Weingarten, Carl: Ember Days

Carl Weingarten is a name that has escaped me until I received his latest album titled Ember Days for review. The American guitarist started out in the early ‘80s forming the experimental/progressive band Delay Tactics, a band I have not heard. I believe they released two albums during their short existence. According to my research, Weingarten continued his forays into ambient and electronic music, using innovative tape loops and moody guitarscapes recalling, at times, the work of Robert Fripp and Brian Eno. He has a number of solo albums to his credit, including the aforementioned Ember Days. Joining Weingarten (acoustic, electric and slide guitars, keyboards, dobro, sequencing) are Michael Manring (bass, fretless bass), Peter Calandra (keyboards, piano), Kit Walker (piano), Ulrich Schnauss (synthesisers), David Udell (electric guitar), Walter Whitney (keyboards) and Tate Bissinger (vocals).

This is an album with layers of guitar, both acoustic and electric and because Weingarten’s playing is both elegant and even slightly surreal the guitar is not overtly dominant but is always present. The first track “Round Robin� is a melodic piece with beautifully played acoustic and electric slide guitar. Weingarten’s playing has inflections of On An Island-era Gilmour and is absolutely riveting during the entire piece. “Brother Mountain� begins with gentle keyboards and guitar having the feel of a lullaby, very relaxing at its core. Another lovely piece is the alluring “What The Raindrop Saw� filled with Weingarten’s spacey guitar textures and the wordless vocals of Tate Bissinger flowing with the instrumentation seamlessly and having an intoxicating effect. With the mellow fusion of “Goodbye Sun�, the excellent guitar work of David Udell is added to the mix and in the gorgeous title track Bissinger’s wordless vocals return in what could be described as a surreal dream put to music. Weingarten’s sense of melody is exceptional.

Ember Days will not knock you over with intensity as this is a mellow affair, but it is beautifully played and composed, a treat when you are searching for a more relaxing listen. Recommended.

Track Listing:
1. Round Robin (4:44)
2. Brother Mountain (5:42)
3. What The Raindrop Saw (5:36)
4. Goodbye Sun (5:18)
5. Ember Days (5:09)
6. Geola (5:27)
7. Skying Out (4:25)
8. Blue Spaces (4:40)
9. A Solitary Interlude (4:22)
10. What The Raindrop Saw (Café Mix) (5:51)

Added: July 12th 2021
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Record Label
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Language: english

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