Jarboe - Sightings

Sometimes music gets so experimental that it doesn't transcend the bounds of genres yet makes no effort to identify with anything other than what it is doing. Here it is being done in a manner that defies the normal parameters for how we think of things with a structured formula, or can apply the rules of songwriting to. This can be said of Jarboe’s new album, Sightings. Jarboe's solo work continues to reach out further into avant-garde sound and is more abstract and ambient than her work with Swans.

Speaking of Swans, former percussionist Thor Harris joins her, though his contributions are minimal as is the application of any instrument in a traditional sense on the album. What we can hear are layers of strings providing textured waves of sound unfolding which at times has more in common with Free Jazz that anything relating to rock music. You can also hear elements of classical music, particularly composers such as John Adams and/or Philip Glass. 'Francesa Sun' is haunted by a longing, sparse droning arrangement floating as lightly as Jarboe's voice, which carries the almost chanted melody. 

The sounds captured here are inspired by birds, which explains the more airy feel of the ambiance. This does not lend itself to a depressive mood as much as it does to disassociation and introspection and makes for a bath of sound not unlike what is heard on Swans Soundtracks for the Blind; though she is using different methods to achieve this.  'The Choir and the Nightfox' is a little darker and more of a trance-inducing pulse of sound wrapped into a simple droning melody while Breathe is highly meditative, but musically not much, seeing as it consists of bells ringing over ambient synth sounds, sprawling out for nine mintues. 

'Vireo Seranade' touches on the bird theme which provided the inspiration for this album and feels like it might be the intro for a Swans song rather than the meat of it. The Sangha mix of the first song comes next, feeling a little more intense in its droning layers and more of a Post-Rock vibe. There's certainly a very meditative quality to this album, with songs that hook you in and get stuck in your head and may bring to mind what Swans offered sonically compared to their post 2010 reunion output. While not song-oriented, this bold outpouring of ambiance makes for a far more engaging listen than most of the Post-Rock heard in recent months and thus Swans fans will have a deep appreciation for Sightings.

Review by Wil Cifer