(2020) Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra


Review:
Andrew Tuttle tends to blur the lines of established genres. Merging the acousticity of John Fahey with the electronic ambience of Fennesz, Tuttle creates his own category of music. Using his guitar and banjo, he dispels any notion of staying within the norms of most recording artists, boldly blending strings, horns and synths in the unlikeliest of ways on Alexandra. The fourth studio album from Tuttle, Alexandra is a reflection of his hometown on the east coast of Australia. Songs of gentleness and mystery generate a vision of this landscape down-under. There is a sense of the day dawning during “Sun at 5 in 4161”. Banjo and guitar blend with electronics to create a vision of beauty at the beginning of the day. Tuttle displays an ability to combine synthesis and natural instrumentation in a way that brings out the beauty in both the wood and the wires. Initially, Scribbly Gums Park develops overtones both mysterious and dangerous, yet as the tune continues, they are replaced by a sense of something more majestic. Followed up by Scribbly Gums Trail the initial sense is that of an old-fashioned banjo piece from a different era.  Shifting back and forth in time and space, the playing reflects styles transcending generations. A steady stream of customers seems to inhabit Burwood Heights Convenience with the initial low and high guitar notes generating a feel for the customers going in and out of the store. Tallowwood View flows on understated synths combining with an acoustic guitar. The random electronics and sound sculpture of Cambridge Drive Shopping Center blends with banjo, recalling shopping experiences on a sultry Saturday afternoon. The cast of characters assembled for Alexandra includes fellow shape-shifting guitar player Gwenifer Raymond, Sarah Spencer, Joel Saunders, Joe Saxby and Chuck Johnson. In various combinations, they follow a gossamer path through the points where bushland and suburbia connect. The bright banjo of Platypus Corridor has a spritely bounce to it while the addition of horns amidst the electronics creates a new hybrid worthy of future exploration. Painting a portrait of his hometown, Andrew Tuttle illustrates his own ability to imbue these locations with a sense of wonder and worldliness. What emerges is not merely a vision of Alexandra, but a watercolour full of the wonder of that which comes from the hands of an acoustic artist of the highest order.





Tracklist:



Media Report:
Genre: alternative folk, ambient
Source: CD
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits