Barn Owl

Evan Caminiti and John Porras are a couple of San Franciscans who seem to have their heads pointed forever skywards. As Barn Owl, the duo have been relentless in their quest to cast themselves as cosmic ramblers in an eternal psychedelic opera. Vast expanses of sound flow effortlessly from their instruments; the planets call them. Ancestral Star is their answer. This is the third Barn Owl release (not counting the innumerable micro-releases of yore that have no doubt vanished by now) and the first to feature extensive work in a professional studio. The added effort shows; the ten tracks are masterfully executed pieces of art, in which elements of drone, raga and all things kosmische are woven into gorgeous, textured sonic tapestries. Ancestral Star is all bombast without the bluster; it's an album whose tones must have been sourced from the heavens.