Rebuilding

The spacious music of Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington seems a natural fit for Rebuilding, a 2025 film set under the wide-open skies of Southern Colorado. Both are atmospheric, folk-rooted guitarists and songwriters with a shared history, though neither are from the American West. A North Carolinian, Fussells solo music mines the more offbeat corners of traditional blues and folk, while Elkington is a Chicago-based British musician who has become a go-to collaborator for artists ranging from Jeff Tweedy to Joan Shelley and Steve Gunn. He also produced Fussells last two albums. Working with director Max Walker-Silverman, the two have sculpted a sympathetic and poignant score to this film which follows Dusty, a divorced father and cowboy who lost his ranch to a wildfire, as he moves into a FEMA campsite alongside other displaced people. Citing Ry Cooders Paris, Texas soundtrack and Angelo Badalamentis score for The Straight Story as inspirations, the cues are intentionally sparse, often built around just one or two guitars with occasional embellishments of fiddle, piano, and steel guitar. Its music made to service a story and yet Fussells distinctive playing style is apparent to those who know it. The bulk of the 17 pieces here were based around loose melodies played by Fussell, then expanded and supported by Elkington from his Chicago home studio. Of the two, Elkington is better known for his instrumental work -- earlier in the year, he issued his second, sprawling all-instrumental collection, though he is also a talented vocalist. Fussells affable southern drawl is usually his calling card, yet its absence here offers a unique glimpse into the musical personality beyond it. Overall, Rebuilding is a winsome and rather wistful listen from a complementary pair of musicians who could certainly find their niche as occasional film composers. ~ Timothy Monger