After moving away from guitar-based compositions on 2015's Meridian, Barn Owl's Evan Caminiti returns to the instrument on 2017 follow-up Toxic City Music. This is far from a typical guitar record, however. Here, the instrument is deconstructed and submerged under waves of modular synthesizer static, crushed into pixelated fuzz and barely resembling its original form. The album also contains a significant dub influence, with harsh yet soothing sheets of noise reverberating in thick washes of echo, sometimes forming loose rhythms. Caminiti incorporates recordings from New York City streets into these compositions, but instead of sounding like a typical field recording-based experimental album, he seems to capture the mugginess and dirtiness of the city -- the unwelcome atmosphere that makes outsiders wonder why so many people are attracted to such a filthy, stinking, overcrowded metropolis. The album is bleak and foreboding, shunning the glamorous version of the Big Apple depicted in movies and television, and instead reflecting on what it's like to be stuck in a miserable neighborhood with no chance of success or advancement. While there isn't anything remotely upbeat or light about the album, somehow it manages to avoid sounding oppressively gloomy -- Caminiti's work is simply too creative and fascinating for it to be depressing. The album features contributions from Rafael Anton Irisarri (aka the Sight Below) and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, two artists who, like Caminiti, have also redefined experimental guitar-based ambient music through their awe-inspiring work. Toxic City Music is a truly daring, captivating release, and possibly Caminiti's best solo work yet.