Dustin Wong
(Thrill Jockey)
While September 21, 2011, may go down in history as the day R.E.M called it quits, it's equally noteworthy due to the disbandment of Baltimore art rockers, Ponytail. Though it's a major drag that you can no longer experience the cathartic blitz that was Ponytail live, solace can be obtained by listening to the euphonic sonic weavings of the band's erstwhile guitarist, Dustin Wong. With his solo sophomore LP Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads, Wong refines his formula of elaborately crafted guitar structures, and the result is a shimmering, multi-faceted record suffused with crystalline instrumental landscapes.
On his first solo LP, Infinite Love, Wong showcased his penchant for crafting intricate melodic webs via an assortment of effects pedals (namely loop, delay, and an envelope filter) and with DSVCSL, he builds on that approach, but with a more honed focus on individual tracks. The opening "Ice Sheets on Feet Prints" sets the mood for the album by beginning with a simple melody that gradually crescendos and upon reaching its apex is discarded by Wong as he moves on to another song, never providing full closure. This is a recurring theme of the album. The only track that clearly resolves is the closer, "Diagonally Talking Echo," and its ending seems more of a joke on conventional song structures than anything else.
The album's centerpiece, "Pink Diamond," is a hypnotic distillation of spacey melodies and Nintendo-ish guitar leads (fitting, considering that Wong has preformed live in front of a projector screen displaying Mario Cart races). Another album standout is "Tea Tree Leaves Retreat," which draws heavily from 70s era Eno/Fripp. While the majority of the album consists solely of Wong's guitar, there are fleeting appearances made by a drum machine and vocals.
The influence of John Fahey is obvious in Wong's playing, and the former's statement that "I was playing guitar but I heard an orchestra in my head," aptly summarizes Wong's approach to songwriting as well. While the intricacies of Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads could be exhausting to a casual listener, those with attentive ears will be enamored by the myriad sonic nuances present in the album.
DOWNLOAD: "Pink Diamond," "Ice Sheets on Feet Prints," "Tea Tree Leaves Retreat" SAM BALTES
