Made up of simple chords, haiku-like lyrics, and complex emotions,
Sanko's debut album, which was recorded solo in his New York apartment, becomes increasingly demented-sounding as its protagonist grapples with a crumbled relationship and veers into nostalgia. He makes no pretenses of solidity -- psychic or musical -- as the album becomes mired in the resign of the temporary loss of one's senses.
Sanko wrote all songs and played every instrument on
Past Imperfect, and the insular quality of its sound serves to compound the feeling of isolation. One contrast to the album's cloudy feel is the standout track "That Train," which uses rhythmic slide guitar scratching to underscore the song's dreamt landscape. It has an almost cheerful abandon about it that contrasts the rest of the album's more real-life-based mood of the wreckage of heartbreak. ~ Travis Drageset