Following the ambitious quadruple-LP sprawl of 2016's
R M H Q: Headquarters, veteran New Zealand guitarist
Roy Montgomery composed a much shorter album and invited several female singers to grace his rolling, multi-dimensional guitar soundscapes.
Montgomery wrote the lyrics as well as the music on the album's first side, while the guests on the second side expressed their own thoughts. "Apparition" begins the album with a slow fade-in of countless layers of guitars, resembling thick sheets of rain. This sets the stage for the deep, arresting vocals of
Circuit des Yeux's Haley Fohr, who conveys a burning desire and longing: "Have you something for me? I need a something so bad." During the song's second half, another guitar sneaks its way into the mix, barely perceptible but higher-pitched and haunting; perhaps it signifies the wraith alluded to by the song's title. "Rainbird" (with
She Keeps Bees) is much more stripped-down, although the slow, spacy strumming gradually seems to expand without overpowering the vocals. "Outsider Love Ballad No. 1" features commanding, almost bluesy singing by
Katie von Schleicher, along with nearly gospel-like backup vocals by Emma Johnston and Arnie Van Bussel. While the lyrics on the first side of
Suffuse are direct, the second side is a bit more abstract, with the vocals blending in with the guitars and often serving as additional textures. While
Purple Pilgrims do clearly sing lyrics during parts of "Mirage," they seem to float in nearly acrobatic patterns during the song's middle section.
Julianna Barwick and
Liz Harris (
Grouper) feature on the album's final two tracks, and they both blend in perfectly with
Montgomery's lush, cascading soundwaves; listen to the album at a low enough volume, and you might even think the songs are instrumental. This is especially true with the exquisite "Landfall," where it seems like
Liz Harris gradually disappears inside all the thoughts swimming around in her head.
Montgomery's decision to collaborate with guest vocalists was a wise one, as he realizes that his own voice (as previously showcased on
R: Tropic of Anodyne) has its limitations, and while his guitar techniques are engrossing enough to render vocals unnecessary, the singers on
Suffuse seem to understand what his work is all about, and their presence is inextricable from the album. ~ Paul Simpson