Published on Aug 26, 2005
This one is described as “60 minutes of unadulterated, live
Assembly of Dust recorded at Revolution Hall, Troy, New York,” and
it’s hard to argue with that.
The group felt this was their most honest hour of live music,
but still cleaned up the recording to cut out some obnoxious
audience noise, thus making it similar to a studio recording but
still retaining the natural energy and spontaneity of a live
performance.
Formed in 2002, the guys in Assembly of Dust have played with
members of Phish, Cake, the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead, the
Talking Heads and even Chuck Berry. That work has paid off — this
“hick-funk” album that recalls Paul Simon but still maintains
enough individualism to stand out.
“Harrower” is a rich, earthy piece incorporating a sliver of
country. The vocals thrive, the guitar work is crisp and vibrant
and makes a nice contrast to the vocals and keyboard flourishes. It
sets the precedent for the rest of the CD.
“Honest Hour” blends pop and folk and is a truthful view of
their music as a whole — smooth vocals and a steady rhythm
control. With hints of jazz, “Paul Henry” blends in integral pop to
produce a lively, sincere musical number with catchy vocals full of
personality and frank lyrics.
Other standouts are the Seals and Crofts-like “Speculator,” with
lyrics reminiscent of Paul Simon and sparkling keyboards that show
off Nate Wilson’s huge talents, and “Honey Creeper,” which offers a
more funk-jam sound. It was an unexpected and well-received
diversion, especially in the lyrics (“She was born by the name of
Lynn / But she went by Honey Creeper”).
This is indeed a full hour of entertainment that lacks nothing.
The band has taken no shortcuts and
The Honest Hour extracts the best of Assembly of Dust as an
explosive group while carefully maintaining their fundamental
individuality.
[For more information, visit
www.assemblyofdust.com]