Lord & Sharp

A real gem out of Aural Canyon’s stable today. Featuring the bulk of Joys Union Group, the record comes from improv sessions between Mike Sharp (Sungod, Remember Ecstatic Duo) and Neil Lord (Future Museums). The pair dig deep into the tapestry of cosmic folk, letting layers of Popul Vuh, Pelt and Gastr Del Sol wash over their works, and finding themselves in good company with contemporaries like Elkhorn. Passing the 12 and 6 strings back and forth between them, the record opens into resplendent vistas of sound, sunrise seascapes that echo, weave, and wash over one another. For the most part, what the pair recorded in the room is what remains. The interplay of Lord and Sharp is what’s at the heart of the record, and their intuitive dynamic.

A few overdubs do give the record depth though, with synth washes layering in a sense of ambient space and Kristine Reaume (Joys Union Group, Remember Ecstatic Duo) adding flute t to a few pieces, pulling this further towards the JUG sound. Ultimately it becomes a separate entity because Dailey Toliver was unable to work out scheduling and the pair felt that the name didn’t apply unless all members were present. However, if, like me, the Joys Union record was on constant rotation over the past year, then Kiwi should help to sooth a particular ache for the band’s kosmiche curl of strings, synth, and winds. With just the right air for a transition to warmer days, the comforts of Kiwi should see you through the Spring.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.