New World, Lonely Ride

New World, Lonely Ride is a collaboration between Labradford/Pan•Americans Mark Nelson and steel guitarist/dobroist Michael Grigoni, who has previously released music on 12k, White Paddy Mountain, and Longform Editions, in addition to participating in the supergroup Between. Like the previous few Pan•American releases, this one explores ambient Americana, conjuring images of wide-open prairies and desert vistas through weepy, slow-moving slide guitars and subtle electronic textures. The title track introduces the album with simple, matter-of-fact rustic melodies that gently rock back and forth. "Omni Country" is a similar, calmly paced guitar duet. Other pieces like "Sun Morning Sun" and "Dream of Someone" are more sparkling and ethereal, yet still feel like waking up at the break of dawn rather than being in the middle of a dream. "Silver Streams" introduces some crackling and other incidental sounds into the mix, and "South Canyon" feels even more like having a transcendent moment around a glowing campfire. "Mirage-Afternoon" is soothing and cocoon-like, and the sparse, delicate "Blue Tears Never Dry" could soundtrack a time-lapsed film of a blooming flower. "Baritone Borderlands" seems to hold time in place, and its six minutes go by in a flash. New World, Lonely Ride is both abstract and impressionistic, and its overall more cohesive than some of Pan•Americans other later, folkier albums. Nelson and Grigoni have a remarkable chemistry together, and their collaboration is seamless. ~ Paul Simpson