Hilyard – On the Sorrow of Firn CD

Using a number of lilting, jazz-inflected chord progressions sampled on acoustic guitar by long-term collaborate Il Bradipo as a canvas, this is the most clearly structured Goodparley record to date. Collecting more expressive improvised guitar melodies and juxtaposing them with long-form drone pieces, this record contains wistfulness, nostalgia and moments of wonder. A more colourful palette than previous records, Canvas draws on the separate whimsical styles of F.S. Blumm and the lo-fi community, with sporadic bursts of experimental delay work explored on previous Goodparley releases. The guitar pieces here present a fractured memory space, whilst the ambients slip into the realm of dreams. Sometimes the two intersect and bridge, sometimes they stand apart, together. This is, of course, only one reading of the music within. This record is a canvas, not quite blank, presented to you with space for whatever you bring to it.