Gentle
Spirit
Bella
Union bellaunion.com
Laurel
Canyon is really all you need to know... where you come down on the
sounds of that early '70s scene and it's post-60's come-down
(burn-out?) vibe is going to dictate your attitude to this album. For
me it's a stunner, having mellowed somewhat as I near 40. Jonathan
Wilson seems to effortlessly evoke that golden sun-kissed utopia of
that legendary canyon, but Gentle Spirit
is never just a straight homage or period aping piece, it's got real
sonic bite and touches of electronic weirdness that could see Wilson
become the go-to producer for people wanting a more Californian/bong
loaded version of what Jim O'Rourke (Wilco, Smog) serves up. Having
spent years working as a producer and sessionman (Jackson Browne,
Elvis Costello, Will Oldham), Gentle Spirit
is Wilson's debut solo release (an earlier album Frankie Ray never
seems to have come out) and he doesn't disappoint... a seriously
wonderful double-album of CSN& especially Young flavoured
folk-rock. As I listen to the album I keep thinking of the film The
Graduate... the ennui Benjamin Braddock feels, that sense of loss and
helplessness as he returns home from college is the sound I hear
through-out this album. With winter turning to spring, this will be
getting a hammering around here.
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