DUSTY TRAILS
Dusty Trails
(Atlantic, Warner)
RATING: three
When I heard that Josephine Wiggs, the hard-rockin’ drummer from The Breeders, and Luscious Jackson keyboardist Vivian Trimble had come together for a side project, I couldn’t wait to hear what I was sure would be a high-energy album of alternative rock. And so, when I found Dusty Trails’s eponymous debut album buried in the shelves, I snapped it up and hurried home to listen to it.
Three seconds later, I stopped the CD player and popped out the tray to check that I hadn’t mistakenly cued in another album altogether. Nope, no mistake. When you put together members from two of the late 90s’ best alternative rock groups, what you get is…well, lounge music.
Dusty Trails promised from the outset that it would be like nothing I expected, and indeed it wasn’t. Producing what they describe accurately on the back cover as “mellow sounds and minor chords, a synthesis of elegance and groove,” Wiggs and Trimble’s combined sound is nothing like what they used to make with their other groups. Although Trimble’s Luscious Jackson bandmates Jill Cunniff and Kate Schellenbach lend their talents to a couple of tracks, it’s thoroughly clear that Dusty Trails have their own musical agenda.
The music could be grouped under that all-too-large heading of “chill-out,” but the duo’s myriad influences bubble up once in a while to tug at the borders of that definition. The sound is built on a Latin foundation, but Wiggs and Trimble bring in elements of electronica, jazz, and even country to the mix.
The results are impressive, if not immediately, then on closer listen. The standout instrumental “Spy in the Lounge,” for example, opens with subtle synths, before opening up with a trombone and revealing the Dave Grusin and Stephen Sills samples. “St. Tropez,” another prize instrumental in the collection, might sound like straightforward mellow-listening, but it deftly hides some modern touches that give it a quiet sense of distinction.
If “Roll the Dice” sounds a little bit familiar, it’s because the one of the vocalists is Jill Cunniff, who also co-wrote the lyrics. For that reason, the track plays like a Luscious Jackson b-side—a little odd within the album, but not unwelcome. A little odder still, and just as welcome, is Emmylou Harris’ guest appearance on “Order Coffee.” The third of a trio of country-tinged tuned in the middle of the album (the others are “They May Call Me a Dreamer” and “Fool for a Country Tune”), “Order Coffee” is a spare track: Harris’ stark vocals are laid over delicate instrumentalizations. The subtlety of its complications make it almost reminiscent of Joni Mitchell.
Surprise works on the side of Dusty Trails, offering up a number of unanticipated sparklers in the 14-track collection. A lot of other albums in the genre fall into monotony too quickly, mistaking the “chill-out” label as an excuse for cranking out tedious, uninventive sets. Dusty Trails bravely resist the routine, and, thank God, succeed.—Kristine Fonacier
(Atlantic, Warner)
RATING: three
When I heard that Josephine Wiggs, the hard-rockin’ drummer from The Breeders, and Luscious Jackson keyboardist Vivian Trimble had come together for a side project, I couldn’t wait to hear what I was sure would be a high-energy album of alternative rock. And so, when I found Dusty Trails’s eponymous debut album buried in the shelves, I snapped it up and hurried home to listen to it.
Three seconds later, I stopped the CD player and popped out the tray to check that I hadn’t mistakenly cued in another album altogether. Nope, no mistake. When you put together members from two of the late 90s’ best alternative rock groups, what you get is…well, lounge music.
Dusty Trails promised from the outset that it would be like nothing I expected, and indeed it wasn’t. Producing what they describe accurately on the back cover as “mellow sounds and minor chords, a synthesis of elegance and groove,” Wiggs and Trimble’s combined sound is nothing like what they used to make with their other groups. Although Trimble’s Luscious Jackson bandmates Jill Cunniff and Kate Schellenbach lend their talents to a couple of tracks, it’s thoroughly clear that Dusty Trails have their own musical agenda.
The music could be grouped under that all-too-large heading of “chill-out,” but the duo’s myriad influences bubble up once in a while to tug at the borders of that definition. The sound is built on a Latin foundation, but Wiggs and Trimble bring in elements of electronica, jazz, and even country to the mix.
The results are impressive, if not immediately, then on closer listen. The standout instrumental “Spy in the Lounge,” for example, opens with subtle synths, before opening up with a trombone and revealing the Dave Grusin and Stephen Sills samples. “St. Tropez,” another prize instrumental in the collection, might sound like straightforward mellow-listening, but it deftly hides some modern touches that give it a quiet sense of distinction.
If “Roll the Dice” sounds a little bit familiar, it’s because the one of the vocalists is Jill Cunniff, who also co-wrote the lyrics. For that reason, the track plays like a Luscious Jackson b-side—a little odd within the album, but not unwelcome. A little odder still, and just as welcome, is Emmylou Harris’ guest appearance on “Order Coffee.” The third of a trio of country-tinged tuned in the middle of the album (the others are “They May Call Me a Dreamer” and “Fool for a Country Tune”), “Order Coffee” is a spare track: Harris’ stark vocals are laid over delicate instrumentalizations. The subtlety of its complications make it almost reminiscent of Joni Mitchell.
Surprise works on the side of Dusty Trails, offering up a number of unanticipated sparklers in the 14-track collection. A lot of other albums in the genre fall into monotony too quickly, mistaking the “chill-out” label as an excuse for cranking out tedious, uninventive sets. Dusty Trails bravely resist the routine, and, thank God, succeed.—Kristine Fonacier
posted by Kristine F. | Wednesday, August 01, 2001
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