Bill Rieflin and Chris Connelly
Largo
First World Music
Those familiar with Bill Rieflin and Chris Connelly are well acquainted with the duo’s inclinations to challenge and stretch their musical boundaries. Regrettably, Largo is not reflective of the amazing talent either of these men posses. Chris Connelly’s somber, haunting voice is lost in the midst of too-sparse piano and string arrangements. Largo’s largest flaw is the lack of momentum. Each track is seemingly in a state of suspended animation, in an almost New-Agey fashion. Most songs are a manageable length, with the exception of the opening title track, which clocks in just under a lumbering eight minutes long. The plodding piano and sleepy string arrangements only add to a sense of drowsiness pervading the entire CD.
First World Music, http://www.firstworldmusic.com
