Music Reviews •

Thuja -wt Thuja -wl Emperor Jones -wf Thuja’s third album shows noted improv artists Steven R. Smith, Loren Chasse, Rob Reger and Glenn Donaldson perfecting their unique brand of skewed folk first established on Ghost Plants and Suns (both released in 2002). Hissing, crackling and barely-there “organic” instruments create the feel of being half awake, half asleep, surrounded by nothing but nature itself. The music’s drone-like qualities and snippets of casual sounds read remarkably like unintended music, like unplanned field recordings. Yet, the album demands your full attention. Sort of ironic, really. When was the last time you listened to the sounds of nature? That’s the beauty of music, though; it allows you to hear things you wouldn’t normally hear, to notice the essence of detail. And Thuja makes detail devastatingly clear and beautiful, in a slow, droning and patient manner, making this a remarkably beautiful and surprisingly efficient album. -wd Emperor Jones: http://www.emperorjones.com/ -wb Stein Haukland

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