A Small Good Thing
Block
Leaf
I first discovered A Small Good Thing in 1995, while visiting Phoenix for the first time, in a huge CD store under the genre heading of “spaghetti western ambient.” That perfectly describes their first CD, Slim Westerns. Since then, this quirky offshoot band (comprised of several members of O Yuki Conjugate) have released an EP and two more full length CDs. Their sound has changed though from release to release, making them a joy to listen to, but also something of a confusing conundrum to pin down in terms of genre. This is probably a good thing, and most likely a concerted effort on the members parts. Block incorporates many styles, ranging from drum-n-bass, to ambient, to jazz with a nice helping of Twin Peaks-type atmosphere. Just when you feel you may’ve been lulled into what to expect – SORRY! We’re changing gears completely. To give you some idea of what’s being played here, check out the credit listings in terms of instruments: mouth organ, pots & pans, short wave, violin, vibes, piano, whistles, guitar, drums, Olivetti, love scenes, French, Dictaphone, radio, and trumpets. There are even at least two songs that will make you check this disc on every CD player you own to make sure it is not skipping. (It’s not… trust me). This list also perfectly describes Block. It’s wonderfully freaky, all over the-place kind of spaghetti western, ambient noir.
