Thousand
Faces – S/T (Independent)
Led by singer-songwriter-guitarist-bassist-producer
Evan McCulloch, New York City’s Thousand Faces play a hybrid form of folk-rock,
which incorporates various contemporary sounds and styles. With a core
membership of three – McCulloch together with Ryan Stokes (vocals, guitar) and
Brian Adler (drums, percussion) – Thousand Faces are joined on the recording by
several guest musicians, who add trumpet, saxophone and backing vocals. As a
result, the music they make is complex and multi-layered, and suits repeated
listening.
McCulloch’s a writer with plenty to say and with the
perfect voice to say it. His rich, emotionally open tones give added resonance
to his songs and the musicians around him provide plenty of space for his words
to come to life - and those words invariably take centre stage.
The album begins with the faultless “Luminous” – its
almost dreamlike narrative takes the listener on a journey that Jim Jarmusch
should look into filming. I’d pay to watch it. Stokes plays some fine guitar
throughout the track, infusing a Spanish flavour, which was unexpected but
works incredibly well. “You Shine” wanders into
Coldplay territory, but McCulloch ups the soul quota, and its stripped back
instrumentation keeps the song grounded. “Open Door”
taps straight into the new folk-rock sound, and fans of Fleet Foxes and the
Mumfords should check it out, pronto. Indeed, it soars in a most satisfying
manner, and the combination of vocals and guitar is almost magical.
Phil S.
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