***On Orange Co. Serenade, Bathetic’s first release from the rising guitar savant DANIEL BACHMAN, we’re introduced to a veritable landscape of winding guitar. Bachman treats his guitar lines and licks in a way that resembles the earth itself, at its most pristine, delicate, yet also primal and overpowering. Pieces move, ascending and descending in the same way that the clouds roll through blue skies, the same way brooks babble down rocky fronts carving their paths in the land. There’s a solemn, rustic tone to the album, in that it feels classic. It’s cinematic in the way it works, a lost soundtrack to some forgotten Terrence Malick or Win Wenders film. But, really, it’s so much more than that. It’s a beautiful record, not haunting and not engrossing, not overtly melancholic nor pretentious. It’s a record that lasts. Bachman knows his merits behind the guitar and he never falters. The record traverses the landscapes, falling in and out of terrains, but never losing sight of its purpose. It’s driving and immersive. Seldom does a record support such a variety of track titles that hit the nail on the head. You can read a title like “Coming Home” or “And Now I Am Born To Die” and when that guitar opens up and runs the course, you know fully you’re headed right where Bachman told you.
LP $15.50
07/29/2014
CD $13.50
07/28/2014
***Jesus I'm a Sinner is the fourth LP by DANiEL BACHMAN. The album was recorded in Rappahannock County Virginia at FORREST MARQUISEE’s studio inside his father's woodshop in May of 2013 after spending just around 8 months on the road. The first song “Sarah Anne” is a song for one of his best friends and sister Sarah Anne Bachman, and is also his first full song for the lap guitar. “Honeysuckle Reel” is a springtime tune. For that first day when the heat and humidity sets in and the smell of the honeysuckle bloom creeps in your open windows. “Happy One Step” is a guitar/fiddle duet with SALLY MORGAN of the BLACK TWIG PICKERS / FREIGHT HOPPERS. It is a Cajun tune by Dennis McGee. “Jesus I'm a Sinner” is for cutting loose. “Variation on Goose Chase” is a version of Virgil Anderson's “Goose Chase.” Although attempted to adapt to the guitar, playing it on the banjo was the only way to keep the feel of the original version. “Under the Shade of the Trees” has the undertone and drone of the 17 year cicada hatch that hit Virginia summer of 2013. ”Chattanooga” is played by Sally Morgan abd CHARLIE DEVINE (banjo). This version was taken from Blaine Smith. “Blenheim” is the name of the Latané family's property in Westmorland Co. Virginia. Its a song for good food, drinks and solid company nestled on the banks of the Potomac River. “Leaving Istanbul (4 AM)” is a frustration song and the...
LP $16.35
10/08/2013
CD $15.50
10/08/2013