coming back to the title of Stereophonics fourth LP, You Gotta Go There to Come Back, thinking how fitting a phrase it is to describe this impressive album.  It’s clear Tielli’s experiences in solitude have left an indelible mark on his psyche and his soul.  Listening to his record will be just as unforgettable an experience for you.

Swan Sky Sea Squirrel is available from Blocks Recording Club now.

Riversea by Doug Tielli by blocksrecordingclub

 

 

Tweet

by J. Di Gioia | No Comments »

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 7:00 am and is filed under QBiM SPiNS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.