Evan Caminiti – West Winds (Review)

It’s getting late, the sun is lowering itself behind the canyons and tumble weed is rolling on past your feet in the breeze. Lonely land stretches out in front of you for miles, inhabited only by the distant sound of desert creatures. This is what “West Winds” sounds like, the new full length from Barn Owl member Evan Caminiti…

I first heard Barn Owl upon the Digitalis re-release of “From Our Mouths a Perpetual Light” and I was intrigued by its character. It was a sound I’d never heard before; this strange concoction of blessed out psychedelia with americana-esque guitars and stoner doom style dirge. It was fascinating. Since then I’ve avidly followed them as much as I can, including the solo work. From the fuzzy drone of Elm (Jon Porras) to Evans drone doom. I was hooked. So it came with much excitement that I was able to review the latest solo offering from the Barn Owl camp.

From the opening moments of the first track entitled “Night of the Archon”, I knew I was in for something special. Evans prior outings have always leaned heavily towards the doomier side of drone. There were flickers of folk styling here and there, but generally you were always in for lava spewing axe drones from a forest dwelling demon. With “West Winds” the heavy doom influence is left in the wilderness and a heap of new ideas are showcased. “Westward Son” is a fantastic piano led piece that gives nods to Ennio Morricone and his spaghetti western style, creating visions of a once bustling town now left to rot by bandits. “Glowing Sky” is a spiralling wall of sound piece created with layers of guitars that will appeal to fans of Tim Hecker’s headphone wizardry. The atmosphere of this album is what is most thrilling. Each song is connected by this strange narration depicting imagery of America in the early 1900s. The term Desert Drone springs to my mind several times during the album and is possibly a very accurate description of the tone Evan has channelled into his work. I can’t say I know of any other artists working in the drone field today that have moulded themselves such a concrete identity as Evan has and “West Winds” shows he is still growing.

Fans of his previous solo outings will be pleasantly surprised by the development in both sound and song writing as “West Winds” is Evans strongest work to date. If you are new to his work, this would be the perfect starting point. – Review by Daniel J. Gregory for Fluid Radio

Track List:

1. Night Of The Archon
2. Westward Sun
3. Thunder Breaks The Dawn
4. Dust
5. Glowing Sky
6. Path To The Sea
7. Black Desert Blooming

Sights and sounds by Evan Caminiti (electric and acoustic guitars, harmonium, gong, voice, piano)
Recorded and mixed in San Francisco 2009/2010 at The White Room on Fillmore Street
Mastered by Patrick Klem

Purchase through Three Lobed here
Also through Experimedia here

www.threelobed.com
www.electrictotem.com
www.myspace.com/barnowlband