Oct 28, 2012

sir irchard bishop


Intermezzo parades this variety in its myriad forms. Bishop has always been a capable purveyor of the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink “genre” as exemplified in Sun City Girls’ many albums. We recognize strains as disparate as Spaghetti Western soundtrack, flamenco, long-form epic, Southern-fried folk, and delay-laden shambolic noise. If you need your dose of transcendental acoustic glory, you’ll find it on “Inner Redoubt.” If you’re looking for a front porch stomp with a little bit of Spanish flavor, check “Hump Tulip.” Want a dusky raga with a tense mood? The next track “Dhumavati” will provide. Those who see the solo guitar as reaching its limits must be turning deaf ear towards Sir Richard.

The puzzling thing about this work is not the differences in its tracks, but the title. Each of these pieces can stand on their own merit, and none of them feel like an interlude between the two songs that surround them. There seem to be two options here: either Intermezzo is a threshold between Bishop’s other works, or each of these pieces stands on its own as a bridge between experiences, connecting what came before it with what comes after (...) Intermezzo displays Bishop in top form, and if this is an interlude, the next act should be spectacular.
tiny mix tapes

No comments: