And the Wind Blew It All Away

As a producer, Kramers reverb-friendly and often experimental approach to recording helped wrap definitive albums from Low, Galaxie 500, Daniel Johnston, and many others in atmospheres that were as mysterious as they were beautiful. Kramers production style was one of the key factors in the formation of indie rock in the 80s, 90s, and beyond, and he was applying his ear for haunted, unconventional sounds to his own albums as well. And the Wind Blew It All Away is Kramers first album of his own songs since his 1998 outing Songs from the Pink Death, but takes its place in a discography that includes decades of output ranging from his band Bongwater to more recent collaborations with Jad Fair, Bill Frisell, John Zorn, and many others. The largely reflective songs on And the Wind Blew It All Away were germinated during Kramers 2020 residency at Joyful Noise Recordings, and fleshed out shortly thereafter. Still swaddled in the familiar reverb and cloudy artifacts that have become the calling card of Kramers production, the album carries an ominous, foreboding feeling. This could be attributed to it being created in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when dread and uncertainty were looming large, but theres a specific kind of spookiness on tracks like "In Absentia" or "No Words" that has been part of Kramers sound since he began. Brighter moments surface on the placid, Eno-esque melodies of "The Rain," and captivating interplay between steady drum machine pulses and wild feedback guitar on "The Heartache." Kramers restless experimentalism as a producer is alive and well, coming through as angular approaches to song structure and instrumentation, and unexpected details like the sample of a howling cat that repeats throughout "The Crying." And the Wind Blew It All Away is somber and at times even mournful, but somehow never feels like a heavy listening experience. Kramers shadowy ambience, dark thoughts, and even the swimmy Leonard Cohen cover that ends the album are all counterbalanced by how apparent his excitement for toying with sound is at every turn. ~ Fred Thomas