Other You＜Clear Vinyl/限定盤＞

USインディー実力派SSWスティーヴ・ガン
豪華ゲスト陣も参加した最新作にして最高傑作!!

キム・ゴードン、カート・ヴァイル、ライリー・ウォーカーから大御所マイク・クーパーやマイケル・チャップマンまで、新旧アーティストたちから多くの賛辞を集める実力派SSW/ギタリストのスティーヴ・ガンが通算6作目となるオリジナル・アルバムを〈Matador〉よりリリース!!
2020年末から2021年初頭にかけてLAでレコーディングされた本作は、エリオット・スミスやベック仕事でお馴染みの巨匠ロブ・シュナフをプロデューサーに迎え、盟友ジャスティン・トリップとともに制作された全11曲を収録。
柔らかなギター・レイヤーが万華鏡のように絡み合い、フィリー・ソウルとクラシックなカントリーをブレンドしたようなガンの歌声が染み渡るタイトル曲「Other You」、物憂げなエレピに誘われて広大なコズミック・エレジーに佇むブルー・アイド・ソウル「Reflection」といった先行曲を筆頭に、過去作にはなかった輝かしいサウンド・パレットが引き出され、主役の歌声の魅力にフォーカス。
またゲスト・ミュージシャンとして、ジュリアナ・バーウィック、メアリー・ラティモア、ブリジット・セント・ジョン、ジェフ・パーカー、ビル・マッケイ、ベン・バートランド、ドラマーのライアン・ソーヤー(TVオン・ザ・レディオ、サーストン・ムーア、ギャング・ギャング・ダンス)など盟友たちが一挙集結。
2014年の最高傑作の呼び声高い『Way Out Weather』を更新するであろうマイルストーンがここに誕生した。

On his sixth solo release Brooklyns Steve Gunn pairs a sun-dappled West Coast feel with moving poetic ruminations, resulting in his most relaxed and confident effort to date. After the thrilling road rock of 2016s Eyes on the Lines, Gunn downshifted into troubadour mode for The Unseen In Between, an enchanting, more sparsely endowed follow-up that hinted at some of the mellow riches to come. Recorded with co-producers Rob Schnapf and Justin Tripp during a pair of visits to Los Angeles, Other You is an airy, loose-limbed delight of inventive guitar work and understated songwriting that gels better than anything hes previously released. Among its many noteworthy contributors are experimental harpist Mary Lattimore, who lends her signature loops to the winsome Sugar Kiss, and vocalist Julianna Barwick, whose celestial two-note choral stack provides the essential hook on standout Good Wind. Also chiming in are British folk legend Bridget St. John, Belgian bass clarinetist Ben Bertrand, guitarists Jeff Parker and Bill MacKay, and drummer Ryan Sawyer. While each of his collaborators adds a unique layer to the records subtext, its ultimately Gunns exquisite songwriting that conjures a sense of quiet uplift and deep satisfaction. Somewhat of a latecomer to the singer/songwriter field, Gunns pedigree as an ace instrumentalist, sideman, and bandmate informed many of his earlier solo releases. Over time, though, his skills as a vocalist and lyricist became more refined, to the extent that his guitar virtuosity is now merely an added bonus rather than the focus of his music. Other You is a record full of diaphanous melodies that are direct enough to feel familiar, yet slightly misty, as though plucked from a bank of fond cumulative memory. The delightful combo, Fulton and Morning River, drifts like a warm breeze as jazzy drums and twinkling piano speckle the landscape. The beguiling On My Way interjects mysterious instrumental passages into its tranquil verses, shifting from light psychedelia to sudden Tuareg-inspired guitar squalls. In subtle ways, this album ties together all of the various disciplines Gunn has previously explored, from American primitive guitar playing to jazz, folk, indie rock, and drone music. Yet it is also something entirely new with a unique sound that is a joy to spend time with. ~ Timothy Monger