John Parish nearly outdoes himself with the beautiful, elegiac
How Animals Move. If it weren't for the fact that basically everything he's turned his hands to has come out golden, one might be surprised. His second solo album is a mostly mournful affair, but its poetic melodies, bubbly textures, and percolating, suspense-packed notes are consistently invigorating. Guest stars like longtime collaborator and friend
PJ Harvey,
Portishead's
Adrian Utley,
Giant Sand's
Howe Gelb, and vocalists
Rose De Wolf and David Donahue add additional magic to the proceedings.
How Animals Move is one of those albums that feels like a score to an imaginary film; some weepy, epic, road movie with transcendent emotions. But how many imaginary film scores do a cover of
The The?
Parish's does, with a subtle take on
Matt Johnson's "Shrunken Man" that fits perfectly in with his own compositions. From the opening seconds of the violin solo in "Absolute Beauty Is an Absolute Curse," to the schizophrenic modern jazz amalgamation of"The Florida Recount,"; from the
Talk Talk-like "Without Warning His Heart Stopped Beating," to the somber tone poems of "Lord It's a Happy Land,"
Parish's brilliance continues. The fractured anthemic pop of "Stable Life" contrasts beautifully with the 40-minute mark where
PJ Harvey tackles "Airplane Blues" like a Dixieland "fifty-foot queenie." The album stuns with both atmosphere and tension. A little bit of
DJ Shadow, a touch of
David Holmes, a helping of
Woody Guthrie, a hint of
Miles Davis improvisation, and a nod to
Ry Cooder all come to mind as inspirations for
Parish here. It takes a true craftsman to chisel music that's as subtle yet as fascinating as the songs
Parish consistently offers.
How Animals Move is another wonderful opus from
John Parish, and another example of his fine compositions and musical mastery.