Vlor

This band did exist in another time, as a duo, but after the two drifted apart, one lonely soul, Brian John Mitchell, decided to dust off the cobwebs and call in some friends to expand his skeletal musical frameworks. Essentially, Mitchell recorded guitar riffs and arpeggios and then sent them off to various people to help finish them up. While the end result sometimes showcases this piecemeal approach, there is a subtlety and fragility to these compositions that charm. The most obvious theme is that of repeating guitar chords, which are embellished, muted or just left on their own. Working with such slow burn artistes like Rivulets’ Nathan Amundson, Jessica Bailiff and Aarktica’s Jon DeRosa, the songs draw out their beauty, yet sometimes it seems repetitious. "Horses in Deserts” is a perfect example, where there is an ever present haze, yet it slowly lifts to showcase the galloping guitar alone. Then, the instrumentation eases on in, adding a little abrasive violin, eventually taking the beat back to the sonic fog it came from. Fire is not the most cathartic of listens, but it does possess an intimate quality for those who love to work for their rewards.