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John Stowell & Dan Dean: Rain Painting
ByThe fact that Stowell and Dean never recorded together prior to this point comes as a surprise. But that doesn't mean they haven't crossed paths before. Dean mastered several projects from Scenes as well as some of Stowell's music. And once a line of communication was truly opened between these two, the idea for this project was hatched. Stowell, taken by Dean's distinctive singing and concept for Songs Without Words, was curious what it might sound like to stack that vocal perspective atop his own compositions. And Dean, a fan of Stowell's sophisticated harmonic language, playing and writing, was more than up for the collaboration. The back-and-forth of recording, layering and tweaking took more than a year, but it was clearly time well spent. That's audibly obvious within the opening minutes on this collection's "Welcome to Nice" starter. This pair swirls, slides in unexpected directions and swings. Guitars, bass, vocals and drum programming coalesce into one gorgeous entity, completely indefinable yet mildly familiar. It's music that plays like a welcome thought hidden just beyond memory's grasp.
In hearing the album all the way through it's hard to know what's most impressiveDean's wordless vocal precision and bass work (plus enhancements at other ends), Stowell's linguistic flexibility with guitar(s) and skills with the pen, or the harmonious stance and sonic viewpoints binding these two men. Whether we're talking about a laidback stroll like "Nanti Glo," the mellow straight-time title track, a spiced setting such as "Alora Andiamo!" or a starlit canvas like "Springfield Sonata," it's clear that this is the work of the artistically aligned. An incomparable duo with an envious command of color and language, Stowell and Dean create engrossing music on Rain Painting.
Track Listing
Welcome to Nice; Nanti Glo; Rain Painting; Pretty Boy Floyd; Alora Andiamo!; Springfield Sonata; Tapioca Time; Always Sometimes; Schiffletting; The Mandy Walk.
Personnel
John Stowell
guitarDan Dean
vocalsAdditional Instrumentation
John Stowell: acoustic guitars; electric guitars, fretless electric guitar; Dan Dean: acoustic bass, electric, vocals, percussion, drum programming.
Album information
Title: Rain Painting | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Origin Records
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