giant sandWith echoing guitars and bouncing two note basslines, "proVISIONS" has its basis in country music but fuses those traditional roots with the kind of curled lip insouciant swagger perhaps derived from Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth's first couple of Geffen albums. The production has an almost luminous clarity as lap steels, strings and a host of other instruments swoon in and out of the mix. Howie Gleb's clearly enunciated, deep vocals and the rich production bring to mind Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector's strung out masterpiece "Death of a Ladies' Man" and this record is shot through with a similar kind of wasted resignation. Gelb's lyrics are a highlight, often somewhat bizarre or surreal, but always strangely emotionally affecting. On the extended duet ' The New Romance of Falling', which seamlessly includes and almost motorik mid section, the singers sound as if they are holding each other up in the studio. I'll have some of whatever they are having.
:: Giant Sand/Pro-Visions - Yeproc Records/Cargo.
